Page 20 of Knot that Simple

Sadness poured out of him like a never-ending river. I felt it in my bones—his loneliness was just as loud as mine once were. Many nights, I went to sleep feeling that hole in my heart only growing, knowing nothing was ever going to work out for me.

But one day, Teresa offered me a kind hand. She took me in, and in the months I was there, she never asked anything in return.

Now, I had three mates, and while I had no idea what to do about that, or if they would feel the same for me as the days went by, I trusted them today.

I reached for Oisin’s hand, giving a squeeze. Poor Cormac watched the movement and smiled that sad smile of his.

“I know your girl is coming,” I said again, this time believing it just a little more.

Hope was all I had for far too many years. Everyone deserved to be full of hope.

Cormac nodded, and with a pat to Oisin’s shoulder, he left. We both watched the door, probably thinking the same thing: loneliness was unfair. No one deserved to feel alone.

“How you’re feeling?” Oisin asked, his hand coming to my chin and turning my face to him.

I licked my lips. “I don’t know…” I took a breath. “We barely know each other. How can you be so sure?”

He opened his mouth, but I waved him off before he could answer.

“I know we took the test. I know that, biologically, we are a match, but still. There’s a lot to consider.”

“I wasn’t going to mention the tests.” He smiled when I allowed him to talk.

“No?”

He shook his head. “I was going to say… When you were pregnant with Alice, you knew you were going to love that baby because it’s your baby. But I bet you were excited to really get to know her, to finally meet her.”

I nodded. Yeah, I felt like that.

“That’s how it is for us. We know you're our mate, but I'm excited to finally meet you. I'm glad you're finally here, and I have the privilege to learn you, interact with you, learn from you.”

I nodded, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, holding back my true feelings.

Again, Oisin read right through me. “Oh.” He nodded, finally understanding. “Ah, sweetheart, you're focusing in the wrong thing. We are going to fit perfectly in bed together.”

“How do you know?” I whispered.

He lifted a shoulder. “Because I’m not just imagining a lifetime with you.” His voice went down to just above a whisper. “I think about everything I want to do to your body, and I know it’s going to be heaven when I finally sink my cock into you.”

CHAPTER 8

LORCAN

I sat on the bar,splitting my attention between my mother with Tadgh and Alice and the smoking area door. Darragh slid a pint my way, and I dipped my chin in thanks. My hands closed over the cold glass, and I tried to get my shit together.

I was almost fifty years old. I should be the one to help them through the transition when we finally got our omega, but instead, I was falling apart.

I took a sip from the bitter drink, grimacing at my racing thoughts. I needed to do better for Gabriela. I had to talk to her without always barking something that made her jump out of her skin.

She trusted Alice with Tadgh, and we all listened to what Oisin had to say. Right before my eyes, they were building a relationship, and I was terrified of being left behind.

I couldn’t be the one she hated.

The idea left a bitter taste in my mouth. I already could tell she liked the other two and looked scared every time I approached her.

All she ever asked me for was a kiss, and I said no.

Less than that. If I had said no, at least I could explain I was nervous, that I wanted was to kiss her but something unraveled inside me when we got close and I couldn’t do it.

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