Page 204 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

“Is it the pre-heat?” he asks, and the concern threading through his voice almost breaks me.

I press my face into his neck, breathing in the scent that’s become synonymous with safety, and shake my head. “No, I just—I need—” The words won’t come, tangled up in fear and longing and desperation.

“She needs us.” Jax’s voice is quiet, but certain. “All of us.”

Something inside me breaks at his words, at how easily he reads the need I can’t even articulate. A sob catches in my throat as Stone’s arms tighten around me.

“The nest,” Finn says softly, his hand moving to the small of my back. “She needs the nest.”

They move as one, Stone carrying me while Finn and Jax flank us, their presence steady and sure as we climb the stairs. The journey feels both endless and too short, my heart thundering against my ribs with each step.

The nest room is warm. As Stone lowers me onto the soft pallet of blankets and pillows, I cling to him, my fingers gripping him tightly. He doesn’t pull away, instead letting me guide him down next to me. Finn settles on my other side, his arm wrapping around my waist, anchoring me between them. Their combined warmthand scents envelop me, creating a ball of safety that makes my breath hitch with overwhelming emotion.

My eyes flutter closed, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. But when I open them again, I see Jax kneeling beside Finn, his large hand resting on Finn’s hip, thumb tracing circles in a rhythm that seems to soothe not just Finn, but all of us. The sight sends a wave of longing through me, a visceral need for closeness that goes beyond physical touch.

A lump forms in my throat as I watch them, the tenderness between Jax and Finn sparking a yearning deep within me. I want that—the ease, the intimacy, the unspoken bond. With a shaky breath, I reach out and my fingers brush against Jax’s hand. His gaze meets mine, dark and intense, filled with a hunger that mirrors my own.

“What do you need, sweetheart?” he whispers. “Tell me.”

But I think he already knows.

A lump forms in my throat that I fight to push past.

I can do this. I need this.

“Come closer,” I whisper, my voice barely audible yet loud in the quiet intimacy of the nest. It’s a plea, raw and vulnerable, but I need them all close. I need the comfort, the connection, the strength they offer. I know this with something even deeper than my heart.

But the words are alien as they leave my lips—this isn't how I’ve been taught to behave. The Academy drilled submission until it became reflex, but with the knowledge that they’re hunting me—that this fragile peace could shatter at any moment—something deeper than training takes over. A need to connect, to claim and be claimed while I still can.

My boldness still feels foreign, like wearing someone else’s skin, but Jax moves without hesitation, shifting to press against Finn’s back, his arm reaching over to curl around the both of us. The weight of his arm across Finn and me feels like a promise, a shield against the world outside. I can feel the steady beat of Finn’sheart against my back, Stone’s warm breath on my neck, and Jax’s solid presence completing the circle.

The closeness is overwhelming, but also exactly what I need. I want…it feels like I want to climb into their skin.

I wriggle between Stone and Finn, trying to scratch that itch, wanting to press into them so hard not even a breath separates us.

The air in the nest grows thick with an undeniable need, a charge that prickles my skin and sets my heart racing.

When Stone’s thumb traces the line of my jaw, turning my face towards him, I feel a flicker of that usual hesitation—the instinct that’s been drilled into me for years as my only means of survival. But something stronger overrides it—a need for connection that feels almost desperate in its intensity. I don’t resist. Can’t.

Stone’s gaze is soft, yet there’s a fire burning in his eyes that reflects the heat coiling within me. Part of me is terrified by how much I want this, by how quickly my fear is giving way to something deeper and more urgent.

When he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, his lips linger as if savoring the contact. I can feel the restraint in his touch, the tenderness holding back a storm. When Finn’s hand flexes against my waist, his fingers dipping beneath the hem of my shirt to brush against bare skin, I shiver between them.

The contact sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I gasp softly, arching into his touch. Behind him, Jax presses closer, his hand sliding from Finn’s hip to rest on my thigh, the heat of his palm radiating through the fabric of my pants.

It’s a dance. One I don’t want to stop. Wanting to get lost in the music. Stone’s hand drifts from my face, tracing a path down my neck, his fingers lingering on the pulse point that flutters wildly beneath his touch. I lean into him, my own hands reaching out to grasp at his shirt, pulling him closer.

When his lips find mine, my whimper is lost in his mouth. Sweet. His kiss is sweet. The taste of his tongue, his lips, I whimper again and I hear Finn whimper behind me, too, just amoment before his fingers work the buttons of my shirt, each one coming undone with a soft pop that echoes loudly in the quiet of the nest. His breath hitches as he slides the fabric off my shoulders, exposing my skin to the cool air and their heated gazes.

I feel a tug at my waist, and I lift my hips slightly, allowing Jax to pull my pants down, panties going along with it as his fingers leave trails of fire along my skin. His hands linger on my calves, massaging the tense muscles there before moving back up, his touch growing bolder, firmer, kneading my skin by the time his fingers clasp my hips once more.

I’m not sure what we’re doing. I only know that it feels right.

The thought flits through my mind that I should be more cautious, more restrained—the Hailey from the Academy would never be so forward, so willing. But that Hailey feels distant now, like a shadow retreating before dawn. The looming threat has stripped away everything else, leaving only the raw, frantic need to connect, to belong, to feel anchored because everything else is about to unravel.

Stone’s shirt is the next to go, his muscles rippling beneath my exploring hands as I help him shed the barrier of clothing. His chest is a landscape of hard planes, a testament to his strength and resilience. I yearn to press a kiss to the spot just above his heart. I press my palm there instead, feeling the steady beat against my fingertips, and Stone releases a delicious growl that makes my center clench in response.

Beside me, Finn and Jax are locked in a quiet dance of their own, their touches mirroring the hunger I feel. Finn’s shirt joins the growing pile of discarded clothing, and I reach out, my fingers tracing the lines of his scars, the stories etched into his skin. He captures my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm before guiding it to the button of his jeans.

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