Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
I did knock her out. Twice.
Harrison
Roman hasn’t said more than ten words in the last hour.
He’s pacing somewhere downstairs, boots heavy against hardwood, his scent sharp with stress and something dangerously close to a rut.
Theo’s no better. He keeps stopping outside Karma’s door like a man standing at the edge of a cliff, torn between jumping and walking away.
If I’m being honest with myself, I’m just as stressed. I’ve been hiding away in my bedroom beside hers, waiting for any sign that Karma might need something. She hasn't, but I can hear her whimpers and groans of pain. Each one is a lash to my heart because I know she wants nothing to do with me.
The whole damn house smells like her right now. Wild roses. Sweet jasmine. And a honeyed desperation calling to every Alpha instinct I have. It’s thick in the air. It's like a living thing crawling under my skin, demanding action, demanding relief—for her and for us. But she won’t let us help.
I’ve moved down to the kitchen, feeling helpless listening to my scent match in pain and not being able to help her.
I’m still in a bit of shock, even days later, that we all have a scent match.
A fated mate. Then the realization kicks in that she probably hates our guts.
I mean, she definitely seems to hate Roman for reasons still fully unknown.
But I’m betting it has to do with when she was Rosie.
That in and of itself is what I think is throwing Roman for a loop. He thought she was dead for years.
I also know why she might hate me now; I did knock her out.
Twice. But in my defense, the first time she was screaming at the top of her lungs and was what we thought was a witness.
The second time, she tried to attack Roman.
She did attack him, even cut him with a blade she had hidden.
If I had known who she was to me, I would have never hurt her.
Just knowing that I did is twisting something inside of me.
“She’s getting worse,” Theo mutters, scrubbing a hand down his face. His eyes flick to the doorway like he plans to storm upstairs again.
Same, brother, same.
I don’t answer him, but I already know she is.
The entire house is thick with the scent of need wrapped in pain and suffering.
It’s written in our DNA to go to her, soothe her, breed her, and claim her as ours, but we can’t.
It would break every ounce of ‘trust,' if you can call it that, we barely gained. But I can’t sit here and do nothing. Not when the woman I’m supposed to love and cherish is suffering.
Grabbing another bottle of water from the fridge, I head upstairs before I can overthink it.
Theo watches me like a hawk as I walk away, no doubt debating himself on whether or not to follow.
I head for the stairs and catch a glimpse of Roman in his office, but I don’t bother checking on him.
He can stay lost in his own mind for a little longer; Karma needs me more.
Because all I know is if I don’t try to help her in some way, I’m going to go insane.
The moment I get to her room, her scent intensifies.
It’s so strong I have to take a second just to breathe through it.
My dick has gone rock hard, and I somewhat hate myself for it, but the Alpha in me knows what this scent means.
I debate whether or not I should knock before lightly rapping my knuckles on the door.
There’s no answer, which I’m not surprised about.
“Karma, sweetheart, it’s me. I brought you some water.” When I still don’t get an answer, not even a fuck you, I take my chances and turn the knob. The door creaks softly as I push it open, and the sight before me breaks my heart.
She’s curled into herself on the bed, knees tucked tight to her chest, dark hair plastered to her damp forehead. Her body trembles in a damp, oversized shirt and loose gym shorts of hers. Karma seems so small as broken whimpers slip past her lips as if she can’t hold them back anymore.
“Karma,” I say, stepping forward with slow, unsure steps.
She doesn’t snap at me.
She doesn’t even look my way.
I step even closer, setting the water on the nightstand. “You need this to drink this, sweetheart.”
Her eyes flick toward me—glassy, fever-bright—but there’s no fire in them. Just pain. Carefully, I sit on the edge of the bed, close enough that my scent might steady her but far enough that she won’t feel cornered.
“I need to ask you something,” I say.
Her brow furrows.
“Are you really Roman’s Rosie?”
The name hangs heavy between us, knowing this is a risk to bring up. She damn near ripped Roman’s head off when he called her that, but I need to know. And for a second, I think she won’t answer. Her fingers clench into the sheets. Her breathing stutters, but then she gives me a single nod.
“How is that even possible?” I press softer now. “She—they said you were a Beta. That you…” My words trail off for a second. “It’s obvious you aren’t a Beta, so what happened?”
She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. “I knew then," she whispers hoarsely. “I always knew that I was an Omega.”
The words seem to cost her. But I can’t seem to stop myself asking more. “Then why all this? Why does everyone think you killed yourself? Roman said he was at your funeral.”
“My father…” She swallows, jaw tightening. “I heard him talking. About selling me. About how much I’d be worth once I presented.”
All the air gets sucked from my lungs at her words. Heat floods my veins—but it’s not the rut. It’s rage. So powerful that I have to force myself to stay calm for her or else I may scare her with how much I want to destroy something.
Not sensing my anger or just ignoring it for now, she continues. “So, I faked it." Her voice shakes. “I disappeared and…” Her breath catches. “Faked my death.”
