Page 23 of Knot Letting Go

“Good.”

We launched ourselves at one another, fists flying. Last one standing would get the Omega.

And that would be me.

CHAPTER ELEVEN - Quill

The coolness of the stone on the roof was a relief from the hot and throbbing aches in my body. If anyone told me earlier today that Konstantin knew how to fight, I would have laughed right in their face. My stoic, proper businessman brother? No fucking way.

Yet he’d kicked my ass good. I’d given back just as much, but damn.

I licked a bead of blood from my split lower lip. My chest heaved with each breath and my heart was starting to slow to a normal pace. “Where the hell did you learn to fight?”

“College.” Konstantin leaned back against the parapet, pressing an ice cube to his swollen eye. “I had a lot of stress to relieve, so I took up boxing at the gym.”

The full moon wasn’t at its height yet, but a pale pink tinged it like a donut’s glaze. I didn’t know how long we pounded on each other, but it couldn’t be near ten o’clock yet. I’d wanted to share the Strawberry Moon with Aubrielle. I’d imagined us snuggling under the night sky, talking the night away. Okay, fuck. I’d hoped for a whole lot more, but what I didn’t imagine was her running away when we found out we were compatible.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Konstantin had taken off his suit jacket and stuck it behind his head. Blood spotted his white button-up shirt making him look like a real badass.

“I got into a lot of scraps at school and after. There was always someone who needed their butt kicked. That whole prep school was full of twats.” I snorted and regretted it, as I gently pinched my nose. It wasn’t busted, but it wasn’t going to look pretty for the next few days.

“Total twats.” Konstantin agreed, and I smirked. I’d always thought he was just like them, but over the past year, he’dproven he was a good guy. That’s why when he came at me, I had no fucking idea what had gotten into him until he brought up Aubrielle. That Omega had gotten under both our skins, and I wasn’t sure what we were going to do about it.

“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever had a fight like that. I’ve told you to fuck off a lot, and you’d turn your nose up at me and walk away. I always thought you saw me as garbage. An unfortunate familial burden.” Hell, I thought the same thing about myself for years.

Konstantin sighed. “I did. Dad’s whispers in my ears, warping the way I saw the world. I’m so fucking glad he’s dead.”

“Same.” I stopped drinking the day I found out he died. The world was suddenly clear again. I didn’t need the alcohol to wash the shit away. I tapped my brother’s foot with my own. “So what do you think of me now? Am I the best looking one in the family or what?”

His chuckle made me smile. “Fuck, no. Lillianna will always win that one.”

“Yeah, truth.” No one could argue with that, and if they did, I would show them just how scrappy I could be.

Konstantin dropped his hand from his eye and let what remained of the ice cube slide free beside him. “I always thought you were trouble, and you acted like it. Yet I think in the last year, I’m finally seeing you. The real you. You’re smarter and more creative than you let on, you’re passionate about the things you like, and you have a real way with people. Old, young, whoever. Everyone likes you.”

That’s why I was head of marketing and why Konstantin had me flying off around the world to deal with business. Sure, he wanted to stay home with Lillianna, and I got that. I was happy to do most of the travelling, but being around family again made me realize how much I’d missed them. How much I wanted one of my own.

“You’re a good guy, Quill.”

I rolled over and winced at what would be a big bruise on my side. Sitting up, I rested my back against the parapet next to Konstantin. The moon was pretty tonight and only served to remind me of something even more beautiful.

“What are we going to do, man?” I glanced at him and he furrowed his brows as if he didn’t know what I was talking about. If he went that crazy for our sweet Omega, she would be on his mind as much as she was on mine. “About Aubrielle. You came at me like an Alpha protecting his mate. You’re compatible with her too, right?”

Konstantin rolled his head from side to side as if preparing for another fight. I tensed up, ready to spring back, as he glared a hole into the roof. He then ran his hands through his hair and exhaled through his teeth. “Yeah. I may have lost my mind for a minute.”

“She has that fucking effect.” I would have jumped up and nabbed the moon for her if she asked.

“She ran.” Konstantin looked pained at that statement. Aubrielle had run from me too, so I empathized. I only wanted to hold her forever. Was that too much to ask? “I wanted to talk to her about Lorenzo, but then… Fuck. She thought everything was her fault and ran. I didn’t want to scare her, so I came up here and beat your ass instead.”

“Thanks,” I replied dryly. “Nothing is her fault.”

“Exactly.” He let out a small groan and tipped his head back. “But how do we get her to see that?”

“We tell her. Lay it all out. She’s smart.” If everything was out in the open, there would be no need for fighting or running away. I might have made a lot of messy situations when I was younger, but I was always bluntly honest.

“It’s not that simple.” Konstantin shook his head and rubbed his thumb lightly over his swollen eye. His jaw tightenedas I caught a low growl under his breath. “Aubrielle is Lillianna’s nanny.”

“So?” I shrugged.

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