Page 116 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

Ren shakes his head. “You didn’t see her stab a beta in the eye at that facility.Idid. She can do this.”

“I did that…didn’t I.” Hailey whispers.

Ren nods. “And you were a badass.”

As if his words feed her confidence, Hailey moves, dropping her weight and twisting at an angle that leverages her small frame. The movement takes Ren by surprise, and before he can adjust, she’s slipped from his grasp with a fluid motion that has both of us raising our eyebrows.

“Like that?” she asks, slightly breathless.

“Whoo!” Finn’s applause echoes against the walls, making Hailey grin wider.

“Exactly like that,” Ren confirms, obvious approval in his tone.

Pride blooms warm in my chest as I watch her process this success. She’s not a natural fighter, not by any stretch, but she’s resourceful. Adaptable.

“Let’s try it again,” she says, newfound confidence straightening her spine.

We continue for another hour. Throughout, Hailey remains determined, pushing through fatigue and occasional frustration with a resilience that impresses me.

By the time we call for a break, she’s sweaty and breathing hard, her sweet scent filling the gym so much I’m positive we will need extra de-scenter before we leave. But the satisfaction in her eyes is unmistakable. This is what she needed.

“You did well,” I tell her.

Jax materializes at her side before I can say more, pressing a water bottle into her hands like it’s a lifeline. His thumb presses against her wrist—too long to be casual—and I recognize themotion. Checking her pulse. As if he can measure her safety in heartbeats. Hailey smiles up at him, oblivious, but I see the way his gaze flicks to the door, the windows, the shadows. The way his shoulders relax only when she leans into him, proof she’s still here, still whole. It’s not enough for him, though. I know that.

His gaze catches mine, the knowledge that I know what he’s doing is not hidden between us. His lips press into a thin line as he heads back over to Finn.

“Before you know it, she’ll be sparring with us,” he says over his shoulder.

Hailey’s chest rises and falls with heavy breaths. I can almost see the praise move like warmth underneath her skin, making her flush. Confidence lights her eyes, making them sparkle. But in the next second, that flush, that sparkle transforms into what looks like hunger. Heavy breaths make her inhale and exhale deeply.

“Hailey?”

Without hesitation, she reaches for me, fingers digging into the hair at my nape as she pulls me toward her. All the worries, this tension circling between me, Ren, and Jax that we’re trying so hard to hide from our omegas? It suddenly doesn’t matter. All that matters is this sweet little thing currently pulling me toward her.

Hailey’s initiative is sudden, surprising, but I immediately melt into her, a thrill going through me—not for the first time—that this sweet, sweet omega has chosen us to be her mates. Has chosenme.

The kiss is like electricity, a powerhouse sending all the blood in my veins south.

Hailey’s fingers tighten in my hair, pulling me deeper almost as if she can’t resist. Her tongue flicks against mine, sweet and desperate. She tastes like victory and sweat andheat, despite that I know her heat has subsided.

Across the room, Jax’s growl rumbles through the space. “Fuck.”

I break the kiss just enough to glance at him. He’s standing by the couch, his brown eyes locked on Hailey and me. Finn watches too, his book hanging limply in his hands, his pupils blown wide.

Hailey whimpers against my lips. “Stone.”

That’s all it takes.

Ren is on us in a single stride, his hands rough as he spins Hailey to face him. His kiss isn’t gentle. It’sclaiming; all strength and dominance. She moans into his mouth, her back arching as he palms her ass, lifting her effortlessly.

“You did so well,” he growls.

I don’t hesitate. My hands find her waist, yanking her sweatpants down her thighs as Ren devours her. She’s bare beneath—no underwear. Naughty, naughty girl. Her slick is already coating her inner thighs. The scent isobscene, flooding the room with vanilla and honey andneed.

“Look at them,” I murmur against her neck, nodding to where Jax now has Finn pinned to the couch in a gentle chokehold, their mouths fused together. Finn’s pants are around his ankles, Jax’s hand working between his thighs.

Hailey’s breath hitches. “Oh, God?—”

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