Page 69 of Love Me Knot, Part One (Knotty Omegas #1)

DAPHNE

I’m sticky, uncomfortable, and absolutely covered in Connor’s scent. It’s like omega heaven.

Downstairs, I find Nate and Dez entertaining themselves outside, but no friends yet. I’m nervous. Way more than I thought I’d be. Are they going to like Pack Morgan? Will the pack like them? Does it matter if the answer to either of those questions is no?

Not being able to have my people over made me feel like an outsider in my own friendships. It created a barrier between I don’t want to return. Not to mention, I trust my friends’ opinions more than my own right now. If they don’t like Pack Morgan, then they’re not the ones for me.

But I think walking away from the men that are slowly healing me with every word would hurt more than I care to admit.

When Connor comes back in a new outfit, my brain trips.

“I want your clothes,” I blurt, feeling ridiculous for asking.

Wordless, he heads right back upstairs, only to come down with a hamper I take with greedy hands.

Connor pulls my face up, forcing me to stop huffing their pheromones and look at him. “How long have you wanted them?”

I hesitate, not sure answering is a good idea. “A while.”

“Daphne,” he growls.

“Fine, a couple weeks.” More like since I washed their clothes after our awful dinner. I haven’t had the courage to ask for more.

“Next time you want something, tell us. We can’t read your mind, angel.”

“You’re not upset that I’m being needy?”

“Being an omega is being needy. It’s part of who you are. Why would we be upset with that?”

Rewiring your brain to realize the right people will understand what you need without making you feel like a nuisance—unlearning habits you adopted to feel safe with people who never truly wanted you—is painful and jarring.

You don’t know who you are outside the way you used to be.

But the freedom that comes with discovering yourself when all the bullshit washes away is unmatched.

Knowing the people you surround yourself with love you for exactly who you are makes the journey worthwhile.

“I’ll ask next time.” Connor’s purr makes me smile. The delicate sound unwinding the tension in my body until he’s holding us up.

“Good girl. Are we hiding in here all day?” he asks.

We smell like we spent all morning fucking and even though my cheeks heat, I like the blatant claim from my alpha. “Maybe until they get here?”

“Hate to tell you, but they’re outside.”

Oh, fuck. Is it too late to cancel?

What the hell was I thinking bringing everyone together like this?

It’s too soon. I’m going to embarrass myself in front of Travi and the pack’s going to bail after one conversation with my friends.

I don’t have the best luck with partners meeting my people.

Meanwhile, my instincts are screaming at me to bond my alphas so the girls won’t look twice at them.

It’s too much. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Breathe, angel.” Connor cradles my face. I always feel small like this. Protected. “Your friends love you and we’re already halfway there. This is a good thing, right?”

His insecurity sinks into my stomach. Despite everything we’ve already dealt with, this is my issues making an untimely appearance. I’m fucking this up and all they’ve done is try.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay to freak out, Daph. You can’t help your feelings.”

I let his words settle deep inside me, desperate to believe them. I want these men to support me. Want to open myself up to them and bring them further into my world.

Today, that means introducing all the people I love to each other.

Dez and Nate come in, stealing my attention. They’ve all kept it casual, with nice jeans and t-shirts. While Nate heads for the door, Dez wraps his arm around me, letting his warm floral scent settle across my skin. “You’re so fucking brave, little muse.”

His voice holds a purr and combined with the heady way they look at me, it steals the last of my nerves. “Praise will get you everywhere.”

He laughs against my neck. “I don’t want to be anywhere but here.”

Nate rolls his eyes, though his smile widens. “Enough sweetness. Can I let them in, Daph?”

One last deep breath, then I nod. “Do it.”

The door’s barely open before he’s pushed aside.

“You don’t call; you don’t write.” Mellie is a blur of movement, completely ignoring the alphas as she eats up the space between us. Her arms toss around me so roughly, Dez and Connor have to correct my balance before retreating.

My omega side loves that they rushed away from her. There’s no telling what I’d do if they walked around smelling like Mellie all evening.

She squeezes until I can’t breathe, then throws her head back, cackling. “Never mind. I know exactly why you ignored me.”

Do not blush. Don’t fucking do it.

Shrugging, I give her my most innocent face. “If I did, you probably deserved it.”

“Asking if you wanted us to pick up a treat on the way is not a deserved offense.” She pokes my tickle spot, and I swat her hands, praying we don’t devolve into slap fights.

