Page 100 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

Merle again hesitantly shakes her head. She looks so lost and confused. Then her eyes widen, and she’s at Rolly with pure guilt on her face.

“Don’t worry about him. He has never owned a cat, and any animal with that much attitude would just end up fighting with him all day long,” King says.

“You are a keeper. I bet you are a bird person, aren’t you, Merle? Do you like little songbirds? Parrots? Big cockatoos?”

She stares at him like she has no idea where he came from, but he’s somehow maneuvered her into his lap. She’s straddling him, her hands on his shoulders, and he is stroking her hips. I don’t think she even knows where she is.

“When this is all over, I’m going to get you a bird. We’ll go shopping, find a rescue that has one that speaks to your soul, and we will give it a home. I want a big home. One that I stay at and don’t leave. I’ve never admitted that to anyone before,” Pix says softly. “But with you and these alphas, I can see us living happily in a big house with an African Grey cockatoo that swears at us and sings to some horrible little tune Rolly taught it. We’ll have a bed big enough to fit us all in because nobody likes to sleep alone.”

She’s leaning closer, her cheek pressed to his. I put a tray of muffins in the oven and start on the next batch.

“Blaze will have his ridiculous dojo where he can swing his sword around-”

“Dao.”

“What?”

“It’s called a dao,” I say and start mixing the next batch.

Pix rolls his eyes. “Fine. He has a dojo to swing his dao around. King will have his gym. Rolly will have…”

“Gaming system!” Rolly shouts.

Pix laughs. “Sure, a gaming system. Surround sound, perfect for movie nights. With big couches we can all sink into and sleep in, if we don’t end up in the bedroom. Sage will have his training room to keep in shape because we all like all his sexy muscles. Roseland will have his weapon room so he can protect us. You and all the alters will all have space for what you want and need. Nests filled with rainbow threads that glitter with silver, shiny, sparkle pretties. And I will have a big backyard with a tree I can climb. I’ll teach you as well, and we can sit up there and talk and think and just be.”

I set the spoon in the bowl. I’ve been holding it in the air, listening to Pix paint this fantasy. King looks at me. We make a silent promise to make sure that this home Pix dreams of comes true. One day, every single item on that list will exist, and it will be laid at the feet of these omegas.

Rolly walks out of the hallway, returning from the bedroom, funny, I didn’t even see him leave. He brings a trail of soft and sweet incense following him. It’s vanilla and incredibly soothing. Merle inhales and sighs heavily, relaxing into Pix’s arms.

Scent. Touch. The sound of us speaking. All things that soothe our traumatised omega.

Twenty-five minutes later, I bring a steaming hot plate of muffins to the coffee table and watch her eyes zero in on the orange and poppyseed. She lets out a tiny sound, which is more than she’s made in hours, and reaches for one. I refuse to risk it and walk away, looking back only when I’m in the kitchen out of her line of sight.

She breaks off a bit and eats it, her eyes closing. Sage gives me a thumbs-up from where he is hiding in the dark of the hallway.

She eats and then, in the shelter of Pix’s arms, she collapses into a nightmare-filled sleep that only the purrs of the savage omega can keep at bay.

“We should leave,” Rolly says. “She’ll get calmer the further away we get from him.”

“If we leave, we lose the chance to find any clues about how he’s doing all this,” Roseland hisses, and I jump, startled that he managed to sneak up on me.

I study them both carefully.

“There’s also the danger inherent in moving her while she is this panicked. She is a trained killer. If she wants to leave us, there is nothing we can do to stop her. Keeping her calm and safe is our best option,” King murmurs.

Rolly opens his mouth to protest, then stops. “What if he’s here? What if we’re missing something vital? This is the most dangerous place to keep her because he knows. We need to be unpredictable.”

“Her safety comes first,” Roseland murmurs.

“Which part, her mental health or her physical health?” Rolly hisses in frustration. “We’re sitting ducks. We need to leave.”

There is merit in both arguments. When I look at the alphas, I can see fear in their eyes, perhaps for the first time. Have they ever cared before? Have I?

“We’ll leave at dusk. Slip out during the night. It will give us a better chance of getting away,” I say with finality.

They settle, each appeased. Roseland and Pix set about making sure everything is packed, while Rolly goes out with King, searching the neighbourhood and checking to see if they can find any signs of our shadow.

I open the fridge and see a box of chocolates that I don’t remember anyone buying. It’s at the back, behind half a carton of milk. It’s a common brand, and it’s open like someone has eaten one or two of them.