Page 10 of Knotted By the Demon

I kept trying to think about anything other than the intruders in my home. It was impossible. As soon as I tried to focus on something else, a thought of them would pop up. I needed more food for the winter. The omega would probably need omega things, like soft blankets.

I needed to chop more wood. The beta had been stealing from me. That must mean she was hungry. I should feed her.See! Fucking see!It continued that way the entire time I was checking the property. When I finished with the traps, I headed toward the cabin, keeping my steps slow, my mind grappling with the reality of the situation.

The reality was that the frail omega was running from something, someone. Maybe an abusive bond or a trafficker. Either way, he needed a protector. I could be that. At least until the storm passed. No. I’d protect him until the winter passed and he was strong and healthy enough to go about his way.

As for the beta who kept stealing from my traps, she clearly couldn’t hunt for herself. She needed a provider, or she’d starve this winter. I could be that, just for the winter. I wouldn’t demand anything from them. I wasn’t looking for anything in return. I was just lending a hand the way I’d wished someone would’ve lent me a hand all those years ago.

Plus, they’d be safer here than out there alone during the winter. I’d make sure no harm came to them while they were under my protection, no matter how much I’d have to risk to keep them out of harm’s way.

My mind was made up. The battered omega and the thieving beta would spend the winter in my protection, in my home. My heart gave a little jolt, and for a second, I wondered if I was doing this for them or for me.

CHAPTER FIVE

SOFIA

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Being tied up by a big bear of an alpha wasn't exactly what I'd planned for my night. Yet, here I was, on a stranger's couch, tied up. I struggled against the ropes, feeling the coarse fibers dig into my wrists, the roughness stinging as I strained to get free. Every time I tugged, the bindings burned against my skin.

But that didn't stop me. I shot another glare toward the door the rogue had disappeared through. I still couldn't believe the bastard had knocked me out without me even realizing it. One minute, I was preparing to attack him with everything I had in me. The next, I was here, like this. My sore shoulder told me he'd probably karate-chopped me.

That was only supposed to work in old movies. I was proof that it could be done in reality. I really needed to learn that move. Could I take the big guy down with it? I was up for trying. Considering his size, I’d probably break my hand before I broke him.

"Damn it," I muttered, unable to get free of whatever knot he'd tied these ropes in.

The ropes bit deeper into my flesh as I twisted, seeking any hint of slack. My heart raced like a caged bird beating against my ribs. The alpha's lingering scent was smoky but with achemical tang to it. It filled my nostrils, a constant reminder of my predicament. I scanned the dimly lit room, searching for anything I could use to escape.

I didn’t see anything. The walls seemed to close in, trapping me with my own rising panic.Calm down, Sofia. You’re fine. Nothing is going to happen to you. You’ll be just fine.Even as I told myself that, I still felt nervous. I hated feeling nervous! What did this rogue alpha want with me?

Why had he brought me here? Why had he broughthimhere? My gaze fell on the motionless form across from me – the bruised and battered omega. A wave of protectiveness washed over me, momentarily drowning out my fear. I had to get both of us out of here.

"Hey," I whispered, trying to rouse him. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

No response. Just the shallow rise and fall of his chest. His long blond hair fell across his face and chest, obscuring the worst of the bruising. But even from here, I could tell he was in immense pain.

"Don't worry," I murmured, more to myself than to him. "I'll figure something out. We'll get out of here."

I had a habit of becoming chatty when I was nervous. But I would get us out of here as soon as I figured out a way to break free of my restraints. The ropes held fast, defying my every attempt to loosen them. Damn it. I needed to get this done before that alpha returned.That alpha...

The memory of his unnaturally blue eyes sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. The rogue alpha had striking blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through me, framed by dark brows that gave him an intense, brooding expression. A thin scar ran across his cheek, adding a rugged edge to his already strong, chiseled features.

His dark brown hair was cut short and untamed, like he hadn’t brushed it in days. His square jaw was shadowed with a hint of stubble. There was something dangerous about him, yes, but also... something else. Something that made my skin tingle in a way I didn't want to examine too closely. I shook my head, banishing the thought.Focus, Sofia. You need to escape.

"Damn it," I growled again, renewing my struggles against the bindings. "Come on, come on..."

But the ropes wouldn't budge. And with each passing moment, the reality of my situation settled over me like a suffocating blanket. I was trapped and at the mercy of a strange alpha, with no idea what he had planned for me or the injured omega.

A sliver of fear crept over me, threatening to choke me. I swallowed it down, forcing myself to breathe deeply. I couldn't give up. I wouldn't. I had to keep trying. Normally, when I wasn’t kidnapped, I was good at slipping free of knots. I came from a family of hunters, and my grandfather taught me how to tie and escape knots when I was a kid.

I closed my eyes, trying to recall my grandfather's lessons on knot-tying and escape techniques. I pictured his weathered hands guiding mine as we practiced intricate patterns. I conjured up the smell of pine and leather in his old hunting cabin. I pictured the pride in my grandmother’s eyes when I successfully slipped free of my restraints for the first time.

I hadn’t presented yet. And it wasn’t uncommon for traffickers to snatch kids up off the streets, off farms, on ranches, from in stores, anywhere they could find them alone for even a second. My grandparents taught my cousins and me techniques to get free if anything ever happened to us.

"You've got hunter's blood in you, Sofia," my grandfather had said, his voice gruff but warm. "Hunters can survive anywhere. Never forget that."

But Ihadforgotten, hadn't I? Or at least, I'd failed to live up to that legacy. The irony wasn't lost on me as I twisted my wrists, searching for any give in the ropes.

"Some hunter I turned out to be," I muttered, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Can't even feed myself without resorting to theft."

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