Page 188 of Knot Like Other Girls

Ashlyn stops mid-tirade, her mouth hanging open comically. "What?"

"I'm not marrying Braxley," I repeat, feeling strangely calm despite the enormity of what I'm saying. "I'm breaking the engagement tonight."

The Vanguard alphas are all staring at me now. So is Ashlyn, only she's staring at me like I've grown a second head and I'm talking out of it. "What are you talking about? You can't just?—"

"I can, and I am." I stand taller, feeling the solid presence of my alphas around me. "I found my scent matches."

Ashlyn's eyes narrow. "Scent matches?" she repeats incredulously.

"The Vanguard Pack." I gesture to the alphas surrounding me, unable to keep myself from smiling as the words flow freely. "All of them. Roman, Cole, Liam, Savva, and Troy."

Her eyes widen as she looks at each of the alphas in turn, the implication slowly dawning on her. "Youcannotbe serious. They’re–"

"Perfect," I finish for her. "They're perfect for me."

"They're mercenaries!" she hisses, lowering her voice but not her intensity. "Hired muscle! Andthatone—" she glances at Cole with poorly disguised revulsion, "—looks like he went through a freaking meat grinder!"

"That's enough." My voice comes out low and dangerous, a tone I've never used with my sister before. "You don't get to talk about him like that. You don't get to talk aboutanyof them like that."

Ashlyn's expression freezes, not used to me pushing back. But I'm not stopping.

"You think I had it easy? Being paraded around like Mom and Dad's prized show pony? Being told my only value was in which alpha I could catch? Having my art, my dreams, everything I loved stripped away? While you were building your following, I was being fed suppressants to make me more 'manageable.' I was being sold off to the highest bidder whohappened to be a narcissistic, cheating, empty shell of a person who doesn't evenlikeomegas."

Ashlyn's eyes widen. "What are you?—"

"Did you know Braxley was only marrying me for appearances? That he's actually attracted to alphas and betas? That omegas are too 'soft' for him? That he was using dating apps looking for hookups the entire time I was trapped in a fake relationship with him?" My voice doesn't waver. "So don't you dare stand there and tell me I had it easy."

Her face flushes an angry red. "You ungrateful little bitch," she hisses, drawing herself up. "Do you have any idea what Mom and Dad have sacrificed for you? The connections they've made? The favors they've called in?"

"For me? Or for themselves?" I counter, standing my ground. "They sold me to the Worthingtons to solve their financial problems and climb the social ladder. Don't pretend it was some noble sacrifice."

Ashlyn's voice rises, drawing attention from nearby guests. "You think you're so special just because you're an omega, don't you? You think these—these hired beasts are better thanBraxley Worthington?"

Liam steps forward, looming over her. "If you have any shit to spew, you can spew it at me, lass. Not our omega."

With a shriek of frustration, Ashlyn flings her champagne directly in Liam's face, splashing him with it.

The room goes silent around us. Liam doesn't move, doesn't even blink as champagne drips down his face. Behind me, I hear Troy whistle low under his breath.

Before I can get over my shock and tell her just where she and the rest of my family can shove all the money they've made from selling me off like a prized cow, I see the crowd parting and I freeze. Braxley pushes through, his eyes wide with indignant concern as he rushes up to us.

"What is going on here?" he demands, his eyes darting between me and my champagne-soaked alpha. "Bella, can you control these animals for five?—"

The words die in his throat as his gaze lands on Ashlyn. Something shifts in the air between them. A current, a connection, a chemical reaction that's almost visible. Braxley's pupils dilate instantly, nostrils flaring as he inhales deeply. Ashlyn's reaction mirrors his, her anger momentarily forgotten as she stands transfixed.

Holy shit.

"They're scent matches," Savva murmurs beside me, horrified amusement lilting his voice, confirming what's unfolding before my eyes.

Braxley takes a stumbling step toward Ashlyn like he's being physically pulled. "You," he breathes, the word reverent. "It'syou…"

"What?" Ashlyn blinks rapidly, obviously confused by what's going on.

"Your scent," he says, moving closer still. "You're my scent match."

She stares at him in shock as he reaches up, cupping her cheek. "The way you commanded that moment, the way you stood up to them," he breathes. "You're not afraid to speak your mind, to take what you want. You're so…dominant."

Liam silently accepts the pocket square Troy passes him, dabbing at his face as we watch this bizarre scene unfold. Roman moves closer to me, his hand finding the small of my back in a subtle show of support.

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