Page 46 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

I smirked and shook my head at his enthusiasm. It was unusual to hear such unbridled joy in my father’s voice. “It was unexpected, but it’s been fuckin’ incredible.”

“Of course it has. Scent matches are a rare gift. I want to meet her,” he declared. “Bring her to our next family dinner.”

My smile vanished, picturing how overwhelming that would be for my timid little Kitten. Despite the power I wielded as the heir of my father’s empire, the one person I didn’t rule over was him. The only soul who’d ever said no to Emilio Cristenello and lived to tell the tale was my mother.

“She’s not ready for that,” I insisted, thinking of how Kitania still flinched at sudden movements and loud noises.

“Dinner,” my father repeated succinctly, expecting deference through submission. “We’re not animals, Dimitri. We won’t scare her.”

I ground my back molars together. “It’s not you I’m worried about.”

More silence. I could practically hear the gears turning in my father’s head. “Isn’t it?”

“Fine. Maybe it’s partially you,” I admitted, knowing I was fighting a losing battle. “But this is mostly about Kitania. Meeting the whole damnfamilyis going to be too much at once. Our Omega is still… recovering.”

I went on to carefully explain the extent of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of those fucking Valentinos. Kitania had barely talked about it with us, but it didn’t take a genius to understand what they’d put her through. My father’s breathing grew heavier the longer I spoke until his anger was palpable even through the phone.

“We’ll keep it to the immediate family only. I promise we’ll be gentle with her. But Dimitri,” he said, demanding my full attention, “she needs to know the force that now stands behind her. She’s not alone anymore. She has the entire family standing with her. The sooner she realizes that, the sooner she may feel safer. More secure. Two extremely important things for an Omega.”

I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Maybe you’re right.”

He scoffed. “Of course I am,” he assured me, none-too-humbly. “I do have some experience with Omegas. More than you,” he added with wry amusement.

One corner of my lips tipped up as I shook my head again. “You already won, old man,” I said with the barest hint of a chuckle. “We’ll bring her to dinner next Friday night.”

“Excellent. I’ll make sure Julia has a day pass so that she can join us and meet her soon-to-be sister-in-law.”

“Let’s not rush things. She’s only agreed to a courtship so far.”

“Don’t be foolish. You’re scent matched. It’ll take time for her to fall in love with you, but the bond between you has already started to form. Trust me, I remember what it was like,” he murmured, lost in nostalgia. “Speaking of which, you’ll call me if you need any advice. Your fathers and I are quite knowledgeable after spending most of our lives with your mother.” It wasn’t a question, but a gentle demand.

I hummed my agreement as memories of my late mother made my smile grow deeper and more genuine. It didn’t matter how old a man became, he always held a special place in his heart for his mom. “We will,” I promised, truly meaning it.

The line went quiet, and I knew my father was savoring his victory.

Just as I was about to end the call, he spoke again, his tone shifting as abruptly as if he’d flipped a switch. Gone was the fatherly intonation, replaced by the ruthless boss he was best known for. “The body we found tossed across the boundary line of our territory makes more sense now.”

My blood ran cold. Everything in me snapped to attention, mirroring the same shift my father had just undergone. Like a snake shedding its skin, I discarded my role as ‘son’ andmorphed into the brutal animal I’d been trained to become. “What body?”

“One of our patrols found Nick this morning,” he growled, the statement clipped and precise.

The world tilted beneath my feet. I stumbled further into the room and groped blindly for my desk, my fingers closing around a heavy crystal paperweight. “Nick?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” my father confirmed grimly. “It seems your little rescue mission has stirred up quite the hornet’s nest.”

I struggled to breathe, my chest constricting painfully. Nick had been more than just an enforcer; he’d been a friend, a brother-in-arms. And now he was gone, another casualty in this never-ending war.

“How?” I growled, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.

My father was clinical, detached. It was his way of dealing with the savagery of our world. “It wasn’t pretty. They made an example of him. He was beaten, bruised, and mutilated with a deep V carved into his chest.”

“Post-mortem?”

“You already know the answer to that.” His tone was patronizing.

Of course I did. They would’ve done that shit while he was alive. Tortured him for information before using him to send us a message.

I closed my eyes, willing away the images my mind conjured of Nick’s vacant stare, his body covered in blood that spoke to how violently he’d suffered before he died. I tightened my grip around the paperweight, needing something solid to anchor me.

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