Page 194 of Knot Their Omega

“I’ll talk to him,” I mouth to Icarus, watching how he briefly lowers his eyes to Nathaníel. I can see his sadness, but he tries to hide it as he returns his gaze to me and nods.

“Be good. Love you.”

I smile and nod in return before mouthing, “Love you, too.”

We’ve been saying that a lot to one another this week.

With everything that transpired, we want to emphasize how much we care for one another.

Once they leave, we sit in silence until Nathaníel sighs.

“Done.”

“Really?” I whisper and lift my arm to admire the beautiful music clef design he’s created on a good chunk of my arm. There’s absolutely no way I’m gonna hide this from Dr. Malcom, but I’m sure once he’s back with Velvet and Knox, it won’t matter.

What’s done is done.

“I want one more,” I declared.

“Rebel,” Nathaníel groans. “We can’t do another one. I’m not risking putting your body into shock when you’re adapting to the new patch.”

“Not today,” I assure him. Truthfully, I don’t think I can handle a second one straight away. It’s painful as fuck, and I only lasted this long because Nathaníel felt sympathy for me and applied numbing cream.

They said if you don’t endure the pain, you didn’t earn your tattoo, but fuck it. I’ll be a wimp any day of the week as long as I don’t need to go through that torture again without some good numbing cream and spray combo.

“Later.”

He gives me a look, his tired eyes meeting mine and softening.

Later… as in after the funeral.

Nathaniel Morelli is… dead.

That’s what the headlines across the nation have been portraying on the front page.

Died as a hero, protecting Blair Vesper after a kidnapping attempt.

I still haven’t wrapped my head around it all.

On what transpired when I was in a daze, thanks to my triggered Heat. All I remember was his face as he cried.

God… he looked so fucking heartbroken.

I could see the lines of regret, and it made me realize I was too hard on him. I didn’t want to see that he was crying out for help. That he wanted to be seen, just like the other members of his pack.

Yet, he called me something I’d never forget, and then… he saved me from being gang raped by a bunch of Alphas who wanted payback.

My dad, his pack, and Kai’s family of elite members surrounded and took down the place where I was being kept hostage within three solid minutes.

Apparently, it was faster than what the CIA, FBI, or even S.W.A.T. could have managed. Either way, I somehow came out alive and rushed to the hospital in a forced coma so they could force me out of Heat and get my hormones back into the swing of things.

I’d overheard Malcom mentioning that the guys could have appeased me and worked through the Heat without putting me in a coma, but all four refused.

They wanted the experience to be delightful. A memorable one that was filled with happiness and pleasure. Not forced because of the circumstances we were in.

I’d be lying if I said that didn’t mean the world to me.

That they cared so much to make my experience with them as a pack special that they rather put me in a coma than taint that moment because these fuckers wanted to make me beg for their relief.