Page 165 of Knot Like Other Girls

"It's starting," I say, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the nervous fluttering in my chest. "I feel it."

Roman's golden-hazel eyes meet mine, serious and intense. "Before you go further into heat, we need to establish some boundaries."

"I'm still thinking clearly," I assure them, sitting up straighter in my nest—my beautiful nest that I built with all of them. "Now's the perfect time."

I'm proud of how calm I sound, how composed I appear, even as another cramp twists through my lower abdomen. Liam's arms tighten around me, his tattooed skin warm against mine.

"First," Savva says, his cultured voice soothing despite the tension I can see in his shoulders, "we need a system to communicate if you're uncomfortable or need to stop. Heat can make verbal communication difficult."

A sharp cramp hits me, and I wince, trying to focus on his words. "A safe word?" My mind jumps to the earlier conversation. "I liked Troy's suggestion of green, yellow, and red."

"For non-verbal," Roman adds, leaning forward slightly, "tap three times on any part of us you can reach if you need a complete stop."

Liam demonstrates behind me, tapping my forearm three times in quick succession. The gesture is firm, deliberate. "Like this, lass. We'll all be watching for it."

I practice the motion, feeling the hard muscle of Liam's forearm beneath my fingertips. "Got it."

"What about specific acts?" Savva asks delicately, his sharp green eyes assessing me. "Are there things you know you don't want, even during heat?"

Heat rushes to my cheeks that has nothing to do with my approaching heat. "I don't think so? I mean, I haven't experienced this before, so I'm not sure what I'll want or not want. But..." I hesitate, trying to organize my thoughts as another wave of warmth courses through me. "I'd like to try... everything. With all of you. Just maybe not all at once at first?"

The admission makes my core clench and heat up. I'm hyperaware of each alpha's scent—Troy's summer fireworks, Roman's cedar and rain, Savva's old books and spice, Liam's coffee and leather, and Cole's stone and steel. They surround me, filling my lungs, my head, my very being.

"We'll take it slow," Roman assures me, his deep voice vibrating through me. "Start with one alpha at a time until you're comfortable with more."

"And no one enters the room without your explicit consent," Troy adds, his usual playfulness gone. In its place is an intensity that makes my stomach flip. "We rotate based on what you need, not what we want."

Cole clears his throat, the sound rough and hesitant. "What about after? When you're lucid between waves? You might want space."

My heart swells at his consideration. Even now, as my scent must be driving him crazy, he's thinking about my comfort. "Good point," I say, looking at him with appreciation. "Maybe... if I say I need rest, everyone gives me fifteen minutes alone?"

"We'll keep someone just outside the door," Roman says. "In case you need anything. But we'll respect your need for space."

"Thank you."

"What about food and hydration?" Liam asks from behind me, his chest rumbling against my back. "Heat burns energy fast. You'll need regular sustenance."

"We should schedule breaks," Savva suggests. "Regardless of whether you feel hungry. At least every few hours, you take water and something with protein."

"I made some protein bites," Troy cuts in.

The thought of stopping for food seems ridiculous right now, but I know they're right. "Even if I say I don't want to stop," I tell them firmly, "make me take those breaks. I know it's important."

Roman nods, approval evident in his expression. "Good. And you can change your mind about anything at any time."

"The most important thing," Cole says, his gaze finding mine, "is that you never feel pressured. We're here for you. All of us. However you need us. But your comfort comes first."

The earnestness in his voice makes my throat tighten up with emotion. I look around at these five alphas who have become the center of my world in such a short time. "I trust you. All of you. That's why I chose this." I take a deep breath, feeling another wave of heat building. "And now that we have that settled, I think we should?—"

The words die in my throat as something changes deep inside me. A hot, liquid rush between my thighs makes me gasp, mybody arching involuntarily as a cramp stronger than any before seizes me. But this one is different—pain and pleasure twisted together in a knot that makes it hard to breathe.

"Oh," I whisper, my eyes widening.

Everything intensifies in an instant. The alphas' scents sharpen, becoming almost visible in the air around me. My skin feels too tight, too hot, every nerve ending raw and screaming for touch. The soft fabrics of the nest feel like sandpaper against my oversensitized skin, yet I crave more friction, more pressure, more everything.

"It hurts," I whimper, unable to articulate the desperate emptiness pulsing through me. "I need—I need?—"

What do I need? Everything is too much and not enough. I need hands on me, in me, need to be filled and held and claimed.

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