Page 86 of Knot Happening

Then Kodiak said he went to see her two days ago, and she’d kissed him. He thought if we were here, around other Omegas, that it might trigger her instincts. Have her climbing all over us, like she did at the house just ten days ago.

Hayden tried to warn us. Said he’d go because he wanted to see her, but that there was no fucking way he was getting near another woman.

He was right. The bond is a live wire of anger, frustration, and pain.

The clinging scent of soured blueberries still burns my nose as we leave our Omega behind.

“How do we fix this?” I murmur. I'm the pack lead, I’m supposed to have the answers. I’m supposed to protect my brothers.

“I don’t know, but we can’t do something like that ever again,” Hayden growls.

“Does she know you’re paying for her mother’s care? I know you wanted her to think they simply lowered their costs, but you should tell her,” Kodiak grunts, his entire body tenses as we climb into our car. I drive, even though I feel fucking numb and not at all alert.

“That's not manipulating her?” I ask, because that was part of the reason I didn’t want her to know. I glance at the bracelet I bought, just for her, still wrapped around my wrist as I grip the steering wheel.

I had wanted her to take it… Maybe to prove she still cared. Now, I just want to drop to my knees at her feet and beg her to forgive me. Beg her to give us a chance, a real one.

If I thought it would help, I’d fucking kidnap her.

But she needs to choose us, or she’ll never truly be ours.

“No. We’ll call it a courting gift. A real one. We’ll make it clear what we want. A bond,” Kodiak says, as he pulls his phone out to start tapping away at the screen. “I’ll have flowers delivered, with a giant teddy bear, and a card that explains her mom will always be taken care of, even if she doesn’t…choose us,” he adds.

Ghost is working on forcing Hamlin to sell. He’s close. On our own, we never could have afforded a business as massiveas that one. But Ghost…he’s got more money than my pack combined.

“The look on her face…” I look up and watch Hayden shake his head in the rearview mirror as he speaks. “She was petrified and heartbroken. Her scent said as much, but…it goes deeper than the wound I made three years ago. It’s connected to her mom. Tatum’s dad died when she was just a kid, and it really fucked her mom up, obviously. But I hadn’t realized how much that was fucking Tatum up.”

“Fuck…” I murmur, but Kodiak brightens beside me. “What?”

“She’s scared we’re going to die. That's why she ran.”

“Why is that making you smile, you crazy fuck?” I hiss.

“Because,” he turns to me, the bond igniting with hope for the first time in ten days, “It means she loves us. She loves us, and she ran, not because she thinks we’ll abandon her by choice, but because she’s scared we’ll fucking die and have no choice in leaving her.”

My twin is nuts on a good day, but maybe I don’t give him enough credit.

“How the fuck are we supposed to get her back when we’re fighting against fucking death?” Hayden growls, his frustration matching mine.

“Persistence, little brother. We just keep coming back until she lets us love her the way she deserves.”

Nowthat, we can do.

Love her anyway.

Love her, until she can love us back.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Tatum

Last night was hell. Easton had texted me, but I never replied. If he had shown up with more ice cream, I might have fallen apart. Like, actually dropped to the floor in tiny shattered pieces. Lady gave me a ride home. I thought for sure Candy would fire me, but instead she gave me a big hug.

Apparently, I wasn’t the first Omega to have Alphas show up and act like shitheads. She reassured me I wouldn’t be the last. Thank fuck she was so understanding, or I would have been unbelievably fucked.

I’m in the back of my closet, curled up in a ball in my nest. My tears have dried up, but my heart still aches like I was stabbed. This isn’t how love is supposed to feel, is it?

Love? What the fuck…no. No.

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