Knot Happening

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tatum

If it’s not one Alpha, it’s another. I pound my fist against the window of Hayden’s dark gray Porsche, and he startles.

“Are you stalking me?”

I’m kind of proud I managed to scare him. There’s no other excuse for why he’s sitting outside the apartment right now, since I don’t work tonight, and I’m agitated as fuck.

I expect him to at least look a little ashamed of himself. Maybe slink down in his seat a bit to pretend he’s trying to hide. But nope. Not Hayden.

He pushes the door open, forcing me back a few steps, then jumps out, and gets right in my face.

“Maybe if you listened to me when I tell you fucking anything , I wouldn’t have to! But do you? No. You still think I’m out to hurt you!” His frustration turns his words aggressive, and I flinch back from the sound. I don’t like when Alphas raise their voices at me.

I match his energy despite my twinge of fear. And even though he's over a freaking foot taller than me, I put my finger in his face as I snap right back.

“You have hurt me! Worse than anyone else ever possibly could have! So excuse the fuck out of me if I don’t trust you!” Tears sting my eyes, pissing me off even more, and my scent spikes with pain, making his scent react.

I can tell he’s battling his Alpha instincts, resisting the urge to pull me into his arms and hold me to him until I calm. He holds his ground, even if his scent is trying to soothe me.

“I’ve apologized a thousand times, Tatum. I’ll keep apologizing, every day, if that's what it takes. All I’m asking is for you to have a little faith in me.” He’s pleading with me, as he reaches out, taking my hands in his.

“And I’m asking you to tell me why!” I practically scream at him, and as the tears start falling down my cheeks, I try to escape him. I yank my hands free, spin away, and stomp back toward my apartment.

“Tatum.” Hayden follows me, easily keeping up. Stupid long-legged Alpha. “Tatum, stop, and talk to me. Please, Starlight, just–”

I don’t stop, but he doesn’t give up. I’m unlocking my door, preparing to slam it in his face once I get inside, but he doesn’t let me. He’s through the door, and pressing me against the wall in seconds.

“Just leave, Hayden,” I beg, sniffing as the pain in my chest refuses to let me shove it away.

“Never.”

“Not never, though! You’ve already done it once, you can do it again, Hayden. What’s stopping you this time, hm?” My heart cracks open, as I think of that day. Of how much I fucking loved him. Of the future I was dreaming of with him.

He’d figured out I was at an Omega Haven, the free heat clinic that is just outside the city. That I was about to go into heat and that I’d gone to stay there for a few days, so I wasn’t disturbing my mother.

I squeeze my eyes shut, blocking out the memories. Of him and his body.

Of the days that followed. Of the moment I realized he was done with me, and it wasn’t an accident that he was ignoring me.

“I’ll tell you everything, Tatum. I’ll tell you everything, but… Once I do, you’ll hate me. You’ll never look at me the same way again.”

“What could be worse than abandoning me? Using me as an easy fuck, making all of those fucking promises, and then breaking my goddamned heart!”

I push at his chest, needing to breathe in air that isn’t filled with his desperate scent.

“Can you please just get to know me again? Believe me when I say that it’s fucking bad, and I want you to see me for who I am now, before I tell you. I will tell you, I just…”

His words are a broken whisper, hurting my heart.

But he never lost me. He gave me up.

“You left me. You didn’t lose me. You just left me behind. Fuck.” I swipe at my angry tears, and try to salvage as much of my makeup as I can. “I-I can’t do this right now. I have to go.”

“I know. My brother’s party.” He lets out a long sigh, his eyes pressed tightly together, but when he looks at me, he doesn’t look mad or defeated. He doesn’t look like a man that's going to leave me alone, either. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Let me just…clean up first.” I push past him, and I clean myself up in the bathroom.

My nose is red, and so are my glassy blue eyes. I fix my foundation, mascara, and eyeliner. Once I’m satisfied, I take a few deep breaths. I can do this.

The walk down to his car and the drive to his brother’s house are silent. I zone out as we pass trees and businesses, the lights of the city. I’m lost in my head, not really seeing any of it.

There’s a heaviness hanging between us, and neither of us knows how to fix it. I don’t know what to say. Where to begin. I don’t even know if I want to.

