Page 192 of Knot What I Expected

I’m pacing a groove into the wood floors by the time I hear the sound of a truck pulling up outside. My head snaps toward the window.

One glance and everything inside me stills.

Rowan.

He’s here. Half an hour early.

Like he knew I needed him.

Like he came fast as he could.

Of course he did.

My heart squeezes, and suddenly all the things I’ve spent the last few hours rehearsing disappear from my head.

I grew up with a group of Bearded Vulture Shifters. I’m not like them. I’m different.

Their Alpha seduced me, tricked me into believing I was his mate. He is not a good man.

I got pregnant, and I ran away from the Suicide Cliff Wake.

Matteo’s father is dangerous. He wants to control me. To use me as a breeder.

I ran far away from him to protect my son and myself. But now I think they might have found us.

This is so bad.

Fuck.

There were so many ways I’d practiced telling him. But none of them included bursting into tears.

Unfortunately, my emotions don’t seem interested in cooperating.

Because the second I see Rowan climbing out of that truck, the tightness that’s been sitting inside my chest since Lindsey grabbed my wrist finally breaks.

He came.

My Alpha mate came.

I don’t hesitate. I yank open the door and run down the steps, weekender bag in hand.

It’s rash.

Crazy.

Probably embarrassingly dramatic.

But I can’t seem to stop myself. Rowan barely gets both boots on the ground before I drop my bag and launch myself at him.

“Honey Girl⁠—”

I jump into his arms. And my man catches my fluffy ass.

Fuck, thank God, he catches me.

My legs wrap around his waist, my arms lock around his neck, and Rowan doesn’t so much as stagger. Those huge arms close around me immediately, crushing me against his strong, powerful body.

The matebond flares.