Page 67 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

I finish dropping rocks and branches on the bodies and come to stand beside him. I weigh the atmosphere for a moment, and then I turn and pull him into a hug. He struggles for a minute and then goes limp. I count in my head; I get to thirty, and then he suddenly hugs me back. Tight, as if he’s drowning, like I’m the only thing keeping him afloat.

“We’ll keep them safe together. You won’t fail, Aaron. We won’t.”

A few months ago, if someone had told me I’d be consoling and hugging an alpha and have not one but two omegas I’m completely devoted to, I would have laughed hysterically. But now, it feels natural. It feels right to be offering the alpha I care about solace.

He sniffles, and I stroke his back. I can see our future. This alpha could be one of my best friends. He could be a lover, someone I trust. He could be family.

“We’ll find you new dreams. Probably herding-Rolly-into-not-being-so-impulsive dreams.” His laugh makes my stomach flutter.

We stay that way until he stops crying, and then he steps back and, to my utter consternation, the alpha who held me at gunpoint can't even lift his eyes and look at me.

I press into his space, sidestepping with him and staying in front of him until he looks up, then I lean forward and kiss him.

He kisses me back hard enough that it surprises me, but then I lose time, all that matters is the taste and feel of him. I pull his hard body up against mine and groan into his mouth.

Aaron is the one who breaks the kiss, pulling back, gasping and looking at me like I’ve just blown his mind.

“We have to go back, there might be more.”

I can’t argue with that.

He’s confident, and he moves easily. He’s fit and watchful, noticing everything. Roseland’s beyond compare and incredibly deadly.

Worse yet, he has conviction, and his convictions all seem to center around a certain omega.

“How did you meet Merle?”

“Merle? I didn’t meet Merle until the cabin.” He climbs a series of rocks. “I met Dove. She was found on the street, and someone brought her into the station covered in blood. It took me weeks to get her to speak.”

“So, you gained Dove’s trust?” My mind boggles at the concept.

“Yes, she was very scared, but it was obvious something terrible had happened to her. I found her a safe place, and I would come and sit with her, talking at first. Her first words to me were, ‘Mr Rose, could we get something to eat?’ I made sure I brought food for her after that, every time we visited.”

He stops and looks up at the treetops.

“Then, she disappeared. For two long, painful weeks, I couldn’t find her. I was frantic. It was clear that she was traumatised, that she needed help.”

I stay silent but move to where I can see his face. He looks agonised, but his expression clears to one of wonder.

“That’s when I met Raven.”

“So, you only ever knew Dove and Raven?” I try to imagine that and how difficult the situation would have been.

“Yes. Raven, Dove, and I worked together for a long time. But she would disappear. At first, I wanted to get them help, but they showed so many signs of trauma that I eventually shut down that idea. I didn’t know she had more than two alters, but I knew it was a possibility.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

He looks at me, and his expression is open and honest. “I didn’t trust you.”

So simple. So obvious. If it were me, would I risk her life by telling strangers about her potential weakness?

Not a chance in hell.

Even if he didn’t have feelings for her, which he clear as day did, his reaction the day they brought her to the cabin was clear enough.

Aaron Roseland belongs to that omega, no matter which alter is fronting. He will be whatever she or he needs. Family, protector, murderer, lover, confidant, alpha. He just accepted the new alters, gaining their trust and learning them, figuring out how he fits into their life. It must have been excruciating.

“Did it hurt that Merle came to me?”