That lands.
Clean.
Because that’s the part I can’t ignore.
With or without me.
She’s already chosen.
Already stepped into this fully, without hesitation, without holding herself back the way I am.
And if I keep doing this?—
I’m the one standing outside it.
Not protecting her.
Just…absent.
Something in my chest tightens, then shifts, the hesitation that’s been sitting there for days finally starting to crack under the weight of everything I’ve been avoiding.
“I don’t want him near her,” I say, quieter now.
Sol’s gaze holds mine. “Then don’t let him be.”
Simple.
Brutal in its simplicity.
I let out a slow breath, something settling into place that’s been circling without landing for too long.
“I finally have something worth fighting for,” I say, the words quieter than I expect them to be.
Sol nods once, like that’s the only answer he needed.
“Then fight,” he says.
The bathroom door opens.
Lani steps out first, damp, flushed, wrapped in nothing but heat and scent and something that pulls at every instinct I’ve got left. Kai follows, still muttering something under his breath, Koa quieter but no less focused.
Her gaze finds mine immediately.
Of course it does.
“You. Knot. Now,” she demands. I bite back a smile. I’ll give her my knot. But I fully intend to distract her with pleasure first. She’s been so impatient, we’ve hardly been able to get a taste of her, but that changes now. I want her slick flooding my face. I need to drown in her desire before I can give her what she really craves: the promise of forever.
“Such a good omega,” I coo. “Did you enjoy your shower? You smell delicious.”
I can see the way her pupils dilate, the subtle shift in her scent as it wraps around me, drawing me closer. She’s impatient, but there’s a hint of desperation underneath it all, a need that goes beyond the physical. She wants this, wants me, and it’s a heady feeling, knowing that I have this power over her.
But I want to savour this. I want to draw out every moment, every touch, every gasp until she’s shaking and begging for more. I want to give her everything she’s been craving, everything she deserves.
I step closer, my voice low and steady. “And what do you want, Lani? Say it again.”
She growls softly, a sound that sends a shiver down my spine. “You know what I want.”
I do. But I want to hear her say it. I want to hear her say it again, to feel the weight of her need in every syllable. I want to be sure that this is real, that she’s not just caught up in the heat but truly wants this, wants me.