Page 75 of Knot Made to Break: Part Two

I wasloved.

Chosen.

Theirs.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, but I didn’t try to stop them. They weren’t from pain or fear or grief.

They were from this.

This feeling. This belonging.

This impossible, overwhelmingeverything.

And for the first time in my life…

I waswhole.

twenty-eight

KITANIA

I tracedmy finger over the slightly raised, silvery mark on my inner wrist—Tommy’s claim on me—and felt the immediate echo ripple through our bond. Somewhere in the penthouse, he paused in whatever he was doing; the sensation traveling between us like an invisible caress. I didn’t need to see him to know he was smiling. That was what it was like now—these invisible threads binding us all together, letting me sense where they were, what mood they were in, sometimes even catching fragments of their thoughts when emotions ran high. The morning sunlight filtered through new gauzy curtains, transforming what was once formal and impersonal into something warm and inviting. I tucked my feet beneath me on the plush u-shaped sectional—another new addition—and let myself sink into the moment, into the feeling of finally being home.

Just two days after my heat, my body still hummed with the aftereffects of bonding. Four marks on my skin, four threads ofconnection woven into my very being. Each one felt different, carried a different energy, a different essence of the man who’d placed it there. I closed my eyes, letting my fingers drift from one to the next, savoring the unique sensations each touch evoked.

The penthouse around me barely resembled the place I’d first been brought to months ago. Gone was the cold marble that had once dominated the floors, replaced with hickory hardwood that felt good against my bare feet. Heavy, intimidating furniture had been swapped for pieces chosen for both beauty and comfort. The masculine severity had softened into something that felt lived-in, cozy.

Even the smells had changed. Our signatures mixed with the lingering scents of fresh paint, wood stain, fresh cotton, candles, and the faint sweetness of the flowers I’d placed on the dining table. And once the oven was operational, the aroma of fresh baked goods would mix right in.

These were the scents of home.

What I loved most, however, wasn’t the fancy oven or the comfy new furnishings. It was that everywhere I looked, I saw us. Dimitri’s sophistication in the clean lines, Gio’s warmth in the earth tones, Marco’s vibrancy in bold accent pieces, and Tommy’s playfulness in unexpected touches of whimsy. I’d worked hard to create a space that was all of us together—blending the style and preferences of five people into one cohesive home.

“Here you go, Angel.”

Marco emerged from the kitchen with two steaming mugs, his hair still damp from a shower, wearing only a pair of low-slung jeans. His colorful tattoos were on full display along with all those delicious, rippling abdominals.God, he was pretty.

He settled beside me on the couch, his thigh pressing against mine as he handed me a cup of fragrant tea. The scent ofchamomile and honey curled through the air, the steam kissing my face.

“Thanks,” I murmured, taking a slow sip.

His eyes—those intense blue eyes that never failed to make my stomach flutter—tracked the movement of my hand as I reached for the mug. “You’re doing it again,” he teased, one corner of his lips quirking up.

“What?” I asked, though I knew exactly what he meant.

“That thing where you can’t go ten minutes without checking in on us through the bonds.” His accusation held no bite, just affection laced with a hint of smugness. He reached over, and his fingers landed on my knee, drawing lazy circles there.

I felt my cheeks heat. “Says the man who’s orbited me like a satellite all morning.”

Chuckling deep and low, he slid closer until our thighs were fully pressed together. “Can you blame me?”

He trailed the lightest touch along the mark he’d left on the top swell of my breast, just visible above the scooped neckline of my oversized sweater. Pleasant shivers skittered down my spine, and I knew he could feel a whisper of the heat he was creating in me.

Before I could answer, I felt a tug on two more of my connections—one intense, one steady and sure. Seconds later, Dimitri appeared from his office doorway and Gio from the direction of the workout room, as if pulled by the same magnetic force. I bit back a smile. They pretended they weren’t constantly aware of me through our bonds, but their bodies betrayed them.

Gio dropped down on my other side. Still slightly sweaty from his morning workout, his scent intensified in a way that made my inner Omega purr. Dimitri rounded the back of the section to stand behind me, his hand automatically finding my hair, those inked fingers weaving through the strands in a gesture that had become as natural as breathing.

“Just hung up with Joey. He says the bathroom tile will be finished tomorrow,” Gio informed us, his eyes tracking my reaction. “And the ovens arrive this afternoon.”

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