Page 35 of A Snowy Escape

Luka beats me to it, and he holds out a hand, helping me up. I take it and step around Echo to put her leash on the cabinet by the door.

As I pass him, I catch a whiff of his scent.

He smells like a campfire. More specifically, his scent reminds me of a fireplace on Christmas morning. The crackling smoke and burning wood scent that fills the air.

Okay, I wasn’t wrong when I guessed all three would be scent matches.

Now…

What the hell do I do with that knowledge?

* * *

Bryant makes it back, and the four of us sit down at the table.

I end up closest to the wall with Lawson at my left.

Luka is directly across the table from me, and Bryant is next to him.

The sound of teeth snapping causes me to lean in my chair to peek between Luka and Bryant.

My eyes widen, and I prepare to push my chair back.

Echo has Shadow on his back while she nips at his muzzle. He whacks her in the face with his paw, grunting.

Is that a grunt?

Maybe it’s a soft growl?

“Relax, sweetheart,” Lawson says, patting my thigh. “They’re just playing. That grumbling is their way of talking.”

“Their teeth snapping kinda reminds me of nails on a chalkboard,” Bryant says, laughing. “But at least they’re happy and getting along. How’s your breakfast?”

When he texted me, asking for my order earlier, I was surprised. I was torn between assuring him I didn’t need anything and the empty feeling in my stomach. It may not be pouring buckets of snow, but I’m still not confident driving up here, even if the roads have been cleared.

I asked for a breakfast sandwich and hash browns or whatever else was easy. I had no idea he was going to a diner.

“The bacon is perfectly cooked,” I say, smiling. “Thank you. The French toast is great too.”

Honestly, the French toast is better than great.

It’s otherworldly.

It’s lightly dusted in powdered sugar and drizzled with milk chocolate. It’s cliché as hell, but I have the standard sweet tooth that most omegas are born with.

“Was it a shock having my brother come into the apartment when Bryant told you you’d be alone?” Luka asks conversationally.

Something about the lightness in his tone tells me he lives for a bit of chaos.

I laugh, nodding. “It was, but it was also a great surprise. I would have had no idea what I was doing without him.”

I smile at the massive alpha, fighting the urge to pat his arm.

Lawson grunts. “You should have taken her to our house, Bryant.”

“Hey, mountain man, in case you didn’t know, that’s considered kidnapping and is generally discouraged in polite society,” Bryant says, laughing and shaking his head.

“I would have been in deep trouble if you hadn’t stopped to make sure I was okay,” I say to Bryant. “I owe you big time.”