Page 102 of Knot Just for Show

The rejection hurts so deeply, my eyes begin to well with tears. Suddenly I’m back on the grounds of the family estate—reaching desperately for my father, being shunned for being too soft, too emotional, too feminine—too needy.

Through the blurred vision, I catch sight of a flash of red—flickering like flame. I blink away my tears to see Ursula, Mavren, Ash, and Ronan backing her up—my pack on a collision course for Teddy, Anton, and I.

“Oh what—you called for reinforcements because you can’t have a conversation man-to-man anymore?” Anton gestures at the united front of Pack Gold bearing down upon us, punctuating the question with a mocking laugh.

“Maybe you should take a hint and just get out of here, Anton,” I snarl, lips pulling back from my teeth in a hateful grimace.

“Nobody asked you, kid!” Anton shouts back at me, before starting in on Teddy again, “What—did you pick up a twink boyfriend too in the process?” he scoffs, and I stop dead in my tracks—holding my breath.

Teddy whips around so fast that Anton actually walks directly into him— Anton’s hands up to keep himself from knocking skulls with Teddy.

“Anton—what the fuck makes you think that you know me?” Teddy growls, his alpha aura expanding like crackling electricity in the salty sea air.

For a moment, I could swear I saw fear flash in Anton’s eyes.

“Because!” Anton’s face softens into a knowing smile—his hands rising to rest on Teddy’s shoulders affectionately. “You and I are the same Teddy, old pal.” He grins warmly—leaning in to whisper something I can’t hear in Teddy’s ear.

Whatever he says makes Teddy jerk back—free from Anton’s grip; a look that reviles the secret words—that speaks of pure disgust.

I’m worried Teddy is going to wind up and punch Anton’s teeth in, when Ursula appears between the two alphas—her olive gold skin and brilliant crimson swimsuit making her appear as some angel of war between two sparring demigods.

“Alright you two—no one brought a fucking ruler to the beach so we can call it quits on this dick measuring contest you’ve been working on over here,” Ursula snaps, her voice devoid of its usual brassy warmth—a cold and inflexible base note to her reprimand.

Anton stumbles back a step—visibly shaken.

“U-ursula?” He blinks, actually seeing her for the first time.

“Anton, the asshole gym owner, I presume?” she claps back—hands in fists posted on her hips.

“I—you,” he stammers, taking in the sight of her.

“They’re tits Anton, Britt has them too—if you don’t have something nice to say—which I know you don’t; why don’t you literally ‘pound sand.’” She sneers, shoving past him to grab my hand.

“Ursula—wait, I can explain,” Anton stammers, his expression softening as he tries to plead his case. “This isn’t what it looks like.” He jumps into her path—standing so close to the two of us that I can smell his coal-tar whiskey scent even in the high wind. “Teddy isn’t what he looks like,” he spits out, venomously—his hand reaching for Ursula’s arm.

Something inside me breaks free, like the branch of a flowering tree snapping and falling to the ground—its greenwood, shifting and slithering into the shape of a snake, coiling its body in readiness to strike.

Anton’s fingers barely have time to touch Ursula’s wrist when I explode into action.

My fist connects with the underside of Anton’s jaw as I drive it skyward—a choked sound of pain escaping him as he topples backward into the sand.

Ursula sways on her feet as my theta scent vaporizes with the heat of my rage—Anton’s eyes drooping closed from my tranquilizing perfume rather than head trauma as he slackens—flat on his back in the sand.

“Oh SHIT! Let’s go, Sandy!” Ash cheers with a loud clap—though the others seem a bit more reluctant to celebrate outright.

I turn my attentions to Ursula—steadying her woozy weaving with an arm around her waist.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have resorted to violence—but when he touched you, I just saw red.” I hang my head, shame coursing through me.

Ursula blinks away her drowsy haze, lifting one hand to touch my face as she looks over my shoulder at Anton snoozing in the sand.

“There might have been a better way, that’s true—but considering how much trouble Anton was having with listening or respecting boundaries—I have to admit that I’m glad you threw hands at him before he put hands on me.”

There’s a chorus of affirmative humming and nodding from the others, but Teddy just has his face in his hands, shaking his head.

“Now is neither the time or place,” Mavren begins in a cool, serious tone. “But you have some explaining to do when we get back to the villa tonight, Theodore,” he growls, his alpha aura settling like a weighted blanket over our pack. “Assuming thatnone of us are kicked off of the show for these little antics.” Mavren’s gaze sweeps over us, his disapproval palpable.

I open my mouth but Mavren holds up his hand. “I’m not saying you weren’t justified in putting him on his ass, Lysander, I’m just saying that we gotta face facts. It’s a distinct possibility.”

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