Page 11 of Knot that Simple

It’d be better for me if I put it all out in the open.

I cleared my throat. “Maybe we should talk about your expectations.”

Oisin frowned, between his eyebrows creasing, but he nodded anyway. I looked at them all, one after the other, before breathing out of my nose.

“This is all very new to me, and I guess I wanted to know where you all see this going.”

“Being mates,” Tadgh replied straight away.

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling warm from my neck up as I made myself clear. “What about sex?”

Oisin didn’t skip a beat. His manner never changed while he said, “We want you to be comfortable.”

Sure. I hated to be the one to bring math into it, but it had to be said. “But there’s three of you and only one of me.”

Oisin looked at the others, adjusting himself on the chair. “There’s no pressure.”

I nodded, even if I didn’t agree. “I don’t know if I can…entertain all of you. I’m not…” I closed my eyes and trapped a curse before I opened them again. “I’m not very good.”

Many things followed that statement. Oisin’s eyebrows lifted almost to his hairline, Tadgh scoffed, and the silent man graced us once again with his words.

“Who told you that?”

His clear blue eyes were on fire, his attention all on me. I felt uncomfortable, biting on my lip and wanting to swallow the words back again.

“I don’t have much experience,” I said, looking down at my sleeves, avoiding his gaze. “I’m just saying it’s a lot. I don’t know if I’ll be able?—”

“You’ll do fine,” he cut me off.

You’ll do fine.What a lukewarm sentiment.

“What Lorcan means,” Oisin smoothed over, “is that we aren't concerned about that. You shouldn’t be either.”

I looked away, my eyes up to the dark sky. They didn’t really get it, did they? I was always going to be worried. I knew I wasn’t enough. Not for my own father to stay, not for my mother to care. Not good enough for any man ever. The last time I saw Alice’s dad, she was still inside my belly.

I learned to be okay with it. I wasn’t a person people stayed for. I wasn’t worth it. But I was a good mom. I tried hard. I was a good worker. I had other things going for me, and I was surviving.

Not living.Surviving. But that was enough. It had to be enough.

“Tell us what you’re thinking about,” Tadgh asked.

I chewed on my bottom lip. “When you get tired of me, can I go back to the village? Will you tell me before you find someone else?”

Lorcan stood up and left. As he crossed the lawn to the main house, I withdrew, feeling smaller and smaller with each step he took.

All I needed was a guarantee they wouldn’t make me stay to watch their parade of women. I was asking for respect. It wasn't unreasonable of me.

“Don’t mind him,” Oisin said.

“I didn't mean to upset anyone. I’m sorry,” I told him.

“Lorcan is always upset,” Tadgh chuckled. “Don’t pay attention.

Lorcan had too much of my attention already. I glanced at the door he disappeared to and back to the men in front of me.

“I know you weren’t raised with other omegas,” Oisin said. “You grew up with betas, right?”

Regular people. That was what he meant by betas. Regular, nice people who I thought were only type of people until I met Teresa.

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