Page 26 of Knot Now Knot Ever

“I’m really glad you came to check on me,” I whispered. “Being alone is what I know, what I’m comfortable with, but I don’t want to feel alone anymore.”

“Well, angel, I think that’s a great place to start,” Fawn said, pulling back so he could see my face. “Tell me what you need or maybe what you want if you’re not sure. Then, together with our Alphas, we can come up with a few ideas you’ll be comfortable with.”

Ever so slowly, Fawn leaned in, making it clear he planned to kiss me but was giving me space to say no. Instead of pulling away, I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his incredibly soft ones. It was an intimately simple kiss, one that you would give to a long-time lover that was full of emotion instead of lust. I felt Fawn sigh as if he’d finally been given something he’d waited forever to receive. Soon, the sweetness had turned into something more urgent as his hands cupped my face, and I pulled him closer.

I broke the kiss first and leaned my forehead against his. “I have to be careful. It’s been a while since I’ve had sex, and this morning I nearly begged Eli to fuck me the moment we entered his office.”

Fawn nuzzled our noses together before dropping a kiss on the tip of mine. “It’s okay, but I feel like I should be honest with you about something.”

Curious, I waited for him to continue, putting a little more space between us as I leaned back.

He nervously pulled his sleeves over his hands, and his ears started to turn a little red. “I-I’ve never been with a woman before…” When I tried to reassure him, he held up his hands. “Wait, that’s not all of it. I mentioned I left home at sixteen which was the best choice for me. My mom and dad were druggies, constantly doped up on something, barely able to keep a job or a roof over our heads. I figured if I’m gonna have to provide for myself either way, I’d rather not have to worry about them stealing what money I earned doing odd jobs.”

Fawn paused, plucking at a loose section of thread on the cuff of his shirt. Knowing how hard it was to talk about my own past, I waited, giving him the space he needed to sort out what he wanted to share.

“As I’m sure you know, it’s hard for Omegas to get work. People don’t want to deal with our heats or the disruption we can cause if we’re around Alphas on the verge of rut. Add on the fact I was sixteen, there weren’t a lot of legal options to make good money fast. The worst-kept secret in our city was an underground strip club that only hired Omegas. They didn’t ask questions, everything was on a cash basis, and if you were willing to work, they would hire you. I started out only dancing. I was good at it and became a fan favorite, if you will,” Fawn admitted, refusing to look at me.

“The first time I was offered money to sleep with one of the regulars, I turned him down, but the second time, I agreed. He handed me more money than I’d ever seen in my life, and I was working on getting my GED, but you have to pay for online courses. My plan was once I had my GED, I’d go to college, not planning to be a stripper for the rest of my life… it was just what I had to do. Honestly, I can’t tell you what happened, but it was as if a switch somewhere inside my brain was flipped, and I craved sex. The feeling of being pinned down and rutted into was all I could think about. I’ve never been the giver, only the receiver for whoever was willing to pay. That is until one Alpha got too rough, and I ended up in the hospital.”

My heart broke for him, making me wish I could go back in time and be there for him. I could tell he wasn’t finished with his story, but I didn’t need to know anything more. All that mattered to me was he was safe, healthy, and happy, which he appeared to be. Yet I waited, trusting there was a reason he needed to tell me all this.

“This is going to sound fucked up, but I thank God every day that happened to me. Honestly, I don’t think I ever would have gotten out of that world. The money was too good, and I craved the attention of anyone who would give it to me, healthy or not. When I was in the hospital, and they did all kinds of tests since I hadn’t been to a doctor since I was born, I learned why I am the way that I am. My mom didn’t stop using while pregnant so whatever drug she took that I detoxed from as a baby left me with damage in my hypothalamus. It’s a part of your brain that keeps everything stable. Apparently, the side effect of the damage was an out-of-wack sex drive,” Fawn explained, absently rubbing the back of his head.

