Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Knox
A good night’s sleep is impossible with Belle under the same roof, knowing we’re not sharing a bed. Plus, the couch might be comfortable enough for a movie marathon, but the cushions don’t cut it for a full night of sleep.
After falling into another restless bout of sleep, I’m irritated to find myself suddenly stirred completely awake by a silent house. I sit up and listen tensely for any sign of movement, something that would justify my sudden increase in heart rate.
Nothing . I can’t hear a damn thing that would justify waking with the first light of day.
Rhys and Percy will be up soon since they’re more morning people than I am, but I could have had at least another twenty or thirty minutes of sleep before their stomping would have woken me up.
I’m not a light sleeper.
What the hell woke me up?
I grumble under my breath as I throw the blanket off me and rub the sleep from my eyes. When I open them again, I catch sight of a trickle of artificial light in the hallway. Weird, since Percy and Rhys usually come bumbling out into the living room within minutes of opening their eyes each morning.
Curious, I stand and make my way toward the hall. The light isn’t coming from either bedroom on the main floor, the warm glow is spilling out from under the closed door of Percy’s office. He doesn’t usually leave the library closed up when he’s done for the day, which only adds to my intrigue.
I turn the handle and push the door open slowly.
I’m surprised to see Belle inside, curled up in the most comfortable chair we own with a blanket tucked around her as she reads a book clutched in her hands. I guess she learned from the previous night that she has to move a lot quieter around here to avoid being noticed.
Gotta make sure I remember my sweet omega has a voyeur side to her.
“What’re you reading?”
She turns the book so that I can see the bright-colored cover with its cute characters and hand-drawn background. I smile before I can stop myself.
“Oh, so you’re hiding here in the wee hours of the morning for a light swooning session?” I tease.
She lifts an eyebrow and offers me a coy smile. “Don’t judge a girl for liking happy endings.”
“You expecting one of those?”
“I’m not sure.” She closes the book without marking her spot. “But I like to think there could be a few of them in my future.”
Rhys’s dinner joke about happy endings has caught on.
I would love to pretend my mind isn’t just as filthy, but the idea of a happy ending sets all of my nerve endings on fire. I’m desperate to get my hands on Belle and barely holding back as it is. The last thing I need to be thinking about is how her face looks when she has a happy ending.
But now I can’t think of anything else.
I’m thinking of doing something crazy like begging to have her. I’m not a man opposed to getting on my knees to get what I want.
In an attempt to focus on anything else, I ask her, “What made you choose that book?”
“This is one of mine.” She sounds so proud that I feel bad for being confused.
“I didn’t think you brought anything with you.” I remember Rhys mentioning something about there being books in her car, but I don’t remember them carting any of them back to the house. He was a little preoccupied, focusing on getting the omega in front of the pack as fast as possible.
She shakes her head, a beaming smile spreading across her cheeks. “No, I mean I wrote this book.”
Well, there’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming.
“You’re kidding.” I lean down to take the book from her, desperate for a closer look. She’s a writer? No wonder she’s gravitating toward Percy’s office first thing in the morning. “Wait a second...”
My gaze flickers up to hers, and I accidentally drop the book as shock floods my system. Her words are starting to really register.
“You remember?” I ask, my voice going hoarse.
She nods. “I remember.”
And she’s still here. She remembers who she is now, and she hasn’t gone anywhere. Getting her memory back hasn’t sent her running away or calling the cops on us because she wants us. She’s choosing us.
Fuck changing the subject; it’s about damn time I give Belle her happy ending after all.
I don’t even realize I’m moving until I’m suddenly standing practically on top of her, leaning over to place my hands on either side of the chair’s armrests. Caging her in as I stare down at her with all the want I’ve been trying to restrain.
Need is coursing through my veins. I grip the chair so tightly that my fingers are turning white from the effort I’m forced to use to keep from moving my hands to touch her.
“Knox,” she whispers, her eyes wide, sensing something deeper than just attraction stirring between us.
“I’m trying to control myself, Belle. I don’t want to hurt you,” I say through a snarl.
Fuck. Of all the times to happen, a rut when our omega has just regained her memories isn’t ideal.
There’s never a good time for a rut, but the possibility is especially worrisome for an unbonded alpha with a scent-matched omega. The likelihood of my letting the haze take over and trying to bite Belle, my desperation to claim her potentially taking over, is too great a risk.
She tries to reach out toward my chest, but I jerk upright and take a step back out of her reach.
“This isn’t a good idea,” I tell her apologetically. I don’t think she knows what she’s reaching for right now by reaching for me.
Belle doesn’t seem to care.
She stands up and puts her hands on her hips haughtily. The return of her memories seems to have brought her a newfound confidence. She’s no longer the timid omega who let me hide away from our connection.
“Whatever you’re scared of, you could at least give me the respect of letting me decide whether or not I want to chance it.”
“Not a rut, Belle. It’s not safe.”
Belle’s pupils expand when she realizes exactly why I’m holding back. I would touch her the way we both want if only I thought I could control myself.
The warning should be enough to get her to back off and let me walk away.
Not with my omega.
Instead, she pounces at me. I barely manage to catch her in my arms before she falls, a growl vibrating from deep within my chest.
Belle’s ability to trust me–even though I’ve borderline shunned her since her arrival–helps me hang on to the little bit of sanity that I have left.
She cups my jaw, brushing her thumbs along the lines of my cheekbones. “You don’t have to keep holding yourself back. Not for me. You’re fighting how much you want me because you want to keep me safe, I get that, but I would rather see you give in to your alpha. Show me the way you want me.”
Her voice is unafraid, excited even.
I stare deeply into her eyes as her legs wrap tightly around my waist. “I want you so fucking bad it hurts.”
My knot is swollen, my teeth ache to sink into her skin, and I’m close to giving in to every urge.
“Stop fighting what you need.” Belle gently presses her lips to mine.
That’s the final green light I need.
With a guttural snarl, my mouth crashes against hers.
Finally.
Belle is my omega. Mine.
Her scent seeps through my skin and into my bones, making her arousal clear. Using my grip on her hips, I move her lower against my body and drag her core over my knot.
“Oh, fuck,” she gasps. “You feel so big.”
I repeat the action, wanting to leave no doubts about what I’m going to give her.
“Belle, my alpha is going to fully take over soon. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I’ll die if she says anything but yes.
“ Please , Alpha,” she whimpers.
I let go of the leash I’ve been keeping on myself and finally give in to what I want more than anything. Every second I’ve waited to have her has been agonizing. Finally, the wait is over.