Page 110 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

There’s a sadness in his eyes as he turns on the television, flipping through channels until he finds a reality show he enjoys. I settle against him, trying to focus on the program rather than the muffled sounds of movement upstairs.

Twenty minutes pass, then thirty, then nearly an hour. Just as I’m about to go upstairs and demand to know what they’re doing, Jax calls from the top of the stairs.

“Finn? Hailey?” I frown at the unfamiliar note of excitement in his voice. “Can you come up here for a minute?”

Finn and I exchange glances before standing. “Should we be worried?” he asks under his breath as we approach the stairs.

“I guess we’ll find out,” I murmur back.

Jax meets us halfway up, his expression shifting between eagerness and nervousness in a way I’ve never seen before. “Close your eyes,” he says. “Both of you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Just trust me.” He grins. “Please?”

After a moment’s hesitation, I comply, closing my eyes. Beside me, Finn does the same.

“Good,” Jax says. “Now, no peeking.”

I feel his warm hand close over my eyes just before Finn lets out a surprised yelp when he does the same to him. An extra layer of security against cheating, I suppose.

“What’s going on?”

“Patience,” he chides gently, the smile evident in his tone.

A door opens, and Jax guides us forward a few more steps before stopping.

“Ready?” he asks, his breath warm against my ear.

“Yes,” Finn and I say in unison.

“Okay. Three, two, one…”

The hands covering our eyes fall away, and I blink, adjusting to the light as I take in the sight before me.

We’re standing in the nest room, but it’s…transformed.

The nest has been completely redesigned. Plush new pillows in varying sizes form a perfect circle around the perimeter, each one covered in soft-looking fabric in calming shades of pastel pink, purple, and warm neutrals. Thick blankets are layered throughout. I spot a luxurious-looking faux fur throw, several knitted afghans, and what appears to be a handmade quilt with detailed patterning.

The walls now feature framed artwork—Ren’s paintings, I realize with a start. Beautiful renderings of landscapes, of abstract patterns, and most strikingly, ones of each of them. There’s Finn laughing, his head thrown back; Stone smiling at the sky with a bird on his shoulder; Jax with his guitar.

Small, thoughtful touches are everywhere—fairy lights strung around the perimeter, casting a warm glow; the bookshelf has been restocked with new novels; and a speaker system nearby plays calming music.

It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. The kind of nest that omega dreams are made of. But right now, all I can think about is how Finn’s hands shake as he reaches for and lifts a pillow.

“Holy shit.” Finn steps closer, clutching the pillow too tight. “You guys actually...?”

His voice cracks. That’s when I see it. The way his hands tremble just slightly as he picks up one of Ren’s smaller paintings. A dark forest scene I recognize instantly—Stone’s secluded cabin where we first properly met, the trees rendered in perfect shadowy detail.

Jax rubs the back of his neck. “Been planning this the last few nights while you two were asleep.”

Finn’s grip whitens. For a second, I think he might hurl the pillow at someone’s head. Then he buries his face in it instead.

Stone catches my eye and jerks his chin toward the nest’s center. A bowl of berries sits there, still dewy from rinsing. My stomach growls.

“Eat,” he says.

I pop a berry in my mouth. Too sweet. Perfect. “You remembered.”

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