Page 68 of Knot Now Knot Ever

I was a little startled at the offer since it was vastly out of character for the man. Pascal loved us in his own way, and I respected him as a man of actions rather than words. Part of the problem Pascal had was noticing subtle mood signs since his attention was on whatever problem he was solving in his head.

“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it,” I said, genuinely grateful for the man stepping out on a limb to offer. “I was trying to figure out why the reporters were so interested in camping out the building, so I did an internet search.”

“I’m assuming you found something,” Pascal deduced.

“The bastards found out about Fawn working at Tempting Tassels and got their hands on a photo,” I admitted through clenched teeth.

“What?” Pascal snapped, nearly dropping the drinks he’d been holding. “Why the hell would they do that?”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t have a fucking clue, but I’m going to find out.”

“Not before I do,” Eli stated, causing us to turn, not realizing he’d walked up behind us. “Did you see anything else?”

“No, Fawn knew I was upset, so he crawled onto my lap. I didn’t want him to know until we were home, and he could process that bomb however he wanted to,” I answered.

Eli simply nodded as he raised his phone to his ear. “Jonathan, I need you to find whoever published that story about my Omega, Fawn’s past. I want whatever pictures he has destroyed and the article wiped from existence. Do you really need me to answer that question?” Eli asked, pausing for a moment to hear the answer. “Correct, and I want a list of names. I’ll make sure they never work in this city again.”

“There’s more than one?” I asked once he’d hung up.

“It appears so, but Jonathan will see it handled. He also promised to find out who supplied the photos if he could, but most reporters will go to their grave over information like that,” Eli shared as he scrolled through his phone and made another call. “Jessup, it’s Eli. I’m sending you two addresses. The first is an apartment building, where I need a two or four-man team to ensure no reporters sneak in. I’d also like the apartment monitored until we can move all my Omega’s things out of there. The second address is my pack’s home. Right now, I think we’ll be fine with an around-the-clock presence on the property to make the press behave. If that changes, then I’ll want bodyguard suggestions for our Omegas. Thank you, Jessup. I’ll be over in the morning to sign the contracts.”

I simply stared at Eli as Pascal let out a low whistle, both impressed at the speed he’d just been able to destroy multiple reporters’ careers and, in the next breath, hire private security. “Holy shit, Eli.”

The man shrugged. “I told you no one fucks with my family. I hope they’ll see we’re not afraid to retaliate and soon move their attention onto something else.”

When the elevator doors opened with a soft chime, he gestured for us to go ahead. Still a little flustered, I entered but realized our hands were full. Eli reached in, hit the button for the top floor, and pointed to the left. “I’ll take the stairs. It’s probably best if I work off some of this rage.”

“Yeah, probably a good call,” I commented as the doors closed. I slowly turned my head to look at Pascal. “I can’t tell if I’m terrified of that man or really fucking turned on. That was nuts, right?”

“It’s not nuts if you’re a Thatcher,” Pascal reasoned. “Why do you think the Scent Matchers wanted it to be crystal clear he was going after a single person and not the organization? If Eli decided to take out the organization as a whole for what happened to his sister, they’d be in the fight for their life.”

“All I have to say is thank God he’s on our side,” I muttered, stepping out of the elevator and joining the others.

The rest of the day was spent eating, watching random shows on the television, and just spending time together as a pack. Eli had texted Pascal and me, asking that we hold off on saying anything until the morning so his people could get him more information. I didn’t see the harm in holding off a little longer since the article went up two days ago as it was.

When it was finally late enough for us to turn in for the night, we headed for the nest on the fourth floor. Right now, it was the only room with a space big enough for all of us to sleep together. We hadn’t officially set it up other than having the bed put together when we moved in. With only three of us involved in Fawn’s heats, we typically ended up using his room so we didn’t make Pascal uncomfortable or feel left out. Plus, Fawn’s filming studio was next door to his bedroom so I could easily grab all the toys I wanted to play with.

I was grinning from ear to ear as I managed to slip in behind Lyra and curl myself around her. “You fit so perfectly in my arms, starlight,” I whispered, kissing along her jaw until I reached her lips. “Tomorrow, we’ll take you room shopping, and then we can get started turning it into a space that makes you happy.”

Fawn draped himself over my body to kiss Lyra, then kissed me. “Goodnight, you two. I plan to pass out for the next month or so. Don’t have too much sex without me.”

Without waiting for a response, Fawn rolled off me and used Zachary stretched out behind me as a body pillow. Eli guarded Fawn’s back, hand possessively sliding under Fawn’s shirt to rest over the Omega’s heart. Pascal was a little more hesitant to join us, but the draw to be near Lyra won out. I didn’t judge the man for being uncomfortable with us all sleeping together when he wasn’t used to it. The past few days, Pascal had been flying high on the scent of our Omega’s heat and his rut. Pascal now had a clear mind and had to decide what he was comfortable with.

Grabbing a pillow, he stretched out on his stomach with a solid foot of space between us. Then he took Lyra’s hand and kissed the back of it before lacing their fingers together and tucking them against his chest. I hid my smile in Lyra’s hair, not wanting Pascal to think I was laughing at him. I’d never seen something more adorable or wholesome than that man treating Lyra’s hand like a cherished teddy bear. It didn’t take long before the room was filled with soft, even breathing as everyone drifted off to sleep.

I nuzzled my cheek against Lyra’s shoulder and kissed a spot just on the edge that would be exposed if she wore a tank top. “Soon enough, starlight, I’ll place my mark right here so you know I’ll always have your back. No matter your fears or anxieties, all you need to do is look over your shoulder, and you’ll find me there.”

Our pack slept well into the afternoon except for Eli, who had to run an errand but returned and passed out for another few hours. It wasn’t until my body demanded attention that I gave up on sleeping longer. The nest had an attached bathroom so I didn’t have to go far to deal with one issue. After washing up, I scrubbed my face with icy cold water to chase away the last bits of sleepiness. Accepting this was as awake as I was going to be without food or caffeine, I returned to the nest.

Fawn and Zachary were the only two still sleeping, so I ventured out to find the others. I chose not to take the elevator and wandered down the stairs, taking in the different levels of the house. No one had a room on the fourth floor, but Pascal’s room and magical pickle kitchen were on the third. Tanner and Zachary mentioned yesterday they had connecting rooms on the second floor since they wanted to be together, but it also offered privacy if they wanted it. They’d lived together before meeting the rest of their pack so it made sense they would want to be so close.

The stairs were carpeted, but from what I’d seen, most of the hallways were hardwood as was the main floor of the house. Thanks to the carpet, I was able to sneak up on Tanner in the kitchen dancing as he made pancakes. Then I realized he had earbuds in and wouldn’t have heard me anyway. Watching Tanner use the spatula as an impromptu microphone was priceless, and for a man who broke both his ankles, he could bust a move.

Distracted by featured entertainment, I didn’t notice anyone coming up behind me until strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I was pulled back against a firm chest. The scent of teakwood and bourbon washed over me, and I sank against Eli. I tipped my head back, requesting a kiss which Eli gladly obliged. My fingers slid into his short hair to keep him right where he was. Our tongues wrapped around each other, and I moaned when one of his hands curled around my throat as he started to purr.

“Good morning, my sweet petal,” Eli murmured without releasing his hold on me. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I most certainly did,” I answered. Letting my hand drift from his hair to caress his cheek, I asked him the same question. “Did you?”