Page 76 of Knot So Social

Jeremy

I’ve never been so exhausted in my life, snatching pockets of rest as Willow naps over the next forty-eight hours. Ever since crying in the bathtub, she’s clung to me, even in her sleep. But despite the affection, the delicate omega seems more closed off than before.

I chalk it down to exhaustion. Sleeping in fits and starts is never true rest, and even when I nap, it’s light, listening for signs of her waking. Time blurs as one day morphs into the other. I fuck her, and knot her, and tenderly wipe her body. Feels like I know her every curve better than I know my own body.

Willow shifts restlessly in my arms. I’m so tired, I can’t seem to force my eyes open, but she hasn’t woken yet. I tighten my hold, hoping she might slip back under for another hour.

“Bastard,” she mumbles.

I snap alert, lifting my head.

Her chest rises and falls with her sleeping breaths. “Sleeping in . . . car because of you. Put me here.”

Her lips move, more mumbled words lost on her breath.

Willow sleeping in her car? The idea’s unthinkable, especially in here surrounded by every conceivable luxury. Surely, it’s just a bad dream, like the ones where you turn up back at school and a pop test gets sprung, usually for a subject you've never even enrolled in.

“Done now?” The omega quivers and rolls over, splaying her hands across my chest. The faintest pressure of her palms against the skin there breaks my heart. Quickly I release her, in case she’s feeling trapped in her dreams.

“Hate you. Bry . . . son. Bastard.”

Something seems wrong. I sit up and grab the thermometer. The seconds while it sits in her mouth feel like the longest of my life. The device chirps in warning. A hundred and three degrees.

Her fever’s spiking.

I roll over the nest edge, heart throbbing when she squeaks and reaches for me. Quickly I grab my medical pack and the tablet. The screen dies right after turning on and I swallow down a growl. My pulse races as I plug the tech into the charging bank and tap the casing as I wait. The device takes its sweet fucking time loading.

A more experienced alpha would know what to do without reading some damn list. I drop the device and jog to the bathroom, wetting a bath sheet and ringing out the excess water.

Willow moans as I drape it around her body and add a washcloth to her forehead.

Does the fever mean she’s hallucinating rather than dreaming? Or worse, remembering?

Did some dickface named Bryson abandon her? Left her homeless? That would explain why she was worried about me leaving too soon. The idea makes my blood boil, but I keep the anger locked deep inside so it can’t leak through. No way do I want her misunderstanding the target of my fury.

Willow stirs and her eyelids flutter. She can’t seem to focus, even though the lighting’s low.

“Hi, beautiful,” I whisper, finger combing her hair.

Her red lips part. “Ah. Ah. Jeremy?”

The omega opens her arms, back arching off the mattress.

I suck on my bottom lip and climb back into the nest, dropping down beside her. Heat fever squeezes her body, and her omega instincts drive her to reach for whoever’s closest.

A lump forms in my throat as I lean down to lift her up. The cold towel presses between us, making my skin shiver. She wants me so bad she’s already writhing. The bittersweet side is recognizing the finale of her heat. One last big spike before this phenomena releases its grip on her body.

I press my lips to her throat. My eyes ache, and I know it’s not from sleep loss.

“Darlin’,” I croon, lying the wet towel on top of her mattress and setting her on it. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you, my lovely omega.”

Gently, I spread her legs and work my cock into her swollen pussy, thrusting against the ache in my chest. I grunt as I work our bodies tighter together, her slick running freely along my shaft and over my balls.

Her soft mewls dust my ears, sparking my lust. The washcloth on her head slips free and her hair splays across the cushions. Heat blazes under her skin and burns between us, setting me on fire. My alpha nature twinges with the need to mark and mate, and I grit my teeth to hold myself together.

She comes apart with loud cries, her scent blooming unbearably sweet. My cock tingles with need but we’re not done yet.

“Come on, Willow,” I grunt, digging my toes into the soft bedding for purchase. My knot bunts her entrance and the woman gasps and spreads her legs.