Page 148 of Tangled in Knots

Cecil snorts, rolling his eyes. “Our biology isn’t an exact science, Adira,” he says with a smile.

“I also looked up how many omegas weren’t influenced by an alpha bark,” I say slowly, deciding to trust them with this part of me. It’s a dangerous piece, but I’m taking a chance.

“Not many,” Cecil says easily. “Are you able to shake it off or does it not affect you at all?”

“It doesn’t affect me,” I answer. “That’s how I got shot funny enough.”

“There’s nothing funny about that,” Cian says. “Those boys are imbeciles. You have a very unique point of view on life, Adira. You’ve been isolated, seen how much it affects your view of the world, and you’ve been sold at auction. ROWS just started a podcast to teach omegas how to properly navigate life. Did you know that?”

“There’s no way I would know that, old man,” I deadpan. Cecil hides a laugh, and I gasp. “Oh my god, that was so rude. I’m so sorry?—”

“Everyone is scared of me, it’s honestly refreshing,” Cian says, his lips wide in a grin. “You don’t need to be afraid of me, ever, alright? Take a listen when you get home and tell me what you think.”

“What my son means is, ask yourself if you think they should be considered the authority on how omegas should behave,” Cecil adds. “Those women are vile. If you don’t think the way they do, they find a way to get rid of you.”

“I will,” I murmur. “I looked up medical articles to figure out what was right or wrong about biology, and Omega Link was a good blog site.”

“ROWS is attempting to get Omega Link banned,” Cian says, “on the grounds that they’re distributing dangerous content.”

“What kind of content are they worried about? It’s short posts that discuss what’s going on in people’s lives, videos, or business posts. They act like it’s porn!” I groan, throwing up my hands. “It’s not that kind of platform. I don’t understand what they’d be talking about.”

“It’s so odd to hear you say the word porn,” Cian breathes, shaking his head. “Focus Cian, okay. Aisling and Wren have been posting more on Omega Link about the different services they provide, and one of them is the heat clinic. This service really grinds Emilia’s gears. It’s one of the reasons she wants to take Omega’s Haven away from Aisling and Wren.”

“What? She can’t do that!” I yell, brushing away any lingering tears. “I’ve been staying there long enough to know how important the shelter is. I don’t have enough time to participate in all of the activities, but I can’t imagine what it would be like being run by anyone else.”

“You don’t even have all the facts yet and you’re still angry,” Cian says. “Listen to one of ROWS podcasts and then call me to yell about it. Maybe your future lies in modern journalism and digital media.”

“Cian,” Cecil mutters, but I’m already making sure I have his number saved.

Cian throws money on the table, standing. Scrambling, I follow after grabbing my knife from the table, eyes wide. I guess we’re done. Cecil gets out of the booth, his cane by his side in case he needs it as we amble out of the restaurant together. Evan is already opening doors for everyone, and Cecil and Cian turn to me before getting into the vehicle parked next to Evan’s.

“It was lovely to have dinner with you, Adira,” Cian says. “I will hopefully have some information for you soon. Evan will take you home. He knows where to go.”

“I’ll have to rope my son into bringing me with him again,” Cecil says. “Evelyn will chew me out for not inviting her.”

“God, Mom is going to run us through,” Cian groans, making me smile at the thought that he respects his parents so much. “Bye, Adira.”

Waving at them as them continue to grumble at each other, I nod at Evan as he opens the back door to the sedan for me to climb in. Taking a breath as I sit back and put my seatbelt on, then text Jed.

Me:

Cian is going to help you with the families, Jed.

Jed:

What did you promise in return, Adira?

Me:

I promised that you’d give me your leash.

It’s not exactly what I said to Cian and Cecil, but it was discussed. I want Jed to walk with the knowledge that he needs to be on his best behavior.

Jed:

That’s all? It’s been yours, little omega. Take good care of it.

As Evan drives me home, I stare at Jed’s text for longer than I should, my body feeling tingly at his words.

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