Page 102 of Knot Happening Again

"Well, yes, but I?—"

"Isit you?" Mace interjects. "Or is it just what you're afraid other people will think about you?"

I hate how well he can read me. Like he already knows me better than anyone ever has. "I don't know," I admit.

It's overwhelming, this sudden abundance of care and support. I've been alone for so long, scraping by on the bare minimum. The idea that I might not have to struggle anymore... it's almost too much to comprehend.

A pair of strong arms wrap around me suddenly, and Troy's deep, dark scent envelops me as he pulls me onto his lap. "Well, fuck that," he says, nuzzling my neck. "No one else's opinion matters. You're ours, and we want to take care of you. Are you really going to deny us that just because some assholes who have no idea how amazing you are might have an asshole idea?"

A puff of air escapes me at his words, and I find myself relaxing easily into his embrace. "When you put it like that…"

"Lyrical genius, baby," he teases, nipping at my neck in a way that makes me squirm.

I can't help but laugh.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "All of you. I don't know how to?—"

"You don't have to do anything," Maddox interrupts gently. "Just be you. Just be ours. That's more than enough."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. They seem to understand, giving me space to process. Rhys squeezes my hand one more time before standing.

"Why don't we give you some time to rest?" he suggests. "We can start planning the move later."

The others agree, filing out of the room with promises to check on me later. As the door closes behind them, I'm left alone with my thoughts.

It's terrifying, this step I'm taking. Opening myself up to the possibility of happiness, of belonging. But as I sink back into the pillows, surrounded by the mingled scents of my new pack, I can't help but feel a spark of hope.

Maybe this is where I was meant to be all along.

CHAPTER 30

LEON

The sharp sting of sweat drips into my eyes as I pummel the heavy bag. Each impact sends shockwaves through my arms, the satisfying thud echoing in the near-empty gym. It's late, most of the other fighters have cleared out, but I can't stop. Not yet. Not when I'm so close to the biggest fight of my career.

The only thing keeping me from spiraling into the abyss of my own thoughts now that I'm separate from my pack and have twenty-four-seven to contemplate just how much I hate myself.

A part of me wants to just call it off, but the truth is, I could use the distraction. It's been days since Rhys texted me to let me know Ophelia is out of her heat. And that she agreed to move in with the pack.

On the one hand, I'm relieved. She's not out there anymore, working at shady clubs, at the mercy of strange alphas who treat her like…

Like I did.

The thought makes my gut clench with self-loathing and I channel that feeling into pummeling the bag until sand starts to spring free. Tony's gonna have to put that on my tab.

On the other hand, I feel like this is the beginning of the end. The rest of the pack is closing ranks around Ophelia, and I'm on the outside. Where I belong, where I deserve to stay, but it doesn't stop me from hating it.

If I could just see her one more time, convince her to talk to me…

What? She'd come falling back to my arms?

Yeah, right.

I don't deserve another chance. Hell, I didn't deserve the first one. The fact that she's the omega the others have become obsessed with means nothing.

No, that's not entirely true. It means they saw her and immediately recognized her for the gift she is. They saw what I was too much of a blind, immature, selfish fucking asshole to see.

And now, I'm going to lose her again. I'm going to lose all of them.

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