Page 215 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

When Jax’s footsteps sound on the stairs again, Finn’s whole body coils with anticipation. “Now will someone tell me what’s going on?”

Chapter 50

Finn

Every inch of my body aches, but it’s the uncertainty churning in my gut that’s really killing me. Stone is deliberately avoiding my eyes, and the way he deflected my questions about the blood tests has my anxiety spiking. I can feel Hailey’s fingers threaded through mine, her thumb stroking small circles against my skin. It helps, but barely.

Jax’s footsteps on the stairs seem to echo in my head. He always moves so quietly for an alpha his size, but right now, each step feels weighted with whatever news they’re about to share. I try to sit up straighter against the headboard, but my ribs protest and I can’t quite suppress a wince.

The door opens, and Jax slips inside. Even with everything else going on, my breath still catches at the sight of him. He’s changed into fresh clothes, his hair still damp from the shower, but there are shadows under his eyes that speak of more than just physical exhaustion. He meets Stone’s gaze across the bed, and something passes between them that makes my heart rate kick up another notch.

“Okay,” I say, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. “Everyone’s here now. What’s going on?” Well, everyone exceptfor Ren. My throat tightens and I try not to think about that. Seeing him earlier had made some part of me yearn like it never had in a long time. Him not being here…I miss him.

Fuck. I’m so fucking confused.

The scent marking, the feel of themandHailey. I’d been so convinced leaving was the best thing I could do for myself. Now I don’t know.

The mattress dips as Jax settles behind me, and despite my determination to get answers, I can’t help but lean back into his solid warmth. His hand finds the nape of my neck, thumb brushing that spot behind my ear that always makes me melt. It’s a dirty trick, and by the knowing rumble in his chest, he knows it.

“Stop trying to distract me,” I manage, though it comes out embarrassingly breathy. “What tests was Dr. Greene talking about?”

His fingers still for a moment, and I feel him draw in a deep breath. The silence stretches, making my stomach twist. Stone’s still stroking Hailey’s hair, but there’s tension in his shoulders that wasn’t there before. Whatever this is, it’s big.

“It’s about you and Hailey,” Stone finally says, and my hand tightens around hers instinctively. She squeezes back, and I catch a hint of her scent—honey and that sweet vanilla that’s made me feel safe right from the start. Right now, though, it’s tinged with the same anxiety I’m feeling.

“What about us?” I hate how small my voice sounds. The adrenaline from earlier has completely drained away, leaving me feeling raw and exposed. Every bruise and scrape seems to throb in time with my heartbeat, a constant reminder of how close we came to losing everything tonight.

“Nothing bad,” Jax murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. “I promise, sweetheart.”

But promises aren’t answers, and right now, I need answers. The memory of Dr. Greene’s knowing smile, that cryptic congratulations,makes something flutter in my chest. “Then why won’t you just tell me?”

Stone shifts, careful not to jostle his injured arm. In the dim light of the bedroom, the fresh bandage seems startlingly white against his skin. Another reminder of tonight’s violence. More evidence of how we could have lost it all. And more evidence I’m nothing like a usual omega. That thing I did at the mall, attacking that alpha, paled in comparison to tonight. I don’t remember thinking with that baseball bat. Only swinging. I wonder if it all has something to do with the tests I didn’t know Dr. Greene was doing.

“Hey.” Jax’s grip tightens slightly on my neck, pulling me back from that dark thought. “I can smell where your mind’s going. Stop it.”

“But—”

“No.” His voice is firm, alpha-firm, but gentle, too. “You protected your pack mate. You fought like a warrior.”

“With a baseball bat,” I mutter, but warmth spreads through my chest at his praise.

“And it was hot as fuck,” Stone adds unexpectedly, making me snort despite everything. Hailey lets out a small laugh, and her eyes meet mine. For a moment, I’m caught in them. There’s something there, something that’s always been there, if I’m honest with myself. A pull, a recognition, a sense of rightness I’ve never been able to explain.

The air feels different suddenly, charged with something I can’t name. Stone’s watching us with an intensity that makes my skin prickle, and I can feel Jax’s heartbeat quicken against my back.

“The tests,” I say again, forcing myself to look away from Hailey. “Please. Just tell me.”

Stone takes a breath, like he’s about to speak, but Jax cuts in. “We noticed something. About the way you two are together.”

I try not to breathe too shallow. “What do you mean?”

“The way you move around each other,” he continues, his voicelow and careful. “The fact you melded with each other from the start.”

“That’s just…” I trail off, uncertainty creeping in. “We’re close. Hailey’s never given me a reason to not like her.”

“You are,” Stone agrees. “But there’s more to it than that.”

“I don’t understand,” I whisper, but maybe I do. Maybe I’ve always known, somewhere deep down, that what Hailey and I have isn’t typical, even for packmates.

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