Page 17 of Knot Her Mountain Men

“She got down there herself,” Ryder told them. “Mav just got a bit closer.”

“You okay, little fox?” Kit asked.

I gave him a thumbs-up, not daring to move more than that.

As Ryder finished his work, Maverick’s own purr kicked on, slowly draining the tension from my body and lulling me into a cozy half sleep.

“Don’t you dare have internal bleeding from that fucking tree,” Ryder ordered, poking Maverick’s shoulder. “No dying.”

“I’ll do my best,” Maverick croaked.

The alphas settled in, their gazes on me like a tangible thing.

“How’re you feeling, Mav?” Kit asked.

“Like I got kicked by a horse.”

“Want some painkillers?”

“Hell yeah.”

Kit set a hand on my ankle, the warmth of his touch making my purr stronger. “How about you, little fox? Anything you need?”

“Suppressants.”

That one word seemed to ring through them, all the attention in the room centering onto me. I stuffed down the instinctual reaction to preen.

“The snowmobiles got damaged during our last hunt. We don’t have anything reliable enough to make the journey into town for that.” Kit swallowed hard. “Is your heat due soon?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been on suppressants since I presented. I’m not sure what my body is going to do if I don’t have access to them anymore.”

“Isn’t long-term suppression bad for you?” Maverick asked, his breath ghosting over my skin.

I shivered. “I think it’s pretty equal to the stress of going through heats alone. At least with suppressants I don’t have to suffer.”

They all shared a look and I shrank into myself. Hopefully my body would hold out until we could get to town and I didn’t have to throw myself upon the mercy of strangers.

Kit settled at my side, eyes filled with heat that was banked by concern. “How do you want us to handle things if your heat triggers while you’re here?”

Wild images of them spreading me out in front of the fireplace filled my head, and I squeezed my thighs together, my scent rising. “That’s kind of a loaded question.”

Kit winced. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m going to have to ask some invasive things so we can make sure you’re taken care of the way you want to be.”

“Can we do that later? I can’t answer questions about that with Maverick stuck to me.”

“Whatever you need,” Kit promised. “I would suggest having a wander through the lodge, though, and finding a spot you’d like to be your nest just in case.”

A nest.

That was another thing I had never let myself truly indulge in. The suppressants seemed to have an easier time working if I kept as much of a handle on my omega instincts as I could manage.

My rational mind clung to the idea that my heat would hold off and I would be able to slide right back into the life I had planned, but my instincts wanted another thing entirely. Only time would tell which one won out.

Idrifted in and out. Morgan and I lay on couch cushions they put in front of the fire, and they alternated hot and cold packs on my back to help the muscles relax and reduce swelling. Between the painkillers and huffing Morgan’s maple syrup and black tea scent, I was on cloud fucking nine.

Life in the mountains didn’t come with a lot of softness, and it certainly didn’t come with omegas who were willing to lie on the floor with me, purring to help my body stay calm during the start of my recovery. I couldn’t keep her down here forever, but I didn’t want to let her go.

Each time I shifted, her scent got sweeter, which only made me want her even closer.Iknew she was my scent match, a truth I felt in every cell, butshewouldn’t know that in return until my last dose of injectable scent blockers wore off. Would she get closer, maybe fall asleep in my arms, or brush her lips over mine if she knew?

---