Page 21 of Knot Enough
“What is she doing here?” Oak asked, sneering at the closed bathroom.
“Done,” her soft voice was muffled by the door.
“Grab the first aid kit and some shorts,” I ordered Oak instead of answering, turning my back on him.
She wobbled on two feet in the middle of the tile, her hands squeezing the towel wrapped around her breasts. With my arm around her shoulders, I guided her to the bed and forced her on the edge despite her resistance. Oak jerkily did as I said. He seemed hesitant, but hadn’t been able to look away from her. Every time his gaze settled on the shivering little Omega, interest reflected in his gaze.
He returned with the clear box and handed it over.
Kane’s glare burned a hole into the side of my head. Our shared bed was forourOmega, but I didn’t give a shit.
TEN
He swept the ointment on my lesions with a gentleness I hadn’t expected. My nose burned from my held back tears. What happened downstairs was a contrast to the gentleness he’d shown me in the shower. Why couldn’t he be like this all the time? Pressure expanded in my chest with discomfort. I didnotfeel good, but with each tender ministration, more and more chipped away at the shell ballooning in my chest.
His strong fingers carefully moved, and I couldn’t tear my attention off his hands. Veins spiked up the back of them.
“What are you doing?” The angry words whipped through the lull of Axel’s care.
I stiffened, my hands immediately reaching for the gentle giant. Rath, the dickwad of the Alphas, snapped from the door. Cruelty seeped from every one of his movements. I hated him quite desperately. I clawed my fingers into Axel’s arm before he could move away, clinging to him like the single strand of safety that he was. He patted my hand, and a wave of calm settled over my shoulders.
Rath’s gaze dropped to my fingers clutching his pack mate, and his lip curled. I quickly snatched my hands back. I didn’t want to set him off more than I already had.
Oak leaned against the wall across from me, and his gaze hadn’t left me until Rath walked in; his body language shifted with his entrance. Oak seemed to blend into the wall until then. Not in a bad way, but in a stealthy, quiet way.
“Cleaning her wounds,” Axel snapped. “Move your arm, honey.” He gently nudged my forearm, wrapped against my belly. A wave of agony washed through my cuts and sore limbs. “I need to clean it.”
Axel stared up at me from his crouched position, and I licked my lips. I didn’t want an infection . . . I didn’t want to die. That meant I had no choice. I slowly uncurled my arm from around my stomach.
He carefully tugged the towel open. A hiss exploded from between his clenched teeth. I’d seen every moment of what Kane had carved into me—he’d given me no choice.
I rolled my lips into my mouth and focused on breathing through my nostrils. Wrappers crackled, and then a soft touch rubbed against my belly. I jumped from the cool cloth being swiped across my skin.
“Sh. Sh.”
I cinched my eyes shut and waited for him to finish. This was some fucked up shit I’d gotten myself into.
“It’s bullshit to be taking care ofher?—"
“Shut up, Rath,” Axel growled.
My stomach rumbled, and my eyes flung open. Axel stared up at me with the corners of his lips curled up.
“I’ll go?—”
I lunged for Axel’s arm.
“Where?” I whispered.
“I’m going to reheat some stew for you. I won’t be long.”
“Don’t go.” My frantic words should embarrass me, but that had flown out the window a long fucking time ago.
“I’ll stay with her.” My head swung toward Oak. Rath scoffed with obvious disgust. I shook my head insistently and dug my fingers into Axel’s forearms.
“It’s okay.” He dragged his palm down my spine soothingly. “I won’t leave.”
I licked my lips and nodded.
