Page 10 of Knotting else Matters

I slammed the pen down, leaning back in my chair, the leather groaning beneath me. Focus. The ceremony was in three days. Sophie’s ceremony. My brother’s future. My pack’s stability. That was all that mattered.

But her voice lingered in the corners of my mind, sharp and mocking. A challenge.

The door swung open without a knock—Karl’s style, always the polite wrecking ball. He strode in, a garment bag slung over his shoulder, his grin wide and easy. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a face that could charm a storm into a sunny day. We shared the same blood, the same title, but where I was a storm, he was the calm.

“Got the suits,” he announced, dropping the garment bag onto the leather couch with a casual flick of his wrist. “Tailor did a great job. Mine actually fits, and yours is… well, black, serious, and brooding. Perfect.”

“Fantastic.” I leaned forward, grabbing the pen again, hoping the motion would force my mind back to where it needed to be.

Karl’s gaze slid over me, too perceptive for my liking. “You look like hell.”

“Just handling last-minute details.”

“Uh-huh. Is one of those details a certain sharp-tongued brunette who made you look like you were ready to commit murder this morning?”

I shot him a glare. “Did Sophie tell you?”

“Yeah, she did. That poor girl had no idea who you were, did she?”

“She does now.”

Karl laughed, throwing himself onto the couch, his legs swinging over the armrest in his usual display of casual chaos. “I like her. Reminds me of a wildfire. Completely unpredictable. And apparently, she’s already gotten under your skin.”

“She’s reckless. Disrespectful. She has no sense of her place here.”

“She’s Sophie’s sister.”

“That doesn’t make her less of a problem.”

“She’s only a problem because you can’t figure her out.” Karl’s grin widened, like he’d just cracked the code to the universe. “Not used to that, huh? The big, bad Alpha can’t read someone?”

“I can read her just fine. I just don’t trust her.”

I glared at him, and he just chuckled, leaning back. “I picked up the suits, by the way. We need to go over some details before the ceremony. And then afterward, Sophie and I are heading straight to Italy. Three weeks of blissful, mate-bonded love. You’re going to miss me.”

“Or I’ll enjoy the silence.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

I sighed, but I couldn’t hide the faint smile tugging at my lips. Beneath the constant banter, the reckless grin, Karl had always been the light in this pack’s storm. And somehow, he’d found someone who loved him as fiercely as he deserved.

“Just don’t burn down the entire country while you’re gone,” I muttered, leaning back.

“Oh, please. Italy will be just fine. You, on the other hand…” He grinned, standing and slinging the suit bag over his shoulder. “Good luck running the pack without me by your side. I’m gonna go find Sophie.”

Karl turned to leave, but I couldn’t resist. “No plans for a bachelor party?”

He stopped, half-turning with a lopsided grin. “Oh, come on. You know me. The ceremony and the party are more a formality—just a way to make it all official and celebrate with the family.”

“Right. The sacred union.” I leaned back in my chair, letting the sarcasm drip into my voice. “Legalized in the eyes of the pack, blessed by the Moon Goddess, celebrated with three hundred of your closest friends.”

“Hey, it’s only two hundred. And we both know the bond snapped into place the second we claimed each other.” His hand unconsciously brushed the side of his neck, where the mark would be hidden beneath his collar.

“Of course. But I’m just saying, I hired ten strippers. What am I supposed to do with them now?”

Karl’s laughter rang out, loud and carefree, and for a moment, the weight of the day seemed to lift. “I’m off to find Sophie. Gotta grab her, swing by the hotel, and pick up Olivia for the dinner.”

And just like that, the knot in my chest tightened again. “Olivia,” I muttered, the name a low growl on my lips.

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