Page 86 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

It’s not quite a rejection, but it’s pretty damn close and my alpha fucking feels it.

Haven watches us with wide eyes, concern on her face. “I’m not saying I won’t… but it’s just… I’m still hurt. I still feelbetrayed, like you flayed open my chest and then took a knife to my heart. And I know you say you want me for me and you’ve given up the idea of using me against my father, but…” She blows out a breath.

“You don’t believe us? After all this time with us, after we’ve worked so hard to win back your trust. You don’t believe us?”

She doesn’t meet our eyes. “No, I do. I do. But I still have some doubts. I can’t help it.”

She sounds fucking torn as hell about it. I know her omega has to be pushing her toward us, has to be begging her to accept that this is real. But we fucked that up for her. We hurt her and she can’t allow herself to believe in us.

“You have doubts,” Hale repeats softly, and Haven nods again. “I know how we can wipe away those doubts, if you’re willing.”

Haven eyes him warily and I can’t help but do the same. I don’t know where he’s going with this, but I swear if he suggests letting us bite her, bond her before she’s ready, I’ll punch his goddamn lights out.

He doesn’t suggest that, but what he says makes me want to hit him all the same. “Bite me.”

Chapter 25

Kind of Beautiful

I stare at Hale in shock.Bite me. Did he really just say that? Did he really just suggest that I initiate an omega bond with him? The thing on that stupid scoresheet that was worth the most fucking points?

Creed growls, and Hale turns a glare on him. “It’s not like that,” he says, sharply. “You know it’s not like that, Creed. You can feel it through the bond.” He turns his attention back to me. “You’ll feel it too. This has nothing,fucking nothing,to do with the game we were playing. This is only about reassuring you we are in this for the right fucking reasons.For you.You’ll feel it, feel how we feel about you, how we want you, and then the bond will fade until you’re ready for a permanent one.”

Jude’s nodding like he likes this idea. And why wouldn’t he? This was all of their goals, wasn’t it? If I agree to bite Hale, all of them will probably want me to bite them too.

“Yes,” Tic says. “This is… we should do that.”

My brow furrows as I look at the four of them. Then I shake my head. “I’m not biting you.”

I don’t have to have the bond to know they’re disappointed. Really disappointed.

“Baby girl,please.” Even Creed’s on board.

God, I want to. I really do. My omega is dancing around in my chest, preening under the attention of our scent match mates, loving that they want me to bite them, bond with them, even if it’s just temporary.

But I can’t shake this nagging feeling that it’s still all a lie. They’ve spent the last month trying to prove to me it’s not, that they do want me, that they’ll keep me and keep me safe. That I am the omega they want now.

But I don’t know how I can believe that, trust that, when they broke my trust so thoroughly.

Tic tilts his head, ever the observer, and I’m sure he can read every one of my emotions on my face. He reaches out and thumbs my chin gently. “Bite us, angel. Bite us and you’ll know, definitively, if you can trust this. You won’t have to wonder anymore.”

“That sounds so nice,” I mutter, dropping my gaze to the carpet. “You swear this isn’t just a part of the game?”

“I swear,” Hale’s quick to reassure me.

“I was never playing that fucking game,” Creed tells me. “Everything we did together was because I wanted you.”

“I’m pretty sure none of it was part of the game,” Jude says earnestly. “You know I like to watch and watching you with all of them was… well, it was fucking hot as hell.”

“It’s not part of the game, angel,” Tic says softly. “We just want you.”

Tears prick my eyes as something loosens in my chest. It’s not completely unraveled, but it’s not so tight, no longer strangling me. I look up from the rug, take in all their devastatingly handsome faces. How the hell are they so freaking handsome? How the hell are they even more beautiful to me now than they were the first time I saw them?

I nod slowly. “I want to know.”

They all freeze. Not that they were moving a lot before, but now they’re completely motionless, like if they make even an infinitesimal movement, I might run or change my mind. I’m not even sure they’re breathing.

“There’s my brave little mouse.” He sounds reverent.

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