Page 152 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

I collapse into the passenger seat. The engine roars to life.

And then?—

It hits me like a truck.

A sob tears from my throat before I can choke it back. My vision blurs. All the years of swallowed anger, the choked-down grief for the family I should have had—it floods out in ragged gasps.

The vehicle hasn’t even left the driveway when strong arms yank me into the backseat. Stone’s lap braces my back as Finn curls around my front, his forehead pressed to mine. Jax pulls over, turning in his seat to grip my knee while Hailey strokes my hair with trembling fingers.

No one speaks.

No one tells me to stop or get it together.

They just hold me—Stone’s calloused palm cradling my neck, Finn’s scent wrapping around me like a safety net, Jax’s alpha rumble vibrating through all of us. Hailey presses her lips to my damp temple, her breath hitching like she’s fighting tears of her own.

I cry until my ribs ache. Until the storm inside me dulls to exhausted stillness.

When I finally lift my head, Finn’s lashes are wet. “You’re free,” he whispers.

And God?—

I am.

Hailey

The house is quiet when we return, but the moment the door closes behind us, I feel the air shift. Ren’s pain radiates through our bond like an exposed nerve, sharp and unrelenting. It settles heavy in my chest, a weight I can’t ignore. Before I can second-guess myself, I turn and take his hand.

“Come with me,” I whisper, my voice soft but firm. I don’t wait for his reply, tugging him toward the stairs. My eyes find Finn’s, a silent question passing between us. He nods, understanding immediately, his gaze flicking to Jax and Stone.

“I’ll join you,” Jax murmurs, his hand settling briefly on my lower back as Stone leads Finn toward the kitchen, giving us a moment alone first.

Upstairs, Ren stands in the center of the nest room like a man unmoored, his shoulders stiff, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides. He seems…lost. My heart twists at the sight, and my instincts pull me forward. I approach slowly, not entirely sure what I’m going to do, but knowing that my alpha needs me now, just as I need him.

“Can I touch you?” I ask softly, keeping my voice gentle.

Ren nods once, almost imperceptibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

I step closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. My fingers find the buttons of his shirt, trembling slightlyas I undo them one by one. His breath hitches when my knuckles brush against the bare skin of his chest, and I feel his restraint vibrating through him like a tightly coiled spring. I push the fabric from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. His skin is warm beneath my touch, the taut lines of his body a testament to the tension he’s carried for far too long.

“Hailey—” His voice cracks, rough and unsteady.

“Shh,” I murmur, pressing a finger to his lips. “Let me take care of you. Please.”

Something in him snaps, the last of his walls crumbling as I guide him backward. His knees hit the edge of the nest, and when he sits, I climb onto his lap, straddling him with my thighs bracketing his hips. My hands find his face, cradling it as if he might break, my thumbs brushing gently over the sharp lines of his cheekbones.

“You don’t have to do this,” he says, even though his hands tighten on my waist.

“I know,” I reply, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I want to.”

His hands settle on my hips, tentative at first, then firmer as I deepen the kiss. His lips part beneath mine, and I taste the salt of unshed tears, the bitterness of grief, and the faint, heady flavor of Ren himself. It sparks something low in my belly, a heat that spreads through me like wildfire. I move against him, my hips rocking slightly, and he groans into my mouth, his grip tightening.

The door opens behind us, and I feel the shift in the air as the others enter. The cushions dip under their weight. Finn joins us first, his chest pressing against my back as his hands slide up my sides, his touch familiar and grounding.

“Is this okay?” Finn whispers against my ear, his fingers working the hem of my sweater upward.

“More than okay,” I breathe, lifting my arms so he can pull it over my head. The cool air kisses my skin, followed immediately by Finn’s warm lips trailing down the curve of my neck. I shiver, my head falling back against his shoulder as his hands trace slow, deliberate patterns over my bare stomach.

Ren’s hands glide up to my waist, then higher, his thumbs brushing the underside of my breasts. His eyes, darkened with hunger, track over my exposed skin like he’s committing every inch of me to memory. When his lips find the valley between my breasts, the heat of his mouth sears me, drawing a soft gasp from my throat.

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