Page 68 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

His eyes flicker with pain, but he looks down. “It was strange, I was surprised, and she clearly felt safe with you. My theory on it is that all of us will resonate with different alters as long as she has them.”

“As long as she has them?”

“There’s a therapy that can help integrate them or fuse them. Fusion is not what Raven wants, but the alters have discussed integration before as a possible future.”

I try to imagine her without her alters and feel an almost violent urge to panic.

“It takes a long time, and she’d have to be safe and secure. It’s not an option now, and it might not work for her, or they might decide they don’t want to.”

My stomach feels queasy.

“It’s a future. An option, if we can survive.”

That brings me back to the here and now, and I walk past him. He falls in behind me, keeping up as I pick up the pace. My thoughts are roiling, but when we get back to the river, I stalk straight over to our omega and bend down so we’re at eye level.

She doesn’t speak but reaches up and rests her cold hand on my cheek, smiling. Merle. It’s my Merle. I pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She smiles widely, my gentle soul.

I bury my face in the spot between her neck and shoulder, inhaling the iris and tonka beans. I swear, it’s my favourite smell in the whole world. My own wintergreen and alcohol scent strengthens, mixing with hers.

Her thin and delicate fingers run through my hair, scraping over my scalp. I shiver and hug her tighter, swinging her around so she giggles.

God, I want to make this omega happy. More than anything else.

I groan. “You are temptation.”

When I set her down, she bounces up on her tiptoes, kissing my cheek before pulling back. That wide, innocent, happy smile lights up all the parts of me I thought didn’t work anymore.

“Aaron was worried about you.”

Her eyes flicker to Roseland and back to me with caution in them. Merle has never been truly comfortable with him, and we never pressed it.

“He has been taking care of Dove all these years.”

Her eyes widen, and now she turns and stares at him. There’s a softness and wonder on her face that makes me think that I’ve done something good. It might be the best good thing I’ve ever done. Sign me up for sainthood.

She takes a hesitant step towards him, and he turns, catching sight of her. I think for the first time, she sees the way his eyes soften, how his lips pull into a tiny smile, his shoulders relax. To Aaron Roseland, Merle Kestrel, and whichever alter is fronting, is home.

It’s time all the alters know what he gave up for her.

She takes a few steps towards him, staring hesitantly up at him. He reaches out and brushes her hair behind her ears. And suddenly, he pulls out a beautiful feather, one with iridescent green and purple feathers, and he touches the tip of it to her nose. The interaction is so innocent, so small. It could be nothing.

It’s a bridge.

A moment that will become a day that something changed. He passes her the feather, and she takes it, twirling it in her fingers, her eyes still on his face.

“You are such a big softie,” Rolly teases. “That was so sweet. Where’s mine?”

“Fuck off.”

“Aw, come on, Kingy, let’s have a sweet moment, and you can bend over and let me-”

I grab his throat and hold him still. “Finish what you’re saying, Rolly.”

“When are you going to let me bond Pix?” he whines.

I drop him too quickly, he responds with a vicious uppercut to my jaw. “Asshole.”

“Honestly, I want his bond, King. We’ve known each other a long time, and I can feel how much you yearn for it. We’re best friends, lovers, family. I know all your crazy, and you know mine, and he is ours, he can handle it. Let’s bond him. Make it official. I’m sick of seeing Blaze and Sage walk around with all those pretty teeth marks on their skin, and it’s just not fair. I want one.”