Page 54 of Knot Forever

“She won’t give me permission to mate,” I whisper wretchedly. “She’s spent years bugging me to take a pack, to settle down, and now, when I’m finally happy, she wants to rip it apart.”

Seth tsks. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that, baby. We’ll look into it. See what we can do.”

“Can you make me eleven months older?” I joke, but it falls flat.

“Truthfully, Marcus could probably change some dates around somewhere.” Seth squeezes me tightly. “I don’t want you to stress about this, not when your heat is around the corner.”

He’s right. I already feel more fragile. Softer, more breakable. And my mother’s words have hit me all the harder because of it.

“Why is nothing simple?” I mutter.

Seth tips my chin up. “All the hard things are worth fighting for, sweetheart. You’ve earned your happy ending, and we’re going to give it to you.”

I lick my lips. “I want it,” I murmur. “I want a happy ending with you. All of you.”

His grin is glorious, his kiss soft and tender. “That’s all we needed to know, Nova Chevnik. Leave everything else to us.”

Asher’s slightly spicy, coffee scent fills my nose, and I let go of Seth and turn to him. He takes in my damp eyes, his own tightening. “Tell me.”

I don’t want to cry, so I look at Seth and he sets out the situation. Asher sighs. “Come here, little one.”

His arms wrap around me, strong and sure. “Seth is right,” he murmurs. “We can fix this, Nova. Don’t worry about it.”

He pulls back, his eyes searching mine. “I actually came home to speak to you.”

I push my hair back. There’s something serious in his tone that makes my heart race. “Okay.”

Seth slips past us, pausing only to brush his lips across my cheek. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He closes the door behind him, and I look up at Asher as he steps closer to me. “It seems that you need a distraction, Nova. And there is something that I very much enjoy doing, that I’d like to share with you, if you’re comfortable.”

His copper eyes burn as he lifts a strand of my hair. “Have you ever played hide and seek?”

My brows draw together, a hint of interest spiking in my chest. “Of course. You want to play… hide and seek?”

His smile is wicked. “Of a sort. I would take you to a place I know, at night.”

I don’t notice we’re moving until my back hits the edge of the island. “Sounds a little scary.”

But the thought of it makes me squirm, and Asher’s eyes flick down. “We would go to this place,” he continues evenly, his hand tracing up my bare arm, “and you would run from me. And I would chase you.”

My breathing speeds up, my eyes widening as he describes it. It sounds wicked, and sinful, and…fun.

“And when you catch me,” I murmur. I reach my hand up, playing with his tie. “What happens then, Asher?”

His smile is dark and satisfied. “I would strip you off, hold you down and fuck you, Nova. Fuck you until we’re both spent, in the middle of the forest, in the dirt like animals.”

My thighs clench together, and he inhales, his nostrils flaring as he picks up my scent. “Are you wet, Nova?”

I press my lips together, and he tsks. “Honesty, little one.”

“Y-yes.”

His hand lifts the edge of my blouse. “Spread your legs for me.”

Oh, fuck. Shaking, I do as he tells me, and his eyes flare with approval as he slides his hand down the front of my jeans. His fingers curl into my underwear, and I whimper as he rubs the pads of his fingers directly over my clit.

“Needy little omega,” he purrs. “So perfect for me, Nova. Would you like that? To run from me, feel me behind you, hunting you down, ripping off your clothes and thrusting into you? Would you be wet for me then?”

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