Smitten Knot Bitten (Pack Maker Cozy Omegaverse #1)

Chapter 1

Sofia

My car is having the meltdown that I am holding in, though tears prickle my eyes, and my throat feels like I’m never going to swallow again.

Thick plumes of whitish smoke cascade out of the bonnet, making the rust and canary yellow paint job look worse than it is.

I take a stressed walk, seven feet away from the sign with the smiling sun and seven feet towards it.

The grass has grown as tall as my thighs.

There’s a fence made out of three strands of rusted wire stretched between wooden poles that lean precariously every which way but vertical.

I swear, this looks exactly the same as it did four years ago when I hightailed it out of here.

The sunshine is brighter, the earthy smells are clean, the grass is turning yellow, and the sounds of the ocean call me. It looks exactly like home.

“I have no choice,” I mutter to the sign.

Home is the kind of place an omega can go to reset herself. Well, that’s what they tell you on the brochure. Most omegas, anyway. For me, Sunshine Cove was an over-sized jumper. It felt good, but it never fit right.

Straight in front of me is the source of my stress; a massive sign with a sun that has rays of three different shades of yellow over a beach and the words “Welcome to Sunshine Cove” emblazoned in white and cerulean blue. If I step over this line, I will be home.

It’s terrifying.

All my failures will be realised, and the last four years of my life will be a waste. And what have I brought with me? A car that is mere months from the driver’s seat rusting out of it, a bag of clothes, and Danger.

Birds scream, and, to be honest, I consider joining them. I pace a few more lengths of my car before turning back to the sign.

“You’ll be cool, yeah? Like, no one will give me trouble or ask probing questions into my life?” I ask the sun, waiting for an answer that comes with a crushing dose of reality. “Yes, of course, you’ll ask questions, but can we stick to how have you been?”

The sun smiles at me, so smug and knowing.

“No?” I whimper. “You’ll ask about everything, won’t you?

Which will quickly uncover all my secret failures faster than Sherlock Holmes can, and then,” I gasp, my words trailing off, my coaxing smile slipping off my lips.

“Drat! Of course, they’re going to know.

The real question will be who finds out first.”

I wave at the sign as if I can make it go away.

It doesn’t answer me. Or do as I mentally command.

“Look, I’m only home until I can figure things out. Remember who I am. Find myself. Figure out what I want to do with my life. The therapist on the social media reels said that coming home would help.”

I jab a finger at the sign.

“Are you judging me?”

I narrow my eyes and turn away, rubbing my temple. I’m talking to the sign because I’m buying seconds, procrastinating, and trying to save face. Even if for a moment more.

I sound like I’m insane.

“Danger Dachsie, are you done? You need to be done because Mummy is losing it and talking to the Welcome to Sunshine sign. It’s bad enough with the rest of my life, but crazy is a step too far.”

My adorable, miniature dachshund puppy, Danger, pokes his head up from the ditch and lets out a bark.

Honestly, he’s the only good thing that’s happened in four years.

At eight months old, he’s almost full size but still retains his puppy brain.

Danger was a courting gift from the pack who claimed I was perfect for them, right up until I found them with the other her.

I pick up the pup, snuggling him, trying to push away the burning memory of that humiliating rejection.

Danger’s brown merle coat reminded me of a certain someone’s eyes, a person I knew a long time ago in a world where I wasn’t this jaded creature I have become. But I don’t think about him anymore. He’s in the past.

Danger Dachsie has deep velvet eyes that looked up at me and saw the heart and soul of me.

I’ve never felt the way I felt when I took him into my arms. It was instant love, and unlike a certain pack who claimed to love me, Danger’s adoration has never wavered.

He’s loyal and a prince among Dachshunds.

“Come on, Danger, I need you to shine up those adorable poopy paws and get ready to do some serious attention diversion. You are my only line of defence. I need you; you can not let me down.”

He barks and jumps in the open door of my almost dead little matchbox car that I bought with the last of my savings. Thankfully, Heather has stopped smoking.

I start the engine and then have to start it twice more before it stays on.

“Carbon creating hellbeast!” I hiss and slap the steering wheel.

It splutters.

“I’m sorry!” I shriek, smoothing my hands over the steering wheel. “I didn’t mean it, Heather. Please, I promise. I’m just grumpy about things in the world. Please don’t punish me. I’m being punished seven ways to Sunday.”

