Page 109 of Knotted By my Pack

She’s not wrong. We aren’t bonded by blood or tradition. There’s no hierarchy. No rules. Just instinct and proximity and whatever the hell this is. Tension flickers between us again.

Elias taps his fingers against the beer bottle, not drinking, just thinking. Noah exhales through his nose, gaze fixed on the stretch of her bare thigh under that gauzy dress.

“We figure it out day by day,” I say, voice low.

She tilts her head. “That simple?”

Elias finally looks at me. His expression doesn’t shift much, but there’s a flicker behind his eyes—one that tells me he’s not doing this for my sake.

We’ll figure it out for her. That’s the only reason any of us are still sitting in the same room, breathing the same heated air.

She nods slowly. “Okay.”

I stroke my thumb across her knee. “I need to tell you something.”

She stiffens. “Yeah?”

“I’m leaving town for a bit. Just a few days.”

That pulls her attention back fully. “Why? Is everything okay?”

I glance down at my glass, then set it on the table untouched. “It is. I just... need to handle something. Can’t say what yet. Not until I know it’ll work.”

She studies me with that quiet intensity that always seems to strip me bare. “Okay. Be careful.”

Elias stands and stretches, tossing Rusty’s leash between his fingers. “I’m gonna head out. Need to walk the beast before bed.”

She starts to stand, her dress shifting high as she uncurls from the couch. “Wait. Will you all stay a little longer?” Her voice softens. “At least until midnight?”

The moment she says it, the air changes. Her scent threads through the room like silk unraveling. It hits low in my gut.

Every muscle tenses. The shift is faint, a subtle hormone spike only we’d notice—but it’s enough.

Noah lifts his head like he’s scenting prey. “No rush on my end.”

“I’m traveling in the morning,” I remind him, not even convincing myself that’s a reason to leave.

“Dammit,” Elias mutters, shaking his head, and we all laugh.

And then she does it—stands up straight, hooks her fingers beneath the hem of her dress, and pulls it off in one smooth motion. The room stops breathing.

No bra. Her skin glows in the lamplight, soft and flushed. The pale pink panties cling to her hips like a second skin.

I see the faint indents of Noah’s teeth above her ribs, the welted imprints of Elias’s grip on her thighs. Her body tells stories. And every one of us listens.

“Holy shit,” Noah mutters, eyes raking over her. Then he lets out a low whistle. “Who the fuck did that to you?”

Elias doesn’t even blink. “That would be me.”

She shifts slightly, but her gaze stays on us, inviting and uncertain all at once. The air heats.

We all stand.

She looks so fucking small between us now. Barefoot, almost naked, surrounded by three Alphas with eyes fixed on her like she’s the only thing we’ve ever wanted.

My jaw flexes, and I shove my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for her too soon.

“Fuck,” Noah breathes out again, voice darker now.