Page 36 of Knot So Sweet

Ghost’s eyes widened slightly, and he stepped closer, his expression shifting from intensity to something softer, more tender. The scent of pine enveloped me, grounding and inviting.

"You covered it with ink. It’s stunning, princess," he murmured, his sincerity sending a thrill through me. His fingertips brushed along my stomach, sending a shiver through my body. I quivered at his touch, a mix of fear and longing coiling inside me.

"You just got this?" he asked in surprise, his fingers lingering on the still tender flesh. Tears sprang to my eyes, not from pain, but from an emotion I couldn't quite place.

"You got this for your mates," he stated, not phrasing it as a question but as a truth he understood.

"Not on purpose," I admitted, my voice shaky. "Benson, my artist, pointed it out." I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. "We actually got into a fight about it yesterday." I shrugged, trying to downplay the hurt that throbbed in my chest.

But it wasn’t just a fight. It felt like a fracture in a bond I had relied on. He had done all my ink since high school, and nowI didn’t know if I would have that connection again unless we made up. And I didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

Ghost’s gaze didn’t waver, and I could see the questions forming behind his eyes. "What was it about?" he asked gently, coaxing me to share more. An urge to retreat surged within me.

My brows rose in surprise. "Our fight?"

Ghost nodded, his fingers trailing to my hips, gripping me softly. The warmth of his touch sent an electric thrill through me, but it also made me hesitate. I shook my head, not wanting to dive into that messy conflict.

Damn it.

He couldliterallyask me anything, and I would tell him. It made zero sense that he wielded that much control over me without forcing my compliance with an alpha bark. But why? I didn't understand him. Or Viper for that matter.

Instead of getting into the messy details of my fight with Benson, I redirected the conversation, desperate for clarity. "What do you want from me, Ghost?"

My voice was softer now, almost vulnerable. I had asked Viper the same question, and yet I still felt like I didn’t truly understand either of these alphas.

His grip tightened slightly, not in a controlling way, but as if he were anchoring me to the moment. "I want to know you," he said, his tone sincere. "All the parts you hide away behind the black lipstick and sass." He smirked at that last part.

As he spoke, I felt the distance between us begin to close, and a part of me wanted to lean into it. But another part screamed for me to pull away, to keep my heart shielded from the very real possibility of pain.

I swallowed hard, wrestling with the urge to spill everything, to let him in. But fear held me back, a tight knot in my chest. I couldn’t afford to be vulnerable, not with someone who could easily shatter what little armor I had left.

That was the scariest part.

Ghost could easily shatter me if he wanted to and I would never recover.

"I’m not asking you to lay everything bare right now. Just… give me a chance to show you that I’m not like everyone else that's broken your trust."

My defenses rose as I stepped out of his gentle hold.

"Stop fighting yourself. I know you want this, princess. Youneedan alpha to soothe away your anxiety. You’re clearly struggling. So let me help you." He said it matter-of-factly, without a hint of taunt.

He was being genuine.

"You don't get it!" I shouted. "I don't want an alpha! I'llneverwant an alpha."

"No? I think you need one."

I shook my head, desperation clawing at me. "I can't!" My heart raced as I held a hand up in a desperate attempt to keep him at arm's length, even as my body betrayed me, aching to bridge the gap.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between us, his gaze steady and unyielding. The warmth radiating from his body was both comforting and suffocating, making it harder to keep my defenses up.

"Why?" he asked, his voice low, a quiet demand for answers I wasn’t sure I could give.

"Because…" The word trembled on my lips, heavy with the fears I couldn’t bear to voice. "Because being tied to you—or Viper—means giving up my freedom. It means losing control. I can’t—" My voice broke, raw and exposed.

"Is that what you really think?" His tone softened, his eyes searching mine. "That letting me in means losing yourself?"

"It’s not that simple!" I snapped, the storm of emotions surging within me, crashing against my carefully constructedwalls. "You don’t know what it’s like to feel this way—to be a target for everyone’s desires. It’s fucking exhausting, Ghost. I’m tired of everyone wanting a piece of me. Of everyone wanting me to fit into their mold."

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