Page 46 of Knot All Is Ruined: Part 1

Hearing that he’d come to her rescue and seeing him smile more than once this morning told me all I needed to know. Petru was already of the mind that she was ours, and it was clear that Cris also seemed to agree. Toma was a little hard to read, yet while the man drew a lot of attention with his looks and charming personality, he was off his game with her. I enjoyed seeing it and watching him work for it for a change if that’s what he wanted.

As for myself…

Something about the fire inside her drew me to her. I wanted to know what she would do next, test that sharp mind of hers, see what she could be once we gave her the skills to stand alongside us. That’s where I wanted her. If she was going to be part of our unit, it would be on equal footing. The one thing she pounded home in all her outbursts was needing to feel she could make choices, have a voice, and stand on her own two feet. I also wanted that for her with us at her back to offer support if she needed it. There was so much hiding under the surface that I hadn’t had a chance to be nurtured. It was the same thing I saw in all the men I brought into my unit.

“You want me to live with you?” she questioned, finally breaking the silence that had fallen over the table.

I could feel it in the tension of the men around me. They wanted her to say yes, to us, to staying, to building trust, and something more. People say that instinct can only get you so far, but I believe with everything I am, this gut need to keep her close was the right call to make. Even with how little I knew about her—she fit. Our unit was made up of many strong males, including myself, but she didn’t seem to notice, going toe-to-toe with any of us if she felt like we were abusing our power. We needed that, a person to challenge and ground us when things got heated as it tends to do with any family. Cris was a good man, but he was a peacekeeper, not the person to call us on our shit and defend ourselves.

“Yes,” I answered, but held up a hand when I saw her starting to shut down. “Let me give you the details before you reject the deal.”

The wariness in her expression and how apprehensive she’d become, ready to bolt at any second, had me begging the fates to let her hear me. If they truly planned for this woman to be ours, then I would need all the help I could to make it happen. She’d been shown time after time that people only wanted to use her, and I admit when I came up with the idea to get information from her, I fell into that category. Yet she was like a thorn in my foot, burying herself deeper into my mind so that I couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was fire, passion, a warrior at heart, desperate to change the world. That was something I couldn’t agree with her more on.

“Training normally takes up to six weeks, but we don’t have that time. We’re going to cut it in half to make it three weeks. I would prefer two, but you’re still recovering and I don’t want to cause any setbacks. Furthermore, in a show of good faith, I’m going to reach out to my contact in Oscad and let him know that two of the girls are ready to be extracted. Your friends will no longer be a pawn in anyone’s game. You all deserve better than that,” I shared, having already decided this when I moved them off base. “My request is that you give us three weeks. Learn from us, train, and give us a chance to show you not all Alphas feel the need to put Omegas in a protective box. Allow us those three weeks to see if this is the right fit for us all, because I believe it is. We need someone like you in our pack as much as you need us, even if you don’t want to admit it. The only rules are you have to live with us, keep an open mind, and train to the best of your ability. No holding back.”

She didn’t answer immediately, and I took that as a good sign. “Explain to me the living together aspect.”

“Currently, I’m the only one who doesn’t share a room with someone. We’ll have a bed, trunk, and dresser brought in just like all the others have. As a unit, we train together for part of the day, then each of us has work to do in our specialty areas. It could be teaching new recruits or working on a project for the military. When it comes to meals we all eat together, that would also apply to you. You will have the same rules as all the members of my unit, and while we all might be of varying rank, we treat each other as equals,” I pointed out, wanting to drive that fact home. “That would include you as well. You won’t be an Omega or trainee to us, you’ll be our teammate.”

“So sex isn’t involved in any way,” she asked bluntly.

