Page 8 of Knot That Delicate

"You're awake," he said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

I stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say, nodding dumbly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "We've got chilli on."

My stomach growled in answer. I loved chilli.

Carter, having heard my stomach growl, grinned. "There's even fresh cornbread, the sweet kind, made with honey."

My stomach growled again at the sound of that. An alpha who smelled delicious was standing in front of me, offering me food. Frankly, I didn’t care if he was also a psychopath—because as long as I got food and to smell that delicious scent, I could probably die a happy omega.

Cocking his head at my lack of answer, Carter spoke again. "When was the last time you ate?"

I cleared my throat, which felt scratchy and almost painful. "Too long," I croaked, my voice far too thin and weak.

Carter nodded thoughtfully. "Okay," he said. "I'm going to get you some food, and then we need to have a discussion about why the hell you were running around the woods, barely dressed, and nearly dying of hypothermia."

My eyes widened at that, and I started to breathe deeply, panic setting in. Carter stepped forward, his hands raised in surrender, giving me a pleading look.

"Look, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re safe," he said. "How about we focus on getting you fed, clean, and warm? How does that sound?

I nodded.

"Now, do you feel comfortable coming into the living room to eat with us, or do you want to eat in here?" he asked. "Asher is going to want to check the cut on your arm soon," he said, and I looked down at the bandage I had been admiring only a few minutes earlier.

"Asher?" I asked. "Is he the one who was a medic?"

Carter’s face broke out into a smile. "You remember?"

I cocked my head to the side. "Considering I was in a very adrenaline-fueled situation, I kind of remember things quite well."

Carter beamed. "That’s good. He is the medic, and he’s been making sure you’re okay. Dylan is the chef, even though he is not a chef by trade—he's actually a security analyst. But he’s the onemaking the chilli and cornbread. I just supervise them. Usually Asher is the cook, but Dylan makes a mean chilli." He smiled. "Come on, let’s get you some food."

He held out his hand and I didn’t take it. I crossed my arms, keeping to myself as I slowly padded after him. I would’ve followed him anywhere for food. Any other instance, I probably would’ve been hiding in the bathroom, but I was starving.

Never question an omega who is hungry. They’re vicious creatures.

My heart pounded so hard in my chest, I wouldn’t have been surprised to look down and see the pumping through the shirt as I followed Carter out of the bedroom. I was going insane. There was no other explanation for me following a random alpha I had just met.

Why didn’t I stay in the room to eat? I could have bided my time, gathered a little of my strength back before getting the hell out of there.

I should have been screaming, trying to leave, trying to run, but I got the impression that Carter and his pack weren't going to hurt me. There was something deep in my instincts that told me I was safe. I'd always been told that an omega’s intuition wasstrong, but could I really trust my intuition, considering I had been locked in a basement for several years?

As I followed Carter down the hallway, there was a smell in the air that made me think that the roaring fire in my bedroom wasn't the only one in the house. Sure enough, as I entered the open-plan kitchen and living space, another fire was crackling away in the living area, surrounded by two large sofas. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling stone hearth, the cabin was beautifully decorated. The walls were made of a rich, dark wood, and there were decorations everywhere, ranging from portraits to little figurines and blankets dotting around the place. It was surprisingly cosy.

I took it in for a few moments until my brain caught up to what I’d seen upon entering the room. Sitting on one of the sofas was an alpha.

And he wasgigantic.

My footsteps faltered as I took in the sheer mass of him. Even sitting down, he looked like he was easily twice my size, with dark hair cropped close in what reminded me of a military haircut. He had zero facial hair, emphasising just how pointed his jawline was, and his expression was quite severe.

Hearing my footsteps, he turned, and his face broke into a small smile at my appearance. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, keeping his voice low and gentle.

He was definitely bigger than Carter. I should have been panicking, giving the sheer size of him. Alec had been able to do so much damage to me, and he was almost the same size as me. This alpha looked like he could hold me in one hand and crush me into little bitty pieces. Yet, as he stood up to greet me, towering easily two feet over me, I smiled.

Something felt so right about seeing him and sosafe.

Mentally, I berated myself. Clearly, I was beyond help at this point if I thought a gigantic alpha was going to help me.

---