Page 34 of Knot Excused
“Get the fuck away from me,” I yelled, drumming up and down on his chest with my muddy boots.
But it didn’t even make an impression on him.
Erain threw his head back and howled, a low curious wild sound that made something squirm deep inside me and I felt very grateful I had taken my heat suppressants.
I just hoped to hell they’d work until I figured out what to do.
He howled again, then stopped abruptly and I heard him take a long deep sniff of me, like some sort of scent addict, and I kicked at him even harder. Goddamn, he was practically panting.
“Stop howling in my ear,” I said irritably. “I’m sure you don’t need all that to make them hear you.”
“Sorry,” he said, in a gruff low voice.
I knew perfectly well it was useless to struggle, but I still beat on his back and kicked Erain as hard as I could in the chest, even though he didn’t make any sound. Apparently he was stronger than he looked.
“You were right,” I said. “We aren’t fated mates after all. Just put me down and we’ll call it even. Better luck next time, boys.”
“Wearefated mates,” a low voice rumbled, and suddenly Rook and Teddy emerged from the shadows, both panting heavily.
“Are you ok, Piper?” Teddy asked anxiously, bounding toward me, carefully moving my long ponytail so he could see my face.
His hands were trembling.
“Call off your muscle,” I said, looking at Rook. “I don’t want to go with you.”
Rook looked even more like a stone gargoyle.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment. His face seemed expressionless, but if I concentrated, I thought I could see a muscle throb in his jaw, pulse in his cheek. “It’s not safe for you out here. You have to come back with us.”
“Ofcoursewe’re fated mates,” Teddy said eagerly.
His big baby blue eyes shone at me out of a face smeared with dirt and mud and he was shaking so hard that I saw him grip the side of his pants.
“No such thing,” I said.
“Let’s take her home,” Erain put in, and I felt him twist his head back and forth. “These woods might be dangerous.”
“There hasn’t been a feral Alpha in this country since before I was born,” I interrupted, but they seemed to be freaked out, so I was hauled through the woods and back to Rook’s Jeep, which was steaming in the front, and the front gates of the Enclave lay bowed and smashed in front of it.
“You’re going to have to pay for that,” I warned, but I was interrupted by Erain putting me down and then hugging me so tightly I wasn’t able to breathe for a second.
“What are you doing, freak? Stop that!” I protested, and Rook had to shove Erain aside to break us apart.
“Sorry, I’m just so—happy you’re all right,” he gasped and I rolled my eyes.
“You can sit up front with me,” Rook interrupted, opening the front door.
I contemplated making another break for it but apparently this was what I got for perfuming in my room so I hopped inside.
Rook kept swallowing convulsively, and there was a smear of blood on the front of what used to be a white shirt.
“What happened to you guys?” I asked, flipping down my mirror to look at Erain and Teddy in the back. “You were never much to look at, not compared to my Mario, of course, but you look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge.”
“His name is Mario?” Rook asked.
Fuck.
I forgot Rook was smart.
