Page 45 of Knot Now Knot Ever

Irritated, I grabbed my toothbrush and started getting ready. Taking my fellow Omega’s word for the level of effort I needed to be ready, I simply tossed my hair up in a bun after running a brush through it. A few minutes later, I heard Fawn’s voice telling me he wasn’t still standing in the lobby waiting for me to answer. I pulled out a matching set of light gray joggers and a loose-fitting T-shirt from my dresser, which I pulled over a bralette. If we were going for comfort, then fuck the underwire. Finally, I slipped on a pair of soft, white cloth sneakers that would be easy to kick off once we reached the spa.

When I exited my bedroom, I found Fawn seated on my counter, limbs wrapped around Eli like an anaconda as they made out. Eli had been mistaken in his choice of wearing more clothes because he looked just as sexy wearing only his black slacks as he did in boxers. Who wouldn’t want seven minutes in heaven with that man? Playing it cool, I headed into the kitchen, pulled out my water pitcher, filled a glass, and leaned against the opposite counter.

They broke their kiss, and Fawn tilted his head back to see me. “Now I understand why you didn’t answer the first three times. Lucky for me, the doorman took pity on me and helped me with the elevator.”

“Sorry about that,” I said, wincing. There was nothing more I hated than to be an inconvenience to someone.

“Don’t you fucking dare be sorry,” Fawn scoffed. “Girl, if I’d been in your position, the same thing would have happened. Honestly, I probably would have only made an effort to leave the door unlocked so you could walk right in and join the fun.”

Eli nuzzled Fawn’s neck and nipped, causing the Omega to gasp before stepping back. “I’m sorry to crush your fantasy, Fawn, but I wouldn’t allow you to do that, just like I didn’t let things get too far between Lyra and myself. I fully understand things between us are new and exciting, Fawn. It’s hard for me too. However, if you make plans with someone, especially another pack member, then they deserve their time to be respected.”

Fawn pouted a little, but we knew what Eli said was the call. The top two problems packs ran into were poor communication and not respecting the other pack members. Occasionally, an Alpha would struggle to share their Omega with the other pack members and would monopolize their time. Most cases turned out to be fights between Alphas and a Beta, but it could happen with anyone. I’d even heard of one pack where the only time an Alpha would let the others be with the Omega was during a heat.

“I hear you, Lie-lie,” Fawn said with a sigh, letting his head hang. “You’re right. It’s hard right now because all my instincts keep telling me we have to bond, that you’re the only one missing, and I need to fix it.”

Eli cupped Fawn’s chin, raising his head so their eyes locked. “I have every intention of bonding with you, Fawn. My actions might not show that, but it’s because I want to make sure everyone is comfortable with all these changes before taking a major step that can’t be undone.”

Fawn smiled as brightly as the sun at Eli’s intentions. “Hearing you say that helps more than you know.”

“Good,” Eli stated and kissed Fawn once more before sliding him off the counter. “Go enjoy your day together, and if you need anything, I’m a call or text away. I’m officially on courting leave starting Monday, so today I’m tying up some loose ends that can’t wait until I’m back,” he explained, his attention now focused on me. “This means you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll be pulling me away from anything important. Understood?”

“Yes,” I answered, knowing he was really saying it for my benefit.

The fact he could know me well enough to assume I would consider his schedule before asking for help was a little unsettling. Was it so wrong of me not to want to inconvenience a man as busy as he was? I didn’t bother asking since I knew he’d disagree with that logic.

Eli quickly got dressed and walked down with us to the waiting car. We each got a parting kiss before sliding into our seats, and it felt so natural. I internally groaned as I watched Eli speaking to the driver with an expression that would make any man quake in his boots. Once the driver returned to the car, he took a moment to take a few deep breaths before pulling out into traffic.

“What do you think Lie-lie said to him?” Fawn whispered, looping his arm through mine.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s something along the lines of if anything happened to us, he’ll be wishing for death,” I commented.

Fawn’s hazel eyes grew wide. “Are you being serious right now?”

“The one thing everyone I’ve ever met who knows Eli has warned me is he’s not a man to be trifled with. He’s fair and loyal to those who deserve it, but if you go after his family or anyone else he feels protective over they’d lose. A man in the building implied he thought I was a hooker, and Eli was fully prepared to evict him from his apartment the next day.”

Fawn let out a low whistle, clearly impressed with this information. “I figured what happened at the meeting with the Scent Matchers was a rare occurrence due to the situation.” He paused, taking a second to fan himself. “God, that just makes me want to show him how sexy I think Alphas are when they get all growly.”

I laughed, playfully shoving Fawn, which only had him smiling wider but turned to me with a sudden serious expression. “Do you think he’s into spanking?”

“Ah… do you mean him spanking you or vice versa?” I questioned.

Fawn rolled his eyes. “Of course, I mean me as if that man would ever let someone spank him for any reason. I keep having this dream about him bending me over his knee for a spanking and telling me I’ve been a bad boy. He’d make me beg for forgiveness and call him daddy as he turned my ass red.” He shivered as if talking about it made it real for him.

My mind traveled back to the morning I was sprawled out on the counter and how he’d easily taken control of the situation. “I think he’s a man who can’t help but be in charge. Yet he would give you the shirt off his back without question if you needed it. So I say tell him about your dream and see if it’s something he’d be into.”

Fawn slipped his hand along my jaw, turning me toward him so our foreheads touched. “Smart, beautiful, and caring are all the things that make up a true angel,” he whispered. “It’s no wonder there wasn’t another woman who could draw my attention when you were out there waiting for us to find you.”

My breath caught in surprise at the sincerity in his words. Gone was the trepidation of our first kiss as Fawn no longer doubted his feelings for me. I melted at his touch, gripping the soft material of his pastel color-blocked sweatshirt. My skin felt like it was on fire, and I needed to get my clothes off, but I resisted breaking our kiss.

“I’m sorry,” I panted, holding him at arm’s length. “I feel like my heat is gonna start tomorrow instead of in two weeks.”

“That explains why you feel so warm, and I have the oddest urge to breed a baby into you,” Fawn shared.

I leaned against the window, which was cool to the touch, and sighed. “Do you think it’s safe for us to go to the spa if I’m like this?”

“That’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with,” Fawn countered, handing me a water bottle he pulled from his backpack. “I will say the Oasis is for Omegas only, and the staff consists of Betas or other Omegas. There won’t be any Alphas to worry about, and the Betas have been trained to handle a situation like this. You’re definitely not in full heat, and from your scent, I think your pre-heat hormone spike is still a few days off.”

“Let’s go, but if things get worse, I might vote to turn movie night into movie day,” I decided, then guzzled down the water.