Page 90 of Knot Your Problem

I glanced at Lexie and she was openly ogling both men, while Dave just chuckled at them like they were cute toddlers.

“Clearly I won, because I have Lexie’s legs wrapped around me right now,” Dave said with a smirk.

“Fair call,” Dio replied as he shrugged while leaning casually against the railing, completely unfazed at being naked in front of us all.

A surge of nervousness made my dominance spill around me. I figured it was a protective response, but it was inconvenient as hell. I really wanted to stay calm right now.

I grit my teeth and stepped out of the shadows, into the moonlight. I felt raw and exposed, as if I was the one who was naked.

Dio gave me an encouraging nod, but kept his distance as Lexie slid down Dave’s back and landed on her feet. She stepped around him, but he stayed near her side, a spot he seemed born to hold, despite being so much older than her.

She watched me carefully, no doubt able to feel the dominance now rolling off me. I cleared my throat, then had to swallow hard and do it again. I felt like all the moisture in my body had disappeared.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. Figuring this wasn’t an occasion to waffle on, not that I was capable, anyway. The higher my dominance rose, the harder it was to talk to people. Sometimes, I reverted to being a caveman and just grunted at people out of necessity.

As alphas, we were at the top of the predator food chain, but I often wondered just how evolved we were.

Lexie just raised her eyebrow and remained silent.

Do better, asshole.I wasn’t sure for a moment if the voice in my head was me or her.

“I know that’s not enough. What I said was hateful and untrue. I didn’t mean it. I was just lashing out. But that’s no excuse.”

Lexie just continued to stare at me and Dave shifted uncomfortably at her side, shooting me a worried look.

“I already apologized to your brother.” Lexie finally softened and relaxed slightly at that confession, dropping her crossed arms to her side but keeping the blanket tucked tightly around her.

It gave me the courage to step towards her. The closer I got, the harder it was to stop myself from reaching out to touch her, but I hadn’t earned that right. I stopped in front of her, hesitating.

My beast was raging at me, screaming that she was ours. He didn’t understand social norms, or that I had fucked up and needed to earn my place at her side. He just needed her with a desire so dark and possessive it made my body shake.

I felt my dominance suddenly shift from shoving at the world, to trying to draw these people closer to me. As if my beast had changed tactics. The sensation was powerful, primal, and more than a little seductive. I felt Dio and Pala at my back, shadowing me suddenly, as Lexie’s eyes widened and Dave groaned.

The five of us, standing so close yet not touching, felt like nirvana was just outside my reach. It was maddening. I tried to shake it off as I held out my hand to her and offered her the letter I had been holding, now partially crumpled in my fist.

“This is for you. Don’t read it now, or at all if you don’t want to. Just, please give me a chance to fix this. I can do better. I will do better.”

Lexie nodded, as she unwrapped one arm from the blanket, reached out tentatively and took the crinkled paper. Her hand, and how close it was to mine at that moment, had me riveted. It was the closest I had gotten to her since I met her. I swear I could feel the heat from her skin scorching me. If I shifted my finger forward, I could touch her. I dropped my hold on the envelope and yanked my hand back, not trusting myself.

“Okay,” was all she said as her hand dropped to her side with a slight tremor. It was enough. It was a start.

I felt two hands on my back, giving me reassurance, and I breathed deeper. Feeling myself calm. The dominance pull lessened, mollified for the moment by the touch of my mates.

“What the hell was that?” Dio asked, a note of wonder in his voice. “You’ve never done that before, pulled instead of pushed. That was intense. My feet were moving before I even thought about it.”

I looked over my shoulder at him, and he grinned. “You made my dick hard.”

“A stiff breeze makes your dick hard,” Pala said dryly, proving how well he knew Dio. Dio had never been promiscuous, but he’d always had a laid-back sensuality about him. It didn’t surprise me at all that he was the first one of us to sleep with Lexie and claim her.

I just rolled my eyes and refused to take the bait and look down.

“How did you resist the pull, Dave?” Dio asked.

Dave just shrugged with a smirk plastered across his face. “Self control.”

I glanced at Lexie as Dio laughed and noticed her knuckles were white where they gripped the edges of her blanket. As if she was holding herself back.

“Are you okay, my heart?” Pala asked as he left my side and stepped over to Lexie. He took her in his arms and she went willingly.

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