Page 144 of Knot Their Soldier: Part One
“What’s the matter, Viper? You feeling cuddly?” Blaze’s husky voice sounds from across the space. His eyes have returned to their usual icy blue and his typical smirk is in place.
Viper grunts and mumbles, “Maybe.”
Our giant Alpha isn’t resistant to cuddling for warmth on missions, or any time really. It just takes a long, long time to get to his soft, squishy center.
I stand, and my entire body creaks as I stretch. Two of my three teammates have punched me, and my body is slower to heal than an Alpha’s. My cheekbone is still tender and my ribs have partially fused back together. My muscles are sore too. It’ll be at least a week before I’m fully healed.
The weight of what we just endured has sunk deep into my bones. Tough conversations need to be had but I just don’t have the energy.
I hear Blaze’s stomach growl from across the camp, and I roll my eyes. Some things never change. Alphas are ravenous creatures. “Sit tight, I’ll get you some breakfast.”
“Me too, please,” a small, croaky voice chirps from inside the tent, and I smile.
Halley is awake and lucid.
A rumbling sound of pleasure comes from across the clearing as Blaze reacts to her voice.
I clear my throat. “Baby girl, you doing okay in there?”
There’s a rustling sound, and the tent flap peels back. Halley is wrapped in a swath of blankets, her flushed face peeking out between the folds.
“Yeah. I’m okay. I… I’m so sorry.” Her voice wobbles and then breaks as her face crumples in despair.
On instinct, I throw my arms out wide, and she darts forward and presses her face into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and thank whatever deity there is that I get to hold her close.
“I’ve got you, baby girl.”
Fuck, she still smells so good. Her heat may have broken, but her scent is still thick on her skin.
“I don’t understand. I’ve never gone into heat like that before.” Halley trembles and sniffs into my t-shirt. Her little fists clench in the material and tug with anxiety.
I pat her back. I’ve learned my lesson to keep my damn mouth shut and my theories to myself.
“I-I don’t remember much,” she mumbles into my chest, rubbing her cheeks back and forth. She’s scenting me, I realize. “Did I do anything embarrassing?”
I clear my throat and shake my head. She doesn’t need to know how she begged each of us to fuck her.
Her eyes dart to the tree line behind me, and she cries out. “Blaze!”
Halley pulls away from me and staggers towards the soldier tied to the tree. I quickly wrap an arm around her stomach and tug her back to me.
“Don’t come closer, Sparkles, unless you want a new accessory on your neck,” Blaze calls with a smirk. His body is tense and his voice strained. I can tell how much it’s killing him to deny her.
He tugs on the rope to prove the point. The tree groans in protest, leaves rustling and floating to the ground around us.
“Shade, why did you tie Blaze to a tree?” Halley asks, but I think she knows why. Her lower lip wobbles and I can see my own guilt mirrored within her.
“I’m sorry, baby, but he wouldn’t stay away, and Viper…”
“Where’s Viper?”
A thump sounds from the truck and Halley looks at me incredulously before storming over to the vehicle. I have to pry her hands off the handle to stop her from climbing in after him.
Viper figures out what is happening and calls out to her. “Pretty girl, it’s fine. I’m fine.”
She makes a cute hurrumphing sound and stomps her foot like a petulant child. “But you’re locked in there alone!”
“I lost control. It’s better if I’m in here where I can’t hurt you. I don’t trust myself, little Omega, especially not with the way you smell. You smell so sweet, I think I might eat you whole.”
