Page 231 of Fated or Knot

This time, it was a few flakes of fish. Cooked, sweet flesh. I batted my lashes and opened my mouth for more. That was actually good.

Marius’s emotions surged with triumph.“I thought it might be a texture thing.”Then he handed the plate to Tormund, who brightened and fed me fish and scallops with enthusiasm.

I rested against the redcap affectionately during the tail end of the meal, momentarily satisfied and happy. But instinct had me getting up and entering my nest again, to find that I hadn’t refreshed the bedding yet. That was important!

I tossed aside the whole thing and started building a new creation. Partway through, Fal laid down and folded his hands behind his head. He was naked and as unfairly attractive as ever, but also in the way. I growled in displeasure and pointed for him to get off the bed.

“Oh, you want me to leave?” he purred.

I nodded.

“You’re going to have to use your words,mo stór. Tell me to get up.”

I opened and closed my mouth without forming any sound, to show him I couldn’t. What he didn’t seem to understand was that the feral side was running the show. Until my heat passed, communication was optional.

But Fal, who’d fallen out of rut two days ago, just set his mouth in concern when I remained quiet. “I miss you. Talk to me…please,” he murmured.

How could I reassure him that I would, if I could? I settled for winking at him. And when he didn’t get up, I sighed and started folding him into my nest. He was part of one of the middle layers. It was a big bed, built for a pack, and he ended up getting enveloped in fabric up to his chin. He didn’t complain, only grinning in amusement as I packed in cushions, added a pillow for his head, and tucked the blankets around him.

He was probably quite comfortable. I was jealous I didn’t have anyone who’d fold me into a nest like this. Maybe I’d rouse Niall and ask him to try it.

“All right, now I’m part of your nest. What’s next?” he teased.

Too many words. I sat on his face so he’d put that mouth to work for something else. He almost drowned in my slick. No complaints, though, until Marius walked in on me enjoying the dark elf’s talented tongue and made a suggestion. The kelpie ended up knotting me right next to him while Fal tried to escape the nest to join in. I’d folded him in too well for a quick exit.

This kicked off hours of group sex. I was more comfortable than yesterday, but the heat had kept my body too hot for too long, and my joints ached.

Eventually, we took a break, and during it I had another heat cramp and gritted out a rough, “Fuck!”

Fal, who was resting at the foot of the nest, cracked an eye open with a little gasp. “Did you just say ‘fuck’?” he asked.

“No.” My tongue wasn’t quite cooperating with me, but I was determined to speak anyway. “No more fuck. Too much fuck.”

There was a hail of masculine laughter. “Now, I don’t know about that, li’l bird,” Tormund chuckled.

Kauz tilted my face toward him and pulled at my lower eyelids, before checking my temperature with the back of hishand. “Her fever hasn’t broken yet. Maybe it’s about to.” He sounded hopeful, and I agreed with that. I was ready to cool off and maybe not have any sex for a few weeks.

Marius made a few feral sounds. I recognized what he was saying, but…ah, my feral side was gone. I guessed once I was in heat long enough, even the heat haze deserted me. My body’s needs returned shortly afterward. I was hungry, thirsty, exhausted, sore, and unbearably horny all at the same time. C’mon. Couldn’t an omega catch a break?

“Fuck, I’m hungry,” I muttered.

Tormund’s head and shoulders popped up from the other side of the nest. “Is it time for a real dinner?” he exclaimed. “What do you want, li’l bird? I’ll have the house moths bring it.”

I worked my jaw. “More fish,” I managed to say. My tongue was getting used to this whole speaking thing a bit at a time. “Wait…house moth? No. We dismissed, right?”

“They’ve been coming by twice a day. How do you think you’ve gotten so much clean bedding, so fast?” Fal teased. He was beaming over at me. “Are you sure we’re doing ‘no more fuck’ or…?”

“Maybe a bit more,” I hedged. Though I felt my days’ worth of exertions when I parted my thighs for him, and whined when he knotted me. That rim of muscle that locked around knots felt tender from overuse. And by the groan that Fal uttered when it latched onto his pulsing knot, before he spilled, maybe there was some bruising going on.

“Worth it,”Marius said privately, in answer to my thoughts.“We ran out of bruise salve. We knew your heat would be a lot, but we weren’t prepared for how intense it’s ended up being.”

He was speaking in past tense, but I didn’t think my heat was past us yet. The fact that I was thinking again suggested the worst was behind us. At least, I sure hoped so. I ate a real dinner—a side of buttered fish and some root vegetables—and askedKauz to put me under again. Sleep seemed like the key healing component I still needed.

Day five…I woke with a mild fever and a groan. Too much fuck, indeed. My mates helped me one last time with all my basic needs. I walked stiffly through the motions until Marius had me lay face down on the bed outside my nest. “Tormund, come over here,” he said.

“Aye?”

“I’m going to teach you something.”

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