Page 25 of Knot Now Knot Ever

He smiled brightly, almost as if he hadn’t expected me to accept his offer. “Turned the big two-one six months back.”

My brows shot up at this. Holy shit, I was almost ten years older than him.

“I know that look. It’s not a big deal. Everyone in our pack is older than me. Don’t worry, I won’t ask your age… that’s not nice to do to a lady.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Besides, age has never mattered to me. If you’re old enough to understand what consent is and that it can only be given, never taken, then what else matters?”

“I suppose,” I commented, not feeling like I was the right person to weigh in on that. Yes, I’d taken care of myself since a young age, but that wasn’t by choice.

Fawn leaned forward, resting his chin on a hand. “Can I ask you questions?”

“Since you let me sob into your shirt, it’s the least I can do,” I answered.

Excitement beamed on Fawn’s face. “Do you like spa treatments? If yes, which ones?”

Not expecting that type of question, I blinked at him a few times. “Ah… yes? I’m not really sure. I’ve only gone for a mani-pedi with my best friend a handful of times. Not sure how I would feel about a massage, but I’ve always been curious.”

“Leave it to me, angel. I’ll get us set up with a day of pampering, and you can test out a few things,” Fawn assured me. “Now, what about movie nights?”

“Will there be popcorn?” I pressed.

Fawn snorted. “Stupid question… of course, there will be popcorn. The real question is butter or kettle corn?”

“Both,” I answered without hesitation. “Sweet and savory all the way.”

This surprised Fawn, and a laugh tumbled out of him. “Well, when the woman knows what she wants, she speaks up… good to know. Here’s a harder question. What’s your favorite movie to watch when you want to unwind and relax.”

I loved movies, but I hadn’t made much time in my life to watch them, preferring to read. It might have also had something to do with my previous pack choosing not to have a television in the house. They stared at screens all day for work and decided wasting more time in front of one wasn’t what they wanted for their life. Elora, however, was a massive movie buff, and it made sense with how much time she spent traveling. She was the person who made sure I didn’t miss out on watching the biggest releases of the year. Her taste in movies was vast, but it didn’t take me long to find out I was a hopeless romantic.

“You can’t laugh,” I warned, tucking hair behind my ear.

Fawn raised a finger and made an X over his heart. “Cross my heart.”

“50 First Dates,” I mumbled.

“Yes,” Fawn cheered, leaping to his feet. “Finally, someone who will watch corny rom-coms with me.” He gripped the arms of my chair and rolled me closer so he could plant a quick kiss on my lips. “You really are an angel, aren’t you?”

Butterflies erupted in my stomach as my cheeks heated, and I had to fight back a schoolgirl giggle. This man was effortlessly plucking at all the right strings to make my heart flutter much like Eli could. Was this what it meant for them to be my matches? God, if that’s the case, I’m in big fucking trouble if all five of them do this to me.

“So, here’s my plan, but feel free to make any changes. Our Alphas have to reach out to the Scent Matchers and let them know they are scent-matched to another Omega⁠—”

“Why?” I cut in.

“Courting leave,” Fawn said as if that should make perfect sense. “They’ve already used it when they met me, so we need the Scent Matchers to ensure they’re approved for time off to court you. Then there’s the month for bonding leave when we get to that point.”

I’d forgotten that was part of meeting your scent matches. Courting leave was given so, if the Omega or pack needed to relocate, they’d have time to get settled. Most people say it was helpful so they didn’t have to juggle work on top of building a deep, lasting connection with their Omega and vice versa. The Scent Matchers organization helped to pass a law mandating all newly matched packs could take two weeks for courting and a month for them to bond. This way, people weren’t calling out of work or having to deal with a pack whose sex drive was through the roof due to bonding.

“That makes sense,” I agreed. “I wasn’t ever added to the database. Will that cause problems?”

Fawn shrugged. “I don’t know, but somehow, I doubt you’re the first person to have found their pack organically. Don’t worry… this is an issue for the Alphas to deal with, and if you need to fill something out, they’ll make sure you’re brought into the loop.”

“You trust them to make choices for you like that?” I questioned, a little bewildered.

Cocking his head, Fawn looked at me quizzically. “Why shouldn’t I? They are my Alphas. It’s their job to protect and look after me as their Omega. I trust all three men I’m bonded to with my life. If there was something I needed to be aware of, I know they’d tell me.”

Guilt struck me like a knife at how my question sounded and how Fawn had reacted. “I’m sorry, Fawn,” I blurted, grabbing his hand. “I didn’t mean it to sound like you shouldn’t trust your Alphas or that they don’t protect you. My parents died, and I was left on my own at thirteen to essentially raise myself. For pretty much my whole life, I’ve been the one to do research and make choices about my future. I don’t know that I’ve trusted anyone enough to give them that power. So you see, it was my fear talking, and I wasn’t trying to pass any judgment.”

“You didn’t have anyone all these years?” Fawn asked with a crestfallen expression. “God, I thought I was dealt a shit hand in life, but I left home at sixteen by choice.” He dropped to his knees, bringing us to about the same height, and hugged me. “You’re amazing, and I’m so, so sorry you have had to manage life alone.”

I melted into his hug, feeling as if I were floating in a cloud of strawberry-flavored whipped cream. There was something entirely different about how I felt with Fawn versus Eli. The Alpha made me feel safe, like no harm could ever touch me, and I would never have to struggle again. With Fawn, I felt a connection, like at one point, we might have been two halves of the same soul, and he could relate to me in a way no one else could. Both were powerful bonds that filled some of the emptiness I’d learned to ignore. Only now that I knew the space could be filled, I wasn’t willing to give it up.