That's not true, though. I do want him in my life, but I want what we had before the pain and heartbreak. I want the man he was. Not the man he is now. I glance over at him, trying to imagine life with him in it again. Really in it, not just hovering over me like a ghost that's haunting my heart.

His smile. His kindness. His scent. Everything I once loved about him. The future he offered me when we were nothing but kids. Naive and full of hope.

I’m no longer naive, and I don’t remember the last time I truly felt hopeful for myself. For my life.

“I’m warning you so you aren’t shocked…” Hayden finally breaks the silence. “My brothers and I live in a massive house, and we have a lot of security on the property. Especially lately. After the explosion–”

“Explosion?!” I gasp, and Hayden winces.

“At Haze. Uh… Someone blew up Kodiak’s jeep. But he’s fine.”

“When the fuck did that happen!?”

“Before you got hired, I think. It was over a month ago.” Hayden shrugs, but I stare at him with my eyes bugging out. “We upped security. You’ll be safe tonight.”

“Fuck,” I murmur, but get distracted as we arrive at a fucking mansion, not a house. I scoff.

The imposing structure we pull up to looks like something out of a catalog. Manicured lawns with antique lamps line the walkway up to the double front doors. White columns hold up the gabled roof with a giant lantern hanging on the three-story tall porch.

“Welcome home,” he says gently, and I swallow thickly. Those words… They hold so much meaning, and I just can’t bring myself to face what he’s saying.

He pulls around the side of the building, following the curve of the drive up to a circular parking area in front of a three bay garage. Instead of pulling into one of those, Hayden drives around the back to what turns out to be an underground garage. I feel like I just stepped into a Bond movie or something equally insane. So many cars. I know nothing about cars. Absolutely fuck all. I can identify Mustangs, and that's about it. But… Just how rich are these men? I knew they were well off, obviously. But this is…kind of intense.

Somehow, despite making more money at this job than I ever have in my life, I am still broke as fuck. So, how much money would I need to be making to live here? To have all these fucking cars, and full-time security patrolling my freaking mansion?

“Before we go in there… You know about my mother. That she died when I was born. That my brother’s mother raised me. Well, she’ll be here today for Kodiak. There’s some tension between her and I. Just ignore it. Kodiak wasn’t going to invite her, but she's his mom.” Hayden shrugs like that wasn’t vague. I spent a lot of time at his house growing up. I knew that the woman raising him wasn’t the woman who gave birth to him, but back then, I never asked any questions.

He was happy. She was kind to him. I knew her, but we weren’t close. I spent all my time with Hayden in his room or outside. She worked a lot to support him as a single mom, much like my mother. He never spoke about his dad, or how he ended up being raised by his dead mom’s best friend.

I can feel the pain radiating off of him, as his scent changes to something sharper, and without even thinking about it, I grab his wrist. When he meets my eyes, I hold his blue gaze for a long moment.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I can’t. It’s tangled up in all the reasons you think I abandoned you, and I can’t reveal one without revealing the other.” Hayden’s words don’t hold any resentment. He’s not lashing out, just stating a fact. I want to know, but now isn’t the time. “It’s fine, Tatum. I’ll be fine, but I’ll probably hide while she’s here. After… I’ll tell you everything. But tonight is about Kodi.” I can tell his chuckle is an attempt to hide from his true feelings on the matter.

I don’t push him, but I remember the woman who raised him. I try to picture her doing something so awful that Hayden wants to hide from her… She treated Hayden like he hung the moon. What the fuck happened that made things so bad that Kodiak wouldn’t want her at his birthday party? Hayden called her Mom, and she gushed over what a sweet boy he was.

I shove down the desire for answers and climb out of the car, and follow Hayden out of the garage into the evening light, walking back toward the front of the mega mansion.

Walking up the front steps, the feeling of unease I expected is absent, instead. I am eager to see what kind of home they made for themselves. The rich wood tone of the double doors gleams in the overhead light when Hayden reaches forward and opens them for me.

It’s fucking insane. The inside is more extravagant than the outside. Again, I knew they were rich. Obviously. But this? This is crazy. We enter in a hallway, and just this one damn hall is nicer than anything I’ve ever lived in.