“So, yeah… I still deal with needing lots of sex, but the only people I sleep with are my Alphas. I take medication that helps a hell of a lot, but I’m more than anyone can handle, which leads me to the point of telling you all this. I’m a well-known adult content creator on Rut Room. I don’t sleep around anymore, nor do I want to. The guys and I figured this was the best way to keep me safe and manage my needs. With how I film, no one sees my face, I don’t have any tattoos, and the only people who should be seeing the piercings on my dick in person are my Alphas. Oh, and you… you’re more than welcome to see them anytime,” Fawn corrected, giving me a wink as his playful nature reappeared now that he’d said what he needed to say.

“Thank you for being honest with me, Fawn. I have a feeling you haven’t always had the best reactions from people finding out,” I guessed.

He shrugged and got to his feet, offering me a hand. “It is what it is, and I’ve learned whose opinion should really matter to me. Come on, let me introduce you to them. I promise, they truly are good men, Lyra.”

I took his hand, stood, and paused, seeing his wide grin. “What?”

“Nothing,” Fawn assured me as he practically vibrated with excitement. “I’m just so fucking excited for you and Eli to be part of our family forever.”

When Fawn didn’t come back out of my office, I assumed he managed to talk Lyra into giving him a chance. For a brief moment, I found myself jealous of the Omega, wishing I’d been able to do that when Lyra kicked me out of her apartment. Then again, if you believe in the concept of scent matches being soulmates, it would make perfect sense for my sweet petal to have an Omega soulmate. Who better to relate to her than someone who could understand her on a level no Alpha could?

“You’ll learn once Fawn’s made up his mind about something, he’s not willing to back down,” Tanner shared with a sigh. “Although it must be a good sign since there’s no yelling, and he hasn’t come back with his tail between his legs.”

“From what I’ve seen, I don’t think Lyra is a yeller,” I commented, shifting to lean back on the couch I now sat on alone. “Not to say she can’t be forceful, I was ordered out of her apartment when she’d had enough. All that to say, I don’t think confrontation is her first choice in dealing with a problem.”

Tanner pulled off his baseball cap and rolled the brim between his hands, revealing his short, dark, red-brown hair. “That’s good though, right? For us, I mean.”

“I think it’s best we take this one step at a time and trust her to tell us if things are moving too fast,” Pascal reasoned, then turned his attention to me. “Eli, I hope you don’t think poorly of us for showing up here without warning and now having disrupted your afternoon.”

Out of the three men who sat across from me, I felt Pascal and I would probably connect rather easily. I’m not sure why I decided that, but the other two seemed more carefree and relaxed in how they handled themselves.

“Not at all. I believe my offer was for any of you to stop by the office whenever you liked. Truthfully, I didn’t know an easy way for the first introduction to happen. I’m not one who makes friends easily since I’m typically busy with work or, until recently, looking after my little sister. It’s one reason I never bothered with seeking out a pack. What kind of Alpha would I be to create a family and never have any time for them?” I explained.

“So you have siblings?” Zachary asked. “I’m the middle child with an older and younger sister as well.”

“I’m the oldest of three, my brother, Crew, and Bailey-Rose, the youngest of the family,” I shared. “She’s an Omega and recently found her pack, leaving me with spare time for what seemed like the first time in my life.”

“Which is why you learned about us so late in the game,” Tanner concluded, and I nodded in agreement. “I hope this doesn’t weird you out, but Fawn googled you the second he read your letter. There wasn’t much except for some news articles about you taking over the company after your father died. Well, that and a situation involving your sister and a stalker ex-boyfriend. Just so you know, we all agreed not to take stock of anything we read. I know firsthand how reporters and tabloids can twist the truth.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I almost decided to ignore it but chose to at least see who it was in case it was from any of my family.

Jonathan:

All the papers are drawn up, and I’ll be filing first thing in the morning. If they are approved, Mira Chambers will be served by the end of the week.