Page 72 of Knot Her Mountain Men

A lengthy list of tasks awaited us once we could move freely again: machine repairs, supply runs, clinic visits, and police reports. All I cared about was making sure Morgan was safe and figuring out how devastated I was going to be if she wanted to leave.

I held her a little tighter. I wanted to beg her to stay, but it wasn’t fair to put that kind of pressure on her. Maybe she wasn’t the one who had to stay. Maybe the only way for us to have her was for all of us to be prepared to leave when she did, to give up our physical home to find our spiritual one in our omega.

If the adage “home is where the heart is” was true, then our home was her, and no physical place could ever compare.

One of the perks of being quiet was that I had gotten very good at listening over the years. People turned into chatterboxes when they didn’t expect to be interrupted, and Cooper’s pack was no exception.

Levi knew enough ASL for me to prompt a conversation, which immediately got Cash going, telling me all about their pack and young Morgan.

“I’ve known her since she was about twelve,” said Cash. “She was a gawky little string bean back then, and stuck to Cooper, Riley, and me like glue.”

I didn’t miss the flare of anguish in Cooper’s eyes at the mention of Riley’s name. I didn’t know who they were, but clearly something had gone on.

“Coop hung back for an extra year to keep an eye on Morgan and wait for me to graduate, and then we stole Morgan from home all the time. Harder to do on school days, but we used to drive in every Friday after class at college and hide her in the dorm for the weekend so she could get a break.”

“From her brothers?” I signed, and Levi translated for Cash.

“Yeah. Bunch of fucking assholes. Her dads too, but they’ve at least retired by now, half of them dead and sparing the world their existence.” He grimaced. “Sorry, that probably sounds like a shit thing to say, but if you knew them you would understand.”

I nodded thoughtfully and gestured for him to continue.

“Morgan’s had a really shit time with men. Honestly, I’m surprised she let you lot near her instead of crawling into the woods to suffer through her heat alone.” He tilted his head, examining me. “You’ve got good vibes, though. Maybe that’s all it takes. She’s gotten damn good at sensing when people are terrible…well, maybe not with that Brandon asshole, but…”

“She never moved to your ranch?” I signed, looking at each of them in turn and waiting for Levi to translate. It took him a second, and I had to repeat the signs slower than before until it clicked.

“She did right after she finished university, but the ranch construction wasn’t finished until she was almost graduated,” said Dakota.

“Were you ever…” I paused, considering the most appropriate sign to use to ask, “Together?”

Levi choked on his own spit. “Absolutely not. She’s our little sister as much as Cooper’s.”

“Are you guys gossiping about me?” Morgan yelled from the living room.

“Only because we love you,” Cash shouted back.

I could precisely imagine the roll of her eyes, and a moment later she nudged the door open with her hip. “Lunch is ready.”

She was healing quickly, her movements surer today than they had been, with no little furrows between her brows, or quiet intakes of breath if she moved the wrong way.

Cooper was doing better too. In all likelihood, these could be our last hours together.

We convened at the table, installing a couple of the leaves to expand it so everyone had a space. Morgan sat between Kit and me, Ryder and Maverick on each side of us, and Cooper’s pack across from us.

Halfway through the food Morgan blurted out, “I bonded Bear during my heat.”

Cooper choked, Cash helpfully patting his back while Levi slid a glass of water closer.

Dakota looked at her speculatively. “Not to be indelicate or invasive, but did you have access to birth control during this heat?”

Panic popped like a bubble in Morgan, flooding down the bond to me. “Oh my god.”

“Should I take that as a no?” Dakota asked.

Morgan let out a desperate keen, burying her face in her hands, tension shooting through every alpha present. “I can’t have a baby!”

That wasn’t a conversation we’d had with Morgan yet. I wasn’t sure if her reaction was because she didn’t want to have children in general, or if she didn’t want to have children withus. I looped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her chair closer with my free hand. It blunted her panic a little, but not by much.

“Are you still anti-baby, Morgie?” Cash asked. “You know we would help if you wanted to have one. I’d be the coolest uncle in history.”

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