Page 52 of Knot in Bloom
I pull the door mostly closed, leaving it ajar just enough that we’d hear if she called for us.
“The couch pulls out,” Reid says quietly as we move back to the living room. “It’s not big enough for all of us, but...”
“We’re not leaving her alone,” Caleb says firmly. “Not after she specifically asked us to stay.”
“Agreed.” I settle into the small armchair, angling it so I can see down the hallway toward her room. “We’ll make it work.”
Reid takes the pull-out couch, and Caleb grabs pillows and a blanket to make himself as comfortable as possible on the floor. None of it’s particularly comfortable, but as Sadie’s breathing evens out into deep sleep in the next room, I realize comfort isn’t the point.
We’re here because she needs us to be here. Because pack means showing up, even when it’s inconvenient.
Especially when it’s inconvenient.
“Think she’ll remember much of this tomorrow?” Reid asks softly.
“Probably not all of it,” I admit. “But she’ll remember that we stayed.”
“Good,” Caleb says from his spot on the floor. “That’s what matters.”
As the night deepens around us, I listen to the sound of her peaceful breathing drifting from the bedroom and feelsomething settle into place in my chest. The alcohol has made me sentimental, made it easier to admit truths I usually keep carefully guarded.
“You know what’s funny?” I say quietly to Reid and Caleb. “I used to think I was looking for one perfect person. Like books that have one perfect ending. But this... this feels like we’re all writing the same story together.”
“That’s the tequila talking,” Reid says, but his voice is fond.
“Maybe. But some of the best truths come out when you’re not trying so hard to sound smart.” I shift in the uncomfortable chair, glancing toward her room. “I pressed flowers in a notebook for her before I even knew if she’d want them. That’s not smart. That’s just... hoping.”
“Hoping worked out,” Caleb observes quietly.
This is what I’ve been searching for without knowing it. Not just an omega to care for, but a pack to belong to. Alphas I can trust to put her needs first, to work together instead of competing.
We’re hers now. All of us.
And she’s ours to keep safe.
Chapter 15
Sadie
Iwake up to the sound of quiet voices and the smell of coffee drifting through my apartment. For a moment, I’m disoriented—my head pounds with a proper hangover, my mouth feels like cotton, and there’s something different about how my space smells. Warmer. More complex.
Then memory comes flooding back in fragments. Truth or dare. Tequila. Kissing all three of them. Taking off my sweater and asking them to stay.
Oh god, did I really do all that?
I sit up carefully, testing the severity of my headache, and realize I’m still wearing yesterday’s clothes under the soft blanket someone must have covered me with. The thoughtful gesture makes me feel cared for without any uncomfortable questions about boundaries.
The voices are coming from my kitchen—low, considerate murmurs that suggest they’re trying not to wake me. The consideration makes my chest warm despite my embarrassment and the dull throb behind my eyes.
I pad to the bathroom first, catching sight of myself in the mirror. My hair’s a mess, mascara smudged, but there’ssomething different about my expression. Softer somehow. Like I’m someone who’s been taken care of.
I take my suppressant with a glass of water—back to my regular schedule. After spending too much time around them I really need to take it daily or I will go into heat.
When I emerge, the talking stops. Then Reid appears in my bedroom doorway, holding a mug of coffee and wearing yesterday’s dress shirt unbuttoned over his undershirt. His bergamot scent is mixing with the lingering cedar and sandalwood that clings to everything in my apartment now. Even on suppressants, being surrounded by their combined alpha scents makes something settle with contentment in my chest.
“Good morning,” he says gently. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I drank half a bottle of tequila,” I admit, accepting the coffee gratefully. “But also... good? Confused, but good.”
