Page 156 of Knot Their Soldier: Part One
Seconds tick by.
And then he exhales and nods.
“Ours. She’s ours.”
“Fucking finally!”
“Shut up, Blaze,” we grunt in chorus.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Halley
I’m safe and warm and cozy in my nest.
In here there are no crazed Alphas to kill.
“We have to move.” Shade’s soothing voice washes over me like warm molasses.
“Sparkles!” Blaze sounds wired, speaking quick like he’s had a shot of coffee. “I have so much to tell you. I strung two people up and—”
“Now is not the time,” Knox chastises the excitable pyromaniac. Or, I guess his fixation with rope makes him more of a rope-bunny. I snort to myself, giggling at my own little joke. I don’t want to rouse from my nest, but the voices are getting louder, making my head pound in rhythm with my heartbeat.
I inhale deeply, yearning to indulge in their scents while they’re close by.
Instead, I choke on the sharp coppery smell of blood.
My eyes fly open, and I shoot upright in my nest, eyes wide.
Blaze is coated in blood. It’s dried in a red river from his nose down his neck into his torn shirt. Knox has blood splatted over his face, like something exploded close by. His hands are bright red, like his glowing eyes.
A strangled cry of horror slips past my lips. “You’re hurt!”
Blaze rushes forward, cupping my cheeks in his hands and staring deeply into my eyes. “It’s not my blood.”
I blink.
Not his blood? I look back at his face and glare with accusation.
Does he think I’m stupid? It was clear that his nose had been broken so badly that blood was flowing down his face.
I poke his nose with a ‘boop.’
“Ah, fuck!”
A rumble of laughs drown out his extended profanities.
After he’s done, he looks sheepishly at me through his thick lashes. “Thought you’d be too far gone in O-space to know any better.”
“I’m here. I slipped out for a few minutes, but I’m back and I feel better.”
I’m trying to reframe my O-space from a weakness to a helpful coping method. Sometimes I need strength, and other times my brain just needs some alone time. I just need to trust my body knows what I need.
“Shade tells us you’re responsible for the mess outside,” Knox says with a hoarse grunt.
I purse my lips together, my eyes darting to Shade.
“And you dealt with the threat admirably.”
