Page 140 of Knot Happening Again

Natalie nods, fascinated. "So it's like being twins, but on steroids?"

Rhys chuckles. "That's one way to put it. But it goes deeper than that. It's a bond of loyalty, of trust. When you form a packbond with another alpha, you're essentially saying, 'I've got your back, no matter what.' It becomes instinctual to protect and support each other."

"And where does an omega fit in with all that?" Natalie asks, glancing over at me. Always looking out for me.

I can't help but smile, even if I'm also flustered.

Rhys gives her a knowing smile. "That's part of it. Bonded alphas usually form a pack, or rather, the pack forms around that bond. But you have to be compatible enough that you look for the same thing in a mate. An omega. It's a shared responsibility, a commitment to entrust the most precious thing in your life to another person. To care for her together rather than fighting over her. To put her first in everything. It's supposed to bring you closer."

As he speaks, I feel a knot forming in my chest. The way Rhys describes it... it sounds intense. Profound. I think about how close he and Leon are, how in sync they always seem to be. How they can communicate with just a look.

Even now that things are so shaken up.

"What happens if that bond is broken?" Natalie asks.

I flinch instinctively. I was really hoping she wouldn't go there, but I know she's just trying to look out for me. We've always looked out for each other.

Rhys's eyes meet mine, and I see a flicker of pain there. “It's... painful. It leaves a void. A constant ache. Phantom pain, like losing a limb. And in some cases, it’s the death of the soul.”

The knot in my chest tightens. I think about Leon offering to walk away from the pack, from Rhys, for me.

And the fact that Rhys was willing to let him.

Even more than that, Rhys had been willing to kick Leon out of the pack when he found out the truth about our past. The others, too, but… they're not bonded the way Leon and Rhys are. They're bonded as a pack, sure, but it's different.

He'd been ready to sever that bond.

To endure that agony for my sake.

My throat is starting to feel tight, and I feel a bit nauseous.

I mumble something I'm not quite sure of and excuse myself to use the restroom, needing a moment to collect myself before the fight begins.

Rhys's brow furrows with worry. "Are you sure you're alright on your own?"

I nod and reassure him, slipping out of the box before he can protest. In the bathroom, which isn't nearly as busy as I expected, I feel a little calmer. I splash a little water on my face and that grounds me further. As I'm washing my hands, two beta women enter, dressed in rhinestones and sequins, giggling and whispering.

"Did you see Leon's pack?" one of them gushes. "God, they're all so hot."

"I know, right?" her friend replies. "That beta manager of his... what I wouldn't give for a night with him."

I freeze, pretending to fix my makeup as I listen.

"Who wouldn't?" her friend scoffs, adjusting her tits in her skintight dress before she fluffs out her curly blonde hair. "Whoever lands that pack is a lucky bitch."

"There are rumors, you know," the first one says, lowering her voice. "About them and some nameless omega."

"No way! All of them?"

"That's what I heard. Lucky bitch, whoever she is."

The other one lowers her voice. "I don't know if it's true, butI'veheard some shit about her."

"Really?" the other one asks. "What did you hear?"

My blood runs cold. I freeze, lipstick hovering inches from my mouth.

“She's a whore,” the blonde beta sneers. “A real one.”

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