Page 82 of Knot My Band: Part Two

Chase looks at the others. “Maybe this was too soon after her heat. Hormones take days to settle. Her instincts are stronger now than usual.”

I feel like they’re about to agree with him, so I hold my hands up and shout, “No! I want this. You can’t take it away now.”

I huff and cross my arms.

“Okay, little rose. We won’t take it away,” Chase reassures.

For the rest of the day, I let them hold me and soothe my omega instincts with soft touches and praise as we order things online, but when I get a moment alone, I rush up to the nest and video call Riley.

With a deep breath, I pull out my phone and hit Riley’s contact. She picks up almost instantly, her pixie-cut hair bouncing as she grins at me through the screen.

“Oli, what’s up?” She asks, her face smiling back at me with Brad in the background.

“I’m meeting Chase’s sister, and we need to plan what I will wear!” I declare.

“Do you have to do this now? We were busy,” Brad complains, making my gut twist.

Brad has always been quiet the few times I’ve met him, but if this is how he treats Riley, then I want him gone.

“Okay, no problem, we’ve got this. Do you have any ideas?” she asks, ignoring him.

I don’t want to upset him, but I need my best friend.

“No, I always have a stylist, or I’m comfortable,” I quip, rolling my eyes. “What do you think? Edgy and bold or sweet and demure?”

“Something in between. You want to make an impression but come off friendly,” Riley fires back, her blue eyes dancing with mischief. “How about that leather skirt with the flowers on it? The one you wore last tour?”

“Perfect! Chase will dig it,” I muse, picturing the outfit in my mind. “You always know just what to pick.”

“Of course I do. It’s my job to keep you looking fierce and fabulous,” Riley says, flipping her hair with a flourish. “Plus, you’ve got that natural charisma. You’d look good in a burlap sack.”

“Let’s not test that theory,” I laugh, shaking my head. “I’ve got enough on my plate without adding a fashion disaster to the list.”

“I know, so don’t let this stress you,” she says gently.

Brad shifts in the background, and I try to be friendly and ask him, “How are you, Brad?”

He frowns. “Bad. I don’t want Riley going to Europe with you. She’s spending too much time away from home.”

“Oh,” I say, not expecting that. “That is up to her.”

Brad rolls his eyes as Riley takes me to her room, but she refuses to comment when I ask about Brad.

We chat a little more before I hang up with her.

Something about talking to Riley makes the chaos fade into the background, even if just for a moment. She’s the anchor that keeps me from drifting too far into the storm. I need to make sure Brad isn’t giving her a hard time. She deserves someone who lifts her up.

Even now that I have my alphas, I will always need her.

After we hang up, there’s a knock on the door to the nest.

“Did I hear a male voice on your phone?” Chase asks, trying to act casual, but I can feel his jealousy through the bond.

I can’t help laughing at him as I wave him inside. “It was Riley’s man. Don’t worry; I am not interested in him.”

That seems to mollify him some.

“Little rose, I’m sorry I sprung my sister on you so close to your heat. I can feel your instincts going wild, and it’s all my fault. I feel like a terrible alpha,” he confesses, standing sheepishly in the doorway.