Knotted By Her Alphas (Knotted By Cupid #3)

PROLOGUE

HARPER

On a Friday night in small town Greywood, Georgia everyone attends the high school football game at Greywood Prep.

The field lights make the football field sparkle.

Pups running up and down the stairs give it a family feel.

A smile tugs at my lips as hotdogs and popcorn waft under my nose as I sip my favorite soda cherry cola.

Everyone in the bleachers is on their feet bubbling with excitement due to the close score.

The quarterback Archer Barclay snaps the football from his hands and it spirals through the crisp October air. Running back, Dustin Montclair’s gloved hands shoot up and the ball makes contact. Clutching the football, Dustin sprints down the football field toward the endzone.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and my boyfriend’s oversized navy team hoodie, I fidget with both excitement and from the cold weather.

Cupping my chilled hands around my mouth, I shout, “Come on, Dustin!”

My boyfriend zig zags across the field, clutching the football tightly as he dodges Mavericks defensive players.

“Yes! Go Dustin!” Sarah calls out from the sidelines, shaking her pom-poms, casting a sharp glance my way.

Sarah Marshin, the cheer captain and an omega, has wanted him since freshman year. But he was mine long before that.

We’ve grown up side by side. Nothing can tear us apart.

I flip her the middle finger.

Her mouth falls open in surprise.

Candice, my best friend, snickers next to me.

“Find your own alpha,” my other friend Kanieshie shouts.

Laughing, I high-five my friends.

Sara got her awakening early.

I learned I was an omega when I was twelve. I followed my mother and grandmother around the house cleaning and helping cook meals. A year later I got a soft heat. I still don’t have a powerful scent yet like Sarah who enjoys perfuming around alphas.

A couple of plays later, Archer launches the ball. Dustin bolts downfield, leaps into the air to catch it, then tucks it under his arm, weaving through the defensive line. Sawyer Burbank knocks down a player who tries to tackle Dustin’s side. Dustin presses on toward the end zone.

“Let’s go, Dustin and Sawyer!” Thatcher Donovan cheers from the bench, pumping his good arm. His left arm remains in a cast after last week’s game.

Dustin, Archer, Sawyer, and Thatcher have been inseparable since they were young pups.

With Sawyer’s assist, Dustin scores another touchdown, sealing the victory.

My friends and I leave the bleachers and sprint onto the field.

Dustin yanks off his helmet, shouting, “Eagles are the champions!”

The Eagles team hoists Dustin into the air, chanting our school anthem.

Once he’s back on the ground, he rushes to me and lifts my five-five frame into his arms. Smiling, his emerald green eyes hold my amber eyes for a beat. I wrap my arms around his neck as his lips crash onto mine in a kiss I’ll never forget.

His inky black hair drips with sweat between us. “I love you, my little omega.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “I love you too, alpha.”

“I always love hearing those words.” He pecks my lips before setting me down.

My boyfriend is six two and carries the scent of rich pine and vanilla—an aroma I could breathe in forever.

Dustin takes my hand, leading me toward his best friends.

Candice and Kanieshie grip their boyfriends Derrick and Gunners hands as they approach us.

“Great job out there, Sawyer,” I say.

The alphas are the same height except for Archer. He’s the tallest at six three.

Sawyer runs his fingers through his brown hair before he pulls me into a sweaty hug smelling like musk, vanilla, and caramel. Gosh he smells good. The guy’s built like a fortress. His muscled arms hold me tight. “Thanks Harper.”

Archer tugs me from Sawyer. “Don’t hog her.”

“She’s not even your woman,” Sawyer snorts.

Archer’s leather, black currant, and musk scent cocoons me.

Each alpha smells so good.

Dustin watches as Archer kisses my nose. “You did all that cheering for Dustin and Sawyer. I didn’t hear my name fall from those pretty lips once.”

I peer up at him and run my fingers through his red locks. “Archer, you have a killer arm. Which I tell you all the time. The way you threw that ball and Dustin caught it. Just perfectly.”

A smile lifts his lips and his green eyes light up. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

Thatcher pushes Archer aside. “That’s enough.” He pulls me into his embrace.

“I wish you could’ve been on the field tonight,” I say with a thick Georgia twang.

My nose pushes into his football jersey. He smells like sandalwood, cedar, and clean laundry.

“You helped win the game last week that led to this game in the championship.”

His smile lights up his face with all sharp angles. Pure aristocrat. Those tranquil blue eyes drink me in.

“Thank you, Harper.”

There's this pull between the five of us I can’t explain. Dustin has never once been jealous of the connection between all of us.

I take a step backward and my head rests against Dustin’s chest. His possessive arm circles my waist.

Thatcher and Dustin share a knowing look.

In our society an omega can have a pack of alphas or one alpha.

Sarah struts over batting her long lashes. “Hello alphas.”

