Page 45 of Knot Alone

Maggie

After the last round, we stumbled out of the bathroom on shaky legs. We collapsed to the bed for a desperately needed but unsatisfying nap because none of us had the sense to dry off properly. Graham rolled onto the floor with the best of the dry blankets, but then the mother hen couldn’t help himself and dragged us with him.

The nap turned into another snack time. Or rather, snack time for Graham and I. Linus refused to budge from his sprawl amongst the pillows.

Graham and I didn’t complain. Graham just adjusted the tone of the room’s lights to make Linus’ pale skin glow. Graham tugged me against his chest and we both spent a while staring at the perfect curve of Linus’ spine and the tangled mess of his black hair. Like we’re tourists in a museum and Linus is Pygmalion come to life.

Linus cracked one eye and told Graham to stop watching him sleep. ‘It’s bad enough that Graham does it. Graham isn’t allowed to teach me too.’

That led to several stories about Graham’s more artistic voyeuristic tendencies. And to me, blushing like a schoolgirl at the thought of being naked in front of Graham with a sketchbook.

“You’re winding down,” Graham says.

“What?” I startle back to awareness from a daydream about lying there, pressed against Linus while Graham traces our contours.

“You haven’t blushed the last few days. If you can, that means you’re winding down.”

And I am. I’m not quite done with my heat yet, but I’m close enough that if I was at home, I’d be back to some of my regular life. I’m sore and there’s still a slight burning in my belly, but I’m close to normal. I’m a little melancholy at the thought of finishing here, so I drag the duvet tight around my body and sink flat to the ground where I don’t have to look at them.

“If I were at home,” I say to the ceiling, “I’d already have children banging on my door.”

“What?” Linus pops up from his face-down sprawl on the carpet beside me.

“I’d almost be done with my heat, so the kids would’ve snuck past their parents and gotten to my room already.”

Graham pauses in crunching his way through carrot sticks. The tone says the Alphas are doing a silent stare that holds an entire conversation. They’re not trying to exclude me, but I ache with it anyway. I can’t not be alone with two people so in love as them.

“Like, to check on you?” Linus asks.

“No. I’m the only Omega in my family and none of the children, or even the adults, understand it.” I tell the ceiling. “The kids think it’s like having the flu. But the kids have seen me have the flu before, and Auntie Maggie returned their phone calls.”

“But you’re in heat,” Linus says, and I don’t need to see to know Graham put a hand on him to make him stop and take a breath.

“When I’m at home, I keep my phone with me. Last heat, I was helping my nephew with his geography homework about this time.”

“He didn’t video chat, did he?” Graham jokes, a little strained.

“No.” I smile. But the Alphas stay silent. I can’t help myself and glance over at them, wishing I could be part of the silent conversation they’re having.

Instead, I sit up; the blanket slides down, exposing the line of my back and ass. I pull the blanket tight like a downy coat, keeping an arm pressed to my breasts, uncomfortable with their eyes for the first time in days.

Linus gulps, but not in arousal. That stings. I’ve made him uncomfortable.

“This would be nice outside.” Linus blurts.

I furrow, and Graham looks just as confused as I feel. Sex outside isn’t something Linus would recommend.

“The picnic.” He stumbles. “We should have the picnic outside. When we’re not… here. It’s supposed to be beautiful weather.” He says lightly, like he’s not scrambling for something to say.

I glance at Graham, who’s looking at Linus with such a sweet smile that it makes me want to cry.

“Graham and I always used to go on picnics for our dates, and it’s a good tradition to continue.”

“I chose picnics because I couldn’t afford anything else.” Graham teases.

“You can now, darling.” Linus murmurs, and they kiss.

The touch is tender, born of the certainty of a thousand kisses that came before. My grief is so painful it douses the heat still simmering in my veins.

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