Page 84 of Knot Made to Break: Part Two

“Mom would have loved you,” Julia added suddenly, her voice softening. “She always prayed for a daughter-in-law who could handle all four of those brutes.”

The mention of their late mother made my throat tighten.

“I wish I could have met her.”

“Me too.” A rare moment of vulnerability crossed Julia’s features before she masked it with another sassy smile. “Anyway, you better not disappear into that penthouse bubble of theirs. I need another woman in this family before I lose my mind with all the testosterone.”

“I won’t,” I promised, surprised by how much I meant it. “I’d like us to be friends.”

“Friends? Honey, we’re family now. Way better than friends.” Julia squeezed my hand, her grip warm and sure. “Andspeakingof family…” She waggled her brows with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Am I getting nieces or nephews to spoil sometime soon?”

My cheeks flamed instantly, and I nearly choked on my latte.

“Julia!” Adeline admonished, though amusement colored her voice.

“What? It’s a valid question!” Julia protested. “I’m just asking if I need to start knitting baby booties or not. I need something to do in Home Ec.”

I set my cup down carefully, buying myself a few extra seconds. The question wasn’t unexpected, but it still made my heart flutter.

“I do want a family. Someday,” I admitted softly. “When I’m ready. But right now, I just want to enjoy being mated.”

“I get it. You want time as a pack before adding a tiny Marco or Gio. IguessI can wait,” she said with mock-dramatic flair. “Though that means I’ll have to put the knitting on hold. Tragic. WhatwillI do with myself now?”

Adeline tried to hide her grin behind a tight press of her lips, but failed miserably. “Have youseenyour knitting? You should get started now. It’ll give you time for a few test runs. I bet in a year, you could maybe manage a matching set.”

Julia gasped, clutching her chest like she’d been mortally wounded. “Rude.I’ll have you know my last attempt at a scarf only hadthreeholes in it. That’s practically couture.”

The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that—classes, campus gossip, ridiculous stories about my Alphas when they were younger and, apparently, feral. I laughed more in that single hour than I had in years.

It was a strange, unfamiliar kind of wonderful to sit with these women—to be included,seen, considered a friend.

Not just an Omega. Not just someone’s mate. Butme.

I was mid-sip of my second latte when a familiar tingle raced down my spine. Looking up, I caught Dimitri’s gaze from across the quad, where he’d joined Marco. His eyes were dark with something I was learning to recognize—he needed me close again. The bond tugged at my core, warm and magnetic, and I knew the others would be feeling it too.

“Oh my God, look at your face,” Julia smirked, following my gaze. “They’re calling you home, aren’t they? That’s the bond-tug I’ve heard about.”

I blushed. “I think they’re getting restless.”

“Of course they are. Heaven forbid they go two hours without scenting you.” She rolled her eyes, but her smile was soft. “It’s disgusting how perfect you all are together. I’m almost jealous.”

She winked, letting the tease land with affection.

We gathered our things, and as we headed back toward the lobby of the OMA campus, Julia looped her arm through mine.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“I promise I won’t be.”

“Excellent,” she said. “Because you’re stuck with me now. Family’s not optional, babe.”

The casual declaration hit harder than I expected, tightening my throat with something thick and grateful.Family.For someone who’d grown up in foster care, who’d never had anything close to a real one, the word still felt almost magical.

As we walked, I glanced over at Adeline’s quiet profile, catching the wistful look in her eyes as she watched a young mother pass with a stroller beyond the glass front door.

I knew that look.

I’d worn it myself.

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