Page 144 of Knot So Lucky

Aurora's smile is genuine as she takes another sip, and her eyes land on me across the kitchen.

The smile fades slightly, and her expression shifts to something more questioning.

"What?" she asks, one eyebrow arching in challenge.

I roll my eyes.

"I didn't say shit to you."

"You don't have to say shit." Her voice carries that particular edge that suggests she's reading me more accurately than I'd like. "Your eyes do the talking, and right now they're saying you're annoyed."

Perceptive. Of fucking course she's perceptive.

"Well, am I supposed to be fine and dandy?" I let my frustration bleed into my voice, not bothering to hide it. "With the fact that we barely know you and now you're standing in the middle of this safe house kitchen that we've been stationed in for five days foryourbenefit?"

The words come out harsher than I intended, but I'm too irritated to care.

Aurora's expression shifts—something vulnerable flickering across her features before she schools them back to neutral.

I can feel Cale's glare burning into the side of my face, his Alpha pheromones spiking with protective aggression. But he holds his tongue, apparently allowing Aurora to defend herself instead of jumping to her rescue immediately.

"I didn't realize I was going into heat," she says, voice carefully level. "The suppressants I've been taking for years have always prevented it. I had no warning, no indication that my biology was about to stage a hostile takeover."

Her hands tighten around the coffee mug.

Then, to my complete shock, she bows.

Actually,bows—a formal half-bow that speaks to either cultural training or deeply ingrained politeness.

"I apologize for being a burden," Aurora says, and there's genuine remorse in her voice. "And thank you for helping me through my heat. I know it wasn't what any of you signed up for."

The formal apology hits wrong, making my Alpha instincts uncomfortable in ways I don't want to examine.

"I had a brief call with my family’s private doctor this morning," she continues, straightening from the bow. "Explained my obvious absence and the circumstances. She confirmed that the suppressants I've been taking, combined with being around a pack of Alphas in close quarters, probably triggered a counter-reaction. The meds couldn't keep up with the biological signals my body was receiving."

She takes another sip of coffee, using it as a shield.

"I should have been more careful. Should have recognized the signs earlier, gotten somewhere safe before it fully hit. So I apologize for interfering with your lives for my sake and sanity."

"Stop."

Cale's voice cuts through the kitchen with commanding authority.

He's standing now—when did he stand?—moving toward Aurora with deliberate purpose.

"You shouldn't be apologizing for this," he says firmly, stopping just close enough that his scent must be overwhelming her. "This was instincts and biological triggers completely out of your control. You didn't choose to go into heat any more than we chose to bond with you. Well, at least me."

"It actually worked out well," Elias adds from his position by the island, still playing with the kitten but clearly engaged in the conversation. "The next Formula One entry race isn't for two orthree weeks. Gives us time to recover and creates the illusion that we're playing it low-key while everyone else scrambles."

Adrian clears his throat, drawing attention as he leans against the counter with calculated casualness.

"Though I thoroughly enjoyed the group activities—" he pauses, and I watch Aurora's cheeks flush with color that's absolutely devastating, "—I would actually like to get to know you first. Maybe date properly, since it's pretty positive we're going to be a pack now."

The casual way he says it—like pack bonding is a foregone conclusion rather than a situation that needs extensive discussion—makes my hackles rise.

"Wait a minute."

My voice is sharp enough that everyone's attention snaps to me.