Page 73 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

“I’ve got it,” I say to Sage and follow him.

He gets to a clearing and sits on a fallen tree, putting his head in his hands.

“What’s wrong with me?” he whispers.

My chest tightens and twists painfully. I want to tell him there’s nothing wrong with him; he’s perfect, but Pix has remained aloof from the rest of us.

Protecting and caring for Merle has been easy because her pain was obvious, but it’s clear as day that this one needs us, too.

But what does he need?

I stalk into the clearing, stopping before him. He stands up and swings at me, and the answer becomes painfully, deliciously clear. I dance around with him, letting his fists connect with me. The pain sends my hunger spiraling. I shove him back, watching as his eyes widen as he slams into the trunk of a tree.

“My turn now,” I whisper, and I’m on him, yanking his hands up and pinning them above his head; before he can protest, I kiss him.

It’s like I’ve never kissed anyone before. Kissing my omega is my biology coming online and screaming that this is perfect, this is water, this is food, this is what I need. He melts into me. I lean into him, devouring him, tasting him, lost in the sensation of his strong body pressed to mine.

“Get off me,” he growls, tearing his mouth free.

I growl back, and he subsides, trembling. He’s not afraid, no, he’s fighting how much he wants me. I think that is what scares him. It scares me.

“I’m not yours,” Pix snarls.

I pull back enough that he has to look up into my eyes. I lick the taste of him off my lips and smile.

“You are clearly mine, and now that I’ve tasted that…well, little omega, I’m not the kind of alpha who walks away.”

His pupils turn to saucers, raspberry jam blooming into the air despite the suppressant patch he stole. I stroke my thumb over the pulse in his throat.

“Whatever this is, we’ll figure it all out.”

“Omegas,” he hisses, “don’t share.”

“Normal omegas don’t. But you and Merle are a different breed, and you create your own paths. Has it occurred to you that everything you’re looking for from Roseland you might find in that broken omega?”

Pix stares at me. “It would never work. I’d kill her. She’s too pure for this world.”

In that, he’s right. Merle is so innocent.

“She’s running from monsters, Pix. Who better to protect her?”

I step back, letting him go. He stares at me like I’m weird, like I’m strange. I am. But I’m also willing to do whatever it takes to keep the shards of this broken pack together.

Wow, it’s like I’m growing up.

Merle

Blaze pulled out a bag of marshmallows and proceeded to show me something that I’ve only ever read about. When he pulls off the skin of the marshmallow and holds it out to me, I can only stare with wide eyes. He presses his fingers to my lips, which I part, almost without thinking. I take the offering and let out a groan, but I’m not sure if my reaction is to the sweetness of the treat or the way his finger drags my bottom lip down.

I avert my gaze as he moves away, but he passes the stick to me, letting me toast my own. It’s fun, and the smell is wonderful. Pix and King are sitting side by side, and both of them have been quiet all afternoon.

Well, everyone has. There is a strange vibe that has been present since Roseland left.

“Tomorrow, I want Pix to teach Merle how to defend herself.”

Pix sits up straight, glaring at Sage. “Why me?”

“Because you have the best self-defense skills of all of us. Plus, it will also build her balance, coordination, and stamina.”