Page 20 of Tangled in Knots

“I got it,” Morris murmurs, filling a vial with a numbing agent. “It’s still going to hurt, Adira. We’re just not going to be total fuck heads about it.”

“I’m trying to save her life,” Jed grumbles as he moves out of the way, so Morris can numb the area before he continues. “I can’t find it yet.”

Brushing my lips against her clammy forehead, I keep my eyes on Jed as he works.

Can you see this?I ask Adira. I don’t want to freak her out, and I’m unsure of how the bond works. The pulsing feeling of being kicked in the knot pulls a strangled sound out of me.

“Shit,” I gasp. “Ask stupid questions, and I know what to expect now. Got it. Did you know bonded omegas can bring their alphas to their knees without being conscious? That’s a fun trick.”

“Little rabbit, you’re a sadist,” Kane croons, watching Jed carefully. I keep my eyes firmly trained on Adira’s face, still struggling to drag a normal breath into my lungs. “Looks like you’re my kind of omega.”

“For better or worse, she’s mine,” I remind him. I’m struggling to parcel out what I’m feeling from what she is, though the overwhelming fear, hate, and anger that are flooding my nervous system is making it easier.

God, between this and the pain, I may fucking pass out. Gritting my teeth, I push back the knowledge that I deserve this because of what I did to her. Her consciousness inside of me is so small, but her personality is fierce. I can’t believe I mistook her for being meek and malleable.

There’s strength under everything she’s throwing at me. I wish things were different. Without glancing up, I know they won’t be when Jed gets the bullet out of her and saves her life. We simply have one more obstacle before we drop her off at the auction house that is eleven hours from here.

I’ve always been the perfect soldier, yet I’m feeling really conflicted now. Her health is mine, which means my future is tied to her. It’s more than a broken heart on the line or puppylove, as my older brother, crassly snarled while we fought about our next steps before all of this happened while she was sleeping.

This connection is fucking everything. Adira and I are tied together, there’s only one valid outcome. I have to find a way to make my father understand, or even better make him think that we are continuing to toe the line. Morris has his locs tied back now to help him work with his alpha, and I glance at him for a moment, careful not to look at the open wound Jed is poking around in.

My father doesn’t care Morris is pack. He sees that the beta follows orders, understands the importance of the hierarchy, and doesn’t ask questions. At least, that’s what Dad thinks. Morris asks plenty of questions in private, helping us to troubleshoot issues.

Like the little omega’s heat. Keeping my breaths even, I tell myself that I’ll talk with my pack about what to do once Adira is stable. There has to be a way?—

“There you are, fucker,” Jed snarls, making me blink. He is the calm one in situations like this, though he has his hot head moments when things go wrong.

I’d say shooting my scent match definitely counts.

“You’re going to be just fine, baby,” he murmurs, cleaning the area and turning to grab some wet wipes to clean his hands before he sutures her up. “Time to close this up. I’ll even make sure it’s just a little scar.”

“I somehow don’t get the feeling that she’s very vain,” Kane drawls. He’s been very quiet during this all, taking in the disquiet, my struggles, and the omega I’m attempting to console through touch. “I think the little rabbit is going to realize she’s much stronger than even she realizes. Are you going to set her up with an IV after this?”

“Yeah,” Morris grunts. “Zela has banana bags and saline, and I have pain meds. One of her mates makes sure to keep thingson hand in case one of the kids gets sick. He’s a pharmacist who likes to be prepared. Adira is most likely dehydrated from her heat. We didn’t do a great job getting her to drink water.”

The little omega could have done so much better than us for her first heat. We tried, but the haze and rut took over, and we lost ourselves to her.

“I’m almost done here, and then we can wipe her down and lay some blankets on the couch. I’ll replace whatever your sister wants,” Jed says, sighing as he finishes up.

The sutures are careful and small. She actually may not scar too badly. I’m surprised he cares, unless…

Nope, I’m not thinking about that right now.

“She’s going to need pain meds,” I grunt. “I keep feeling everything she’s experiencing. Will it be the same if she’s on medication?”

“It doesn’t affect Zela’s mates when she takes something for her migraines,” Morris reports. “You’re actually more entwined than most bonded people. I have no idea why.”

“Wonderful,” I sigh.

Jed and Morris carefully move her, getting rid of her cut off clothes in favor of my long-sleeved shirt. A part of me beats my chest, happy to be closer to her through my scent. I don’t deserve to have this connection, but I’ll hold on tightly to it.

Watching them transfer the little omega to the couch after Kane covers it with a clean, soft blanket, I breathe a little deeper as the pain and fear is cut off once the IV is set up and the pain medication drips along with the saline. Turning, I wash my hands, belatedly realizing that I don’t remember where my weapon is.

Drying my hands, I begin to check my body, finding it safely tucked into the holster at the base of my spine. It should have been there the entire time. I know better than to run on uneven surfaces with my gun pointed at someone. Stupid.

“Do you still feel her?” Morris asks, pulling my gaze toward him. At the sharp shake of my head, he relaxed slightly. “Good.”

Adira is on her stomach to keep from laying on the tender skin of her back, and pillows are propping her arm up for the IV on a chair. It’s not the worst makeshift hospital area we’ve ever created.

---