Page 76 of Knotting With A Stranger

Panic stirs in my chest. I can’t let this control me. I can’t?—

“You okay?” Hunter’s voice breaks through the haze, low and steady. Concern sharpens his tone. “You’re breathing kinda fast.”

“I’m fine,” I lie.

“You sure?” His gaze sharpens, his brows knitting. “I can leave if you?—”

“No!” The word escapes too fast, too desperately. My face burns. “I mean… I’m good. Really.”

Hunter watches me a beat longer, then exhales through his nose like he's debating whether to push. Instead, he leans closer, his fingers reaching for me — slow enough to give me time to pull away.

His hand brushes my brow, gentle and careful. His fingers are rough, calloused — strong enough to break me, yet somehow impossibly tender. His touch is electric, somehow both cooling and burning simultaneously.

Without thinking, I capture his hand before he can withdraw, bringing it to my nose and inhaling deeply. My eyes flutter closed at the concentrated scent of him — earth, pine, and something uniquely male.

It’s grounding and intoxicating all at once. My pulse skips, and for the first time since I woke up this morning… I don’t feel like I’m drowning.

A sound escapes me, half sigh, half moan. My tongue darts out, tasting the salt of his skin before I can stop myself. The flavor explodes across my taste buds, and I moan again, louder this time.

“Oh God, I’m in so much trouble, aren’t I?” I whisper, not really asking.

I curve toward Hunter instinctively, making soft sounds I’ve never heard from my own throat before. The ache grows, a throbbing emptiness that demands to be filled.

“Join me, please?” The words spill out unbidden, needy and raw.

“You can’t say no, Hunter,” Archer’s words cut through my haze, an edge to his tone.

Hunter’s eyes darken. “Have no intention to.”

James stares at me with a darkness in his gaze, and part of me toys with the notion of dragging all three with me in here.

Hunter slides into the nest behind me, careful not to disturb my careful arrangement, distracting my thoughts. His chest presses against my back, arms encircling me, and the relief is immediate and overwhelming. I melt against him, sighing as some of the tension leaves my body.

“That feels right,” I murmur. “The ache is... less.”

My body fits against his perfectly, as if designed to complement him. The hard planes of his chest and stomach mold against my back, his thighs supporting mine. His heartbeat thumps against me, strong and steady, slightly faster than normal.

Then there’s his arousal, hard against my rear, and instead of being alarmed, I find myself shifting subtly against it, seeking more contact. A low growl rumbles from his throat, vibrating through me.

“Sorry,” I whisper, not sorry at all. “I can’t seem to... control myself.”

James and Archer just stare at us.

“We’ll leave you for now,” Archer says. “Let you settle in.”

James doesn’t move at first, then nods. “We’ll prepare more comfortable nest arrangements. For all of us.”

A flare of arousal washes over me at the thought of all three of them surrounding me, their scents mingling with mine.

Hunter’s chest rumbles against my back. “Don’t take too long.”

James smirks. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Try not to start without us,” Archer adds, gathering blankets.

I study them through my haze, understanding dawning about what’s coming. What we’re all hurtling toward, inevitable as gravity.

As they turn to leave, a spike of panic shoots through me. “James,” I call out.

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