Page 17 of Knot Mine

Bell snorts, and I can only see the top of their blond curls as they bow their head to read the box. “Where do you think? D’uh.”

“I have so many questions.” I’m chuckling as I take a closer look at a different kind of tentacle, this one swirled with shades of shimmery blues and purples, and a big bulbous knot near the base. It even comes with a suction cup base.Hmmmm, interesting.The toy next to it looks like a tongue with huge notches, reading the sign I realize that it vibrates. Another one on the shelf below looks like a weird mushroom and comes with a pump, so the silicone can ejaculate. A rose next to it has a sucking feature. Was there a botany fetish I’d missed?

“Ohhhhh, Jell-o solution. Dissolves slowly with body heat so I guess it’s either push or leave to melt.” Bell sounds curious as they keep hold of the box, turning it over to read the other side. “Ovipositor. Doesn’t that sound interesting?”

“That sounds messy.” I add the tentacle with the knot to my shopping basket.

The store is an omega safe space, meaning that it caters exclusively to omegas and the occasional curious beta (like I’m pretending to be) since omega biology and therefore their needsare different. During a heat, omegas are driven wild by the need to breed–and in modern society, that isn’t always what the omega wants. Toys have been developed to help and while it doesn’t compare to a real alpha partner, it can take the edge off the impulses. I should know, I have a fairly decent collection of toys myself. This isn’t my first rodeo, or tentacle.

“Isn’t sex supposed to be messy?” Bell replies as they wander back to me with the box still in their hand. Their basket is bulging a little, and I swallow back another chuckle.

Despite the interior, Velvet Knot clearly tries to take discretion seriously. At the counter, I watch as the sales assistant packages an omega’s purchases in generic black and white boxes, with a sort of monoline design. The windows are blacked out and there’s security near the door. Even the shopping baskets are black, stopping anyone else from peeking inside unless they’re standing very close.

I nod, “True.”

Not just physically messy, I’d learned. But mentally and socially, as Sadie and her gaggle of witches liked to remind me.Oh goddess,the thought of running into Sadie here has my stomach clenching.

“You can get flavors!”

“Yes, because having a mango flavored egg shoved up my ass is exactly what I need today.” Rolling my eyes, I grab a bottle of lube from a different shelf.

Male omegas usually produce slick when they’re turned on or in heat, much like their female counterparts do. Since I was masquerading as a beta, and the suppressants were messing with my hormones, I tended to need a little helping hand of the slippery water-based variety.

“Jeeze, grumpy.” Bell tuts, coming next to me to nudge me with their shoulder. “You could always just get the strawberry.”

I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles its way up my throat. This is why I love Bell, because they make it all so…easy. It’s not that they’re suggesting a ridiculous sex toy that will deposit Jell-o eggs in my ass, but the flavor of said Jell-o eggs that’s the problem.

“Come on, let’s go pay for these before you decide I need the giant Demogorgon dildo.” We both turn to look at the humongous purple and red beast displayed on a plinth in the middle of the store. A shiver rolls through me. Despite pretending otherwise, I was an omega, and I liked the feel of a knot…but that dildo was extreme. Only for the brave. Assholes stretched, but that would take some serious warmup.

Our purchases wrapped and packaged discreetly, we leave the store with giant grins on our faces. Bell was right, I did need a little cheering up. Grabbing some lunch next would just be the cherry on the icing, bringing me out of my mood completely.

“Shilly…” Bell stops a few steps ahead of me, sounding confused.

“Stop calling me that,” I grumble, as I dig around in my bag to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

“Isn’t that Zale?”

My heart feels like it skips a beat. “What?”

Sure enough, Zale stands on the pavement across the street with another alpha, his hands tucked into the pockets of his grey sweatpants. Fuck, grey sweatpants should be illegal.

As I duck my head, planning to quickly speed walk to the car, Bell hisses. “Shit, he saw us. Do you think he knows where we’ve been?”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I fight the urge to duck behind some parked vehicles and crouch walk back to the car. “It’s the only store on this street, Bell.”

“Well, jocks are stupid, right? So maybe he won’t put two and two together.”

Glancing over at him as casually as I can, I startle when I realize his gaze is already latched onto me. Zale’s eyes widen as he recognizes us. While he emailed me his work, we haven’t actually spoken face to face since the library.

It’s almost comical as he clearly contemplates approaching us, but then the alpha besides him leans in and whispers something. Zale’s eyes dart to the sleet black sign that reads ‘Velvet Knot’ behind us and a shade of pink blooms on his cheeks. There’s no mistaking where we’ve been or what might be in our black bags.

“He’s just counted to four.” Swallowing, I lift my chin and link my arm through Bell’s. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”

I can feel his attention on me as we walk, and I hate the way my skin burns under his stare. He’s only showing interest because of Millie. It’s normal to be curious about your potential future brother-in-law. My fading bite throbs, and grit my teeth.

That’s all it is.

All it can be.

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