The car splutters and then coughs and revs stronger. I let out a tiny little sigh.

“Thank you, Heather. I promise. Total care package, wax, wash, and a full manicure as soon as I’ve got some cash.”

I pull the car out onto the road and glare up at the sign as we pass it.

“Welcome home, sunshine,” I murmur and peer at the road ahead with fixed resignation.

It curves like a snake, and I gawk, like I always do at the first sight of the cove.

In the distance, I see the lighthouse, still looking as lonely as ever.

Excitement tingles through my veins as we get closer and closer.

All of a sudden, we’re in Sunshine. I want to say I feel nothing, but the knot of tension inside my chest that I’ve been carrying for the last few miserable years loosens.

The town is bustling; there are heart decorations on everything. Red, gold, and pink. Even some pastels. Little hearts, glitter hearts, everyone is even wearing something colour-coded to fit this bizarre theme.

I blank, trying to remember before I suddenly recall that Valentine’s Day is coming up. I groan out loud, I don’t want any part of it.

I avoid the main street, instead turning onto Cinder Road, which is the second biggest road, the artery of the town so to speak, with a whole host of shops and stores. Main Street is just a tiny bit smaller with the beach on its doorstep, but far more important to the town.

I forgot how excited everyone gets about the holidays, and Valentine’s is the holiday to beat in Sunshine.

“This cannot be happening.”

I’d left Sunshine to escape my feelings, and I feel confident I’ve got them boxed up tight. I am over my childish infatuations. Love in Sunshine is a public affair, and my one-sided infatuations being public knowledge was getting old fast.

Heather lets out a fart of protest, expelling thick black smoke into the air. I duck down in the bucket seat, hoping no one notices me, but, of course, they stare, and, when they see me, they cheer.

Because that’s what people do in this town.

“Thanks, Heather, I know beauty is only skin deep. I love you, too,” I whisper to my car.

My little bestie lets out his own version of moral support with a yap and a chitter that makes me smile.

“Danger, this isn’t Oz. It’s going to rot your cute little toothy pegs faster than Maybelle’s toffee will.

But it’s home, and I hope you like it here because I don’t think we’re going anywhere for a while, at least not until we find a way of making money.

So, you're going to need to brace yourself because things are going to get a little crazy, but in a good way, well, I hope in a good way.”

Danger stands up, staring out the window, wagging his tail in pure joy, barking at all the familiar faces.

I can’t help it. I smile. It really is good to be home.

I lift a hand, wave, and drive through town, turning up the hill. The trees are bigger. Everything looks the same but slightly different, and my head swivels as I turn to take it all in, but then I see the house, and everything else falls away.

It’s big and white with huge glass windows. A massive two-story house built to hold all the family. My mother’s dream home.

I park the car and grab my wiener dog, startling a rogue seagull into bursting into a protesting escape.

“Hello?” I call into the house, but softly because I’m afraid. I don’t even know why. I push open the door and step inside; the memories of the past slam into me. All the good ones.

No one answers me; there’s just silence.

Which is strange, but maybe they are setting everything up for the party.

The scent of home fills the air — salt, Mum’s lavender, my dad’s tobacco scent, and my pops’ old parchment.

It’s entrenched and soaked into every part of this house.

I can smell my sisters, my grandma, grandpa, and Sebastian, Asher, and Felix.

It’s a complex mix that has me feeling like someone just put a hand on my head and stroked my hair.

I catch a hint of some other scents and inhale deeply, feeling something inside me stir, but I’m distracted by a framed photo of my grandparents at their bonding ceremony.

My eyes sting again, but I smile as I look at my childhood shining out of the photos that are hung on both sides of the wall. It’s all lovingly documented, and nostalgia hits me hard.

Danger barks, and I set him down, wiping my eyes. He races off into the house before I can stop him

“Danger, wait! You don’t know where we’re going!

” I walk down the red and cream runner, glancing at the sideboard and dumping my keys in the key bowl.

Everyone who comes into the house dumps their keys in there.

There are several sets, indicating a lot of people home, but there’s a set I don’t recognise.

I reach in and run my finger over the shiny metal circle that has a strange pattern like a heart with a dolphin symbol carved into it.