Page 81 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

When I pull back, her eyes are half-lidded, momentarily sated. But we both know it won’t last. She needs to be knotted. I’m just not sure I should be the one to knot her first.

“Better?” I ask, using my tongue to clean my lips.

She nods, then reaches for me. “More,” she pleads. “Need you inside.”

“Soon,” I promise, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “But first, let’s make you a proper nest.”

I move to the large chest at the side of the room, pulling out the extra blankets and pillows stored there. Normally, the omega would arrange them to their liking, but Hailey is too far gone in her heat to help much. I do my best, arranging the softest blankets in a circular pattern, piling pillows around the edges to create a comfortable hollow in the center.

It’s not as good as what Finn would make, but it’ll have to do.

I gather Hailey into my arms again, placing her in the center of the nest. She immediately burrows into the blankets, rubbing her scent into them, instinctively marking them as hers.

The sound of a car engine outside makes me stiffen. Voices filter up from below, followed by the slam of car doors. Moments later, the front door opens, and familiar footsteps pound up the stairs.

Finn appears in the doorway first, his face tight with worry. His eyes sweep the room, landing on Hailey in the nest before darting to me. The moment he truly sees me—takes in my battered face, the bruises—his expression crumples.

“Ren,” he gasps, crossing the room in three quick strides. “Oh my God.”

I catch him as he throws his arms around me, his smaller frame fitting against mine in a way that feels like coming home. Fuck, I’ve missed holding him like this.

He pulls back almost immediately, hands fluttering over my injuries.

“You look like shit,” he says, the words almost choked. “What did those bastards do to you?”

“It looks worse than it is,” I lie. In truth, now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I’m realizing just how badly I’m hurt. But that doesn’t matter now.

Finn doesn’t believe me for a second. “Bullshit,” he says, but his attention is diverted by a particularly needy whimper from Hailey.

He glances between us, understanding dawning. “Did you…?”

I nod, not sure what else to say. “She needed help. The heat is bad, Finn. Really bad.”

He nods, already kicking off his shoes. “I can smell it.” His hands move to his shirt, pulling it off quickly. “I’ll take care of her. You should get cleaned up.”

Before I can respond, heavy footsteps on the stairs announce the arrival of Jax and Stone. They appear in the doorway together, both freezing at the sight that greets them—Hailey in the nest, Finn half-undressed, me standing there bloodied and battered.

For a long moment, no one speaks. Then Hailey moans again, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife.

Finn is the first to move, stripping off his remaining clothes before climbing into the nest. Hailey’s response is immediate—she reaches for him, pulling him down to her, her lips finding his in a desperate kiss.

“It’s okay, sunshine,” Finn murmurs between kisses. “I’ve got you now. We’ve all got you.”

Their scents mingle, omega to omega, creating something rich and complex that fills the room. Hailey coos and whimpers as Finn showers her with kisses and soft words, his hands stroking her heated skin with tender expertise.

I step back from the bed, intending to slip out quietly, to give them space. But before I can, strong arms encircle me from behind, while another pair catches me from the front.

Jax and Stone. Holding me between them in a group embrace that breaks something loose inside me—some final wall I’d maintained even after reconnecting with the pack. I sag against them, allowing myself, for the first time in years, to be truly supported.

“You’re alive,” Jax murmurs, his forehead pressing against mine in a gesture of acknowledgment I haven’t allowed since the accident. “You’re alive and you brought her back.”

Stone’s arms tighten around us both. “Never doubted you would,” he says, voice gruff with emotion.

We stand like that for a long moment, the three of us locked together while the sounds of Finn and Hailey form a backdrop of soft moans and whispered endearments.

Finally, I pull back slightly. “She needs you,” I say, nodding toward the bed. “All of you.”

I turn to leave, but Jax’s hand on my shoulder stops me. “Stay,” he says simply.

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