Page 42 of Knot a Thief

Seb spits at our feet. “Go to hell.”

Max steps forward, his voice dangerously low. “Listen carefully. Your little omega friend is in for a surprise. I’ll tell you what happened on the island. She got hit with a perfume, but not just any perfume.”

Seb’s eyes widen slightly, a flicker of fear crossing his face.

“It was an antidote,” Max continues to explain, enjoying the way Seb’s face pales. “To the vaccine her stepfather gave her. Her heat will come on strong, and soon.”

A smug smile plays on Max’s lips. “And it was mixed with my pheromones,”

“You did what?” Seb yells, lurching forward only to be held back by our men.

Max leans in close to Seb’s face. “She’ll be drawn to me, whether she likes it—or not. She’s an omega, Seb. You’re just a beta. When her heat hits, it’s going to be so powerful she’ll be desperate to be knotted.” Max smirks. “So here’s the deal: you help us find her, and we’ll let you stick around. After all, she might need a beta to help her through her heat. Or afterwards, when I have no need for her anymore.”

I don't know why Max says something he will never let happen. Not again.

I watch as Seb’s jaw clenches, the internal struggle clear on his face. He knows we have him cornered.

“Tick Tock,” I say, tapping my watch. “Every minute you waste, she gets closer to her heat. And who knows what might happen to an unmated omega in her heat out there.”

Seb’s shoulders slump in defeat. “Fine,” he growls. “I’ll help you find her. But I swear, if you hurt her …”

Max cuts him off. “Hurt her? Oh no, we’re going to take excellent care of her.”

“For her heat?” Seb hisses. “And then what?”

“For her heat and nine months.” Max smiles. “I only want one thing from her.”

“You fucking bastard.”

“I am,” Max responds. “We can make a deal. I am going to breed her. Afterwards, if you agree, you can keep her and the baby safe and when it’s born, you alone will be responsible for handing the baby to me.”

“Or else.”

I know Max won’t let Ava leave once she’s pregnant. I know this conversation is to pacify Seb. “You need to be quick with your decision. Leave it too late and another pack will take her through her heat and keep her. What would you prefer?”

Seb swallows. “I’ll do it.”

“Excellent choice,” Max says.The hunt is on, and Avaline Darling won’t be able to hide for long.

Chapter 13

Ava

My hands feel numb and ache from gripping the scuba jet so tightly, but I don’t dare loosen my hold despite how much the red diamond is stabbing against my chest. Though, right now, I’m so angry I could rip it out of my wetsuit and let the quarter of a billion dollar gem sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. But that would mean taking my hands off this scuba jet and the shore is still too far for me to swim and not be seen by the helicopter that is hovering around the island and our hire boat.

So I hold on tightly.

My head feels woozy, dizzy at how fast the device is speeding. Schools of fish dart away as I zoom past, startled by my intrusion into their world. My body vibrates with the force of the speed, and I feel like I could pass out any minute.

My lungs burn, desperate for more air than my snorkel can provide at this pace. I can hardly breathe as I speed, and the rush of water past my ears is deafening, drowning out everything but the frantic pounding of my pulse.

I so desperately want to look back and find Seb, but I fight the urge, knowing that every second counts.

I take deep breaths through the snorkel, hoping I don’t aspirate.

The deep blue of the Mediterranean surrounds me, beautiful and terrifying in its vastness. Everything feels like it’s so far away.

As I push the scuba jet to its limits, a new fear creeps in. This device doesn’t have the battery life to get me to the mainland.

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