Page 105 of Knot Your Problem

I huffed out a breath and turned back from the doorway to find Dave, Dio and Pala all watching me, while Sam had his body turned towards me but stared resolutely at anything but me. I could hear the women working on the evening meal prep in the kitchen to my right. So I shifted as I waved the book at Dio, much the same way Maia had, and forced myself to take a few steps backward and away from them.

It was like walking through quicksand. The further I got from Sam, the harder it felt to move. Despite his wall and his refusal to look at me, his pull felt like his hands running all over my body as goosebumps raced across my skin in waves, like the sea washing over the sandy shore and beckoning it into oblivion.

I knew instinctively that the longer I resisted, the more turbulent the pull would become, until it was a raging, demanding tide that would tumble me away. I refused to give in just yet, though. He had to know I chose this, and he had to choose it too, willingly give himself over to it, or we would be forever doomed before we’d even begun.

I instinctively knew, if we came together while part of him was still trying to hold back, he’d never be able to live with himself and it would destroy us.

“I’m going to head into the kitchen and hand this over,” I said. I tried to relax my stance and pasted what I hoped was an innocent smile on my face.

Dave eyed me suspiciously, knowing I was up to something.

My normally calm Pala growled as he swept me up when I tried to sidle past him, surprising me. “Not so fast, my heart,” he said before he kissed me soundly and thoroughly. He then passed me to Dio like I was some kind of delicacy to be shared.

I felt like I should complain, but it had been a long day and the contact with my mates settled me. It also gave me enough strength to keep denying the pull to Sam, at least for a few more minutes, and that was all I needed.

It had the opposite effect on Sam, though. I could see Sam’s posture go rigid as my scent spiked in response to Pala and Dio’s heady kisses. I also noticed Sam grimace as if he was in pain as I moved away again.

Sam’s beast clearly needed me, and I was done holding back. Life was too short, we had no guarantee any of us were going to get a tomorrow at this point. I was ready to trust my omega instincts and see where they would take us.

She would not make it easy on Sam or his beast, though. She wanted Sam to accept his beast, then to provoke him and get him all riled into a delicious frenzy.

Sam’s whisky scent was already spiking the air, entwining with my passion fruit laced meringue in a way that was intoxicating. The whiskey only came out when he was furious or aroused. Right now, I figured he was feeling both. I finally realized Sam struggled with all intense emotions, and he repressed them all the same. If he thought our claiming was ever going to be anything but a wild frenzy, he was delusional.

I grinned, a genuine one this time, full of mischief. I couldn’t help myself, because I’d just had the most amazing idea. A way to get Sam to unleash his beast finally, and I was the only one who could do it. Pala and Dio’s eyes widened, but Dave’s narrowed. He knew me too well. “Stay right there. Just give me five minutes,” I said to them all as I winked at Dave.

I backed into the kitchen, through the swinging door, and dumped the large cookbook onto Isabella’s workstation with a loud thud. I hurriedly explained to her what it was as her eyes lit up.

“Oh, and if you hear a lot of roaring in a few minutes, don’t panic. I’ve got it under control.”

“What the hell are you up to now, Lexie?” Isabella asked with a huge grin.

“Poking an alpha,” I said as I winked at her. I ripped a page from the same notebook I’d used this morning and hurriedly wrote on it.

Sam,

I asked you to fix your shit with Maia. I saw enough today to know that you care about each other deeply and you’re both going to be okay, despite the shit show that went down with your brother.

I’m truly sorry about that. I can only imagine how tough today was for you both. But I’m not about to let you turn your anger on yourself again, or stuff your feelings down and push away your pack. You’ve come too far.

You’re a prime alpha. You were born to protect us all. Yet you’ll never settle your beast until you trust him and set him free. I learned that lesson the hard way.

My omega has already claimed your beast as hers. She can sense him and he’s fucking magnificent. Now it’s my turn, because I want to claim you too. I need you to touch me so badly it burns.

But my omega is an impulsive, proud creature, and we won’t wait around forever. Our time is now. What will it be, Sam? Claim me or let me go?

I don’t need you to bleed for me. You’ve bled enough. If you’re truly mine, I need you to let your beast out and come catch me.

Your omega.

“Can you give this to Sam, or whichever of them comes through the door first?” I said as I shoved the letter at Isabella, knowing my time was running out. My mates’ protectiveness was in overdrive after our close call earlier today. I could feel them trying to hold back from coming into the kitchen after me, but their control was fraying.

“Stand back,” I hissed to the girls over my shoulder while hustling out through the back door. I heard laughter behind me before the door swung shut.

Sam was a predator. The most lethal predator I had ever met, apart from Damon. My omega wanted to roll over and submit to him. She had from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him, if I was being honest with myself. But it had taken longer for my human side to catch up.

We were going to make him earn our submission, though. I just needed to push him enough to get him to lose control, so I could prove to him that his beast was a part of him we needed to embrace.

I barreled down the steps, fighting against the pull, knowing I needed to get some distance if I was going to make it count. This wouldn’t work if he caught me five meters from the back door. He needed to fully let his beast out. He needed to hunt.

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