Page 84 of Knotting on Heaven's Door

Ada blinked once, her spine straightening, shoulders held just a little tighter.

He gestured vaguely toward the cave entrance behind her, voice still pleasant, almost philosophical.“This place… Heaven’s Door, is it? The name has always amused me. How fitting that wolves, even the modern kind, choose caves to celebrate their unions, family events, even deaths. Primitive instinct masquerading as tradition. What next, we shift into our wolf forms as we did in medieval times? It’s all quite theatrical.”

She didn’t respond. She didn’t have to. I felt her wolf stir beneath her skin, sharpening.

“But you—you’re interesting,”Étienne continued, taking a slow step closer.“I thought perhaps you were after money. That would’ve made sense. A strategic move for someone raised, I assume, without the kind of capital my son used to squander so recklessly. Of course, that’s no longer a concern. He doesn’t have it anymore. He chose to throw it all away in courtrooms and scandal. So I’m left wondering… what exactly are you after, Mrs. De La Vega?”

Ada’s lips curled into something that wasn’t a smile.

“You’re right,”she said, voice like broken glass wrapped in silk.“He lost everything.”

Étienne raised a brow, pleased at what he probably mistook for agreement.

“But you know what he didn’t lose?”she added, stepping toward him now.“His soul. His spine. His fucking decency.”

I felt her wolf claw to the surface.

“He’s rebuilding from the ground up. Earning his future, not buying it. And maybe it’s not your version of success—there’s no black card or imported cigars—but he’s proud of it. And I’m proud of him.”

Étienne gave a soft, almost pitying chuckle. “Ah,”He said it like it tasted cheap. “The most expensive delusion of all.”

“He’s not a delusion. He’s a man. A better man than you, and probably always has been—you just never saw it. Maybe because he didn’t come out cold and calculating enough to fit your mold.”

Étienne’s eyes cooled further, the smile slipping.“You speak with such certainty. But time, Mrs. De La Vega… time humbles the boldest wolves. And when Sebastian inevitably tires of this… exile, you should not expect a welcome from the world he left behind. And certainly not from me.”

Ada’s laugh was low and sharp. “I’m not looking for a welcome. I’m not looking for you or your money. He didn’t lose everything—he lost you. That’s not a tragedy. That’s a fucking escape.”

Silence.

“I have my own money. My own name. My own company. You don’t intimidate me. You’re just a man in a suit, mourning the son you wanted—not the one you actually had. And frankly, you don’t deserve the one you do have.”

She turned her back on him like he wasn’t worth anotherbreath. That’s when I felt it—her anger, her pride, herlove—roaring through the bond like fire in my blood.

That was my mate. And that was the moment I swore to never let him near her again.

The world snapped back into focus, like someone slammed a door shut behind my eyes.

Liam was in front of me, frowning. “Hey. You good? You zoned out hard. You want me to go with you?”

I blinked once, twice. The rage was still simmering beneath my skin, but underneath it was something else—something wild and raw and aching.

“No,” I said quietly. “It’s okay. I’m not leaving.”

I didn’t move for another second. I just stood there, breathing her in—through the bond, through the memory. The echo of her words still roared through me louder than any argument Étienne could ever make.

No one—not a single soul—had ever stood up for me like that. Not my mother, who stayed silent while my father tore me apart. Not my friends, the ones who ghosted the second the headlines turned dirty. Not my cousins, who meant well but never picked a side.

But Ada did.

My omega. My mate. She stood there, unshaken, her claws out and her chin high, shielding me like I was the crown jewel of her kingdom. And I would spend the rest of my life proving she was right to.

I walked back into the kitchen with Liam, the scent of garlic and thyme hitting me like home. It was chaos, as always. Shouting, heat, pans clattering. But suddenly it felt manageable. Meaningful.

I dove back into prep like the stove was my altar and today I was giving thanks. And gods, did I want to make her proud.

An hour later, my phone buzzed.

I didn’t even check the screen. I knew.

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