Page 11 of Knot The Only Onee

Lucas eyed me warily but let me stride away to stand next to Alena. I tapped her on the shoulder, not wanting to blurt out what I needed to say.

Alena gave me a bright smile that turned into a frown quickly as she looked at me. “What’s wrong?”

Simon whirled around, sensing Alena’s distress in her voice. “Bridget?” He asked, seeing the panic written on my face.

“Can I talk to Alena alone?” I pleaded, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. The man who’d been like my big brother for years understood and nodded before kissing Alena’s cheek and joining Lucas a few feet away.

“Bridget, you’re scaring me.” Alena grabbed my hand. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, trying to calm the panic rising within me. “I need suppressants. My belly is cramping, and I’m feeling…things.”Oh god, this was so embarrassing to talk about in the middle of the store.

It wasn’t like my mom had ever given me the ‘birds and the bees’ talk. Nope. I learned what I could from books and overhearing my sisters gossiping.

Slick and cramps were bad. Yes. Definitely bad.

Alena smiled in comfort, squeezing my hand before springing into action. She dug into her purse, which was more like a messenger bag. It had dancing flamingos printed on the fabric, and I instantly loved it.

“I have just what you need. I always carry a few of them, just in case. Let’s go over to the bathroom.”

Thank god for Alena and her knowing exactly what to do.

“Do you have to go back to Washington?” I croaked, only half joking. I’d finally found a friend, and she lived several states away.

“Hey, we have to pee,” Alena leaned around me to call out to Simon.

Simon nodded, his eyes knowing as his gaze moved from his mate to me. “I’ll be close by.”

Lucas looked confused as hell, but as a beta, he probably wouldn’t be able to smell the little bit of slick I was starting to produce.

Alena wrapped an arm around my waist, and we walked to the bathroom. “I will always be a phone call or text away. We can even FaceTime every night if you want. Plus, I love this place, so the guys said they’d take me here whenever possible,” she said with a smile.

“I’m so glad Simon and the others found you.” I blinked rapidly to clear my eyes of the tears burning.

She opened the door to the bathroom, peeked inside the stalls, and then went back to lock the door behind us. We stood before the double sinks, and she handed me a small autoinjector. I’d seen these before. They were for the more expensive emergency suppressants.

“I always carry one of these and a few regular ones. I think that because you reacted this way to Noah, James, and Lucas, you’re going to need the emergency one.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I calmed my rattled nerves. “I didn’t even spend that much time with Noah.” I ran a hand through my hair, ignoring how much I was shaking. “A beta can’t trigger heat, so I just needed to stay away from Noah. I didn’t think Lucas would be a problem. Ugh.”

Alena ran a comforting hand up and down my arm. “I know, sweetie.” A warm smile spread over her face. “But if a beta is part of a pack you’re destined for, they can trigger a heat too.”

The knowledge made my stomach flutter. But it wasn’t with terror, as I would have expected.

No.

It was the nervous anticipation I’d read about in my romance novels. That first spark of feelings toward someone. And the hope that they return your feelings.

“Ah, I know that look.” Alena giggled. “I had a feeling it was a good move to bring you here.”

I shook my head. “I’m not quite ready for anything like that, Alena.” I hesitated, nibbling on my bottom lip until I tasted the coppery tang of blood.

Damn nervous habits.

How do I tell her about my experiences–or lack thereof? “I, uh, I’ve never been with anyone. In any capacity.”

Her eyes widened in understanding. “That’s okay!” She said with an encouraging tone.

Damn, how did I get so lucky with her as my new best friend?