Page 57 of Knot So Sweet

He loathed the idea of Candi going into heat while we were tangled in this war, and I shared that sentiment.

The timing couldn’t be worse.

Candi's hands balled into fists at her sides as she paced toward the bookshelf, the tension in her curvy frame unmistakable. Her shoulders were bunched, a sign of the emotional storm swirling within her.

Heat wasn’t just a physical state—it was a whirlwind of emotion that tore down walls, and Candi had spent her whole life fortifying hers.

"Princess. Let us take care of you," I murmured, hoping to soothe the tumult.

Hoping my scent calmed her some.

She looked up at me, her jaw clenched tight. Silence stretched between us, louder than any words.

Candi didn’t trust herself right now.

The air thickened, and I sensed a shift in her scent—warmer, sweeter—betraying the tenuous grip she was trying to maintain.

Viper had shifted from brooding to something sharper. His eyes darkened as they locked onto her. His nostrils flared, reacting to the shift in her scent, and I could practically feel the alpha in him rising to the surface. He pushed off the wall, stepping toward her with a deliberate slowness. "Sweetheart."

Candi didn’t meet his eyes, shoulders drawn tight. She didn’t want to be vulnerable—not in front of me, not in front of Doc, and especially not in front of Viper.

Doc cleared his throat, shifting his gaze between them. "You need to rest, Candi. Your body’s signaling it, whether you want it to or not."

Her fists clenched tighter as she fought to maintain her control. I knew what was coming. I’d witnessed enough omegas cycle to recognize the signs—the subtle shift in scent, the tremor in her hands, the way her breath came in shallow bursts.

Viper moved closer, his eyes never leaving her. "Candice, look at me."

Finally, she met his gaze, and for a brief moment, the mask she wore slipped. I saw fear there, vulnerability that she despised revealing.

Viper saw it too. "You’re in control here. You choose how and what happens during your heat. You hear me?"

Her breath caught, and I thought for a moment she might break. But Candi being Candi, she fought it, swallowing hard against the swell of her emotion.

"Princess," I purred. "You don’t have to pretend with us. You’re allowed to need us, to lean on us. Trust us."

Her gaze flicked to mine, searching for something—acceptance? A lifeline?

"I hate feeling weak, Ghost." Her eyes widened in surprise, as if she couldn’t believe she had just admitted that. It was something I was beginning to learn about her: something about me calmed her, and I needed to use that to help her through this.

"You’re not weak. Letting us in doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human. I told you, you need us. You need an alpha. Let us prove it to you."

I wanted to remind her that she was ours. We were her alphas, her protectors.

Doc stood back, observing the exchange, allowing the moment to unfold.

Viper reached out, his hand cupping her jaw, tilting her face up to meet his.

"You’re mine, Candi," he whispered, thumb brushing against her cheek. "And I take care of what’s mine. You know that."

Her breath hitched, and for a fleeting moment, the fight faded from her eyes. But I could see her resolve beginning to waver.

"I don’t need anyone’s help," she muttered, though her voice trembled slightly. "I can go back to the Den I can—"

Viper purred, the sound rumbling his chest and cutting over her rant. "You need us," Viper countered, gaze steady, unyielding. "Especially right now."

"If I need help, then so do you," she shot back, her voice rising. "You need help getting rid of 'the poison' in your club. As soon as you acknowledge that you need help, maybe I will too."

I smirked at her fire, but Viper wasn't amused. He growled low in his throat. "You’re going to blackmail me into a meeting with the Cromwells?"

---