Page 89 of Knot in Bloom
Every breath floods me with their combined presence. Every tiny movement sends lightning across my hypersensitive skin. The heat building low in my belly has moved beyond uncomfortable to actively distracting, and I can feel myself getting slicker by the minute.
“I should be celebrating,” I manage, though my voice sounds breathy and affected. “This was everything I dreamed of.”
“You are celebrating,” Caleb says, voice dropping to that tone that makes my nipples peak against my bra. “This is what success looks like when you don’t have to handle it alone.”
Before I can respond, there’s a soft knock at my door. Lila’s voice carries through the wood.
“Sadie? It’s me. Just wanted to check on you before we head home.”
I start to get up, but Levi places a gentle hand on my arm. “I’ll get it.”
He goes down the stairs and opens the door for them. Lila steps inside my apartment with Dean and Callum flanking her protectively, Julian bringing up the rear with that careful attention he brings to everything. Her belly is round and proudunder her jacket, and she moves with the graceful caution of someone precious being watched over.
“How are you holding up, honey?” she asks, then stops mid-step as her expression shifts. I watch her nostrils flare slightly, taking in my scent, the three alphas arranged around me, the obvious tension crackling in the air.
“Oh, sweetie,” she says softly, understanding flooding her features. “You’re starting your heat, aren’t you?”
The word hangs in the air like a bell being rung. Heat. No more dancing around it, no more pretending this is just stress or attraction or anything other than what it is.
“I think so,” I whisper, admitting it out loud for the first time. “I’ve been fighting it, but...”
“But fighting biology is exhausting,” Lila finishes gently, settling carefully into the chair across from me. “Trust me, I remember.”
“What happened?” I ask, genuinely curious despite my current state.
“Callum found me in my nest, basically unconscious from fighting what my body needed,” she explains with a rueful smile. “I knew my heat was coming but I was too stubborn to admit it.”
“Sounds familiar,” Dean observes with gentle humor, his hand finding Lila’s shoulder in an automatic gesture of comfort.
“The point is,” Lila continues, “once I stopped fighting and let them take care of me, everything got so much easier. Your body knows what it needs, honey. And you’ve got three incredible alphas here who are clearly ready to give it to you.”
She glances meaningfully at my three men, taking in how they’ve positioned themselves around me—close enough to provide comfort, far enough apart that they’re not overwhelming me with their combined scents.
“The festival was absolutely beautiful, by the way,” Callum adds quietly. “You should be proud of what you accomplished today.”
“We should let you all get some rest,” Julian says with characteristic directness, though his tone is gentle. “Congratulations on today, Sadie. You did something remarkable.”
After they leave, the silence feels different. Charged with acknowledgment and possibility.
“So,” Reid says quietly. “Heat.”
“Heat,” I confirm, surprised by how steady my voice sounds. “Which explains why I’ve been losing my mind for the past week.”
“You haven’t been losing your mind,” Levi says firmly. “You’ve been incredible. Managing the festival, handling all that pressure, while fighting what your body needed. That’s not losing your mind—that’s strength.”
“I don’t feel strong,” I admit, slumping back against the couch cushions. “I feel like I’m falling apart.”
“Then let us catch you,” Caleb says simply, moving to sit on my coffee table so he can face me directly. “That’s what we’re here for.”
Looking at him—at all three of them—I realize this moment has been building since the first time Levi brought me coffee. Since Caleb fixed my roof. Since Reid started inventing reasons to buy flowers.
This isn’t just about heat. It’s about choosing my pack. My family. My future.
“I want all of you,” I say, the words spilling out with surprising certainty. “Not just for heat. For everything.”
The way their scents deepen with satisfaction and possessive approval tells me I’ve just crossed a line we can’t uncross.
But as the reality of what I just said settles over me, panic flutters in my chest. “Wait. What does this actually mean? I’ve spent three years proving I could handle everything alone, and now I’m just... giving that up? What if I’m terrible at being part of a pack? What if I don’t know how to share decisions or space or?—”
