Page 20 of Knot Broken

The sudden, raucous sound of laughter from outside the truck breaks us apart, both of us breathing hard, our chests heaving like we just ran a damn marathon. Her lips are swollen, eyes glazed, and the way she’s looking at me makes my heart twist painfully.

She giggles, the sound pure and light. “You’re... wow.”

“I could say the same about you, sweetheart,” I rasp, my voice like gravel. I feel her body shift against mine, and my hard cock twitches in response. There’s no hiding it, especially when her cheeks turn that pretty shade of pink again.

I clear my throat, brushing a gentle thumb along her cheek. “Now, we’re going to go inside. You’re going to pick out everything you want. And then we’re heading home to build you the best damn nest you’ve ever had. Yeah?”

She nods, her lips quirking into a tiny smile that hits me straight in the chest. “Yeah. Okay.”

This is it. The beginning of everything. And I’ll be damned if I let anything ruin it.

***

The moment I step intoFluffed Up, I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face by a pastel cupcake.

The scent hits first—vanilla bean, fresh linen, something vaguely floral that makes my wolf recoil like it’s just sniffed aglitter bomb. The lights are warm and hazy, and the entire store glows in soft hues of blush, lavender, and cream. Everything is plush. Cushioned. Padded. Stuffed. There’s enough faux fur in here to make a grown Alpha weep.

I blink, overwhelmed, and Fox lets out a low whistle behind me. “Well, this is… aggressive.”

Dare mutters something under his breath about sensory overload, but I don’t respond. Because while the place is an interior design nightmare from hell for someone like me,sheis already lighting the place up.

Violet walks in like she owns the floor—tiny combat boots clunking against polished tile, her short purple curls bouncing with each step. The skin-tight velvet dress she wears is in some shade of violet that matches her name, her vibe, her everything. The moment she enters, the energy in the store shifts.

Every Omega nearby clocks her immediately. I watch as they instinctively turn—some visibly curious, others shrinking slightly behind their Alphas as if sensing the weight of ours behind her. Fox and Dare aren’t exactly subtle. We tend to radiate something…unapproachable. But this isn’t fear, not really.

It’s awe.

Violet doesn’t notice, or if she does, she doesn’t let it show. She throws her arms out wide and twirls once, half-laughing, half-dramatic. “Holy nesting heaven, Batman.”

Dare huffs a laugh, and I have to fight a grin. She’s too much.

“Well,” she says, eyeing a nearby stack of lavender-scented body pillows shaped like cartoon foxes, “guess I’m officially the luckiest girl in the store.”

Fox chuckles behind her, voice thick with amusement. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“More than you know,” she replies with a wicked smile tossed over her shoulder. The way she looks at him—like she knows exactly how hot she is when she teases—it hits like a punch to the chest. My chest.

And then shewinks.

Fox rolls his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tug upward, betraying his affection. Dare laughs under his breath, already moving to intercept her before she wanders too far into the fluffy chaos.

As for me, I grab a cart like I’m gearing up for deployment. Iampreparing for deployment, just of a different kind. I’ve seen Omegas nest before, but this is Violet. This isourOmega. And if she so much asglancesat something with too much longing, it’s going in this cart.

I catch her looking at me from the corner of her eye. That look she gives me—like she knows exactly what I’m doing and thinks it’s both adorable and absurd—makes my jaw clench.

Because if she wanted me to, I’d build her a damn nest out of silk and starlight.

“Alright, little Omega.” Dare’s voice cuts through my thoughts as he loops an arm around Violet’s shoulders and starts steering her toward one of the larger furniture aisles. “First order of business: furniture. Gotta pick your base before we pile on the fluff.”

Violet mock salutes him. “Sir, yes sir. Fluff comes later.”

She lets herself be tugged down the aisle, wide-eyed and curious, already reaching out to touch things as she passes—textures, fabrics, pillows with sequins and blankets so soft they might as well be made of clouds.

I follow behind, pushing the cart, watching her with a quiet ache in my chest.

Because this—thisright here—is what I never thought I’d get.

A mate.OurOmega. Free. Safe. Smiling.

---