Page 31 of Knot Your Problem

“You’re bleeding,” I gasped as I spun to face him. I disentangled one arm from my blanket and cradled his face as I gently wiped away the blood from his split lip.

He brought his hands up to grip my waist before he stilled underneath my touch. He watched me intently. I was his sole focus at that moment.

There had always been something about Dave that drew me to him, as much as we both fought it. Not in the epic, rock my universe way that Sam and Dio did. This was a subtle, but a no less powerful draw. Dave fulfilled something in me I couldn’t define.

Our eyes caught on each other, something we rarely allowed ourselves.

Bear whined, and it broke the spell we’d woven over the moment. Dave shifted back slightly as we both dropped our hands. He brushed mine lightly with his own as we moved away, though, as if he couldn’t help himself.

“I’m fine,” he said gruffly, still watching me.

I nodded and forced myself to turn back around and step toward Sam and Dio. Dio was eyeing Dave and I with curiosity, but Sam’s gaze was hungrily devouring me. I adjusted my blanket, so it was more securely wrapped around me. Like a chunky sarong.

My step forward had put me into the moonlight, and Sam’s eyes widened as he saw me fully. Standing in all my blanket covered nudity. His eyes locked onto my neck and I realized I had uncovered Dio’s bite mark. Sam went as still as a statue, and his possessive growl cut off.

“You claimed Lexie,” He ground out. It wasn’t a question or an accusation. The statement had an echo of inevitability, almost finality. As if he’d seen this coming.

The way he said my name, though, each syllable was soaked in raw need. Achingly hungry and darkly possessive in a way that had me biting my lip and halting in place.

His eyes flicked back up to my face at the slight whimper that escaped me and a barrage of need hit me that was so intense I could almost taste it. His natural leather and woodsy oak scent had turned molten with a shot of whiskey laced through it.

It was the same scent he’d given off earlier when he was angry, and I didn’t know what that meant.

Heat flooded my body at the intensity of his eyes on me, and I was instantly aching for him even though I’d had the most mind-blowing orgasm of my life mere moments ago. I had to fight the desire to drop my blanket and stand proudly naked under his scorching gaze.

“Yeah.” Dio sounded almost apologetic. “I wasn’t intending to tonight, but when she kissed me and her scent exploded, it was intense and my alpha went wild.” He paused for a minute as he glanced back at me.

“I think we answered the question of whether she’s an omega or not.” Dio tried his usual deflection method, humor, but he sounded strained. He hadn’t taken his hand off Sam.

Sam was still staring at me with enough heat to melt lava. Dio tried to step further between us and block Sam’s view of me. But Sam moved him aside roughly with a snarl and Dio stiffened like he was preparing to fight back.

Crap on a cracker. I hadn’t wanted to come between them when I chose Dio to meet me at the treehouse, but now they looked ready to throw down. I needed to fix this.

“It’s my fault,” I said. “I kissed him and I claimed him first.”

Dave stiffened beside me, but said nothing and didn’t turn in my direction. I couldn’t look at him right now, either.

Sam suddenly scented the air again and swung his head back to Dio. Raking his gaze over Dio until his eyes landed on his shoulder and the fresh bite mark that seemed to be almost glowing.

“You claimed him too?” Sam growled, not looking at me, the pitch changing from angry to almost agonized.

“Yes,” I said with pride. I stood tall, but spoke so softly I barely heard it myself. Sam flinched at my words. I would not apologize for my actions, though. What had happened with Dio was driven by pure instinct and I would stand by it.

I felt Sam’s intense desire swirl into rage as the sharp bite of aged whiskey intensified so swiftly it stung my nose. Bear growled again, low and aggressive. Not at all afraid of the big, bad alpha.

“Shit, Sam. You’ve got this. Just breathe for me, man. Then we’ll take a walk and go punch some more shit together.” Dio all but begged as he wrapped Sam up in a giant hug, trying desperately to calm him. But we were way past breathing exercises, or hugs.

“I. Can’t,” Sam growled with darkness underlying each bitten out word. “Get her clear, Dio.”

I naturally bristled at Sam’s demand, but stayed quiet, trying not to make this worse.

“Sam-” Claudio argued.

“NOW. Dio.” Sam’s growl turned fractured, as if his control had splintered, as he disentangled himself from Dio with jerky movements. Dominance roiled around him, yet his desperate gaze remained locked on Dio, a silent plea in the storm.

“FUCK NO, Sam. You’re about to lose it. I am not leaving you alone. I never have and I never will. Do you hear me?”

Shit. This was escalating fast. Sam was shaking, clearly at the limit of his control, and I did not want to be the reason anyone tipped over the edge. I spent my life trying to put people back together, not destroy them. I knew with sudden clarity, their truths sinking in, that I wasn’t helping either of them by being here right now. My stubbornness and pride needed to be cast aside for a moment.

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