Page 81 of Chain Me Knot

I hesitate a moment before I manage to whisper the question that's haunted me. “Mira, have your alphas found Leah?”

A pause on the line makes my stomach clench. Dread and fear rise bitterly in my mouth. What if Leah... what if she wasn't as lucky as Mira and me? I hardly want to give the thought a chance to escape, but what if, of the three of us, Leah didn't make it out whole or even alive?

“There's still no word. But Emma, please know that every single resource my alphas have, every person at their disposal, are pouring everything into finding her. They know how important Leah is to both of us. They won't give up. I promise you that,” Mira says.

I nod even though she can't see, biting my lip tightly against the sudden threat of tears. A wave of guilt twists in my chest: here I am tucked away safely in luxury, kissing alphas who cherish me, while Leah's fate remains uncertain.

I draw a breath, determined to shift my focus to something lighter—safer. “Your alphas have let us stay in this incredible beach house. Are they really as rich as this place makes them seem?”

Mira laughs, warmth melting through the tension and I hear the obvious affection in her voice when she speaks. “They are. But they weren't always. They built themselves up from nothing. They worked hard for everything they have. I promise, Emma, they're not the usual arrogant, entitled alphas you're probably imagining. They're down-to-earth, committed. They've used almost all their resources to help omegas in trouble, just like me. Just like us.”

Her sincerity spills plainly into my ear, soft and open. She cares for her alphas. Her love runs deep and warmth blooms in my chest that she’s found the type of love we always dreamed about while locked in the cold darkness.

“When this is all over, will you tell me properly about them? I want to know everything, Mira. I'm dying to know what kind of alphas won your heart.”

“Of course, Em. When we're finally together again—and we will absolutely be together again—I'll tell you every tiny detail. About everything. And you'll do the same with me, okay?” she says.

“It’s a date. Or can we make it a slumber party like we always wanted?” I don’t care that we’re in our mid-twenties, I still want the slumber party we always talked about.

She chuckles. “Of course. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Thank you, Mira. For everything.”

There's a gentle pause before her voice returns. “Emma, please don't doubt how incredibly strong your alphas are, and don't underestimate the lengths they'll go to for you. Trust me on this—you've got all of us now. You're not by yourself anymore. If you need anything, even just to talk, please reach out. Any fear, any anxiety, any doubts, we'll work through everything together.”

Tears prick sharply again. Happy tears, hopeful ones that scatter warmth through my heart. “I promise. Thank you, Mira. I'll talk to you soon. I promise.”

Ending the call is bittersweet but Mira’s words linger, embedding themselves deep beneath my skin and bringing forth all the questions I should have been asking myself. Why should I let Haven, Hugo, Lars, Mercer, Hardwick, and Pack Carmichael still chain me? They had no right to define who I am. Not then, and certainly not now. Every moment spent in fear, every hesitation, only gives them power they've never deserved.

They’ve taken so much of me already.

They don’t get to do that anymore.

From now on, I get to choose what and who I want. I've been theirs for too long.

The heavy iron weighing me down cracks open enough for warm relief to pour through. It sweeps into every corner of my heart and soul, shaking off the strangling heaviness.

I feel…lighter. The burden normally so heavy inside me is not so unbearable. The heavy clouds inside my head part and shafts of sunlight stream inside. A delicate type of joy blossoms. Fragile at first, but undeniably mine, and with that comes a driving want. A clarity I never felt before.

I want to reclaim myself. Because I choose to.

Just like Mira did. Unapologetically. And fuck those people who chained me down for their own purposes.

The crime is theirs.

Not mine.

I see Mira in my mind, eyes sparking as she hugs me. She did it. She crossed boundaries put on us by others who did not have our best interests at heart. People who tormented and tortured us for years to achieve their purposes, but no more! Mira has shown me it can be done. That there is nothing to be afraid of in reclaiming myself. Once again, she’s proven she’s more than a friend. My chosen sister wants me to choose the best for myself, too.

A gentle knock at the door pulls me back to see that dusk has fallen across the sky, marking the hours I’ve been here.

“Emma? Dinner’s ready if you’d like to join us.” Soren has come to collect me.

I rise from the bed, heart skipping in my eagerness to see him. I cross the distance and open the door and my gaze lifts to meet his calm, steady eyes. The fading daylight catches his brown hair, bringing out subtle shades of russet and gold as sandalwood wedges in the spaces between the cells of my body.

He’s ridiculously handsome.

Quiet lines of strength mark his lean, muscular arms folded loosely over his chest. His shirt sleeves are rolled to his elbows, displaying the subtle flex of muscle beneath tanned skin. His hair is a little longer than when I first saw him, adding more dimension to the faint shadow of stubble over his strong jaw.

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