Page 57 of Knot in Their Wildest Dreams: Part 1

I glanced toward Vigo. He gave me a small thumbs-up for encouragement. Dante nodded once, subtly.

“We have to take action now,” I tried. “Pack Lockwood is already reaping rewards from implementing it. We can-”

“Pack Lockwood?” Another memberinterrupted, clearly unimpressed. “You’re already in that ill-advised relationship with them. More controversy doesn’t help your case. Work on what you know, Celeste - increasing profit. The board votes against this. Good day.”

The screen went silent, then flickered off, ending the meeting. I sat there, staring at the empty space, frustration and disappointment tightening in my chest. I felt the sting of failure, almost on the verge of tears, when suddenly, a warm presence enveloped me. The pack was there, surrounding me, their support solid and unwavering.

“You did great, Celeste.” Vigo said, his warm voice calming me. I turned to him, and felt some camaraderie now that he finally saw what I was going through. “Don’t give up. You can try again.” Liam put a hand on my shoulder, the comforting warmth making my upset feelings fade.

“They don’t know better than you. They are out of touch. But this isn’t over. We’ll help you.” He promised, and for once, I felt like I had allies. Dante watched me, his expression slightly softer after witnessing the embarrassing debacle of being shut down by my own board.

“Don’t worry. Let’s forget this for now, eat, and work on it later.” He said in a comforting voice.

Soon, the takeout arrived, and the guys set out plates on the oak dining table. Liam seemed extra eager to fill my plate, having ordered three types of pasta, salad, breadsticks, and dessert.

“Here.” He placed the massive food-piled plate in front of me, and I blushed a little. We were all going to eat together, not for a date, not for the contract, but to just share a meal. And yet, as we all settled in, plates full and conversation easy, something inside me relaxed. The omega in me craved this - the quiet, unspoken act of care, the presence of alphas providing for me. For the first time in what felt like forever, the relentless pull toward them wasn’t a battle I had to fight. I could just exist, enjoying them and our strange, unique relationship.

The food was great, too. Spaghetti with meatballs, chicken with pesto-drenched pasta, salad, and lasagna. I couldn’t finish all of it, but I came close. The boys all had at least two full plates each, and I knew they would probably have more later. Alphas needed so much more fuel due to their size.

Vigo reached for one of the takeout boxes and opened it.

“I hope you have room for dessert!” He said slyly as he plated a massive piece of tiramisu.

My eyes went wide, and before I could stop myself, a soft moan escaped. The three of them immediately sat up straighter, their attention snapping to me. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized my mistake. Of course, they’d be extra attuned to an omega’s needs, especially after so much time without one around. I silently vowed to be more careful with my reactions.

“I’m so full, but…” I said, looking at the tiramisu. “How did you know that was my weakness?” I asked, and Vigo smiled and grabbed a fork, scooping up a piece of the dessert.

“You said so earlier.” My mind flashed back to our outing, where we’d stopped by the bakery. Flattered that he remembered, I bit my lip and looked at the sweet dessert.

“Here.” Vigo held out the fork with the tiramisu, bringing it toward my mouth. I couldn't help it. I opened my mouth and let him feed me the piece, closing my lips around the fork as I let out another small moan, savoring the sweet espresso and mascarpone. When I looked up, the three of them were watching me, their pupils large and their scents filling the room. I swallowed, suddenly aware that I was getting dangerously close to the precipice of our unspoken desires.

“How is it?” Liam asked, as he watched me with a hunger that my own body matched. I licked my lips and looked at all three of them, their blended scent like a beautiful melody singing out to my body.

“Fucking amazing.” I answered, and I wasn’t talking about the dessert anymore. Vigo took another scoop of the tiramisu, and as he transferred it from the box to the plate, a dollop of mascarpone fell onto his arm. My eyes focused on that spot, and before I could stop myself, I was at his side, my tongue on his skin, dragging it along the spot until the mascarpone was gone and all I tasted was him.

I looked up, my hands curled around his arm as the entire table sat frozen, watching me as I had my tongue on Vigo mid-lick. I was going too far.

A low growl of approval sounded throughout the dining room, and I knew that if I made any other sudden moves, their alpha urges would take over and we’d be making a huge mess on this table - a mess that I wasn’t sure I could handle right now.

My core heated anyway and I felt the strong urge to let them strip me down and carry me away, like I knew they would if I asked. I realized there was no stopping the inevitability of what was to come - either now, or later. We were fated.

I felt the small pricklings of sweat bead on my back, and realized that if I didn’t get out of this situation now, I’d get too carried away. My heat was coming soon, but I needed answers before I let myself fall into my ultimate desires.

“But, that’s all I can handle for now.” I forced myself to say, and pulled my hands off of Vigo, a monumental task that I had to fight to accomplish. The men just sat, watching me as I forced myself to stand up and leave the table, knowing that the smell of my slick, which I couldn't control any longer, was scenting the air.

“And, thanks for the dessert.”I said before rushing out of the room, trying to avoid making myself the next dish for these irresistible alphas.

Chapter 40

Liam

Our pack was gathered in the back of the clubhouse, the flickering fire casting shadows across our faces as the weight of unspoken truths pressed in on us. None of us had said it out loud yet, but it was clear how we all felt through the bond.

We were in trouble. Because Celeste wasn’t who we thought she was. And even more terrifying? We were falling for her.

She’d wormed her way into our lives, into our instincts, into places we hadn’t even realized were vulnerable. With each interaction, she’d chipped away at the armor we’d built. She hadn’t sabotaged us. In fact, she’d been better every time we were with her - the perfect mate, to be honest. If only we could figure out what changed. Why was she suddenly acting like such a good leader when she was with us, when before she had done so many atrocious things.

We had a tough decision to make. Our contract with her was coming to a close soon, and each of us had started to realize that our lives were irreparably changed. And I wasn’t sure we could live without her.

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