I stare at her in shock. She was so young. A father is supposed to protect his daughter, an Omega at that. But I know too well that fathers can be shit; all of us do.
She lets out a weak, almost delirious laugh. “Hard to sell a dead daughter.”
My hands curl into fists. “We’ll find him,” I say immediately, fury I tried to hold back sharp in my tone. “I swear to you, Karma. I will hunt him down myself.”
She turns her head slightly, eyes meeting mine. “Too late," she murmurs. The finality in her voice chills me but also fills me with satisfaction. Because I know he was killed by her hand, and that fills me with a sense of pride for my woman.
I look at her properly then—at the tremor in her muscles, the sheen of sweat that covers her skin, and the way her scent spikes in waves of need and distress. She’s slipping and I don’t think she has much time left before her body gives out.
“Karma,” I say, leaning closer despite myself. “You can’t ride this out alone. Your body’s shutting down.”
“I don’t need—” she starts, but it breaks into another whimper.
“You do, sweetheart." My voice softens. “Listen to me. No strings. No claiming. No bites. Nothing you don’t want.” I hold her hazy gaze so she can see I mean it.
“We just help you through this. Help you survive to fight another day. After, we can figure out what the hell we do next and what this all means.”
Her breathing stutters as she stares at me. Reading the lie that’s not there.
“You promise?” she whispers.
“Yes. You will be in charge. You tell us what you want. What you need. We are yours to use. Just don’t make us watch you suffer any longer. Please. ”I'm not against begging if it means saving our stubborn little mate.
There’s a long pause. One that feels like a lifetime of thoughts but then, barely audible. “Okay.”
It’s one hundred percent reluctant. But it’s real, and it was her decision, and that’s all I need.
I move carefully and deliberately, like approaching a wounded animal.
Reaching for and helping her shed the sweat-soaked layers that are trapping heat against her skin, keeping my touch steady and purposeful.
Not rushed. Not claiming. She gasps when cool air finally hits her overheated body.
“Easy,” I murmur, brushing damp hair from her face.
My fingers brush against her skin, making a soft yet relieved exhale escape her.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Let me. Let us take care of you.
” I lower myself between her shaking legs, not as an Alpha claiming but as something else entirely.
As a man ready to worship his new queen.
“I’m going to touch you now,” I tell her, and her green eyes snap down to mine.
I wait for her to give me the go-ahead, and after a moment of unspoken words, she nods.
I press a slow, deliberate kiss to the inside of her thigh, making her body arch off the mattress.
Even slower, I make my way up her inner thigh, leaving kisses and nibbles as I go.
As I go, I watch her for any distress, but all I see is relief.
She cries out softly, fingers tangling in my hair as I reach the apex of her thighs.
Slick coats her center, glistening under the dim overhead light.
I force myself not to dive in like a man starved as I focus on easing the edge off the fire consuming her.
Every movement is controlled, measured, and meant to soothe rather than claim her, like every instinct in my body is screaming to do.
With each lick and nip, her scent shifts, becoming less frantic and less sharp in distress.
I take my time at first, tasting her juices on my tongue and drinking up every bit of this gift she gives me.
Every Alpha part is telling me to pretend no one else exists but me and her, but I know I won’t be enough.
If she is going into heat and it’s this severe, I can only imagine she’s been on some type of suppressant since she first presented.
Which leads me to believe this is her first ever true heat and that, like her namesake, Karma is biting back for ignoring her instincts for so long.
When her breathing finally starts to even out and the tension in her muscles loosens just a fraction, I lift my head to see the fog has lifted, if only just a tiny bit.
“I’m going to call the others now. I have a feeling now that you have agreed, your instincts are going to go into overdrive.”
Her eyes widen. “I don’t want to lose control of myself. I need to be in control.”
Sweetheart. I don’t know if that will be an option.
I’m not an Omega, but I’ve read about heats.
Your body and instincts are going to take over and demand we give them what they need.
" She starts to shake her head; anger and what looks like fear cover her features.
“Karma, I promise if you lose control, nothing bad will happen to you.
" "We will take care of you, but I need you to trust us.” She searches my eyes for a moment, and all I can do is show her that I mean it.
“Okay. But so, help me, if I come out of this with a bite mark, I will cut off each and every one of your dicks before turning them into my own personal sex-toy collection.” She half glares down at me, but somehow, I don’t think she is joking.
“You’re the boss. No bites, just orgasms and knots. Got it.” I half-smile before jumping up off the bed and rushing to the door. Swinging it open, I lean my head out. “Get your asses up here now. We have an Omega in need,” I yell, but I hear the tramping of footsteps the moment I said it.
Rushing back to the bed, I press one more grounding kiss to her hip before looking up at her flushed face. “We’ve got you. Just let go and trust us,” I tell her quietly.
And for the first time since I’ve met this woman, she gives me a soft smile. And I know from this point forward I would burn this city to the ground and deliver the woman a hundred Alphas on an altar just to see that smile again.