Page 45 of Chain Me Knot

Boneless. Trembling, I sag into their embrace as sensation subsides, leaving behind a tender, fragile ache. Gentle and careful, Asher eases his fingers free, leaving me empty but so beautifully, perfectly sated. The burning heat finally recedes leaving a deep, bone-sapping exhaustion that wraps around me. I sink down, down, down into heavy warmth. A languid wave pulls me down, past relaxation, past sleep, into somewhere deeper. I can’t pull my eyelids open. Can’t move a limb. Fear, trauma, heat has taken its toll as a soft, dreamless oblivion sucks me down whether I want to go or not.

Voices float above me, distant and muffled and I can't claw my way back up to them. Everything fades. Their whispers, their warmth, the soft circle of safety they’ve given me until all that's left is a quiet, dreamless abyss pulling me into oblivion.

Chapter Eighteen

Phoenix

Emma's pleasure ebbs, leaving her boneless and limp in Asher’s arms, a sweet, relieved sigh easing past her parted lips. The tension stiffening my muscles falls away as blissful peace washes over her features. She’s passed out cold, sinking into a healing rest.

Asher carefully eases his slick-coated fingers from her body. Before I can even register what he's doing, he lifts his hand to his mouth, sucking his fingers clean, lost to instinct. His scent spikes hot and sharp then abruptly explodes with a deep richness. He groans, jolting as his gaze goes stunned and glazed.

Shocked understanding hits me, and I let out a startled laugh. “Did you just...in your pants?”

He barely registers my teasing, his eyes half-lidded and dark with satisfaction. He meets my gaze without a trace of embarrassment, pride radiating clearly from him. “You'd do exactly the same if you'd tasted her.”

No truer words have been spoken.

Soren sits back on his heels. “That was…” he murmurs, as though words can't possibly describe what we just shared, “I've never seen anything so beautiful.”

I can't resist a faint, teasing grin. “Asher…or our omega?”

Soren shoots me a weary glare. “Her, asshole. Always her.”

Emma turns toward Asher, tucking herself closer against his chest. That wild, desperate edge of heat is thankfully softened by our touch. Thank fuck this was only a spike in her heat and not the real deal. At least now there'll be time—time to wait until she's fully ready, able to consciously choose us, give consent without question or doubt.

A fresh wave of protectiveness fills me mixing in equal measure with the bitter taste of anger and grief. My expression sobers as hard reality resurfaces. “I can't believe those bastards never gave her an orgasm. Not even once.”

Asher's dark eyes flicker. “I think this was her first experience of anything soft or gentle.”

Soren curses under his breath. “Then we're going to rewrite every bad memory. Everything horrible inside her head gets turned to ash. We'll replace it all with tenderness. Pleasure. Love. Until she's never left questioning her worth ever again.”

Asher's fierce gaze connects with mine, his voice steady and unyielding. “That's a vow, a promise, and a blood oath.”

A crash of shattered glass echoes from downstairs followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy boots crunching over broken glass. We freeze, hearts pounding, every instinct screaming. Intruders are in our house.

Asher’s gaze meets mine. “Taker her, brother.”

There’s no hesitation between us. I slide my arms beneath Emma as Asher gently transfers her into my hold. A small sound escapes Emma’s lips as I peel her off Asher’s chest before he crawls to the bathroom door and peeks out. Hereyes are glazed and unfocused. She’s lost in the aftermath of her first orgasm and whatever-the-hell else took her down to that pool. I’ll never forget Asher rising from the darkness with her in his arms. Why did she do it? Was she so desperate to end everything? In my heart of hearts, I know there was a part of her that was. Many trauma victims go through that. The combination of physical and emotional overload left her vulnerable and disconnected and we were too slow to catch her when she fell.

We made the mistake of leaving her alone. Giving her space. It only gave her time for trauma to become the monster she didn’t need in her mind. I guide her face to my neck, positioning her nose against my scent gland. She’s our scent-matched mate and it will soothe her. She inhales deeply and thank fuck her body slackens against mine with a sigh that travels to that soft center in my soul reserved for her.

Asher pulls back, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s clear out there, but they’re close.”

Soren and I nod. My heart pounds in my chest as Asher stands and hovers in the frame, using his body as a shield.

Soren crawls out of the stall, upholstering and checking his saturated gun. “Our weapons are useless. Everything's soaked through. The electronics are probably fried, too.”

I shift Emma's weight as I stand, my mind racing through options. “We need to get to the kitchen. There’s a stash of weapons behind a false panel in the pantry. Three Glocks, spare mags, knives. We grab what we can, then make for the SUV in the garage through access from the kitchen. I’m not facing them empty-handed. Not with Emma.”

Soren nods, his face set. “Agreed.”

Emma nuzzles deeper into my neck. She’s not cognizant of what’s happening and I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. Her breath comes in soft puffs against my skin, her body trembling from reaching her absolute limits.

“The stairs are out,” Asher says in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the bedroom door. His muscles are coiled tight, ready to spring into action. He cocks an ear. “They're already halfway up.”

Soren creeps to the window, fingertips quiet on the latch. “We go this way.”

I nod. There's no time for debate. There’s no other way out of this room bar the door.

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