Page 22 of Knot That Delicate

“How did you get out, then?” Dylan asked.

“Another omega,” Juniper said, sitting up straighter and running her hand through her hair. A waft of that sweet strawberry scent hit me square in the face. “I was in the basement as usual, and Alec—that’s the guy’s name—brought another omega down. Her name was Lavender. She knew my family. She was sweet, she helped me. She forged a weapon and stabbed Alec. When she did that, we ran. She told me to run towards the lights, which we thought were the city, and sheran in the other direction. I’m assuming she made it to safety,” she said, biting her lip. “I really hope she made it to safety. I think my family was trying to find me because, from what Lavender told me, she’d been spending time with my brother and his pack. I think she’s going to be their omega. There seems to be something there, judging by the way she spoke about my brother.”

Juniper’s face brightened as she smiled, her eyes softening as she tilted her head to the side. The movement was so minimal, she probably didn’t realise she was doing it, but it was cute. The tears gathering in the corners of her eyes evaporated. “I liked her. She’ll be a good match for them. I really hope…” She trailed off. “I really wish we could call someone to find out if she’s safe.”

As she spoke about her family, her scent increased, sweet strawberry almost overwhelming us in the best way possible.

Carter cleared his throat. “It’s nice that you’re worried about her, but I think the biggest concern isyou.You’re saying you’ve been held captive for years, and you’re acting like it’s no big deal. You need help, medical attention.”

Juniper scoffed. “Oh, it’s a huge deal. I know that. I just don’t have the energy to scream and cry about it. I did that a lot the first year, and all it got me were beatings and starvation. I’ve learned to bide my time and adapt to my circumstances. Like it or not, I know I’m stuck here until I can contact a Haven or my family. You guys deserve to know what’s going on, in case Alec is out in these woods somewhere.”

“How long were you running?” Dylan asked. The veins popped in his hands as he physically restrained himself at hearing Juniper’s story. I was ready to throw something as well.

How was she talking so casually about being beaten?

PTSD was a complex and difficult thing. When Dylan had first left the military, he went to therapy almost daily to deal with his emotions. Juniper was probably using her casual attitudeas a coping mechanism, and it wasn’t my place to question it, especially when she had no access to the help she truly needed.

Juniper cocked her head to the side. “More than a day. We escaped when it was dark, it was raining, and I ran all the next day. Then it was dark again. You guys found me, and not long after that, it became daylight.”

Dylan nodded. “That is about right. Literally, the nearest houses are a two-day walk away, minimum, and that’s over some intense woodland. Did you cross a stream at any point?”

She nodded. “I did. I thought it might help lessen my scent if he was chasing me.”

Dylan nodded approvingly. “Smart girl,” he praised, though his voice was rough.

Juniper beamed at the compliment, her smile so blinding that even Dylan wasn’t unaffected by it.

Carter turned on a TV show, and once again, Juniper was absorbed watching it. The alphas in the room were not, though. Our attention was on the omega. When she yawned and got up, shyly saying she was going to get some sleep, I gave her an easy smile and acted like my heart wasn’t stuttering almost painfully in my chest.

The moment she was gone, we converged, putting our heads together.

“How the fuck do we find this guy and kill him?” Dylan asked with a quiet growl.

“If he was stabbed, hopefully the fucker didn’t survive, but is there a chance this other omega is out there?” I asked.

“We need to ask her more without probing too much. If this Lavender ran in the other direction, she may have found help,” Carter said. “They were a good distance away.”

“I’ll increase the radius of our cameras. If she comes within five miles of us, we’ll know.” As he spoke, Dylan pulled out his phone, checking the mobile camera feed.

“How do we deal with Juniper?” I asked.

“Deal with her?” Carter shook his head. “We just take care of her until we can get her somewhere she’ll be properly looked after, like with her family.”

Dylan snorted. “Her family lost her in the first place!”

“Well, maybe a Haven, then. She’ll be safe there!” I hissed back.

“We can’t treat her like she’s made of glass. That’ll just make it worse. Remember how you guys were with me when I came back from my last tour?” Dylan pointed out.

I grimaced. We had messed up when he first came home. Treated him with kid gloves and acted like everything was going to hurt him. Our hearts were in the right place, but Dylan had been miserable and even punched Carter at one point for treating him like that.

“She’s not a giant hardened alpha who’s seen war! She’s gentle, fragile,” I insisted. “Her injuries are consistent with her story.”

“She’s clearly made of strong stuff if she’s survived all that. She’s walking around on that swollen ankle like it’s hardly a bruise,” Dylan said, running his hand through his hair. “I say we treat her gently, but not too gently. Like we would treat any friend who needs a little company and care—how does that sound?”

“And we just ignore the fact she’s an omega?” Carter asked, cocking an eyebrow. “My dick has been constantly hard since I sniffed her for the first time.”

“We can control ourselves,” I said, glowering at Carter, who held his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

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