Page 23 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

The doors open at exactly six o’clock and there’s already a receiving line formed, guests dressed in their finest, waiting to be let into the engagement part of the century. But not really. Who actually cares about the daughter of a senator and his aide getting married?

No one, that’s who.

I spend the next fifteen minutes smiling and giggling like an idiot. Selling that I am in fact madly in love with Brian Coogan, when in actuality he makes my skin crawl, I can’t stand to have him touch me or be near me…. Or at least that was the case before I couldn’t feel much of anything.

Now, though, I can’t bring myself to give more than a tiny shudder, barely noticeable, as he slides his hand onto my hip, pulling me tight to his body.

I’m not sure what has him holding onto me so tight. For the last fifteen minutes, he’s hardly touched me, but now he’s acting all possessive and weird. I glance up at him and find him staring down the line of guests waiting to come in, his mouth curled in a cocky smirk and his brow arched in challenge.

What in the world?

I follow the line of his gaze. Everything stops for a beat. Two.

My eyes clash with a pair of angry deep grays farther down the line and my heart gives the barest flip before the chemicals in my veins smooth it out. I wasn’t aware that the Calloway pack would be here, Didn’t have the faintest clue that they were invited. Then again. I didn’t exactly help with the guest list. My one friend in the entire world isn’t here, and I’m more than okay with that. I don’t want Ren anywhere near Frederick Bell or Brian Coogan. If I could tell her to move across the country and take her family with her, I would.

Creed stares at me hard, and I meet his gaze with my own impassive one. I know it should hurt seeing him. I know I should—I don’t know—be anxious to see him. If anyone here would help me get away from my father, it would be Creed and his pack, but I really can’t rustle up any more feeling than apathy.

The glower on his face increases the longer I stare at him with zero emotion.

“You must be so excited!” A woman with graying hair and crow’s feet says, drawing my attention to her.

On reflex, my mouth curls into a smile, and I hear myself give an excited breathy laugh. “So excited,” I repeat, reaching out to shake her hand. “I can’t wait to marry my best friend.”

The words hang heavy on my tongue. Before we came tonight, my father and Brian gave me an approved list of things to say to people to sell the charade of this being an actual love match. That was just one of the many delightful lies that have dripped from my tongue tonight. Every one poison in my veins.

The older woman coos and turns to Brian, standing next to me with his arm looped around my waist, his hand on my hip possessively. “And what about you?”

He takes longer to respond, and when he does, he slides his hand up to cup the nape of my neck, squeezing almost too tight. “I’m just so thrilled she’s agreed to be mine.”

The woman hums. “Yes, well, it is a rather short engagement, but the heart wants what it wants!” She laughs and we laugh along with her.

Brian keeps his hand on my neck, heavy like a collar, every so often he leans into me, presses his lips into my hair in a way that undoubtedly seems tender to anyone watching, but it’s just a cover for him to mutter alpha barks to me. “You will not speak to the Calloway pack when they reach us.” “You will not look at them.” “You will keep your eyes on me the entire time they are in front of us.” “You will act like you love me.”

Each of his commands is a weight in my stomach, on my chest. I can’t escape them. Not for the first time, I wish I’d foreseen this and had Hale make it so I wouldn’t followanyalpha commands, but at the time I foolishly thought I was with my forever pack and they would keep me safe.

The Calloway’s inch closer and closer, I dutifully smile and shake hands and beam like I’m truly happy to be here, like this iswhat I want. I’m keenly aware of the alphas stalking ever nearer, though. My skin prickles with each foot covered. Then they’re in front of us, and I can’t look at them. My head twists to follow Brian’s command, my eyes looking at him. Not his face. The knot of his tie, just below his chin. He didn’t say where I had to look at him.

I lean into his body and smile up at him lovingly. Inside I’m screaming, but outside I’m sure I look like the loved up omega he wants me to be.

“Coogan,” Hale’s voice trembles over my skin, and I try to turn my head on instinct, but the command keeps me in place. “Haven.”

Another jerk of my head, but my eyes stay focused on the alpha next to me, my mouth stays curled in a closed lip smile. I can feel the Calloway pack watching me, urging me to look at them, to acknowledge them. Even if I wanted to, I can’t.

Some part of me hopes they realize what’s happening, that I can’t act normally because I no longer have control of my body. The combination of suppressants, the new drug, and Brian’s bark have stolen it from me.

“Good of you to come celebrate with us, Calloway,” Brian says, holding out his free hand to shake.

“Wouldn’t miss it, though I see little to celebrate,” Hale replies. There’s the slapping of palms together and the shake goes on for too long. I’m staring right at Brian, so I see him wince, and a thrill goes through me. Hale must have squeezed the shit out of his hand.

“Haven,” Creed says, sounding like my name is precious to him, like he wants—noneeds—my attention on him. I’d give it to him if I could, even if it was just to tell him I never want to see him again. “Baby girl-”

Brian bristles, his scent blooming in the air sharp and acrid. It makes my nose twitch with the need to sneeze, to get itout of my nostrils. “I know you didn’t just call my fiancée ‘baby girl’, Creed.”

“I absolutely did,” he growls back, all softness gone from his voice.

“Haven, angel?” Tic tries, and the pleading in his voice has my head twitching again. But I don’t turn, and I don’t say anything because I can’t. I’m frozen like this, smiling up adoringly at my future jailor, at the man who will keep me just as trapped as my father did. “Can you look at me?”

No. I want to scream. No, I can’t look at him, at them. I can’t turn my head or speak or do anything but stare up at Brian Coogan like a love drunk idiot and I hate it. I hate that I’m back in this helpless, weak role because of their actions. Because they used me so horribly, I had no choice but to flee.

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