Page 64 of Knot the One They Want

The doctor hesitates, his eyes flicking over our ragtag group. I can only imagine what he sees. What he thinks of us. Four alphas who let our omega get into such a sorry state without even noticing.

He's right to judge us. We deserve worse.

"She's stable for now," he finally says. "We've started her on IV antibiotics for the infection. She tried treating it herself, with over-the-counter stuff." His voice is sharp, accusing. "But that was never going to be enough. Not for this. It's far more serious than a simple infection."

Shame burns through me like acid. We should've been there. Should've seen the signs, heard her silent cries for help. But we were too caught up in our own bullshit to notice.

"She knew?" Lake chokes out. "She was dealing with this alone?"

The meaning is clear. Evie knew she was sick, and she didn't ask for help. Didn't feel safe enough to come to us.

I thought I felt like shit before, but this... this is a whole new level of failure.

The doctor's eyes narrow. "Do you four have any idea what an incomplete mating mark can do to an omega?"

The question hangs there, heavy as lead. I swallow hard, guilt twisting my guts. We did this. We marked her, claimed her, then left her to suffer alone.

Cole tenses beside me, a low growl building in his chest. I can feel the rage and guilt pouring off him in waves. But underneath, I sense the same sick dread that's eating me alive.

We don't know. Not really.

The doctor's voice drips with disgust. "Incomplete bonds are toxic. A completed mark heals fast, but an incomplete one? It'slike an open wound, prone to infection. It poisons an omega's system, slowly at first, but with increasing severity over time."

Every word is another nail in the coffin of my conscience. Toxic. Poison. That's what we've done to Evie, the omega we were given to cherish and protect.

"But it's not just the physical," the doctor continues. "A mating mark isn't just a physical mark. It's a transfer of energy. The alpha places his energy into the omega with a mating bite, and then, once the union is…consummated, he offers his seed as well—his energy—sealing the bond permanently. Offering his protection, his provision. If there are unresolved issues, those can be transferred energetically through the mating bite."

"What?" Lake asks, his eyes blown wide with the confusion we all feel.

The doctor sighs, running a hand through his hair. "The research is… controversial," he says uncomfortably. "But cases like this prove it has merit. There's still much about omega biology we don't fully understand, things our studies haven't quite caught up to, but the old traditions so many of you younger alphas dismiss as unscientific hold true. Omegas are a gift to any pack. Meant to hold and soothe and transmute an alpha's chaotic energy and aggression into something manageable. Something productive. Any large alpha pack without an omega should be proof enough of that."

I breathe a laugh, but it's a dry, humorless sound. He's right. We're monsters without an omega to rein in our baser impulses. That much is clear to me now.

"A mating bond is meant to be a two-way street," he adds. "Mutually beneficial. In exchange for holding an alpha's energy, the omega receives protection. Nurturing. Care. What do you think happens when such a delicate, complex creature receives all that negative, toxic energy without the other half of that equation to balance it out?"

"So we poisoned her," Lake says, his voice cracking.

At least Lake and I feel the same. I have no clue what's going on with Damien anymore.

"In a way, yes," the doctor says bluntly. He's not pulling any punches, and he shouldn't.

"Damien's mark was the worst," Cole says accusingly, glaring at our leader.

Damien's eyes darken, but he doesn't defend himself.

"Mine was almost as bad," Lake admits, shaking his head. "My pain, my self-loathing over Daria... it's like Evie absorbed it all."

"Omegas are given the extraordinary ability to bear a pack's burdens," the doctor says, his tone softening slightly. "But they must be properly sheltered and cared for in return. Unfortunately, you're learning that the hard way."

"What's going to happen to her?" I ask, steeling myself for the answer even though deep down, I know if she's not okay, I'm not going to be able to live with myself. No amount of bracing myself will make it better.

"It's still touch and go right now," he says carefully. "But like I said, she's stable for the moment. She's otherwise young and healthy, and I have no reason to doubt that the antibiotics will heal the physical infection in time. But the energetic concerns remain."

"We'll fix it," I say, my voice rough with desperation. "Whatever it takes."

Lake nods eagerly. "If we complete the mark, it will help, right?"

The doctor hesitates. "In theory," he admits. "But there's more to it than just the physical, as I said before. Evie needs a pack who can be strong for her. Alphas who can give her what she needs. Given what I've seen, I'm not sure the Blackwood pack is the right one for the job. It may be better for her tocut her losses and find a more suitable pack up for the task of providing what she needs."

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