Page 61 of Knot Enough
Lena turned her impassive gaze toward me, then slipped out of Axel’s grip and strode toward Grimm, who pulled her onto hislap. Grimm tickled her waist, and she snorted, a smile blooming across her lips.
I’d not heard her so carefree.
I closed my eyes, clinging to the happy sound. Once I opened them, Axel was already seated at the table in front of the breakfast spread. Oak was halfway there, and Rath was shoving his hand through his hair and leaning against the wall.
Grimm’s smirk was like nails on a chalkboard.
There was no decision to be made. I wouldn’t live without her. As soon as the thought settled, it felt like a fissure opened in my gut. The slice of pain was so intense that it caused my chest to constrict. With my teeth gritted, I forced myself forward. Each step was agony now that I had decided to sever my bond to Rath and Oak.
Whatever Lena wanted, she would get.
THIRTY-ONE
We sat in silence as Grimm fed her. Every single pair of eyes stared at him with envy . . . and pain. There was so much fucking pain from our broken bonds. Oak’s complexion had turned so pale, he looked close to fainting.
Even Rath’s mouth was pinched at the corners, hurt reflecting in his eyes.
Kane and I framed the edge of the rectangular table while Grimm had her in his lap at the front of it. An overload of jealousy ate at me. The violent urge to burst forward and collect her to my chest clawed at me. She was the only thread keeping me together, because secondary to the envy was the emptiness of three of my bonds severing. Where it used to feel like a presence, it now felt empty. My decision was like cutting out a part of me. Pulsing painful holes . . . but nothing compared to the pain we’d put her through.
I didn’t regret leaving my pack, but it fucking stung. All I wanted was to have her in my arms, and I couldn’t.
It was making me antsier. And anxious.
I fisted my hands in my lap.
Grimm’s arm settled around her, his palm on her belly. She flinched, pausing as she chewed the strawberry he’d just fed her. He smoothed his hand to her waist.
The carving Kane had branded her with . . . I turned to look at him sitting across from me.
He must have felt my glare because he flicked his eyes over to me. His upper lip twitched.
“You’re owed many things, Lena,” Kane cleared his throat. “But first is an explanation.” Lena swallowed. Her eyes hadn’t swayed from his. “Valerie killed my brother and . . . Kim.”
She stiffened, propping her elbows on the table. Grimm leaned back, watching everything.
“Lennox,” she said, the corner of her lips turning down. She pressed her palm over the carving on her stomach. Kane flinched, his jaw audibly popping with how hard he ground it. “Who was Kim to you?”
I didn’t like this question. Kane met my gaze. I didn’t want her to feel worse than she already did. Kim’s position in our life had been pure convenience, and sure, we cared for her, and we mistook that for love.
But it was never love—it was settling.
“She was going to be our Omega.”
Her expression didn’t twitch. My honey wasn’t stupid; she’d seemed to figure that out already. I hoped she understood our rage stemmed from Nox being taken from us.
“So Valerie had a part in killing Kim, so you wanted revenge for that?” She easily condensed the entire issue that got us in this situation.
“Lennox,” Kane corrected, his mouth stiff.
“So you would have all done to Valerie what you did to me.” Her voice sounded dead.
“No,” I spat out. “That’s the piece that made it different.Youmade me feel.Usfeel.” I believed I would have never felt thesame for Valerie. It was Lena’s soft, sad energy clinging to her that made me make a connection to my mother and what she had gone through.
“And I wouldn’t have fucked her,” Kane interjected.
She straightened in Grimm’s lap, not looking impressed.
“Yeah, we’re twins, but we aren’t identical. Why did you guys takeme?” Her eyes pierced Rath.
