Page 103 of Knot My Band: Part Two
They put us in separate rooms for our massages.
I strip but decide to leave on the bracelet from my pack. I’m too attached to take it off.
The moment I slip under the crisp, white sheets of the massage table, a sense of tranquility embraces me like the arms of a lover. The masseuse’s hands, firm yet gentle, work magic on my muscles, kneading the tension from my body like dough. With each stroke down my spine, the tightness from endlesshours of rehearsals and performances ebbs away, melting into oblivion.
“You know, most alphas call and demand a woman masseuse for their omega, but yours only requested the best,” the woman tells me.
I picture Jack, Chase, Dax, and Aiden—the alphas who are my rock and my anchors in the tempestuous sea of fame. A blissful smile curls my lips as I imagine their faces, the warmth of their embrace, and the promise of their unwavering presence.
“They’re great like that,” I respond.
The harmony of soft instrumental music fills the air, mingling with the muted murmur of flowing water. It’s as if the world beyond these walls doesn’t exist—no demands, no pressures, just the pure, undiluted essence of peace.
The soothing cadence of the masseuse’s touch slows, and a whisper of silence creeps into the room before she tells me she will be back and I should relax.
I relax into the table, enjoying my moment alone before my skin prickles and my hair stands on end.
I inhale deeply, tasting the metallic, sharp change in the air. The same chemical descenter that was in my nest fills the room. My gut tightens, and an instinctual alarm bell rings softly at first, then louder in my head. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, alerting me to a shift in my haven.
“Something’s not right,” I murmur, a half-whisper lost in the stillness.
I attempt to push myself up, to escape the unnerving feeling enveloping me. But before I can rise, a sudden, forceful pressure pins me down, flat against the massage table. A shadow looms over me; the energy is all wrong, heavy with malice and madness. I freeze, my heart hammering within me.
“Stay down, Oli,” hisses a voice that curdles the serenity of moments ago into a thick dread that coats my throat. Her handsare ice despite the room’s warmth, and her grip is iron as she presses me into the unyielding surface.
“What the hell?” I snap before screaming at the top of my lungs, “Help!”
“Shut up. No one can hear you,” she snaps, and the unhinged edge in her voice sends a chill through me. “You think you’re so special, don’t you? With your pretty voice and those alphas fawning over you.”
The voice is so familiar, but I don’t place it at first. It takes a second before I realize who exactly is holding me down like this.
“Everyone’s special in their own way,” I reply, trying to crane my neck to look at her. “Even you, May. Come on, let’s talk this out like adults.”
“Talking’s over,” she growls, pressing harder until pain lances through my shoulders. Her breath is hot on my ear, and I can feel the rage pulsing off of her in waves. “You took everything from me, Oli. And I’m here to take it back.”
I want to tell her she’s crazy, that she’s mistaken, but the words die in my throat. This isn’t the time for comebacks. This is survival, and I need to keep my wits sharp if I’m going to get out of this unscathed.
Years of using drugs have made May Thornton insane because no sane person would deal with their problems like this.
Panic flutters in my midsection like a trapped bird, but I can’t let May see it. My fingers fumble beneath me, searching for the cool metal of my bracelet. A tiny button on its underside is hidden among the decorative swirls—a lifeline I never thought I’d have to use. With a press that feels like it takes all my strength, I hope to every deity that the silent alarm does its job.
“Come on, May,” I say, injecting a teasing lilt into my voice, “you’re smarter than this. What do you really want? I’ll make it happen for you. We can be allies.”
“Silence!” she hisses, her breath erratic against the shell of my ear. “You stole The Edge from me, Oli. They were my band first. You seduced them with your omega charm and that voice… That goddamn voice.”
“I didn’t steal them! You were out of the picture before we ever met,” I retort.
“Shut up! Just shut up with your fake innocence!” May’s voice climbs an octave, teetering on the edge of hysteria. “You’ll leave them, Oli. Leave the band, or—or I swear I’ll…”
“Or what, May?” I challenge, though my heart hammers so hard I’m sure she can hear it. “We can sort this out. No one has to get hurt.”
“Like hell we can,” she spits out. Her hand shakes on my back, and I feel the sharp prick of something—her nails or worse—against my skin. It’s a tangible reminder of the danger I’m in, a whisper of threat that sends adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Why did this have to happen while I was naked on a massage table?
“Think about it. We could be amazing together,” I try a different tactic, aiming for camaraderie. “Two powerful women taking on the music world.”
“Stop it!” May’s scream echoes off the walls, and she pushes down on me even harder, her body a cage of desperation. “I don’t need you. I just need them gone from your life! They should be my pack!”
