Knot My Band, Part One (Knot My Band #1)

Aiden

ALPHA TEA GOSSIP COLUMN

MAY THORNTON CAPITALIZES ON OLI HART HEAT RUMORS BY POINTING OUT SHE’S AN ALPHA

May 26th

I ’m worried Oli will hate us as soon as she has a moment to let everything sink in.

We let Chase and her bond during her heat.

It’s unacceptable.

Being with her during her heat was everything I could have ever dreamed of, and now she might hate us.

I slide into the buttery leather seat of the private jet, a hum of engines in the background. The air feels thick with tension, or maybe it’s just me projecting my anxieties onto the cabin’s plush interior. Oli is next to me, her thigh brushing mine occasionally as the aircraft settles onto the runway.

“Hey,” I murmur, leaning closer so she can hear me over the roar of the engines. “You good?”

She turns to me, those gorgeous eyes meeting mine, and nods. “Yeah, , I’m fine.” Her voice is steady, but there’s a tremor if you listen closely enough.

I reach out and squeeze her hand gently. “We’re here for you, you know. All of us.”

Oli’s lips curl into a small smile, gratitude flickering in her gaze. It’s moments like these—simple, quiet—that remind me why we’re all so drawn to her.

Chase hovers nearby, his tall frame casting a shadow over us. His gaze is fixed on Oli, intense and wanting, like he’s trying to communicate through sheer willpower alone.

“Can I sit next to you?” Chase’s light voice does not mask the undercurrent of uncertainty that laces his words.

“Always,” Oli replies, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, and my chest tightens. I can see the internal battle playing out behind Chase’s smoldering green eyes—the push and pull of wanting to be close but not knowing how to bridge the gap.

It’s almost comical, the way he sidles closer with the pretense of adjusting his seatbelt when, really, he’s aching for proximity to his mate. Or it would be if it wasn’t so depressing.

“The label has never offered us a private jet before,” I quip, hoping to cut through the awkwardness. I tap at the console, feigning interest in the various switches and dials, anything to lighten the mood.

“Well, now you’re bringing in big money, so they won’t let you miss a show,” Oli teases back, a spark of her usual fire igniting.

“Only if you’re performing with us.” I shoot her a grin, relieved to see a genuine smile on her face.

Chase chuckles, his tension unwinding by degrees as he joins in the banter. “Maybe we will get to do this again as long as we stick with you.”

“Exactly.” Oli nods, her laughter a melody that momentarily drowns out the roar of the engines.

As the plane ascends, I grab Oli’s hand and squeeze. Despite the lingering unease, I’m determined to see her through everything with her alphas.

Because after the heat and chaos, we’re bound by more than just attraction—we’re pack. And nothing, not even Dax’s brooding silence or our own insecurities, can change that.

My gaze flickers between Oli and Dax. The silence from Dax is a thick fog in the cabin, cloying and heavy. It’s like he’s carved out his own space of brooding intensity, and it’s spilling over, making Oli shrink in her seat.

“Hey,” I murmur, nudging Dax with my elbow. He only grunts, that stormy expression etched deep into his features. His mood is a dark cloud over us. Oli fidgets with the hem of her shirt, a telltale sign that she’s less than comfortable.

I know Dax well enough to know that he’s punishing himself without realizing how much he’s hurting Oli.

Jack seems to be on the same page, leaning forward to distract Oli with bites of the chicken he ordered as soon as we got on the plane. He’s taking care of her just like he promised.

“Need anything else?” Chase asks, voice laced with concern. “Water? Blanket? My undying devotion?”

Oli chuckles, and the sound is a balm to all our frayed nerves. “I’ll take the water for now,” she says. Chase immediately busies himself with fetching a bottle, his movements eager yet tender.

When she settles into her seat, fed and hydrated, I know it’s my turn to take care of her.

I lean in close to her ear and whisper, “Want to check out the rest of the plane with me?”

“Lead the way.” Oli’s smile is back, albeit a little shaky, as she rises to follow me.

I guide Oli past the plush seats of the private jet, my hand lightly resting on the small of her back. Chase’s gaze burns into me – protective, concerned, but I shoot him a look that silently says, “I’ve got this.” And just like that, his posture relaxes a fraction, though those smoldering green eyes still follow us until we turn the corner.

“Where are we going?” Oli’s voice is tinged with curiosity, her bright green eyes searching mine for some hint of mischief.

“Somewhere where you can breathe easy,” I say, keeping my tone light and reassuring. We reach the door at the end of the narrow corridor, and I open it to reveal a compact yet luxurious bathroom.

