Page 63 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy (Wild Hearts Ranch #1)

SOPHIA

C onfessions of a City Omega

Emerging from the Heat Haze (Or: Your Girl Just Had a Religious Experience)

Dearest Diary,

*Taps microphone* Is this thing on? Can anyone hear me?

I’m asking because I’m pretty sure I just lost four days of my life to the most intense heat I’ve ever experienced. Four. Entire. Days.

I’m writing this from my nest, wrapped in approximately seventeen blankets that smell like my Alphas, and I’m not even sorry about how sappy that sounds.

So. Heat with actual Alphas versus heat at a clinic. Let’s discuss, shall we?

Things Nobody Tells You About Heat with Your Scent-Matched Alphas:

It lasts SO MUCH LONGER. My usual heat? Two days, max, at the clinic with their synthetic pheromones. This time? FOUR DAYS.

You’ll forget your own name. Also the day of the week. Also how to form complete sentences that aren’t please and more and right there.

Three Alphas means three times the… everything. Math has never been my strong suit, but even I can calculate that equation.

You’ll consume your body weight in water and protein bars because apparently marathon sex is an Olympic sport, and I’ve been training without knowing it.

Your marks will have marks. I look like I’ve been mauled by very affectionate bears. With cowboy hats.

The emotional intensity is INSANE. We’re talking declarations of love, promises of forever, the whole romance novel package but in real life.

For My Omega Readers Still Using Clinics:

Look, no judgment. I used them for years. The controlled environment, the medical support, the ability to just handle your heat and move on, I get it. I really do .

But if you find your actual matches? Your scent-matched Alphas?

Baby, it’s a WHOLE different universe.

The clinic injects you with synthetic pheromones that trick your body into thinking an Alpha is nearby. It takes the edge off, makes it manageable. Like taking ibuprofen for a migraine, it helps, but the pain is still there, just dulled.

Real Alphas? That’s like… okay, I can’t even think of an analogy because my brain is still scrambled. It’s like the difference between watching fireworks on TV versus being inside the actual fireworks. It’s overwhelming and intense and absolutely life-changing.

Also, they made me FOOD. Like, actual food. They cooked between… sessions. Brought me fresh fruit. Fed me chocolate. Try getting that at a clinic.

The Emotional Whiplash:

Here’s the thing nobody prepared me for: the vulnerability. When you’re in heat with Alphas who love you (THEY SAID THEY LOVED ME!!!), you can’t hide. You can’t put up walls. You’re just… raw. Open. Theirs.

And they see all of it. The needy parts, the desperate parts, the parts of yourself you don’t know exist until you’re begging for something you can’t even name.

They said they loved me. All three of them. Multiple times. In multiple ways.

Your girl is SWOONING. Still. Probably forever .

But Back to Reality:

*Clears throat*

Okay, so while I was busy having my world rocked (literally), we lost four days of fundraiser prep. We now have twenty-one days to raise half a million dollars, or we lose the ranch.

No pressure.

BUT, and this is where I get emotional, you guys are INCREDIBLE.

My inbox is flooded with messages from readers wanting to help. People offering to donate, to spread the word, to attend the rodeo. Some of you are planning road trips just to be here.

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

For everyone asking: YES, there will be tickets available! We’re finalizing the details now (or we will be once I remember how to walk properly). VIP packages, general admission, even camping spots for those traveling from far away.

And for my international readers or those who can’t make it, I PROMISE I will livestream the ride on the blog. You’ll have front-row seats from wherever you are.

(Yes, I convinced three growly Alphas that livestreaming is essential. Yes, it took some convincing. No, I will not share my methods, but they may have involved the strategic removal of clothing.)

Current Fundraiser Status:

Amount Raised: $47,000 (YOU GUYS!!!)

Amount Needed: $453,000

Days Remaining: 21

Anxiety Level: DEFCON 1

Optimism Level: Surprisingly high

Number of Times Ridge Has Practiced on the Mechanical Bull: 0 (we were… busy)

Tonight’s Omega Wisdom:

Sometimes life gives you lemons. Sometimes it gives you a massive debt, a dangerous rodeo challenge, and three Alpha cowboys who look at you like you hung the moon.

When the latter happens, you hold on tight and don’t let go. Even if it means spending four days in heat-induced delirium where you may or may not have promised to name your future children after various ranch equipment.

Thank you all for your support, your messages, your donations, and for following this absolutely insane journey. We’re going to save this ranch. Ridge is going to ride that bull. And I’m going to document every terrifying second of it.

But first, I need about seventeen more hours of sleep and possibly a donut. Or twelve.

Kitten Name Update:

Before I pass out, a quick kitten update. I received so many amazing suggestions for naming the two adorable ginger kittens currently terrorizing my laundry room. After much debate (and one shredded curtain), I’ve decided on names that popped up a few times and just fit.

Please welcome Crumb and Beans to the family.

Huge thanks to @moonlitreads and @alphaaddict88 for the perfect suggestions! You officially have naming rights. Chonkarella has approved their names (by not hissing when Crumb tried to boop her tail and Beans crash-tackled her). I’ll take that as a win.

City Omega out. (Still marked. Still claimed. Still can’t believe this is my life.)

PS: To the reader who asked if cowboys really are better in bed: Yes. Next question.

PPS: Ticket sales go live tomorrow at noon. Set those reminders!

PPPS: If anyone knows how to cover hickeys that look like you’ve been attacked by a very passionate vampire, please advise. I look like a walking advertisement for turtlenecks, and it’s ninety degrees outside.