Page 61 of Knot Your Business

She nods and reaches for the robes, but Rylan shakes his head, helping her into them himself. He centers both honors cords before helping her into the medal, adjusting it until it lays flat against her chest. When he’s satisfied, I help her into the cap, trying to keep all the emotion roaring through me in check. This should have been the second time I got to help with her graduation.

She takes my hand, her eyes keen. “Thank you,” she murmurs.

I nod, and Rylan kisses her temple.

A moment later, she’s managed to wedge herself between Faedra and her Alphas, locking their elbows together.

“All right,” she says. “We’ll see you after.”

Twenty-Eight

VIOLET

“We’re getting lunch together, right?” Faedra pushes through the throng of other students until she’s in front of me, her question managing to cut over the din of the crowd. She messes with her earrings, her diploma holder tucked under one arm.

I nod and grab her hand, doing my best to work toward the far entrance since it isn’t as busy.

Crowds are not my happy place, and today is definitely not the exception. One good thing about Faedra being so suppressed is the people don’t seem to bother her, and she helps cut a path through the gathering groups of families seeking out graduates.

Faedra pulls out her phone and sends a text.

“I left my phone with Jasper,” I admit as she tucks it away in her dress’s pocket. She nods.

“Logan said to meet them at the east entrance. They said it’s not as crowded and there’s a nice spot for photos. Mom’s adamant we get some done.”

Not surprising. I try to look around the arena for any sign of my dads, but there’s too many people taller than me to see much more than five feet in any given direction. Damn me for choosing sensible shoes instead of heels that would have given me a few extra inches.

Faedra’s strides get longer the closer to the doors we get, her fingers picking away the ends of her hair in her nervous tick. I’m not much better. By the time we make it back out into the California sun, I’m ready to peel my skin off of me and hide in a damn corner.

“Fuck me, I hate crowds,” I mutter. “You’d think they’d have some option for Omegas given how many were fucking there.”

Faedra nods and shakes out her hands before running her fingers through her hair. “I guess we could have waited until everyone dissipated a bit.”

We look at each other, a moment of shared understanding extending between us, and then laugh, leaning into each other.

“Could you imagine the look on your mom’s face if we just sat there?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “The only reason why yours didn’t come extract us is because she decided there was something more important going on.”

I scrunch my nose and push her playfully.

“Hey! Too far, Fae.” I keep my voice light so she knows I’m joking. “I haven’t once mentioned how awkward your brother has been all weekend. No way are you allowed to bring up Mom.”

She grabs my hand. “You okay?” she asks, all levity gone.

I breathe carefully through my nose before nodding. “My dads are here somewhere, so that helps.”

“Faedra Rose!” Elizabeth’s call cuts over the white noise of the people.

Faedra and I turn together, our hands still interlaced. Elizabeth stands at the front of an impressive group, all things considered. I’d forgotten just how many are involved when you factor in matched packs. Jasper and Rylan stand just off to the side with Faedra’s Alphas, Rylan murmuring in Jasper’s ear, his arms around Jasper’s waist. Elizabeth and Jay step up to Faedra, hugging her again.

Just behind them, a flash of familiar gray hair has my heart in my fucking throat, and I blink quickly to keep tears from forming in my eyes.

Papa’s grinning, his hand intertwined with Father’s, as Dad makes a joke of some kind, low enough I can’t hear it, though all three of them laugh. The moment Father catches my gaze, he drops Papa’s hand and closes the space between us, sweeping me into his arms.

“There she is!” he says, the smile clear in his voice even though I can’t see it. “So sorry we ran too late to see you beforehand. Today has been a mess.”

It’s the meanest I’ve ever heard my father be, even when Mom has been absolutely awful.

---