Page 46 of Knot Enough

“No, I think I’m ready. We did everything I wanted to do. Is there anything you wanted to do before we left?” She asked, looking up at me. I couldn’t resist kissing her face before responding.

“Nope, I just wanted to have fun with you. Are you sure you don’t want a candied apple or a funnel cake? There’s fried Oreos, too,” I reminded her. I saw her eyeing a couple of the food stalls earlier.

“Nope, if I eat those, I feel sick from the sugar, and I don’t want to end the night feeling nauseous.” She explained, moving closer to me to escape from the chilly air.

“Let’s head home then,” I said. Pulling her closer. The crowd has thinned since we got here. It made the trek back to our car a lot easier. We had just gotten to the parking lot where our car was, and I felt Lydia stiffen underneath my arm. I looked in the direction of where Lydia was looking and grimaced.

I recognized the man from the pictures I had. It was also the same man who I threatened not too long. Like his two other pack mates, Connor’s hair wasshort, dark, and slicked back as if he had just come from a meeting. I would never say this out loud, but to me, the Jameson pack looked like copies of each other.

“Connor, what is he doing?” Lydia asked. Her voice was cold and even, but I could hear a small trembling in it. Connor didn’t say anything as he closed the distance between us. When I figured he was close enough, I glared at Connor, warning him not to take another step, but the first time Connor didn't know how to take a hint. Meeting my glare with one of his, he stopped with about five feet between us.

“I suggest you get what you have to say out fast. Lydia and I were about to head home, and I have very little patience with other alphas outside of work hours.” I said with the same politeness I used when I spoke with him the first time. Connor's eyes moved from my face to my hand wrapped around Lydia’s shoulder. I felt smug when his eyes narrowed at the contact. I moved forward a bit to let Lydia hide behind me.

“My business is with Lydia, not you,” Connor grunted.

“What you have to say to me can be said with Graham here,” Lydia stated. Connor’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing to contradict her.

“I’ll put this in simple terms. My pack and I want to court you again, Lydia.” Connor explained. Lydia’s eyes widened at his words. I kept myself from tightening my grip on Lydia. This guy doesn’t know how to listen. The last thing I wanted to do was pressure her into making a choice. On the other hand, I wanted to punch the man in front of me. He didn’t deserve to court Lydia again, not after the royal screw up he managed the first time.

“You have some nerve asking that. After what you did the first time.” I reminded him. I’m sure my smile took a more sinister turn at this point.

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” Lydia asked. “Why don’t you ask that omega you cheated on me with to be your omega?” I was proud of Lydia for not falling for the words this man was spouting. I wouldn’t have blamed her for wanting to return to her scent matches, hell, if Gabriel was doing the same thing, I would have a hard time denying him. I watched Connor’s hand flex repeatedly.

“My pack and I have recognized our mistake, and we want to make it up to you,” Connor said with less sincerity than I like. Lydia’s face grimaced at his reaction.

“You cheated on me. You left me home alone with no one to protect me or spend my heat with. I can’t trust you not to do that again. Your pack has also harassed my omega. You broke my trust, and it took me a long time to regain it with my chosen pack. So, no, I won’t accept your apology or courting. In fact, I don’t want to see you guys ever again.” Lydia declared. My smile widened. She called us her chosen pack. Connor’s expression turned darker, and my body tensed in case of a fight.

“You’ll regret this. We are your scent match. We’re destined to be together. Honestly, do you think your new fling will want anything to do with you once they find their scent match? They’ll toss you to the curb when they realize you're too much work, even if you have bite marks.” Connor ranted. He took a step closer and stared down at Lydia. “At least with us, you won’t have to worry about us leaving you. Sure, we’ll have to have kids with someone else since my mom wants us to keep our legacy, but we wouldn’t leave you out to dry.”

Lydia’s scent was taking a darker turn as Connor kept talking. His words were getting to her. I didn’t want to hear another one come out of his mouth. I took a step forward, completely blocking Lydia from view.

“Now that you’ve said what you had to. Please leave, you got your answer.” I ordered. A beat of silence passed between us before Connor relented.

“We’ll discuss this at a later date.” He directed his words towards Lydia and walked away.

“Not a chance,” I whispered, watching him drive away. If I had it my way there won’t be a next time. Apparently he thought my warnings were false threats. If he didn’t listen to me, let's see if he listened to his father. Maybe if he had his inheritance revoked he would get the hint. Luckily his father and I were close business partners. He once tried to get me into an arranged bonding with Connor’s sister. My smile dropped when I turned back towards Lydia. She clutched her pillow to her chest and looked down at the ground. Sighing, I took a knee in front of her. With my fingertips, I guided Lydia to look me in the eyes.

“You okay?” I asked. She wasn't, but I needed her to say something. Her eyes finally focused on me. I felt her fingers graze the side of my lips.

“You're not smiling,” she stated more to herself than to me. My lips quirked up a little.

“I’m worried about you. Not really a good time to be smiling.” I explained.

“Pity, I like your smiles. They're reassuring in a weird way, like you have everything under control. Though only if you want to. I’d hate for you to do something just because I said I like it,” she continued.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I chuckled. A small smile appeared on her face.

“Better,” she said in a little voice as she traced my lips. I wasn't sure if she meant herself or me. She continued the action as if memorized by my mouth.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked. My attention was absorbed by her and her scent. She remained, but her hand had moved from my lips to my cheek. She moved her head closer to me and kissed me lightly. Once she was satisfied, she moved her head slightly back to speak.

“Can I mark you?” she asked softly. Her face had turned a slight shade of red. I ran my hand through her hair, humming as I thought about her question. She leaned into my touch, causing me to purr in satisfaction.

“Where would you want to bite me?” I asked to draw this out. Lydia furrowed her brow and thought about it.

“Your wrist.” She said after a few seconds. My smile widened, and I rolled up my sleeve.

“Go for it,” I said, handing my wrist to her. She looked from me to my wrist. I motioned my wrist again to encourage her. Taking the hint, she gripped my wrist, softly tracing circles around the skin. Her fruity and slightly floral scent entered my body as I watched her. She raised my wrist to her mouth, nipping and kissing at the spot playfully. My body was growing hot at her attention, but I remained still, letting her take control of this situation. My eyes never leave her face. Once she was satiated, I felt a sharp pain on my wrist. Affection, happiness, trust, and love filled my chest through the bond. I grimaced at the pain, but I watched a look of joy fill Lydia’s eyes. The look on her face made me forget about the pain I felt. This moment, this feeling, and Lydia were perfect. Gabriel may be my scent match, but my soul called out to her just as strongly. I knew I would protect and care for them both for the rest of my days and I would be happy to do it.

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