“Kodiak is never going to stop bragging that you came today.” Hayden looks relaxed. His body is loose, and he’s got this smirk on those damn sexy lips, but there’s a tension in his jaw, and his hands are shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

Of course, he wore a cut off shirt, that shows off his tattoos and arms that he clearly works out. He catches me staring, and I blush like a fire truck, turning my attention back to the house. Sorry. Mega mansion.

I look down at my shoes. Should I take these off? I’m worried about the white marble floors.

“Should I be worried about how you’ve earned enough money to live in a place like this?”

“Now, why would you ask a thing like that, Tatum? What do you think we get up to, hmm?”

“Illegal activities. Obviously.”

“Wow, I’m almost offended.”

The way he grasps at his chest like he’s clutching pearls makes me snort. “Oh, I’m sure.”

“A lot of it was inherited.” He comes to a stop at the end of the hall, and I can hear voices around the corner. “My brothers took over the family business, and when I was old enough, I joined them.” Hayden turns so he’s facing me and leans back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. I think he’s doing it just to tease me with those biceps. “We own several businesses. Legit businesses. And while we are involved in…less than legal activities, I promise, our intentions are for the greater good.”

“Right. The greater good? The greater good is how you own such a lavish home? You could live in an apartment and donate–”

“We do donate. But we inherited this place. Debt free. It’s…not ours, exactly. We use it for um…” Hayden squints, thinking for a moment. “I want to tell you everything, Starlight, but tonight isn’t the right time, and this conversation should include my brothers.”

“That's fair.” I nod, understanding that he doesn’t want to reveal anything his brothers might not want me to know.

“Come on, they’re this way.” I let him pull me through the mansion with a hand on my waist, mostly because I’m worried I’ll get lost in these halls, but I can’t deny the way his claim satisfies my instincts. His hand on me as we walk into a room of strangers is a statement. This Omega is mine.

It would be hot as fuck if he also scent marked me, but I am not about to bring that up. Stupid soft Omega heart. We should be stronger than this!

“Tatum!” Kodiak’s voice booms in the open space of the massive kitchen when we make it around the corner. He’s playing some kind of card game and looks ready to abandon it to rush over to greet me. He looks a bit inebriated and more than a little excited to see me. He’s undeniably handsome. Especially in this relaxed state.

The scar over his left eye is visible right now since it doesn’t seem like he’s as worried about hiding it, and I have to wonder if that's because of the alcohol, or because he’s surrounded by people he must care about.

I wave, feeling very shy as a room full of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas all turn and stare at me. Declan hides his smirk behind the rim of his beer as he takes a sip.

Kodiak gives up on whatever game he’s playing and rushes me.

“Hey,” I giggle, as I’m wrapped up in strong arms and smothered in his delicious scent.

“I’m so glad you made it!” he roars, as he squeezes me against his chest.

“Are you drunk?” I squeak, barely managing to inhale.

“Absolutely,” Kodiak chuckles, as he rubs the edge of his jaw along the crown of my head. Kodiak just scent marked me…

My eyes are wide as I remain frozen in his arms.

It occurs to me then that Declan and Kodiak are twins, so why isn’t this his birthday party as well? “Happy Birthday.” It’s harder to get the words out, since my face is now pressed to his chest, but I do it.

“Thanks, Pretty Gift.” The smack on my ass isn’t unexpected, given that he’s now wrapped around me. “This dress, did you wear it just for me? Declan’s Birthday is tomorrow, you know? I was born first, by fifteen minutes, just before midnight.” He’s rambling, which seems like it would usually be out of character for Kodiak, but I don’t point it out.

I’m also not sure if I like the way Kodiak is groping the life out of me in front of all these strangers, but I do know one thing. Hayden’s scent is filling the room as he no doubt watches his brother’s hands rove all over me. The cool breeze against the skin of my ass lets me know that Kodiak is basically exposing my thong to the room. Thankfully, the only person behind me is Hayden.

I squeak when Declan’s voice is in my ear, his breath caressing my skin. “Let's get you a drink.”

The shiver is involuntary, but I nod, as he extracts me from his brother’s vice-like grip and drags me away from Kodiak.

“Thanks, I was about to lose consciousness, he was squeezing me so tight.” I can only imagine my cheeks are bright red, because now I smell like Kodiak after what he just did. With an audience. Something mates reserve for each other.

