Page 11 of Knot the One They Want

Beautiful. The word echoes in my mind, taunting me. Yes, she's beautiful. Infuriatingly so. With her delicate features and lush curves, my alpha instincts were raging at me all night to take her, to stake my claim, even as those instincts betray my very soul.

But there's something else about her. Something fierce and untamed beneath the surface that I wasn't expecting. It draws me to her like a moth to a flame, even as I despise myself for it.

I want to erase every trace of her from my mind.

But I can't. She's burned herself into my memory, a brand I can't escape. The sway of her hips as she walked away. The lilt of her laugh. The way her eyes sparkled with challenge, daring me to do my worst.

I shake my head to clear it. I should be glad she's not some wilting wallflower, if only because it'll make it easier to do what has to be done. But all I feel is resentment. Resentment and a hunger I can't name.

Asher's fingers dance over the piano keys, a haunting melody filling the room. It grates on my nerves, too soft and sweet for my taste.

"So," he begins, "are we going to keep dancing around the fact that she's our scent match, or is it too taboo?"

I clench my jaw so hard I hear it crack and ease up. The last thing I need tonight is a trip to the emergency dentist. "It's not taboo," I snap. "It just doesn't change anything. We all knew there was a chance, however small, we'd meet our scent match after we marked Daria. Are you really so weak to your alpha instincts you'd be willing to betray that promise for an omega who smells like candy?"

"More like a bakery," Lake muses. When he sees the death glare I'm giving him, he shrugs. "What? She does."

"You seem to be forgetting one thing," Cole says dryly, his massive arms folded over his chest. "Daria leftus.Shebroke the bond."

"You don't think I know that?" I hiss.

"Evangeline isn't going to just disappear, Damien," Lake interrupts quietly, his eyes knowing. "Your father clearly has his mind set on her."

"My father isn't the leader of this pack," I counter. "And none of you breathes a word about the scent match to him or anyone else."

I can feel my father's presence before he even enters the room, as if we summoned him. The air gets thick, and the others fall silent, their eyes darting between me and the old man. When he steps inside, his expression is unreadable, but I know that look. It's the same one he wears when he's about to drop a bombshell.

"Damien, a word in private, if you please." His tone leaves no room for argument.

I follow him out of the music room, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. Great. I really don't need the three of them in there alone, talking about what just happened, getting carried away. But if I refuse to leave, it'll only arouse the old man's suspicion. We walk in silence until we reach his study down the hall, the heavy oak door closing behind us with a sense of finality.

"So," he begins, settling into his leather chair. "What did you think of Evie?"

I scoff, crossing my arms. "It doesn't matter what I think. She's not Daria."

"Precisely." His eyes narrow, pinning me in place. "Damien, I know how much you and the others loved Daria. I understandfirsthand the intensity of the bond between an alpha and their marked omega. But it's been a year. You have to move on."

Fury ignites in my veins, white-hot and blinding. "We refuse to give up on what's ours."

"She's not coming back!" He slams his hand on the desk, the sound echoing like a gunshot. "And even if she did, she broke your mating mark and was claimed by another alpha. She's unfit to stand at the head of this coalition as its first omega."

His words are a knife to my gut, twisting and tearing. Because as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. But that doesn't change the fact that my heart still bleeds from her betrayal.

"You've thumbed your nose at every omega I've presented so far," he continues, his voice cold and unyielding. "But that's coming to an end. Evie is the perfect match in every regard—beautiful, intelligent, witty, and devoted to something outside her own selfish interests. She's exactly what this pack needs to get back on track to taking its proper place in the coalition."

I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms until I'm sure they'll leave marks. "I hate her."

"It's her, or you forfeit your right as firstborn." His eyes bore into mine, daring me to challenge him. "I'll pass my authority to Micah instead."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Micah, my younger brother. The golden child who can do no wrong in our father's eyes. The thought of him taking what's rightfully mine makes my blood boil.

And that's without him even knowing Evangeline is our scent match.

"You're bluffing," I manage to grind out through gritted teeth.

He leans back in his chair, a humorless smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Try me."

We stare each other down, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. I search his face for any sign of weakness, any crack in his armor. But there's none. He means every word.

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