Page 60 of Knot Mine

“What are you doing?” I ask looking at all of them as it hits me what we’re about to do. This was going to change everything when we were back in college. The people inside the cabin were who we spent most of our days with. Were they ready to handle the fallout from this?

“You didn’t think we were gonna stay here without you?” Hunter scoffs as he starts the engine.

Blake lifts his finger as he opens the other passenger door. “I mean, number one, Evans has nowhere to sleep now since Sadie kicked him out of their room.

Hunter chuckles, but shows me two fingers as he leans across the steering wheel. “Number two, Millie’s being a bit of dick about her brother and since he’s your Mate that makes us super uncomfortable…”

Evans doesn’t miss a beat, lifting his hand to show me three fingers like some boy scout salute. “Number three, you need someone to drive since you need to conserve your energy. You have a few days of glorious, but exhausting, fucking ahead of you.”

They’d realized Shiloh’s secret.

I close his car door for him, shaking my head. “Did you have to say it like that?”

The fucker rolls the window down and grins. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Glancing back at the cabin, I can hear the music and voices coming from inside. I should go in and explain, but what would I say? Millie wasn’t in the frame of mind to listen to me right now. “I can’t just leave without saying something.”

“I think you can, in fact, we even took a vote on it.” Hunter’s smile scares me a little, reminding me of a wolf as he beckons for me to get into the front passenger seat. “So, get in the fucking car, Blackwood. Do you have an omega to Claim?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Shiloh

When I’d eventually made it back to my apartment, I’d crawled into my bed exhausted. I hadn’t bothered unpacking, kicking off my shoes as soon as I was through the door, not even stopping to put them away. Those were all problems for tomorrow.

My body no longer felt like my own, and I hurt in ways I never thought I could. I was going through another horrible peak of preheat, and my skin itched and burned until I wanted to peel it off. In the quiet moments between the waves, I swore to myself that I would never abuse my suppressants again. Lesson learnt.

I would even apologize to Zion, right to his smug self-righteous face if I could just make it through the next couple of days in one piece.

I don’t know how long I manage to sleep for when I wake, but I’m not even sure I’m really awake because there’s a familiar warmth wrapped around me. A mouthwatering scent.

I choke on a sob as the leathery smoky scent weaves its way around my limbs, embracing me, protecting me, calming the rising tide as it relieves some of the pressure in my bones.

Zale.

What a beautiful dream.

What an awful nightmare.

This time I let the sob break free from my chest. I’m overwrought, exhausted and now even my mind was conspiring against me, showing me the things I couldn’t have.

“Relax, baby. I’m here.” A hand strokes my hair, lacing me with more pheromones and making my body relax. “I’ve got you.”

My eyes snap open and I turn my head to look at the large alpha spooning me. When did he get here? How did he get here? What did this mean?

“I told you we were in this together and I meant it,” he whispers as he wipes away my tears.

My ability to ask questions doesn’t last for long, as something wild and restless in my chest threatens to consume me.

“Mine. My omega.” The words are murmured against my burning body, barely audible but I hear them loud and clear as if he was singing them from the rooftop.Mine. His.

I sink deeper into him, surrendering myself completely to pheromones. As I let the burning sensation wash over me, my mind goes hazy, dragging me under with every kiss he places on my body.

My skin feels too tight for my frame, suffocating me as I start to claw at my pajama shorts, desperate to get them off. I need to be naked. I don’t want anything other than Zale touching me. I scratch my band-aid off too, grateful that the darkness hides my failed mark.

It’s too hot.

Too much.

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