Page 112 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

When Finn moves, I watch from beneath my lashes as he reaches for one of the dumplings. The way the alphas watch him, their attention focused and intent seems to pull away some of my tension. Despite my fears, they seem completely focused on Finn and not me. And that’s a good thing, right? Could that mean they’re not holding a grudge?

I swallow hard, watching them with my lowered gaze as they all go as still as statues, just watching Finn with the dumpling. Their attention, their focus, makes me think this means more than just dinner.

“Try one,” Finn says softly to me, and I startle. He chuckles a little, the sound instantly calming me as he takes one of my hands and demonstrates how to pick up the dumpling with chopsticks. “But be careful—they’re filled with soup that’s still hot.”

I mimic his movements carefully, ever aware of the four sets of eyes on me. The dumpling is delicate, almost translucent, and when I bite into it, warm broth floods my mouth. The flavor is rich, complex, nothing like the bland porridge from the Academy.

A small sound of pleasure escapes before I can stop it, and I freeze. Jax’s throat moves and Stone shifts in his seat, but when I dare to lift my gaze, I see Finn actually smiling—a real smile.

“Good, right?” he says. “Wait till you try the pad thai. Or the butter chicken. Or—hell, just try everything.”

“Speaking of trying everything,” Stone cuts in, “what kind of food do you like, Hailey?”

The direct question startles me, and I feel my shoulders hunch slightly. “I…I don’t…”

“She obviously hasn’t had much chance to try different foods,” Ren answers for me. His voice is so low, it’s almost like he whispered it. I don’t have to look at him. I can feel the ice.

“Well then,” Jax says after a moment, “I guess we’ll have to fix that.”

The silence that follows feels weighted. I chance another glance up to see Stone pushing containers around, creating space on the crowded table with methodical movements that seem almost nervous. His fingers tap against each lid before he opens it, like he’s counting something in his head.

“The green curry is good too,” he says finally, voice gruff. “If you like spicy. Finn always—” He cuts himself off, jaw working.

Beside me, Finn’s chopsticks hover over another dumpling. The tremor in his hand is visible. “You don’t have to?—”

“Yes, we do,” Ren interrupts, that icy tone cracking slightly. When I peek at him, his knuckles are white around his chopsticks. “We really fucking do.”

Finn’s throat moves. “Because of Hailey,” he whispers. Then he looks at me and he smiles again. My heart hurts for some reason. Maybe because that smile doesn’t reach his eyes. Maybe because all I can see there is pain.

I’m not sure what’s happening. I only know it’s my fault.

“No, not because of Hailey.” Ren clears his throat and stabs a fork into something. “Because of you, Finn. It’s about time we do what we should have been doing.”

Finn’s jaw clenches and he stares down at the dumpling before him. He smiles again. It looks wrong. “And what’s that, may I ask?”

Jax releases a slow breath. “What Ren is trying to say,” he glares at Ren, “is that we’re going to try. Harder.”

Finn opens his mouth and Jax cuts him off.

“No, not because of Hailey. Because of you. It’s about time westopped being such cowards and took care of you.” His gaze shifts to me. “No offense, Hailey. You’re just an innocent in all this.”

An alpha apologizing to me?

I blink at him. I only wished I understood what he was apologizing for and what they’re talking about.

The tension spikes, making me unsure of everything. I shrink into my chair, unsure if I should be witnessing whatever is happening between them. But then Jax clears his throat.

“Try this one,” he says, reaching across to put something on my plate. His movements are careful and slow, like he’s trying not to startle me. “It’s coconut shrimp. Sweet, not spicy.”

I notice he serves Finn first though, a larger portion that he places with such gentle precision it makes my throat ache. The way he looks at Finn while doing it—like he’s offering his heart on that plate instead of just food—makes me want to look away. It feels too private, too raw.

“Thank you,” Finn whispers, and those two words seem to carry the weight of years.

Stone makes a sound—something between a growl and a grunt—and shoves back from the table. “I’ll get drinks,” he says roughly, disappearing into the kitchen before anyone can respond.

The silence stretches, broken only by the clink of chopsticks and the distant sound of glasses clinking. I focus on my plate, trying to make myself smaller, less intrusive in this moment that feels like it’s about so much more than dinner.

But when I dare to look up again, I catch Ren watching Finn with such naked longing it steals my breath. His expression smooths the instant he notices me looking, but I saw it—saw the way his carefully constructed walls cracked, just for a moment.

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