Page 100 of Knot So Sweet
"Thanks." Liam sits on the floor beside the couch. Back against the wall. Exhausted. Eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. His chamomile scent carries stress notes. Sharp and medicinal. "How long have you been up?"
"Usual time." Four AM. Same as every morning for a decade. "Dough doesn't care about storms or omega heats."
Violet stirs against Xaden's chest. Makes a soft sound. Her nose twitches. Eyes flutter open. Brown and hazy with sleep.
Those eyes find me. Lock on. I watch her pupils blow wide.
"Garrick." My name comes out rough. Needy. "You smell amazing."
Shit.
I'm covered in flour from baking. Same jeans and t-shirt I threw on at four. Both dusted white. Haven't showered. Probably reek like I've been working in a hot kitchen for hours.
But the way she's looking at me. Like I smell like heaven instead of sweat and yeast.
"Made breakfast." I set the tray on the coffee table. Try not to notice how her gaze tracks every movement. "French toast. Eggs. Bacon. You should eat."
"Not hungry." She pushes away from Xaden. Trying to sit up. He makes a sound of protest. Hands tighten on her hips.
"We're locked," he mutters. Voice thick with sleep. "Can't move yet."
"How long?" Violet asks. Squirms. The movement makes Xaden hiss through his teeth.
"Stop moving or you'll hurt yourself." Liam shifts to his knees. Doctor mode activated despite exhaustion. "Knots take twenty to forty minutes to recede. You're at maybe thirty based on timing."
"That's too long." She looks at me again. Want in her expression makes my mouth go dry. "I need him. Need Garrick."
"I'm right here." But I don't move closer. Can't. Not while she's locked with Xaden.
"Closer." Her hand reaches out. Grasping air. "Please. You're too far away."
Every instinct screams at me to go to her. Climb into that nest. Give her what she's asking for. But Xaden's inside her. Connected by biology I can't interrupt.
"Give it a few more minutes," Xaden says. Sounds strained. Like keeping motionless costs him. "It's going down. I can feel it."
"Don't want to wait." Violet's scent spikes. Vanilla and honey going richer. Sweeter. The smell of omega working herself up to another wave. "Need him now. Been smelling him for an hour. Drove me crazy lying here knowing he was downstairs."
"You could smell me?" The question slips out.
"Through the floorboards." Her gaze locks on mine. Intense enough to burn. "Bread and cinnamon and burnt sugar. Made me want to crawl out of this nest and find you."
The admission floods my system with heat. She was thinking about me. Wanting me. Even locked with Xaden. Bonded to him. She craved my scent.
"Almost there," Xaden says through gritted teeth. "Just... stay motionless. Please."
Violet whimpers. Actually whimpers like being stationary physically hurts her. "Can't. Have to move. Have to get to him."
"Violet." Liam uses his calm voice. The one that probably works on scared animals. "Breathe. You're okay. Garrick's not going anywhere."
"Promise?" She looks at me again. Vulnerability written across every line of her face.
"Not going anywhere." I mean it.
Xaden shifts carefully. Testing. "Okay. I think... yeah. I can pull out now."
The process proves careful. Gentle. Violet makes sounds of discomfort as he withdraws. Her body reluctant to release him. When he's finally free, she immediately rolls away. Scrambling out of the nest with none of her usual grace.
Two steps. Then her legs give out.
