Page 22 of Knot the Alphas' Feral Omega

I blew out a slow breath, aware that we were running on a clock. Lilah had clearly needed a moment to get herself together, but she wouldn’t hide out in our bathroom all night. She was eventually going to come out, and the way that Killian was looking at me, he was expecting me to say something to her.

Don’t lie to yourself and say that you don’t want to.

I swallowed, dropping my gaze away from Killian’s face, looking down at my hands and then over at Emmett. His expression was somber and impassive, but I could see the glimmer of longing in his eyes that he tried to hide.

He wanted her just as badly as Killian, but his trademark stoicism wouldn’t allow him to express that with words.

I couldn’t help feeling a little ganged up on, though neither of them was saying anything further to pressure me.

They didn’t need to. The glint in Killian’s eyes told me that he knew I would give in—for the health of the pack if nothing else.

I’m sorry, Jack. I wish you were here.

I swallowed as I thought of our fallen packmate, closing my eyes for a moment before I jerked my head in a nod. “Very well,” I said, my voice a soft croak.

I had barely agreed before there was the sound of a toilet flushing down the hall and then the sink faucet running before the bathroom door opened. Lilah reappeared in the dining room doorway after a moment, her eyes a little more red and swollen than they had been when she left but otherwise looking no worse for wear.

“Sorry about that,” she said, her voice clear and steady again. She took her seat at my right again and picked up her fork, stabbing it at the scalloped potatoes Killian had loaded her plate with. Grief radiated from her, and my wolf stirred, whimpering to reach out and comfort our omega.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said, my voice gruff and meaningful. Lilah looked up at me, offering a small, sad smile, and that, more than anything that Killian or Emmett had said—or not said—helped me make my decision.

“But,” I added, “I do have something we need to discuss with you if you’re amenable.”

She set down her fork again and nodded, folding her hands in her lap. “Okay.”

I swallowed, nerves suddenly making my stomach feel nauseated. “We...I,” I amended. “Would like...to bite you into the pack.”

My words were stilted, far from certain, and Lilah’s brow furrowed, even as cautious hope and anxiety lit in her eyes. “You do?”

Killian cleared his throat and smiled when Lilah looked his way. “Ollie isn’t great with words,” he said gently, shooting me a mild glare before returning his attention to Lilah. “But he means to say that you’re it for us. We can feel it. And if you want to take some time to get to know us before we do the pack ceremony, if you want to wait until you feel more settled or until you can figure out a good plan with your mom, we can do that. But we want you here. In the packhouse with us, being with us.” His eyes gleamed, and he reached out for one of her hands, lifting it to press his lips to her knuckles. “Please?”

Lilah’s lips parted, and I could see the shock on her face. This was so far from what I was sure she’d planned for the evening that I was a little surprised she wasn’t getting up and running for the hills.

But I couldn’t deny that there was longing there, too. And that made my stomach flip.

She wanted us. Maybe it was just biology—maybe something more—but shewantedus.

She glanced at Emmett and then at me, the question burning in her eyes. I swallowed, and she nodded. “He’s right,” I said, my voice raspy. “Please, Lilah?”

My stomach flipped as the moment dragged on, and we waited. Lilah’s throat bobbed with a swallow, and her scent slowly changed from the bitterness of grief, growing sweet again. She glanced between the three of us one more time, and I could feel Jack’s absence heavy on my shoulder as if he were right there, pushing me forward and holding me back at the same time.

Finally, though, Lilah’s eyes settled on me again, and the smile that she offered me was sweet and brilliant. “Yes,” she whispered. “I want that too. Please.”

A breath, and then Killian let out a whoop as he reached up and pulled Lilah to him, kissing her deeply while Emmett’s shoulders slumped a little in relief, and I sat back in my chair.

She said yes.

11

Oliver

One Month Later

“I’m home!”

I kicked the front door closed behind me as I walked into the foyer of the house, shrugging off my suit jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks by the front door so I could unbutton my cuffs and roll my sleeves up. I tossed my car keys in the bowl that held all of our keys and a few other knickknacks and then started making my way down the hallway, listening for the rest of the pack.

The ground floor of the house was quiet, but that didn’t surprise me. Everything had changed in the week since Lilah had agreed to move into the house.

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