Page 108 of Knot Their Arrangement

His words fade as another wave of fever pulls me under, dragging me back into that endless forest of my dreams. But this time, the scene shifts.

I'm no longer running – instead, I stand in Cardinal's VIP section, watching as Damon and Kieran move around me in perfect synchronization.

The memory burns bright and clear:the taste of vanilla ice cream on my tongue, the weight of their attention making me feel seen in ways I'd never experienced before. Their scents wrap around me even in this fever dream – Damon's whiskey and leather mixing with Kieran's cappuccino and toffee to create something intoxicating.

But new scents weave through the memory now.

The clean, sharp smell of rain and lightning, before fire ignites and the smell of rubber burning grows and grows. It’s like a nightmare waiting to happen.

All of it is confusing.

The combination makes my head spin; my body responds on an instinctual level that terrifies me. Even in this semi-conscious state, I can feel something building, a pressure that threatens to consume me entirely.

"Her temperature's rising again," the authoritative voice cuts through my delirium. "We need to?—"

But whatever he says next is lost as I'm pulled under once more, this time into a memory that feels more like prophecy. I'm standing in a room I don't recognize, surrounded by four Alphas who look at me like I'm something precious rather than property to be claimed.

The vision is so vivid I can almost taste it – their combined scents create a symphony that makes my body sing with recognition. In this dream space, there's no fear, no need to run or hide. For the first time in my life, I feel completely safe and accepted.

Home.

A sob catches in my throat as the scene dissolves, reality bleeding back in fragments. The cool compress against my forehead grounds me momentarily, but everything else feels distant and unreal. My body alternates between burning heat and bone-deep chills, my skin too sensitive even against the soft sheets beneath me.

"The suppressants in her system are fighting against the natural progression," the voice explains to someone I can't see. "It's creating a sort of biochemical war in her body – her Omega nature trying to emerge while the medication attempts to force it down."

Another voice responds, this one carrying familiar notes of authority and danger.Damon.But his words are too far away to make out, lost in the space between consciousness and dreams.

"Precisely," the first voice agrees with whatever was said. "And with the Movement's new regulations about heat cycles, we need to be extremely careful. The laws are designed to protect Omegas during their most vulnerable periods, but they're still being implemented. The timing of this couldn't be more precarious."

I want to tell them I understand – that I've read every article, every proposal, every piece of legislation the Movement has put forward. Want to explain how I've followed Blair Vesper's work specifically, knowing my best friend Astraea had a hand in crafting these protections.

But my tongue feels too heavy to form words, my thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm.

Instead, I drift back into that forest of my dreams, where a masked figure with emerald eyes watches over me with the patience of a predator protecting its mate.

The fever burns through me like wildfire, but this time I don't run. Something inside me recognizes that these flames aren't meant to destroy – they're meant to transform.

Like a phoenix burning away its old self to emerge renewed, my body wages war with itself, fighting to become something stronger.

Something worthy of the pack that found me.

The thought surfaces through the haze of delirium, bringing with it a clarity that cuts through the fever for just a moment.

I see them all so clearly – Damon with his dangerous grace, Kieran with his quiet intensity, Ezekiel with his protective authority, and Riot with his barely contained wildness.

Four Alphas who shouldn't work together, who represent different worlds and opposing forces. Yet somehow they've created something beautiful in their chaos that calls to the deepest parts of me.

I can only crave I get a chance with each of them before I’m forced to return to the man who’s every intention is to use me until I’m no longer beneficial…

18

AWAKENING TO REALITY

~KAMARI~

Adifferent kind of warmth embraces me as consciousness slowly returns. Not the burning fever that plagued my dreams, but something heavier, more physical.

The weight of what feels like multiple blankets presses against me, making my already overheated skin prickle with discomfort.

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