Page 21 of Knotting Before Them

“You hate me, don’t you? You shouldn’t see me like this.” She turned completely to me, watching me with those big brown eyes. She was so perfect, so small and gorgeous.

I brought her closer, and Wylder stepped away from between her legs. She came willingly when I held her under her knees and hauled her completely onto my lap.

“I don’t hate you,” I told her.

“You don’t like me.”

“I like you,” I insisted.

She chuckled, not believing me for a second. “This feels odd, doesn’t it?” Julia whispered. “This whole situation. I don’t understand what’s happening. I’m so confused, I’m so warm…”

I brought my hand up to her forehead to find she was burning up. I focused my gaze on Theo and Wylder.

“You haven’t knotted her.”

They both shook their heads, but I needed no confirmation. Julia was parched, burning up, and restless in my arms. Most of all, she looked confused.

“She doesn’t know,” Theo said. “We couldn’t—”

I looked down at the girl on my lap, and I understood what he meant.

Our whole lives, we knew we were going to find our omega. We were waiting to mate, to meet the one, but we never thought it was going to be someone who had no idea she was an omega.

Julia looked genuinely confused by her body’s reaction, and I could bet she knew nothing about knotting. While I was annoyed, they left her suffering, but I could understand their hesitation.

“Can I wash you, sunshine?” I asked softly while I kissed her temple.

Her reply was a whimper while she looped her hands around my neck, a sweet sign of submission and trust.

Why did I ever doubt she was ours when we fit like this?

I kept her close to my chest as I marched up the stairs.

“Clean up a room,” I told the other two.

A room. Not her rightful room, because I let my demons speak louder.

There was no point in dwelling on my mistakes, so I brought her to my private bathroom and sat her on the edge of the bath. While I gathered a clean towel and soap, I turned on the faucet and let warm water trickle down.

“Why did you leave, Noah?” she asked.

“Because I’m stupid.” I set the towel on the rack and the soap to the side, avoiding her gaze.

“You hate me that much? You couldn’t stay in the same house as me for one day?”

I sighed and kneeled in front of her, taking her beautiful face between my palms. “I don’t hate you. Don’t say that, sunshine.”

She licked her lips, watching me with suspicion. “I missed you, you know? Even if you hated me, I missed you.”

“I missed you the second I left, and I’m going to earn your forgiveness.”

She said nothing to that but let me put her in the bath once it was ready. She didn’t fuss when I brought her a luffa and the soap and helped her clean, nor did she argue when I started washing her hair with my shampoo.

I knew she had better products than mine, but I was scared of going for them and giving her time to change her mind.

If she asked for Theo or Wylder to wash her instead, it was going to break me.

“Can I rinse it?” I whispered after applying the shampoo.

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