Page 20 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

Instinctively, I slid behind Giovanni, using him as a human shield. Pressed against his back, clinging to him for safety, I dared a peek around his impressive bicep. The animal bared his teeth, and I couldn’t stop myself from squeaking in fright.

Giovanni’s rich chuckle reverberated through me.

“Easy,Dolcezza,” he murmured, the endearment in that rumbling baritone sending warmth blooming across my cheeks. “It’s just Beretta.”

At the foot of the stairs, Beretta continued his menacing snarl. My body locked up, fear spiking hard and fast.

“H-He doesn’t like me.”

“He’s protective of us, but trust me, he won’t hurt you.” Covering my hand with his, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “He just needs to get to know you.”

My knuckles were white from how hard I held onto him.

Before I could overthink it, Giovanni swept me off my feet as if I weighed nothing. A startled gasp escaped, and I looped my arms around his neck on instinct. This close, his heady scent was all-consuming. My signature swelled in response, perfumebillowing into the air as if it were the most natural thing in the world to respond to an Alpha so effortlessly.

Beretta tilted his head, dark eyes assessing me. Then, to my astonishment, he lifted his nose and sniffed before whining softly. Instantly, he laid down, propping his boxy head on his paws in a posture of submission.

“Good boy,” Giovanni praised as he started down the stairs with me in his arms. The dog popped back into a sitting position, his nub wagging happily as we passed by.

Gio grinned, and the dimples that flashed at the corners of his mouth nearly stole my breath. The scary looking Alpha had smiled. And the result wasdazzling. “Let’s get you fed,Dolcezza.”

In the sleek, modern kitchen, Dimitri and Marco looked up sharply at our entrance. Heat crept up my neck as I studied the elegant tiled floors, unable to meet their intent stares.

“She’s out,” Marco said, sounding almost awed.

I risked a glance to find him grinning widely, blue eyes twinkling with mischief despite the notes of stress I caught in his scent. Dimitri’s expression remained carefully neutral, though his shoulders seemed to relax infinitesimally.

Giovanni set me gently on a barstool before turning to his brothers. “The lady requires sustenance,” he declared imperiously.

His comment spurred Marco into action. He moved with an effortless grace, pulling out pots and pans, cracking eggs into a bowl. Within moments, the mouthwatering aroma of sizzling butter filled the air.

I watched, mesmerized, as his hands flew over the countertops. Seeing him in the kitchen was like witnessing a master at work—cool, confident, controlled movements belying an innate understanding of his craft.

So Marco is the caretaker.Most Alphas had a role within their pack, tasks that played to their strength. Dimitri was clearly the leader, the Alpha the other men deferred to. He was the head of the household, something I’d recognized instantly about him.

My stomach rumbled again, louder this time.

Dimitri’s lips twitched in an almost-smile as he crossed the room toward me. Up close, his chiseled features and warm blue eyes were even more striking. He reached out, calloused fingertips grazing my chin to tilt my face up.

“There she is,” he murmured, holding my gaze, and the proud notes in his voice made my Omega absolutelypreenwith delight. “I was starting to think you might decide to leave.”

His words were light, but I detected an undercurrent of vulnerability there, buried beneath the Alpha bravado. As if he truly feared I would reject this… whatever it was unfolding between us.

I swallowed hard, caught in the intensity of his stare. “N-no,” I managed, surprising myself with the throaty rasp of my own voice. “I want… I mean, if you’ll still have me…”

Dimitri’s thumb brushed my lower lip, the rough pad sending shivers along my nerve-endings. “Kitten,” he rumbled, the endearment carrying depths of meaning I didn’t fully grasp. “There is no universe where we don’t want you.”

The breath stalled in my lungs. “Then my answer is yes. I-I’d like to court you, I-I mean be courtedbyyou, if you still want…”

“Oh, Iwant. I wantverymuch, Kitten.” Leaning forward, he startled me by placing a sweet, gentle kiss against my forehead before stepping back. The simple gesture didn’t scare me the way it should’ve. It made my pulse flutter wildly instead. Dimitri smirked as if he could hear the thunder of my heartbeat. “Let’s call and get this nonsense with the OMA settled, so it’s no longera concern. The director may want to speak with you, to confirm your consent to our offer of courtship.”

I nodded like an idiot, grateful he was taking charge of this matter and I didn’t have to worry about it. Maybe that made me an inconvenience to them, but leaving my room was hard enough, and I only had the bandwidth to stay seated on this barstool, surrounded by unknown yet familiar Alphas. It took all my courage not to run back to the safety of the bedroom they’d leant me, especially with all their scents floating through the air. Even though they smelled amazing, together they were overwhelming.

Everything was so strange now. So different. I wanted to trust it, but I could admit that I was scared.

Giovanni slid onto the stool next to me, his thigh pressing hotly against mine. Carefully, slowly, an arm snaked around my waist, a large hand splaying possessively across my hip. Instantly, my Omega eased.

Which was another strange occurrence since touch had always repelled me before.

---