Page 38 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

“Fuck!” I growled, dropping my bags without a second thought. I lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Her small frame collapsed against me, her body limp in my arms, head lolling back.

My knees met the cobblestone.

“Kitania!” I barked, voice rough with panic. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat. Staring down at her pale face, my gaze immediately flew to her chest.

Fuck! Was she breathing?

The air stalled in my lungs as I waited, watching her like a hawk for any sign of life.

There. A slight rise and fall. Relief flooded me, but it did little to quell the fear coursing through my veins.

My brothers crowded around us, their expressions mirroring my alarm.

“What happened?” Tommas demanded, his usually laid-back demeanor replaced by tense worry.

“Don’t know,” I growled, cradling Kitania closer. “She didn’t seem to be herself inside, and then she just... passed out.”

Marco crouched beside me, reaching out to feel Kitania’s forehead. “She doesn’t have a fever,” he reported, his brow furrowed. “Why the hell would she faint? Should we take her to the hospital?”

Dimitri’s jaw clenched as he scanned the area and barked orders. “Get the car.”

Marco gathered the dropped bags and took off at a run while Dimitri turned back to me.

“She ate this morning, didn’t she?”

I nodded, already rising to my feet with Kitania in my arms. She felt so small, so fragile. How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to protect her, keep her safe. And instead, I’d pushed her too far. All of us had.

“Hold on,” I murmured, my lips close to her ear as we waited for Marco to pull up to the curb. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.”

At those words, Kitania stirred, her eyes moving behind her lids before those pretty lashes fluttered. My heart leapt into my throat.

“Dolcezza?” I breathed, hoping she’d come to.

My Omega’s blue eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first. Relief rushed through me so fast my head spun.

“W-What happened?” she rasped.

“We could ask you the same thing,” Dimitri scolded, but it was full of concern—full offear.“You fainted, Kitten.”

Tommas threw a hand over his heart, clutching at the organ. “I think you stole one of my lives.”

“What’s wrong?” I demanded, my voice low and raw with worry. “Are you feeling sick?”

Her hands curled into my shirt, and I kept my hold on her firm yet gentle, being careful not to crush her against my chest.

Kitania’s cheeks flushed pink as she dipped her head, her long dark hair falling forward to shield her. “I’m not sick, but I... I threw up before we left,” she admitted quietly.

Dammit.My stomach clenched with guilt. How had I not noticed?

“It must have been too much food too quickly.” I cursed myself for urging her to eat so much at breakfast. “Fuck, Dolcezza. I’m sorry.”

Dimitri scrubbed a hand down his face, looking torn between anger at himself and torment that we’d pushed our Omega so hard she became physically ill. “We all are,” he growled. “We should have realized you weren’t feeling well.”

I watched Kitania’s shoulders hunch, making her seem even smaller. The urge to keep her wrapped in my arms and never let her go was so fucking strong.

Tommas stepped closer, his usual mischievous grin replaced by genuine concern. “You can always tell us we’re being pushy assholes, you know,” he offered, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “We’re new to this whole courting thing.”

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