Page 86 of Knot That Difficult

I can’t, now.

I’m a man possessed, getting my fill of Devyn and only Devyn.

My mate.

* * *

I leave Devyn sleeping,but it’s hard to stay away from her even to just take the extra steps to the shower.

Once the high wears off and the hot water streams down my body, nausea builds in my gut.

What have I done?

I didn’t ask to give her the mating bite. I just did it, and it was out of jealousy.

What kind of man am I? What kind ofpartneram I?

Fuck.

The mating bond is the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced—I’m permanently tied to Devyn now.

But after all our conversations, I initiated the bite, not her.

Fuck. Fuck.

I need to keep it together.

She’s in the middle of her Heat, and with our bond, I’m sure she can sense if something is off with me.

After I towel off and dress, I check on her. She’s fast asleep in her nest, wrapped in blankets and surrounded by pillows.

Her face is peaceful, and her lips are pulled into a small smile.

She’s happy.

But will she be after her Heat ends?

I can’t imagine she’ll come out of this thrilled that I bit her without explicit permission.

Also, where the hell is Connor?

I head into the kitchen to find Ace rummaging through our fridge.

He’s shirtless, giving me a view of the tattoos on his back. His body is full of ink, with intricate, abstract patterns I rarely see on people.

It’s not the typical skulls, flowers, or anything common.

It’s one-of-a-kind art—there’s no other way to describe it.

“You really need more food in your fridge.” He chuckles, his back to me. “Maybe I can have some groceries delivered here.”

I ignore the barb, doing my best to stay cordial with him. We’re both bonded to Devyn now, and I won’t put her through any extra stress by not getting along with him.

Although right now, he’s not making it very easy.

“You bit her,” I say.

He shuts the fridge and turns to me, a smirk on his face. “I did,” he says. “She’s my mate.” He narrows his eyes. “And you bit her too,” he says slowly.

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