Page 6

Chapter

Five

D ANNY

I leaned against the arm of the couch and stared at the photo I’d sneakily taken of Knox on my phone as the alpha had walked away from the bakery yesterday morning.

There was no denying it. The man was sexy.

Even from the poor-quality photo, his appeal was obvious. He gave out the type of misunderstood bad-boy vibes that used to be like catnip to me. After Rex, I was more cautious, but I wasn’t blind or stupid. With that long, dark hair, a shadow of stubble on his sharp jaw, and hands half again as big as mine, he was fine as fuck.

Under different circumstances, I’d have wanted to climb him like a tree.

Unfortunately, we were living in the real world, where I had very real hang-ups about alphas. Big, intimidating ones, in particular.

I huffed and ignored the droning of The Great British Bake Off show in the background.

Gods damn Rex Mindle. Because of him, I couldn’t even enjoy the glorious sight of my mate without an undercurrent of fear ruining it for me. I hadn’t had the chance to breathe him in and revel in his pine-and-leather scent. Anytime he came near me, I was too tense to enjoy his proximity.

I zoomed in on the photo, wishing I’d sprung for a better phone so the image wouldn’t be so pixelated. I couldn’t remember the exact shape of his silhouette, and it was bothering me more than I’d have expected.

Perhaps I could stake out the cabin he’d rented just to remind myself.

No.

That would be the kind of thing a crazy person did. I hadn’t sunk that low yet. Although if I didn’t at least find a way to visually soak him in sometime in the near future, it could happen.

I exited the photo and brought up the number that Dad had given me so I could contact Knox if I wanted to. I eyeballed the digits until my vision began to blur. Blinking rapidly, I looked away, spots dancing in front of my eyes.

I opened the messaging app and started a new thread with Knox’s number at the top. Nerves squirmed in my gut and I gnawed on my thumbnail, uncertain of what to do. If I messaged him, then he’d have my number, and the ball would be out of my court.

That both appealed to me and terrified me. I didn’t want this much pressure falling on my shoulders, but I wasn’t sure what he’d do if I gave him a way to contact me.

Hesitantly, I tapped out a brief message, then deleted it.

No, I shouldn’t.

But he was my mate. I burned to know more about him. The universe has matched us for a reason. I knew I should trust in fate, but that was easier said than done.

I tried again, and cleared the second message. Eventually, I kept it simple and hit send without giving myself the time to second-guess my decision.

Danny: Hi Knox. This is Danny.

The reply came almost immediately, as if Knox had been waiting to hear from me.

Knox: Hey. Glad you messaged. How are you?

The knot in my gut eased. Okay, I’d gotten in touch with him, and nothing terrible happened.

Danny: Fine. Just winding down before bed. I have an early start tomorrow.

Knox: Baking?

Danny: Exactly. I’ll be preparing the bread and pastries for the morning rush.

Knox: Do you enjoy that?

Danny: Love it. Although I wish it didn’t have to happen before sunrise.

Waking early was the only part of my job that bothered me. Well, that and when asshole alphas harassed the staff. The bakery was run almost entirely by omegas, and considering our secondary gender and the fact we enjoyed baking and cooking, some alphas thought we were only there while on the lookout for a partner to provide for.

Knox: I used to be a soldier. We always had to get up early too.

Huh. I hadn’t realized that about him, although I guess it fit with the mercenary thing.

Danny: How long did you serve?

Knox: Only two years, then my mom died and I had to return home.

Danny: I’m sorry. Were you close?

Knox: Not exactly, but I was closer to her than my father.

Something about the way he said that didn’t invite further questioning. I racked my mind for something safe to ask, that would continue our conversation without delving into subject matter that neither of us would be comfortable with.

Danny: What’s your favorite food?

Knox: Venison. What’s yours?

I should have guessed that. Deer were natural prey for wolves.

Danny: I love anything sweet, but especially if it includes fruit and honey. Chocolate is good too. So are cookies. Momma makes the best cookies.

Knox: Hopefully I’ll get to try them one day.

I swallowed, and my heart hammered. How was I supposed to respond to that?

Knox: That wasn’t me trying to rush or force anything. How did you get into baking?

I let out a relieved breath.

Danny: Actually, I’m a pastry chef, not a baker. Similar, but different. I grew up learning to bake from Momma since we’re the only omegas in the family and none of the others were interested. I always knew I wanted to work with food, but I kind of lucked into an apprenticeship.

Knox: I’m sure it wasn’t just luck.

My insides warmed.

Danny: Perhaps not, but luck played a role.

For a moment, I almost asked how he became a mercenary, but thought better of it at the last minute. Wolves were pack animals. He’d said that he’d returned home when his mother died, and for him to have left his pack, something must have happened. Whatever it was, I doubted it was good.

Knox: If your baking is anything like your coffee, you earned it.

I bit my lip. I felt like he was being kinder to me than I deserved. I hadn’t officially rejected him, but it must feel that way to him, yet he was being sweet and not pushing me. I’d set a boundary—even if it had been done poorly and without any kind of verbalization—and he was abiding by it.

Danny: Thank you. I appreciate what you’re doing.

I meant it. From our brief conversation, I liked Knox—especially the way he was respecting my space. He hadn’t turned up unexpectedly even though I knew his wolf must want to, and he hadn’t made any sexual overtures when many alphas would have.

Knox: What? Replying?

I snorted, unsure whether he was trying to be funny or not. I debated whether to send him something honest but overly emotional and decided not to. Instead, I asked about the favorite place he’d traveled.

We chatted for a while longer. Eventually, I shifted to the bed and strained to focus on our messages until the last remnants of wakefulness fled.

I dreamed of being held in Knox’s muscular arms, pressed against the warm skin of his chest. I turned toward him, eager to explore his naked body, but as I did so, his features morphed.

Suddenly, it wasn’t Knox holding me, but Rex. His grip tightened, crushing me. Pain crashed through me.

I screamed.