Page 43 of Knot Excused
“3-5 weeks?” yelped Teddy. “Please, no! I need something now. I want to show you now, Piper. I’ll do anything.”
“A rush job?” said Otis, scandalized. “The Spirits can not berushedin these delicate matters.”
“What if I added another $30K,” said Rook, “on top of the usual fees and our deep respect for the Spirits?”
“Perhaps,” Otis said, “something could be arranged. But I will make no promises.”
“We will await their ruling,” Rook said, clasping his hands together.
“Thus concludes your therapy session,” I said.
CHAPTER22
Erain
Piper was allowing us to meet her for lunch at the Capitol’s most exclusive French restaurant? That was a good thing, right?
Right?
I have to believe it.
Even though technically the restaurant wouldn’t open for an hour yet, I was there early because I was just desperate to see my Omega. It’s only been a few days since we brought her back to the Capitol, and I’ve barely eaten, barely slept, can’t think of anything through my panic at the broken mate bond.
And the goddamn thing is that the more I see of Piper, the more I find to adore.
Now that she’s not bothering to hide her scent behind cigarettes and awful perfume, I can smell her everywhere, track her down all over the palace grounds. It’s driving me half-crazed with desire.
I walked into the waiting room and there was Piper. My heart gave a leap in my chest, pounding with feverish need.
But she was not alone. Not only did she have Beatrice, Cressida, and Teddy’s damn twins there, but there were dozens of other high-ranking Betas and even some Alphas I didn’t recognize.
“Welcome to my competition for choosing an Alpha Pack,” Piper said. “We’re all here to try to fix this this scent match mistake.”
Piper’s boots were up on a chair, and all I could think about was how hot she looked and how much I wanted to fall to my knees in front of her and beg to be able to run my tongue up her leg.
“There was no mistake,” I croaked out, gutted despite myself at her rejection. Even though I reminded myself that we have to build trust back with Piper, it still stung so badly.
And even worse, my cock was twitching at her scent. I don’t want her to think all I care about is fucking and knotting, but her scent drives me so fucking wild I can’t control my dick.
“Can we find a table and talk?” I asked, trying to subtly stand behind a chair so she couldn’t see the thick bulge in my pants.
“No thanks,” Piper said, grabbing the arm of an Alpha I don’t recognize, sliding her slim hand up his meaty bicep.
Where the fuck did she find this guy? All the Alphas in the entire fucking Capitol should know not to touch what’s Pack Skystone’s.
Her fingers tighten on his upper arm, and it’s like a hard punch to my gut seeing her even touch anyone else, and my stomach heaves remembering what happened with Mario, who I’d still fucking love to kill.
“Piper, no—“ I started forward, tangling over my tongue, and everyone looks at me like I’ve gone insane.
Because I’ve never acted like this in all my damn life.
“Please don’t. I’ll do anything, please.”
“Please don’t what? Touch Benjamin here?”
She ran her hand further up his arm, wrapping her fingers as far as she could go around him.
This Alpha was a big bruiser, looked like an active juicer, and he only grinned at me.
