Page 79 of Knot a Bad Idea

We play another round, but by the time I’ve yawned three times in a row, Donovan frowns at me.

“You should sleep,” he says, his voice low.

I roll my eyes. “I should do a lot of things,” I murmur. “Sleep is last on my list.”

But he continues to stare at me from across the table, and I want to slap him. “Yes?” I ask, unwilling to tolerate his glare.

“I’ll walk you to your room,” he says.

I tilt my head at him curiously.

It’s never an ask with him, is it?

Liam and Hunter freeze next to me, the room growing silent. A die slips from Liam’s hand, and it clatters obnoxiously against the tabletop, rolling for far too long.

I could argue with Donovan. I could bring up what he said to me earlier in the gazebo, but I don’t want to make things worse for the pack.

It would just start a giant fight between the three of them.

Donovan just continues to glare, his oceanic scent growing richer until I finally give in.

“Alright,” I say as I stand. Donovan follows suit, and I turn to say goodnight to Hunter and Liam.

“Sleep well, baby,” Hunter murmurs.

“Goodnight, beautiful,” Liam calls, but Donovan has already taken my arm and led me out of the game room before I can reply.

Sparks shoot up my arm, electricity from his touch burning through me.

Ihatethat I feel like this toward him.

It would be so much easier if I could stay mad and hurt, but when we’re alone and I’m breathing in his scent, I find myself to be much more forgiving.

And I shouldn’t. I deservebetterthan a man that flip-flops with his emotions and wants to only care for me in secret.

I’m ready to tell him that as we head down the hallway to my bedroom. But if he wants to enter my room, I’ll let him.

Stupid girl.

We pause at the entrance to the bedroom, the hallway light illuminating the contours of his sharp jawline. “Donovan?—”

“I’m sorry.” His words are raspy, and his voice is thick with regret. He meets my eyes, the dark circles under them prominent in the harsh shadows of the hallway light.

My inner Omega rejoices at his words, but I stuff her down.

I’m sorryisn’t enough, especially when it looks like he’s swallowing razor blades just to utter the words.

“For what?” I demand. “Which part, exactly?”

“For all of it.”

I shake my head. It’s still not enough. “I don’t want to talk about this?—”

“You said you wanted to try, and I dismissed you,” he breathes. “The other week…you told me you wanted to try, withme.No one’s wanted to try, April. No one has bothered to try. And that…unsettled me.”

I nod. “Well, I meant what I said back then.”

He swallows, and vulnerability shines in his icy eyes. “Do you mean it now?”