Page 63 of Knot Now Knot Ever

“Hey there, little vixen, I need you to drink this for me,” Pascal urged as he maneuvered behind me so I could rest against his chest.

Blinking my tired eyes open, I found myself in a rare lucid moment where the fires of my heat were cooled. No one knew how long it would last, but I was thankful for a clear head. I tried to take the glass, but my hands were shaky, so I gave in and let Pascal hold it for me. He’d been incredibly thoughtful and placed a straw for me to use. I took a big gulp, desperate to rid my mouth of feeling like the desert. When the liquid hit my tongue, I grimaced and gagged just a little at the taste.

“What is that?” I asked after forcing myself to swallow.

“It’s electrolytes,” Pascal answered. “I know the unflavored kind tastes like sweaty socks, but it will be worth it in the end.”

“I believe you, but I don’t think I could force myself to drink that without throwing up,” I warned.

“I’m sorry, beautiful. I looked to see if you had any lemons or limes, but your fridge is pretty empty,” Pascal said apologetically.

Then an idea popped into my head. Looking around the room, I found Fawn sprawled over Eli’s chest, but they were fast asleep. I couldn’t find Tanner or Zachary so chances were they were near the kitchen. As if they knew I’d been looking for them, the pair entered the bedroom with trays of food.

“Hey, good lookin’,” Zachary greeted with a wink. “You think we can get some food in you?”

“I can try,” I agreed. “But first, would you do me a huge favor?”

Zachary walked over to my side of the bed and set down the tray. He then nuzzled our noses together a moment before kissing me tenderly. “Anything you need, just name it, honey bear.”

Little butterflies exploded in my stomach at how sweet he was being. After all that’s happened in this bedroom, I’m not sure why that made me blush, but it did. “Will you please get the little bottle of flavor drops from the pantry? I can’t drink this the way it tastes.”

“I don’t blame you one bit. That shit is worse than the stuff the doc gives you to drink before they shove a camera up your ass,” Zachary muttered, then shivered dramatically. “Is there only one bottle, or did you have a flavor in mind?”

“There’s only one… strawberry kiwi,” I shared. “It should be on the second shelf near the spices.”

“Okay, be right back,” Zachary said and kissed me once more before heading to the kitchen.

Pascal bent down and kissed my shoulder. “I’m sorry it’s so awful. Next time, we’ll be more prepared. We had groceries delivered, and they were out of the flavor we wanted. The other option was grape, but that one is worse than plain if you can believe it.”

Leaning back, I lazily kissed along his jaw. “There’s no need to be sorry. Like you said, this wasn’t planned in the slightest, so you had to make it work. Thank you for taking such good care of us, my sweet pickle king.”

With a chuckle, Pascal leaned his head against mine. “So I guess that nickname is gonna stick around for a while?”

“I won’t if you don’t like it,” I assured him. “No one should have to suffer having a nickname they don’t like. I might find it cute and full of meaning, but if you hate it, then I’ll never use it again.”

Pascal shifted me to the side, which provided a better angle from which to kiss me. “If you’re the one who’s calling me that, then I’m absolutely fine with it. I’d be honored to be your pickle king.”

“Not just any pickle king,” I corrected, grinning. “A sweet pickle king.”

I started to giggle as Pascal peppered my face with kisses and almost spilled the drink, but Zachary managed to grab it first. “Okay, you two settle down so Lyra can get some food in her before her heat flares up again.” He handed me back the glass, and I was now able to hold it on my own. “Taste that, and let me know if it needs more flavor.”

The once clear liquid was a bright pink and tasted a million times better. “It’s drinkable.”

“Good, now eat something,” Zachary ordered, pointing at the tray.

He stood there with his arms crossed until I grabbed a square of the sandwich that he’d made and took a bite. “Good girl, now I’m gonna make Fawn do the same thing.”

I’d been so distracted talking with Pascal, I didn’t notice that Tanner had a rather grumpy-looking Fawn leaning against him. Curious as to what had ruffled the cheerful man’s feathers, our bond hummed as if thinking about it had brought it to the forefront of my mind. I instantly understood he wasn’t mad at Tanner but was still tired and unhappy they’d woken him up. Fawn’s hazel gaze met mine, and his frown shifted to a sleepy smile, sending tingles over my skin. He’d known I was checking on him, and Fawn was being sweet and letting me know he was fine.

“Hey there, sexy lady,” Fawn said with a wink.

Having been mid-swallow, I almost choked on my drink and managed not to spew it out my nose. Pascal gave me a few pats on the back as I coughed.

“Don’t make me laugh while I’m drinking,” I scolded.

Fawn’s smile grew wider. “It would have been fine. I’d happily clean up my mess, licking it off of you.”

My breath hitched as I pictured how it would feel to have his tongue all over me again.