Page 17 of Knot the Witch Next Door

Furrowing my brows, I gave it more muscle. Still nothing.

I knocked again. Worry eating at my heart. “Carmilla?”

There was an intake of breath from within. She was in the tree house. Closing my eyes and inhaling deeply, I caught her scent. Sweet yet spicy, more enticing than anything else in the world. What was wrong?

She could not keep me away from her. My fist hit the door harder. “Carmilla! Are you okay?”

“Stop it. Go away.” Her voice was rough and it hitched with the last word. There was no way in hell I was going anywhere.

“Open the door. Let me help you with whatever is wrong.”

“No!” There was a bang like she stomped on the floor. “Why are you even here?”

I want to help you. Good or bad, I want to go through everything with you. Nothing would scare me away.“I’m worried about you. You were acting weird at the farm and now you’re upset about something.”

“Oh, so you think I’m weird.” Carmilla huffed and sniffled. “Go home, Deacon. I’m an Omega and you’re an Alpha. We shouldn’t be alone.”

What was with her bringing in the stupid laws now? She hadn’t cared before. I was ready to bash the tree down and yank her out. “I’m not leaving until I see you and we talk. I’ll stay here all night if I have to.”

“Go away or I’ll call the cops.”

I bared my teeth and swallowed my growl. There was no way she’d do that. “I dare you.”

To that, Carmilla was silent. I’d hoped to evoke a challenge and get her to open the door, but maybe she was really calling the police. Or even texting her father. I couldn’t imagine what I’d say if he walked outside. No matter what, I wasn’t leaving until I found out what was wrong.

A minute went by. Despite the chill, perspiration beaded on my forehead. I would take on the world for her. My heart pounded in my chest.

“Not calling anyone, are you?” I pushed at the trap door once more. One of the pieces of wood cracked, and she gasped from inside. “If you don’t open this door, I’m going to force it open.”

“Goddammit.” The floor creaked as Carmilla moved, and the sound of a deadbolt sliding had me raise my brows. “I’m only doing this because I don’t want you breaking my tree house. I have no idea why you’re here.”

I clenched my jaw. Why would she question my motives? I pushed open the trap door and climbed until my upper half was in the tree house. My eyes widened.

The small space was piled with several blankets and pillows. There was a cooler stuffed in a corner by the tree trunk and books nearly toppled over on two new shelves nailed unevenly to a wall. Wrappers from candies littered the floor near her feet, and a tiny LED lantern that looked like it had a real flame sat on top of the cooler.

Carmilla hugged herself as she moved as far away from me as she could get. Her pale hair had half fallen out from a loosen bun, and her eyes were red and puffy.

The pressure around my heart tightened and fury rose in my veins. She’d been crying. Whoever or whatever upset her would pay. I would not rest until everything in her world was right again.

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain with your heat? I can help—” I reached for her and she batted my hand away with a small pillow.

“I don’t want your help.” Carmilla wrapped her arms around the pillow. Big tears shimmered in her eyes, and my heart felt like it was shattering. “Go home.”

“Please tell me what’s wrong.” I had never pleaded with anyone for anything in my life, but for her, I would fall to my knees and grovel. Every nerve was on fire with the need to make things right. I held out my hand toward her again. “Carmilla, let’s talk about this. If you don’t want me in here, come to my house.”

“I’m not welcome over there,” she spat and curled her legs up to herself.

I scowled. What the fuck? “You’ve always been welcome in our house. You’re Rose’s best friend and her maid of honor, and my…” What? She was once my childhood friend, but hell, she was so much more now. “My friend too.”

“And what do you think Rose would think if she found out about us?” Carmilla wiped at her cheeks. “She’d hate me. Or she’d hate you. Or both of us! I can’t lose my best friend. I won’t.”

Was that what she was afraid of? I gave her a tentative smile. “Hey, Rose loves you. She could never hate you. Me, maybe, but I can live with it.”

She looked at me with big, horrified eyes. “Why would you want to do that? She’s your family. Your mother already hates me.”

“She does not.” Mom wasn’t fond of Carmilla, but I wouldn’t believe she hated her. My mom just had stuck up ideals, and Carmilla wasn’t a proper Omega from a prominent family. I loved that Carmilla wasn’t a prim and stuffy aristocratic lady. She was far more down to earth. Beautiful, unique, creative, kind, and so very sexy.

“Okay, hate is too strong of a word. Claudia wouldn’t waste that much energy on anything to do with me. She disapproves of me. If she knew you were here…” She shook her head and squeezed out a few more tears. “She would never let you spend any of your time or energy on me. She’d disown you.”

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