Page 43 of Knot a Bad Idea

Donovan, my friend, my packmate, responsible for hurting April?—

“Get the fuck away from us,” Hunter snarls. “Or I swear I’ll fucking kill you right here, Donovan. Iswear.”

I choke out a laugh and gasp for breath. “Don’t…fight,” I grit out. “Just give me a minute.”

Slowly, the pain in my chest dissipates, and I can see clearly again.

I count my breaths, shutting out every external stimuli until all I focus on is the expanding of my lungs and the sensation of air leaving my body.

Everything fades away until I’m nothing but my breaths.

Once I’m back to myself, I meet Hunter’s concerned face.

“We need to get to home,” I say. “Now.”

He nods.

April is gone.

The only remnant is her scent, soured with lemon.

She left.

You did something. You did something to make her hate you.

Hunter is shouting and Donovan is snarling back at him.

I could have prevented this, somehow.

Maybe I could have done more for her, let her know how important she is to me.

I do my best to not catastrophize, but until I know what was said to her, my mind will keep running away with itself.

I fuckinghatewhen Donovan and Hunter fight.

It’s always made me uncomfortable to watch my two best friends argue and throw words around.

I hate it so fucking much.

“What did you say to her?” Hunter’s voice echoes from the kitchen as I pull out my phone.

April hasn’t even read my message.

Whatever happened between her and Donovan must have been awful.

“I reminded her of the contract,” Donovan replies coldly. “And that nothing else is expected from her.”

I blink.

“And how thefuckdid you say that to her?” Hunter demands. “Just how badly did you fuck up?”

Silence.

I storm into the kitchen, ready to confront Donovan as well.

Even though Hunter looksnanosecondsaway from punching my best friend in his stupid, emotionally clueless face, I don’t try to break it up.

“What did you say to her, Donovan?” I ask quietly. A growl builds in my chest, primal and furious.