Page 131 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

He turns his gaze to me. “I resented you at first. For making me feel. For reminding me what it was like to care. To be vulnerable. I was cruel to you because I was afraid.”

The raw honesty of his words, combined with the physical pleasure building within me, creates an emotional intensity that’s almost too much to bear. Tears slip down my cheeks, mingling with sweat as our movements become more urgent, more desperate.

“It’s okay,” I manage through the tightness in my throat. “We’re better now.”

Finn nods in fervent agreement, his hand finding mine, squeezing tight as our pleasure builds toward a shared crescendo.

Our rhythm falters, grows erratic as release approaches for all of us. Finn comes first, his cry muffled against my neck as he empties himself inside me. The sensation, combined with the knowledge that Ren is witnessing his pleasure, sends me tumbling after him, my second orgasm washing through me in waves of near-unbearable intensity.

Ren follows seconds later, his release accompanied by a whispered recital of our names, like a prayer, like a promise.

Chapter 27

Jax

“They’re running the story.”

Stone’s voice pulls my attention from the security feed I’ve been watching for the last hour—a habit I can’t seem to break, even though the Ashgraves have their own people monitoring our perimeter now. The six small screens show different angles of our property: the front gate, the driveway, the back gardens, the tree line at the northern edge where our land meets the state forest.

All clear. For now.

I turn to face Stone, who’s standing in the doorway of my study holding his phone. “Which outlet?”

“The Weekly Whisper.” His expression suggests what he thinks of the publication—a trashy tabloid known more for alien abduction stories and celebrity affairs than anything resembling legitimate journalism. “Their reporter took the bait. Picked up the drive from the park bench exactly where we left it.”

I nod, relief and disappointment warring within me. Relief that the first phase of our plan is in motion; disappointment thatit had to be a tabloid rather than a legitimate news source. “Any sign of law enforcement presence during the pickup?”

Stone shakes his head. “None. No plainclothes officers, no unmarked vehicles. Nothing.”

“Damn it.” I push away from the desk, frustration coiling tight in my chest. “If Heath’s inside person doesn’t think the drive is worth retrieving?—”

“They still might,” Stone interrupts, his calm a counterpoint to my agitation. “The Whisper journalist has already started dropping hints online about their ‘explosive exclusive.’ Says they’ll publish the full story on Monday.”

I check my watch—it’s Friday afternoon. “Three days. That gives Heath’s person the weekend to panic and make a move.”

“Exactly.” Stone moves further into the room, leaning against the edge of my desk. “We just need to be patient.”

Patience. Not my strongest virtue, especially not now, knowing Heath is still out there, that her network might still be operational, that my pack might still be in danger. The need to act, to eliminate the threat, to secure what’s mine pulses through me like a second heartbeat.

“Where are the others?” I ask, needing to account for each member of my pack—a compulsion that’s grown stronger since the incident at that facility.

“Finn’s cooking something. What he’s really doing is dancing on the island.” Stone chuckles at that. “Ren and Hailey are on the lawn.” A slight smile touches his lips. “Another self-defense lesson.”

I stiffen. “They’re outside…”

“Yes, but they’re not alone, Jax. You hired security, remember?”

Yeah, well…

“I should check on them,” I say, already moving toward the door.

Stone’s hand on my arm stops me. “Jax.” Just my name, but I hear the gentle reprimand in it. “They’re fine. The house is secure. The grounds are monitored. You need to give them space to breathe.”

I know he’s right. Logically, I know this. But logic has little power against the visceral memory of Ren locking me in that air duct while he faced those betas alone, of the hours not knowing if he or Hailey was alive or dead, of seeing Ren bloodied and barely conscious, of nearly losing everything that matters.

“I just need to see them,” I insist, pulling away from his grasp.

Stone sighs but doesn’t try to stop me again. “At least try not to let them see how worried you are. It’s not helping them recover.”

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