Page 81 of Knot So Broken

The water is chilled as I take my first step into it. I sigh, smiling and genuinely feeling a sense of true happiness. I tip my head back as the sun beams down on me, heating my skin.

Hearing footsteps slap on the wet sand behind me, I turn to find Theo with his phone directly at me. I don’t drop my smile as I look back at him.

Looking up from his phone he smiles back at me.

A giddy feeling bubbles in my chest and I can’t stop myself from taking off into a run. The waves crash around my legs. I spin, thankful I don’t make a complete fool of myself and trip from the uneven ground hidden beneath the white wash.

A body slams into mine, picking me up and spinning me around. My laugh consumes me, as Ledger spins me around.

Waves crash against his legs, water splashing onto our bodies as he slides me down his body, putting me back on my feet. He doesn’t waste a single moment before his lips are crashing down on mine, devouring me in a soul-crushing kiss. The rest of the world seems to fade as it becomes just him, I and the ocean.

My hands move from where they rested against his hips up his chest. I don’t rush, taking my time as I explore the planes of his chest. Somewhere between the car and the beach, he discarded his shirt.

I feel his skin pebble beneath my touch, his answering growl making my own body tremble in response. We pull away from each other, breathless as we remain locked in our own little world.

“I love you, Kennedy.”

It feels like my stomach drops out of me. My jaw drops right along with it as I stare up at the Alpha in front of me.

My heart clenches in my chest as I try to spit out some kind of response but it doesn’t come to me.

I’m utterly speechless.

He has succeeded in scrambling my brain.

The bond between Ledger and I opens as the love and adoration he feels for me pours in. I never thought I would feel this kind of love from someone. Even though I had hoped for this kind of love and had even begun to quickly feel it for them, I didn’t think I would actually get it. Yet, here I am, overwhelmed with the tenderness filtering in.

He doesn’t say anything else, giving me a chance to process his words properly. It takes a few minutes before I am able to form a cohesive response.

“I... I love you too, Ledger. So much.”

Emotions chokes me but I swallow it down, refusing to let the tears fall.

He gathers me into his chest, holding me tightly as he whispers in my ear, “I will love you until the end of time, my sweet Omega. You will never need to want for anything. Everything I have, and am, is yours. I will burn this entire world down to see that smile on your face. The world begins and ends with you.”

I don’t respond. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Nothing that I have to say could even amount to that.

I cling to Ledger, unable to let him go. I know I can’t put it into words but I know that I can send it through our bond.

Opening up the connection to him, I pour out all of my feelings. The way he makes me feel safe. How loved he has made me feel. How much I appreciate him. The fact that he has saved me.

He squeezes me as the last wave of emotion filters from me, “Thank you, baby.”

There is a roughness to Ledger's voice that lets me know he is fighting back his own emotion, letting me know that I’m at least not alone for once.

A ‘yahoo’ and the thump of feet against wet sand has us turning to find both Jax and Theo running toward us. Kicking up water with their feet, they drench the both of us.

The water trickles off the both of us as Ledger pulls me impossibly close to his body, like he is trying to hide mine with his. Which I have no doubt that he could do, if he was facing away from the brothers.

I squeal as the cold water splashes against my skin. No matter how much I protest and attempt to wiggle out of Ledger's arms, my attempts are futile. Which clues me into the fact that Ledger isn’t trying to protect me at all. He is giving them the perfect opportunity to get to me.

I gasp as I pull back from the warm chest my head had been trying to hide in, “I...I...

How could you allow them to spray water on me? I thought you wanted to protect me?”

Ledger's face instantly drops of all color. His arms fall away from me, allowing me to take a step back.

Pain pings in my chest, seeing the hurt look on his face but I keep up the ruse, allowing myself to get far enough away to get my revenge.

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