Page 66 of The Knotty Omega

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying. It’s just a car.”

“It can be overwhelming,” Mattie says softly, reaching out and running a hand down her arm.

“And, this close to your heat it’s perfectly normal to maybe feel things a little more than you usually would.” My voice is gentle as I close the distance and hug her front while Titus stays at her back. Archie and Mattie come on either side of us, and a second later we’re one big circle of alpha purring as our omega deals with her internal struggle.

“Okay. I think it’s time Betty helped someone else. Plus, the new one matches my hair.” She sniffles. “Thanks, you guys. For all of this. I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“Oh no,tesoro mio,” Matteo clicks his tongue. “This is a courting gift from the entire pack.”

A sudden gasp leaves Cady, having all of us tensing. “What is it?” Archie asks sharply.

“I just realized Ollie isn’t here! He’s going to be so pissed he missed out on pack cuddles.” She pouts as all of our shoulders sink in relief.

“He’ll live,” Titus mutters and presses a kiss to her hair.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Titus, Cady and I are settled in the living room after Archie and Mattie head to work. Archie would normally be working from home with Cady, but decided to accompany Mattie to his office today to work from there. Cady is on her laptop on the couch, Titus is in one of the recliners and I’m settled next to Cady with a book.

I don’t have a shift at the hospital until later tonight, so I’m free to hang out with my girl.

The day passes in a blur, Cady writing and answering emails, me ordering takeout for lunch for the three of us, and Titus periodically disappearing into his office to take phone calls. It’s all so domestic it warms my heart.

That is until I’m walking back from the bathroom and Cady yells in anger, “What thefuck?”

Titus and I are both rushing into the living room where Cady is sitting on the couch, staring at the screen of the computer with a snarl on her face.

“What is it?” Titus asks first, getting on his knees in front of her. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Wordlessly, she turns the computer screen to face him, and he takes it standing as his eyes scan the screen. Not a minute later, his anger surpasses Cady’s and he snarls. “Who the hell sent this? Why was it allowed in your inbox? Didn’t you say this inbox only gets submissions you’re supposed to give advice on for your article?”

She nods, her brow furrowing. “Online submissions get automatically sent to a team who filter out the garbage ones, and they only send me ones that will be featured in the magazine or the website.”

“What is it? An email?” I ask, looking between the two of them. Titus grunts, passing me the laptop before he leaves the room, muttering about ripping Cady’s Editor in Chief for allowing this to happen.

She stares blankly ahead and I frown, sitting down with the computer on my lap as I read the email, my stomach dropping further with each line I read.

Dear Knotty Omega,

There is an omega whore who ruined mine and my packs life. She wrote some nasty, derogatory things about us in a pretty popular advice column, and our omega left us. How should we take revenge on this alpha-hating bitch? Should we drug and fuck her until she agrees to become the replacement for the omega she lost us? Or should we slit her little fuck slut throat and hope the problem resolves itself after? I don’t know which option would be more enjoyable, though I do keep imagining how she would sound begging us for our cocks like the omega skank she is.

Signed,

The Wrong Pack to Piss Off

My hands are shaking by the time I set the laptop on the coffee table, and turn to Cady, gathering her in my arms. She’s clammy to the touch, but she buries her face in my neck as I try to gather a purr in my chest. As much as that upset me, it was directed at her and she needs my comfort.

I’ve finally stopped shaking when Titus enters the room, snarling into his cell phone. “What kind of operation are you running here, Grady? How did that email even make it into her inbox?”

He’s silent for a moment as he listens to the voice on the line. “Yeah, I know it’s supposed to be filtered, that’s the problem. One of your guys pushed it through to her inbox!” Another beat of silence. “Yeah. I’ll forward it to you. And I’ll have my guys see if they can prove the origination location of the email or who it belongs to. Your company is obviously compromised, Lone Star will be taking over your internal investigation. Yeah. I’ll tell her. Thanks.”

Titus hangs up the phone, and grabs her laptop, presumably to forward the email to her Editor in Chief before closing it and collapsing on the couch next to us.

“Grady says to not work anymore until after your heat.” Titus says in a tired voice. Cady starts to let out a sound of protest but he cuts in, “I think it’s a good idea. You don’t need the stress.”

She sighs and moves out of my hold so that she’s settled between us. “I know, I just—” she cuts off with a cry, her arms banding over her stomach. “Oh my god!”

My hand is feeling her head before I even realize what I’m doing. The clamminess she had a minute ago is gone, and in its place is a low grade fever. “It’s another heat spike,” I murmur to Titus. “What do you want us to do, sweetheart? Do you need a knot? Or do you want us to ease the ache?”

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