“Fuck off Sarah,” I growl.

“I can congratulate the alphas. Game well played alphas,” she purrs.

Her blue eyes move over me. “You little sad omega.”

She releases her orange and cinnamon scent around the guys.

I lunge forward and Dustin holds me tightly. “I want to tear her apart,” I snarl.

He kisses my earlobe. “She’s not worth your time.”

“Sarah, that’s enough,” Archer barks. “Now leave.”

She smiles and turns on her heels because she has to follow the order of an alpha. “See you around alphas.”

My friends and I exchange glances.

“I’m starving,” Dustin says.

Sawyer’s gray eyes meet mine. “She wants what she can’t have.” He winks.

I grin back feeling a sense of relief.

“Let’s go eat,” Thatcher yells.

Later that night at Dustin’s house, I lay in his arms on the sofa in the family room. I peek up at him. “Do you ever get mad at the guys for hugging me the way they do?”

“What about the way you feed their fucking egos?” he retorts.

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Yeah, it’s wrong. I’ll stop.”

He kisses my neck. “Don’t. The guys have known you as long as I have. They love you in their own way. One day we’ll all be together. Would that be a bad idea?”

He kisses lower.

“Oh, Dustin,” I murmur.

“I’m waiting for your answer.”

“No?” I reply confused.

He glances at me. “Harper, you’re not doing anything wrong. If I wasn’t okay with my friends hugging, you I would’ve shut it down a long time ago.”

I kiss his lips. “I’d be fine if we become a pack.”

A grin lifts his cheeks.

Deep down I worry I won’t be a good enough omega for them.

***

A week later, I’m pushing props around the stage for the play tonight.

I love bringing the stage to life. My maroon-colored uniform skirt flits around my bare thighs.

I hear whispering. I step closer to the far-right side of the stage and peek around the heavy red curtain. It’s Sarah and her little cronies.

“She doesn’t deserve to be with alphas. She’s not an awakened omega,” Sarah says standing tall in her perfectly pressed navy and maroon uniform.

“Does Harper know what happened?” Liza asks.

I pull my head back quickly. My heart pounds in my throat.

What the hell is she talking about?

“Not yet. Soon everyone will know that Dustin helped me through my heat.”

My throat closes as my heart drops to the floor. My boyfriend cheated on me with Sarah. I try and think about Dustin’s interactions with her around me. Did he give her too much attention? He didn’t speak up at the game to shut her down. Archer did. That doesn’t mean anything.

“I have his boxers to prove it,” she giggles, pulling them from her purse.

I peek around the curtain and indeed she has his boxers. I feel sick and loosen my little red tie around the collar of my crisp white blouse. I’m going to throw up.

My boyfriend cheated on me. Tears stream down my face.

“You stank fucking slut. How dare you sleep with my man.” I growl.

She tsks. “Harper you can’t give him what he needs. But I can again and again.” She grins from ear to ear.

My fists curl into fists.

“He said he can’t wait to help me during my next heat. Soon I’ll have all your alphas.”

She and her friends burst into laughter.

I lunge at her and grab her long jet-black ponytail. She squeals as I yank her to the floor.

“You’ve always wanted what belonged to me. I guess now you got him. I could never be with a dusty ass cheater.”

I shove my foot into her chest, and her head smacks the wooden floor. Turning on my heels, I storm out of the auditorium.

At lunch I usually sit with the guys. I can’t look at Dustin right now. Shit, but I need to ask him about Sarah.

I approach the football players' lunch table.

“Dustin, I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

His teammates crack jokes. “Dustin, you’re in trouble.”

They chuckle.

He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exit. “What’s going on?”

Before I can say a word, my voice sounds over the intercom. “He’s a dusty ass cheater.”

It plays on a loop. Dustin turns to me. “What the fuck? You called me a dusty ass cheater. Is this some sort of joke?”

Part of my statement had been cut out. That fucking bitch.

“No, Sarah said you helped her through her heat.”

“I didn’t touch her. But you just took her word for it?” The hurt in his green eyes breaks me.

“Dustin, I didn’t. That’s why I came to talk to you.” Uncontrollable tears glide down my caramel cheeks.

He yanks his red tie loose and places his palms on top of his raven hair. His muscles strain against the navy uniform jacket. “After you called me a dusty ass cheater.”

He turns away from me for a second.

“I didn’t say those exact words,” I cry out.

“That’s your voice Harper,” he roars. “Isn’t it?”

I try to choke back the tears. “Yes,” I mutter.

“Now you don’t have to worry about being with me and the guys,” he yells and walks off.

Dustin just broke my heart into a million pieces.

Archer appears. “That was fucked up, Harper.”

Sawyer and Thatcher shake their heads as they walk past me.

I can’t believe I lost them. My alphas. My future pack.