Page 9 of Knot So Fast (Speedverse #1)
PROTECTING WHAT WAS ONCE OURS
~ K IERAN~
I finish my stretches against the old oak tree that borders the running track, rolling my shoulders to work out the last bit of tension from my morning run.
The endorphins should be making me feel better, but they can't quite mask the bitter taste of reality that's been my constant companion for the past year.
In two hours, I have to head into work to train another set of rich fucker's children—spoiled brats who are all going through premature puberty, seeking some kind of thrill by thinking they're worthy of riding anything above a fucking Corolla.
They strut around the track like they own the world, daddy's money padding their egos while they have zero respect for the machines they're piloting or the sport they're pretending to master.
I hate my job.
Have for a while now, and yet it's all I can do anymore.
The alternative would be working with these newfound racing teams filled with a bunch of soft, overly testosterone-fueled junkies who think they're hot shit while they pump themselves full of steroids and whatever other synthetic garbage they can get their hands on.
They think it makes them appear healthy and elite enough to compete in the field of racing, but all it does is create artificial athletes with no real skill.
What they don't know is that this year is going to get a whole lot stricter.
There's an announcement hopefully happening at three PM this afternoon that's going to change everything. New drug testing protocols, enhanced screening procedures, and zero tolerance policies that will finally separate the real drivers from the pharmaceutical experiments.
I smirk at the thought of watching half these roided-up Alphas get kicked out of the sport when they can't pass a clean drug test.
It should give me more satisfaction than it does, but knowing I won't be participating in the cleanup takes most of the enjoyment out of it.
The only team I'd ever consider riding with is Wolfe's. Senior, that is. Not the train wreck of a fucker that is Junior.
My mood darkens as I think about the twin brothers who've been such a complicated part of my life for far too many years.
Lachlan—my best friend, my pack mate, the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. Four-time world champion, calculating and precise, everything a professional racer should be. Then there's Lucius, the fucking disaster on two legs who I try to pretend doesn't exist most of the time.
We don't rub well together, Lucius and I.
But then again, that's pretty much the case with everyone who crosses his path.
We have history—bad history that led to all of us becoming this lost bunch of fuckers who can't get what we want because we lost her once, and her parents would have our heads if we tried a second time.
Even if it means we're all miserable.
Including their only daughter.
I sigh and lift my water bottle to finish the remainder, my eyes drifting over to the track field out of habit more than any real interest.
That's when I catch a glimpse of something that makes my heart stop entirely.
Her.
Seeing Auren is completely unexpected, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm hallucinating from dehydration or some kind of heat-induced mirage.
But there she is, laughing up a storm with that menacing cackle that I swear would be perfect for haunting houses. It's wild and unhinged and absolutely captivating, sending a blaze of heat through my chest as my pupils dilate to take in every detail of her.
She's dripping in sweat, her jet-black hair catching the morning sunlight to reveal those hints of magenta that she added after the accident—little touches of rebellion that somehow make her even more beautiful.
Her eyes are wide and bright, showing that unique sapphire-lavender mix that's haunted my dreams for months.
She's wearing a pink matching set from that Alo brand she's obsessed with— whether she remembers that obsession or not .
It's one of the few companies that stood by her after the accident, paying for her medical expenses in full since she was a brand ambassador.
The crop top and shorts combo fits her perfectly, highlighting her athletic build with just enough curves to make my mouth go dry.
My cock grows hard in seconds, pressing uncomfortably against my running shorts as memories flood back unbidden.
The way she used to look at me with those same bright eyes, full of challenge and desire.
The way she tasted when I finally worked up the courage to kiss her.
The way it all fell apart, because I was too stubborn to admit how I felt, and maybe because our pack wasn't ready to accept the idea of having an Omega in our court.
And then, just like that, she was no longer an option.
She's laughing with that Beta—Luke, I think his name is.
The sight makes me frown deeper than it should.
