Page 245 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

He clings to me, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he adjusts to my size. His thighs are trembling against my sides, his chest rising and falling quickly as he tries to steady himself.

“It’s so much,” he whispers, voice barely audible.

“I know,” I say softly, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “But you’re doing so good, baby. Just hold on to me.”

I hold him tighter just as my knot swells all the way, locking us together as my release pours into him in hot, thick waves. Finn cries out beneath me, his back arching as another stream of spend spills between us. I take him between my fist, flicking my wrist, making sure I milk every drop.

With a whine, Finn jerks against me. His hands slide up to tangle in my hair, his breath warm against my ear as he whimpers. “Jax…I hate you. I hate you so much.” I can feel the tears streaming down his face.

A part of me aches while another part rejoices, because he hates me, but he’s accepted me here with him. All is not lost.

“I know, sweetheart. I deserve it.”

My throat tightens, and I press a soft kiss to his neck, my arms wrapping around him as I hold him close. “And I love you too,” I murmur into his skin. “Always.”

We’re not whole yet.

But this?

This is a start.

Chapter 56

Hailey

The pack home looks different when we pull up. Not just repaired—transformed. The broken windows have been replaced with what looks like bulletproof glass, the splintered door frame rebuilt with reinforced steel beneath the wood. Even the garden has been restored, Finn’s trampled plants replaced with identical ones, as if someone knew exactly what had been lost.

Ren.

His absence feels like a leaden weight as we step inside, but his touch is everywhere. The walls have been repainted, furniture replaced or repaired, every trace of violence erased. It’s like walking into a fortress disguised as the pack home.

I glance at Finn beside me. His hand tightens on mine as he takes it all in, his scent shifting between relief and something more complex. The heat has left him raw, vulnerable in a way that makes me ache. But there’s strength there too—in the way he holds himself, in how his chin lifts slightly as he surveys what was nearly lost.

“He fixed everything,” Finn murmurs, his voice soft but steady. His fingers trail along the new windowsill, testing its solidity.

Behind us, Stone shifts his weight. “Ren always was thorough. But this is…”

The use of past tense makes something in my chest twist. They haven’t heard from him since that night. His presence feels like a ghost—everywhere and nowhere at once.

Jax moves past us into the kitchen. I don’t know if the others feel it, but the past few days have created a change. I’m different now, too. Stronger. As if I finally have a tether keeping me secure in this life. My gaze shifts to Finn, my heart swelling, because I know it’s because of him.

“The security system’s been upgraded,” Jax says, his voice carrying from the kitchen. “Motion sensors, thermal imaging, the works.”

Finn’s hand tightens in mine again before he lets go, moving toward a plant sitting on the floor. His fingers brush over the leaves of a peace lily and I remember there had been one just like it sitting there in the same spot before.

“He remembered,” he whispers, something catching in his voice. “Every single one.”

I watch as he moves through the space, cataloging each plant, each careful replacement. There’s wonder in his movements, but also pain. These aren’t his original plants—the ones he nurtured and grew. These are substitutes. They’re perfect…but they’re foreign.

Stone appears beside me. “We can replace any that aren’t right,” he offers quietly. “Or start fresh, if you prefer.”

Finn’s shoulders tense for a moment before relaxing. “No,” he says softly. “They’re…they’re beautiful.” He turns to face us, gaze meeting Stone’s. “Thank you. For trying.”

It’s a small thing, those words, but I can see how they affect Stone. There’s a slight softening around his eyes. Maybe I’m just getting better at reading others. Or maybe I’m just getting more confident. Confident to stare at this large alpha directly. I don’tknow when it happened. When I stopped fearing them so much. Or when I found my voice.

“The nest,” I say suddenly, remembering how Finn had worried about it. “Should we check?—”

But he’s already moving, taking the stairs two at a time. I follow, hearing the alphas’ heavier tread behind me. When we reach the nest room, Finn stops in the doorway.

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