Page 23 of Knot the One They Want

Good. If even my stepmother—the queen of finding fault—can't criticize, I must be doing something right.

I step back up onto the pedestal, the skirt whispering around my ankles. In the larger mirror, the effect is even more striking. My golden curls tumble over my shoulders, a soft contrast to the structured bodice. The beading catches the light, sending sparkles dancing across the ivory silk. I look like I stepped out of the pages of a bridal magazine. The ideal omega bride.

Addie comes up beside me, pride and fierce affection shining in her eyes. "Babes, you are going to bring those alphas to their knees."

I meet her gaze in the mirror, a slow smile curving my lips. "That's the plan."

If I'm to be a sacrifice, a pawn in a game of power and politics, I'll be the most exquisite pawn the Blackwoods have ever seen.

And I'll bring them to their knees if it's the last thing I do.

CHAPTER 10

DAMIEN

Iadjust my tie, scowling at my reflection in the mirror. This farce of a mating ceremony has every alpha cell in me screaming that it's wrong.

The omega waiting for me isn'tmymate.

She isn't Daria.

Me and the rest of the pack are backstage at the venue, our fathers and brothers crowded around, straightening ties, exchanging words of wisdom. But it's all a meaningless charade.

"Damien."

My father's voice cuts through the chaos of my thoughts and other voices in the room. I meet his gaze in the mirror, steeling myself for another lecture on duty and responsibility. But what I see in his eyes catches me off guard.

Understanding tinged with a hint of regret.

"Could we talk for a moment?" he asks.

"Sure," I say, my tone rigid. But there's nothing left to say.

Nothing he wants to hear, anyway.

"I know what you're thinking," he says quietly, resting a hand on my shoulder. "That Daria was the only omega for you. That no one could ever take her place."

I tense, bile rising in my throat at her name. "Don't.Don'ttalk about her."

He sighs. "Son, I'm asking you to give Evangeline a chance. You might be surprised what can happen if you open your heart, just a bit."

A harsh laugh escapes me. "Surprised? By that vapid princess?"

"She could be everything you never knew you needed." His grip tightens, forcing me to face him. "I understand more than you think."

I search his face, trying to reconcile this uncharacteristic vulnerability with the hard, ruthless alpha I've always known. "Just because your mating to Mom was arranged doesn't mean you understand. You have no idea?—"

"I loved another, before your mother."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "What?"

He smiles wryly. "I thought she was my destiny. That I could never want anyone else." His gaze grows distant, lost in memory. "But she wasn't right for me—or for the coalition."

"So you just gave up? 'Settled' for Mom just because she was there and she was an omega?" I can't keep the accusing edge from my voice.

"No, Damien. I opened my heart. I let myself see your mother for the incredible woman she was—kind, strong, brilliant. My true partner in every way." His eyes are bright with fierce conviction. "We chose each other, built a life and a family together. That's more powerful than any mark. But I'll remind you, that, too was a choice. It wasn't fate. And it was the wrong choice, one you and your pack are still paying the price for, whether you can see it or not."

His words hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. I reel back, shaking my head in disbelief. "It's not about fate or destiny. It'sabout the fact that I alreadychoseDaria. I gave her my heart. My loyalty."

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