Their Secret Obsession by Pippa Moon

Chapter 0277

Knox POV

I jolted awake, my head throbbing like a drum and every muscle protesting as I moved. Groaning, I flopped back onto the pillow, but then a familiar, intoxicating scent enveloped me. My eyes snapped open.

"Lottie."

Her fragrance was everywhere clinging to my skin, woven into my hair, seeping into the sheets beneath me. A grin spread across my face as I inhaled deeply, the pain momentarily forgotten. Without a second thought, I buried my face into the pillow, rolling around like a pup in fresh grass.

"You're like a lovesick puppy," Havoc chuckled in my mind.

"Can't help it," I replied aloud, my voice muffled by the linens. "She's been here, maybe. On me, though, yes! Do you realise what this means?"

"That you should probably take a shower?" he quipped playfully because I could sense that he, too, was overwhelmed with joy.

"Never!" I declared dramatically, wrapping myself tighter in the sheets. "I'm never washing this bedding again. Or myself, for that matter."

"That's disgusting," Havoc groaned. "You're covered in blood and who knows what else. You smell like a butcher's shop." I glanced down at myself. Dried blood smeared across my chest and arms, with bits of... something... stuck in my hair. My clothes were nowhere to be seen, my body filthy, but Lottie's scent was the only thing I cared about.

"Details," I waved off his concerns, rolling over once more. "I can't believe she was here."

"You're hopeless." Havoc sighed, making me smile because my wolf was usually a creature of few words.

love," I corrected,

no memory of how

lazily. "I'll

past," he muttered. I sat up, a sudden thought piercing through

surged through me. "Havoc, what if it's Lottie's blood?" I

down," Havoc urged. "Think logically. Do you feel any injuries that aren't yours?" I patted myself down frantically. No new wounds, just old scars and bruises. The scent wasn't tainted with the metallic sharpness of fresh blood. It was older, not hers- I hope. "Okay, okay," I breathed, relief washing over me. "But what if

to recall the events leading up to this moment. Flashes

spat. "You're throwing away your

meaning every word. "Maybe I

way is leading you down a path of

up and reaching for the nearest bottle. After that, things got

rubbing my temples.

you drowned your brain in alcohol," Havoc

as ever," I

Maybe retracing your steps will jog

blood was cracking on my skin, but I ignored it. If anything, it served as a reminder

was fresher here, making my

that?" I asked

of excitement in his tone. "She's close." I followed the trail down the stairs, each step fueled by a mix of hope and anxiety.

Lottie stood with her back to me, facing... Mike? He was hanging from the ceiling, chains binding his wrists. A surge of anger welled up inside me. That bastard deserved every bit of suffering

Normally, she'd turn the moment I was near, our bond pulling