Page 126 of Tangled in Knots

“I would want you covered in blood, so I can fuck you in it after you’ve delivered the final blow, baby girl,” I croon. “Fuck, this isn’t helping my cock, Adira. Please, it hurts.”

“I’m not touching it, and no one else should be either,” she says with a shrug.

“I’m the only one touching it,” I say.

“I said no one,” the tiny omega growls, her adorable nose wrinkling as she glances up at me.

“Damn, that’s cold,” I sigh.

“Eh, I don’t care. Um, I forgot what we were talking about,” she admits.

All I can smell is snickerdoodles and I groan.

“Shh,” she says. “I need to go buy scent and slick proof panties. This is getting embarrassing.”

“Nuh-uh. This is what fucking hope smells like,” I tell her. “If you’re perfuming for me, then there’s a chance for something good. Don’t take that from me. Please.”

Her lips twitch, and I pray it’ll widen into a smile. Her emotions to the outside world are stunted, a disconnect between her soul and her emotions. The auction fractured so much.

We owe it to her to give her a chance to heal.

“Maybe,” Adira says.

I’m desperate to continue this conversation, but her classroom door is open and just a few doors away.

“I want more of this,” I tell her finally. “You’re so beautiful it hurts, and the way you tease me is a drug.”

Adira almost runs into someone as she looks up at me in shock, and I sweep her out of his path, so she’s facing me.

“Those are some really pretty words, Alpha,” she murmurs.

“Baby, I’m on the edge,” I growl. “Give me something, anything.”

“I like your propositions. So what do you want?” Adira asks.

“Time with you,” I say immediately. “In any way I can.”

“I work a lot,” she admits.

I hate that she feels she needs to. I respect that she won’t take my money, but I wish she’d let me make things easier.

“You have two days off a week,” I say, uncaring that I’m showing my hand. She told me that she didn’t work yesterday, but my brothers and I are stalkers.

“The brothers take up a lot of my time…” she says.

“Doing what?” I growl. Ugh, I’m getting very close to making someone piss themselves. An omega male near us whines, and I attempt to pull back my possessiveness.

“They’re teaching me how to shoot,” Adira says. “Duncan says I need to know self defense too. While where I’m staying has classes, I’m usually working during them.”

I met Gabriel yesterday, the guy who owns the gym Kane has been going to, and he said he offered self defense lessons to a local omega shelter in his spare time. I have a feeling he may be the instructor who does the classes Adira is talking about.

“I can teach you,” I say immediately. “I’m a sharpshooter, sniper, and when I’m not being a dumbass, a decent teacher.”

I may be the baby brother, but I helped both Jed and Kane become better marksmen.

“The caveat you dropped in there is concerning,” she teases. “Are you going to teach me how to not get shot again?”

“Very funny,” I growl, dropping my head to claim her lips roughly. “The brattiness is sexy as hell, Adira. Keep pushing.”

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