Ready or Knot (Knotted Paths #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,23

tried to convince him to go upstairs—”

“Time alone won’t help him if he’s found his true mate.”

Craig slid between me and Justin. “How can you say that? Half of the omegas in this place are here because some jackass swore up and down he was their true mate and they believed him.”

Justin wrapped his fingers around Craig’s arms. “And their suffering is a terrible thing. But you can’t fake a heat induced by a true mate. It doesn’t happen every time, but it’s extremely unlikely that this precise series of circumstances—Jordan saying he’s Wyatt’s true mate, Wyatt going into heat, Jordan missing our meeting this morning, and Wyatt feeling something is different about this alpha he met yesterday—all add up to another answer. If you took away any single one of those elements, I’d have doubt. But I went through an unmated true heat myself, Craig. I know what it feels like when your body cries out for your true other half and cannot reach him.”

Craig let Justin guide him to the side.

Justin knelt again. “Wyatt, we still haven’t heard from Jordan. We’ve called multiple times, and he isn’t answering his phone. We’re going to go check on him, but I suspect he’s in much the same state as you. If he is your true mate and your meeting kicked you into heat, then it also kicked him into rut.”

Wincing through the pain and sting of my skin and muscles, I pushed myself up. “I’m going with you.”

“Wyatt—“

I pushed Craig’s restraining hand away. “I keep telling you. I need him. I don’t know what I think about all this true mate stuff, but I’ll tell you what I do know. Jordan is a kind man. If it’s true, if this true mate stuff is real, there are a lot worse things in life than being mated to a kind man.”

Justin smiled, his eyes sparkling with brimming tears. “Okay, Wyatt. It’s your choice. I’m gonna call a couple folks to help us, and then we’re going to go track down Jordan.”

10

Jordan

My sheets were covered in sweat. I’d reached the brink of coming so many damn times, and yet every time I thought this was it, I’d finally get some relief, my release skittered away like a damn cockroach running from a shoe.

I’d barely slept. I’d thrown my phone against the wall when the alarm went off to wake me up to meet with Justin and Chance at The Haven Center.

And Wyatt. Oh, Wyatt. I couldn’t get the sweet little omega out of my head. Part of me just wanted to hold him and cuddle him and protect him, but the main part, controlled by rut and need, wanted to throw him up against a wall and knot him as fast and hard as possible.

That terrified me.

Chance was right—anything had to be driven by Wyatt’s choice. I didn’t know what he’d been through before he ended up at The Haven Center, but it hadn’t been Skittles and cotton candy. I’d seen the terror in his eyes. Something had scarred that little wolf, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to add to whatever hurt he was carrying in his soul.

About thirty minutes later I realized I should probably message someone and let them know why I wouldn’t make it, but I’d shattered my screen and now it was just an expensive piece of trash.

Then, thinking maybe I’d email them, I tried to log on to my computer. But was I able to think clearly enough to remember my damn pin code? A simple six number sequence.

No.

So not only was I in the worst pain of my life, my cock flushed, red and aching for my mate, but I’d left him alone with no explanation. I’d told him I’d see him in the morning, and I had failed.

So when someone came banging on my door hours later, saying I was not in the fucking mood was an understatement.

At first I ignored the incessant banging. But then there was the shouting. Shouting from a voice I recognized. From my boss’s voice. Actually, my boss’s boss’s voice. Justin Perkins.

I stumbled to the door and leaned against it, my sweaty skin sliding against the slick paint. I was completely naked, but that didn’t matter. There was no way I was opening that door. “Now’s not a good time, sir.”

“I suspect not, but I have someone who is looking for some answers.”

“Who? Wyatt?” My hand went to the lock and I snatched it back.

“Yes. And if you’re