Page 190 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

The words catch me off guard. Nest-building still feels new, foreign. But something about the way he says it, the quiet sincerity in his tone, makes me nod. “Okay.”

The change in Stone is immediate. His entire posture shifts, his shoulders straightening, the tension melting away like he’s just been handed something precious. His eyes brighten with a quiet excitement, the kind that feels almost infectious, and his lips part slightly as though he’s about to say something but can’t quite find the words.

For a moment, I just watch him, blinking in surprise. It’s like all the heaviness that clung to the room just moments ago has been lifted, swept away by that flicker of hope in his expression.

But it’s so sudden, so unexpected, it leaves me reeling.

Before I can fully process it, Stone is already on his feet. “Meet you at the nest,” he says, words hurried like he can’t get them out fast enough.

My mouth opens to respond, but he’s already moving, his long strides carrying him out of the room. The sound of his feet hitting the stairs echoes back to us, each step reverberating through thequiet house. He takes the stairs two at a time, the creak of the wood loud and purposeful, and I can’t help but blink after him, startled by the sudden burst of energy.

Finn chuckles softly beside me, leaning a hip against the back of the couch. His voice pulls my attention back to him, grounding me. “That’s Stone for you,” he murmurs, his tone warm and amused.

I glance at him, still a little startled. “What’s he doing?”

Finn shrugs, his green eyes glinting with something I can’t quite place. “You’ll see.”

I don’t move right away. My hands rest in my lap, fingers absently twisting the hem of my shirt as I stare at the empty doorway Stone just disappeared through. The echo of his eager footsteps fades, leaving behind a silence that seems to pulse with anticipation. The lightness of his departure contrasts so sharply with the weight in my chest that I don’t know how to feel. The pre-heat simmers under my skin, making me hypersensitive to everything—the brush of fabric against my thighs, the subtle shift in air currents, the lingering notes of Stone’s scent that he’s left behind. Each sensation feels like a thread pulling me in different directions.

Because I know what this is.

Stone is trying. He’s trying to help and make me feel welcome, and I want to let him. I really do. But it’s hard to balance the warmth of his gesture with the ache that still lingers inside me.

Finn doesn’t push me to move. He just waits, his presence beside me steady, unshakable.

Finally, I take a deep breath and stand, my legs still a little shaky. Finn follows silently, his hand brushing lightly against my back as we head toward the stairs.

By the time we reach the nest room, Stone appears in the doorway. His arms are full—a crumpled pile of shirts held against his chest.

The fabric looks soft and worn, the kind of shirts you wear over and over because they’re too comfortable to give up. Even fromwhere I sit, I can catch the scent wafting toward me—rich and earthy pine. The smell wraps around me, sinking into my skin, and my fingers twitch slightly, the urge to bury myself in it catching me off guard.

Stone pauses in the doorway, his gaze flicking between me and Finn like he’s gauging our reactions. There’s a hesitance in his stance now, a pause that feels almost vulnerable, like he’s not sure if this is the right thing to do.

The fact makes something soften in me. This big, strong alpha looking so vulnerable because of me.

“I…have these,” he says finally, stepping into the room. His voice is quieter now, almost cautious.

He sets the pile down beside the nest, the shirts spilling over the edge in a soft, rumpled heap.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want,” he admits, tone low. “But these…they’re all worn. They’ll hold my scent.”

I stare at the pile, my chest tightening. The smell is intoxicating, and it’s a conscious fight not to grab them and press my face right into the middle of the pile. My fingers curl into the edge of the blanket beneath me, my throat tight as I try to process the sudden flood of emotions.

Finn steps closer, crouching beside the nest. He picks up a shirt, holding it up to his nose with a small, almost hidden smile.

“Good call,” he says easily, gray eyes glinting with amusement. But even with that, I know him enough now to see that hint of pain he’s hiding far too well. And I remember my promise. I’ll save myself. And I’ll save him.

Stone glances at him, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. But his gaze shifts back to me almost immediately, amber eyes scanning my face.

“Is that okay?” he asks, his voice quieter now.

There’s something cautious in the way he asks, like he’s bracing himself for rejection.

This alpha who could snap me in two or have me on my knees in front of him with a simple alpha command is…nervous.

I swallow hard, nodding quickly. “Yeah,” I whisper. “It’s…nice.”

Something in his expression softens at my words. His shoulders relax, and for a moment, he looks almost proud. He shifts closer to the nest but pauses there as though he’s still testing the boundaries of the moment. Finn crouches beside him, pulling one of the shirts from the pile, and then glances at me.

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