Page 80 of Knot So Lucky

"Won't anyone in your pack be against it?"

Elias shrugs with that same casual grace he's displayed since I met him.

"Probably. But our Omega's happiness is a priority. If you being in the equation makes her happy, then so be it."

The matter-of-fact tone is somehow more effective than any elaborate justification could be.

Our Omega's happiness is a priority.

Such a simple statement.

A foundational truth presented like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Neither Cale nor I can formulate arguments against such straightforward logic.

"I brought food," Elias continues, stepping further into the room and setting the containers on the rolling table beside my bed. "But I need to leave soon. We were summoned for a conference—more rule announcements, apparently."

My gut drops at that information.

More rule changes mean more uncertainty. More potential for the Omega participation requirements to come back into effect. More scrutiny on teams, drivers, and crew members.

More danger of my secret being exposed.

I try not to let the anxiety show on my face, but I've never been particularly good at hiding emotions when I'm exhausted and medicated.

Elias immediately picks up on it.

He walks to my bedside without hesitation, reaching out to cup my face with both hands. The gesture is intimate and grounding, his palms warm against my cheeks while his thumbs stroke gentle patterns across my skin.

"I'll come to your garage when it's most convenient," he whispers, voice pitched low enough that it's clearly meant just for me despite Cale's presence. "I've already left my contact information with your brother, so you can message any time. Day or night."

His green eyes search mine with intensity that makes my breath catch.

"I want to formally introduce you to the pack," he continues, "but I'd like to do it when it's best for you. When it won't affect your alibi or compromise your safety. Your comfort and security come first."

The fact that he's considering the professional implications—considering how pack bonding might impact my carefully constructed double life—makes something warm and grateful bloom in my chest.

Most Alphas would demand immediate integration. Would insist that pack bonds supersede work obligations. Would expect me to prioritize biological imperatives over practical concerns.

But Elias is different.

We share a look that stretches longer than it probably should. His eyes are so soft, so gentle despite the Alpha pheromones that hint at steel beneath the surface. Freckles dust across his nose in patterns I want to memorize. His brown hair falls across his forehead in ways that make my fingers itch to brush it back.

I realize with sudden clarity that I'm staring at him like he's a five-course meal and I'm starving.

The blush returns with a vengeance, heat flooding my cheeks as I register exactly how predatory my gaze must look.

We just met. I shouldn't be looking at him like this. Shouldn't be feeling this intense pull toward someone whose last name I only learned a few hours ago.

"Fuck," Cale groans from his position beside the bed, breaking the moment with characteristic bluntness. "If you two just want to kiss, do it already. I'm dying watching this soap opera shit."

Elias grins—the expression transforming his whole face from gentle to mischievous.

"Are you jealous?"

"Of course I'm jealous!" Cale's response is immediate and heated. "Of some random ass nerd fucker using a cat to steal my woman!"

"That's not what happened," I sigh, exasperation warring with affection.