Page 84 of Knot Our Reality

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make any of you uncomfortable.” I glance around the table.

“I am sure,” Nikolai says. “We are sure. You need eat. Now.”

I roll my eyes at his bossy demeanor, but lower myself back into my seat and dive back into my food.

Conversation rolls around the table, with everyone throwing in comments here and there while I remain quiet.

It’s not because I have nothing to say, but because I enjoy watching their camaraderie. It warms my heart.

Would it really be so bad to have a fifteen-person pack? I shake my head at that thought. There’s no way I can get away withnotchoosing.

Plus, fifteen dicks are a lot.

Yeah, I’ll definitely need to narrow down the pool. Though I have no idea how.

That’s a problem for later. For now, I’m just going to enjoy my time getting to know them.

On Tuesday, I take Malik and Gavin for a daytime date. We’re at Sip ‘n Slide, taking a pottery class, and we’re all doing terribly.

“I can’t get mine to stop being crooked,” I say with a giggle, tilting my head as I look at what’s meant to be a vase, but really just looks like a leaning tower of clay.

Gavin snickers, glancing back at him as it falls apart once more. “And I keep trying to make mine too thin.”

Malik grunts, having given up on his piece twenty minutes ago. “I don’t think I like pottery.”

“We don’t give up just because something is hard,” Michael says as he stops in front of the three of us. “Although, these are pretty bad.”

I shrug. “I think I’d be much better at this if I could drink.”

Michael tries to bite back his laughter but completely fails. Gavin and I join in his laughter while Malik glares at the three of us.

I’m not sure if he’s having a bad day or what, but he really hasn’t been his usual self today.

“Bree told me to tell you hello,” I tell him once we calm down. “She says she’s going to call you soon, but she’s crazy busy.”

Michael waves me off. “I just talked to her when she booked this class for you. She’s crazy.”

I nod. “That she is, and while I appreciate your efforts in teaching us pottery, I don’t think we’re quite getting it.”

“I can see that. Let’s try this one more time, and we’ll see if I can give you some pointers.”

For the next hour, Michael works more hands-on with me and Gavin until we have a completed vase. Malik had no interest in trying again, so he just watched.

“Thank you, Michael.” I shake his hand, smiling at the omega. I remember him from Bree’s season because Remington couldn’t stop talking about him. He was born a beta and transitioned to being an omega between the first and second seasons.

If I didn’t already know his story, I would never have guessed that he wasn’t born an omega.

“Now, you just need to choose the glaze you’d like. We’ll take care of finishing everything up and have it delivered to the compound,” Michael says as he leads us out of the room. “I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy pottery, Malik. If you come again, maybe we’ll be able to find the art form that calls to you.”

Malik frowns. “I’m just not sure art is for me. I’ve never really enjoyed it, nor understood how alphas can. It’s not quite masculine enough for alphas, I don’t think.”

Michael’s face falls, and I can tell he’s hurt by Malik’s words. Unfortunately, the alpha doesn’t seem to notice the pain he caused.

Before Michael can say anything, a man steps out of one of the other rooms. “Michael? Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m…uh…”

There’s the sound of a door slamming, followed by two sets of feet running toward us.

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