Page 42 of Knot Happening Again

Ophelia sighs, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling. For a moment, I think she's not going to answer. But then she speaks, her voice soft and filled with a pain that makes my chest ache.

"I tried the permanent thing once," she says. "I thought... I thought he loved me. That we were meant to be together forever. But then he left. Just... disappeared. And I was left with this." She gestures to the mark on her neck, her lips twisting in a bitter smile. "So yeah, I'm not really interested in risking that again."

I want to argue, to tell her that not all alphas are like that. That our pack would never hurt her that way. But I know it's not that simple. Trust, once broken, isn't easily rebuilt.

And it would make me the world's biggest hypocrite.

"I get it," I say instead. "I've been there too. Not nearly the same as what you went through, but... I know what it's like to have your heart ripped out."

Ophelia turns to look at me, curiosity replacing the pain in her eyes. "What happened?"

I hesitate, old wounds threatening to reopen. But Ophelia shared her pain with me. She was vulnerable, even when I gave her no reason to be. It's only fair I do the same.

"Her name was Amelia," I start, the name still bitter on my tongue even after all this time. "She was a groupie. Turned out, she was using me to get to my bandmates."

Ophelia's eyebrows shoot up. "You were in a band?"

I can't help but smirk. "Ever heard of a metal group called the Masked Marauders?"

She bites her lip, looking apologetic. "Um... no? Sorry, rock isn't really my thing."

I laugh, oddly relieved. "It's fine. People usually don't recognize me anyway. Just the lead singer."

Curiosity gets the better of her, and she reaches for her phone on the nightstand. I watch as she types in the band name, her eyes widening as she scrolls through the results.

"Wow," she breathes. "You guys are... big. Like, really big."

I shrug, trying to play it cool despite the pride swelling in my chest. "I wasn't one of the stars. Not like Jace or Liam. I was just... there. The one no one noticed. No one except Amelia."

She frowns, listening intently, so I continue. "She pretended to be interested in me, but she really just wanted access to the others. When I found out..." I swallow hard, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. "It broke me."

"What about the others?" she asks, her eyes shining with genuine concern. "Didn't they kick her out when they realized what she was doing?"

"Not exactly," I say with a dry laugh. "They said I was jealous, and threatened to kick me out if I didn't fall in line. So I didn't give them the chance. I broke our bonds, and left the band not long after."

"Bonds?" she asks, frowning. "You mean pack bonds, or like Rhys and your other packmate?"

"The latter," I admit. "Kirk, the lead singer, insisted on it. Said he didn't want anyone in the band who wasn't fully committed to his 'vision.' Which turned out to be worshiping an omega who was only interested in any of us for the rock and roll lifestyle we could provide her with. That and an in with our label for her own singing career."

"The others didn't see through that?" she asks doubtfully.

"Nope. Last I heard, she was fucking our former manager," I say with a shrug. "Kirk tried to reach out to me a couple years back, but I wasn't interested. When we severed our bonds, some days it felt like I could barely survive, but then I found theseguys. I learned what it really means to be a pack. Something no amount of forced bonds can compare to."

"How did you find them?" she asks, staring at me.

"Maddox," I answer. "He was actually a manager in the music industry before he drifted over to sports, and he still has a lot of connections. We met at a party, hit it off, and eventually, he introduced me to his pack. We just kind of vibed, I guess. They helped me get through the severed bonds, and didn't mind that I was a reclusive weirdo. Guess you could say the rest is history."

"I'm glad you found them," she murmurs.

I smile. "Me, too."

Ophelia's hand finds mine, her fingers intertwining with my own. The simple gesture soothes something raw inside me.

"For what it's worth," she says, her blue eyes meeting mine, "I think you're much cuter than the other guys. If I were a groupie, you'd be the one I went for."

I can't help but laugh, the sound chasing away the last of the darkness Amelia's memory stirred up. "I'll take it," I say, leaning in to capture Ophelia's lips in a soft kiss.

She responds eagerly, her free hand coming up to cup my cheek. The kiss deepens, slow and languid, a stark contrast to the frantic passion of earlier. I lose myself in the taste of her, in the soft curves of her body pressed against mine.

---