Page 37 of Tangled in Knots

Damon hasn’t been the same since Dad forced him to fuck that whore in an effort to introduce him to adulthood.

In Rock’s eyes, it’s what his dad did, which makes it a rite of passage. Savagery, a loss of control, that’s what he taught Damon that sex was like. Now, my baby brother is spiraling without a care as he truly loses control. Having another person’s thoughts and feelings inside of you at all times is a mind fuck.

As the pack’s main alpha, I understand that better than anyone. Typically, I can parcel out my feelings from my brothers and beta’s. Morris feels like a calm force inside of me, even now. At least something hasn’t changed.

Even Kane is twitchy, though determined to keep going in the direction I’ve set. If all goes well, we’ll get out of this with Adira. How she’ll fair at the end is one of my greatest worries.

Doors shut on the SUV behind me as I climb the steps to the small house we’re staying in for now. My body is coiled with tension, fully expecting my father to fuck with his own timeline. Things have been too easy so far.

He hasn’t called to check in but once, and even then I could hear the evil excitement in his voice. He’s too focused on his revenge to not move it up. Three weeks is a long time.

There’s a truck in the driveway where there shouldn’t be one, and I pull out my gun from my holster, snapping my fingers to get my pack’s attention. Immediately, all noise falls away, andDamon stands behind us to protect Adira, as I unlock the front door. Holding my body to the side, I push it open, noting that my brothers and Morris are using the house as their shield.

“It’s me, son,” Rock booms out. “I would hate for some friendly fire to take me out by my own son.”

Noted. Unfortunately, this feels like a Shakespearean parody, and I blow my breath out as I shove the door wide open, and put away my gun when I see my father sitting alone in the small living room.

My nerves feel like live wires at the moment.

“Hey, Dad,” I say easily, walking inside of the house. “What brings you in?”

I push danger responses through the bonds I share with my pack brothers, grateful my father didn’t ask for this type of loyalty. It would be impossible for us to keep anything from him otherwise. Thankfully, I was always going to lead my own pack, and formed it quickly.

Dad doesn’t enjoy having any emotions other than his own. Another reason this didn’t even occur to him, and he doesn’t know my pack and I are this close either. It wouldn’t ever strike him to ask.

“Checking on the merchandise,” he grunts, watching as Damon walks in with the bundle in his arms.

To give my baby brother his due credit, he looks as if the omega is going to bite him and is thoroughly disgusted. It’s what he typically would do if forced to touch an omega, and I feel a surge of pride.

He’s locked down emotionally outside of the curl of disgust radiating from him.

“Ah, there it is now, bring the omega over here,” Dad says, expecting to be obeyed immediately.

Damon’s boots drag for a moment as if wanting to deny him, but at the sound of Morris closing the door behind himself, my baby brother snaps out of it and does as he’s told.

Dad yanks the blankets off her as he takes Adira out of Damon’s arms, balancing her on his lap as he turns her to look at the wound on her back. My fingers twitch with the need to get my gun, as I watch him pull down the back of her shirt and rip the tape off her skin.

Adira lets out a pained cry in her drugged state, twisting to get away from Dad, but he merely grunts and holds her in a vice-like grip.

Morris stands next to me now as the picture of calm, but I can feel the tension in his body.

Lifting the gauze, Dad nods as he presses the skin around the healing incision.

“It looks clean and will be covered by her hair,” he says. “Good work.”

“We’re going to be leaving here in a few hours. How long will she stay asleep?” he asks.

My blood runs cold at his words, because I thought we’d be here almost a week. Fuck.

“I prepared to stay at the cabin for a longer period of time, so the sedative should keep her asleep through tomorrow,” Morris rumbles. “I was going to continue to force feed her the pills, while ensuring she’s in good health for Ophelia and the auction.”

“Good plan, but the auction is tomorrow,” Dad grins evilly.

Son of a bitch.

I should have expected he’d do this.

“There’s no reason for her to get too comfortable, but I appreciate a docile omega,” Dad continues. “Ophelia will ensure she has some fire in her veins for the buyers. The omega will be fucked, humiliated, degraded, and then sold. Morris.”

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