Page 88 of Knot Your Karma
“Do it,” she whispers.
When I bite down just as another orgasm builds through her, she arches beneath me with a cry that’s pure pleasure and relief. The mark I leave is clean, deliberate—not a bond, but a promise.
“Reed,” she gasps, hands reaching back to tangle in my hair while I lick the bite mark. “That felt... different than I expected. Good different.”
“Because it’s not about biology,” I explain, still moving inside her while my own release builds. “It’s about choice. About us.”
My orgasm crashes through me like a tidal wave, ocean breeze and vanilla colliding in a violent symphony as liquid heat explodes between us. When I shatter completely, every cell in my body screams the truth we’ve forged in fire—this belongs to us alone. Not pack bond. Not biological claiming. This is me and Karma burning down the universe and building a new one from the ashes of who we were before we chose each other.
Reed’s forehead drops to rest between my shoulder blades as his breathing steadies, one hand splayed possessively across my ribs while the other tangles with mine. “That was...” he starts, then just pulls me closer instead of finishing.
“How do you feel?” I ask, settling beside her while she touches the fresh bite mark.
“Like this was exactly what I needed,” she says. “Like you understand me in ways that have nothing to do with designation.”
That’s when I notice we’re no longer alone. Declan and Adrian are awake, watching us with expressions of warmth and approval.
“Beta claiming suits you,” Declan says simply.
“Looks good on both of you,” Adrian adds.
“Is this how it’s supposed to feel?” Karma asks, one hand pressed to the bite mark. “Like everything makes sense now?”
“When it’s right, yeah,” I confirm, pulling her against my chest while ocean breeze settles into deep contentment. “We’re not bonded pack yet—that takes all of us together—but we’re definitely something.”
“What are we?” she asks softly.
“We’re getting there,” I say simply. “One step at a time.”
We settle into comfortable silence, pack scent mixing in ways that speak to growing harmony. Outside, Boston is beginning to wake up, but inside our suite, something important has shifted.
We’re not bonded pack yet—that will require all of us together, with alpha bonding agents to seal the connection permanently. But we’re building something real, something chosen, something that has nothing to do with biology and everything to do with the fact that we fit.
“So,” I say eventually, satisfaction warm in my voice. “Ready to face Sterling as a united front?”
“Ready for anything,” Karma says, vanilla warm with confidence.
“Sterling has no idea what he’s dealing with,” Declan agrees.
“Let’s go get our compass,” Adrian adds.
But first, we have whatever this is to celebrate. Because this morning, something important changed.
This morning, we chose each other.
Karma
Sterling Ashworth’sBeacon Hill mansion is basically what would happen if Downton Abbey moved to Boston and developed a serious spending problem.
The brass fixtures are so shiny I can see my reflection, which is unfortunate because I look like someone who definitely doesn’t belong in a house that probably costs more than my entire town’s annual budget.
“Okay, so this is definitely not what I expected,” I say, tugging at my blazer like it might magically transform into something appropriate for meeting actual Boston royalty. “I was thinking maybe a nice brownstone. Not a house that looks like it has its own Wikipedia page.”
“You belong here.” Declan’s hand settles warm on the small of my back, steadying me as I fidget with my blazer. The touch lingers a heartbeat longer than necessary. “Your expertise speaks for itself.”
“Rich people still put their pants on one leg at a time,” Reed adds, which is probably the most diplomatic way to saydon’t let the fancy house intimidate you.“Granted, their pants probably cost more than my car, but the principle stands.”
“When someone of his reputation specifically requestsyou, that says everything,” Adrian says quietly, his hand steady on my shoulder in that way that grounds me immediately.
