Page 105 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

Silence. Then?—

Finn stiffens. “What?”

Ren’s gaze sharpens. “Jax?—”

“I’m stepping down,” I say, voice steady despite the ache in my chest. “Stone. Ren. One of you should take the lead from here.”

Stone reacts first—a derisive snort. “Fuck that.”

Ren leans forward, his bruised face taut. “You’re out of your damn mind.”

Finn’s scent spikes with distress. He sits up. Wide eyes on me. “Are you serious?” The question is almost a whisper. When I nod, he swallows hard before I notice his shoulders tighten. “No.” The word cracks like a whip. “You don’t get to quit us.”

I shake my head. “I’m not quitting. I’m fixing what I broke. The secrecy. The distance. Fuck, I didn’t even notice Ren was drowning until he nearly died.” I take a deep breath. “Or how much you were hurting.”

Stone adjusts himself in the armchair, causing Hailey to stir in his arms. “You think this is what we need? Some grand fucking gesture?” His voice drops to a growl. “The fact you’d consider giving it up proves you’re exactly what this pack needs.”

Ren nods once, sharp. “He’s right. You stay. We rebuild. All of us.”

The lump in my throat grows impossibly bigger. What do I say?

All I can do is nod, gratitude and peace almost overwhelming me.

My pack still wants me to lead, even after everything. It’s more than I can ask for.

Hailey stirs again, this time more purposefully. Her eyes flutter open, disoriented at first, then focusing as she takes in her surroundings. Her gaze finds mine across the room, and a slow, sleepy smile spreads across her face.

“Jax,” she murmurs, her voice husky from sleep.

The bond between us pulses with warmth, her simple acknowledgment sending a rush of possessive satisfaction through me.

“Hey, sunshine,” I reply, using Finn’s nickname for her without thinking. “How are you feeling?”

She stretches slightly in Stone’s arms, wincing a bit. “Sore. Hungry. But good.” Her gaze shifts to each of us in turn, the bonds strengthening as she connects with each of her mates. “Really good.”

Stone presses a kiss to her forehead. “Heat’s broken completely,” he tells her. “You’ve been sleeping for almost two days.”

“Two days?” She looks surprised, then sheepish. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Finn says immediately. “You needed it. Especially after…”

He trails off, but we all know what he’s referring to. After being kidnapped. After being drugged into heat. After being marked by three alphas and an omega in quick succession.

“I made soup,” Ren offers, surprising all of us. “If you’re hungry.”

Hailey’s expression softens as she looks at him. “You cooked?”

A faint blush colors his cheeks, barely noticeable beneath the healing bruises. “Tried to. It’s edible, at least.”

She laughs, the sound light and genuine. “I’d love some, thank you.”

As Ren disappears into the kitchen, Hailey’s gaze falls on the television. Her smile fades as she registers what she’s seeing.

“Is that…?”

“The investigation into Heath and Caldwell,” I confirm. “Finn’s tip worked. It’s all over the news.”

She shifts in Stone’s lap to see better, her expression growing serious as she watches footage of police escorting handcuffed men from what appears to be the facility where she was held.

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