Page 148 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

He exhales. It’s shaky, his breath warm against my hair, his arms still locked around me as if I might disappear if he releases his grip. When he finally speaks, the words are so unexpected that for a moment I think I’ve misheard.

“It’s Father. He wants…he wants a meeting.”

I pull back just enough to see his face, searching his expression for some clue to help me process this bombshell. “Your father wants to meet with you?”

Ren nods, his eyes still holding that unsettling emptiness. “His lawyer contacted me an hour ago. He…wants to talk.”

“Talk?” Hailey echoes, sinking onto the couch beside Ren. “What does that mean?”

“Sooner or later, someone from the network will rat them out.” Ren’s voice remains hollow, detached, as if he’s reciting facts about a stranger. “The only reason they haven’t been arrested yet is because of me.”

My mind races to make sense of this development. “Because you destroyed everything, got them cut out of the network.”

Ren nods, swallowing hard.

“Do you want to see him?” I whisper.

Ren’s gaze shifts to me. “I don’t know,” he admits after a moment. “I haven’t seen him since…since that night when I returned drunk and a monster. But if I do see him…maybe he’ll talk.”

“You don’t have to decide right now.” My hand finds his again. “And whatever you decide, we’ll support you.”

“Hey,” Hailey whispers, shifting closer on the couch, her hand coming to rest on Ren’s arm. “If your father has evidence against Heath, he’ll provide it regardless of whether you agree to see him, right? That’s his moral obligation as a human being.”

“Hailey’s right,” I agree, squeezing his hand. “His cooperation shouldn’t rely on his access to you. That’s not a fair exchange to demand.”

A hint of Ren’s usual sardonic expression returns. “Fairness has never been Father’s strong suit.”

Ren releases a breath, reaching to pull both me and Hailey into his arms.

“Hey,” he says, “cheer up. I’m not a good alpha if I make my omegas sad.”

A soft smile graces my lips. “You wouldn’t be a good alpha if we didn’t care to be sad when we see you hurting.”

He tugs us closer, causing Hailey to push back against him playfully.

“Too tight,” she chuckles.

Ren laughs, the shadow that was settling over him slowly dissipating. “What would I do without you guys, huh?”

“Nothing, that’s what.” I stick my tongue out and he leans in immediately, ready to suck on it. I laugh.

“You’re damn right about that.”

Chapter 31

Ren

The wrought iron gates still gleam, the sight of them increasing the tension headache building behind my eyes. I should have had a drink before we left. Maybe then my hands wouldn’t feel like they might shake apart the steering wheel I’m gripping. But drinking is what almost made me hurt Hailey, so it’s a strict ‘no’ for me now.

“We can still turn around,” Finn says quietly from the passenger seat beside me, his scent warm with concern. “No one would blame you.”

I shake my head, forcing myself to ease my death grip as we pass through the gates that once symbolized everything I was trying to escape. “No. I need to do this.”

The familiar driveway winds ahead, bordered by meticulously manicured gardens where not a single flower dares bloom out of place. The estate hasn’t changed—still a monument to control and perfection, still designed to intimidate and impress. Just like Father.

Behind me, Jax sits with Hailey in the middle and Stone on the other side. Their presence steadies me in ways I never wouldhave imagined possible a few years ago. The pack—my pack—here to support me through what might be the most difficult conversation of my life.

The house looms ahead, all gleaming windows and pristine white stone. I try to view it objectively, as if I’m seeing it for the first time rather than returning to the site of so many complicated memories. It’s beautiful, I suppose. Impressive, certainly. The kind of home featured in architectural magazines and society pages. Cold as a fucking mausoleum.

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