Page 156 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

But it doesn’t stop. If anything, it gets worse. My breath comes faster as need coils tighter in my belly. Need for what? I don’t know. I just know I feel empty. Hollow. Like there’s something missing and if I could just figure out what it is…

A knock at the door makes me jump.

“Hailey?” Finn’s voice is soft, concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” The words come out too high, too fast. “I just…I needed to…”

Hide forever? Die of embarrassment? Crawl out the window and run away before they throw me out themselves?

“Can I come in?” he asks gently. “I think we should talk about what happened.”

“No!” I press harder against the door, as if he might try to force his way in. “I mean…I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to…”

“Hailey.” Something in his tone makes me shiver. “You didn’t do anything wrong. What happened was natural. Normal.”

I almost laugh. “Normal? I peed on Stone!”

There’s a pause, then what sounds suspiciously like a stifled chuckle. “Is that what you think happened? That would be a story to tell.”

“I…” My face burns hotter. It wasn’t exactly pee, was it. It was something else. But what else should I call it? “Didn’t I?”

“No, sunshine. That wasn’t urine.”

Sunshine. The endearment makes something flutter in my chest even as confusion swirls through me. “But…but I…”

“It’s called slick,” he says carefully. “It’s a natural omega response to when you feel…aroused.”

The word hangs in the air between us and I want to die all over again. “Oh god.”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he continues quickly. “It’s completely normal. Healthy, even. It means your body is responding the way it’s supposed to.”

But it’s not supposed to respond at all. I know they want me to stay here. Safe. But it’s their kindness, their courtesy. I’m not really a part of their pack. They’re not my alphas and…well…they already have one omega.

I groan. I swear I can scent Finn even with the door between us.

Another wave of heat rolls through me and I bite back a whimper. “Something’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing is wrong with you.” His voice is firm now. “You’re experiencing pre-heat symptoms. It’s making everything feel more intense, but I promise you’re okay.”

Pre-heat? No. No no no. This can’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

“I can’t…” Shit. I can’t go into heat. I’ve never gone into heat before. “I don’t…” I don’t know what to do or even what that entails.

“Let me help you,” he says softly. “Please? You don’t have to go through this alone.”

The offer sends another shiver through me. Help how? The image of his hands on me, his mouth on my neck, his body pressed against mine flashes through my mind and I have to bite back a moan.

Stop it! What is wrong with me? He’s trying to be kind and all I can think about is doing things with him.Tohim.

“Please come out?” Finn’s voice has gone soft again. “Or let me in? You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

I press my forehead harder against my knees. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Because I want you too much. Because I’m scared of what I’ll do if you touch me again. Because I don’t understand any of this and it terrifies me. “Because I’m dirty.”

“What?” He sounds genuinely shocked. “Hailey, no. You’re not dirty.”

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