Page 14 of Knot All Is Ruined: Part 2

“I wouldn’t be so confident about that,” Toma interjected. “It wouldn't be the first time we’ve had to help a bonded Omega when one of her unit members is dying on the battlefield. We can give her medication to block her ability to feel you suffer.”

Fear flooded me at the mention of other Omegas having to experience that with their pack. I hadn’t even considered what it would mean to be part of a unit that was sent to the heart of battle more often than not. Just the thought of being bonded to all of them and having to suffer a traumatic death or injury would be horrifying.

“Dani,” Lucian called out to me. “My Heart, I need you to take a deep breath for me. You’re starting to hyperventilate.”

Pulling out of Cris’s hold, I stumbled away shaking my head. Oh God, I couldn’t do this. There’s no way I could put myself in that kind of situation. I’d worked for so long to keep my feelings close to my chest, not giving my heart to anyone in this godforsaken country. Then suddenly, after two weeks, these men have wriggled their way past my defenses and made me hope again.

“Danella,” Sorin barked as he appeared before me. “Look at me.”

I shook my head, knowing if I gave in and did what he asked, I wouldn’t be able to deny the truth.

His hand shot out and gripped my chin tightly sending a spark of pain through my body, clearing some of the panic. The second my eyes locked onto his chocolate-colored ones, I was trapped. His hold on me was no longer just physical, as I admitted that these men were important to me. Lucian, trying to take me away from them and questioning whether they would come for me, had already started the cracks in the fortress I’d built around my heart. Add in the mental shift of being bonded to an Alpha, understanding what that connection truly is and how precious it was—left me totally screwed.

“I…I can’t,” I whispered, my voice raw from holding back everything I was feeling. “I can’t let myself feel that much, Sorin. If I let you in, we become a pack, and I lose one of you…” I had to swallow back the tears before they spilled out of me. “You should have just let me go. Then told everyone I died in the river and allowed us to disappear.”

“Dani-girl, what did I tell you before we left on this mission?” Sorin asked, his voice so gentle and patient.

“To follow your orders,” I answered.

Sorin stepped closer shifting his hand from my chin to rest around my neck, his thumb stroking my pulse point. “Yes, that is one of the things I said. More specifically, what did I promise you?”

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I cleared my throat. “That you would protect me, never betray me, and always find me when I needed you.”

“Don’t let me fail you now by making me turn my back on you,” Sorin begged. “Give me, give us, a chance to figure this out. I refuse to believe there’s no hope, because there will never be another Omega who could hold a candle to what you mean to us.”

Now the tears refused to be held back. Sorin reached down and picked me up like I was a child, cradling me close to his chest as I buried my face in his neck. Here we were in the middle of the forest, secluded from the world and all that was happening around us. For just this moment, I was simply an Omega who desperately needed comfort from one of her Alphas. The others joined in the hug shortly after, wrapping me up in the warmth and security of a pack. Something I never realized how much I needed after spending so much time fighting alone. The security in knowing I could crumble and that others would protect me when I couldn’t protect myself was priceless.

A trickle of understanding and resignation reached me from Lucian. Somehow in my panic, I’d blocked his emotions out of my mind. Yet now that it had subsided I reached out to our bond. The second he felt me reaching out to him, he sent waves of love and comfort my way. The feeling of him desperately wanting to hold, kiss, and comfort me but wasn’t able to due to the restraints had me sitting up to look in his direction.

There he stood, hands cuffed behind his back, a fat lip, and clothes covered in dirt; but all that mattered to him right now was me. Slowly he approached but paused when Sorin turned his attention towards Lucian.

“Please, I just need to know she’s alright,” Lucian explained.

“Can’t you feel that from where you are?” Petru questioned, eyeing him suspiciously.

Lucian gave the man a patronizing look. “Of course I can, but are you telling me you wouldn’t want to hold her if you were in my place? There is a difference between mentally knowing she’s okay and physically ensuring that’s the truth. Dani is quite skilled at hiding her emotions when she wants to.”

“Makes you wonder why she needed such a skill,” Petru quipped but walked over to him. “Just so we’re on the same page, I’m the best marksman in the whole Southern military. One step out of line, and I won’t hesitate to drop you this time.”

“Even if that will hurt her?” Lucian challenged.

“That pain would be momentary. Being ripped away from us would hurt for a lifetime. To me, it seems the odds are in my favor on that matter,” Petru explained, cutting the cuffs off him. “Whether or not she will forgive me is another matter entirely, although I have faith we’d work through it.”

Sorin nuzzled under my ear and purred, steering my attention to him. “Remember, you always have a choice, Dani-girl. Your life, your body, your decisions. Whatever those may be, we will always support you. Unless that choice puts you in danger, then we might need to talk about it.”

That had me smiling as I pressed a kiss to his lips. “Might need to talk? Yeah, pretty sure I know how that’s going to go, but I hear you.”

Another quick kiss and a disgruntled sigh later, he set me down. I squeezed his hand in reassurance, but I got the feeling nothing would set him at ease while Lucian was around. To be honest, I felt like we were doing well on account that the two countries had been mortal enemies for at least three hundred years. That kind of baggage can genuinely weigh on a person, but they were both keeping their shit together—for the most part.

Lucian didn’t hesitate to scoop me up and capture my lips with his. I could feel his insecurity in our bond, unsure if he was still welcome to show me this kind of affection in front of everyone. Cupping his face in my hands, I returned the kiss to convey to him he had nothing to worry about. The more I could put all of these men at ease, the better.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to say those things to upset you as I did. Everything within me was furious that they were touching what’s mine,” Lucian explained, resting his forehead against mine. “It wasn’t until I felt your panic and fear I realized what I’d done. Maybe I’m more like my father than I care to admit.”

“You are nothing like your father. I know I only met the man once, but I’m pretty damn sure he’d never say he was sorry,” I pointed out. “For the record, it wasn’t just your words that sent me spiraling. It was the reality of what it means to have a pack who’s in the military. The same thing applies to us, except it’s much easier for me to keep up with you. When there are five or six people to worry about at once, there’s no way I could keep track of all of you. That’s what scares the shit out of me about all of this.”

“What exactly do you mean by all of this?” Lucian pressed, setting me down without releasing his hold on me.

Looking up at him, seeing the harsh reality of his world so vividly in the scars that covered his skin. I wasn’t the only one who’d been fighting their whole life for something others just couldn’t see. No one was treating Omegas right, just as no one was caring for the Northern people the way they should. Each of us could see it so clearly but didn’t know how to fix it. Right now, with all six of them standing here waiting for my answer, I could see the solution to both problems. Now I just had to get them to understand and agree.