Page 45 of Knot Dead Yet

“I need my cozy.” Kienna tried to squirm out of my arms toward the attic door.

There was no way I was letting her escape and hide. She had to face the fact her heat was at its peak and it could literally destroy her. As pack leader, I had to take care of everyone, and there was no doubt that she was part of our pack now. She was mine to watch over, and I wasn’t going to let her hurt herself anymore.

“You need relief from your heat.” I growled as she pushed me. We wrestled on the bed. The feisty minx was a fighter, and while that was a turn-on, I could see the gleam of fear in her eyes. I would not have her afraid of me or of anything. I pinned her and made sure she was looking at me. “Why are you afraid? You know I would never hurt you.”

“Then what are you doing? I shouldn’t even be here!” Kienna kicked her legs and tried to buck me off. As much as I knew she was emotionally struggling, I couldn’t stop my arousal.

My Omega was here, pinned underneath me. She was ripe with slick and musk, and fuck, I wanted to strip her down and pound into her.

“I’m trying to help y—”

“You just want to claim me and knot me and make me stay here forever!” Tears spilled from her big dark eyes and glistened like caught diamonds in her hair.

“Make no mistake, thatiswhat I want to do.” My fierce words caused her to freeze, and she held still, trembling under me. I released one of her wrists and wiped at her tears. “But I won’t force you to do anything.”

Kienna groaned and her pretty face screwed up with pain as another pang wracked her body.

“I can make it better,” I whispered and nuzzled the side of her neck. It wrecked me to see her in agony. “Let me knot you.”

She flooded with slick at those words. I could feel the wetness through the material of both our pants. Yet she gritted her teeth and tried to fight against it.

“What are you afraid of, Kienna? Tell me.” I had to get her over whatever it was. As her Alpha, I was her rock, her strength.

Her Alpha. My Omega. I saw us together already. But she did not.

“I’m not afraid,” she hissed out with her pain.

“Liar.” I brushed my lips over her skin and traced the tip of my tongue along her neck. She tasted of sweetness thick with desire and the sharp tang of fear. “Tell me.”

She let out a small cry and kicked her heels against the mattress. “What don’t I have to be afraid of? I’m an unclaimed Omega in heat and four Alphas want to claim me. But those Alphas are on my father’s hockey team and he would freak out. They would lose their careers. Their whole futures would crumble around them. They’d resent me for the rest of our lives.”

“It’s our choice to take that risk. Not yours. If I believed hockey was more important than you, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’ve already risked my future, and I don’t give a fuck. I’m here where I want to be and I’ll never regret it.” Each second spent with her was more than worth it. I broke my contract and could lose my place on the team tonight. I wasn’t going to apologize for it. I needed to be here with Kienna.

Her gorgeous eyes searched my face, looking for deceit. She wouldn’t find it.

“What else are you afraid of?”

Kienna swallowed thickly and wet her lips. Oh, those plush pink lips. “You claim me, I’ll be forced to stay here.”

“What is here that you fear so much?” I caressed her face, tracing her exquisite features. Little soothing touches to give her clarity of mind. She’d protested about being stuck in Winnipeg before, but I didn’t know if she didn’t like the city or if it was something else.

She winced again, clenching her hands and unclenching them. “It’s incredibly boring.”

“It’s not.” It was no big European city or even like New York or Seattle, but again, I thought that an excuse and not the reason.

“I was stuck in my hotel for days.”

“Not the city’s fault.” I raised my brows, daring her to challenge that. “Give me what’s deep in your heart, your truth.”

Kienna growled and tried to wiggle away. There was no way I was releasing her yet. She arched her back as if trying to bust out of her own body and then finally burst out with a sob that slashed across my heart. “I don’t want to ruin your life, or anyone’s life. If you claim me, you won’t have your career. If you share me with the whole pack, all of you lose your futures. I will not be your downfall.” She sucked in a shuddering sob. “And if an Alpha claims me, I won’t be free. I’ll be his. No more adventures. Since I don’t do well with authority, I’ll rebel at every chance. He’ll start to hate me. Our bond will become one of hate and distrust. I don’t want to live that way.”

I sat up and gathered her to me, holding her tight as she cried.Thiswas the truth I was after. Her wild nature made her fear being tied down, and her compassionate heart didn’t want to hurt anyone along the way. Everything in me needed to protect her, to make her world right. That instinct felt as if it might swallow me and I wanted nothing more than to let it.

But she needed me strong as much as I needed her.

Several minutes ticked by as she let loose her misery. I wiped away the tears and kissed the top of her head. With all this sadness and fear leaving, I was determined to fill that space with happiness and pleasure.

When her crying eased, I lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “Know this, Kienna. I would never force you to do anything. Even if I did claim you, you would never be made to do anything you didn’t want. I would worship you and serve your every desire.”Every single one. “I’ve already chosen you over hockey. I haven’t lost my future. I’m hoping for a much better one.”

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