Knot A Trace: Part One

“There’s someone here for you,” Devyn whispers excitedly.

I’m on my break, munching on a chocolate chip cookie when she barrels into the storage room, full of energy.

It’s been almost a week since my Heat ended, but I still can’t stop thinking about River and Landon.

They text me occasionally; but I haven’t heard from them much.

I tell myself it’s because they’re busy; not that they’re done with me.

Besides, April still looms in the forefront of my mind.

I’ve made more apricot macarons than I thought possible, offering them to every single customer.

And if they don’t want one, I’m still sending them home with a sample.

Landon and River have all the information I could give them. They’ve also interviewed every coworker in the café, along with Tammy.

Ben worked with them too, accessing security cameras and all the video feeds where she might have shown up.

And all I’ve done is make macarons and have my brains fucked out.

“What are you talking about? Why do you look so scandalized?” I ask around a mouthful of cookie.

“I think he’s a detective,” she whispers. “And he’s super hot. And old.”

“Old? What do you mean by old?” I ask.

“He’s in his forties or something—hey!” she makes a face as I sling a piece of cookie at her.

“I’m almost thirty, you little shit,” I growl at her. “Watch who you call old.”

Our friendship has grown, and we have a comfortable banter, but having April here would definitely balance us out.

Wiping my hands of crumbs, I start to head up to the register, but almost freeze in shock.

Oh, come on.

Dressed in dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a hooded leather jacket, I could almost bet money he knows Landon and River. He has his hands in his pockets and an air of superiority to him.

This man has power.

His scent is a low note of dark chocolate mixed with an undercurrent of cognac—dark, mysterious, and warm.

A perfect complement to Landon and River.

His hair is dark blonde, almost shoulder length and messily tousled. His beard is slightly darker, with hints of grey in it.

“Hi there,” I say politely, keeping my customer service voice on, just in case he’s here for entirely different reasons. “What can I do for you?”

The question seems to catch him on off guard, and it gives me a moment to gaze into his grey, tired eyes.

But this is a different expression than River’s.

This is the face of someone who looks like they haven’t slept in years, not just mere days.

As if he’s carrying a heavy weight all by himself.

Still, it doesn’t distract from his good looks.

It only makes him more mysterious.

“You’re Skylar,” he says, his voice low and gravelly. The bass is delightful to my ears; sexy, and deep.

I nod. “Are you Landon’s friend?” I ask. “He mentioned something about you, I think.”

I rack my brain. Sometime during my Heat, Landon had said something about a retired private detective…

The Alpha scoffs. “Not his friend, no. But we did work together a few years ago,” he confirms. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

Nervous energy bubbles in my chest.

“Of course,” I say automatically. “Just give me one moment, please.”

I walk into the back, untie my apron, and do my best to brush the flour off my pants.

If we’re going to talk about April, I need to let him know I’m serious.

I also grab two of the macarons that were left open in their box—both dark chocolate espresso.

He seems like a guy that doesn’t appreciate too much sweetness.

When I walk into the front, I see he’s taken the small table furthest away from the cash register. His massive body is tucked into a small corner of the café, and it would be comical if this wasn’t so nerve-wracking.

I also grab us both cups of coffee, thankful that we had just made a fresh batch for some of the afternoon customers.

He raises an eyebrow as I hand him the paper cup and the napkin-wrapped macaron.

“You look like you could use a coffee,” I say, shrugging. “Also, we have an abundance of macarons. This flavor compliments the dark roast perfectly.”

He blinks at the cookie in his hand, small compared to the size of his palm.

“Right,” he grumbles. “Thanks.”

My heart hammers in my chest as I take a seat opposite from him, watching as he sips his coffee. The macaron sits uneaten on the table, but I fight a small smile as his eyes slightly widen when he takes a drink.

“That’s really good,” he says, almost to himself.

“It’s local,” I say. “And it’s worth every extra penny the café pays for it.”

He nods appreciatively.

I point at the dark brown macaron. “And this is made to compliment it. It’s the tiniest bit of sweetness to offset the bite of the roast.”

He looks down at it and frowns. “I’ve never had…whatever kind of pastry this is.”

This time, I can’t fight the grin. “Try it. It’s my way of thanking you for taking the time to talk to me.”

His frown grows as he picks it up. But as I watch him take a bite, and the minute he chews, I know I’ve won.

“Fuck,” he says, and I burst out laughing. The combination of this giant, broody Alpha looking so impressed by a cookie has me entertained.

The corner of his full lip quirks up, and his scent changes slightly. It’s not as bitter anymore.

It’s tempered by a slight sweetness.

My stomach flutters.

“I’m glad you like it,” I say. “I’m usually never wrong with macaron flavors.”

“Oh?”

“I gave some to River and Landon, and they’ve been hooked ever since.”

At the mention of their names, his gaze hardens again. “Right.”

“Anyway, I’m Skylar. It’s nice to meet you,” I say quickly, trying to change the subject, even though I know he already knows my name. “And April is my best friend. She’s been missing for almost a month now. If you could help me at all, or offer me any advice, I would appreciate it.”

He nods. “I’m Vincent,” he says. “I apologize for not introducing myself sooner.”

Vincent.

