Page 25 of Knot Forever

“The second time was longer,” she whispers. “And… they didn’t leave me alone, that time. They didn’trapeme. I wanted to please them, so I didn't argue with whatever they wanted to do, but it hurt. I should have run after that first time, but Adam came home and he was soangrywith them all, especially Julian. I thought things would be better. But it wasn’t even a week, and Adam put me in there himself. He said I needed to learn to be part of apack,and they would teach me.”

Her voice breaks and I tug her into me, her head fitting into the crook of my neck as her tears dampen my skin. I fight back the pulsating fury vibrating in my bones to go out and rip them apart right now. To make sure that Nova never has to breathe the same damn air as those assholes ever again.

My arms wrap around her as she cries silently, the small snuffling sounds just about cracking my chest in half. Her sobs are silent and it doesn’t feel natural, like it’s been drilled into her not to make any noise, not to make a fuckingnuisanceof herself.

I don’t know how long we stay there for, Nova curled into me as she lets out all of the emotion she’s been hiding for fuck knows how long.

My phone is probably going crazy in the kitchen, my meticulously planned day in chaos, but I couldn’t give a shit, not when I can feel her agony resonating in my chest like it’s my own.

Thank fuck I raised my paddle. Thank fuck Asher saw the potential in outbidding the Williams pack. Because if they’d taken her last night, I have no doubt that it wouldn’t have been long before she was suffering even worse than she did the first time.

And the thought that we might have missed out on her… that’s not a thought I want in my head.

This omega is rapidly carving out her own place inside my heart, and I have no objections to that at all.

When she finally raises tear-stained cheeks and wide eyes, she bites her lip. “I’m—”

“No saying you’re sorry,” I say firmly. “I’m glad you told me about this, Nova. And I meant what I said. I believe you.”

She stares at me with something close to wonder. “You believe me.”

God. What kind of fucking parents does she have? I’m half-minded to add them to the fucking hit list I’m building, but I need to look into it more. Something isn’t adding up here.

I smooth a hand over her hair. “I do. And you’re never going near those assholes again, Nova. I swear it.”

Chapter fourteen – Nova

Severalhoursaftermyconfession to Seth, I’m feeling a little better. My clothes arrived, so at least my mother sent them on, even if she did include a terse note that made my stomach flip over when I found it tucked beneath a handful of silk dresses.

Remember your commitments.

As far as I’m concerned, I only have one commitment, and I’m giving it everything. Thirty days with the King pack may have seemed nerve wracking at first, but with every passing hour it feels more like I’ve been thrown a lifeline I didn’t realize I was desperately reaching for.

These men are nothing like I would have expected. There are no arguments, no anger, in this pack. They seem to know each other so well that their interactions feel seamless, and it makes me want to know more about their background. I want to know more about them, and where… where I might fit into that.

Because I’m realizing that I might very much want to fit into this pack.

So now I’m here, staring at the board in the kitchen that sets out everyone’s daily routine in meticulous detail. It’s another glimpse into their life, and I’m learning more every moment that I spend scanning the detailed lists. Marcus, in particular, has his day broken down into precise slots, and my suspicions are confirmed as I scan them.

6am – wake up, shower

6.30am – workout

7.15am – breakfast

8am – work

12pm – lunch

And so the list continues, right up until bedtime. I check the clock hanging above the island and see that it’s nearly time for his lunch.

It only takes me a few minutes to put together a BLT, thanks to the well-stocked fridge, and I carry it down to the office Seth pointed out earlier, an unopened bottle of water under my arm as I hover in front of the door. I’m belatedly realizing that my brilliant plan may not have been such a brilliant idea after all.

The door opens before I can disappear, and I glance up at Marcus as he stops, his hand on the door handle. He glances down to the plate in my hand with a frown.

“Hi,” I say shyly. “I thought – I think it’s your lunchtime, right? I thought you might want a sandwich.”

Marcus lifts a hand to his blonde hair as he looks between the sandwich and my face, clearing his throat. “I… I normally have a sub.”

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