Page 54 of Forget me Knot
“She does,” Jack snickers. “But we know different. You can change her mind. We need this, Max. We need you to get on board with this, because living without her isn’t an option for us, and it shouldn’t be for you either. We’re a pack, and we need to be united in this.”
The resolute look on Jack’s face is maddening. If this omega is the glue holding our pack’s future together, I need to figure out how to make it work—and fast.
I scrub a hand over my face, feeling the sting of frustration and resignation setting in. “You aren’t even giving me much of a choice!”
“There isnochoice!” Jack shouts back. “Don’t you see, Max? She threw us into a rut. She is our mate. Our fate. Our future. She needs us as much as we need her. I’m not letting her fucking go, not now, not ever.”
“So what? You’re going to threaten me until I give in? Is that it?”
“Don’t be absurd! But you have to see why this has happened. Why your rut suddenly came on like ours did.”
“Is she in her heat?”
They exchange a look that speaks volumes.
“Not yet,” Sam mutters. “Because you weren’t there.”
“And yet, you two went into your rut and dragged me into it as well.” I pace back and forth, each step a mix of confusion and anger. “So, what now?”
“Now you go out there, apologise for being a dick to her and then, I dunno. Do whatever comes naturally to you,” Sam murmurs.
“Right now? That’s taking her omega pussy and sticking it on my alpha dick. Is that what you want me to do? Hmm?”
“Wow, ouch,” Jack murmurs. “Okay, let’s back up a second here…”
“No, let’s not,” I spit, flaming mad. “Let’s go and see what Lily thinks about that plan?”
I take a step forward, but Jack is quick to move in front of me, hand on my chest. The pressure is light enough not to send my prime alpha into a rage, but it’s enough to make me slap his hand away. “Go near her like this, and I will take you down,” Jack says quietly.
The room falls into an uneasy silence, tension crackling in the air between us. I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly to calm the chaotic mess of emotions tangled up in a knot of frustration, desire, and confusion.
I need to see the bigger picture, get past this betrayal, and see what they’re seeing. I already know Lily’s scent affects me, and she is an omega I can’t live without, but putting all of that into practice under forced circumstances has made my stubborn streak come forward.
“So, what now? We just play happy family and hope she doesn’t bolt when she finds out she’s stuck with an alpha she didn’t choose?”
Jack sighs, rubbing his temples. “Fate has chosen for her, just like it has with us. But we’ve got to try, Max. For all our sakes.”
Sam nods, his face more earnest than I’ve ever seen it. “We’ve already bonded with her on some level. She’s special, Max.”
I grit my teeth, hating that they’re probably right. The thought of Lily keeps drifting into my mind like a siren call. Maybe it’s the remnants of the rut, maybe it’s something more.
“Fine,” I grit out. “I’ll go out there and behave myself. But if this goes tits up, it’s on you two.”
“Fair enough,” Jack says, relief washing over his face.
Sam claps me on the shoulder, managing a small smile. “You won’t regret this.”
I grunt noncommittally and head towards the door, feeling like I’m walking into enemy territory rather than towards our supposed future.
As I make my way down the hall towards the kitchen, following that alluring scent that is potent and all around me now, I can hear the muffled sounds of cutlery and cupboards opening.
When I push open the door, I see Lily with her back to me, humming softly as she pours herself another cup of tea. How do I even go about introducing myself now? This is ridiculous. I imagined our intended mate would be someone I knew and liked. This is… well, in a word, this is a shitshow.
“Lily Bloom, I presume,” I state and cringe inwardly at how much of a douche I sound.
Lily turns around, her eyes widening slightly as our gazes lock, and it’s like I’ve been kicked in the head, the heart and the dick. She’s holding the teapot mid-air, and for a second, I think she’s going to throw it at me.
And I see what they see.
