Page 64 of Knot Her Mountain Men

She curled up against me, sleep claiming her before panic could. Morgan needed to recover from her heat and get back to a proper headspace so she could process all of this.

The others looked at me incredulously.

“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered. “I thought her heat was over.”

Kit sighed, moving to stand at one of the windows so he could stare out into the middle distance. “She was supposed to have a choice in this, Bear.”

I didn’t reply, mostly hoping that the fact she had tried to bond me twice before this meant her logical side would catch up to her instinctual one quickly when she was in a fit state to understand everything that had happened.

My instincts were satisfied that we had claimed her, made sure Morgan was ours forever, but I knew it wasn’t that simple. She was stubborn and she wanted to leave. I had no idea if a bond would be enough to dissuade her of that. I couldn’t,wouldn’tleave her. It might be hell on earth to follow her to town, but I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her go without me.

“What do we do?” Ryder asked.

“Fuck if I know,” Maverick replied.

That was a succinct summation of the situation. A bond was permanent, so there was nothing wecoulddo. Our omega would stay, or she wouldn’t. I had to hope we had endeared ourselves enough to her that she would want to stay with us.

Withme.

Iwoke up feeling like I could close my eyes and sleep for a year. Everything ached. My eyes burned when I tried to blink them open, and I burrowed back into the nest to shield them from the blazing sun outside. Bear was a soft warmth in my chest. I’d always thought a bond would feel invasive, having someone able to access your emotions, carrying them around with you, but Bear didn’t feel that way. He was more like a sweater, wrapping me up and offering a silent protection, there without being overwhelming, similar to how he held me.

My instincts were quiet. Maybe I’d finally satisfied them by getting Bear’s teeth into me. Instead of their usual screaming demands galloping through my body, I was content, light, bordering on blissed, at least emotionally.

Physically, it was a different story. Stretching filled me with instant regret. I groaned and cuddled harder against Kit. A soak in the hot springs would probably help, but that would require me to move. That seemed like a bad idea right now.

Bear pressed up against my back, looping an arm over my waist and pulling me closer. His purr buzzed over my skin. His contentment was gentle in the bond, sort of similar to the feeling of floating in a warm bath.

Kit yawned, kissing the top of my head and stroking my hair slowly, his purr joining the mix. “How are you feeling, little fox?”

I gave a grumble in response.

Ryder chuckled. “Relatable. Feels like I’ve run about twenty marathons.”

“We’re pretty close to getting power back, I think. We can set up the generator.” Maverick sat up, reaching in between Kit and Bear to stroke his knuckles over my cheek. “Interested in a bath, sweetheart?”

“Only if I don’t have to get there myself.”

“I’ll get one running on the main floor here. Give the hot water heater some time to get working again.” He crawled out of the nest and I stayed where I was, unable to work up the energy needed to move.

Maverick bustled around in the lodge, eventually popping back in to say the water was warm enough for my bath.

“With me?” Bear whispered in my ear.

“That would probably be for the best. If I’m alone in there, I might melt under the water.”

I fell back asleep for the time it took the bath to fill, and roused halfway when Bear scooped me up and slid into it with me. I relaxed against him, breathing in the steam-filled air scented with cedar and woodsmoke, my own scent twining around it.

It was unfairly cozy being in the bath with him. His purr kept me company, doing as much as the warm water to relieve some of the ache in my muscles. He was sohappyin the bond, a peaceful serenity I couldn’t help but absorb.

“I almost miss not having power.”

“Why?” Bear whispered.

“Felt more rustic, I guess. It also means I’m one step closer to leaving. I never expected to be sad about that when I arrived.”

A bolt of unfamiliar panic shot through me, startling both of us when I jolted from it and spooked him.

“What was that?” he whispered.

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