Page 48 of Seen Knot Heard

With the bag of marshmallows clutched to her chest, Quinn turns and sprints for the door.

I chase after her. “Don’t run with your mouth full!”

Patience isn’t a quality I possess, but for Chloe and my pack, I’ll learn. My time with our Omega will come soon enough.

Chapter Fifteen

Chloe

Once Holden finishes helping me bathe, we run into a new dilemma. Between my casted arm and the warm water weakening my muscles, I struggle to stand.

Helplessly, I reach out to tug on Holden’s pant leg. “I need help.”

He had turned his back to give me privacy, but now he spins, his attention lingering over my naked body before he looks away, still trying to be a gentleman.

“Sure, of course, I should have realized.” Kneeling beside the tub, he reaches in to help me up, his strong hands grasping my slick skin.

My pulse races at his nearness as I wrap my arms around his neck. “Sorry for getting your clothes wet.”

“It’s okay. Clothes dry.” His fingertips press into my soft curves, the scent of vanilla cake thickening in the air as he rises to his feet and lifts me from the tub.

Once I’m out and steady on my feet, he retrieves a fluffy bathrobe and helps me slip into it, his hands skimming my shoulders. I lean into his solid chest, nuzzling closer than necessary as he secures the tie around my waist.

A rumble starts in his chest, a purr he can’t suppress.

“You’re so good to me.” With a sigh of contentment, I melt into his embrace.

His arms slip around my waist, and the purr grows louder, reverberating through me. The only time Louie purred around me, he was manipulating my emotions. It never once crossed his mind to ensure my comfort in his presence. He was cold and controlling. Nothing like my sweet, caring Holden.

“I just want you to feel better,” Holden whispers, his breath warm against my ear.

One hand cradles the back of my head while the other traces soothing circles on my back. My knees tremble at the intimacy of the moment. I breathe in his comforting scent and let myself linger in his tender affection, my weakened state an excuse to stay wrapped in his arms a little longer.

This Alpha’s desire to comfort and protect me shines through every touch, every purr, every meal. And I delight in being the cause of it.

“We should dry your hair,” he says, his voice coming out gruff.

Reluctant to leave his arms, I pull away and shuffle over to the vanity, collapsing onto the padded stool.

Holden dries my hair with a fluffy towel, his touch gentle, like he’s handling a delicate flower. Once he squeezes out most of the water, he brushes it, starting at the ends and working his way up, each stroke a caress that lulls me into a trance.

Bending to reach into a drawer, he pulls out a blow dryer and plugs it in. A loudwhirfills the bathroom as he works to dry my hair, the warmth and the rhythmic motion of the brush sending me into a trance.

By the time he finishes, my hair shines, a glossy mane of pink that spills over my shoulders and down my back.

When he leans past me to set the brush and dryer down, I kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

He grins and helps me to my feet. “Let’s get you into some clothes and in bed.”

I lean against him as we walk into the bedroom, where he leaves me to rest against the bed while he walks to the wardrobe.

He opens the doors, then peeks around one. “Which of your onesies do you want?”

My hand trails over the quilts on the bed, an inviting nest of blankets. Even after three weeks, they still hold traces of Holden and Blake’s pheromones. My cozy pajamas have acted as a security blanket for so long, a way to always be in my nest while not being in it.

Right now, though, there’s no urge to cuddle up inside one for comfort. Not when surrounded by my Alphas’ scents.

I look back at him. “Can you just grab me a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt?”