Page 161 of Knot So Lucky

Aurora grins up at me, and the expression transforms her entire face.

Radiant and happy in ways I haven't seen often enough.

I lean in, bracing my hands on either side of her chair, bringing us eye-level.

The movement puts our faces close enough that I can see the individual flecks of color in her storm-green eyes. Can count the faint freckles across her nose that she usually hides under makeup. Can watch her pupils dilate as her attention focuses on me with startling intensity.

Her gaze drops to my lips.

The movement is quick, almost involuntary, but I catch it. See the way her tongue darts out to wet her own lips, the way her breathing picks up slightly.

"Can I give you a morning kiss?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper.

The question hangs between us, weighted with possibility.

Aurora nods slightly, the movement small but definite.

Permission granted.

I close the distance slowly, giving her every opportunity to change her mind. My lips meet hers gently—not demanding, not aggressive, just... sweet.

She tastes like sleep and vanilla and something uniquely Aurora. Her lips are soft, pliant, responding to mine with hesitant enthusiasm that suggests she's still learning how to navigate this kind of intimacy.

The kiss stays chaste—morning greeting rather than passionate claiming—but it's perfect for what it is. A promiseof more to come, an acknowledgment of the connection growing between us.

I pull back slowly, watching her eyes flutter open with dazed satisfaction.

"Enjoy your breakfast,Liebling," I whisper, then step away before the moment can escalate into something more intense.

Aurora sits there blushing, hand coming up to touch her lips like she can't quite believe the kiss happened.

I turn back to the stove, ostensibly to make more pancakes for the others who will be waking soon, but really to give her space to process.

Shadow meows from her perch on the car magazines, apparently demanding attention.

Aurora laughs and reaches over to pet her, the simple domestic scene making something settle in my chest with surprising weight.

This is what I've been missing.

What our pack has been missing without fully realizing it.

Not just an Omega to fulfill biological requirements or racing regulations. Butthis—someone to cook breakfast for, someone to tease and comfort and kiss softly in the morning light. Someone who makes the compound feel like a home instead of just a training facility.

Someone who brings out protective, caring instincts I didn't know I possessed in quite this way.

I flip pancakes with practiced efficiency, already planning future dates.

The restaurant I'll take Aurora to—something with excellent food but not so pretentious that she'll feel uncomfortable. The conversation topics I want to explore. The ways I can show her that my interest goes beyond pack obligation or convenient biology.

The others will be awake soon—Elias is always up early, Luca runs at dawn, Cale sleeps late but makes up for it with intensity once he's conscious, I’m discovering.

But right now, in this quiet morning moment, it's just me, Aurora, Shadow, and the comfortable domesticity of breakfast in the kitchen.

I leave her blushing at the table, thoroughly satisfied with how this morning is unfolding.

And I'm genuinely excited—not nervous, not uncertain, butexcited—for how this pack is going to bloom with Aurora as our center.

She's going to change everything.