Page 78 of Knot Only For One Night

It feels right.

He slides his helmet on me, tightening the straps. I wobble my head a bit to ensure it’s on tight. He also opens the arms of his backpack, and I let him bring it up to my shoulders before we turn and climb onto the bike. Asher first, then he reaches out to help me up.

The wind ripples against my clothes. And he’s driving, not nearly as fast as Reed would have, towards the nearest fast food stop. It gives me a chance to catalog the scenery. Color-changing trees and falling leaves lining the roads and the color buildings and well-kept sidewalks all make the ride so calming. Soothing even. The whoosh of the wind caresses my ears like my ASMR videos do.

I squeeze Asher’s stomach tight as I lay my head on his back. I could go to sleep. If it wasn't for the slowing of the bike and the turn into the parking lot of the fast food restaurant, I’m sure I would have.

He takes my helmet and we go in, the bright colors harsh on my eyes this fine morning, but I know they have the best breakfast sandwiches here, so the offense is forgiven.

“Doing well, thank you. Can I get eight breakfast sandwiches with the hashbrowns. Moonlight?”

“l’ll take the same but with bacon.”

“Drinks?”

I shake my head no and Asher confirms it. Taking a receipt, we step back so the folks behind us can order.

“Is two gonna be enough for each person?” I ask Asher and he nods.

“If it’s not, they can wake their asses up and get some more,” he says and I playfully whack his stomach. Or try to, since he catches my hand and interlocks our fingers.

“So, Asher…” I say, facing him instead of the giant screen reading completed orders off. “What's your life story?”

“Hitting me with the big stuff, huh?”

“Yup, I’ll tell you mine too,” I say and he laughs a bit. His eyes trailing to the screen but his hand squeezing mine a touch tighter.

“My mom is Poppy Callum, she works with Jewels. Do you remember the bartender?”

“Yeah, with rainbow hair?”

He nods. “Yeah, she’s her manager. My mom is the life of the party, she smiles so big and she’s so inclusive with everyone. It’s hard to feel anything less than happy around her.”

“She sounds amazing.” She sort of sounds like my mom, minus the partying. My hermit-like tendencies definitely come from my mom. But she loves to include people. She’d get our whole family together and then invite the neighborhood Packs over for movie nights in the backyard. When she’d take me to work, she’d invite everyone she could to lunch, or pack enough food for everyone to enjoy.

She’d grown up incredibly shy, so she always said when she met her Pack and especially when she had me, she wanted to ensure no one around her ever felt left behind. She’d hate for someone to do that to her babies.

“My dad’s the second chef at Coal’s.”

“I need to meet Coal, and your dad. Thank them for blessing me with amazing food." Asher grins, pulling me into his chest and wrapping an arm around me.

“My rut condition, though… It was diagnosed after I presented as an alpha. Before, as a teenage boy I knew something was wrong but was too ashamed to say anything.”

My brows scrunch at the admission, something in my heart breaking as his face falls and he turns his face from me.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed about⁠—”

“I’m still learning that,” he says with a smile I’m sure throws others off his lingering sadness. I see through it.

Before I can say a word, our order is ready. We take the two bags, checking our food before putting them in the backpack on my back and walking back to his bike. We don’t get on immediately, and I’m thankful. The outside air is fresh and hopefully a bit freeing as Asher continues to open up.

“So my condition… It makes me rut randomly. Outside a heat. And it only goes away when I knot. No cure. No medicine. Nothing. Just have to … knot.”

“That must have been really hard,” I say, a bit at a loss of words. I must have said the right thing because he finally meets my eyes and nods.

“It was. But meeting Red made it easier. Once he found out, he’d help me⁠—”

“But he didn’t know about you being scent matches, right?”