Page 84 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

Julia caught my reaction and smiled sheepishly. “I might be the only Omega who’s not crazy about the idea of doing the whole pregnancy thing. But I’m all for supporting my friends. Demi was kidnapped and nearly sold in the same auction I was,” she explained.

“I think I’m missing something,” Demi said. “Who’s there with you?”

Julia scooted around until we were both sharing the video feed and I gave a little finger wave, feeling a sudden jolt of shyness, which was silly since I wasn’t even in the same room as the woman smiling on the screen.

“Hi. I’m Kitania.”

“Oh, my Gods!” Demi exclaimed. “You’re the Omega Julia’s brothers rescued.” Her features softened. “I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through.”

“T-Thank you,” I whispered.

A smirk curled Julia’s mouth. “Kitania is more than just another Omega. She’s my brothers’ scent match.”

The sadness that had dimmed Demi’s expression vanished, replaced with shock followed by pure happiness that radiated through the phone. “That’s the best news! I’m just”—she sniffed—“so thrilled that you found your pack, after all of that.” Tears watered in her eyes. “Sorry! Blame the pregnancy hormones.”

Julia grew serious as she explained her and Demi’s shared experience. My stomach clenched as I listened to their story, which was eerily similar to my own.

“We both woke up in cages,” Julia said quietly, as if going back to the memory cost her. “The assholes dressed us in lingerie and forced us onto a stage to be auctioned off like livestock.”

I shuddered as I remembered standing on that same auction block, hazed out of my mind and shivering from the cold. The awareness of countless eyes roaming over my body, the terror of not knowing who would buy me or what they’d do to me. I wrapped my arms around myself to ward off the sick, insidious feeling that spread through me like slow-moving poison.

“That’s when we were saved. Demi’s pack—Pack Maverick—rescued me and our friend Adeline. Another group of mercenaries they’d hired—Pack Jacobs—got Demi out.”

My breath caught in my throat. “You were rescued before they could sell you?”

Julia nodded and sent me a wary glance, as though she felt guilty she’d been saved while I’d been sold.

I reached for her and squeezed her hand. “Thank God. I’m glad you made it out.”

The tough facade she’d maintained crumbled, leaving nothing but raw sincerity in its wake. “We were lucky.” Her whisper was choked. “I can’t even imagine what it’s been like for you—what you’ve been through.” There was a shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. “That’s why I wanted you to meet Demi. To know that there is a life after all of this.”

Demi hummed her agreement, gentle and understanding. “I never lived at the OMA. My father traded me to an abusive pack as part of a business deal.”

My heart ached for her. I knew all too well the pain of being treated like a possession, passed from one set of cruel hands to another.

“I was stuck there for almost a year before I fought back and ran,” Demi continued. “That’s when I found my true pack. My scent matches.”

I gasped. “Really?” My hope sparked to life once more, fragile yet persistent.

“It was a long road,” Demi admitted. “I won’t bore you with all the details, but I know what it’s like to live with an abusive pack. To fight for your freedom, for your future. I’m proof that happily-ever-afters do exist, and that they’re worth fighting for. I’m free now, bonded to my scent matches, and pregnant with our first child. There’s sunshine after the storm—and it’s beautiful, Kitania. Really, really beautiful.”

Tears spilled down my cheeks, silent but steady. I dragged my fingers through my hair, taking a deep, shuddering breath, attempting to hold back the tide of emotion that made my throat tight and my chest ache.

“T-Thank you,” I choked out, meaning it with every fiber of my being. I needed to hear this, to see the living proof that things could get better—that there was light after all this darkness.

Julia’s eyes met mine, brimming with compassion. “Can I hug you?” She asked it with such uncertainty that I knew physical affection wasn’t common for her either.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Julia wrapped her arms around me, and I melted into her embrace. We cried together, releasing our shared pain. It was cathartic and oddly rejuvenating.

When I pulled back, I felt like a new person. Like I’d finally let go of some of the hurt.

“You’re so strong, Kitania,” Julia murmured, her breath warm against my ear. “Never lose sight of that.”

A watery laugh bubbled up as I wiped my eyes. “I won’t,” I promised. “And Julia?”

“Yeah?”

I smiled at the woman I now considered a friend and hoped to one day call a sister. “Call me Kit.”

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