Page 203 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

The thought steals my breath away.

I should leave before the Academy can hurt them. Before theyget caught in the crossfire of something that was never their fight to begin with.

But even as the thought forms, something inside me rebels against it. The omega in me keens at the mere suggestion of leaving. The very idea of walking away from Finn, from the alphas who’ve shown me more care in days than I’ve known in years, makes my chest ache with a pain that feels like dying.

“We’ll need to tell her,” Finn says suddenly, his voice carrying clearly. “She needs to know what we’re up against.”

“Tomorrow,” Jax replies. “After she’s rested. She’s been through enough today.”

“And we’ll be ready,” Stone adds with quiet certainty.

As I lie there in the darkness, listening to them plan my defense, all I can think about is how much I have to lose now. For the first time since I escaped, I’m not just afraid for myself.

I’m afraid for them too.

And that fear, I’m learning, is so much worse than anything the Academy ever made me feel.

I can’t…I can’t let them get hurt.

Before I know I’m moving, I’m out of the nest and on top of the landing.

The stairs don’t creak under my steps, but my heart pounds so loud I’m sure they must hear it. Their voices continue below, wrapped in plans and strategies I wish they didn’t have to make.

The hardwood floor feels cool beneath my bare feet as I make my way down the hallway, drawn toward the warm glow spilling from the sitting room. Their voices grow clearer with each step, and I pause just outside the doorway, hidden in shadows that feel both protective and stifling.

“We’ll need to coordinate shifts. With Ren gone to sort out his shit, that leaves you and me, Stone,” Jax is saying. “Make sure someone’s always?—”

The tiniest intake of breath betrays me. Three heads snap toward the doorway where I stand, and I watch their expressionsshift like curtains being drawn—Finn’s face softening into a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, Stone’s jaw unclenching with visible effort, Jax’s shoulders dropping as he tries to appear relaxed.

“Hey, sunshine,” Finn says gently. “We didn’t want to wake you.”

The lie, however well-intentioned, sits heavy in the air between us. Stone clears his throat, taking a step toward the kitchen. “You must be hungry. I can whip something up quick.”

“I’ll help,” Jax adds, already moving to follow.

A sound that might be a laugh escapes Finn, though it carries an edge of strain. “Maybe I should handle the food. Unless we want the house burned down?”

They’re trying so hard to protect me, to maintain this facade of normalcy that feels like it’s splitting at the seams. The weight of their concern, their determination to shield me even now, makes something crack inside my chest.

“I heard you.” The words fall from my lips, quiet but clear, stopping them all in their tracks. “About the Academy. About…everything.”

The silence that follows is deafening. I watch as they exchange glances, having an entire conversation without words, before Finn takes a careful step toward me.

“Hailey…” he starts, but I shake my head.

“You can’t fight them.” My voice trembles despite my best efforts. “You don’t understand what they’re capable of. What they’ll do to—” The words catch in my throat as tears threaten to fall. “I won’t let you get hurt because of me.”

“Hailey.” Stone’s voice is firm, brooking no argument. “We’re not letting them anywhere near you.”

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold together the pieces that feel like they’re falling apart. “You don’t know them. The things they do, the ways they—” My breath hitches. “I’m not worth what they’ll do to you.”

Three sets of eyes darken at my words, and suddenly Jax is moving, crossing the space between us with long strides that should be intimidating but somehow feel like salvation.

I take a shaky step forward, drawn by something I can’t name, and find myself in the center of their orbit. Finn moves to my right, Stone to my left, and Jax stands before me, creating a circle that feels like both protection and promise.

“We’re pack,” Finn says softly, his hand finding mine. “We protect our own.”

The trembling starts small, a fine tremor that works its way through my body until I can barely stand. Stone reaches for me immediately, strong arms lifting me as though I weigh nothing.

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