Page 68 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

But I can’t. I can’t look at any of them, can’t process the fact that every moment I thought was real was actually choreographed. The cable car ride with Knox. The dance with Garrett. The training session with Dominic. All of it planned, all of it fake? A sense of betrayal cuts through me.

“Did any of it even mean anything to you?” My voice cracks.

“Damn it, Ruby, of course, it did.” Garrett runs his hands through his hair like he always does when he’s stressed. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my thoughts. All three of us were fucking captivated by you. Every laugh, every touch... that was real.”

Dominic’s dark eyes burn into mine. “Your friends asked us to take you out on a blind date, and once we saw you, we all knew we needed to meet you for real. But fuck, Ruby... you weren’t just some random date. You broke down every wall I had, made me feel things I’ve spent years running from. Never meant to fall this hard.”

“Wait, my friends?” Lily and Hannah come to mind, about their plan to set me up with three Alphas. And they are standing before me, aren’t they?

Fuck, I’m such an idiot for not seeing this.

I blink back tears, trying to process everything. Each memory feels tainted now—those casual meet-ups, those moments I thought were spontaneous. Sure, I kept my own secret, never telling them how I felt about all three of them. We never put a label on whatever this was—just coffee dates, training sessions, late-night talks that felt like they meant something more.

But this? This feels like they tricked me.

Heat creeps up my neck as a horrible thought hits me. Did they see me as some sad little Omega who couldn’t land an Alpha on her own? My cheek burns, and I force myself to meet Knox’s gaze.

“Ruby, please. We never meant to hurt you. You are the truest thing I’ve ever felt. You mean everything to me. We should have been honest upfront.”

“Yes, you should have!” Tears burn behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. “God, I’m such an idiot. Here I was, feeling guilty about being with all of you, when you were all in on it together. Was it a game to see who got me first?”

“It wasn’t like that.” Garrett takes another step forward. “We just wanted?—”

“To what? To see which one of you could bed the Omega first? Was there a bet? A timeline?”

“That’s not—” Dominic starts, but Marcus cuts him off.

“Oh, this is so good.”

“Fuck you. You’ll be lucky if you walk out of here in one piece for this stunt.” Dominic growls in his direction.

The blood drains from my face, and it’s too much. My head spins, my chest hurts, and I feel bile at the back of my throat.

“Get out.” My voice doesn’t even sound like my own. “All of you, get the fuck out of my bar.”

“Ruby, please just let us explain.” Knox looks desperate now. “What started as a blind date became real. What we feel for you?—”

“I can’t cope with this.” Ice spreads through my veins, numbing everything. “You lied to me and made me think I was special to each of you, but now I feel like you were maybe exchanging stories in the background. Then what? A lucky dip to see who got to keep the sorrowful Omega?” A laugh bubbles up, harsh and bitter. “You made me think I was the bad guy, feeling guilty about leading you all on, when this whole time you were doing the same but worse.”

“Angel—” Dominic reaches for me, and something in me snaps.

“Don’t!” I pull back. “Just get out. I need to process this…”

Marcus’s laughter rings out. “Oh cousin, you really know how to pick them. Though, I have to admire their technique. Three Alphas working together to?—”

“You, too.” I turn on him, and something in my expression makes him step back. “Get the fuck out of my bar before I call the cops.”

“You can’t?—”

“Try me.” I bare my teeth in what might be a smile. “I’ve got nothing left to lose now, do I? You’re going to take it all in just over a week’s time. It’s what you wanted, and you won. Fucking happy now?” Tears sting my eyes.

For a long moment, no one moves. Then Ash clears his throat.

“You heard the lady. Out. All of you.”

Slowly, they file out. Knox looks back once, his expression devastated. Garrett opens his mouth like he wants to say something, then closes it again. Dominic’s face is a mask of sorrow—at Marcus, at himself, at me, I don’t know anymore.

The door closes behind them with a final sounding click.

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