Page 35 of Knot Your Karma
I dial Blake’s number and set it to speaker. We gather automatically—Declan hovering behind the desk like a caged animal, Reed gesturing for silence, me standing perfectly still with the phone balanced between us like a live grenade.
Blake answers on the third ring, voice bright as summer morning.
“Adrian! Wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How’s the compass hunt going? Making progress?”
“Slowly.” I keep my voice neutral as granite. “We’re trying to narrow down exactly how it disappeared. Dec mentioned you were dating someone when it went missing?”
“Dating someone?” Blake’s laugh comes through the speaker like nails on glass. “Man, I was exploring my options! You know how it is when you’re looking for your perfect mate—got to be thorough. Test drive a few models to find the right scent match.”
Test drive. Models.
Christ. That’s what you call a car, not a woman. Reed’s pen snaps between his fingers with a sound like breaking bone, and I don’t blame him.
Declan stops breathing entirely, his chest going statue-still. My hands shake with the need to defend someone I barely know but already consider mine to protect.
“How many is a few?” My voice stays level through will alone.
“Oh, you know. Six, maybe seven? Could’ve been eight—honestly, hard to keep track when you’re being systematic about it!” Blake’s tone suggests he thinks organization makes cruelty acceptable. “But I kept detailed records. Spreadsheets, photo galleries, scent compatibility ratings, sexual performance metrics. Very thorough approach.”
Reed’s mouth falls open in horror. Declan’s face drains of color, his grip on the desk edge threatening to crack wood. All those years of cleaning up Blake’s messes, and this is what he was enabling.
“And they all knew about each other?” Reed’s diplomatic training barely keeps his voice level.
“Well, not exactly!” Blake sounds genuinely puzzled by the question. “I mean, I wasn’t bonded to any of them, so no legal obligation for exclusivity, right? Each relationship was its own thing. Smart approach—diversifying my portfolio, testing compatibility, making sure I found the absolute best match. Very strategic.”
Declan’s hands curl into fists. “For how long?”
“Most of them for a few months. Had to give each relationship enough time for proper evaluation, you understand. But there was this one omega—wow, what a piece of work she turned out to be.” Blake’s voice takes on that particular tone that makes my teeth clench. “Auburn hair, worked with antiques or something artsy. Amazing scent match, incredible in bed, but got way too clingy way too fast.”
The room goes dead silent. Declan’s breathing stops entirely. Reed looks like he’s calculating the exact distance to Boston for murder purposes. My hands curl into fists as fury builds like pressure behind a dam.
“Started talking about meeting family, planning bonding ceremonies, acting like we were exclusive when I’d been very clear about my process. Total stage-five clinger behavior. Really obsessive stuff.”
Stage-five clinger.He’s calling Karma obsessive for falling in love.
“What happened with her?” The words scrape out of my throat like broken glass.
“Oh, she found out about the others and completely lost her mind. Full emotional meltdown—screaming, crying, throwing things, like I’d personally betrayed her orsomething.” Blake sighs like he’s recounting mildly annoying traffic. “Tried to explain that we never had exclusive agreements, that I was clear about exploring options, but she wouldn’t listen to reason. Very dramatic exit—lots of accusations about cheating and lying. You know how emotional omegas get when they don’t get their way. Typical overreaction.”
Typical overreaction.The phone nearly slips from suddenly numb fingers.
“When was this?” I manage.
“Exactly three months ago? Right around when the compass went missing, actually. Weird timing, right? Bad luck—losing my favorite omega and my family heirloom in the same week. Though honestly, she was getting demanding anyway. Kept wanting more time, more attention, more commitment. Very high maintenance.”
High maintenance.Yeah, because wanting honesty from the guy you’re sleeping with is so unreasonable. His favorite omega. Like she was his favorite power tool instead of a person who deserved better.
Declan moves so fast his chair skitters backward into the wall. “Blake. This omega. The one who got too attached. What was her name?”
“Karma something. Karma Rose, I think? Why?” Blake’s voice sharpens with sudden interest. “You don’t think she had something to do with the compass disappearing, do you? I mean, she was pretty angry when she left, said I’d destroyed her ability to trust anyone, accused me of using her. But theft? That seems extreme even for an emotional omega having a breakdown. Though she was always a little unstable...”
I hang up before he can finish destroying her character further.
The silence stretches like a held breath.
“Performance metrics,” Reed’s voice comes out hollow as an empty shell. “He literally rated women like products he was comparison shopping.”
My hands clench. I’ve seen guys rate lumber quality with less clinical detachment than Blake just used for women. Actual women. Who trusted him.
