with grim determination. "But I guess we could all use a break."
Josie hastily rolled down her sleeve, grateful for the reprieve. Olivia went to join her alpha, rolling her shoulders to release the tension built up from concentrating so hard on her task.
Even though Josie had known the couple for less than twenty-four hours, she could tell they got along well. A hell of a lot better than she'd ever believed was possible between an alpha and omega, anyway. Their mutual love and respect showed even when they were teasing each other.
But that didn't change the fact that Gray was an alpha who could flatten Josie with a single blow if he didn't like what she had to say.
Then again, the same was true of Knox. He was just as big as Gray, just as strong. Maybe not as serious as the older alpha, but definitely every bit as dangerous.
The strange thing was that Josie wasn't as fearful of Knox, especially after talking for hours last night. When she locked herself into the cab of his truck, she hadn't expected to get any sleep—but the moment Knox said good night, she was out like a light.
There was something about him that made Josie feel safe in his presence. Not that she had any intention of spending this little break chatting him up.
Sure, he was hot as hell, with a body that made her insides purr and a lazy smile that made her blush down to the bone, but it wasn't like she was attracted to him. That would be stupid. Dangerous. Reckless.
No, Josie reasoned that she felt secure around Knox simply because he had been good to his word. That was a rare enough quality in any man, but she definitely hadn't expected it in an alpha. It was becoming increasingly obvious that many of her preconceived notions about alpha culture were wrong, and she chided herself for blindly accepting the beta world's biases, something she ordinarily fought hard against.
Unfortunately, she was as human as anyone else, meaning that she absorbed prejudice without realizing it. But Josie also knew that the best antidote to prejudice was to learn all she could and check the facts.
Knox had said he wouldn't touch her, and he hadn't.
He said he would bring her to someone who could help, and here they were.
So it made sense that when Knox told her he'd keep watch while she slept, Josie had trusted him.
There was no need to dig any deeper to understand the warm feeling that spread through her body as she gazed at him. It was no more than a reflex, really, just as she felt comfortable with a strange omega who'd shown her kindness, brought her blankets, made her coffee.
And promised to slice her open later.
Oh, God. The anxiety Jose had been feeling while Olivia poked and prodded rose up again, constricting her throat. For a moment, she'd almost forgot about that part—the part where, once Olivia finally located the damn tracker, she would cut it out of Josie's arm with a paring knife that she had boiled for sanitation…and no anesthetic.
Josie's throat closed up entirely.
"Breathe." Knox's deep voice came from the shade of the porch. It wasn't a command exactly, more like the chanted instructions from a meditation leader. Until now, Josie thought she'd been doing a pretty good job of hiding her fear, especially since she'd had plenty of practice standing up to police and politicians and angry mobs. Somehow, though, Knox seemed to see right through her.
"You're going to be fine," Knox rumbled as she did as he said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
"Really, maverick?" Gray asked with a laugh. "You feeling protective all of a sudden?"
Knox's growl raised the hair on the back of Josie's neck. She might not know a ton about alpha communication, but it was impossible to miss the warning.
"You know that's not what I meant."
Gray grinned. "Do I?"
"Don't be an ass, Gray," Knox snarled. "I know you caught the scent of that panic, same as me."
The scent of panic? Oh, God. Could alphas really smell fear? If it was true, then Knox must have been breathing in all the horrible emotions cycling through Josie ever since he'd found her. Mortified, Josie wondered if that meant that he could smell all her emotions, or just the strongest, like terror and anxiety.
This was definitely not the time to ask.
"Same as any alpha," Gray said. "The difference is that