Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
THISTLE
My heart was racing like a hummingbird on crack.
It was nice, feeling Knox’s fingers tangled in mine as he led me up to his office. He’d taken my hand when I’d almost wandered into one of the statues along the hallway. Only because my mind was wandering further.
Ace was back back.
I had to get it together.
Had to be real careful.
He was gonna want to be in charge—that was just a part of who he was. Couldn’t help it. But I’d heat bonded him, and this pack was on my terms. My Alphas. My choice.
This time was gonna be different.
He was gonna give me cuddles just like Knox and Rogue did— whenever I asked.
But first he had to do some Ace magic and sort out the Bella situation, so I needed to be careful about what I requested to start with.
He’d do it. He couldn’t not, but like… I think cuddle demands might have to wait.
And sex…
I mean… What were Knox and Rogue gonna think if they saw how much Ace hated me? Were they gonna realise I was a fraud?
I’d have to talk to Ace about keeping up appearances until I had Knox’s bite.
I realised I was almost wringing Bunny’s freshly sewn on head all the way off again and stopped, clutching him to my chest and calming as I felt the little sketchbook tucked in his pouch.
Knox had replaced everything, even Glade’s pocket knife…
Even if the sewing job made Bunny look a bit funny now.
But everything would be okay.
Ace would help sort it out, and he’d give me cuddles and shit too.
I was scattered all over, though. A mix of nerves, fear, and excitement that were all trying to boil out of control.
Rogue had taken me on the date, but if Ace was wandering around proving to them all I couldn’t even get my soul match’s attention, I doubted there’d be more Fair trips in my future…
“Thistle!”
I jumped as Knox’s voice dragged me back to reality.
We were in his office and he’d sat on the edge of his desk. His knuckle nudged my chin as he got my attention.
Shit.
How many times had I ignored him?
My lips parted at the intensity of his gaze. For a moment, I imagined what it would be like going to the fair with him . He might be able to survive the teapot ride a little longer…
Had to sort out this mess—and Ace, quickstyle.
Then we could find out.
“Why did you bring him back?” he asked.
“Uh… I just thought you could use a hand with…” My eyes darted to the side. “Stuff.” My voice cracked a little.
I hated talking about her .
My nails dug into my arm deep enough to bleed as I thought about that night again.
Ink and antique wood was thick in this room, and I focused on it.
Mine…
Mine.
And she’d… She’d…
“Doll.” Knox’s nickname dragged me back again.
My breathing was heavy, the world blurring a little.
Ace had just… walked out on me. Didn’t care one bit, the dumb fucking pig . I thought it would be different with the heat bond, but now Knox was gonna realise the truth, and maybe Bella wouldn’t look so bad.
I should send Ace back before he ruined everything.
But… I couldn’t send him back… Not until that foul, awful, horrible bitch was?—
I jumped as I felt Knox’s touch at my neck.
My eyes focused on him, the tone shifting.
He got to his feet, and stepped to my side, dropping his touch to my waist.
The chaos in my mind died for a moment as I stared up into his intense, caramel eyes. And boy was his gaze intense right now.
His hand dropped lower beneath my dress, his palm pressing against my ass, and knocking me a step toward the desk.
“Bend over, Doll.” The Alpha bark caught me so off guard, I’d followed the command before I realised it.
My cheek touched cool wood, and he was fixing the bracelet-cuffs still around my wrists together with ease.
They were slender, with a small mechanism to clip together.
He’d given me them when I first arrived here, and I’d never taken them off, they were so natural I barely noticed them anymore.
Oh.
He stepped up behind me, taking Bunny and setting him next to us. His weight easily pinned me to the desk, and heat burst in my core as he pushed my dress up and ran his hand over my hips and ass. “Whose house is this?” he asked, his voice low.
“Um…” Well… that was debatable now that we’d figured out the Monopoly dog… Knox wasn’t playin’, though.
Crack!
I jumped at the sting of his palm on my flesh, the world steadying, and the million things that had been tumbling about in my mind all stilled at once.
“Whose house is this?” he asked again.
“Yours,” I stammered out instantly. Rogue wasn’t here to spank me over it, so you wouldn’t find me arguin’.
“And in my house you brought Ace back without asking.”
“Wait—he’s mine!”
Crack!
Uh, that was a whole lot of slick pooling between my thighs as his hand left a welt on my flesh again…
“He might be, Doll. But you are mine, or are we starting from square one? Because if you think, for one second, I’ll risk that prick thinking he gets priority?—”
“He doesn’t.”
No.
No, no, no.
I struggled against his grip, all of a sudden in a panic.
To my surprise, he let me go, steadying me as I tried to turn back to him.
Why were tears threatening again as I looked up at him?
He didn’t understand.
I needed him.
I sank unsteadily to my knees. His knuckle brushed my cheek, but I’d caught it in my teeth before I realised it.
His pupils blew, almost swallowing the caramel of his eyes. “You want me, Little Doll?”
I nodded.
“Swear you’re mine.”
“I am,” I whined, relief flooding my chest as he said those words. As he let me promise.
Ace was something else.
Not this.
I needed Knox to understand that I still needed him.