While the alphas head out to help the others, I check my phone under my friend’s watchful eye.

Mellie

Need a treat for the nerves? We just saw this adorable bakery.

Helloooooooo. Anyone there?

Stop getting railed and pay attention to me.

Fine, no treat for you. Enjoy your boning, bitch.

I wince. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I can understand the appeal.” She says it so nonchalantly, not even looking at the door where my alphas are carting in coolers of drinks and extra food, but I want to strangle her.

Mellie. The girl who told me what to expect for my first heat. Who snuck me toys when Pack Parker couldn’t be bothered to get me off and offered her apartment when I needed a safe space to land after leaving. She’s the best friend I could ever imagine, and I want to rip her fucking eyes out .

Scent-sympathy is no joke.

“We talked about this, Mel.” Lacey walks in, knocking into her on the way to give me a hug. That sweet black tea scent immediately settles my nerves, especially when she keeps a respectable distance from my men.

“I was just saying?—”

“Exactly what we warned you not to,” Kai responds, coming in with Maverick nearly plastered to her spine. They’re both tense, eyes darting around for danger. Kai because that’s who she is and Maverick because his unbonded omega is in a room full of unbonded alphas.

Nate slips in behind them, carefully keeping his distance as he closes the door.

The air feels stilted and uncomfortable, but he either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, throwing my friends an absent smile as he walks toward me.

I wonder if it’s because he doesn’t know how to act with others around.

While he lights up with the pack and I, Nate’s a bit of loner. “Looks like that’s everything.”

“Oh, did you buy Petit Fours?” I ask Kai, finally spotting the pastry box in her hand. The little cakes are almost as good as the chocolate croissant, but there’s just something fun about an entire cake being bitesized.

“Obviously,” she says, flashing me a tenuous smile as they creep closer. She kisses my cheek gently, that metallic raspberry scent sweetened with some of Maverick’s woodsmoke and honey and that perfume she pretends not to wear.

Maverick leans in for a side hug and Connor’s lips tighten for just a moment until he coughs. Kai’s rough laughter follows as they push me away.

It’s about that time that I remember the absolute mess between my legs that I’ve been ignoring with a passion, and my curls practically smoke with how hot I get.

Unlike my exes, who never cared enough about me to bother with my friendship with Maverick, these alphas prove they have no problem being territorial.

Possessive over their omega. I’m absolutely smothered in pack scent.

Dez rubbed his cheek along the top of my hair before he left to help cart shit inside, and now Nate snags an arm around my waist and pulls me back to him.

He’s less stealthy, blatantly rubbing his face anywhere he can reach until I’m covered in alpha.

My head tips and I take in that subtle smirk and the faint rumble of his laughter against my back. “You’re such a shit.”

He dips to kiss my cheek sweetly. “Can you blame us? He’s an unknown.”

“He’s obsessed with Kai.”

Connor hums beside us, holding out a hand to Maverick. “Connor Morgan, pack lead and Daphne’s future alpha.”

Jesus, that was a lot. Mav takes it in stride, reaching for Connor. The men have almost touched when I see the glint in my alpha’s eye.

Oh, fuck.

Before I can decide how to handle it, Kai jerks Mav back, growling. She stares at Connor like she’s trying to set him on fire, and I can’t blame her. “No touching.”

Lacey and Mellie both glance between his hand and my very warm, super red face before collapsing into giggles. And I mean literally collapsing. They end up crunched against the wall just to keep their balance. Meanwhile, Mav preens, leaning into Kai’s hold until she purrs.

Dez glares at Connor. “Apologies for my pack lead. We’re still adjusting to our instincts. Scent-sympathy’s a bitch, but you’re all welcome.”

“Can we get anyone drinks?” Nate asks, kissing my head before loping off to fill orders while Dez leads my friends outside.

Connor tries to follow, but I snatch him by the wrist and pull him into the half bath. “I can’t fuck you again while your friends are here, angel. You’ll have to wait until they leave.”

“I’m more likely to bury you than ride your dick,” I snap, squirting an aggressive amount of soap on his palm—the same one he covered in my slick earlier. The one he definitely didn’t wash . “Scrub.”

His eyes darken as he watches the soap trail across his skin, dripping to the floor but he doesn’t move.

My temper rises, warring between pleasure at how determined he is to smell like me and frustration that he’s making things difficult. “We’re not leaving this bathroom until you wash your fucking hand, Con.”

“Why? You don’t like your scent on me?”