Page 142 of Knot Happening Again

And sooner or later, they're all going to realize it.

The crowd roars as Leon enters the octagon. He looks fierce, focused. Nothing like the gentle, attentive alpha I've come to know these past few weeks.

The bell rings.

The fight begins.

Leon's opponent charges forward, swinging wildly. Leon dodges, countering with a sharp jab.

The crowd goes wild.

I flinch as a punch connects with Leon's jaw. He staggers back, but recovers quickly.

"This should be cathartic," Natalie whispers, nudging me. "Watching him get his ass kicked."

I force a laugh, but my stomach churns.

I should want this, shouldn't I? After everything he put me through, I should be relishing every hit he takes.

But I'm not.

Okay, maybe I enjoyed the first one just a little tiny bit.

But it wore off fast.

Especially when I feel Rhys flinching next to me. He's worried, too, even if he's trying to hide it.

"Damn," Troy mutters to Maddox, who just slipped into the box with us. "He's off his game tonight."

Maddox gives a small nod in agreement without taking his eyes off the ring. My hands clench into fists as Leon takes another blow. I bite my lip, tasting a bead of blood.

The fight's close.

Too close.

Then Leon dodges the next punch, countering with a devastating uppercut that makes the other alpha stumble backward.

The crowd goes fucking insane.

Before I realize what I'm doing, I'm on my feet with the others, earning a bewildered look from Natalie. The rest of the pack seems surprised, too, but they soon join in.

Like it or not, Leon is a part of the Carver pack.

And so am I.

We can find a way to coexist, maybe even support each other, but anything more than that is totally out of the question.

It has to be.

CHAPTER 40

LEON

Jace staggers from the blow, but he recovers quickly. His fist connects with my jaw, snapping my head back.

The taste of copper floods my mouth as I stumble.

Fuck.

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