Page 81 of Knot Here for You

Topher holds up his phone and shows her the screen. “This is her pack.” Vee tips her head closer to look at the photo.

“God, they’re all gorgeous.” I start to nod in agreement and then think better of it. I don’t need to tell my omega I think an entire pack of women is gorgeous.

Topher doesn’t feel the need to hide his thoughts. “They are. And see here?” He points to a part on the screen and then enlarges it. “She’s got about a million mating bites.” Yasmin does have more than one mating bite per alpha in her pack.

Vee tilts her head. “Why so many?”

“No clue. One would do, unless the bond isn’t strong. Then they’d need to redo the bite every so often.”

Davis chuckles. “We all know the reason is that anywhere there’s a mating bite becomes an erogenous zone. Yasmin’s alphas have basically turned her entire body into an on switch.”

Vee’s face flushes a deep red, even as her nose wrinkles. “I really don’t need to be thinking about Yasmin’s on switch, and neither do you.” She hands the phone back to Topher and meets my gaze, taking a deep breath. “What did you need to ask me?”

I roll my lips between my teeth before just diving in. “Maxim came in because he heard you were in town and that we’d been spending time with you. Apparently, Connor ran right to him this morning after paying you a visit.”

“He did what?” Ford growls, hands stilling on her shoulders.

Vee tips her head back and meets his furious gaze. “Yeah, he’s been trying to get me to go out with him. Doesn’t really listen when I tell him no.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” he promises her, staring into her eyes. It might be overkill, but Vee doesn’t seem to mind his possessiveness if the way she nibbles at her lower lip and shifts restlessly on the couch is any indication. The faint smell of honeyed nectarines drifts in the air. Yeah, our girl likes that a lot.

“Get in line,” Asher mutters.

I shake my head. “I handled it. Showed up in time to show him the door and let him know what would happen if he didn’t back off.” I could tell them I threatened to ruin him financially and then castrate him, but I don’t think that Vee needs to hear that. I’ll share that tidbit with the pack later.

“Anyway, Maxim wanted to ensure that we will not pursue anything with you-”

“He can go fuck himself,” Davis cuts in.

“-and when we pushed back, he demanded that you come to dinner instead.”

She looks startled. “Why?”

“It’s a trap, obviously,” Asher says. “He wants to hurt her in some way.”

“She’s not going,” Ford says, grip tightening on her shoulders.

Topher looks at me. “You warned him what would happen if he steps out of line with her?”

“Not specifics, but he knows there’ll be some kind of retribution.” Topher knows the specifics of the plans in place to ruin my family’s pack. He knows the different levels depending on how bad the transgression is. They all do to some extent, but Topher has been paramount in one aspect of the planning.

Next to me, Davis nudges me with his shoulder and chuckles. “He went all scorched earth on him. Threatened to tear him limb from limb. You should have seen it, beautiful. Would have got you all hot and bothered.”

Vee’s lips twitch into a smile, and she shakes her head. “I’m sure it would have.” But then the smile falls, and she meets my eyes. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”

I shrug. “Then you don’t go. We’ll handle his disappointment.” I’ll never force her to do something she doesn’t want, unless it’s something like eating more vegetables or making sure she doesn’t drink too much coffee while she’s pregnant with our babies.

But nothing like this, like asking her to go into an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situation. Not that any of us would let anyone hurt her. Fuck no. I’d kill before I let that happen.

Literally.

I think I would kill my father before I let him hurt my mate.

Alpha instincts are fucking wild.

Vee glances around the circle of us, tipping her head back to meet Ford’s eyes, before she slowly nods. “Okay, yes. I’ll go to dinner with the Werth Pack—with both Werth Packs.” She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth and Topher carefully tugs it out, smoothing his thumb over the pink flesh.

“Just say it, baby,” he murmurs.

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