Page 92 of Knotting Autumn

Sinking onto the steps, I leaned back on one hand and exhaled. Thorne settled beside me, but soon he was stretching out, the forest working like magic to relax him too.

Thorne laid back, his head in my lap. His gaze tracked over the swaying tree branches and the stars twinkling beyond. Slowly, the tension in my gut unraveled, and I just felt tired. Exhaustion weighed down my limbs, threatening to drag me into a dark place of hopelessness, but as long as I had Thorne and Sawyer, it would be okay.

Absently, I rubbed my thumb over his cheek and down his jaw, feeling the stubble there. “So, tomorrow, we see Cole?”

“Yeah.” He swallowed, his lips slowly dragging through his teeth. “As long as Hunter stays true to his word.”

“I’ve been worrying about that,” I admitted.

“Me too.”

His eyes closed, his head tipping to the side, and I obliged, carding through his hair with my fingers, over his ear and down to the nape of his neck.

“I’m scared what my brother will do,” he said after a long moment. “Because if it comes down to it, I’d hurt Hunter to protect Cole. To protect us.”

“I know.”

“I wish he wasn’t putting us in this position,” Thorne said, his voice barely above a whisper. “He could just let us go.”

“He wants Cole more than he cares about you, more than he respects any of us,” I said quietly, trying to analyze the situation.

“My hope that he will come around and be a reasonable alpha has been dwindling. If I’m honest, I think it died when he threatened us at your apartment.”

“That wasn’t great,” I said, smiling down at him. “But you protected us.”

The back door squeaked, and I could sense Sawyer’s presence behind me. He sank down on the porch beside me, his arm wrapped around my back.

“Dishes are all clean.”

“How are you feeling?” I asked. We both understood what else I was asking—how does Cole feel through your bond?

Sawyer nodded. “Decent for now. Better tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” I said absently, leaning into him. “Tomorrow.”

Sawyer’s fingers splayed over my waist, his other hand coming up to cup my jaw and turn my face. Our eyes met, and I saw the same worry and pain reflected back. His knuckles brushed over my cheek, and I turned to kiss the backs of his fingers.

“Come on, let's go get some sleep,” he said.

There was no debate over where anyone would sleep. I followed Sawyer into Cole’s room, and Thorne trailed after, his hands rubbing down my arms.

We tumbled into the bed, a mess of limbs, huddling together for comfort. I drifted off with Sawyer nuzzling against my neck and Thorne curled around my back.

It felt so natural, except for the massive hole left by Cole’s absence. It wasn’t until he was missing that I felt what a huge space he took up in our relationships. But soon, we would have him back. I would make sure of it, no matter what.

Chapter 29

Doomed Dinner

Gray clouds drooped over pine boughs, darkening the sky and matching my ominous mood. Hunter knew we wanted Cole back, and this meal was his chess board. He set us up, and he had control over all the pieces.

Sawyer snored softly beside me, and Thorne was already gone when I rolled out of bed and took a quick shower. Hair damp, I padded into the cozy living room. Thorne stood at the window, staring into the trees. A shadow of a guard crossed into the frame.

“We still have our escort?” I asked softly, coming up beside him.

Stormy eyes flickered over my form, and his mouth quirked in the corner. “Yeah.” Gently, he tucked my hair behind my ear, his fingertips trailing over my neck.

Leaning into him, I wrapped my arm around his waist. “I trust you.”