Page 16 of Trick Knot Treat

Gulls sing in the warm sunshine, and I slip off my shoes, picking them up to carry in my hands. I put one of those smiles Asher made me practice on my lips and walk with as much faux confidence as I can muster, following the alphas and the omega who thinks she’s fooling the world that she’s a beta.

We get down to the beach, and she sends the alphas out hunting for stones. The giant walking muff takes off, running in the surf, so I take my chance and stay close to her side.

She crouches down and starts sifting through the sand, grabbing one stone and hefting it before tossing it back.

“If you’re looking to seduce these alphas, you should be with the alphas.”

“I think that’s exactly the problem I need your help with, no?”

She glances at me and shakes her head, laughing under her breath.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just, you are Felix Sol, the Felix Sol. Son of the Sol family, the artist himself, you are-”

I step into her space. “I am a hot mess. I’m not the mask everyone sees, Khione. I’m anxious and scared and lonely. Ask any of my family.”

She stares up at me with those beautiful eyes that get wider and wider as she sees the truth I seldom let anyone see.

“I don’t know how to be around people, Asher is my buffer, the wall between me and the rest of the world.”

I glance over her shoulder, seeing Jace take Clint down in the sand. The two of them roll and start laughing. Morons. Khione turns and laughs. Instantly, I regret my thoughts about the alphas. I have been alone for too long.

This is stupid. I’m never going to be someone she wants.

I turn away and take three steps before I hear a shout. Khione runs towards me, snatching up my hand and dragging me back towards the alphas. Zaire is a massive figure at the edge of the surf, looking like he alone can hold the rest of the world back.

“Come on, come play.”

“Play?”

I don’t play. I paint, I write, I exist in a bubble of control and calm. Khione drags me right to the water’s edge and whirls, laughing. I am…mesmerised. And then freezing because suddenly, she and the white seal are splashing me with water. I shout and stumble back, right into Clint.

We both go down and then get rolled as a wave crashes over us.

Khione is doubled over laughing, hanging onto Zaire, but I’m safe. The water is pulling at us, but Clint has me, and he’s hard and strong and…this is ridiculous. I pull myself free, my face burning.

Clint advances on me, flashing a lazy smile that has me gulping. He lifts his hand and fishes seaweed out of my hair, holding it up with a wink that makes my stomach flip-flop.

His nostrils flare, and I panic, but he whips out an arm faster than I can imagine and grips my soaking shirt, towing me into him.

“Omega,” he murmurs and tilts his head, breathing in my scent.

My eyelids have fluttered closed at the delicious sound of want in his voice, but they snap open again, and I struggle free, putting lots of space between us.

“Hey, Khione, let’s go get you fed. I know a beautiful girl like you is going to want to eat,” Clint says easily, ignoring me as if nothing happened.

I curse myself all kinds of fool.

“Of course, I like to eat. I am human.”

“Oh, you and me, we’ve got a standing date from now on. There are places I want to go.”

“Oh?”

“I’m looking for the best meat pie in town,” Clint says in a loud whisper.

She giggles.