Page 1 of Knot Our Reality

Chapter One

Emilia

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I ask, running my hands through Hawk’s black locks.

My seven-year-old son makes a face. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be with Uncle Remy, and we’ll be able to reach you with no problems. Stop worrying, Mom.”

I barely manage to keep myself from wincing—not because he’s telling me not to worry, but because of how grown up he sounds. I can’t help feeling like I’m part of the reason he had to grow up so quickly.

“Why don’t you go play with your brother and the other kids, Hawk? I need to talk to your mom for a few minutes,” my brother says, offering him a smile.

“Is that okay, Mom?” Hawk’s green eyes stare up at me, and I force a smile as I nod.

“Of course it is.” I sigh as he hurries across the grass to join the other children.

Remington pulls me into his side, kissing the top of my head. “Stop worrying so much, Em. Hawk’s right. He and Jasper are going to be just fine with my pack. It’s not like it’s the first time they’ve stayed with us.”

“Yes, but what if something happens?”

Remington rolls his eyes. “You’re literally across the compound from us. Even if we moved at a snail’s pace, it wouldn’t take us more than fifteen minutes to get to the main house. Plus, there’s this fancy new invention called a cellphone. In fact, your company sells them. Surely,you’re not so out of touch that you don’t know about the products you offer.”

I shove him away from me. “You’re being an asshole.”

“You’re right, I am. I’m sorry. But let’s be real, shall we? You’re not freaking out about leaving your kids with me. You’re freaking out because you don’t want to be onHeated.“

I roll my eyes. “Of course I don’t want to be on the show. We all know that, but I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“Technically, yes, but it wouldn’t have the outcome you want, so…I guess not.” Remington pulls me in for a hug, and I cling to him as I fight against the tears threatening to fall. It’s a little awkward with how big my baby bump is, but we do the best we can.

When I lost my pack a few years ago, I didn’t think I was going to survive it. But I didn’t have a choice back then. If I died alongside my mates, then who would care for our children? At the time, Jasper was a year old and Hawk was four, almost five. He lost his dads just two weeks before his birthday. My parents helped me out because that’s what family does, but in the end, they were my responsibility.

Taking care of my babies and running the company my mates built from the ground up are the only things that kept me going for the first year. Talking about them is still hard, but I don’t burst into tears every time I do, so I’m calling that a win.

I never anticipated having to find another pack for myself. Not all omegas could get away with remaining single after becoming a widow, but my name held enough power to keep me safe.

Until it didn’t.

My heart still belongs to Maxwell, Davis, Ryan, and Gerald. The idea of finding a new pack feels like betraying them, but there’s not much I can do about it. If I want to keep my unborn child, I have to find a pack.

It’s archaic, and my situation has brought attention to the omega laws that need changing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change overnight, and by the time they get around to getting the laws fixed, it’ll be too late for me and my baby.

“Fuck. I really don’t want to do this, Remy.” I take a deep breath as I pull away from my baby brother. “But I’ll do what I have to do to protect them.”

“I know you will, and while you’re working on that, my pack will take care of Hawk and Jasper. It’s good practice for us.” Remington smiles as his eyes find Victoria, his pregnant alpha. She’s not quite as pregnant as I am, but it’s a close thing. She’s due about a month after I am.

I have about two months left until my due date, during which I’m going to find my pack on a reality dating show. Sounds like everyone’s dream, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to go on national television and find love?

Yes, that was sarcasm.

One thing I know for sure is that I have no intentions of finding love onHeated. All I need is a pack to make sure I’m not declared an unfit mother. Love doesn’t have anything to do with that.

Let’s just hope the suitors can accept that because I don’t have anything else to offer them.

“I know they’ll be fine with your pack. I trust all of you.” I shake my head, eyes locking on the mansion I’ll be calling home for the next two months.

I hate what it represents, even as I enjoy its beauty. Tessa and Bree didn’t spare an expense when they were building theHeatedcompound.

A glance at my watch tells me I’m going to have to start getting ready soon. Even if I don’t plan on any of this being real, I have to at least act like it is. I have to put in the effort.

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