Page 53 of Knotted their Beauty

“Well, you’re definitely not now. Get ready to be surrounded by all the people you’ve been wanting to see.”

I fall over and roll as Baron accelerates hard, but he ignores me as he blasts his emo music. Closing my eyes in defiance, I will myself to sleep. He can do whatever he wants, as long as Rufus doesn't take umbrage to it.

It looks like I need to figure out how I’m going to fucking people when I feel like doing anything but that.

Chapter

Seventeen

BARON

I’m so goddamn tired of making phone calls.

Granted, I’ve only called two people in the last few weeks, but I’ve had to blow both of them up, and that’s annoying as shit.

“Pick up you son of a⁠—”

“What?”

I scowl at Ves’ voice, riddled with sleep and irritation. We need to bring balance back to our pack and quickly. I know I’m a little softer on the inside than I let on, this shit with Lennox is a prime example of that, but I’m a dickhead and even the gooiest insides won’t change that. I’ll cut Ves some slack since he’s older than the rest of us, working for a complete bastard for a couple of decades while navigating a genuinely fucked up scenario with his ex. Forty isn’t old, but that shit can age you fast, and the guy has every right to be crotchety. Just not with us. As for Lennox, dude gets a freebie for being volatile since it’s definitely mental health related, but I don’t like seeing him like this. I doubt he’d agree to medication. I’m going to try to have that conversation anyway, though. I’ve had to medicate for years to deal with my shit, so I know the right stuff in the right dose works for some people, and I think it’s worth a shot.

It was for me, anyway.

I resisted for a long fucking time but once I was able to bring balance to the chemicals in my brain, murder became the back up plan more often than the first and only option, and I’ll take that as a huge victory.

But it’s all about balance.

Just like this fucking pack.

Ves needs to retire so he’s less of a prick, and Lennox needs a dose of something, even if it’s a cute little girl and his scent matches, to get him back on track to being so sunshiny I want to puke.

“Hello?”

I blink a few times as I get out of my van, slamming the door before I round the back. “It’s Baron.”

There’s a brief silence followed by some shifting of fabric before Ves asks softly, “Why are you calling so late?”

I bet he went into the bathroom.

Which means he still hasn’t told Arlo about me.

This is going to be even more awkward than I originally thought.

Awesome.

“I have a problem. I need you to come outside.”

Another pause. “What kind of problem?”

“I’m down in the parking lot. Your side of the building by the streetlight.” Then I hang up.

His curiosity is already piqued, he’ll come down and check it out, even if it’s just to tell me to fuck off afterward.

I start questioning that after twenty minutes goes by with no sign of him, however.

“Thank fuck,” I grumble as I watch my omega push through the exit, his hair mussed, dressed in nothing but a pair of pajama pants.

That is the absolute last way he should be walking out to see me, he’s liable to get fucked up against the lightpost like that.