Page 18 of Knot Enough

“Fuck, they did that?” Sorren asked. Horror filled his voice.

“Lydia, respectfully, that’s nonsense. No alpha worth their shit would pressure their omega into sex, during a heat or not. Let alone leave them during the time when an omega needs support the most.” Finn growled out. Lydia looked at him like he had two heads.

“But they couldn’t have known I would be like this. They didn’t choose to have a scent match like me. I couldn’t force them to be in a relationship with someone that couldn’t fulfill all their needs.” Lydia explained. I knew she felt like she wasn’t enough for her partners, but she needed to confront these thoughts, and she needed people to remind her that she wasn’t worth less than other omegas just because her sexuality was different from theirs. Our sexuality doesn’t define our value.

“Bullshit, and you know it, Lydia,” I said. “You guys should have talked about it and worked through a solution. Real alphas do not spend the night with someone else while you are in heat.” I countered, not letting her off easily. A pained look shot through her eyes. I hated reminding her of what happened, but she needed to confront this, especially after tonight.

“I’ll kill them the next time I see them,” Graham affirmed. All the smiles and charisma have disappeared from his face. He hadn’t said much throughout the conservation, so everyone noticed his words. Lydia’s eyes were as wide as saucers. I could feel an emotion almost like disbelief in the bond.

“You’d do that?” She asked. Graham nodded.

“Like Finn said, no alpha worth their salt would do that to their omega.” He said simply.“What pack was it?” He asked. Lydia hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Jameson, Pack Jameson.” She said quietly. Graham simply nodded, a dark smile returning to his face. Silence came over the room. We were all exhausted, especially after today's events. I clapped my hands together, getting everyone's attention.

Finn snapped out of his thoughts first. “One of them was at that party too. That’s why you acted so weird wasn’t it?” He asked. Lydia nodded. My temper flared up again.

“Was that why were you upset? Because one of them was there?” I asked. Lydia nodded again.

“It was one of the men who took you.” Lydia explained.Fuck.Iwant to kill them now.The fact she spent even a second with these scumbags grinded on my nerves, but that wasn’t going to happen again any time soon. I pushed all my rage and frustration back and focused on Lydia and what she needed right now. What she and I needed.

“Alright, enough heavy talk. Let’s all cuddle in the nest and sleep.” I said. I looked to Lydia for permission. She nodded, letting me know she was okay with my decision. Finn and Sorren nodded and got up. They helped Lydia and me off the couch. I let the blanket around me fall off while Lydia kept hers on her. We all turned to leave when Graham spoke.

“You guys go ahead. I need to finish a few things.” He commented before heading into another room I assumed was his office space. Finn and Sorren watched him leave with a knowing look. My face wrinkled in displeasure. I was getting tired of this guy not joining us for pack time. I needed all my alphas with me, and if he wasn’t going to step up, I needed to know why. Sorren distracted me from my thoughts as he traced his fingers up my spine, causing me to shiver in pleasure.

“Let’s get you to bed, omega,” Sorren whispered into my ear. I was going to say something less than gentlemanly, but a yawn came out instead. Finn was already guiding Lydia into the nest.

“Fine, you’ll get no complaining from me this time.” I relented. Sorren’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I wouldn't have it any other way,” I commented before being guided to the nest. Graham never ended up joining us.

Chapter 9

Graham

My eyes were starting to blur from looking at my computer screen all night. The Jameson pack had three members: Logan, Brett, and Connor. Connor was the leader of the pack. I felt like I had seen him before, but I couldn’t quite place where. From the looks of it, they are rich playboys who spend their afternoons going to bars and nightclubs looking for one-night stands. I hadn’t found anything substantial I could use to bring them down yet, but I would eventually. People rarely saw through the fake smiles and charisma I showed to people. Finn and Sorren were the only ones who’ve seen the darkness that could exist in my mind. A realization I hoped Gabriel and Lydia would be able to embrace once we get to know each other better.

A fiery rage burrowed its way into my heart. My mind and body yearned to take down Pack Jameson for how they treated Lydia and Gabriel. I had wanted to kill them for touching my scent match, but now I wanted to torture them too for the way they treated Lydia. I could still picture her eyes filled with grief and pain. No matter what anyone said, getting away from your scent match wasn't easy. When scent matches were separated, it usually was due to the death of one of the members, and even then, the others usually didn’t last long. It was a fucking miracle Lydia was even alive right now. It made sense why she insisted on taking the heat suppressants, as well. Besides the fact that she didn’t want to lose herself in the heat, I’m sure it was probably impossible for her to go through one unmedicated without her scent matches. The pain would be too much for her without the doctors practically putting her in a coma through the entire thing. Not to mention, the longer she was on them, the less likely she’d be able to have kids.

A growl erupted from my throat at the thought of her in a coma. The Jameson pack had cursed Lydia into a fate she had no choice in. Sure, the medication is lined with her interest right now, but what if she changed her mind one day? She wouldn’t be able to go off them completely, no matter what she wanted, and I hated that she didn’t have a choice. Choice is the one thing an omega should have. Their choice of nest, partners, what to eat, when they wanted their partners, if they wanted someone for their heat or to do it alone, and so much more. Omegas deserved choices, especially after everything thisworld puts them through. A knock at the door to my office distracted me from the screen in front of me.

“Can I come in?” Gabriel said hesitantly, peeping his head through the door. A smile spread across my face. The anger and frustration of the Jameson pack were momentarily forgotten.

“Of course, what can I do for you?” I asked, bringing my full attention to him. I would worry about the Jameson pack later. Gabriel nodded, looking pleased. He walked into the room entirely, closing the door behind him. My eyes followed the way his body moved. The way his sweatpants fell at his hips. The scent of him. The way he moved was captivating to watch. The confidence and grace of his body had me entranced. I’d always liked to play tag as a kid. The hobby extended into my adulthood, too. I like waiting for my partners to make the first move. I wanted them to have the confidence to tell me what they want, when they want it. The waiting game felt like a drug when I courted people. Most of the time, it worked, but in the rare instances where I had to make the first move, it felt just as great. To see their eyes light up with hope as we danced around each other was euphoric. He remained at the door while taking a deep breath.

“Do you like me?” He asked with uncertainty. My smile grew at his words. This was the moment I was waiting for.

“Quite a lot, actually,” I said, placing my head on my hands. I watched Gabriel shift his feet.

“Do you find me attractive?” He asked with more confidence as he leaned down to place his hands on my desk. I watched his hair slide into his face and over his ears. I wanted to bite at his neck and hear his moans and whimpers as I did so.

“Fuck yes,” I answered, my voice deepening with a hint of lust. His eyes narrowed at my reaction.

“Why weren’t you in my nest last night.” He questioned. His body was tense with nerves. It made me want to bend him over my desk and help him relax.

“I was researching Jameson packs,” I confessed, pushing my impolite thoughts away. Gabriel stepped toward the screen and looked at it. His eyes widened.

“You were serious then.” He said with a tone of amazement. I nodded.

“Yes, I was,” I confirmed, my grin turning into a darker one.

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