Page 44 of Knot So Sweet

Did I want himto leave?

I wasn’t sure. On one hand, Ghost had defended me like Owen would, like Vaughn or Creed always had. That kind ofloyalty, that instinct to protect, wasn’t something I could dismiss easily, especially after everything that had happened. But on the other hand? Letting him stay made me feel vulnerable. Weak. Like I needed an alpha to protect me.

And I didn’t.

I knew I could defend myself. I’d done it before, and I’d do it again. But with Travis resurfacing, with his threat hanging over my head, it was tempting to let Ghost stand guard. My eyes stung with unshed tears as I looked at him, at the desperation etched into his expression, the pain he tried so hard to hide.

I hated that I cared.

Hated how it twisted my insides to see him hurting. Seeing Jordan use my bat against me, and Ghost taking the hit like he did, made me worry about him more than I wanted to admit.

His shoulder was hunched, his body tense, forehead slick with sweat. His usually neat hair was messy, clinging to his damp skin, and his dark eyes were shadowed with pain.

"You should leave," I forced myself to say, even though the words felt like shards of glass in my throat. "Take care of your shoulder."

"I'm fine, princess. I've had worse," he replied, trying to shrug it off, but the wince that followed betrayed him. His rough thumb brushed across my jaw, the warmth of it lingering on my skin.

"I don't want to leave you. I want to make sure you're safe. But..." He swallowed hard, his voice thick with emotion. "I’ll leave if you ask me to."

I glanced at Pixie, who stood nearby, his face tight with concern. He offered me a small, sad smile, clearly just as worried about Ghost as I was. Pixie had told me how great of an alpha Ghost was, but seeing it firsthand, seeing him put himself on the line for me... It was different. It hit me harder than I expected.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to summon some strength, but all I felt was the ache of uncertainty and fear. "You don’t have to stay," I muttered, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. "You don’t owe me anything. I'll be safe here. Right, Pixie?"

"Yeah, kid. Nothing but the best security is installed," he assured me, his voice steady, but his eyes still full of concern.

"I know Pixie's system is the best. I wouldn’t trust anyone else, like I trust him," Ghost said softly, his voice barely a whisper. His hand slid to the base of my neck, his fingers kneading at the tension there. "But the thought of leaving you... After what I just found out... Just the idea of any of those bastards touching you, and I see red, princess."

My heart skipped a beat, his words sinking deeper than I wanted to admit. They wrapped around me, pulling me in when I’d spent so long trying to keep myself afloat.

"And if you get hurt again? Then what?" I asked, my voice trembling.

God, this alpha made me admit too much. Feel too much.

"I’ve been hurt worse, sweetheart," he said, flashing that familiar crooked grin for just a second before it faded. "But walking away from you? That’d destroy me."

Another skipped beat, another flutter of something I didn’t want to name. This wasn’t the first time he’d admitted how much he cared, and I found myself starting to believe him.

His devotion wasn’t just words—it was real, raw, and terrifying.

"Thank you for protecting me, Ghost," I whispered, trying to ignore the way my chest tightened. "But please, get your shoulder looked at. I couldn’t stand it if you got seriously hurt because of me." I bit down on my bottom lip, anxiety twisting in my stomach as I waited for his response.

Ghost chuckled, though it quickly turned into a wince. "Fuck," he growled, rubbing his shoulder. "Maybe you're right."

The sirens blared louder now, red and blue lights flickering through the front windows of the club. My pulse quickened. We didn’t have time. If Ghost and Pixie didn’t leave soon, the authorities would be inside, asking questions none of us could afford to answer.

He glanced out the front window then back down to me. "Come with me."

For a second, I froze, the weight of his words wrapping around me like a net. His eyes held mine, steady and unwavering, full of something that made my heart race faster than the sirens outside.

"Ghost, I..." My voice caught in my throat. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or the gnawing sense that, once I took that step, there’d be no turning back. But the way he looked at me, like he was ready to fight the world just to keep me safe, made it hard to say no.

He stepped closer, his hand slipping from my neck to my wrist, his thumb tracing slow circles against my pulse. "Come with me," he murmured, eyes flicking back to the front window. "I'll bring you back later."

The sirens wailed louder, red and blue lights reflecting off the walls of the club. We didn’t have time, and I could feel the urgency crackling between us like a live wire.

I swallowed hard, glancing between the door and him, feeling the weight of his grip on my wrist. Every instinct screamed at me to stay strong, to push him away and prove I didn’t need him. But deep down, the truth gnawed at me—I didn’t want to be alone.

"Okay," I whispered, barely trusting my own voice. "I’ll go with you."

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