Page 34 of Knot Happening

HARLEN

The kitchen felt too small,too confined for the tempest brewing within its walls.We sat around the worn-out table, the air thick with unspoken words and the lingering scent of coffee.Darcy was resting, her body still recovering from the ferocity of her heat, and the reality of her situation weighed heavily on us all.

"He sold his own daughter," Axel growled, his fists clenched on the tabletop."How could a father do that?"

Pietro's face was a mask of cold fury, his accent thickening with each word."C??? ?????," he muttered under his breath, a string of Russian curses that none of us could fully understand, but the venom in his tone needed no translation.

Jin, the quiet one among us, finally spoke up."I've been tracking her father's movements for years.He's always been ruthless, but this...this is a new low."

I watched them, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and calculations.My gaze flicked to Pietro, the tension in his jaw echoing the turmoil within me.His dark eyes were narrowed, a silent storm brewing behind them.Pietro's hands, usually so steady, betrayed a slight tremor as he clenched them into fists on the table.It was a subtle sign of the fury that simmered just beneath the surface.

"We need to focus on what we can control," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me."Darcy's safety is our priority."

Jin nodded, his eyes dark with the weight of his own secrets."I knew I was her mate for so long, I never imagined I'd be sitting here with a pack-full of them."

Axel leaned back, The Vultures' patch on his leather vest catching the dim light.He wasn't wearing anything under his vest, and it was almost as if he had put it on like a warrior would don armor before a battle."We're her scent matches, alright.And that means we're in this together, whether we like it or not."

Pietro slammed his hand on the table, making us all jump."?? ??????? ??? ?????????," he said, his eyes blazing."We will protect her, and we will make her father pay."

I had enough of the unknown."Speak English, Pietro," I demanded, taking control of the situation."We need to understand each other, now more than ever."

He glared at me but relented."I said, we'll do this right.No mistakes."

The tension in the room was a living thing, coiling around us, tightening its grip.We were four alphas, each with our own past, our own demons, and now, a shared purpose.

Jin's eyes widened as recognition dawned on him."You're Pietro Volkov, the Bratva boss," he said, his voice a mix of awe and dread."I've heard stories about you."

Pietro's lips curled into a smirk."And you are the one who has been watching our omega," he retorted, his tone icy."I wonder what tales they tell of you."

Axel interjected, his voice a low rumble."Darcy needs us to be united, not at each other's throats."

I felt the truth in his words."Axel's right.We need to put our conflicting loyalties aside and focus on the now."

Jin nodded, his gaze shifting between us."I may have watched Darcy, but I did it to keep her safe.I want to help."

Pietro's eyes softened for a moment, a rare crack in his ironclad demeanor."Then it's settled.We work together, for Darcy."

The air was still heavy with the gravity of our situation, but there was a sense of unity forming between us.We were a pack now, bound by fate and the woman sleeping in the other room.Her father had started this game, but we would be the ones to end it.

I watched them, each alpha with his own strengths and weaknesses, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at how quickly we were forming a unit.Pietro's offer to move us to a more secure location was a relief; the place we were in now felt too exposed, too vulnerable, and with Darcy's safety at stake, we couldn't afford to take any chances.

Jin seemed eager to relocate, his protective instincts for Darcy evident in the way his eyes softened at the mention of her name."I'm in," he said quickly, nodding his agreement to Pietro's plan."Anything that keeps Darcy safe is a win in my book."

Axel, on the other hand, seemed torn between his responsibilities to his club and his duty to Darcy."I appreciate the offer, Pietro," he said, his gaze steady and serious."I've got some unfinished business with The Vultures, though.I need to ensure the safety of one of our own.If I could have the freedom to come and go..."

Pietro cut him off with a wave of his hand."Consider it done," he assured Axel."Your business is your own.We all have our...obligations."

I cleared my throat, the weight of my own secrets pressing down on me."I have a day job to consider," I admitted, the words tasting like ash in my mouth."I need to be able to tend to it, or questions will be asked."

Pietro turned his dark gaze on me, his eyes sharp and assessing."I can arrange something for you, Harlen," he said after a moment's pause."You won't be tied down there."

The trust we were placing in each other was humbling, and I felt the first stirrings of something that felt suspiciously like loyalty.We were strangers, thrown together by fate and circumstance, but in this moment, we were united in our purpose.

"Thank you, Pietro," I said, my voice low and sincere."I appreciate it."

The air was thick with tension and unspoken words, but there was also a sense of camaraderie that I hadn't felt in a long time.These men, these alphas, were quickly becoming more than just allies.They were my pack, and I would defend them—and Darcy—with my life.

The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.I had always been a loner, a solitary figure moving in the shadows, but now...now I was a part of something greater than myself.And despite the danger that loomed over us, I couldn't deny the sense of fulfillment that came with it.

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