Page 87 of Knot Here for You

A low chuckle rumbles against my ear and I smile at the sound, even though I’m still a tangle of all those negative emotions. “I guess that’s okay. So long as you don’t shut me—us—out. You know it’s in our nature to protect you, Vee. You’re our omega. We’ll keep you safe from everyone, including yourself, if we need to.”

Sighing, I pull back, looking up at him. “I understand. I do. But I don’t think asking for a glass of wine at a dinner party is exactly self-harm, Ford. If I was asking for the entire bottle, that might be a reason for a conversation.”

He tucks a strand of my wavy hair behind my ear. “Fair.” Our foreheads touch as he leans closer, his nose nuzzling mine before he touches his lips to mine in a soft kiss. My fingers tighten on his waist as I lean away and glance at the door. “We should probably get back out there. Who knows what they’ll spin this as?”

“The only thing this is, is an alpha comforting his omega after he said something stupid.”

I press a kiss to the underside of his jaw, his beard scratching against my lips. “Well, they’ll say I seduced you and made you fuck me in the bathroom, as part of my devious plan to… God, I don’t even know what. Why do they think I’m an evil mastermind bent on destroying you?”

He nuzzles into my neck as his hands slide from my hips to my ass and then up to my waist in a slow circuit. “I have no clue, Vee. But it doesn’t matter because we know you don’t have a nefarious plan.”

“Oh, nefarious, that’s a good word.”

He pulls back and then kisses the tip of my nose and then my nose ring. I thought about taking it out for the night, to turn myself a little more into the omega they expect the younger Werth Pack to end up with, but all of my packmates protested. “It is a good word, but it doesn’t describe you in the least.”

I hum, sliding my fingers down the buttons on his shirt. “Maybe we should just stay in here until it’s time to go home.” I shiver. “The way they all looked at me.”

He presses closer, using his nose to nudge mine, turning my face up to his with the gentle urging. “Fuck them,” he murmurs against my lips. “Seriously, pipsqueak. Fuck them. They don’t know us, and they sure as fuck don’t know you. They’re just gossip hungry sycophants. They don’t matter.”

I let out a slow breath and Ford inhales it, breathing me in before he presses a soft kiss to my lips. “You’re right,” I mumble when he pulls back. “They don’t matter.”

A soft knock sounds on the door before it cracks open. Topher peeks his head in, his milk chocolate eyes running over us. “Everything okay?”

I nod and push Ford back, giving me space to hop off the counter. “Everything’s fine. Just a misunderstanding.” Ford looks like he’s going to argue the point, so I keep talking as I turn to wash my hands while examining myself in the mirror, checking to make sure I still look like a good omega. “What was all that about with the investments?”

Topher pushes the door open wider and leans on the frame, arms crossed over his chest. “You’re not actually interested in that, are you?”

I wrinkle my nose before smoothing a finger under both my eyes, even though there is nothing there. “No, but I know it matters to you.”

Topher chuckles and reaches out to tug me into his chest, bending his neck to kiss me. Ford moves in behind me, pressing into my back. “We can talk about it later if you’re really interested, baby, but for now, people are starting to talk.”

“Let them fucking talk,” Ford growls.

I know he means well, but he wasn’t the target of hate speech seven years ago. He didn’t read the comments on that stupid article calling me desperate and a beta whore. The last thing I want is to relive that.

“We promised Jackson and Davis we would behave.” I push on Topher’s rock hard stomach and he backs up a step. “We need to just get through dinner.”

Both of them give me slightly worried looks. But I ignore them.

This won’t get any easier, not tonight. I literally just have to push through. It’s the only way. I can do this. I can smile pretty and make polite conversation and pretend like I’m not aware of the daggers being thrown my way, the derisive looks, the burning hate in Maxim Werth’s eyes.

For Davis and Jackson, I can do this. This is their family, and I don’t want to be the reason they lose contact with them, drift apart. Though If I never see Maxim Werth again, it’ll be too soon.

“Its just a few hours,” I say, reach for both of their hands and towing them beside me for a few steps. Ford easily overtakes me, tucking me into his side with a hand on my hip in that possessive grip from before while Topher keeps hold of my hand, stroking his thumb back and forth over my knuckle.

The three of us move back into the formal living room and I note that in our absence, the crowd has grown. Jesus, I thought this was supposed to be a quiet family dinner, but apparently it’s a full-blown party.

“Sylvie!” A voice trills far too high and too chipper for my liking. My face goes pale. Thank God I’m already tucked under Ford’s arm against his body, because the sight in front of me makes me sway on my feet.

Yasmin Forsyth beaming at me, surrounded by three of my alphas.

There is no stopping the whine that sounds from me.

Rule 22: There’s nothing like dinner conversation to get the blood pumping

They only stay by her for a half second before rushing over to me, hands brushing over my skin, soothing. Jackson presses his forehead to mine, a purr rumbling out of his chest to vibrate mine. I melt against him and his lips quirk into a small, smug smile. “It’s okay, omega. We’re yours, not hers.”

I curl my fingers into his shirt, pulling him closer, and then do the same with the rest of my pack until I can feel all of them around me. “Mine,” I whimper. Fuck, I hate feeling like this. Needy and jealous and insecure. “Mine,” I say again.

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