Page 90 of Knot Her Mountain Men

She sniffled. “You can’t be that nice. I’m going to getemotional.”

“Get used to it.” I laughed. “You’re getting nothingbutnice ’til the end of time.”

Morgan cuddled deeper into Bear’s arms, pulling me closer to sandwich her between us. “You guys really want me to stay?”

“Stay or go, but we’re going to be right there with you as long as you want us,” I insisted. “We’re not going to fuck up the chance fate gave us.”

She wiggled onto her feet, Bear setting her down so she could step into my arms. “You have to let me help.”

“Whatever will make you happy,” I promised.

Morgan looked up at me, gray eyes misty. “Youmake me happy.”

AChinook wind rolled in all through the next day, the snow disappearing almost as quickly as it had arrived. I loved the rush of warmth that came with these weather events, and it flipped a switch in our omega, her energy skyrocketing. She was outside with Pumpkin, chucking a stick for our dog to get her zoomies out, while I kept an eye on the two of them. The others were taking advantage of the warmer weather to start bringing down a few of the trees looking a little precarious after the snowstorm.

We’d gotten too comfortable with isolation out here, and getting cut off during the storm when Morgan needed us pushed us to ensure that wouldn’t happen again. Obviously we couldn’t control the weather, but we could take additional steps to minimize the risks of living out here.

“Ready to give your arms a rest, firecracker?” I slid up behind Morgan as Pumpkin raced after her stick for the hundredth time. “She’ll go as long as you keep throwing, so don’t count on her to tire out.”

She smiled up at me, slipping straight into my embrace. “Gotta get stronger arms to satisfy her fetch needs.”

“It’s a team effort.” When Pumpkin returned, tail wagging, I tossed the stick for her. “Are you ready to work on your nest, or would you rather rest?”

“Still trying to wrap my head around having a proper nest. I avoided having much of one because it helped the suppressants work better long-term, and it’s kind of wigging me out to have one on purpose.” She chewed her lip, dropping her gaze back to Pumpkin as our dog returned to beg for another throw. “I worry about what my body will do since the doctor I saw told me I had to stay off suppressants for at least a year.”

I didn’t love that she had been deliberately denying herself comfort all these years to control her instincts and suppress her heat. I understood not wanting to be that vulnerable when she didn’t have anyone she felt safe with, but I hoped that wasn’t still the case.

“You deserve comfort like every omega.”

“I don’tfeellike I do. In an ideal world I wouldn’t even be one.”

Way to break my heart. “You really hate being an omega?”

She fidgeted, throwing the stick again for Pumpkin. “I don’thateit. I’m coming to terms with it not being the worst, but it’s an adjustment. Creating a nest for myself feels like a step of acceptance I’m not quite at.”

“Okay, then, no nest. Treat it as a regular bedroom. You should have a space that’s yours while you’re staying here.”

Pumpkin almost bowled her over this time, sprinting between Morgan’s legs with the stick in her mouth. I caught Morgan before she face-planted and hurled Pumpkin’s stick away. “I think it’s time for a break from fetch.”

Morgan groaned. “My shins would agree with you.”

I coaxed her back inside, and Pumpkin too so she didn’t accidentally visit the others while chunks of tree were sailing down to the ground. She followed us with excited paw taps as Morgan went up to the loft to survey the space.

Most of what was in there we already had on hand: thrifted dressers we had refinished, shelves we had built before deciding something else suited better, and an ornate rug that had originally lived downstairs before we realized it was a tripping hazard. The mattresses were stacked to keep them out of the way while she unpacked, and the blankets Maverick had purchased were piled neatly on top.

“Thoughts?”

“It’s so big. I slept in a closet when I grew up so this is basically a mansion.”

“Excuse me?” A fuckingcloset? I’d had one of those just for my shoes back in DC and couldn’t imagine having to live in one. I gave myself a moment to breathe, stuffing down the urge to throttle her entire family, minus her and Cooper.

“Our house didn’t have enough bedrooms, so it was either the storage closet or sharing with at least three of my brothers. I’d rather have slept in the barn with the goats than share a room with them.”

“I’m sorry you grew up that way. Everyone deserves a comfortable space to call their own where they feel safe.”

She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the mattress. “I feel safe here even if that fact is still a little weird to me.”

“Sounds like a foreign concept in your life.”

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