Page 164 of Knot All is Crystal
“Did you have fun with our Alpha?” he asks her softly. My stomach does the little flip thing it does whenever he calls me his Alpha. I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of it.
She weaves her fingers in with his. “I did. Did you have a good day at work? What kind of tattoo kept you so late?”
“I was doing another Medusa,” he says softly. “It was the only time she got off work.”
Gage has made a name for himself with Medusa tattoos. They’re a symbol of resilience and survival, and when he entered Crystal’s and their story into a magazine for a feature, he became overrun with requests to do them.
He’s started offering them for free to victims of Tyler’s ring. Even though it was broken up ages ago, victims are still coming forward with their stories.
“Do you have a set tomorrow?” Gage asks me, changing the subject.
“No, but I have that festival this weekend. You all are coming, right?” Lunarcrest After Dark is officially done, but it got my name big enough that I don’t have to hunt for gigs. It’s kept me in steady, good work. I’m excited about my gig this weekend, though. Festivals always have a different energy, and this is the first one my entire pack has committed to coming to.
Even Puck, the grumpy bastard.
He pretends I annoy him, but I know better. He loves me just as much as the others do.
“Hey, Maverick,” Crystal says, craning her neck to look over her shoulder at me. “Not to be weird and bring this up while your knot is in me, but your sisters…”
“No!” I shout, reflexively pulling back from her, but going nowhere. “Please, can we not?”
She snorts, shaking her head. “Fine, fine. I hope I don’t forget.”
“Oh, thank God,” I mutter, relaxing into her. “Please, let’s change the subject.”
“Sure. I would like to petition the pack for another dog,” Gage says. “Burger is lonely. I figured we could call the new one Fries.”
Crystal’s snorting laugh always gets me chuckling alongside her. “I agree. Another dog would be fun. Maybe a cat, too?”
“No cats!” Emmanuel calls from … wherever he is. “Gage is allergic! He won’t tell you because he won’t want to disappoint you.”
Gage blushes but doesn’t deny it. “Having a pack with someone who’s known me my whole life is annoying,” he grumbles.
“Good looking out!” I holler back.
We should consider putting in an intercom system.
“Okay, so no cats. But another dog, yes?” Crystal peeks over her shoulder at me with wide eyes. “Pleaseeeeeeee?”
“You need to ask Daddy Manny and Grandpa Puck,” I say with a shrug. “You already know my answer.”
“Well, good, it’s three against two. We can easily overpower them.”
A shadow looms over us. As one, the three of us look up to see Puck leering over us. His muscular arms are crossed over his broad chest, and his face is fixed in a frown.
“Grandpa Puck?” he says gruffly.
I look anywhere but at him. “If the loafer fits.”
And then he falls, his massive body collapsing on top of mine. I notice he manages to keep from crushing Crystal. His fingers dig into my sides, and I wail out a mix of sobs and laughter.
“Tickling while knotted should be a crime!” I shout, trying to escape the Alpha’s wrath. “A crime against humanity, I tell you!”
“Thanks for holding him still for me, Queenie,” Puck coos, kissing Crystal before turning back to me, fingers curled menacingly as he descends upon me.
* * *
Gage
