Page 190 of Knot Like Other Girls

In the stunned silence that follows, I realize the choice before me more clearly than ever. The path I've been pushed down my entire life—the pretense, the performance, the sacrifice of self for others' gain—versus the freedom to be genuinely myself with alphas who value me for who I truly am.

It's no choice at all.

I step forward, into the center of the gawking crowd. My heart hammers against my ribcage, but my voice remains steady as I speak. This is my chance to put an end to everything, once and for all, without Braxley and his family getting the opportunity to twist a damn thing.

"I am ending my engagement to Braxley Worthington the Third," I announce, loud enough for everyone to hear. The declaration feels like stepping into sunshine after years in shadow. "I’ve found my true match with not just one, but five incredible alphas."

The gasps that ripple through the crowd only strengthen my resolve. Behind me, I feel their presence. Solid, steady, unwavering. My pack.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother clutching my father's arm for support, her face pale with shock. Braxley hardly seems to care, still lost in admiration of Ashlyn, as if she's a goddess who came to earth just for him.

None of it matters anymore. All I can do is stare at the crowd of shocked faces surrounding us, my heart pounding but myresolve firm. The words are out there now, impossible to take back. I'm free.

A hushed silence has fallen over the entire ballroom. Even the string quartet has stopped playing, the final note hanging in the air like a question mark.

Then Cole steps forward.

The crowd collectively gasps as he moves to stand beside me, his scarred face fully visible under the crystal chandeliers. He's intimidating, formidable—everything these polished socialites fear. But when he looks at me, there's nothing but devotion in his softened gaze.

"Bella is my omega," he says, his gravelly voice carrying across the silent ballroom. "My match. My heart." His voice cracks slightly on the last word. For a man who barely speaks, these declarations in public must cost him dearly. I reach for his hand, squeezing it in mine.

Troy steps up next, his usual playfulness gone as he moves to my other side. "The Vanguard Pack protects what's ours," he announces, his shoulders squared and chin raised proudly. "And Bella Emerson is ours—not as a possession, but as the missing piece we didn't know we needed." His blue eyes find mine, the intensity in them making my breath catch. "I love you, princess. All of you. Every bit."

Murmurs ripple through the crowd. I catch snippets of "scandalous" and "inappropriate" from nearby clusters of pearl-clutching betas. But I don't care. Not anymore.

Roman steps forward, his commanding presence instantly drawing all eyes. "I've led men through warzones," he says, his deep voice carrying authority that silences even the whispers. "I've made decisions that determined who lived and who died. But nothing has ever been clearer to me than this. Bella belongs with us, and we with her. This isn't just scent compatibility. It's finding the person who makes you whole."

Savva joins us next. "I've never encountered anyone like you, little dove," he says, his accent slipping through as his composure wavers. "You've carved a space in our lives that nothing and no one else could ever fill."

Liam completes our circle, champagne still dampening the collar of his suit. "Where I come from, we don't mince words," he says, his voice thick with emotion. "So I'll say it plain. I love you, lass. We all do. And I'd rather spend one day knowing you chose us freely than a lifetime watching you trapped in a gilded cage."

My heart feels like it's never going to stop soaring. I can't hold back the tears pricking in my eyes any longer.

How did I get so lucky?

I look across the ballroom, taking in the mixture of shock, disapproval, curiosity, and—from a few of the older omegas—something that looks suspiciously like envy. My mother has a hand pressed to her chest, her perfectly styled hair suddenly seeming too rigid, too artificial against her stricken expression. My father stands beside her, his face unreadable except for the muscle twitching in his jaw.

Braxley is still gazing at Ashlyn like she's the answer to every question he's ever had, their chemistry so obvious that I wonder how I ever thought his lukewarm attention was all I deserved.

A sudden lightness fills me, starting in my chest and radiating outward until I feel like I might float away if not for the five alphas surrounding me, anchoring me to this moment where I have officially declared my freedom from the life that was laid out for me.

It's over. Really, truly over. No more pretending, no more shrinking myself to fit into someone else's idea of what I should be.

I turn to face my alphas. Five different men. Five different ways of loving me. All of them complete. As my chest fills withwarmth, a smile breaks across my face that feels more genuine than any I've worn in years.

"Take me home," I say.

Just loud enough for my alphas to hear.

EPILOGUE

BELLA

There's something magical about evenings in these peaceful mountains. The way the sun filters through the tall pines, vanishing behind the peaks and streaking color through the wispy clouds as golden hour comes into full bloom…

It makes the lighting just right in my art studio.

Three months since that night at the charity gala, and I still find myself marveling at how completely my life has transformed.

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