Page 49 of Knot Ruined

Kingston nodded once, tension radiating from every line of his body. His voice was clipped, tight. “My family had wealth, power, connections—but no love. My parents saw me as an inconvenience, a burden. I was a piece of furniture, something to show off at events, then forgotten. They eventually dropped me at the home to get rid of the nuisance altogether.”

I glanced at Romano, who gave us all a strained but steady smile. “Romano came in with Kingston. King basically adopted him from day one.”

Romano’s expression turned slightly embarrassed, but he leaned into Fallon’s touch, clearly soaking up her gentle presence. “I had good parents. Warm, loving. But I was the youngest of five boys—all alphas. My older brothers...” He faltered slightly, looking away. “They weren’t kind. I was the runt. Too soft, too weak, too nerdy. They teased me relentlessly, beat me up, and made me feel worthless every chance they got. I learned that if I smiled enough and laughed it off, they’d get bored and leave me alone. That’s how I survived—by pretending to be happy, even when I wasn’t.”

He sighs. “When my mom died of cancer, my fathers slowly faded; they died only a few days later. My brothers tossed me out on the streets. I got picked up by the same counselors who got Kingston.”

Fallon’s eyes were bright with unshed tears as she looked at each of us, absorbing the darkness we’d just laid bare. Her voice shook slightly, but her gaze was fierce.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching for Romano first and cupping his face gently before turning to Kingston, then Voss, and finally resting her gaze back on me. “But thank you for telling me. I won’t waste the trust you’ve given me. I promise.”

I nodded slowly, throat thick with emotion. “We trust you completely, Fallon. And we’re all fucked-up men, but somehow you make it better.”

Voss exhaled softly, eyes shadowed but less haunted than before. “Yeah, Princess. Somehow, you’re our cure.”

The room is quiet again, but this silence feels heavier than before, weighted down with everything we’ve shared. Fallon’s curled against the couch, feet resting in Romano’s lap, his thumb gently tracing circles on her ankle, grounding her as she takes a deep, shaky breath.

"I suppose it’s my turn now," Fallon whispers, her eyes dropping to her lap, fingers nervously plucking at the sleeve of her oversized sweater. The playful, fierce woman we love seems suddenly fragile, and my protective instincts rise, wanting to shield her from whatever pain she’s clearly about to re-live.

"My parents were married, but my dad was a beta. Mom was alpha, strong, focused, and fiercely career-driven. I think she always intimidated him," Fallon begins softly, the firelight reflecting warmly off her face, making her expression seem softer yet more distant. Kingston gently tightens his arm around her shoulders, encouraging her to continue.

"My dad—he was soft-hearted, gentle. The kind of guy who’d rescue injured animals or slip candy into my pockets before school. Mom, though… She was all about achievement and reputation. She loved me in her way, but she was never affectionate. He balanced her out."

Her voice grows rough, and she hesitates briefly, swallowing hard. "One day, when I was six, he didn’t come home. I waited for him by the front door. When I asked Mom where he was, she barely looked up from her paperwork. He told me he had gone away and wouldn’t be coming back. Just like that—cold, final."

Romano softly squeezes her ankle, and Fallon’s eyes lift briefly to his, offering him a weak, grateful smile before continuing. "I found out later, when I was older, that he’d found his true mates. He and Mom weren’t bonded, just married, so they had no true tie to hold him back. He chose them, left us behind without looking back, leaving Mom buried in debt and me…" Her voice cracks slightly. "He forgot me. Just erased his own child from existence."

A tear slips quietly down her cheek, and I watch as Kingston carefully brushes it away, his movements tender, reverent. My chest tightens, fury rising at the thought of anyone—let alone her father—hurting Fallon that deeply.

"When I turned eighteen, I decided I needed closure," Fallon admits quietly, twisting her fingers tightly. "I tracked him down, expecting to find some grand life with the pack he’d chosen. Instead, I found him at a homeless shelter, abandoned again. His pack had kicked him out after their omega got pregnant—apparently, a beta’s genes weren’t good enough to pass on. Karma had clearly caught up with him."

She pauses, her breathing ragged, clearly battling guilt. "I wish I could say I was the better person. I wish I could tell you I walked away. But I didn’t." Her voice trembles, eyes glassy. "I walked right up to him, introduced myself, and when he reached out to me, trying to act as if he’d missed me as if nothing had ever happened…I told him he deserved every ounce of misery life had given him. I told him he deserved to feel the same abandonment I had and that I’d never forgive him."

Fallon exhales slowly, eyes distant now, and pain radiating off her in waves. "I found out a few months later that he killed himself after that. And even though logically I know it wasn’t my fault, I live with it. Every day. The knowledge that my last words to my father probably pushed him over the edge."

Voss shifts uncomfortably, eyes darkening with an anger that’s purely protective, the same possessive fury mirrored in all our expressions. None of us speaks, not yet, understanding Fallon needs to get this out—uninterrupted and raw.

Her voice drops to a whisper. "That’s why I usually just tell people Mom got a donor. It’s easier, cleaner. It keeps them from looking at me like I broke something that couldn’t be fixed."

Romano moves first, gently lifting Fallon’s feet so he can slide onto the couch beside her. He pulls her carefully against his chest, kissing her temple, whispering reassurance that’s too soft for me to hear. Kingston’s grip on her tightens protectively, and even Voss moves closer, as if instinctively needing to keep her safe, sheltering her between us.

"You didn’t break him, Fallon," I finally say, my voice rough with suppressed emotion, drawing her gaze toward me. "He broke you first. You’re not responsible for his choices."

She blinks, more tears spilling over, her blue eyes reflecting the firelight, heartbreakingly beautiful despite the anguish filling them. "I know that logically. But emotionally…sometimes I’m still that six-year-old waiting for someone to tell me I matter enough not to leave."

I lean forward, capturing her gaze, needing her to understand. "You matter, Fallon. To us. We won’t ever leave you."

Romano nods fiercely, his voice thick with emotion. "Never, Little Love."

"Always yours," Kingston adds, voice soft but firm, a vow he clearly intends to keep.

Voss shifts slightly, brushing his fingers across her cheek with uncharacteristic tenderness. "No one leaves. Ever."

She relaxes slowly into us, the tension finally easing from her shoulders as she absorbs the weight of our promises. Fallon’s eyes close, breathing evening out, exhausted by her confessions and overwhelmed by our unwavering support.

And as she drifts off in our arms, I silently vow again—we’d keep that promise. No matter what.

Chapter Twelve

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