Page 82 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

“I could almost admire it,” he continued, tone thoughtful, as though I were some kind of puzzle he was mildly interested in solving. “The way you fight, even when it’s pointless. But you’ll learn soon enough.”

My skin burned under his touch as his fingers lingered on my cheek, tracing the curve of my jaw. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to disappear, to sink into the floor and escape his gaze, his voice, his control.

But escape was a fantasy, as distant as the stars.

“You’ll thank me one day.” His breath was hot against my ear. “When you finally understand that submission is survival.”

The sound of the whiskey glass being set on the table was the only warning before pain exploded across my cheek, the stingof his slap jerking my head to the side. Tears spilled down my face, unbidden, and he laughed softly, mockingly.

“You’re almost there.” Vincent straightened and stepped back. “A little more time, and you’ll be fucking perfect.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, grappling for control, trying to stop the rising tide of panic. But it was no use. My throat closed and my heart thundered.

Tears filled my eyes in real time while I pretended to study the titles on the spines so the guys wouldn’t notice that I was on the verge of a breakdown. It was only because of the scent-blockers they hadn’t picked up on my distress thus far.

Hold it together, Kit.But I was spiraling.Fast.

The discussion that flew around me became background noise compared to the ringing in my ears.

I could feel the anxiety swallowing me alive, my breath coming in shallow bursts. My knees threatened to buckle. Just as I felt the panic attack closing in, a woman burst into the room, assessing the situation with a calm, commanding presence I envied. Her resemblance to Dimitri was uncanny, and I instantly knew this had to be their sister. She marched straight toward my mates with fire in her eyes.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she scolded, throwing her hands into the air.

The intrusion was enough to jolt me out of my downward spiral.

“Julia, we’re right in the middle of something, dear,” Matteo said, not that she paid him any mind.

“Don’t ‘Julia’ me. Every single one of you knows better. Seriously, guys? Can’t you see your Omega is overwhelmed and on the verge of a panic attack?” She berated everyone in the room, and I gaped, marveling at the way she brought these big, strong, powerful men to a standstill.

“Aw fuck!” Gio hissed. All it took was a glance in my direction and he was moving, but his sister blocked his path with her arms crossed. He glanced straight over her shoulder, attention riveted on me. A purr blazed to life in his chest, soothing me even from a distance. “KitKat, are you alright?”

“We’re so sorry, Angel. We weren’t thinking about how discussing those assholes would affect you.” A genuinely apologetic wince tugged at Marco’s features.

Tommas rubbed at the back of his neck. “We got a little carried away with business talk.”

Their fathers all looked just as chastised.

“No.” I waved my hand as if I could dismiss their concerns, but it was hard to force the words out of my tight throat. “This is a problem I brought to your door. You have to discuss it. I just—I just need a second to pull myself together.”

“What youneedis a break from all this,” Julia emphasized, spinning on her heels and coming to my side. “Trust me. These Cristenello men are capable of talking for hours. Let them go in circles about how to fix the problem, and when they have a solution or a plan, they can present it to you and get your opinion. Until then, we’ll be off getting some much needed girl time. Come on.” She offered me her hand, and with only a moment of hesitation, I took it.

With a decisive nod, Julia guided me out of the door while I shot one last glance over my shoulder.

“Jewels,” Marco called after us, and she didn’t even turn around.

“Unless you think the boogeyman is going to pop out of my closet, we’ll be perfectly safe in my room, Mars. I’ll bring your mate back to you when she’s ready.” As we walked, she murmured softly, “And only after we do some serious Omega pampering. You need it, and frankly, so do I.” Her tone wassoothing, yet there was an underlying firmness that told me she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

The moment we were out of sight, and more importantly, out of earshot, an inappropriate laugh burst out of me. Once the giggle started, it wouldn’t stop. It was like the bubble of stress that had been unceasingly building had finally popped, and the release was gloriously cathartic.

“I’ve never seen an Omega talk to Alphas that way. That wasincredible,” I raved, truly impressed if not a little nervous that one of them would march out here and put Julia in her place.

But nobody did.

It was the first time in my life I realized we Omegas might not be as powerless as I’d always assumed we were. Because there was nothing shy or timid about Julia. She was strong, and brash, and had more bravery in her little pinkie than I had in my entire body.

“I want to be you when I grow up,” I told her amidst my best efforts to tame my giggles.

Her lips quivered in the corners, and then she was laughing alongside me.

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