Page 11 of Knot the Stray

Jessie

The empty paper plates and cherry pie crumbs sit on the laminate kitchen table. We finished our dinner just in time. The storm outside the kitchen window unleashes hell. The churning clouds dump a massive wall of water onto the town of Willowside. Huge hail hits against the thin glass panes. The noise drowns out the hum of the vintage refrigerator and the low murmur of our conversation.

I stand up and stare through the glass. The heavy, torrential downpour overwhelms the street gutters in minutes. Deep, brown water pools across the asphalt, hiding the yellow dividing lines. Thick oak branches snap under the pressure, crashing onto the flooded pavement. The drainage ditches along the sidewalks choke on mud and debris, pushing water up over the concrete curbs. The wind howls, whipping the rain sideways and dropping visibility to absolute zero.

Four cell phones go off at the exact same moment, the sudden noise making me jump.

The shrill emergency broadcast alarms echo off the retro linoleum floor. I pull my phone from my scrub pants pocket and stare at the bright screen. A stark red banner flashes across the top.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING. SEEK HIGHER GROUND. AVOID TRAVEL.

Jake pulls his phone from his jeans, his dark eyes scanning the text. He runs a heavy hand down his face and looks out the kitchen window. The water level outside continues to rise, creeping up the base of the streetlamps.

“The highway underpass always floods.” Jake shoves the phone back into his pocket. “The county roads turn into a swamp with this much rain. Driving a sedan or a cruiser through that mess is a death sentence right now.”

Edward nods, his broad shoulders tense under his t-shirt. “My truck has the clearance, but the wind poses a huge problem. The radio said we might see straight-line winds over seventy miles an hour. Pushing a top-heavy truck through a flood zone sounds like a terrible idea.”

I shove my phone onto the laminate counter. Professional, practical logic takes over my brain. I refuse to let anyone drive into a severe storm on my watch.

“You guys aren’t going anywhere.” I cross my arms over my chest, planting my boots on the checkered floor. “The roads to your place are done. You risk rolling a vehicle or hydroplaning into a ditch. You’ll wait the storm out here for the night. I have space.”

Nolan pushes his dark frames up the bridge of his nose. He offers a warm, grateful smile. “We appreciate the shelter, Jessie. Getting trapped in a car in that water is a nightmare.”

I wave a hand toward the front room. “Make yourselves comfortable. I have extra blankets in the hall closet if the temperature drops.”

The three men transition from my tiny kitchen into the living room. They settle in, turning my designated safe space into a crowded den. Jake takes the center of the faded floral sofa, resting his forearms on his knees. Nolan claims the vintage armchair in the corner. Edward stands near the front door, his massive frame dwarfing the space as he stares out the front window at the pouring rain. Winston the tuxedo cat abandons his spot on the window ledge, darting under the sofa to hide from the thunder.

I stay in the kitchen, pacing a tight circle between the stainless steel sink and the small table. I trace the worn edges of the laminate with my fingertips, desperate for a distraction.

Having three large Alphas trapped in my apartment takes a toll on my senses. Their sheer size consumes all the oxygen. The air inside the room turns thick. The distinct scent of their pack—ripe fig, sharp vetiver, warm clove, and steeped black tea—saturates the small space. It mixes with the ozone and rain seeping through the window frames, creating a potent, intoxicating aroma that makes my head spin.

A sweltering, unbearable heat creeps up the back of my neck, flushing my skin a deep, mottled red. My pulse hammers a chaotic, frantic rhythm against my ribs. The friction of my scrub pants against my thighs becomes a painful distraction. A slick rush of dampness pools in my cotton underwear. My nipples hardening tight against the fabric of my sports bra.

I grab a plastic cup from the cupboard, twist the metal faucet on, and chug the cold tap water. The freezing liquid hits my stomach, but it does nothing to cool the raging fire in my blood. I try to calm my racing heart. I chalk the hot flashes and the heavy arousal up to the stress of the storm. Adrenaline does weird things to the body. I rationalize every single symptom, refusing to acknowledge the deep, instinctual pull winding tight in my gut.

I wipe a bead of sweat from my forehead. The small window unit air conditioner hums, but it provides zero relief. The temperature in the apartment feels like a damn sauna. The chemical barrier of my synthetic floral perfume feels weak, like a thin sheet of paper trying to hold back a freight train. My morning suppressant pill fights a losing battle against the sheer force of their combined presence.

I walk out of the kitchen and pace the length of the living room rug. I need to keep moving. Sitting still feels impossible. My skin burns, itching with a deep, frantic restlessness. I cross my arms, uncross them, and rub my damp palms against my sides. The walls of the apartment feel like they shrink closer with every step I take.

Edward turns away from the glass window. His thick brow furrows as he tracks my erratic movements. He takes a step toward the center of the room. “Hey. You okay, Doc? You look pale.”

I force a tight, guarded smile onto my face. I keep my distance, refusing to step any closer to his massive chest.

“I’m fine. I just hate severe weather. Bouncing around foster homes in the Midwest meant spending hours hiding in damp root cellars during tornado warnings. Bad storms make me jumpy.”

The mention of the foster system shifts the energy in the room. A loaded silence stretches over the small space. Edward goes rigid by the front door. He steps away from the wood frame, dropping his hands to his sides and leaving his posture wide open.

“Foster homes?” Edward keeps his voice low and rumbling. “You grew up in the system?”

I grip the edge of the kitchen counter. “From age six until I aged out. I bounced between eight different houses. Hiding in basements during tornado warnings became a routine.”

Nolan takes off his dark frames, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes before putting them back on. He watches me with a soft, steady focus. “That sounds terrifying for a child, Jessie. No kid deserves to face that kind of fear without comfort.”

“It taught me how to survive.” I force a shrug, trying to play off the vulnerability. “I learned to rely on myself.”

Jake leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. The casual, relaxed posture vanishes. His dark eyes lock onto my face with a fierce, unwavering focus. He tracks the flush spreading across my chest.

“You survived, but you don’t have to tough this out on your own tonight.” Jake keeps his tone even and grounded. “If you get scared, you can come sit with us on the couch. We’ll stay awake with you. We can talk, distract you, or just sit close and keep you grounded until the storm passes. You’re safe with us.”