Page 13 of Knot Now Knot Ever

“Eli, this is still my home, and I’m allowed to ask anyone I like to leave it,” I cut in, trying to steel myself for how hard it would be to watch him walk out. “I need time. Please just give me until Monday.”

His jaw muscles flexed as he fought to hold whatever he wanted to say in. Finally, he stood, nodded, and headed for the door before pausing. “I will pick you up Monday morning, seven o’clock sharp.”

“There is no⁠—”

“Lyra, if you want me to walk out this door and give you the space you’re requesting, then you need to give me this. The only way I can keep myself from showing up here before then is knowing I will be able to see you first thing Monday,” Eli explained. “I’m trying to honor what you’re asking of me the best way I can.”

Running my hand through my hair, I accepted his terms. “I’ll see you at seven then.”

Eli pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed something. A second later, my phone buzzed on the counter where he had placed it after Crew left. “Now you have my number. If you need anything, and I mean anything at all, let me know.”

“Thank you…” I said, pausing because I wasn’t exactly sure which out of the ten things he’d done for me I was thanking him for. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome, Lyra. Now get some rest, and I’ll see you Monday,” Eli instructed, then walked out into the hall, closing the door softly behind him.

Instantly, my hands began to shake as my heart started to beat wildly. The sound of it was so loud in my ears that it was almost like it had become one of those giant bass drums you see in orchestras. I thought about running after Eli for a second, but I couldn’t. I had to do this. There was no way I could make any sound decisions with him around—it was like my brain had turned into mush.

I snatched up my phone and headed right for my bed, where I would be safe to curl up and hide until this feeling passed. Entering my private space, I felt a little better seeing the things that had always comforted me. My taste was what I liked to call cozy elegance. The colors I was drawn to were muted tones like sage, dusty rose, light blue-gray, and creamy whites. Everything needed to be soft, luxe, and have a simple air of elegance. When life became too much, I needed a place that would offer peace and solitude, and that’s what my bedroom was. No matter where I landed in life, the one thing I could count on was having a bedroom.

Lifting the covers, I crawled in, letting the weighted, chunky knit blanket ground me to the here and now. As was typical for Omegas, my bed was filled with a sea of soft, squishy pillows I nestled into. My gaze landed on a small stuffed lamb sitting on a pillow where I always knew I could find her. The poor thing looked like hell—matted wool and sweet brown eyes made from glass covered in scuffs and scratches. Reaching out, I booped Lammy on the nose that had once been covered in soft leather.

“Promise to watch over me while I take a nap?” I asked my oldest and most loyal companion.

Lammy had been given to me the day I was born, and she’d never left my side. Daddy used to tell me he picked it because I was his precious little lamb, and he wanted to make sure I always knew that. More tears burned my eyes as I thought of my fathers and wondered if they’d be proud of the person I’d become. They’d been so fearless and jumped at the chance to take whatever life threw at them with both hands. It reminded me that I hadn’t always been as fearful and anxious as I was now and glad they weren’t alive to see me like this. Yet I could hear them telling me it was all right. I was still fighting to regain what I’d lost and not giving up.

Closing my eyes, I felt two tears escape and roll down my cheeks, but it was safe to cry here with Lammy as my only witness. The rest of the world could never know how broken I truly was because if they did, I’d to face life forever alone.

It took me almost a half hour sitting in my car staring up at the apartment building before I could actually leave her. Somehow, my brain told me that if I were close, it would be safer, and if she needed me, I could be there in an instant. Yet I knew that determined jut of the chin—I’d seen it too many times on Bailey-Rose to doubt its sincerity. Omegas might be far more submissive than their Alpha counterpart, but that damn stubbornness was no laughing matter.

Once I’d tried to test Bailey-Rose’s resolve, and she ended up going on a three-day hunger strike. After that, I learned negotiation was a far better tactic, which is what I’d done with Lyra. If I hadn’t given her the time she asked for, I had zero doubt she’d double down and make me wait even longer to see her again. Now, I only had to survive a day and a half, barely able to function and fighting the urge to walk right out the front door and back to her apartment.

Usually, I’d go to the office and hide away there, but I knew that whole fucking place would smell like her—the light, clean lily scent that seemed to float on the air teasing you combined with rich, earthy Earl Gray tea, which offered you a sense of peace. Her scent was full of duality, just as I was beginning to see that she was as well. One moment, she’s curled up in my arms, offering me everything I never knew I wanted, then the next, I’m getting kicked out of the apartment like the guest who lingered too long. To be fair, I had promised not to push things or even enter her apartment, but I’d done both.

I dropped my head into my hands, resting on my desk in my home office. For the past hour, I’d struggled to understand the information on our newest acquisition prospect. The company was going under due to the sudden death of the owner, and the kids didn’t want anything to do with the business. What I’d been trying to figure out and failing was if they’d ever made money, but all the numbers blurred together.

Ping.

Hearing the notification of my personal email, I looked up. After three days of silence, the pack I never knew about until a week ago responded to my letter. Part of the reason I took the last-minute business trip was to give myself space and time to figure out what to do without my mother casting hopeful glances my way every time my phone buzzed.

How was I even supposed to reach out to these people? They’d been a pack for a year, believing they had found their new family members. Somehow, a phone call seemed too forward to me and didn’t allow them any time to process the information I dropped into their laps. So after two days of hashing out every pro and con I could think of, an email seemed the best way to go.

I’d chosen to tell them I joined the Scent Matcher program just recently instead of telling them the truth right away. There would be time to explain once we met, and I got to show them I wasn’t a crazy person. The truth never would have stayed hidden, not with the lawsuit I was building against a specific Scent Matcher. Mira Chambers had fucked with the wrong family, and I planned to take her down and strip her of any power she thought she had. Bailey-Rose might have a pure enough heart to move on once her stalker ex-boyfriend was put in jail—I, however, wasn’t. The moment that fucking bastard tried to kidnap my little sister was the day Mira Chambers acquired a target on her back.

Why blame the mother? Well, she’s the bitch who told her abusive son he could pick whichever rejected Omega he’d like. Mira Chambers decided to use her status and power to manipulate the system, so she’s the one I’m holding accountable.

Shoving back from my desk, I walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of scotch along with a glass. The only reason I had a bottle of liquor this expensive was because I’d been given it. Not much of a drinker, I’d never waste five hundred dollars on something like this. However, it came in handy from time to time and went down smoothly. Tossing back the mouthful I poured, I hoped it would prepare me for whatever was contained in that email. Feeling that I’d need a little more courage, I poured about two fingers worth into the glass and returned to my desk. Before I could second-guess myself, I clicked on the email and found five simple sentences.

Eli,

Thank you for reaching out. We’re sure it wasn’t easy after learning we’ve been together for a bit. Everyone agrees we should definitely meet and see where things go. You tell us what would work for your schedule, and we’ll see what we can do with ours. Most of us are free in the evening if that helps.

Pascal Garnet

Fawn

Zachary Evans

Tanner Hill