Page 27 of Knot Shattered
I blinked slowly, my body still half-draped in soft golden blankets, the scent of citrus and warm flannel wrapped around me. A sleepy smile pulled at my lips, and I tucked my face deeper into one of my oldest pillows, the one that smelled like vanilla and fabric softener and had a small, hidden tear in the seam that I never fixed because I liked to press my thumb into it when I was anxious.
This was mine—all of it.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t wake up with my heart pounding or my stomach twisted in knots. I just felt… full. Safe. Warm.
And maybe a little smug.
Not only did I still have every piece of my nest, but I also had four massive, overprotective alphas who carried it, fluffed it, and rearranged it three times until I was satisfied.
I was just starting to drift again, tucked deep into the heart of my nest, when the thunder of approaching footsteps echoed down the hall.
I didn’t even have time to sit up before—
“Incoming!”
A blur of chaotic energy launched through the open bedroom door and landed with a dramatic oof right in the middle of my nest. My nest shifted and dipped beneath the sudden weight as Haze sprawled out beside me like anoverexcited puppy. His naked chest was distracting me with all of his golden skin. Is it normal to want to lick abs?
I groaned, dragging the edge of a blanket over my face. “Haze,” I mumbled, my voice half-buried in a pillow, “do you have any idea how long it took me to fluff that corner?”
He was already burrowing beneath the top layer of orange and gold throws, his dark hair sticking up in wild tufts and a delighted grin stretching across his face. “I regret nothing,” he announced proudly, snuggling dramatically against me. “It smells like heaven in here. Like sunshine and you.”
“You’re going to suffocate,” I said flatly, trying not to laugh as he wrapped himself in a swath of velvet like a very determined burrito.
From the doorway, Salem’s amused voice drifted in. “He’s been waiting all morning to do that.”
I turned my head and found him leaning casually against the frame, arms crossed, an indulgent smile tugging at his lips. His eyes, always calm and steady, softened as they landed on me.
“You’re really letting him destroy my nest?” I asked, raising a brow.
“He can rebuild it,” Salem said mildly, the corner of his mouth twitching. “He was the one who knocked over half your pillows trying to deliver snacks last night.”
“Sabotage,” Haze muttered from under the blankets. “I was trying to bring her chocolate.”
“You tripped over your own feet,” Salem replied dryly.
“I was distracted by how cute she looked.”
I flushed, rolling my eyes as I lightly smacked him with a nearby pillow. “You’re impossible.”
Haze beamed at me from where he was tangled in golden throws. “And yet, you adore me.”
I couldn’t even argue. Not when he looked so damn proud of himself.
“Oh, and by the way—” he added, suddenly serious in the way only Haze could manage while wrapped in fleece, “—breakfast is ready. Micha made those weird fancy eggs you like, and Ravik made a noise when I tried to steal bacon, so I’m assuming it’s good.”
“Wait… Micha cooked?” I blinked, propping myself up on an elbow.
“Real apron and everything,” Haze confirmed solemnly. “Salem took pictures.”
“Blackmail material,” Salem said with a satisfied nod. “For later.”
I laughed, warm and easy, as I sat up in my nest and brushed hair from my eyes. Haze looked up at me like I’d just split the clouds open and let the sun pour in.
“C’mon,” he said, reaching up and gently tugging on my hand. “We’ve got food. We’ve got coffee. And we’ve got a perfectly chaotic morning waiting for us.”
And gods help me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I finally rolled out of my nest, blanket still clinging to my legs like it didn’t want to let me go. Honestly, I didn’t blame it. But breakfast smelled too good to ignore—and the moment Haze said Micha had cooked? Curiosity alone got me moving.
