Page 95 of Knot All is Crystal
“He said they were experimental. But regardless, he’s an Alpha.” She gulps a little, burying her face in her hands. “He’s my Alpha.”
None of us says anything for a long time before Maverick breaks the silence. “You’re saying he’s your scent match? Our packmate?”
“Yeah, I am. But you don’t have to worry. He’s not joining our pack,” she rushes to add. “I found out a lot of things about him, and the lies are more extensive than I thought. He could’ve gotten me out of Kieran’s control a long time ago, but he didn’t. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for that.”
“Why did he tell you all of this?” Gage asks, adjusting himself to be closer to us. “Why come clean now?”
“Because Kieran attacked me, and Puck went feral.”
I growl loudly, which is uncharacteristic of me, and pin her tightly to my chest. She yelps in pain, and I release her. Slowly, my Omega lifts her shirt, revealing black and blue ribs. I never want to see her in those colors again.
“I think Puck went into some sort of Alpha guard when he saw me, and it overpowered the meds.” Crystal chews at her lip, looking anywhere but at the three of us. “He was in a rage, about to go find Kieran and attack him. I couldn’t let him do that. Kieran would have killed him.” She sighs, rubbing her hands on her face. Exhaustion seeps out of her pores, and I wish I could bundle her up and push her problems off until morning. “And despite everything, I don’t want him dead.”
We sit in silence, and Crystal worries her hands in her lap. Eventually, she exhales heavily and looks up at the lightly draped ceiling of the room. “I slept with him. He… he didn’t force me.”
Maverick speaks first, his view of the world uncomplicated. “He’s your Alpha. Of course, you slept with him.”
A very ugly emotion grows within me, and I have to fight not to push Crystal away from me. She and I are taking things slow, and that’s fine, but the idea of her sleeping with that liar, letting him explore her body, leaves me queasy.
He doesn’t deserve to touch her.
“Why did you do it?” I ask, immediately regretting it when her body stiffens against mine. She tries momentarily to wiggle away, but I gently band my arms around her. I purr for her, feeling her relax into my body.
It’s not that I feel betrayed by her. I don’t. I know that an Omega and their scent matched Alpha are nearly impossible to keep apart. What bothers me the most is that he was beside her for years, her Alpha, and couldn’t protect her. He was always there, and he let her get attacked, let her be bitten over and over for years.
Does he not feel guilty for sleeping with her? Does he not realize that she is a beautiful gift he has no right to open?
“It was the only way to get him to calm down. I knew nothing about how he could’ve gotten me out then. All I knew was he was my scent match and in distress. I would’ve done the same for any of you.” Gage doesn’t even have to open his mouth before she stares him down. “Even you, Gage. If you were distressed, I would stop at nothing to make you feel better.”
Gage gives her a crooked smile, showing off his crowded teeth. “I know, Crys. I’d do the same for you.”
“Why did Kieran attack you?” I’m trying to get the conversation away from Puck. I don’t want to think about the other Alpha and how I’m going to have to get over my animosity toward him. “I thought he coveted you.”
“He found out about you guys and assumed I was planning a way to escape him. He wanted to make it clear to me there was no escape.” She shudders and finally manages to slip out of my arms, moving to crawl into Gage’s lap. He looks shocked but gathers her in his heavily tattooed and freckled arms. “He’s threatened me a few times, but I always thought I was too valuable to hurt. I was wrong. It was his way of discouraging me from whatever is happening with us.”
“If Puck didn’t tell him, how does he know?” I find it hard to believe that he didn’t, but if Crystal believes and trusts him, I need to get over it. She knows him better than I do, and my vision is currently clouded by anger and pain.
“He said he knew you guys were coming into my house. I don’t know how. Maybe he is having me followed, or one of my neighbors is a rat or something. Regardless, this is likely the last time I’ll have you over. It’s still a risk, but since I was at Prism when you all got here…”
“You think he wasn’t bothering to have your house watched,” Maverick finishes for her. “Which means we’ll need to stay here until after you go to work tomorrow. Err. Today, I guess.”
She goes to speak, but a massive yawn interrupts her words. Gage chuckles and kisses her temple. “You’re exhausted. Let’s get you some pain meds and then get you some rest. We can talk through all this when we’re not so tired.”
Crystal makes an agreeable, sweet, and squeaky noise as Maverick heads out of the nest in search of medicine. Eventually, we all get comfortable and lie in a pile as a pack, forming a protective barrier around our Omega.
THIRTY-FIVE
It’s killingme not to get my Pops involved in this.
Kieran Cobb is bad news, and now that the pack is on his radar, we’re all in danger. There is no denying it.
But with the police chief in his pocket, it’s become clear why none of Pops’ investigations into the Conglomerate have gone anywhere.
I press down the toaster lever before returning to where I’m scrambling a few eggs on the stovetop.
I struggle with sleep. It’s always too much or not enough. Sometimes, I can barely get out of bed or keep my eyes open. Other times, I stay up into the early hours of the morning, not feeling tired, even though I know that if I followed my bedtime routine, my body would probably fall asleep. But I can’t get motivated to do my routine because I’m not tired.
Vicious cycle.
