Page 45 of Knot Forever

“I’m okay,” I breathe. “I had a heat spike.”

His smile is small, but it’s there. “We guessed. Your perfume was… intense.”

Oh. Embarrassed, I bury myself in him, unashamedly taking advantage as his arms wrap around me. They rock gently, and exhaustion catches up to me as I fight to keep my eyes open. Seth and Asher murmur above me, and a phrase catches my attention.

I untangle myself in a rush. “Where did you say Marcus was?”

Asher hesitates. I can see the challenge warring in his eyes of how much to tell me, and I point at him. “No lies between us, Asher. We don’t do lies.”

Seth coughs, but I refuse to acknowledge the silent laughter behind me. I didn’t lie about my heat. I just… didn’t say anything.

Anyway.

“Tell me where Marcus is.” I put my hands on my hips, scanning the tables as worry fills me. There’s no sign of him. “Now.”

Asher growls, yanking me towards him. “So fierce, Nova Chevnik.”

“Don’t distract me,” I tell him firmly. “It won’t work. Where is Marcus, Asher?”

He sighs. “He’s playing poker. Against Adam and Julian.”

My breath stutters. “He… what?”

Seth comes up behind me, his hands soft on my neck, grounding me in touch. “Breathe, Nova. We’re throwing them out. Right, Asher?”

Asher nods, his eyes on me. “We would have done it sooner, but Marcus had something in mind, first. Trust him, little one.”

“I do.” It’s true. It’s them I don’t trust. I don’t want them anywhere near any member of my pack, but especially Marcus.

“Marcus built his place in this pack just as much as we did,” Seth says gently. “Don’t underestimate him, Nova.”

I blow out a breath, trying to push back the panic flooding my veins. “I’m not. I just… I feel out of sorts. Can we go to him? Is that allowed?”

“Of course,” Asher says, even though his mouth turns down in displeasure. “Are you sure?”

Nodding, I push my hands against him, not so subtly trying to get him to move. Asher weaves a path through the casino, made longer by people stopping us, again. Seth and I receive more than a few knowing looks, and I realize my scent must be all over us. Nobody comments on it, though.

Seth scoffs when I mention it. “I dare them to try, sweetheart.”

We cross the room until we come to a table with crowds gathered around it. There’s a weird hush in the air, and Asher clears us a path, nudging me through until I see Marcus.

He’s sat alone, intensely focused on the cards in his hands. Julian and Adam sit opposite him, sickly smug grins on their faces.

“What are they playing for?” I ask Asher quietly. Nausea claws at my throat as I watch Adam and Julian study their cards. They look too serious for it to be something trivial.

“A favor of their choosing,” Asher murmurs. “Anything they want.”

Seth swears, low and vicious behind me as icy cold steals over my heart.

Anything they want.

My unreliable perfume chooses that moment to spike in anxiety. All three of them take a deep breath, whipping their heads around to me as Seth slides his arms around my waist. Adam’s eyes follow the movement, the promised retribution as he lifts his gaze to mine making my breath catch in my throat.

Seth’s arms tighten around me.I’m not alone.

And despite the initial shock of fear, I trust Marcus to know what he’s doing. He would never have agreed to something like this, not without good reason.

I trustthem.

---