Page 79 of Knot on the Market

"He had Callum calling around and sending Levi out to get all the things on his list," I continue, testing the water temperature with my elbow. "This is the good stuff, everything designed for omega skin after heat. Nothing that'll irritate or overwhelm."

Lila's eyes are suspiciously bright as she takes in the care that's gone into this preparation. "He really did all this for me?"

"We all did," I correct gently. "Julian planned it, Maeve and Levi brought the supplies, Callum helped me get everything set up, and I get to help you enjoy it. Team effort."

The water is perfect, hot enough to soothe aching muscles, but not so hot it'll overwhelm her sensitized skin. I add a careful measure of the bath salts Julian selected, watching them dissolve into silky softness.

"Okay, sweetheart," I say, turning back to her. "Let's get you cleaned up."

I help her stand, my hands steady on her waist as she finds her balance. The vulnerability in letting me see her like this, help her with something so basic, makes something protective and tender settle deeper in my chest.

"I've got you," I murmur as I help her step into the tub. "Easy does it."

The sigh that escapes her when the warm water surrounds her is pure bliss. She sinks down until the water covers her shoulders, her whole body melting into relaxation for the first time in days.

"Oh my God," she breathes, her eyes falling closed. "This is incredible."

"Good," I say, settling on the bathroom stool Julian thoughtfully positioned beside the tub. "You just relax. Let me do the work."

I start with her hair, using a cup to wet it carefully, making sure no soap gets in her eyes. The shampoo Julian picked smells like honey and chamomile.

"Lean back," I instruct, my fingers working gently through her scalp. "There you go."

Washing someone's hair is more intimate than I expected. The trust it requires, the vulnerability of closing your eyes and letting someone else take care of something so basic. Lila melts under my touch, little sounds of contentment escaping her as I massage the shampoo through her tangled hair.

"No one's ever done this for me before," she says quietly, her eyes still closed.

The admission hits me like a physical blow. "What do you mean?"

"Washed my hair. Taken care of me when I was..." She gestures vaguely at herself. "Like this. Vulnerable, I guess. Dustin and his pack, they weren't really the aftercare type. Heat was something to get through, not something to recover from."

The casual way she mentions her ex-pack, like their shitty behavior was normal, makes my hands clench. What kind of alphas don't take care of their omega after heat? What kind of assholes see this as a chore instead of the privilege it actually is?

"That's their loss," I say, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. Not anger at her, but at the idiots who made her think getting taken care of was weird instead of normal.

"Tilt your head back, sweetheart. Let me rinse this out."

She obeys, trusting me completely, and I use the cup to pour clean water through her hair until it runs clear. Taking care of her like this, being allowed to do this for her, makes my chest feel too tight and too full at the same time.

While the conditioner sits, I use a soft washcloth to gently clean her shoulders, her arms, being careful around any sensitive spots.

"Dean?" Her voice is softer now, thoughtful.

"Yeah?"

"What happens now? I mean, after this. When we go back downstairs and have to figure out what we are to each other."

The question I've been wanting her to ask and dreading at the same time. Because I know what I want. I want her, want all of us together, want to build something real in this little town where people actually fix things instead of throwing them away. But I also know she needs space to figure out what she wants without us pressuring her.

"Whatever you want to happen," I say honestly, focusing on rinsing conditioner from her hair so I don't have to meet her eyes. "We're not going anywhere, Lila. But you get to decide what this looks like going forward."

"What if I don't know yet?”

"Then you take all the time you need," I say simply. "We'll be here when you're ready."

She's quiet for a long moment, then asks. "What do you want? Not what you think I want to hear, what do you actually want?"

The directness catches me off guard. Most people dance around the hard stuff, but Lila's asking for honesty. The least I can do is give it to her.

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