Page 40 of Ruin Me Knot
"Trust me." Gabriel shoots me a wink. "Jax’s plate is usually the first one licked clean."
"Hey, a guy’s gotta eat," Jax says.
"And eat he does. Don’t get between Jax and an open buffet, is all I can say." Gabriel heads into the kitchen.
The front door opens, and Ronan’s powerful frame fills the entryway. He’s dressed in black tactical gear from boots to throat. The heavy fabric stretches over his shoulders, the cut hugging every muscle. He looks dangerous and utterly in command. A soldier straight out of some midnight op rather than a kitchen full of pancakes.
Heat prickles at my scalp and claws low in my belly. I should be scared. Very scared, because this Alpha radiates pure power, but my body tightens with a sharp, strange thrill.
Ronan’s gaze sweeps the room, landing on me with full force. "Omega."
His voice thrums through my core. Powerful. Dangerous. Everything in me buzzes withwant. I wonder where he’s been, dressed like sin. He takes in everything, Gabriel whistling in the kitchen, Jax settled in front of me like a silentbodyguard, throw cushions scattered on the floor. The air stirs as he strides over, his nostrils flaring as he closes the distance between us.
Every flicker in my body leans toward him, pulling from my bones. His scent thickens, notes of pine needles crushed underfoot, damp earth clinging to skin seeps deep into my lungs. It wraps around me and tucks under my skin, crowding out the ghosts that live there. I ache for his nearness, hungry for the steady, unmovable force of him. The wild shimmer in my belly steadies with his presence, calming into a deep comfort I can’t explain.
Strength and calm and certainty flow through my nerves, smoothing out every sharp edge with aching promise. I breathe him in and for one fragile moment, I’m safe.
Alpha. Safe.The words whisper in my ear, but I drown out my omega’s voice as Ronan sets a glossy white shopping bag within reaching distance. His purr vibrates as he straightens.
Something pale pink and outrageously fluffy peeks out. I pounce before I can think, my fingers sinking past the opening and pulling out an impossibly soft sweatsuit. My hands glide over the surface, sinking into the material. It’s softer than fleece, sweeter than velvet, with a weight that settles over my skin like heaven. A label catches my eye, LuxeNest Essentials. I never imagined I’d have anything from a store like that.
I bury my fingers in the material, dragging the fluff on the collar across my cheek, my heart racing at the pure, unfiltered comfort of it. For a moment, all that matters is the impossible luxury, the silk lining beneath the softness, how it wraps around my hands and tells every muscle to unclench.
Then…fuck. I forgot myself!
My head snaps up, searching for Ronan, for Jax, for Gabriel, apology tripping up my tongue. The sweat top falls from my nerveless fingers and my body flushes. Instinct has betrayed me because I took before asking permission and now punishment will follow.
Chapter Eighteen
Ronan
Leah goes preternaturally still, her gaze locked on me. Sweet rose turns sour in a heartbeat. My gut twists as I grind to a halt. Her knuckles turn white where she’s clutching the pink fabric before it falls to the floor, panic burning in her stare.
A deep purr swells up before I even think to stop it. I ache to reassure her, to smother every shard of fear she’s been forced to endure. Fury boils beneath my skin. I want to gather her up and tell the world to fuck off for damaging mygorgeous mate.
Gabriel’s shock and Jax’s horror knife through our pack bond. Her reaction is so wrong. I need to undo this, right now. I drop to my knees in front of her, careful to keep my movements slow and unthreatening.
I gather the fallen garment and place it back in her hands. "I’m sorry, Kitten. I should’ve asked if you liked them before I set them down. They’re yours if you want them."
Her pupils are dilated and she’s not moving a muscle. I’ve seen this kind of freeze in extractions before, the mind laying traps when trauma takes over. I keep my weight grounded and steady. Lower my voice and go slow. I broadcast my movements, letting her see my hands open and empty. No fists.
"No one here punishes you for wanting soft things. You didn’t do anything wrong. You did exactly what an Omega is meant to do." Whatever she’s thinking, I have to lay it over with new, reinforced memories. I have to rewire her mind, repeatedly, until her first reactions aren’t to freeze or fight or run. They’re to smile and enjoy and take as her Godsdamned right. I’ll be her steady anchor, one gentle action at a time.
She blinks and her gaze sharpens and locks straight on to me. Her chin tips up and she grits out, "I didn’t ask you to get me anything."
The bite in her voice is a shield. She’s testing me. Seeing if my words and actions are false. If she thinks she’s right, I’ve lost her. We all have, and that’s not something that will ever happen.
She can try to push all she wants. If she wants me to prove my strength, my patience, my sincerity, I’ll do it. I’m her Alpha. I’ll take every test she throws at me.
"I want to get you these things. You deserve them and more. Hells, you deserve the world, and we’re going to do our best to give it to you. You’ll never have to ask for anything, because it’s freely given."
I keep my gaze fixed on her, steady and unyielding, being nothing but the calm wall she can rely on. She has to know she’s safe, no matter what she feels—anger, happiness, arousal. I’ll take it all.
I’m a greedy bastard like that.
Leah’s mouth tightens and her eyes flash. "What if I don’t want anything from you?"
"You’d still look pretty damn cute in pink, you know." Gabriel’s smile is easy as he leans against the wall, looking like Leah’s reaction isn’t affecting him.
