Page 2 of Knot Letting Go

“Perverts.” Kienna stuck her tongue out at them and giggled. “Did you follow me out here for a private show? Hoping to catch us having a romp in the garden?”

Kienna leaned in and made kissy sounds at Nicolette who did the same back.

“Oh yeah!” Tiergan drew closer, constantly clicking the shutter button. His tie hung loose around his neck and was the color of Kienna’s dress. All of her mates matched their ties to her bright ruby outfit.

“Beautiful ladies. Every single one of you.” Alderic clapped his hands. I blushed as my friends hammed it up for the camera.

“Nic baby, there you are!” Kodiak’s deep voice boomed from the opposite direction. He came around a nearby fountain with a squirming infant in his arms. Behind him, Silas had a baby propped up on his shoulder and patted his back. “The cubs are getting hungry.”

Nicolette hurried along the path to meet them halfway. She tenderly took her son from her mate, and along with her words, her expression was soft. “Again? They eat more than a real bear preparing for the winter.”

“That’s because they’re going to grow up to be the biggest, strongest Alphas ever.” Silas cooed at the other twin who let out a gurgle and reached a hand out toward Nicolette. Adorable.

Giving us an apologetic smile, Nicolette cradled her son. “Sorry I have to cut the girly fun short. One little cry from these babies and my boobs start hurting.”

Kodiak leaned in and whispered something along the lines that he could help with that, and got poked for it. It didn’t diminish his grin. Nicolette smirked, and heat flooded my faceagain. They were all so flirty with their mates, and I couldn’t even imagine how to do that.

“Callista.” Levi called out his bride’s name and jogged over to us. “Everyone’s looking for you, darling.”

Callista kissed him and bent over to put her heels back on. “I guess we’re heading back to the reception. We’re leaving at six in the morning to catch our flight, Nic. Make sure you come down to say good-bye.”

“Alright!” Nicolette waved and let her Alphas escort her back the way they came. Each of us bride’s maids were given a room in the manor for the weekend. “Good night, everyone!”

We all said our good nights, and Callista, on the arm of her handsome Alpha in a tailored tuxedo, led the way back to the ballroom. Tiergan slung an arm around Kienna who whispered something I could only assume was naughty by the low growl in his chest.

“May I do the honor of escorting you?” Alderic held his crooked arm out to me.

I nodded and quietly thanked him. Of all of Kienna’s mates, he was the sweetest. His traditional tuxedo and French-Canadian accent made him seem like a foreign prince. He was also the only one of her mates that I’d actually let touch me since he was a Beta. While I didn’t doubt her Alphas’ loyalty to her, I still couldn’t bring myself to let any Alpha touch me just in case we were compatible. While compatibility could be determined from scents as well, I was always extra careful because I wanted to make certain I liked an Alpha first before I was ready to know if we were compatible. I didn’t want the fact we were biologically suited to each to dictate to an Alpha he had to make me his mate.

Yet I never had a chance to meet a single Alpha, or even a Beta for that matter. While I was at home alone a lot and could go out, the times I had done so could be counted on one hand, and those were just to the supermarket or greenhouse.

Kienna always teased me for being stickler for the rules, but the thought of breaking any Omega law sent a wave of panic through me. When my friends would sneak out to go to parties while we were at St. Anne’s School for Girls, I would stay by myself and watch matchmaking and wedding shows until they got back. I could only sleep once I knew they were safe.

“Are you having a good time tonight?” Alderic asked.

“The ceremony was beautiful. Everything was perfect.”

“It was. But are you having fun?” He gave my hand a small squeeze, but I couldn’t be thankful for the gesture. My emotions had been all over this weekend, and tonight I had gone numb when I’d expected happy tears.

Alderic had an aura of comfort, and I wanted to spill out everything to him. Yet I was keenly aware he was Kienna’s mate, and I didn’t want to step over a line, even though I just wanted a shoulder to lean on.

“It’s been really nice seeing my friends. I miss them.” That was the truth. He didn’t need to know any of my other rambling thoughts.

“Kienna misses you all too. She loves telling stories about your days at school. All her crazy stories.” Alderic chuckled. I smirked wondering how many of the tales she had told them. “She hasn’t mentioned any of your mischief, which makes me wonder if you have the wildest stories of them all.”

My eyes widened. I had no stories. None. The few times Kienna managed to get me to come to a party with her, I huddled in a corner and could barely say a word. Wild for me was if I went outside on a cloudless day without any sunblock.

We entered through the French doors of a sunroom, and everyone stopped walking when a man shouted from a room to the left.

“You had one job and you failed to do it.” His voice trembled with fury and my body tightened. I sucked in abreath, flinching from the anger. “All you had to do was watch Lillianna.”

“But sir—”

The woman was cut off by a snarl from the man. “No. You’re fired. Pack your stuff and leave right now.”

Lillianna was Callista’s niece, the only daughter of her eldest brother Konstantin. The child was the flower girl for the wedding. She was absolutely precious with her big brown curls, long-lashed dark eyes, and dimpled smile. Lillianna got ready with us before the wedding, and I did her hair up like Callista’s.

As for Callista’s brothers, I’d only seen them twice before the wedding. Once at the rehearsal and then at the engagement celebration dinner. Konstantin and Quillon had both lived overseas for several years before their father died. Once he was gone, they returned to take over the business and moved into the manor.

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