Page 39 of Knot Your Pawn

The loss of the other scents makes me whine and grab for the blankets.

I want them.

I need them.

“Don’t be a grumpy ass.” Riley’s voice is nearby, and I’m covered in the blankets again, with an extra strong whiff of her dark rose pheromones. “And you can’t go to the nest. Mathew tried that and now he⁠—”

At my Omega’s name, I’m on high alert, sitting up straight.

Something’s wrong with Mathew?

What’s wrong with him?

I try to break from Caleb’s arms, but he holds me tightly against him.

His deep forest pheromones are sharp with alarm. “What happened?”

“Same as Vera. Not responding well to pheromones from people who aren’t in the pack. And the house is full of other people’s pheromones right now.”

I want to go to Mathew.

I need to go to him.

“Where is he?” Caleb keeps trying to hold me, but I use every non-lethal trick he’s taught me to free myself from being restrained and manage to get out.

The ground feels hard under my feet, my body is too exhausted to keep me up properly, but I need to get to Mathew as quickly as possible.

“He’s in the garden. We just came out to see if you were here yet.” As Riley speaks, I pass her by.

The garden!

I need to get to the garden!

My legs feel wobbly, but I keep going. I know the garden is nearby.

It’s not that much further.

I just need to make it around Derrick’s pack’s house and around their garden and then I’ll be able to get into our own garden.

Our own garden, where Mathew will be.

“I can’t watch this.” Caleb picks me up again, sending out soothing pheromones, but I fight against him with all my —currently very limited— might. “Stop struggling. I’m carrying you to Mathew. It will be faster and safer than you going there yourself.”

I need to get to Mathew.

Now!

This time, Caleb quickly wraps me in the blankets, but I don’t want them anymore. I want the real deal, fresh, not from blankets but right from my pack, from having my full pack around me.

“Let me out.” My voice finally breaks through. “Let me go.”

I can get to Mathew myself.

I can do it myself.

But Caleb holds me tightly, carrying me, not letting me slip one inch.

“Vera!” Mathew’s voice is next to me and I reach for him without looking, somehow managing to break my arms out of the cocoon Caleb wrapped around me.