Scent marking an unmated Omega is a claim. A very clear claim. Hayden, Kodiak, and Declan are a pack. Do they know about each other? Oh my god, they must…

My scent spikes, breaking through the scent mark…barely, and flooding the small gap between Declan and me with anxiety. They must know the only Alpha to ever knot me is Hayden. And that I dry humped Kodiak. And that I let Declan go down on me… Five days ago.

“Nearly lost your dress as well. Good thing there are so many witnesses here tonight, or my twin might have taken you right here on the counter.”

“I’m here to celebrate his birthday. Not show him my birthday suit,” I sass.

“Umhum.” I don’t love the way he smirks at me like he doesn’t believe a word I just said. But I can’t deny that I like the way he looks me up and down, as if he’s imagining what this dress might look like shoved up to my hips…

I also can’t deny that I’ve been imagining the same things, or that I picked this dress with them in mind, hoping Kodiak would love it on me. He and his brothers are a pack, and I knew I’d see them tonight, but I hadn’t connected the dots fully in my mind.

What it would mean to show up to this party, knowing how Kodiak likes me. How Declan wants me. How Hayden feels for me.

I know I want them. Just like, I know this is a terrible idea. I can’t want them. Or any Alphas. Alphas are a big no no. Yet here I am, giving into the instincts I’ve been completely out of touch with for years.

Then there’s Easton… How would I fit him into all of this? Does he even fit? How do I want him to fit? Is he a friend or something more? Could he be something more? Why do I always have so many questions?!

Declan helps me get a drink, and is about to introduce me to some of the other party guests, when Kodiak climbs onto a chair.

“All of you are friends. Some of you are mated. Some of you aren’t. But that Omega eye candy right there?” Kodiak points at me and my eyes go wider than the moon. “She’s claimed. No touching unless you want to lose your fucking hands. Look at her all you like, I understand it would be hard to resist. But never touch. And always speak to her with nothing less than respect. Friendly, but aware that you’re not getting within ten feet of being in her pants.”

“What the fuck.” I throw my free hand up, ready to run away and hide. Everyone in the room chuckles, they’re used to Kodiak by now, I’m sure. But Declan steps into my body. His front pressing into my back almost fully.

“Just so everyone is clear, he’s not talking to Hayden and me, Little Omega,” he chuckles, when my only response is to sip my beer. What do I even say to that?

There’s a woman across the room, standing with a group of men, and from here, with all the other scents in the room, I hadn’t caught hers yet. She’s an unmated Omega. My nostrils flare, and my hackles rise. Kodiak just made a public claim for me, but an unmated Omega in their home?

I swallow thickly. I’m used to unmated Omegas at work. There are a ton of them, but that’s very different. That's work. Neutral ground.

She laughs at something one of the Alpha’s says, her head tipping back, her slender throat exposed to the room. I picture myself launching my beer bottle at her head, like a hormonal little psycho Omega.

I’m going insane. I’m clenching my jaw, one hand wrapped tightly around the neck of my bottle, the other fisted at my side. I’m tense and trying to remind myself that these Alphas aren’t mine. I don’t have a claim.

I want to strangle that pretty fucking neck. I spin around, Declan watching me with an amused smirk, still standing inches from me. I press my head under his chin, inhale his scent, and then mark him. Then I mark him again for good measure.

“Is that so, Little Omega?” Declan’s voice is raspy, as he speaks only loud enough for me to hear him. “Are you making a claim on the Hayes Pack? In our home?”

“Not sharing,” is my unhinged growly reply.

I’m hopped up on hormones and instincts right now. Not acting like my normal self. And I don’t give a single shit.

Hayden walks up beside us, grabbing his own drink. He notices the claim I’ve just made and frowns. I don’t have time, though. He’s my next target. I’m in his arms and wrapped around him in a second, beer still in hand, but Declan takes it, allowing me to get a better grip on Hayden.

“Oh shit, did she get a whiff of Monica or something?” Hayden asks, and I pause. I narrow my eyes on him, upper lip lifting in a snarl.

“You know. Her. Name?” I ask slowly. His eyes go wide with panic. He said he hasn’t knotted anyone since me. Maybe he lied. Maybe she’s the one he fucked. Have Declan and Kodiak fucked her? The growl in my chest is vicious as I nuzzle my way under his chin, and scent mark the fuck out of him over and over. I’m aware that he’s walking, but it’s not until I lift my head that I notice we’re in another room.