“That is up to you,” I answered without thinking. “Full transparency because we don’t keep secrets in this unit. When Cris first joined, he slept with us all on occasion, and after some time, feelings evolved to love and others remained affectionate. There were no hard feelings or bitterness when Cris chose to be with just Tru and Toma. Anyone with eyes could see the bond they share. Everyone was honest, upfront, and didn’t hide things from each other, making the shift in dynamic simple. No one got their feelings hurt, and our unit became stronger for it. All that to say, we have no problem sharing or understanding if stronger connections build between some but not all. Just don’t be sneaky about your intentions and ask for what you need from us. As a family, we support each other any way we can.”

“You’re telling me that if I say no sex ever, you’d be fine with that? Or if I just picked one of you and not the others, it wouldn’t cause the rest of you to be jealous?” Danella challenged, like she was trying to corner me into telling her what I’d said was all bullshit.

Turning to the guys, I waved for them to answer feeling like she wouldn’t take my word for it. Let her hear it from the horse’s mouth. Maybe then she’d actually listen to what we were saying.

Petru spoke first, which didn’t surprise me at all. “Danella, I’m more than willing to court you and see if something more comes of it, physical or otherwise. That being said, if you told me that there was too much trauma for it to ever lead to sex, then I would happily abide by that for you. I care more about your understanding that I’ll respect and care for you than anything else. I have two other lovers who can tend to that need, so why would I force you into that situation?”

“Same,” Toma added. “What kind of pack would we be if we put our own physical needs ahead of your well-being?”

Cris nodded his head and shifted to face Danella. “I’ve seen firsthand the after-effects of what you’ve been through many, many times. There’s no way I could ever be that cruel or selfish to force you to give something you don’t want to willingly. That isn’t caring for someone, and that’s certainly not what I want for any of my family.”

I waited, curious to see what Vic would say on this matter. He’s the only one of us that had a relationship outside the pack that became fairly serious until he found she’d cheated on him with three other men in her own unit. She’d just used Vic and his connections to get the job placement she wanted, allowing her to never have to see combat. It happened shortly after he joined our unit, and it changed him into this callus bastard who refused to let people in. Vic was one of the most loyal men I’d ever served with, and to have that kind of betrayal, it hurt him to the core.

“Little Spark, I threatened to rip off a man’s head if he dared to look at you. How the fuck could you think I’d ever stoop so low as to force something from you that you don’t want to give? Cris’s story alone should answer your other concern. Do any of us seem the least bit bothered that he chose those two?” Vic asked, jerking his thumb at the two Alphas. “Nah, you love who you love, end of story.”

To me, that pretty much summed up the sentiment of everyone at the table. The question was, would she believe us?

“So when does this start?” she asked, pushing her plate towards Vic, who placed it on top of his empty one to finish it off.

“I’ll go back with you to the Med Center and talk to Beth along with your doctor. For today I think you’ve had enough happen that it’s best you relax at the Med Center. I’m sure Beth will want to do a full workup to see if you’re ready for this,” I shared. “Does that mean you agree to the terms I’ve set before you?”

She pulled a leg up to hug to her chest, something I noticed she did when she was deep in thought or talking about something uncomfortable. Like she needed the added comfort it gave her and covered the vulnerable parts of her body.

“I will agree to the three weeks.” Danella decided.

Reaching out a hand to her, she paused for a heartbeat then leaned forward to grab it. I held her hand firmly and locked eyes with her. “Then it's official. For the next three weeks, you’re part of our unit.”

Chapter twenty-five

True to his word, Sorin brought me back to the Med Center and was instantly set upon by Bethany. “What in the world were you thinking taking her out of here without alerting anyone and without shoes, for fucks sake.”

“Beth, I believe this is a conversation not meant for the halls of the facility. Get Danella settled, and then I’d like to speak with you and Doc Rosen, where I would be happy to address all your concerns,” Sorin instructed with a firm yet gentle tone.

Bethany seemed none too pleased with his orders, but she wrapped an arm around my shoulders guiding me down the hall, muttering under her breath. “Damn Alphas always thinking they know better, not here, not in my house.”

Feeling it was in my best interest not to tell her I ran off, I remained silent. Arriving at my room, I found a clean pair of clothes on the bed and the shoes I’d abandoned in the garden.