Page 69 of Knot Happening

"What if I'm never ready?" Belle asks.

"Then we'll accept that," Theo says, though I can hear the pain the admission costs him. "We'll be disappointed, and probably heartbroken, but we'll accept it."

"Really?"

"Really," I confirm. "Belle, consent isn't just about saying yes. It's about being free to say no. If you don't feel that freedom, then anything you say yes to is meaningless."

She's quiet for a long moment, her scent shifting through various emotions as she processes everything we've discussed. I find myself hoping that Belle will remember this night not as the night three alphas cornered her and demanded a decision, but as the night she realized she had options she'd never considered before.

The night she learned that being wanted doesn't have to mean being trapped. The night she discovered that sometimes, the scariest thing isn't taking a risk, but admitting how much you want to take it.

24

MARCUS

The storm outside is beginning to calm, but none of us seem eager to leave the underground shelter. There's something about being intimate, and removed from the outside world that feels perfect for the conversation we're having. Belle is sitting on the edge of Seraphina's bed, her rose gold dress spread around her like flower petals, and even with the champagne stains and the exhaustion written across her face, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

"So," she says, looking between the three of us, "if we're going to do this then I need to know more about you. About all of you."

"What do you want to know?" Felix asks, settling more comfortably in his chair. The formal mask is gone now, literally and figuratively, and I can see the genuine interest in his expression.

"Everything," Belle says simply. "Your lives, your work, your histories. How you became a pack. What you want for the future. If I'm supposed to trust you with my life, my body, my heart, then I need to understand who you really are."

The honesty in her voice, the straightforward way she's approaching this, reminds me why she's perfect for us. Nogames, no manipulation, just direct communication about what she needs to feel safe.

"I'll start," I say, leaning forward in my chair. "You know I'm in development and construction. What you probably don't know is that I started the company when I was twenty-five with nothing but a business degree and more ambition than sense."

"How did you manage that?" Belle asks, genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Eighteen-hour days, sleeping in my truck on job sites, learning every aspect of construction from the ground up because I couldn't afford to hire experts." I run a hand through my hair, remembering those early years. "I wanted to prove that an alpha could build something meaningful, something lasting, without relying on intimidation or old boys' networks."

"And you succeeded," Belle observes.

"Eventually. But success came at a cost. I worked so much that I forgot how to have relationships, how to connect with people outside of business contexts. I was successful and miserable and didn't even realize it until I met these two."

"How did you meet?" Belle asks, looking between Felix and Theo.

"College," Felix says with a slight smile. "Marcus was the business student who actually understood what architects were trying to accomplish. Most business majors looked at our designs and saw dollar signs or impracticalities. Marcus saw possibilities."

"He helped me get my first major commission," Felix continues, his expression growing warmer as he remembers. "A community center that no one else wanted to touch because the budget was tight and the neighborhood was considered 'difficult.' Marcus figured out how to make the numbers work, and I designed something that actually served the people who would use it."

"And Theo?" Belle asks.

"Came later," Theo says, his voice carrying that quiet intensity that's purely him. "I was fresh out of the military, trying to figure out what civilian life looked like. Marcus needed security consulting for some of his projects, and developments in areas where construction crews were getting harassed or threatened."

"What kind of military service?" Belle asks, and I can see her trying to piece together the picture of who Theo really is.

"Special forces," Theo says simply. "Eight years of deployments, tactical operations, the kind of work that teaches you how to function under extreme stress but doesn't prepare you for things like grocery shopping or small talk at dinner parties."

Belle's scent shifts slightly, becoming warmer with what might be understanding. "That must have been a difficult transition."

"It was," Theo admits. "Until I started working with Marcus and Felix. They gave me purpose that wasn't about destruction or combat. I could use my skills to protect people, to keep construction workers safe, to make sure communities could develop without fear."

"When did you realize you were a pack?" Belle asks, and there's something almost wistful in her voice.

"Gradually," I say. "It wasn't some dramatic moment of recognition. It was more like slowly realizing that we functioned better together than apart. That we balanced each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"Marcus handles the business and big picture strategy," Felix explains. "I focus on design and creative problem-solving. Theo manages security and logistics. We each have our areas of expertise, but we trust each other completely."

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