Page 25 of Chain Me Knot

Asher stands in the entryway, guilt etched into every line of his body as he watches us. The air thickens with awkward tension. Him not knowing what to say, her not trusting anything he might say, me caught in the middle with our traumatized omega in my arms.

“I'm making an executive decision,” I announce, breaking the silence. “It's lunchtime. I'll make us all something to eat.” Food fixes everything, right? Or at least gives us something to do besides stand around marinating in discomfort.

“This house even has a coffee machine. Just don’t let Asher anywhere near it, as priorly discussed,” Soren says, a smile playing on his lips as he winks at her. I don’t miss the withering glance Asher sends to Soren and wisely keep my chuckle to myself.

I carry Emma through to the kitchen, a spacious room with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. Emma's breath hitches, turning shaky, and at first I think it's fear. Then I follow her line of sight to what's beyond those windows to a covered patio with comfortable lounge chairs arranged around aglass table. Beyond that, a small pool sparkles in the sunlight, surrounded by lush potted plants. The entire space is enclosed by tall privacy fencing, creating a secure outdoor sanctuary.

Her scent shifts, the bitter notes of fear mingling with something sharper, more desperate. Longing. Raw, undisguised yearning. This is something I can help her with.

“Do you want to go outside?” I ask softly.

She looks up at me, and my heart fractures at the hesitation in her eyes. “Would that... would that be okay?”

Would that be okay? As if feeling the sun on her skin is some extraordinary privilege she has to earn. As if she needs permission to breathe fresh air. I don't know whether to weep or punch through a wall.

“You never need to ask us for anything.”Demand it. Nothing will be too much for you, beautiful.

I carry her through the sliding glass doors and onto the sun-warmed tiles. “Put me down, please,” she whispers, and I carefully set her on her feet, staying close in case her legs give out again.

She stands there, swaying slightly, then tilts her face upward with her eyes closed. The sunlight bathes her in gold, highlighting every hollow of her too-thin face, every fading bruise. But it's her expression that undoes me. Pure joy, simple and profound, at something as simple as feeling warmth on her skin.

I silently beg to whatever gods are listening for reincarnation so I can kill those alphas again after I've ripped them apart with my bare hands the first time. Emma has suffered too long in darkness. Too long without feeling the sun. Too much of her life stolen that we can never get back.

“Looks like we're definitely having lunch outside,” I say lightly, burying the rage beneath a smile. Because right now, my violence won't help her. My protection might.

And somehow, seeing that look on her face, I'd trade all my vengeance just to keep her in the sunlight a little longer.

Chapter Ten

Emma

The sunlight is a miracle on my skin, warm and real and forgotten. I close my eyes, drinking it in like water after years of drought. For a moment, just one brief moment, I forget where I am, who I'm with, what has happened.

Then reality crashes back as Phoenix sets a plate in front of me. Sandwiches cut into quarters. Apple slices. Potato chips. Like I'm a child who needs manageable portions. It sure as hell beats the left-over food the other alphas gave to me. That was when they remembered to feed me. Flavor bursts on my tongue when I crunch into an apple slice, and then I can’t get enough. I shove another quarter of sandwich into my mouth, my cheeks already full. After months of near-starvation, the food is irresistible despite my exhaustion. My body's need overrides my caution.

“Whoa,slow down,” Phoenix says, alarm crossing his face. “You'll make yourself sick eating that fast.”

I freeze mid-chew, sandwich halfway to my mouth, again realizing my mistake too late.

Soren notices my reaction immediately. “It's not a command. After prolonged malnutrition, eating too quickly can cause serious digestive issues.”

Dr. Chen said the same thing. As well as the nurse, but easy to say for them. They’ve never faced not knowing when the next meal is coming. My gaze bounces between all three alphas, my mind warring with indecision. Do I keep eating? Have I eaten too much for their liking? Do I put everything down? Do I fall to my knees and present and beg their forgiveness?

“What he means,” Phoenix sends a pointed look at Soren, “is that we're worried about you. We’re not trying to control your eating.”

Asher watches from the edge of the patio, guilt rolling off him in waves. My fingers itch to find his claiming bite on my neck. Thankfully his emotions have stayed muted. I’m so used to the cruel intent from Pack Carmichaels’ bites that they’re easy enough to shove into the back of my mind.

At least Asher has stayed there while we’re all seated at the table. Something I’m grateful for even when I don’t understand his need to respect my space. Either that or he’s sick and tired of my flinching when he comes too close to me. Any of the alphas in Pack Carmichael would have hit me for that infraction. Logically I know it’s wrong. That those actions say more about the abuser than the victim, but the trauma and learned reaction is embedded into my DNA.

Phoenix speaks, forcing my attention back to the sunshine and not the darkness in my head. “We have plenty of food, Tough Girl. It won't run out. You can have as much as you want, whenever you want it. Just eat a little slower so you don’t get sick. That’s what we’re concerned about.”

I look away from his kindness, from the dimple that appears in his cheek when he offers that easy smile. He's beautiful. They all are… Phoenix with his disheveled blond hair and athletic build, Soren with his buzz cut that accentuates the sharp angles of his face and military bearing. Even Asher with his olive skin and haunted eyes. Large, powerful alphas who have the power to chain me to a different cage.

Soren places a glass of water beside my plate. “Small sips to keep hydrated.”

I study him, watching for the moment this will all go away. This could be a mirage my mind is throwing up while Derek or James or Matthew do whatever they want to my body, but all Soren does is sit in the spare chair at the table we’re all grouped around, hands resting on the solid wood arms. Phoenix picks up his sandwich and takes a bite. Birds chirp in a nearby tree. Sunlight makes my skin tingle. I clutch Mira's phone in my lap.

This is too real for my mind to be playing tricks.

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