The name fits him. With his hardened disposition and his rugged looks, it works for him.

And that scent.

I didn’t think any other Alpha scent could top River’s and Landon’s, but I was wrong.

Very wrong.

I ignore my body’s response; as much as I would enjoy sitting at the table with him and just pushing my thighs together, it’s not the time or place.

“I’m up to date with everything regarding your friend,” he says. “But I want to double check to make sure there’s nothing I’ve missed.”

Everything matches up. He has all the information that the other Alphas have. There’s nothing new, and he rambles off all the facts about April dispassionately.

It rubs me the wrong way.

As we talk, it starts to feel like he’s here out of obligation.

Or maybe he just did Landon and River a favor.

I don’t expect him to have the same passion that either of them does, but he seems sort of…bored.

“The frustrating thing is that I feel like more could be done. Maybe we could—” I start to say, but he interrupts me.

“From what I see, everything has been done. They’ve interviewed any potential witnesses; and they pulled security footage from the day she disappeared. It’s been more than three weeks—and I don’t want to give you false hope.”

I blink at him. “False hope?” I squeak.

I have the urge to fling my coffee at him.

He’s much too nonchalant about this for my liking.

“Skylar, people go missing every day,” he says, exasperated. “Believe me. I’ve seen it. And the longer they aren’t found…the statistics get worse.”

“No,” I say, unable to process what he’s saying. “No, there’s always hope.”

“There’s hope, and then there’s being realistic,” he adds coldly. “I applaud you for doing all this. I believe you want your friend back. But if she’s found, I would prepare yourself for the worst possible outcome.”

I stare at the monster in front of me, my mouth open in shock.

Angry tears fill my eyes. “Is there anything at all you can do to help me?” I whisper. “Can you think of something that might have been missed?”

He sighs, looking off into the distance. Then he nods. “Do you have any enemies?” he asks suddenly.

“Enemies?”

“Someone that doesn’t like April or you. Maybe an angry ex-boyfriend, or someone you’re no longer friends with—”

“I have a shitty ex,” I say. “He was kind of an asshole to me.”

And for the first time since trying the macaron, I sense a reaction out of him. It’s not big—it’s as if he’s still trying to be as unbothered as possible—but I catch his eyes narrow. “Did he hit you, or did he—”

“No. He was a narcissist, I think. Just selfish.”

He slightly relaxes in the chair. “And April?” he asks.

I shrug. “Her breakups were all amicable.”

He nods his head. “Okay. I’ll tell Landon to poke around more.” He drains his coffee and places the cup down. “Sorry for bothering you. I’ll let you go back to work now.”

I frown—he seems so put out by this conversation. “Well, do you have any suggestions?” I ask gently. “I mean, I’ve already talked with local news, but maybe there’s something I’m missing.”

“Like I said,” he says, “you’re doing everything you should be.”

“Okay, well, is there anything you could do? I mean, since you’re here and all—”

“I’m not a detective anymore,” he says coldly. “And frankly, I don’t want to stick around to see you disappointed when all this is over.”

My jaw drops. “Excuse me?”

His scent turns overwhelmingly bitter. “It’s just numbers, Skylar,” he says, as if I’m a child. “Getting your hopes up will only make this worse for you in the long run. Believe me,” he continues, his voice growing soft, “I’ve seen it happen before.”

I feel sick to my stomach. The coffee churns around in my gut, and nausea overwhelms me.

I want to vomit right on his fucking shoes.

“I’m sorry, just so I’m clear,” I rasp, “you came here to tell me that I’m not going to find my friend?”

He stares at me a beat too long with his grey eyes. “No, I came here as a favor to Landon,” he replies.

My temper flares. “Great. Well, you can get the fuck out of my café, Vincent,” I snap.

His eyes widen. “Really,” he says, his voice low. “Do you normally talk to people that try to help you out like this?”

“You just told me my friend was probably dead,” I hiss.

“Just because you don’t like what I said doesn’t make it any less true,” he retorts, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if I believed that, I would probably lock myself in my house for the next few years,” I say. “Because if I don’t have any hope, there’s no way I’m carrying on.”

Something I said strikes a nerve with him. “Hope is pointless,” he says lowly. “Reality always sets in.”

I bark out a humorless laugh. “I’m sure it does,” I say, trying my best to not lose it on him. “Thank you for reminding me of that.”

He continues to study me, then sighs, frustrated. His fingers card through his hair as he regards me. “Look, I’m not—”

“Please leave,” I say quietly, giving him a sad smile. “I’m done having this conversation.”

Maybe I’m being dramatic and rude. I don’t know how far Vincent came to visit me, and he did spend time discussing April with me.

But I can’t fathom the idea that she’s…

I just can’t.

I can’t go down the route, and this Alpha just tried to extinguish the spark of hope I have left.

Finally, he stands up, keeping his eyes on me. “Nice to meet you,” he grumbles. “I’ll tell Landon what we discussed.”

I nod curtly, refusing to let him see the tears that threaten to spill. Yet as he walks away, I can’t help but feel like I made a mistake.

But I snatch up our cups and napkins to toss them away in the back. Then I pull out my phone and send a group text to both River and Landon.

Your friend is an asshole.