Page 53 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

The Alpha part of me perked up at the prospect of learning about my Omega, hungry for any morsel of information she’d trust me with.

Surprisingly, I noted the same interest in Kitania, her eyes a window to the questions already swimming through her mind. There were things she wanted answers to, and I wondered what she was curious about. Whatever she asked, I would answer gladly, secrets and all. Whether she knew it or not, with or without our little game, I was hers. And I wouldn’t deny her anything.

Wiggling in her seat, Kitania focused on her cards with renewed vigor. I kept my chuckle to myself this time, playing a bit more ruthlessly. I won the first hand with ease, watching in amusement as my Omega squirmed, awaiting my question.

Best to start gently and go easy on her.

I tapped my chin, pretending to be deep in thought about what I wanted to ask.

“If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be?”

She didn’t miss a beat. “To fly.” Her head tipped back, eyes closing as her hands went out at her sides like she could take flight at any moment.

Of course,that was her fucking answer.That simple response had been loaded with so much meaning. It wasn’t hard to guess that it was the freedom that called to her. Anyone who’d been caged for as long as she had would crave the ability to fly away, to sail through the sky and go anywhere she damn well pleased. Even before she’d been kidnapped and sold, her wings had been clipped before they’d had a chance to spread.

Our beautiful angel, desperate to finally soar.

“I didn’t expect you to start with an easy one,” she challenged.

I arched an eyebrow. “Would you rather I have demanded to know every deep, dark secret you have?”

Her nose tipped up just slightly. “I don’t have deep, dark secrets.”

“Everyone has secrets.”

Those blue eyes blinked up at me. “Even you?”

Oh sweet, naive girl.“Probably more than most.”

Her head cocked to the side consideringly. “Are you gonna tell me what they are?”

I grinned again, smiling more than I had in fucking years. This time, however, it held an edge of challenge. “You have to win first.”

The second hand went my way as well, and the tiny, frustrated mewl she released was worth the scathing scowl she levied at me.

“I think you were taking it easy on me before.”

I shot her a wink, and shegrowled.

Goddammit.I shifted in my seat, wondering if I should grab a pillow to throw over my lap so she wouldn’t notice the effect she had on me. Seeing that flash of fire in her was sexy as fuck.

“I guess you get another question,” Kitania resigned.

I cleared my throat, distracting myself by coming up with something to ask. “I’m not sure if you know this, but Tommas shared some of your background with the rest of us. We don’t keep things from each other.”

Her eyes widened, but she took the news in stride, nodding. “It’s nice, actually. Not having to repeat everything to everyone.”

I understood. Sometimes, dating multiple partners could put strain on an Omega. The four of us sharing stuff with each other wasn’t an invasion of her privacy. It was just the way of a pack. I assured her that if there was anything she ever wanted us to keep to ourselves, all she needed to do was ask. Then, after confirming what I knew about her background in foster care, I dove into my question.

“Where did you learn to cook?” I asked. “Since your mom passed when you were so young… Was it at a foster home? Or a class at the OMA?”

Kitania shook her head. “My fondest memories are of my mom in the kitchen. She loved to cook, and from the time I was old enough to stand on a stool at the counter, she let me help. Once she was gone, and I was in the system…” She trailed off, nibbling on the already abused flesh of her bottom lip. When she spoke again, her voice was little more than a whisper. “There were lots of foster parents who expected me to do all the cooking and cleaning for the family. I was treated more like a maid or a servant than their child. One day, I pulled out mom’s old recipe book and just… started following the directions. Cooking became my escape, I guess. A way to feel close to her again. To pretend we were back in our tiny kitchen, side by side at the stove.”

I wanted to snarl, enraged at the mere thought of my precious Omega being forced into servitude as a child, deprived of a real home and family. But there was a softness in herexpression too, one that hinted at the joy she’d found, even during those dark days. It was a testament to her strength. Her fortitude. Her fucking perseverance.

“I enjoy cooking, but I actually like baking best,” she confided, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth at the admission, as though she were telling me an illicit secret. “Before I designated, I’d hoped to save up enough money to open a bakery someday.”

Fuck.Whatever dreams she had, I’d make them a reality. Little did she know that my brothers or I would fish the damn moon from the sky for her if she so much as asked.

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