Page 87 of Knot Only His

“You’re not fucking claiming her,” he growls.

I meet his gaze and take a seat, beckoning to sit opposite me.

He stays standing by the door.

“We need to talk about Harlow. Yes, she’s yours. But she’s also mine, Asher’s, and Oliver’s. You feel it too. You can be part of this pack, Carver. You have to be. None of my pack has all four of her scents. We all have three, and I accept that you have all four, but you and this pack.” I tap my chest. “Together, as a pack. She lifted our wrists in the hospital, Carver. She knows we are hers too. With you, we all make the perfect scent match to her.”

Carver’s shoulders drop slightly. His expression softens. “After her heat. We’ll talk then.”

The front door opens, Oliver bursts in with Asher close behind.

“Is she okay? Is she—” Oliver runs a hand through his hair.

“Calm down,” Asher says, setting his bag on the counter. “This isn’t her true heat. This is a pre-heat. Or an awakening heat.”

I arch an eyebrow. “I know.”

“You do?” His eyes widen with surprise, but he continues, “I’ve been researching. Her body’s preparing, yes, but this heat will be different. This is the key time when she’ll accept her alphas. If we handle it right.”

“No claiming her,” Carver adds.

I watch Carver’s face, seeing the struggle play across his features.

“Listen to how perfect she is with Jagger,” I say, gesturing toward the hallway where we can hear her soft voice reading him a story. “She’s everything he needs. Everything we all need.”

Carver’s jaw tightens. “Is that what this is about? You want her for Jagger?” He pushes off from the wall. “Because if that’s all you want her for, she’s coming home with me after this heat. I kept quiet in the hospital for your sake. For Jagger’s sake.”

“You know this is more than being about Jagger," Asher says.

I slam my hand on the doorway. “She’s more than that. You know it. I know it.”

Asher steps between us, his voice steady as he tries to calm the growing situation. “This isn’t about any one of us. Harlow is what matters right now. We all want her. We all need her.”

“I’m not arguing here. I'm going to her.” Oliver moves toward the hallway.

“Wait.” I grab his arm. “She’ll call when she needs us.”

Asher nods. “We’ll smell it. The moment her pre-heat truly begins.”

I reach for the bourbon in the cabinet, pulling out four glasses. The amber liquid splashes as I pour. “We need to make a deal. Right here. Right now. We help each other through this. And we all have to help her.”

Carver takes his glass, staring into it. “Sharing her...” His knuckles go white around the glass. “I never thought...”

“None of us did before we became a pack.” Oliver picks up his drink. “But when I met Parker, I felt it was right, and it’ll be perfect when Harlow finally becomes what we’ve been waiting for.” Oliver stares at Carver. “You remember, we talked about it once? About how right this could be.”

Carver stares into the amber liquid. "I never agreed with you."

"I think you did," Oliver adds.

“For Harlow,” Asher raises his glass and stares at Carver..

Finally, we all clink glasses, and for the first time, I see a true pack.

It wasn’t only Harlow, our omega, who was missing–it was also Carver.

Four determined alphas is a lot in a pack, but somehow it feels right.

We could work together—be a real pack.

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