Page 71 of Tied in Knots
Two days after my heat finally ended, after five long days of shagging the four alphas more times than I can count, I glare at the packet on the countertop in my bathroom.
“Shit.”
I inhale deeply and then exhale slowly. “Shit. Shit. And more shit.”
One.
There is one birth control pill left in this packet.
I knew I was running out before I left home, but figured I’d be at Derek’s and within striking distance of a family planning clinic or local doctor, so I didn't concern myself too much with it. Running away was paramount. This was not.
Now, though?
“Fuck.”
I chew my lip. Granted, the alphas will leave me alone for a bit after my heat. They are so sweet and caring and attentive to my every need, they will assume, rightly so, that I need some time off. But that doesn’t get me very far. Eventually, they will want to insert their baby-making sticks into my, well, baby maker and I’m just not ready for the baby to be produced yet. I want kids. Desperately. But I’m not daft enough to dive into motherhood headfirst at twenty-one after my very first heat and with four alphas who are not my mates. Yet. Itwillhappen. I want it to. But in time. Now isn’t that time.
I’m going to have to tell Sebastian that I need more birth control and force a conversation that I wanted to put off for a little while longer.
I know he needs a son.Wantsa son. He will make such an amazing father. They all will. But it’s most important to him. I don’t know where his head is at with regard to a timeline on that. We’ve never talked about any of this shit.
“Bollocks. Guess I’m going to have to come clean. Unless…” I purse my lips and then dart back into the bedroom and over to the window. I peer out over the grounds, but I can’t see the gates from here. I can locate the nearest family planning clinic, head straight there and be back by lunchtime. No one has to know. I don’t have to tell anyone anything. These grounds are big enough that if anyone comes looking for me while I am out, I can say I was all the way over there in that corner, which is about a mile away, for fuck’s sake.
“Okay, this is a plan.”
I huff out a breath and snatch up my phone. I do a location search for a clinic near me and find one a few miles away. I’ll need to get on a bus, I think, but I still have some cash from the money I stole from Pete, so all good. I switch the phone off again, still worried that if Derek managed to track me down, Pete could as well. All I have to do is head right out of the gates to the main road and head towards a large village called Woodthorpe. Easy peasey.
Maybe.
Guess I’ll find out.
I grab my backpack and stuff my phone inside and make sure the cash is safe. It’s less than I’d like, especially as I could do with some new clothes, but hopefully Derek will swing by soon with the stuff I left at his place three and a half months ago.
I zip up my old coat and sling the backpack onto my shoulders and then peek out of the bedroom door. Seeing the coast is clear, I hastily, but quietly make my way down the stairs and to the front door without encountering anyone except the creepy as fuck portraits of the St. James’s of yore. Even the most recent one of Sebastian’s dad is all stony-faced and daunting.
Slowly turning the old-fashioned, gold-plated handle on the big black front door, I pray for no squeaks. Last time I snuck out of somewhere, the squeaks got me in shit. But this is well oiled and squeak-free.
Looking back over my shoulder one last time, I slip outside, silently closing the door behind me. I quickly head down the three paved steps and down the driveway, heading straight for the trees that line the mini private road that leads up to the house. The freezing cold air takes my breath away and I shiver. This coat is no match for the English winter weather. I’m so glad I didn’t have to rough it, even for a night in the park. As terrifying as it was to be hunted by the alphas, it’s worked out so far.
I just need to do this one thing, and I’ll buy myself some time. Then I can be the good little omega again and stay behind the castle walls. I start jogging, mostly because this road is never-ending, but also to keep warm. Finally, I see the huge black, wrought iron gates come into view. The coat of arms takes up a large portion of the gate. I can’t see what’s on it from behind, but make a note to have a look on my way back in. Standing in front of the gates, I reach out to open it, but it doesn’t budge.
I try again, shaking it slightly.
“Shit, locked.”
I look to the side and groan. Electric. Of course they fucking are, posh twats.
Looking up, I debate with myself once more. Derek climbed over them. Maybe I can too. I’m on this mission now, and to not see it through would piss me off and put me back at square one with only one birth control pill.
Bracing myself, I lift my foot up and grip the iron bars, hauling my body up. I climb up again, but three quarters of the way up, I come a cropper. There are huge iron spikes on the top of the gates.
“Derek did this. So can I.”
My pep talk does its job and I reach the top of the gates. Wondering how the fuck I’m supposed to get my leg over the spikes, I figure I’m going to have to goin betweenthem. This is going to be fun. I shake my backpack off and let it drop to the ground on the other side, hoping I didn’t smash my phone in the process. Then I squeeze my right leg through the spikes, squeaking when one of them pokes me in the arse cheek. I wobble and grip the freezing iron tighter. I get my foot secure and then with the acrobatic prowess, I didn’t know I had until I was stuck on top of some bloody iron spikes, I swing my left leg over the top of the gate. My foot slips and I cry out softly as a spike comes dangerously close to my eye.
“Eek,” I squeal as I drop down, sliding down the iron gate less than gracefully to land, free, on the other side. I do not know how I’m going to do that in reverse.
My hands trembling, I scoop up my backpack and place it on my back. Then I look right and left. I’m sure the directions said right, but it’s hard to tell. The small road in front of me gives no indication. There is a huge field on the other side and trees and tarmac right and left.
