Page 14 of Knot That Delicate

Carter smirked. "Isn’t that what our radios are for?" he asked, giving me a cheeky grin.

I nodded, that was true. "Fine. You better keep that fucking thing on you the entire time and check in with me when I ask."

Carter just smirked. "Sir, yes, sir," he said, giving me a mock salute. Even in a moment like this, when we were busy trying to hunt an omega and concerned, he was still finding time to be a sarcastic little shit.

"You take the north route; I’ll take the northeast. That way, we cover both the areas that she’s likely to have gone in." Standing up, I grabbed my radio off the kitchen counter, tossing one lightly to Carter, before turning to Asher. "Radio us if you hear anything. She might come back on her own."

Asher nodded. "I hope so."

We trudged outside. The weather was abysmal, and I didn’t like having to go out and get soaking wet. I knew it was a matter of necessity, but it still made me grumpy.

Carter shouted over the sound of thundering rain, "Surely, she must’ve been fucking terrified to leave the cabin for this!" He gestured to the downpour. "This is miserable."

I nodded in agreement.Just what had she been through?While part of me couldn’t resist the urge to consider hera potential enemy, if she truly was simply an injured and frightened omega, she must have been truly traumatised to want to be away from us so badly, to get to her home so badly.

"Let’s just find her and bring her back," I said.

We weren’t going to be able to track her scent, given the rain pouring down like this, but there was the faintest inkling of a scent just outside the window that I tried my best to follow. Out of all my pack mates, I had the best nose. Carter and I made our way through the woodland, periodically checking in over our radios.

We must have walked for almost an hour before I found her.

She was sitting at the base of a tree, arms crossed and crying. Her hair was sticking to her face, which was red and blotchy with tears. The sight of her, in clear distress, made my stomach hurt with that desperate alpha need to make it better.

"Hey, trouble," I said calmly as I walked towards her.

She looked up at me, tears still in her eyes. There was an anguish in her expression that couldn’t have been faked.

"I want to go home," she said.

"I understand that, I really do. But it isn’t safe. You’re so lucky you didn’t fall into a ravine or a cavern. Goddamn it, you’re such a brat, I should spank you," I said before I could even think about my words.

I was ready for her to freak out, to try and run away, thinking I was going to be violent. But instead, she stood up and glared at me. Her angry expression made my cock jump to life.

I always did love an omega with a bit of sass.

Grabbing on to that little spark of fire, I pressed on.

"You're freezing," I said, looking down at her lack of clothing pointedly. "Did you learn nothing from the last time you were out here?"

She just glowered at me. "I stole a pair of shoes," she said with a smug tone, kicking her foot out so I could see Asher’s old work boots that looked comically large on her.

I nodded, taking in the sight with a small laugh. "Well, that'ssomething,at least," I admitted. Despite the abysmal conditions, she smiled at my praise. The idea that she was seeking out my approval made my heart flutter in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. How could she sass me and also be seeking my praise?

I needed to get her home as soon as possible—not back to the cabin, but back to heractualhome, wherever she was meant to be, because despite only having known her for a few hours, I got the distinct impression that this omega was trouble, of the best variety.

"Are you ready to come back to the cabin?" I asked.

She looked around and pouted. I shouldn’t have been as obsessed with that lower lip as I was. I wanted to lean forward and bite it. Ineededto get her back to wherever she came from as quickly as possible.

"I suppose," she grumbled. "I thought I could make it to civilisation. No offence—I don’t think you guys are serial killers or anything—but Iwantto go home."

I nodded. "I understand why you want to go home, but maybe we should show you a map, so you can understand just how terrible this terrain is and how you running off in the middle of a rainstorm is a stupid move and a total bratty thing to do."

Her mouth dropped open. "I amnota brat!"

I raised my eyebrows at her. I wanted to go toe to toe with her so badly, but now was not the time. She wasn’t strong enough for it. Besides, I shouldn’t yearn to go toe to toe with any omega, because I wanted to remain with no omega.

"Come on, trouble," I said. "Let’s get you back to the cabin, get you fed, and let you rest. As soon as we can, I promiseyou, we’ll get you home. And as soon as we can get an Internet connection, you can email whoever you want. You can call whoever you want."

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