Page 135 of Chain Me Knot

Emma blinks awake one morning, her lashes fluttering, her gaze clear for the first time in days. Phoenix is half-sprawled over her legs, his face pressed to her calf, his breathing slow. Soren’s fingers are tangled in her hair, possessive even in sleep. My palm rests on her hip, my thumb brushing over a faded scar.

And her smile is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen—sunlight and softness and peace.

Her voice is a whisper, rough from overuse, but so sure. “I love you, Alphas.”

“You’re our everything, Omega,” I whisper back.

Soren stirs, pressing his lips to her wrist before throwing an arm around her waist. Phoenix hums against her skin where he’s tangled in her legs, his fingers tightening around her ankle. And I tighten my grip on her hip, my chest so full it hurts.

Her eyes close as she sighs, her body loose, her heartbeat steady against mine.

Asleep.

Healed.

Ours.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Emma

The heat under my feet softens as the tide creeps up to kiss my toes. Salt and sun tangle in my hair, and I tip back my head, closing my eyes for a heartbeat, soaking in the sensation of the whole world open wide around me. The water shivers over my skin, cool and alive, washing away anything sharp or stained that still lingers deep in muscle and bone.

Mira stands at my side, our hands linked, fingers laced. Her laughter, a quiet, irrepressible sound, bubbles up as a wave swirls around our ankles, ice-bright and insistent. She’s sun-warmed and barefoot, hair a wild tumble over her shoulders. She’s shining, all softness and victory.

We’re free—really free.

The familiar voices of our alphas rise above the rush of the surf. I spot Adrian, steadfast and broad, his hand gesturing as he speaks. Cole’s smile flashes and Zane’s eyes crinkle with dry amusement. A little apart, but always close, Asher’s arms are folded over his chest. Soren’s posture is gently guarded, the sea-wind ruffling his hair. Phoenix laughs at whatever Adrian is saying, his energy crackling loud as ever.

They’re at ease, but an edge of concern still underlies their every movement. Hardwick is still out there somewhere, and she has Leah, but I know our alphas won’t stop looking until she’s found.

There are changes though, and those are within me. There is no cage keeping me locked in. No darkness to stifle me. No cuff around my ankle to keep me contained. There’s sunlight, the taste of salt on my lips and the crisp, fresh breeze on my face.

This beach isn’t cold and empty or lonely, as I once thought I wanted. This beach is warm and alive with love and friendship. Mates and family is a thousand times better than I thought it could ever be.

Mira squeezes my hand and smiles while the waves dance around us, and the world is entirely ours in my little slice of paradise.

“Did you really mean it? About the house?” I glance over at her, doubt slipping through my smile. “It’s just… It’s a lot, Mira. To let me just have it. Not that I don’t appreciate it. It’s beautiful. And very generous.”

Mira meets my gaze with that steady honesty she never lost, not even when everything else was torn away. “I meant it, Emma. It’s yours. Weeks, months, for the rest of your life if you want it. You’re family, Emma. Sisters. And you know my mates think of you as a sister too. You belong here, just as much as any of us.”

Her words fill the hollow I hadn’t even realized was still aching. It’s such a generous offer. I can only shake my head, overwhelmed and grateful. Mira’s arm comes around me and she hugs me sideways. “Emma. I’d have given everything to have you back again.”

“You too.” I press my face into her shoulder, trying to laugh but choking up instead. “My alphas are happy here too,” I admit, a little shy, a little awestruck by how true it is.

Phoenix takes me out along the sand every day, sometimes teasing, sometimes silent, always holding my hand the way I crave. Asher surprises me with baskets of fruit and cheese and those little sandwiches I can never remember the name of, laying out picnic cloths on the sand so I can watch the waves and eat. Soren jogs a ridiculous distance every morning, running up the hard-packed low tide sand, and always finishes by swimming out to the buoy and back, coming home dripping and proud.

We’re all happy here. Astonishingly, quietly, truly happy in a way I never believed was meant for omegas. My favorite place is my nest, though. The world shrinks and softens inside those walls. I’ve filled the space with blankets and pillows and clothes holding the scent of everyone I love, the little touches from each of my alphas. There’s nothing to fear there, and when everything is quiet, I still hear the waves crashing in the distance.

We discussed where we would live. My mates have a bachelor pad in the city they were more than happy to renovate to accommodate me, but this is home. Not just the comfort and softness, but the certainty that no one can take this happiness away.

I watch the waves pull and recede, their rhythm oddly soothing, but a weight settles at the base of my throat. “I wish all omegas could find this peace. This safety. I want it for every single one of us.”

Mira’s smile becomes sad. “We’re working toward it. Aubrey and Skylar are at the Healing Center. I visit every day. Zane’s sister, Sophie, is a force and she’s personally looking after them. They have the best care anyone could have, given the circumstances.” She hesitates, worry etched deep in her voice. “But…they’re both so traumatized, Em. Every step forward is slow.”

“Skylar was Hardwick’s pack omega. I can’t even begin to imagine how she was treated…” But I can, too well. The senator, the cold, hard twist of her voice and her calculated cruelty, was a monster in heels and pearls. She got off on our trauma. Lived for it.

And now she has Leah.

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