Page 18 of Knot All is Forgiven

"That's fair," he says softly. "I suppose my place isn't fit for an Omega. And we'll see each other frequently, right?"

Suddenly, the idea that I would have to schedule seeing this man makes me feel sick. I don't want that. I don't want to be away from him. How will we get to know one another if we're living separate lives?

Scent matches are absolute, right? Aren't they supposed to be our other halves? Or sixths or whatever if it's a pack.

Some sort of weird pie of destiny.

"Come home with me." The words fall out of my mouth in a rush. "Stay with me. My place isn't far from the clinic, and I have plenty of room."

He blinks wide, deep green eyes at me, jaw a little slack. "I… have a cat."

I snort at the gobsmacked look on his face. "So do I. Bring him."

"I -"

"Miss Cross," the nurse says, walking in with a handful of papers and cutting off whatever Icarus was about to say. "I have your discharge papers here. However, some Alphas are waiting to see you."

"What?" I say, sitting up straighter. "What Alphas?"

A low growl starts in Icarus' chest, and I clasp his hand in my own. Nurse West raises an eyebrow at the Alpha but powers through. "Pack Stargazer. They're saying you're their Omega."

My body completely freezes at the ridiculous pack name a couple of teenagers came up with.

A name I haven't spoken aloud in over a decade.

"No." I jump off the bed, anxiously looking around for my clothing. "Where are my clothes? We have to go. Now. They can't see me." Icarus is on his feet, looking around until he finds my heels, blouse, and skirt.

"She can't wear this. Get her scrubs," he barks at the nurse.

The nurse stands frozen momentarily before darting out, sensing danger if she doesn't comply. She's gone for less than a minute before she hands me a pair of mint green scrubs.

I don't care who sees my body as I rip off the gown and slide into the scrubs. "We have to go now. Sneak me out of here, Vick."

My new Alpha doesn't ask questions. He nods, throws my stuff in one of those weird plastic hospital bags that always remind me of police evidence bags, and puts his hand on my lower back. "Are they in the waiting room?" He asks nurse West.

"They've been there since she was admitted."

"Okay, keep them there. Give us fifteen minutes, and then you let them know she's already been discharged, and they missed her." He guides me out of the hospital room. "Do not, under any circumstances, tell them anything more than that. Not that she left with an Alpha, not why she was admitted. Just that she is no longer a patient here. Understood?"

The nurse swallows at his dominant command and then nods. "Got it. Go out the east staircase. It won't pass the waiting room at all. Then you can take the elevator from the fifth floor down."

"No, no elevator," I say, shaking my head. "I don't want to risk one of them going to get coffee or something and finding us in the car."

"Agreed. Let's get out of here. And then, Omega, you owe me an explanation."

His words send a shiver up my spine that isn't all bad. As the door to the stairwell clangs shut behind me, I whisper, "Yes, Alpha."

Chapter eight

Icarus drives a boringcar that does not match his wild ass name. I climb into the grey sedan and startle when he reaches over me and buckles me in. I raise my brow at him, but he shakes his head as if my concern is the silliest thing he's seen today. "I've got to keep you safe."

I don't argue. I've been around long enough to know what is said about Alphas. Especially newly matched ones. He's probably wound very tight, and his instincts are riding him hard to wrap me up in bubble wrap.

"Do you want to take me to my car?" I ask as he pulls out of the parking lot.

"I thought I was coming home with you." His words are clipped.

Did I hurt his feelings? He doesn't look at me, one hand on the wheel and the other on my knee.

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