Page 43 of Knot Bonded

“Oh god, I’m interrupting. I can leave, stay with Mom and the Dads.”

Will spoke. “No, you stay. We said what we needed to say.” He looked at me with those deep brown eyes, piercing right into my heart. “Take care of your sister. We’ll still be here.”

I nodded mutely, tugging Kat out of the way so that they could go out the door. It hurt to see them leave, but I had my sister crying in my arms.

I could only focus on one big climactic moment at a time.

23

SYLVIE

The green vinyl seat of the booth was smooth. I slid all the way to the wall, clutching my ridiculous, oversized Cosmo. Eloise, looking pressed and professional, her dark hair cut in a stylish short bob, squeezed in next to me. Ronnie sat across from us in a casual fitted T-shirt, her long auburn hair down loose.

Ronnie held out her drink, a Margarita, and offered a toast. “To friendship.”

“To friendship.”

We all clinked glasses and sipped.

This was a familiar routine, meeting up for a cocktail, although it was one I’d skipped out on lately. Still, my friends were up to date on most of what had been happening between me and the pack, and about my accident. I’d filled them in about Kat while we waited for our drinks at the bar.

I’d also mentioned what happened right before Kat showed up at my apartment. Now that we were in our cozy, semi-private bubble, we could talk about it more freely.

“Let me get this straight.” Eloise set down her fancy whisky and gave me her motherly look, a little bit concerned and a little bit stern. She was the pragmatist. Her advice was always good, but I held my breath like she was about to chastise me. I should have known better. “They ambushed you with this outpouring of their feelings, then Kat appears at your doorstep and you have to send them all away?”

I nodded. “Pretty much.”

Ronnie leaned forward over the table. “I know I should ask about your sister, but I’m dying to know what you’re going to do with all these hunky guys who want you.”

“Well, it’s a little more scary to think about being with them when I’m seeing firsthand the disaster that is Kat’s separation. So, sister and hunky guys are kind of linked issues.”

Kat was at my place, hopefully asleep. Her doctor had prescribed something for her anxiety and to help her rest. She’d encouraged me to get out, see my friends. At first I said I didn’t want to leave her alone, but she convinced me I wasn’t helping her by watching her sleep.

“It’s pretty rough for her, huh?” asked Eloise.

I sipped again and nodded. That was an understatement.

“Yeah. We’ve got an appointment next week at the Network to see about getting her some specialized treatments, but for right now she’s feeling her one bonded partner’s emotions really hard. He’s distraught.”

“Shit,” Ronnie said, eyes wide. “I didn’t even think about that. But wait, one partner? Wasn’t she with a pack?”

“Only one of them bonded with her. That’s why it wasn’t working. Or a symptom of it anyway.”

Eloise frowned. “Okay, so that’s fucked up. But that’s not what you’ve got going on. Do you actually believe that your guys wouldn’t all bond with you? After what they told you?” She shook her head. “This doesn’t sound the same at all, Sylvie. Remember, I met Luke. That man is smitten.”

“And I met Jonah,” Ronnie said. “That guy couldn’t take his hands off you for a second.”

They’d both separately come by my apartment while I was home with the concussion, so they’d been able to meet the guy who was there on rotation from the pack. Their words sank in, and I couldn’t find any argument to make. Eloise was right. It wasn’t the same.

Toby, who couldn’t even scent me, loved me.

Will claimed he’d been halfway in love when we first met, when he’d had no idea I was an omega, and I knew he was all in now.

Jonah might have been the one alpha in a million who could actually pick up my scent, but his love was deep, going way beyond that biological signal.

And Luke… Luke had been afraid, but once he’d let go of his fear, the barrier between us disappeared.

Fear was a terrible thing. It didn’t ever really go away, but Luke loved me in a way that transcended it.I’m terrified of losing you. But I’m more terrified of not having you at all.His words from the hospital rang in my mind.

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