“Jesus, what did I miss? It smells like a god-damned bakery from heaven in here,” Kodiak rumbles as a door clicks shut behind him. “I don’t like that all our friends can scent her…like this.”

I wrestle my way out of Hayden’s arms, and make my way over to Kodiak. The smirk on his face, when I leap into his waiting arms and greedy hands, is everything.

Slowly, some of the fog of crazy wears off. Still, I mark Kodiak. Three times feels like enough. I take his hand in mine and mark his wrist, though, just to be sure.

“We’ll keep her in here until she settles. And I’m not sure. She was fine, and then she was marking us. Hayden brought her in here when we realized after the fourth mark that she wasn’t done with him,” Declan says, but I’m still distracted. I give Kodiak a few sniffs, making sure he doesn’t smell like even a hit of another Omega. It would be a shame to have to rip his throat out with my teeth on his birthday.

That was fucking crazy, get your shit together. But I can’t, not until I know…

“Did you fuck her?” I growl, and Kodiak lifts a brow.

“You’ll need to be more specific, Pretty Gift. I’ve–”

My snarl cuts him off, and he chuckles, his large hands gripping my ass cheeks give a little squeeze.

“If you mean anyone at this party, no.” Kodiak watches me, his eyes locked to mine. I glare, searching his scent for a lie, but find nothing. Declan’s next.

“Turn me,” I hiss, not willing to be released from Kodiak’s arms. He is the birthday boy, after all. “You.” I point to the Alpha that ate me out on a hotel rooftop. The one that licked my thighs clean of all my slick… “Did you–”

“I haven’t fucked anyone in over seven months, and no one you have ever met, Little Omega.” I trust Declan implicitly. I’m not sure why, but I believe he’d never lie to me about this.

“You already know I want you to be my last, Starlight. I haven’t touched anyone since you,” Hayden says before I can question him.

My instincts mellow out in an instant, and I feel like someone just tossed a cold bucket of water on me.

My legs are wrapped around Kodi’s waist, and his hands are massaging my bare ass cheeks.

Fantastic.

I make fantastic life choices…

“Well. This is awkward,” I murmur, patting Kodiak’s chest for him to let me down. My scent is saturating the air like a wet blanket. Once on my feet, I can feel a hint of slick wetting my thong. The realization makes me whine, setting off a chorus of growls from the Alpha’s around me.

“Why don’t you give Kodiak an early present? He’ll open his other gifts later, but I think he wants one from you right now, Little Omega.” Declan steps in front of me and spins me around until I’m facing his twin.

“A kiss?” I ask, dizzy as the room fills with their pheromones.

I press my hand to Kodiak’s cheek, caressing my thumb over the bottom of his scar. He shivers from the touch, as I stare into those pools of sapphire blue. Slowly, I lean forward, and kiss him. It’s like fireworks.

Heat rushes through my veins, and a rush similar to the one I had on the rooftop with Declan makes my toes curl in my heels.

Hands are on my body, on my skin. Touching, caressing… I arch into Declan, and Kodiak pushes his hands into my hair, tugging the strands sharply. I moan into his parted lips, and his tongue gently touches mine.

“You’re so fucking sexy, Tatum. Look at you, pressed between my brothers. Fuck, you’re so perfect.” Hayden’s voice is a low growl, but it snaps me back to reality, and I pull away from Kodiak, panting.

“Jesus,” I chuckle, wiping my wet bottom lip with my thumb, and then reaching up to do the same for Kodiak. He growls, taking my thumb between his teeth and nipping it. His tongue swipes away our combined taste off my skin, and I can’t help but imagine what that would feel like in other places.

“We should get back to the party, I’m sure by now everyone has noticed the four of us are missing,” Declan tells us, as Kodiak releases my thumb, and I shakily nod, turning away from the irresistible Alpha. Right into two other irresistible Alphas.

The sight of Hayden sobers me up, and I wince. What was I thinking? I’m being a messy wreck.

I need to get a hold of myself. Control my hormones and instincts.

“Can I buy more suppressants?” I blurt out, and every scent in the room shifts. Bad timing?