Page 38 of Knot All Is Ruined: Part 1

“We had some scrapes and bruises, though nothing like you,” Violet shared. “You took the brunt of the fall, protecting me.”

I smiled and took her hand. “Didn’t I promise you I’d get you through this?” Violet nodded as she clenched tightly on my hand. “Then don’t you dare blame yourself for me getting hurt. You didn’t choose to jump, I did. Of course, I would protect you. What the hell kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

“A batshit crazy one,” Tori said with a snort. “Anyway, did they tell you why we were brought here?”

I glanced at Petru, standing next to Klarisa, unsure of how to answer. “Not really…”

Klarisa is the one who took the lead walking over to us with her soft smile. “My home is what I like to call a transition stop. A place to recover, adjust to life away from the North, and hopefully get you back on your feet living a normal happy life. I’ve helped many Omegas over the years who spent time in the North and managed to escape or were rescued by Southern soldiers. My role is just to help you acclimate back into society.”

This seemed to stun the girls as they came to the same realization that Klarisa was an Omega herself. Once they got over the shock, they both seemed to relax. When they were instructed to take a seat on the couch, I got to witness firsthand how I’d looked. The blissful look on their faces had me smiling as they curled up into balls letting out little sighs of contentment. Violet tugged a blanket off the back and wrapped herself up in it until you could only see her eyes. Tori, like myself, clutched a pillow as she rested her head against the back of the couch, her eyelids drooping, betraying how tired she must be.

When a hand slid to grip the back of my neck, massaging the tight muscles, I jumped then relaxed into the touch while groaning at how good it felt. “We should go,” Petru informed me. “As Klarisa said, they won’t be moving from those spots for some time.”

Wistfully I watched them, envious that I couldn’t join them, but I had to keep my part of the deal to get them back home. Nodding, I let him guide me back to the front door Klarisa held open for us.

“Danella, you’re welcome to come by anytime. I know they would love to have you stay here too,” she remarked, holding my gaze as if telling me all I had to do was ask, and she’d make it happen.

“Thank you, truly. I appreciate you looking after them and making sure they’re safe. I’ve not been cleared from the Med Center yet, and there's something else I need to do before that could happen,” I explained. “But I would like to come by after a few days to see how they are.”

“Don’t let them push you into something you don’t want, Danella. Things here in the South are different, and you have the right to say no,” she warned, as her attention shifted to Petru. “You might be my son's lover and an Alpha I respect, but I won’t stand by and watch anyone be manipulated for selfish reasons.”

Just when I didn’t think this woman could keep surprising me, she went and called out an Alpha to his face.

“I hear you, Klarisa, and if you ever think that’s what's happening, I expect you to call me or the others on it. Our agreement with Danella is far from selfish, and I believe we can come to fair terms that won’t be perceived as manipulation,” Petru informed her before giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll tell Cris you said hello.”

“Look after him, Petru, and your new friend as well,” Klarisa added as she waved goodbye and headed back into the house.

Hand on the small of my back, he guided me back to the bike. However, there was no sign of the truck that brought the girls over. “They just left?”

“Once they handed them over to Klarisa, their job was done,” Petru reminded me. “If they’d dared to step foot in her home, the mama bear side of Klarisa would have come out. No one but people she trusts and approves of is allowed in her safe haven. Her husband is a bigwig in the military, and no one wants to piss his wife off.”

Huh, well, that made sense why she was home alone all the time and why she would feel safe to live by herself. It also explained why she had such a heart for taking care of others, it kept her from getting too lonely along the way.

“Now what? You planning on dropping me back off at the Med Center, or am I in trouble now that all is said and done?” I questioned, facing off with the Alpha. There was no way I was getting on that bike without some assurances that I wasn’t going to be locked up.

Petru just grinned and mirrored my stance while crossing his arms. “Why do you think you’re in trouble?”

“Seriously? I snuck out of the Med Center, was going to attack those soldiers for taking my friends, and probably ran off into the night with them,” I pointed out.

“I see,” he mused, stroking his chin. “Now, as far as I witnessed, you happened to be out for an evening stroll, saw something suspicious happening, and went to investigate. When you came to a higher-ranking officer, you stopped and informed him of your concerns allowing him to handle the matter. None of that would constitute you getting in trouble by our rules, at least. Is there another gauge I should take into consideration?”

Frowning, I cocked my head. “Why are you doing this? There is no reason for you to be nice to me or trust that I’m not going to cause trouble or stab you in the back. I could easily snatch your gun while on the bike and kill you so I can get away.”

“That is all true. However, you won’t do any of that, because you won’t want to put your friends in danger. Also, I think even though you’ve built up this hard exterior to keep yourself safe after all you’ve been through, taking a life wouldn’t be that easy for you,” Petru reasoned. “Now, my plan is for us to head back to base, and you join me and my unit for breakfast. You had questions, and I promised you answers when we were done with this. So what do you say?”

My fingers dug into my arms as I considered his offer. He was offering me information with nothing in exchange, and he let me see Tori and Violet. Knowing they were safe and with Klarisa eased a weight off my shoulders I hadn’t known was so heavy.

“I’ll come back with you,” I answered.

Instantly his face burst into a smile and he relaxed his posture. “Excellent. Do you want to go back the way we came or take the proper roads?”

“How fast can we go on the road?” I countered.

Petru gave a nod and a wink. “Back the way we came, it is. I knew you were having fun. Riding the bike is one of my favorite things. Nothing beats the freedom you feel with the wind in your face. Now hop on.”

I had to agree with him as we tore through the fields once more, and this time I didn’t hesitate to wrap my arms around him. After what Klarisa told me, I thought it was wise to soak up all the comfort I could while his hands and attention were elsewhere. While that might make me sound paranoid, I just couldn’t give up the years of knowing I’d been left with little choice in what to do with my body or life.

All too soon, we were back at the base slowing for the back gate to open. Petru didn’t take the bike back to where we’d picked it up. Instead he slowly drove through the quiet roads until we stopped at a building. It was three stories high and more deep than wide but, all in all, was fairly nondescript. He helped me off, this time holding my arm until I had my feet under me, then dismounted.