Page 76 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

“What? No!” Jude protests loudly.

“If she’s not ready to claim her nest, then she’s not ready,” Tic says softly, unable to hide his disappointment. “We can’t force it, Jude.”

The blond alpha looks appropriately chastened, his straight white teeth biting into his lower lip as he looks at me. “I’m not trying to force it, I promise, bellybutton.”

My lips twitch into an unbidden smile. “I know, Jude.”

He blows out a breath. “Good.” After an assessing look, he holds out his hand to me. “Come on, omega. You look dead on your feet. Let’s get you into bed.”

With one last look at the giant sumptuous confection that is the bed in the nest, I slip my hand into Jude’s and let him tug me out of the room and down the hall.

“It was dangerous and irresponsible,” Hale says, arms folded sternly across his chest. “Anything could have happened to you.”

Shrugging, I slide my coffee cup back and forth on the island next to my empty plate. I suppose I should be glad he waited until I’d eaten before he started on his tirade. “I didn’t exactly know what I was walking into, Hale. If I’d had some idea-”

“That doesn’t make it any better, mouse!” He shouts, exasperated. “Not having a clue- Jesus, do you understand that walking in there dressed like you were looking like you do, they would have thought they could buy you, that they have a right to your body because you’re an omega? Do you understand what that means?”

I swallow and look away from him. “I watched some of the security videos, Hale, so yeah, I have some idea of what mighthave happened. But it didn’t. I’m fine. Everything is fine. In fact, we’re in a better position than we were because I went there.”

He runs a hand over his face like he just can’t with me.

“I wouldn’t bank on Belinda helping us, angel,” Tic says, shifting on his stool next to me, until his knees press into my outer thigh. “She’s a businesswoman first and foremost.”

“I’d honestly be surprised if you even hear from her,” Jude adds, apologetically.

I frown, disappointment sinking in. “But she said she knew my mother. It seemed like she cared for her. Maybe they were friends. If that’s the case-”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t she have helped take down your father before this?” Creed suggests gently. “You wouldn’t stand by for fifteen years if someone hurt Ren, would you?”

“Well, Ren and I are soulmates, and not everyone has that.” I don’t know why that makes all four of them growl at me, though they’re quick to smother the sound. “She’s going to call,” I say confidently. “Even if she won’t help. She’s going to call.” But she’s going to help. And she’ll answer my questions about my mother, too.

So close to knowing what happened to her, why she left me with my father. If I think about it for too long, I might start crying.

Creed slides his big palm onto my knee and gives it a gentle squeeze. “We just don’t want you to be disappointed if she doesn’t, baby girl.”

“Fair enough. If that’s the case, why don’t you tell me what you have planned for my father without her help?”

They all look at each other, probably having some pack bond conversation, weighing the pros and cons of telling me.

I hope like hell they actually do, because… well, if they don’t, I might have to do something else reckless and irresponsible. While they’re busy looking at each other, I say asmuch, making Jude tip his head back and groan. “Please, button, don’t. We can’t handle it.”

“Then I guess you better tell me your plans.”

Hale pins me with a hard look. “You know most of it already. We’ve been meeting with him, recording our conversations, getting him to talk about how he wants to make the drug he commissioned mandatory. How anyone that checks into any of the low income clinics he’s sponsored will be injected whether they want it or not.”

I nod. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. He told me plenty of times that was his plan and I’d had to swallow back bile at the thought. “I can give an interview or something,” I say. “An exclusive expose on all the shit he said in front of me he never thought I’d be able to tell anyone. If you have the video evidence to back it up…”

“It’d be pretty damning,” Tic nods, like he agrees with me.

“And I can tell them how he’s been using his alpha bark on me for years. How the man who proclaimed to be against the designations so emphatically couldn’t get through one day without using an inherentlyalphatrait to bend me to his will.”

“It would be your word against his,” Creed points out, sliding his hand up and down my spine in a long, soothing motion. “His supporters might go after you.”

I shrug. “They might, but the people who oppose him go after me now. I can’t imagine it’ll be much worse than that.”

Hale’s forehead furrows. “Before they saw you as a dutiful daughter, blindly following your father. That could be considered a byproduct of the environment you were raised in. But if you do this, Haven, they’ll say much, much worse.”

“Liar. Omega whore. Instinct driven animal. Manipulator.” I list them off like none of that bothers me. It doesn’t, really. I’m not a fan of the attention of the limelight, but I’m certainlyno stranger to it. Not in the slightest. “I’ve heard it all before. It doesn’t bother me.”

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