Page 12 of Fated or Knot

We passed out the front gates of the castle, which were propped open now that a stream of partygoers were leaving the masquerade. I kept my head down and my shoulders hunched just in case the kindly guard from before was still at his post and could recognize me without my illusion.

Tormund still had his arm around me, and when we reached the street, he murmured, “This way, li’l bird.”

He steered me in a different direction than the cottage my stepfamily had rented. As long as we weren’t heading toward it,I didn’t care where we went anymore. I was bone tired, my belly was aching and empty, and I’d never see this Unseelie again after tonight. I’d take comfort in his presence and scent for the limited time I could.

Many of the street revelers had turned in by this point, though the ones that remained were well into their cups. I was glad of the giant beside me and the big cloak hiding my pixie wings, as no one dared to bother us.

My limping steps forced Tormund to slow a few times before he glanced down, made a throaty sound likeach, and bent. He picked me up under my knees and behind my back, carrying me secured to his chest as if I weighed next to nothing. I looked up at him, confused but not exactly unhappy to be off my feet. “Why did you do that?” I asked, echoing his brother after another baffling action.

“You are hurt and tired. I am strong for you,” he said, giving me a squeeze.

I told myself it wasn’t like Willis dragging me onto the dance floor without permission. He probably wasn’t taking me to a magirail.This isn’t a kidnapping. He had good intentions.But I searched within for the reason I trusted this Unseelie so much and disregarded the answer with a flick of denial. He’d put me down if I asked him to.

I just didn’t ask. He carried me for several blocks, humming an unfamiliar tune and smiling to himself all the while. We passed by a few inns before he turned toward one and scented the air with a long inhale. I did the same, mostly picking up the caramelized sugar that represented him with an undertone of other, less interesting alpha scents.

“I can take it from here,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Let me get your room. No one questions an alpha.”

“If you insist.”

He nodded like it was settled and didn’t put me down until we were inside. My feet protested their acquaintance with the ground immediately, and my sight grew hazy at the corners. I propped myself against a wall and rode out a wave of dizziness.

Tormund marched up to a desk where a couple keys hung on hooks behind a tired-looking barkfolk. He spoke in a low tone, slapping down a couple extra coins and pointing to the key he wanted. My gaze slipped longingly toward the taproom, where a mixed crowd of fae were still celebrating and the ale was flowing. Although, I was more interested in the sandwiches and pretzels being passed around.

“I got you the last room on the third floor,” Tormund said, announcing his presence right before he picked me up again. I couldn’t help a surprised squeak, though I had no complaints as he bounded up the stairs two at a time. If anything, I envied his energy.

“How much did it cost?” I asked.

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll pay you back. How much?”

He gave me a big smile. “Not too much. No worries. Small price to pay for a safe room.”

I frowned in return, sure I was taking advantage of him.

This seemed to trouble him. “Don’t be sad again. No omega should be sad.”

He set me on my feet and handed me a key attached to a small wooden tag that read 312, the same number carved into the door.

“I’m not sad,” I assured him. “I’m just not… Nobody buys things for me.” Maybe he’d missed how I was dressed earlier. Shrugging out of his mangled cloak and passing it back to him, I let him get a good look at what was underneath.

He squinted down at me. “Be right back,” he declared, walking off without waiting for a response.

I released a tired sigh and let myself into the room. It was nice, for my standards, certainly not the kind of place I’d had to myself before.

The first thing to go was my smock. I’d count the contents tomorrow before setting off to find a pawn shop. If I woke up tomorrow, considering how low my essence level was. There was nearly no glow coming off my wings.

Hopefully my fall hadn’t damaged many of the goods within. As soon as I was free of my smock, I stripped the cushions off the small couch and checked the tiny closet for spare pillows and blankets. There was an extra set of sheets, so I grabbed them and started arranging everything on the bed.

My inner omega wouldn’t stop to let me rest until it was just so. But once my nest was in place, with a small space in the center for me to curl up, there was still something missing. I made a whimper of denial when I realized what I needed to add.

A firm set of knocks stopped me from lying down anyway. Waiting outside my room was Tormund, who waited for me to answer before he hung a wooden token on a hook by the door. “I ordered you dinner,” he told me. “It’s on the way.”

It was such welcome news that I actually teared up. My belly had grumbled the whole trip to the inn. Tormund only saw the crying, though, and opened his mouth with a draw of his brow. I launched at him before he could say anything, putting all my gratitude into the hug.

He hugged me back and started to purr for me. I buried my face in his chest and breathed him in. For a moment, I hoped he’d hold me for a long time and pet me with those huge hands of his. But he drew away with a gentle look. “Good night, li’l bird. I will see you tomorrow.”

---