I know about him, as do Dex and Caspian, but I'm pretty sure the twins don't know about her living situation.
If they did, they'd lose their possessive shit completely.
Lucius especially would probably burn down half of Monaco trying to eliminate what he'd see as competition.
I watch as Luke walks up to her, the two of them falling into what looks like an animated discussion. Then he reaches out and grabs her ponytail, tilting her head back so he can tower over her smaller frame.
I have to grab the tree next to me to force myself not to charge forward, every Alpha instinct I possess screaming at me to intervene.
I wait what feels like an eternity to see what's about to happen, my jaw clenched so tight it aches.
His lips are just inches from hers, the two of them sharing an intense look while he says something I'm too far away to hear. She looks confused, while his expression shows a glimpse of disappointment and annoyance that I recognize all too well.
The look of someone who's in love with a person who can't see what's right in front of them.
He lets her go, which has her pouting in that way that used to make me want to kiss the expression right off her face.
Then she's wrinkling her nose, and I curse under my breath because I know that look.
Auren has the strongest enhanced senses of any Omega I've ever encountered. She might as well apply to work with the police force given how she's able to sniff out anything within a half-mile radius. If she's picking up a strange scent, it means trouble.
Unless she recognizes mine…but a far chance.
Sure enough, a government enforcement guard emerges from the tree line, and my blood pressure spikes immediately. Those fuckers are a constant pain in the ass to unmated Omegas, always looking for excuses to flex their authority and make life difficult.
I can hear the commotion from here, voices raised in argument, but it's when the guard grabs Auren's arm and yanks her back— igniting a sharp gasp from her lips —that I see red and start charging toward them.
Everything else fades away except the need to protect her, to get that bastard's hands off what's mine. The rational part of my brain knows she's not mine anymore, hasn't been mine in over a year, but instinct doesn't give a shit about technicalities.
When her eyes find mine as I approach, I have to ignore the way my heart skips and stutters like a teenager with his first crush.
She probably recognizes me from the hospital—the bystander who helped during the accident—but she doesn't know much else.
Doesn't recall the relationship we used to have, the way we used to fit together like puzzle pieces.
Just like with the others, those memories are locked away behind walls that the doctors aren't sure will ever come down.
"Sir," the guard stammers, immediately backing away from Auren as if proximity to her might get him in trouble. His entire demeanor shifts from aggressive authority to nervous deference in the span of a heartbeat. "I was just enforcing the established protocols. The Omega was?—"
"The Omega," I interrupt, letting my voice carry the kind of quiet menace that I learned during my military days, "has every right to be exactly where she is. And if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with me."
The guard's face goes pale, but he tries to maintain his authority.
"Sir, with all due respect, the law clearly states?—"
"I know what the law states," I cut him off again, stepping closer until I'm using my height advantage to its full effect. "I also know that there are exceptions for Omegas who have explicit permission from their pack Alphas to be in public for professional reasons. Which she does."
"I haven't seen any documentation?—"
"Are you questioning my word?" The threat in my voice is unmistakable now, and I watch with satisfaction as the guard takes another step back.
"No, sir, but protocol requires?—"
"Protocol requires you to do your job properly, not harass innocent Omegas who are following the law." I move closer again, close enough that he has to crane his neck to look up at me. "Tell me, officer, do you know who I am?"
The guard shakes his head nervously, clearly regretting his decision to stop and hassle Auren in the first place.
"My name is Kieran Cross. I work very closely with some very important people in this city, including the Wolfe family. Would you like me to give Lachlan Wolfe a call and explain how one of Monaco's finest was harassing an Omega under his protection?"
The mention of the Wolfe name has the desired effect.
The guard goes white as a sheet, his hands actually shaking as he takes several more steps back.
"No, sir," he stammers, practically bowing as he speaks. "That won't be necessary. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I was just?—"
"You were just leaving," I finish for him. "And if I ever see you bothering this Omega again, our next conversation will be very different. Do I make myself clear?"