Page 75 of Knot the One They Want

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I meet Asher's gaze. "Thank you," I murmur. "For all of this."

He smiles, a real smile that reaches his eyes and makes my heart skip a beat. "You're welcome, Evie. You deserve so much more than this, but it's a start."

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat.

"You're probably exhausted," Damien says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "We'll let you rest, but we'll be right downstairs if you need anything. Anything at all."

I nod, suddenly feeling the weight of my fatigue pressing down on me. It's been a long, emotional day, and the prospectof sinking into that plush, inviting nest is more tempting than I care to admit.

"Thank you," I say again. "I think I will rest for a bit."

The alphas file out of the room, each of them offering me a smile or a gentle touch as they pass. Damien is the last to leave, and he pauses in the doorway, his icy blue eyes unreadable.

"Welcome home, Evie," he says, his voice low and sincere.

And then he's gone, leaving me alone in my new sanctuary. I take a deep breath, letting the scent of the nesting materials wash over me. It's a mix of all of them, their unique scents blending together into something warm and comforting.

Something that feels like home.

I crawl into the nest, burrowing into the soft blankets and pillows. I gasp softly as I peel back the blanket and realize there are four buried pillows that aren't covered in the same linen cases as the rest. Their pillowcases are handsewn, made from… shirts?

I bring one to my face instinctively and the scent of sunlight washes over me, warm and soothing.

Asher.

It's customary for omegas to fill their nests with items that carry their alphas' scents, but it's an intimate show of trust. I should probably be annoyed at the audacity of thinking Iwanttheir shirts in my nest, but this time, I don't think they're being malicious. It's actually kind of sweet.

As I sink deeper into my nest and surround myself with the custom pillows, the alphas' mingling scents are more comforting than I want to admit. My omega instincts are loving this It's like sinking into a cloud, the materials molding to my body like a gentle embrace. I close my eyes, letting the exhaustion pull me under.

But as I drift off to sleep, a small smile curves my lips. Because for the first time since I arrived at the Blackwood estate, I don't feel like an intruder.

CHAPTER 36

ASHER

Fuck, I hate these meetings.

I loathe them with every fiber of my being, but unfortunately, they're a necessary evil in my line of work. My agent has been hounding me for weeks about this tour, and I've been putting her off, citing Evie's recovery and our pack's need to focus on our omega right now. But she's relentless, and I knew I couldn't avoid her forever.

So here I am, sitting in this sterile conference room, my leg bouncing with impatience as Diane drones on about ticket sales and venue capacities. I try to focus, to at least pretend I'm paying attention.

But my mind keeps drifting back to Evie.

To the way she looked when we brought her home from the hospital, all soft and vulnerable in my arms. To the hesitant hope in her eyes as she took in the nest we'd built for her, the way her scent bloomed with something like happiness. Even though it's been a few weeks, those memories are still branded on my very soul as if it all just happened.

She's been holing herself up in her nest since she came home, and we've barely seen her. Just a few rare glimpses here and there, glimpses of light in our collective darkness. But we're allgiving her space even though it's torture that she still hasn't invited any of us to share the nest with her.

She didn't throw out the pillows we had sewn together with our clothes, so I'll take that as a sign that not all is lost. I have to admit, Damien has a surprisingly good idea every once in a while.

It's a start. A fragile, tentative start, but a start nonetheless. And I'll be damned if I'm going to fuck it up by jetting off on some world tour, leaving her alone with the pack.

She needs me.

Needs all of us, now more than ever.

"Asher, are you even listening to me?" Diane's sharp voice cuts through my thoughts, her brow furrowed with indignant annoyance.

I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. "Sorry, Diane. I know this tour is important, but I can't commit to anything right now."

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