Page 16 of Knot Happening

"I'll go with you, Doc.You're gonna need backup," he declared, his voice tinged with bravado.

I shook my head, my decision final."This is a one-man job, Rook.I work best alone."

The room erupted into heated debate, the air thick with testosterone and alpha posturing.Some argued for a full-scale assault, others for stealth and cunning.I let them hash it out, their voices a distant hum as I mulled over the intel.

Finally, I raised a hand, silencing the room."Here's how we're gonna do it," I said, my voice steady and commanding.I outlined my plan, taking into account their suggestions but ultimately sticking to my instincts.The room was quiet, their eyes locked onto mine as I spoke.

When I finished, Torch clapped me on the back, a grudging respect in his eyes."You've got balls, Doc.We'll get you set up with a safe house and whatever firepower you need."

I spent the next few hours poring over maps with Torch and a select few members, their local knowledge invaluable.We pinpointed the Iron Serpents' hideout, tracing possible routes and escape plans.The club's armory was opened to me, and I selected a few choice weapons—a silenced pistol, a combat knife, and a sleek, black tactical shotgun.

As the night wore on, the club members shared stories of past skirmishes and run-ins with the Iron Serpents.The tales were a mix of triumph and tragedy, each one a testament to the club's tumultuous history.I listened, absorbing their experiences and using them to shape my strategy.

Eventually, the crowd thinned, leaving only Torch and me.He poured us each a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in the dim light.

"You know, your old man would've been proud," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia."Blade was a good man, a great leader.You've got his grit, his determination."

I took a sip of the whiskey, the burn of the alcohol a welcome distraction."I just hope I can live up to his legacy," I confessed, the weight of my father's constant presence.

Torch gave me a knowing look, his eyes reflecting a shared understanding."You already are, Doc.You already are."

With a newfound resolve, I left the chapter house, the roar of my bike echoing through the night as I rode to the safe house.The reconnaissance had been successful, and the plan was set.Now, all that remained was a quick rest before the execution.

seventeen

JIN

I wasthe youngest of three, born into the cramped confines of a lower-middle-class life.My siblings and I shared everything—a small room, hand-me-down clothes, and the weight of our parents' expectations.From a young age, I learned to be resourceful, to make do with what we had, and to never ask for more.Intelligence was my currency, the one thing I could claim as my own amidst the constant comparison to my brother and sister.

But it was my alpha heritage that truly set me apart.It was a blazing inferno within the quiet resignation of our daily life.I was stronger, faster, and my temper flared hotter and quicker than those around me.I remember the way my mother's eyes would widen, a mix of pride and fear, whenever I'd stand up to the neighborhood bullies.I was a protector, a natural leader, but also a ticking time bomb in a house that thrived on peace and stability.

My strength was a double-edged sword.It earned me respect on the street, but at home, it was a source of tension.My father, a stoic beta, struggled to understand the fire that raged inside me.He and my siblings seemed content with their lot in life, but I yearned for more.I wanted to break free from the cycle of mediocrity that seemed to ensnare everyone I loved.

I recall the countless times I'd come home with bruised knuckles and a defiant tilt to my chin, having stood my ground once again.My mother would cluck her tongue and tend to my wounds, while my siblings watched from the sidelines, their expressions a blend of admiration and bewilderment.They never quite knew what to make of me—the quiet bookworm with the ferocity of an alpha twice his size.

In school, I excelled, but my volatile nature often overshadowed my academic achievements.Teachers would praise my intellect while simultaneously scolding me for my lack of self-control.It was a frustrating dichotomy, being lauded for my mind while being chastised for the very essence of my being.

As I grew older, the divide between me and my siblings only widened.They found comfort in the familiar, in the small, predictable lives they were carving out for themselves.But I couldn't settle.I wouldn't.I needed to prove that I was more than just the wild, untamed alpha from a family that didn't understand me.

I started spending more time away from home, finding solace in the solitude of the city's underbelly.I honed my skills, learning to navigate the shadows with the same precision I applied to my studies.It was there, in the darkness, that I first caught wind of the Omega Underground—a network of omegas fighting for their rights and freedom, along with any willing beta or alpha that would help.

Their cause resonated with me, a reminder that even in a world that sought to define us by our secondary sex, we were all more than the labels society imposed upon us.I began to volunteer, using my intelligence and resourcefulness to aid their efforts.It was there that I met Darcy McCarthy, an omega whose fire matched my own.

Her presence was like a siren's call, drawing me in, compelling me to listen.I found myself lingering in the background, watching her with a fascination that bordered on obsession.She was everything I admired—brave, intelligent, and fiercely independent.And though I knew I should keep my distance, I couldn't help but be drawn into her orbit.

I told myself it was for her protection, that my presence was a necessary deterrent against those who would seek to harm her.But deep down, I knew it was more than that.Darcy was the beacon of hope in a life that was quickly spiraling into darkness.She was the one person who made me feel seen, truly seen, for who I was beyond the alpha stereotype.

And so, I watched over her, a silent guardian in the shadows.I convinced myself that as long as I kept her safe, I wasn't crossing any lines.But the truth was, I was playing a dangerous game—one that could cost us both everything.

I was sixteen, a jumble of rage and confusion, when the world as I knew it crumbled to dust.My parents, taken from us in a senseless accident, left my siblings and me to grapple with the cruel hand fate had dealt us.The state, with its cold efficiency, divided us among distant relatives, tearing us apart like pages from a book.I remember the helplessness that clawed at my throat, the silent scream that echoed in my chest as I watched my family fracture.

The relatives who took me in were strangers, their home a battlefield of indifference.I was another mouth to feed, a burden they bore with thinly veiled resentment.I learned quickly to keep my head down, to avoid the dagger-like stares and the barbed comments that seemed to find me no matter where I hid.

My identity, once as clear and certain as the rising sun, became a shroud of question marks.I was an alpha, but what did that mean in a world that saw me as little more than a problem to be solved?I grappled with the expectations that society had carved out for me—a life of dominance and authority that felt as alien as the moon's surface.I was expected to lead, but all I wanted was to survive.

The loss of my parents had ignited a fire within me, a fierce determination to endure, to carve out a place for myself in a world that seemed intent on my destruction.But the path was treacherous, littered with the debris of my shattered dreams and the constant, gnawing fear of discovery.

It was then that I stumbled upon the de-scent lotion and beta pheromone perfume.They were my tickets to a new life, my disguise in a world that feared and revered the alpha.I learned to smother the wild, primal scent that clung to my skin, to cloak myself in the subtle, unassuming aroma of a beta.It was a painstaking transformation, a metamorphosis that required constant vigilance.

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