Page 76 of Knot Only For One Night

Reed shrugs, leaning on one bent elbow on my bed. “Just MC stuff.”

I roll my eyes, turning to Neven who laughs at me. “Alpha, what happened?” I ask again and Neven tells me how they were at a rival MC bar and how they got smart-lipped and needed to be taught a lesson.

“So the truce isn’t fixed?”

“No, Omega, it’s not,” Neven says, and I nod, turning back to Soren. His hands rest on my hips as I lean forward with an alcohol wipe.

“It’ll sting,” I whisper.

“I can take it.”

I gently wipe his face. He doesn’t even flinch when the wipe makes contact with his cut.

This must happen often…

“How… dangerous is this kind of thing normally?” My eyes are stuck on the redness around the sliced skin, the faint stain of blood he couldn’t quite get rid of on the way here. The cut’s not deep enough for stitches, but… it's pretty damn close.

“Weapons aren't normally involved.”

“This was your brother?”

I can’t… I could never raise my hand, let alone a weapon to my sister's face. No matter how mad I was.

“Not my brother anymore,” Soren says, nodding his head toward the men in the room. “These are my brothers now.”

“Damn straight,” Asher says.

“MC life isn’t always like this. It’s actually rarely pretty, though, Esper.” Neven’s use of my name, instead of Omega, raises the hairs on the back of my neck.

“I just didn’t know. I’m not saying⁠—”

“It’s okay if you were, though.”

The air grows sullen. My eyes sweep over the men scattered around my room.

He’s giving me an out. An out from being with them, from being a part of their lives.

Reed breaks the silence to confirm my suspicion. “It’s not safe for you, Princess.”

Panic and fury again.

No. Not an option. It’s too late. I’m theirs as they are mine. Forever.

I force my hands to move with gentle care as I place a bandage over Soren’s cheek, even though he probably doesn’t need it now that the bleeding has stopped.

Then I turn to Reed. Crawl my way onto the bed, practically in his lap.

I look over his face too. The wildness in his eyes, the small cut on his eyebrow. My eyes trace down to the busted knuckles on his hands. I grab Asher’s too, pulling his heavy hand into my lap.

“You don’t get to decide what I do,” I say.

Determination lights in Reed’s eyes. “Keeping you safe is my number one priority, even if it means not getting to have you.”

“Absolutey not. Reed, I’m serious. I won’t let you push me away. Not again.” I bring his hand up to the side of my face. It’s warm and rough against my face, but his scent—gosh, his scent—warm pancakes fills my senses. I lean into him more, and he purrs as I cuddle my face into his chest.

“Please, Red, don’t make me handcuff you to my bed forever.”

“I think he’d like that, Trouble,” Soren chuckles behind me. Asher pats my hair, and I’m grateful to have his touch too.