Page 80 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

I park near the front door, eyes on the bonnet of the SUV. I’ll need to dispose of it later—wipe it down, abandon it somewhere far from here. But that’s a problem for tomorrow. Right now, all that matters is Hailey.

“We’re here,” I tell her, turning off the engine.

She nods, but makes no move to get out. The brief respite the roadside encounter gave her is already fading. Her breathing has quickened, her skin glistening once more with a fine sheen of sweat.

“I’ll carry you,” I say, exiting the driver’s side and circling to her door.

When I open it, the brief moment of fresh air does nothing to disguise her scent. It hits me full force—concentrated, intoxicating. I swallow hard, forcing myself to focus.

“Come here, sweetheart,” I murmur, gathering her into my arms.

She comes willingly, wrapping her arms around my neck, her face pressing into my shoulder. She still trusts me completely. The knowledge is humbling.

I carry her to the cabin door, fumbling one-handed with the keys before managing to push it open. The interior is cool and dim, smelling faintly of timber and the lingering scents of my packmates—Jax’s earthy cedar, Stone’s pine, Finn’s light sage.

Hailey whimpers at the familiar scents, her body squirming in my arms.

“Shh,” I soothe, kicking the door closed behind us. “I know, I know. Just a little longer.”

I head straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time despite her weight in my arms and the protests of my battered body. The adrenaline that’s been carrying me is ebbing, each injury making itself known. The injured shoulder is now throbbing, the cracked ribs stabbing with each breath, the swollen eye reducing my vision.

But none of it matters. Not with Hailey in my arms, needing me.

The master bedroom takes up most of the upper floor, dominated by an enormous bed. The scents are strongest here. It hits Hailey hard, her body arching in my arms, a moan escaping her lips.

“Alpha,” she gasps, but whether she means me or is responding to the residual pheromones, I’m not sure.

I place her gently on the bed, intending to step back, to give her space to adjust. But her hands clutch at my chest, keeping me close.

“Don’t go,” she whispers, eyes wide and desperate. “Please, Ren. Don’t leave me.”

I couldn’t if I tried. Not now. Never again.

Looking down at her, flushed and needy yet still so determined, I’m struck by a memory—Hailey chasing after me in the dark, barefoot and stubborn, just to make a deal. To convince me to attend the gala with the pack.

I’d thought her presence would tear us apart. Would remind me of everything I’d lost, everything I couldn’t have. But I was wrong. So wrong.

She’s not tearing us apart. She’s the thing that’s bringing us together again.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promise, lowering myself to sit beside her on the bed.

She immediately crawls into my lap, straddling me, pressing her core against the renewed hardness in my pants. The thin barrier of my shirt on her body does nothing to conceal the heat of her, the wetness that’s already soaking through.

“Please,” she whimpers, rocking against me. “It’s starting again. Worse.”

I capture her face between my hands, holding her still so I can look into her eyes. “I’ll take care of you,” I promise. “But first, let me make you comfortable. You need a proper nest.”

She nods, though her body continues to move against mine, seeking friction, relief.

Gently, I lift her and set her at the edge of the bed. Kneeling before her, I push up the shirt she’s wearing, exposing her to my gaze once more. She’s even more beautiful in the diffused light of the bedroom, her skin flushed pink, her core glistening with arousal.

“Let me help take the edge off,” I murmur, leaning forward to press a kiss to her inner thigh.

She spreads her legs wider, an invitation I can’t refuse. I dive in, my tongue finding her clit immediately. The taste of her explodes across my senses, even better than before. Fucking honey and vanilla. Like some dessert I could eat all day.

Her hands find my hair, gripping tightly as she grinds against my mouth. I work her with lips and tongue, savoring every gasp, every moan, every twitch of her thighs against my cheeks.

It doesn’t take long before she’s coming, her body shuddering, a cry tearing from her throat as pleasure washes over her. I work her through it, gentling my touches as the spasms subside.

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