Page 4 of Knot So Sweet

And once you were inside, your free will was forfeit. Unless you scent-matched an approved pack, you were trapped. Caged.

I glared harder at the screen. Michelle was making The Bramwell Sanctuary sound like some kind of utopia, but I knew better. It wasn’t a place where omegas were free to find their packs. It was a place where your choices were stripped away, where you were forced to conform to the rules laid out by alphas like Adam.

"This is what's best for our city. It’s necessary, so our innocent residents are not caught up in gang violence,"Michelle continued, her voice dripping with false concern. I could hear the smugness in her tone though, as if she were patting herself on the back for ‘saving’ us poor, helpless omegas.

How noble of her.

I fought the urge to throw something at the screen. To shatter the perfect image she projected and expose the ugly truth underneath. But what good would it do? Michelle had too much power, too much influence. And the worst part?

She knew it.

And Adam was the weapon she wielded, her golden boy, the entitled heir who took what he wanted—no matter the cost.

Including me.

Chapter 2

Candi

Owen shuffled into thekitchen, his disheveled appearance instantly putting me on edge. His hair stuck upin messy tufts, and the dark circles under his eyes were worse than yesterday.

His beard, usually well-trimmed, looked wild and unkempt. This wasn’t the Owen I knew—my brother always prided himself on his appearance, always immaculate, always in control. But this version of him? I barely recognized it.

My gut twisted. Whatever had happened to him in that basement at Michelle Sterling’s estate had broken something inside him, something I didn’t know how to fix. The worry that had taken root in my chest deepened, its grip tightening with each passing day.

Even his scent, normally a soothing blend of sandalwood and spice, was faint, nearly undetectable. I could always scent when things were off with my brother. And right now, I knew Owen wasn’t taking care of himself.

I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that my push to reopen The Den was only adding to the weight he carried. The last thing I wanted was to be another burden on his already overloaded shoulders.

"Owen, you look like hell," I said, unable to hide my concern.

"Thanks, I was aiming for undead chic. Can I borrow some of your clothes?" His attempt at humor barely began to mask the exhaustion in his voice. He rubbed a hand over his face as he stumbled toward the fridge, weariness etched into his every movement.

"Sure. I have a new pair of studded platforms you might like. They’ll go with your suit so nicely," I shot back, forcing a smile to match his banter.

Owen smirked, the faintest glimmer of his old self shining through as he grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. He added a splash of milk, then stood there for a moment, staring blankly into his cup.

I watched him, leaning against the counter with my arms crossed, hating the sight of him like this. It wasn’t right. It wasn’tfair. I’d begged him to reopen The Den, and trying to force all the pieces into place to make that happen was killing him.

"Seriously, Owen," I said, my voice softening. "I’m worried about you. You need to take care of yourself. Kay, Creed, Vaughn—they’re there for you. Lean on them. Let them take care of you." I gestured to the closed door down the hall, where his pack still slept.

"This..." I waved my hand at the TV. "Obsessing over this isn’t helping."

Owen let out a long, heavy sigh, running his hands over his face as if trying to rub the fatigue away. "I know. I just... I don’t want my pack to worry. I’m their alpha. It’s my job to protect them. I can’t drag them into my mess."

I shook my head, frustrated by his stubbornness. "That’s exactly why you need to let them in, Owen. You’re not in this alone. You have a pack who would do anything for you. Stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s going to burn you out, and it’s going to push them away."

For a moment, he stared at the floor, his brow furrowed, clearly battling with his own pride and the crushing weight of responsibility that had been placed on him.

"I just don’t know how to protect all of you. Every time I think I’m making progress, something else happens. I feel like I’m drowning."

His words cut deep, a vulnerable confession from a man who had always been larger than life to me.

I softened, stepping closer to him. "I know. You’re a good alpha, Owen. But if you keep trying to do this alone, you’re going to break. You won’t be able to protect anyone if you’re running on empty. Let us help. That’s what family is for."

His shoulders slumped slightly as he met my gaze, and the flicker of doubt in his eyes made my heart ache. I reached out, placing a hand on his arm, grounding him in the moment."We're stronger together, Owen. You don’t have to do this alone."

His jaw clenched, tension radiating off of him in waves. His pale blue eyes darkened with frustration as he set his mug down harder than necessary, the clink against the counter too sharp in the quiet room.

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