Page 59 of Knot All Is Lost: Part 2

“So, what happened when she ran away?” I pressed.

“Yoram told me I had a week to find her or he was going to kill me. Then out of the blue he told me it was over and I wouldn’t get any money, but I’d live. Two nights ago, I got a call saying she was gone and that he needed to find her but couldn’t look for her himself. He told me where to start and said look here,” he answered, letting the words flow out of him like a geyser.

Taking his right hand, I gripped the pointer finger. “Thank you for being honest, I too will let you live, but you won’t be able to touch anyone else, let alone yourself, when I’m done with you.”

No longer needing information, I worked quickly until he passed out from the pain and slumped in the seat. Getting out of the car, I waved over the two cops. “He’s good to go, the Lieutenant already knows what his crimes are but if you have any questions contact Official Stone’s people and they will get you in touch with us.”

News of Marius having an Omega was going to spread much faster saying it so casually to these people, but I didn’t have time to care. Knowing who she was bonded to would offer more protection, and she needed every ounce of it until Yoram was killed. I wouldn’t put it past that man to have backup plans to the moon. Son of a bitch was crafty and I wasn’t going to allow myself to be surprised or caught off guard.

Entering the shelter, I noticed the lobby was cleared out and only the staff and my pack were left. It was odd to think of them as my pack when I never thought I’d have one. These guys were good men, and at least I knew most of them, having met them at events and other government functions. Spencer, of course was good people, and we’d become friends of sorts. Bodhi and Oscar were the two I didn’t really know at all, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that Bodhi and I understood each other on a certain level. The silent Alpha was the one who was hard to figure out and it had nothing to do with the fact he couldn’t speak. In some ways, I envied him because the moment he needed to say something everyone shut the fuck up and listened.

The one thing I knew without a doubt was that he loved myKeksíkas much as I did. Really, that’s the most important thing, the rest can be figured out in time as we all get to know each other. Panic started to rise as I saw Cambrie curled up in a ball on Oscar’s lap, with Rafael on one side and Bodhi on the other. She didn’t move and if it wasn’t for her breathing, I might have thought she was dead.

Slowly I approached, unsure of what reaction I was going to get from her. She could still be in shock, or her body could be on the defensive, ready to run at the perception of danger. Not wanting to speak and knowing everyone here knew sign language I used that. “Is she okay?”

Oscar looked at me with sad eyes and shook his head. “She won’t talk, since you hung up with her she hasn’t said a word, just sat here almost as if she’s waiting for you.”

“Did he hurt her? Say something to her?” I pressed, trying to understand what I might be dealing with once I let her know I was here.

Rafael shifted and pushed up the sleeve of her shirt to show a bruise the size of a man’s hand. “This is the only mark. He grabbed her hair but Oscar got to him before anything worse could happen.”

“You gave him the broken nose?” I asked. Oscar nodded solemnly. “Good, I broke his hands for good measure, but I don’t feel like it’s enough.”

“It’s a start, he deserves far worse,” Oscar commented.

“I agree,” I said aloud to see if Cambrie would perk up. “Keksík, I’m here. Can you wake up for me?”

Her eyes slowly opened, and I gazed into their shining crystal blue color that didn’t have the same life to them as they normally did. “There you are.”

She shifted and reached out for me and I squatted so I could pull her off Oscar’s lap and hug her tight. “It’s over, Cambrie, he is going to jail for the rest of his miserable life and won’t ever be able to touch you. You’re finally safe, my sweet girl, we got them all.”

Cambrie wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed so tightly I was afraid she might actually cut off my airflow. “It’s over? You promise?” she whispered in my ear.

“I can’t promise that all danger is gone, but the ones we know about have been dealt with. You know what else I know?” I asked.

She loosened her hold to lean back and look me in the eyes, shaking her head.

“What I know is that no matter what, your pack will always protect you. Plus, now that I have the important stuff, I’m not going to leave your side. I’ll be with you wherever you go, like your guardian angel,” I vowed. “As long as there’s breath in my body, I will love you and keep you safe. Do you believe me?”

“Yes, I believe you,” she answered.

“Good. Now, we’re all going to go home, make dinner, and start our lives together as a pack. This night marks the end of the old and the beginning of the new,” I explained, setting her down. “Now you went to the grocery store so did you have a plan on what we should make?”

“No, they don’t make plans, they just make whatever they feel like,” Cambrie shared. “That seems silly to me, but I was willing to see how it goes.”

“I agree that does seem silly, guess we’ll just have to unload it all at the house and see what we come up with,” I decided. Reaching down, I cupped her face and pulled her into a kiss. “We’ll get through this together, tonight was unexpected, but we’ll do better. We’ll always do better by you.”

Chapter 26

WhenIwenttosleep, I was tucked into my nest with my whole pack around me. Marius had joined us just as we were getting settled. He didn’t say much other than it could wait for the morning. No one seemed to argue, having had enough excitement for one day. Just as Savo had said, my pack would always be there for each other, and I think Marius needed a cuddle puddle as much as I did. They let him pull me to his chest and I burrowed as close as I could get to him. Our bond seemed to let out a sigh of relief now that we were together. Seems that issue was going to need to be addressed but it, like everything else, would wait until later.

My night was full of fitful dreams, ones that I hadn’t had since coming to this home, but seeing Father had rattled them loose. I’d thought having my bonded Alphas with me would have kept them at bay, but they were determined to remind me of all the awful things that had happened to me. Each time I woke up one of my men was there to comfort me. Purring echoed through the mattress with all of them using it to calm my nerves. It would take me a little while, but I would eventually fall back asleep.

When the sunlight shone through the skylight into my room, I watched through the shroud of gauze that surrounded my nest as puffy clouds passed by. I didn’t know how long I’d been awake, but I was content to lie here wrapped up in the arms of my loved ones. Savo had wiggled his way between my legs, so his head was on my stomach. Rafael had decided I would use him as a pillow and my head rose and fell with his steady breathing. Nixon and Marius ended up in an odd formation with each of their heads close to my body as they angled away. Oscar had my other side, but he was sprawled on his back with Bodhi resting on his chest, his arm flung across his Alpha to hold my hand.

The one person I couldn’t locate was Spencer, but I was too afraid to move and wake anyone. So, I reached out through our bond finding he was indeed here, probably hidden by one of our Alpha’s large bodies. I’d given them all a restless night, the least I could do was give them a few hours of sleep. My mind wandered as I watched the clouds, replaying everything that happened from the moment I heard his voice call my name.Why did I freeze?I could have run away or just headed for one of the guys. What was it that made me unable to do anything? Even with Arthur, I could have stood up for myself and not turned into a statue. Why, why was he different?

Lips caressed my cheek, alerting me that Marius was awake. He kissed along my jaw, and down my neck until he reached his mark. This time, instead of kissing it he let his tongue run over it, making me shiver as pleasure ran through my body. “Good morning, my Princess,” Marius purred into my ear. “I could feel the weight of your thoughts and figured it might be a good idea to distract you.”

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