Page 7 of Knot So Fast (Speedverse #1)

I'm staring at the flames on my screen, watching the virtual fire consume the wreckage of my car, and suddenly I'm not in my apartment anymore.

I'm back there.

Back in that moment when everything went wrong.

The tremors.

The way the car started to shake as I lost control.

The dizziness that came with the realization that I was going too fast, that the barriers were coming up too quickly, that there was no way to stop what was about to happen.

The panic that sent me flying through the air, the sick sensation of weightlessness before the impact.

The explosion that followed, the smell of burning flesh—my own flesh—before consciousness slipped away like water through my fingers.

"Sugar? Sugar, are you there?" Wolf's voice sounds distant, like he's calling to me from across a vast canyon.

My hands are trembling as I pull off the VR headset, the virtual world disappearing to reveal my dimly lit apartment.

I fumble for the power button, turning off the simulator with shaking fingers as I fight to remember how to breathe.

In and out. In and out. It's not real. You're safe. You're alive. It was just a game.

But my lungs don't seem to be getting the message.

Each breath feels shallow and insufficient, like I'm trying to breathe through a straw. I try to stand, desperate to get away from the simulator that suddenly feels like a prison, but my legs give out completely.

I hit the floor hard, my knees cracking against the hardwood as panic claws its way up my throat.

I clutch at my chest, fighting for air that won't come, feeling like I'm drowning in my own living room.

That's when I see him.

Hands reach for me, and I look up frantically to see a face that stops my heart entirely. For a moment— just a few seconds —I see Lucius. Same dirty blonde hair, same impossibly blue-green eyes, same everything. Like he's materialized out of my memories to save me from this breakdown.

But there's something different.

The scent that hits my enhanced Omega senses isn't quite right.

It's similar to Lucius's pine and motor oil combination, but there are subtle differences. Cleaner somehow. More controlled. Like the difference between a wildfire and a carefully tended flame.

The world tilts sideways, and everything goes black.

When I blink back to consciousness, it's not Lucius hovering over me.

It's Luke, my Beta roommate, his kind brown eyes filled with concern as he instructs me to breathe.

"That's it, Auren," he says softly, his voice the anchor I need to pull myself back to reality. "Just breathe. You're safe. You're here with me."

I realize I've been holding my breath for far too long, my body rebelling against the lack of oxygen.

I take a gasping gulp of air, then another, feeling the panic slowly recede like a tide going out.

"There you go," Luke murmurs, pulling me into his arms and rubbing soothing circles on my back. "Just keep breathing. Follow my rhythm."

I do as he says, matching my breathing to his until the world stops spinning and my heart rate returns to something resembling normal.

Luke has always been good at this—talking me down from the anxiety attacks that hit without warning, usually triggered by anything that reminds me too much of the accident.

My phone starts ringing from across the room, the shrill sound making me flinch.

"Fuck," I curse, my voice hoarse from the panic attack. "It's probably Wolf. My gaming friend."

Luke just nods, understanding without needing an explanation. He scoops me up like I weigh nothing and deposits me gently on the couch before retrieving my phone and the voice modulator I use for gaming.

My hands are still trembling as I turn on the device, but by the time I manage to answer, the call has already dropped. Before I can feel too disappointed, it rings again.

"Hello?" I answer, my voice artificially altered by the technology.

"Sugar, thank god," Wolf's voice comes through immediately, tight with worry. "Are you okay? You just disappeared, and those assholes were being absolute cunts about it."

"Yeah," I say, though I'm still out of breath. "I'm fine. I just... uh... needed to pee."

Luke gives me the most unimpressed look I've ever seen, eyebrows raised so high they're practically touching his hairline.

I roll my eyes and shrug at him before continuing.

"Actually, you know what? I had explosive diarrhea. Really takes the life out of you, you know? Couldn't exactly explain that to a bunch of cocky guys who think Omegas are just for fucking."

Wolf makes a sound that might be laughter, but there's still concern underneath it.

"I suppose that's... understandable. But are you sure you're alright? You sounded pretty shaken up when you left."

Even with the voice distinguisher, he doesn't sound like he's buying my excuse.

There's an intelligence in his tone that suggests he knows there's more to the story than digestive issues.

"I'm just tired," I admit, because that much is true. "Haven't taken my anxiety meds today, and all that bullshit from those idiots just got to me more than usual. I think I'm going to head to bed early tonight."

"Same time next week?" he asks, but there's something different in his voice. Hesitant, maybe.

"Of course," I say, trying to inject some enthusiasm into my tone. "Same time next—wait, did you say you'll be touring soon? That's exciting! Best of luck with whatever auditions you need to do."

I've always assumed he's some kind of musician or performer, maybe a rockstar wannabe who races virtually to blow off steam between gigs.

It would explain the mysterious schedule and the way he sometimes disappears for weeks at a time.

"Thanks," he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "I appreciate the support. But listen, if you need me—for anything—I'm just a text away, okay?"

The sincerity in his voice makes my chest warm in a way that has nothing to do with anxiety or panic attacks.

"Alright, I'll text you so you don't get lonely while you're off being a rockstar."

He laughs, and the sound is genuinely amused.

"I'd like that. Sweet dreams, Sugar."

"I'll try," I say softly. "Good night, Wolf."

I hang up and stare at the phone for a moment, a smile tugging at my lips despite everything that just happened.

My heart is still racing, but now it's for an entirely different reason.

There's something about my mysterious gaming friend that makes me feel safe, even when we're separated by hundreds of miles and layers of digital anonymity.

Something that makes me want to know more about the man behind the username, even though I know it's probably better that we keep our distance.

After all, the last time I let myself care about someone, it ended with me in a hospital bed with no memory of how I got there.

But some risks are worth taking.

Even if I can't remember why.