Page 22 of Knot that Simple

When I parked the car, Gabriela jumped first, her expression unreadable. About a hundred yards from our front door was a cliff, the sea at the bottom.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” she asked, eyeing Alice.

“We can fence it if you’d like,” Oisin offered.

“We can move,” I added.

Yes, I loved our house, but whatever she liked, she could have.

Her eyes found me quickly, and she shook her head. “No. I don’t want that.” She looked away from the cliff and back to the house. “It’s beautiful.”

“We’ll make it sure it’s safe for Alice, then,” I told her.

And her mouth curved a little, just a little, but enough to have my heart hammering inside my chest. “Thank you.”

“Let’s go inside,” Tadgh said.

I lowered my head and followed them to the house, Oisin at the front.

“Oh God.”

Her face was awestruck, and I smiled unabashedly.

Right at the front room, the ceiling was so tall, you had to crane your neck back to find the big chandelier. One of Tadgh’s fathers was a painter, so we had beautiful artwork on the walls, most of them the wild Atlantic. Our furniture was large and comfortable, our rooms always warm.

“Let me show you your room.” Tadgh took Gabriela’s hand and rushed her up the wooden stairs. She giggled but let him take her. Alice ran to join them, leaving Oisin and me behind.

“She’s going to love it.” He was certain.

Good. Good.

I ran upstairs, not caring that my steps were loud and clumsy. I was showing more emotion than I ever had my whole life. Showing your house to your omega was a big deal.

“And here, maybe we can add more cushions? Do you like that? We have a furniture catalogue. You can choose whatever you like.”

Tadgh was talking fast when we found them over in her room, Gabriela laughing at his enthusiasm.

“Tadgh,” Oisin chuckled. “Let her breathe.”

Gabriela twirled to face us all. “Is it all for me?”

This was nothing. Her bedroom was simple compared to the nest we prepared, but it wasn't time to show her that yet. Hereyes were full of tears, her hand clutching the fabric to her chest. It hurt me that she was never taken care of. It made me want to kill every bastard crossing my path knowing she was so emotional when we got her a room.

Her hand found the bedsheets, carefully feeling the fabric between her fingertips. A tear slipped down her full cheeks, and I stepped close, as did the rest of the pack.

“What's wrong? Oisin asked before I could.

She chuckled and wiped her tears away. “Everything is so pretty.”

I wish she would tell us what was going through her mind.

“A gente dorme aqui?” Alice asked. We all turned to Gabriela, waiting for a translation.

She licked her lips. “She’s asking if we sleep here.” A small smile. “We’ve never slept apart.”

“You can take your time,” Oisin said. “But we have a bedroom for Alice.”

Tadgh didn’t wait for the translation. He grabbed Alice and lifted her up in his arms, racing to the other side of the hall. Her bedroom was closest to mine, enough so I could hear her if she needed me.

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