“Is this… the shower?” Oli’s eyebrows rise in surprise as she steps inside the gleaming space, her rose hair shimmering under the soft lighting.

“Yes. I thought I could help you shower since you didn’t get the chance to before we left the hotel.” For a second, I worry she’ll think I’m insulting her by insinuating she needs one.

On the contrary, she’s covered in our scents, and I’m obsessed with the mix, but I thought she might feel more comfortable this way.

She chuckles, the sound slightly nervous but genuine. “That sounds nice.”

My sunshine undresses, and I can see all the marks left on her body from her heat. Chase’s mating mark stands out on her neck.

Oli slips behind the frosted glass door, the silhouette of her figure casting a soft shadow. The hiss of the water fills the room, and steam begins to waft around us. I undress and grab a bottle of shampoo.

“Mind if I?” I hold up the shampoo, gesturing towards the door .

“Go ahead,” she responds, her laughter mingling with the sound of the cascading water.

I slide the door open, stepping into the steamy cocoon. She faces away from me, the droplets tracing paths down her skin, and there’s something undeniably intimate about this act. I pour shampoo onto my palm, working up a lather before gently massaging it into her hair, careful not to get any in her eyes.

“Your hands are magic,” Oli murmurs, her head tilting back into my touch, encouraging more pressure.

“Only for you,” I reply, my fingers deftly moving through the strands, ensuring every inch is cared for.

I rinse her hair with care, watching as the suds swirl down the drain.

When I’m done, I wrap her in a fluffy towel, the warmth engulfing her.

Emerging from the steam-filled shower, I guide Oli through the narrow hallway to the bedroom at the back of the plane. The soft hum of the engines is a soothing backdrop as I settle her onto an oversized chair and wrap another plush towel around her shoulders.

“Here,” I say, retrieving a hairbrush from the vanity. “You shouldn’t have to rush off after everything. You deserve to be pampered.” I can feel the tension in her muscles as I start brushing her rose gold waves, but slowly, stroke by stroke, it ebbs away.

“Feels nice,” she admits, a small smile playing on her lips as she leans back into my touch.

“Good.” I keep my tone light, but the weight of what’s transpired hangs between us, and I know it’s time to address it. “Oli, would you want to talk about what happened? I can be a good listener. ”

She hesitates, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the towel. “It’s a lot, .”

“I know.”

“Everything’s just so fucked up,” she blurts, tears brimming and spilling over like a dam breaking. “Dax—he can’t even look at me without clenching his jaw, and I feel it, . Every damn time.” Her voice cracks.

“Oli,” I begin, my chest tightening around the ache to fix this for her, but she barrels on, unstoppable.

“And Chase—” She shakes her head, a laugh that’s more sob than humor escapes her. “I don’t know what to feel. There’s this bond, and it’s new, and it’s terrifying, and it’s—”

I pull her closer, an anchor in the eye of her storm. “Take a breath.”

My arms wrap around her, the heat from her body seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt. I let out a soft purr, trying to soothe her.

She nods and breathes deep, filling her lungs and letting some tension go when she exhales.

“We can talk about it,” I murmur against the crown of her head, “until you’ve made sense of it all.”

My hand finds her back, drawing slow circles as my purr vibrates through us both.

“Thank you,” she whispers into my chest.

“Where else would I be?” My lips curve in a smile meant only for her. The weight of her trust settles on me.

I grab a plush throw from the foot of the bed, lift Oli onto my lap, and drape it over us.

The soft fabric is a small comfort in the grand scheme, but it’s something. Oli’s curled up on me, her head on my shoulder, and I can feel the tension knotted in her shoulders .

“Can we just… not talk about Dax?” she mutters, her voice muffled against the cotton of my shirt. She shifts, green eyes flickering up to meet mine. “I want to focus on Chase.”

“Of course we can,” I say.

“I want to be excited about Chase. The bond is something beautiful. But part of me thinks I should be angry,” she confesses.

“ Should be angry? Why?” My question hangs in the air between us while she thinks.

“That’s what I’m supposed to feel,” she confesses with a sigh, tracing a pattern on the back of my hand absentmindedly.

“Oli,” I start, turning to face her more fully, “what if you just did what feels right for you? Screw expectations. If this bond with Chase feels right, why fight it?”

She chews on her bottom lip.

“Does it make me weak?” she asks softly.

A low growl escapes. “Of course it doesn’t. No one who has ever met you could say you’re weak! Following your heart makes you strong!”

A small smile peaks through. “You sound so sure.”

“I am.” I nod passionately.

“Then I trust you, .”

And those are the second-best words I’ve ever heard after her telling me she loves me.