Page 253 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

“You sure?” Finn’s hand finds my lower back, and the touch sends sparks dancing along my skin. “Your scent is getting stronger.”

I notice Stone and Jax deliberately not looking our way, though their movements have slowed. They’re trying to give us space while remaining acutely aware of every shift in my scent, every small sound I make.

“I’m sure,” I say, managing a small smile. “The pancakes smell too good to leave.”

Finn studies me for a moment longer before nodding, though his hand doesn’t leave my back. “Okay,” he says softly. “But the moment it gets too much…”

“I know.” I lean into him slightly, drawing comfort from his presence. “I promise.”

Chapter 58

Hailey

The tension in the house has become a constant presence, like a low hum just beneath the surface of everything we do. It’s in the way Stone’s jaw tightens every time his phone buzzes, in the way Jax rubs at the back of his neck when he thinks no one’s watching, and in the way Finn has become overly jovial, as if he’s trying to distract me from all that’s going on.

And it’s in me too.

Every day, the warmth in my body grows stronger, buzzing low in my belly and spreading outward in slow, insistent waves. It’s not overwhelming like Finn’s heat was, not yet, but it’s there—a quiet, persistent reminder that my first real heat is edging closer. Finn has been keeping a close eye on me, his gray eyes soft with concern every time I shift uncomfortably or press my thighs together.

The nest is ready. Finn let me prepare it myself, letting me layer blankets and pillows exactly the way I want. He even added little touches—his favorite sweater, a soft throw blanket that smells faintly of Jax, a book I’ve been reading but haven’t had the focus to finish. It’s perfect, and yet I can’t bring myself to remain fascinated by it.

Because it feels like a symbol of everything I can’t control.

The heat building in my body. The tension in the house. The constant, suffocating presence of the Academy looming over us like a shadow we can’t shake.

Every day, I watch the males I’ve grown to care about suffer. Every day another piece of their empire shows cracks. And it feels like there’s nothing I can do about it.

But there is one thing I can control.

My decisions.

I’m in the kitchen when I hear them talking in the next room. Their voices are low, but even without the heightened senses of an alpha, I can tell they’re tense.

“You know this is our only shot,” Stone whispers. “If we don’t lock down Burlington at the gala, we’re done. The entire business is done.”

“We’ll lock it down,” Jax replies, though his tone doesn’t carry the same confidence it usually does. “We don’t have a choice.”

“And what happens after?” Stone presses. “What happens when the cancellations keep coming, when our partners start pulling out because they think we’re too much of a liability?”

Jax doesn’t answer right away, and the silence that follows feels heavy, oppressive.

“Let’s focus on the gala,” he says finally, his voice tight. “One thing at a time.”

“Yea…only, there’s a big problem with your plan, Jax.” Stone’s voice rises ever so slightly before he forces it into a whisper once more. “We can’t leave them alone. Not with everything that’s been happening. It’s too dangerous.”

“And forcing Hailey to go to a gala while she’s still having pre-heat flare-ups isn’t exactly ideal either,” Jax counters. “You know how hard she’s been working to keep it under control. Putting herin a room full of strangers—alphas, no less—would be cruel, Stone.”

I stop breathing.

“I know. Fuck, I know. But what’s the alternative?” Stone shoots back. “We call in Ren to keep watch?Fucker hasn’t answered any of my messages even though I can still see him accessing the logs. The only other option is that we stay here. Skip the gala and watch the business crumble around us. You know what’s at stake, Jax. If we don’t lock down Burlington at this event, it’s over. We’re over.”

Jax doesn’t respond, and the silence between them becomes deafening.

“I know what’s at stake,” he says finally. “But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to put her through that. Or Finn. They’ve already been through enough.”

They’re trying to protect me.

But in doing so, they’re tearing themselves apart.

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