Page 216 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

“Hailey’s our scent match,” Jax murmurs. “Though I don’t think she truly understands what that means yet. But we’ll get to that another time.” His fingers continue their soothing motion on my neck. “This is something different.”

I feel Hailey tense slightly beside me, and I squeeze her hand again. They’d figured out the scent match thing pretty quickly—it was hard to miss how the alphas responded to her, how their scents seemed to harmonize perfectly. Even Ren… My chest tightens again at the thought of him.

Stone clears his throat, drawing my attention back. “Hailey is our scent match, yes. Mine, Jax’s, and Ren’s. But she’s also something else.” He pauses, and I can feel the weight of what he’s about to say. “She’s imprinted on you.”

“Imprinted?” The word feels strange on my tongue. “What does that mean?” But I remember my web searches from those first few days. I remember clicking on a link that suggested the same thing. But all that came up were questionable websites and fan fiction that suggested even more questionable things. There was no science.

“Those are Dr. Greene’s words, not mine,” Stone says, his good hand still running through Hailey’s hair. “But essentially, it means she’s your mate.”

The world seems to stop spinning. “What?”

But the fact neither he nor Jax bursts out laughing tells me this is no joke.

“My…mate? That’s…that’s not possible.” I look between them, still waiting for someone to tell me this is a joke. “Omegas don’t have omega mates. That’s not how it works.”

“Not generally, no,” Jax agrees, his chest rumbling against my back. “But in this case, you do.”

I turn to look at Hailey, really look at her. She’s watching me with those wide innocent eyes that have always seemed to see right through me, her scent a complex mix of emotions I can’t quite untangle. It would explain so much—the instant connection, the way we’ve always gravitated toward each other, how I seem to know what she needs even before she speaks.

“Dr. Greene had more to say about it,” Jax continues carefully. “She has some theories about why it happened.”

Stone’s expression tightens slightly, and I can tell whatever’s coming next is delicate. “She believes Hailey imprinted on you partially because you’re male, which is unusual for an omega. But also…” he hesitates, and I feel Jax’s hand tighten slightly on my neck. “According to the literature she’s studied, this kind of bond can sometimes trigger in response to trauma.”

The word hangs heavy in the air. Hailey’s hand trembles in mine, and I grip it tighter.

“She didn’t ask for details,” Jax adds quickly, his gaze shifting to Hailey. “And we wouldn’t have told her about the Academy even if she had. That’s not our story to share.”

My mind is racing, trying to process everything. I think about that first day, when I found Hailey in that cabin. How something in me had recognized something in her, had wanted to protect her, comfort her despite the confusion and heartbreak going through me. How natural it felt to let her curl up in my nest when I know for a fact I wouldn’t have let any other omega even near the door.

My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might crack my ribs, and every breath I take seems to catch in my throat. Jax’s words echo in my ears—she’s your mate.Mymate? That’s not possible. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.

I glance at her again, at the slight quiver in her lower lip, at theway she’s trying so hard to hold herself together despite the tension coiling around her like a vise. Her honey-vanilla scent is tinged with nervousness, but beneath it is something else—something warm and steady that makes me yearn to pull her into me. It’s so familiar, so…right, but I don’t know how to make sense of it. I don’t know how to make sense of any of this.

“I don’t…” My voice breaks, and I swallow hard, trying to steady myself. “I don’t understand.”

“None of this has made sense,” Hailey murmurs, her voice soft but trembling slightly. Her fingers tighten around mine, and for some reason, that small gesture steadies me more than anything else could. “Not since I escaped the Academy. Not since I found all of you.”

There’s a weight to her words, a quiet vulnerability that makes me want to pull her into me even more. I can feel Jax shifting behind me, his hand still on the back of my neck, grounding me even as the world tilts on its axis. Stone hasn’t said anything else, but the way his jaw is clenched, the way his good arm cradles Hailey protectively, tells me he’s just as affected by this revelation as I am.

“You’re sure?” I ask quietly, looking first at Jax, then at Stone. My voice feels too loud in the quiet room, but I can’t stop the question from spilling out. “This isn’t some kind of mistake? Dr. Greene—she could be wrong, right?”

“She’s not wrong.” Stone’s voice is steady, but there’s a softness to it that catches me off guard. “I’m no doctor, but the signs are there. I’d be blind not to see them. You feel it, don’t you?”

I open my mouth to argue, but the words catch in my throat. Because I do feel it. I’ve always felt it. That pull toward Hailey, that instinct to protect her, to comfort her, to make her feel safe—it’s been there since the moment I met her. I thought it was just because she needed someone, because she’d been through hell and I couldn’t stand to see her in pain. But maybe…maybe it’s more than that.

“She’s our scent match,” Jax says, his voice low but certain. “That’s undeniable. But this bond between you two, Finn…” He trails off, his fingers brushing the nape of my neck, a soothing gesture that makes my shoulders relax despite myself. “It’s different. It’s deep. And it’s real.”

“Why?” The question slips out before I can stop it, my voice cracking slightly under the weight of everything. “Why me? What kind of mate canIbe? I’m not…I’m not an alpha. I don’t have anything to offer her that you don’t. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Finn—” Jax starts, but I shake my head, cutting him off.

“I’m serious,” I say, my voice rising slightly. “I’m an omega. I’m supposed to be the one who—who needs protecting. Not the other way around.”

“You think you don’t protect us?” Stone’s voice is sharp, cutting through my spiraling thoughts like a blade. His amber eyes are fiery as they lock on mine, and there’s something in his gaze that makes it impossible to look away. “You think what you did tonight wasn’t protecting your pack? You think the way you care for us, the way you’ve held us together, isn’t just as important as what Jax and I do?”

I blink, stunned into silence. Stone’s words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I can’t do anything but stare at him. He’s always so steady, so sure, and hearing him speak about me like that—like I’m something valuable, something strong—it makes my chest ache in a way I can’t explain.

“Hailey doesn’t care about what you are, Finn,” Jax says quietly, his hand sliding down to rest on my shoulder. “Haven’t you seen the way she looks at you?”

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