Page 17 of Knot Their Valentine

Shit, I’m doing it again. Shaking away the thoughts, I force myself to focus on the menu, to pick something.

“Well, I thought I sucked. I’m not good at much of anything, it seems like,” I grumble. I didn’t mean to sound so pitiful and pathetic. I just don’t like feeling so out of control over my own instincts.

“You’re great at a lot of things, Harlow. Hell, you’re better at being an Omega than I am. Sometimes, I barely feel like one at all.” Quin shakes his head, and his scent turns sour.

“Hey…” I place my hand on his thigh, turning to him, frowning. “What do you mean, you barely feel like an Omega? Biology makes you an Omega, you can’t fuck it up.” I know he said he’s a little bit unsteady, and that his hormones are wonky, but…barely an Omega? Not even close.

“Except I do fuck it up. All the time! Cae thinks he’s not enough for me, that I need more, and that's why I’ve been so off balance. But I know the truth. I’m not enough for him. He wasn’t even into me before I perfumed. He liked–” Quin snapshis mouth shut, and then looks away from the menu to stare at me with wide eyes. “He liked girls.”

“He mated you.” I shrug, not understanding the issue. If his instincts and hormones are off balance, that can be fixed. If Cae really thinks he’s not enough to satisfy Quin, well… Lachlan is their pack mate. He should be more than enough to, um, assist when the time comes.

“I sleepwalked into Lachlan’s room one night… That's how bad I’ve gotten. I don’t think Cae knows how to help me. I don’t even know how to help myself.”

“You probably need to stop suppressing your instincts so much. Maybe try giving into them a little more, even when what you need makes you feel a little crazy,” I offer, giving his thigh a gentle squeeze.

“I don’t even know what’s instinct and what’s just pure crazy,” Quin chuckles, and I nod in understanding.

“Trust me, I get that completely.”

I wait until after the waiter takes our order, and then ask, “You were raised in a foster pack, right?” Quin nods, his expression turning somber. “You said mostly Alphas?”

“Yeah, that's right. I didn’t spend much time around Omegas until I met Caelum. The man that ran the foster pack was an Alpha. So were his employees.”

“Well, I’ll do what I can to help, while I can,” I offer, taking a sip of my soda and chewing the straw for a second.

“Thank you, Low,” Quin murmurs, turning his full attention to me, now that we don’t have the menu as a buffer.

“Of course.”

But then his fingertips are caressing my cheek, until he tucks my hair behind my ear, his touch lingering there.

“I like the pink. It was pretty before, of course, when it was blonde.” The look in Quin’s eyes as he takes a strand of pinkbetween his fingers is gentle, but his scent is intense. “But pink suits you and your sass.”

“Hey, I’m not that sassy,” I snort, turning back to my soda.

“You definitely are. But I like that about you. How fierce you are, and how cute you look when you’re angry. The way you fight with Cae.” He smirks, and I shrug.

“Cae picks those fights,” I defend.

“I bet he enjoys the fight, too.”

Yeah. I bet he fucking does.

When we arrive backat the apartment, I ready myself for what's waiting on the other side. Caelum should be in there, waiting for his Omega. I’m burning with jealousy, and Quin senses something is off.

“I had fun today,” Quin murmurs beside me as he unlocks the door.

“I did too, Quin. We can do it again, if you want,” I offer, bracing for Cae and whatever he has planned for his Omega. I’m not the jealous type, normally. I’ve never watched another Omega get something I know I’d want, either, though.

The door swings open, and I hustle inside past Quin to hide my reaction, hoping he’ll be so distracted by romance that he won’t have time to notice me fleeing.

It’s dark, so I flick the light on in the entryway and ready myself to make a dash for the hallway leading to my bedroom to give them their privacy. Only there’s nothing. No Caelum. No flowers, no romance.

That motherfucker.

Well, thank fuck I didn’t tell Quin his Alpha would be waiting for him when we got here.

I stomp further into the apartment and into the hall, but I can tell no one is here.

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