Page 85 of Knot So Sweet

Pieces of my soul I could never get back.

I was no longer that scared little girl. I wouldn't be controlled by an alpha who wanted to own me.

A memory so hot and fast washed over me that I had to brace myself against my dresser. My reflection blurred, the scar across my neck throbbing like it had a heartbeat of its own—a haunting of my past, of my father’s dark and fucked up ways.

You dared to defy me girl!My father's voice boomed in my head. A poison I couldn’t purge.

I shook my head, desperate to shake the memory loose. But it flickered back, jagged and broken, like an old film reel, sharp and jarring.

I could see him—his fists trembling with fury as he cornered me in our living room. He was seething, his disappointment burning like fire in his eyes. I had stood my ground, my heart racing in my chest as I told him the one thing he refused to hear.

"I will never bond with Adam Sterling."

Adam-FUCKING—Sterling. Sterling City’s golden boy.

Creed’s brother.

Kaylani’s ex.

He was rotten to his core, his perfection only a mask. I couldn’t stand him.

"There was no way in hell I would ever accept him as my alpha."

My father erupted. Pain exploded through my body as his fists found their mark again and again. Darkness started to creep in at the edges of my vision, but when I thought he might finally stop, he reached for the knife in his pocket.

The blade gleamed in the low light and then he struck—slicing through the tender flesh of my neck. Pain tore through me, and my hands flew to my throat, trying to stem the flow of blood. Warmth spread over my skin, pooling beneath me as I staggered back.

"Candice!" Owen’s voice roared from the hallway. I could hear his boots thudding against the hardwood as he ran toward me, fierce and protective even back then.

The world around me dimmed, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. Owen’s voice grew frantic, and I could feel the air shift as my father turned his rage on my brother.

There were sounds of grappling, grunts of exertion, the dull thud of bodies colliding. I wanted to help—I wanted to fight—but I was fading. I couldn’t see, the colors around me dissolving into dark, smothering shadows.

"Get away from her!" Owen’s voice cut through the chaos, desperate and sharp.

I wanted to reach for him, to call out and tell him I was still here. But the darkness was swallowing me whole, pulling me under.

"Candice, stay with me! Stay with me!"

I was slipping away, blood pooling around me like the last remnants of warmth I’d ever feel. With one last shallow breath, I let go, the darkness taking me completely.

Chapter 37

Candi

If it weren’t formy brother, I would’ve died that night.

Grabbing my collar from the nightstand, I fastened it around my neck, covering the angry scar, trying to silence thedemons still howling inside me. The leather felt like armor—my shield against the past and the memories that threatened to consume me.

I let out a long, shaky breath, forcing the weight of my emotions down, grabbing my lipstick and painting my lips the darkest shade of black.

The moment the familiar color settled onto my lips, the mask slid back into place, like a second skin. It was comforting, a protective barrier between me and the world. Between me and the raw, vulnerable parts of myself I couldn’t allow anyone to see.

I could still feel the ache, the bruises on my heart from last night, but I shoved them down. I needed to be numb. I needed to be the girl I had spent years perfecting—the girl who felt nothing.

It was time to face the music.

I headed down the stairs, my damp hair clinging to my face, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered except pushing forward. Except surviving. I had a bar to run, a grand reopening to focus on. This was supposed to be my fresh start.

---