Page 46 of Knot Happening Again

Rhys nods encouragingly, his hand finding mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. His knot is still locked within me, and since we're both stuck this way for a while, I guess now is as good a time as any.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "He was... he was my crush growing up. Our families were close, and I always thought..." I trail off, shaking my head. "It doesn't matter what I thought. He never noticed me, not really. Not until he came back from college junior year."

The memories flood back, bittersweet and painful. "We had a one-night stand. I thought it meant something, especially when he started to mark me. But he didn't actually knot me—said he didn't want to get me pregnant. And then... then he disappeared. I never heard from him again."

Rhys's grip on my hand tightens, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The sound sends a shiver through me, my omega instincts responding to his protective anger.

I continue, the words spilling out now that I've started. "My parents had arranged for me to be mated to him. When the engagement fell through because I was partially marked... everything fell apart."

"What?" His brows furrow. "Why wouldn't they blame him?"

Apparently, I take too long to respond, because a look of realization dawns on the alpha's face.

"You didn't tell them who it was."

"I knew what would have happened," I say with a shrug. "They would have dragged him back, and forced me to be with him. That would have been torture for us both. Mostly because I'd have to be fully bound to an alpha who didn't love me, knowing every day he saw me as nothing more than a burden."

"Ophelia…" Rhys whispers. "You're nothing of the kind. If he was too much of a fool to see that, it's his loss."

I shrug, steeling that part of my heart that still aches even now. Even with him. "My parents disowned me after that. I had to figure it all out on my own."

Rhys reaches out, his hand cupping my cheek. The tenderness in his touch makes my breath catch. "You don't have to," he says softly. "Not anymore. I still have to talk to the full pack, but I know they'll feel the same way the rest of us do."

His words send a surge of longing through me, so powerful it's almost painful. For a moment, I let myself imagine it—being part of this pack, surrounded by alphas who care about me, who want to protect me. It's a beautiful fantasy.

But that's all it is.

A fantasy.

I pull away from his touch, wrapping my arms around myself. "I can't trust you," I say, hating the tremor in my voice. "Or any alpha. Not that easily."

Rhys looks like he wants to argue, but I press on before he can. "You wouldn't want me if you knew what I had to do to survive," I tell him, my voice barely above a whisper.

"That's not true," Rhys says firmly. "Whatever you've been through, whatever you've had to do—it doesn't change who you are."

I open my mouth to tell him exactly what I do for a living, to watch the disgust and disappointment cloud his eyes. But before I can get the words out, Rhys's phone buzzes loudly on the bedside table.

"Take it. Please," I say, desperate for a moment to collect myself.

He reluctantly glances at it, his expression shifting to one of concern. "Fuck," he mutters. "One of my patients just went into early labor."

Relief washes over me, mixed with a hint of disappointment I'm not ready to examine too closely. "Go," I tell him, forcing a smile. "The worst of my heat is over. The others can take care of me."

Rhys hesitates, his eyes searching my face. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "I'm sure. Your patient needs you more than I do right now."

He leans in, capturing my lips in a kiss that leaves me breathless. When he pulls back, his eyes are dark with an emotion I can't quite name. "Please," he says, his voice low and urgent. "Be here when I get back. We're not done talking about this."

The intensity in his gaze makes my heart race. I want to promise him I'll be here, that I'll stay. But I can't. Not when I know the truth will come out eventually.

So instead, I just nod, giving a noncommittal murmur.

He pulls out gently now that his knot has gone down, and kisses me again before he leaves to get dressed. As soon as he's gone, I curl up in the nest, burying my face in a pillow that smells like him.

What am I doing? This was supposed to be simple. Get through my heat, no strings attached. But nothing about this feels simple anymore.

I can't shake the feeling that I'm in over my head. These alphas—Rhys, Mace, Troy—they're not what I expected. They're kind, attentive, genuinely concerned about my well-being. It's throwing me off balance, making me question everything I thought I knew about alphas.

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