Page 13 of Knot Stepping Down
Tears well up in my eyes, my heart breaking. It feels like everything is falling apart even if I only confessed to him two days ago. “We’re adults. I don’t understand. Why can’t we just… be together? We don’t need to tell everyone.” I don’t want tokeep Declan a secret but if it will make things better for now, I will. Just until Dad understands.
“I’m not sure why you thought we’d approve or even let this continue. I’m married to his mother. This family’s already complicated and you’re making it worse.” He clicks his tongue, glancing out into the hallway before speaking again. “I’ve talked to the administration. You’ll be staying here for the rest of the semester. I expect you home every night and I don’t want to catch wind of you two dating or together in any capacity.”
I want to fight him on those words but he just shakes his head.
“I don’t want to talk about this again,” he states. “I thought you might enjoy some company while you figured out where you wanted to go after the academy but dating your brother is out of the question. No exceptions. His mother is terrified I was going to leave her because of this.” He just sighs and then leaves my room, closing the door behind him.
All alone, I curl up tighter in my nest, stuffing my nose into the spot Declan occupied. Sobs run through me as I try to get a grip on what just happened. This wasn’t supposed to go like this. Sure, we’d eventually tell our parents and they wouldn’t approve but we’d be in a place where we could handle it.
I feel like I just got my heart ripped out. Dad just took my Alpha from me.
I freeze, realizing that he’s no longerjusta crush or evenjusta boyfriend.
Dad stole mymatefrom me.
avery
Iwaketothesound of rain hammering over my bedroom ceiling, the world outside my window a blurry mess of gray matching the way I feel. My head’s foggy, my body heavy with a mixture of confusion and despair, a restless heat pooling in my belly and making me squirm. Declan’s pine scent is everywhere, clinging to my pillows, my nest, like he’s still here, and it’s driving me wild.
I’m disoriented, irritable, with no clue what time it is. All of it has left me raw and I’m not ready to face the day.
I fumble for my phone on the nightstand, my scent spiking as I squint at the screen. Several missed messages from classmates, mostly about assignments, and a couple from Milo, checking in.
You okay, man? Heard about the drama
Let me know you’re okay, Avery
I’m really worried.
I quickly text him back that I’m fine and just needed some time to decompress. It’s nice to know that I haven’t slept the entire day but I’ve still lost a lot of time. Swiping through the rest of the messages, I find one from Declan sent five minutes ago.
I’m sorry for how things turned out. Didn’t mean to get you in trouble.
My fingers fly over the screen, texting back before I can overthink:
I wish you were here.
I clutch my phone to my chest, the device vibrating a few seconds later.
I am. Look out your window.
I scramble out of bed, my blankets tangling around my legs as I stumble to the window. I yank the curtains open, and there he is—Declan, standing in the pouring rain, his black hair plastered to his forehead, hisStarPulsejacket soaked. His dark brown eyes meet mine beneath the small light Dad insisted get installed by the garage and that panty-dropping grin spreads across his face, making my knees weak.
I know I’m grinning like an idiot as I shove on a shirt and shorts before tearing down the stairs, my bare feet slapping the hardwood. The house is dark, which means that Mom and Dad are out again. It also means that I don’t have to tiptoe around them to see Declan.
I fling the front door open and sprint into the storm, the cold water shocking my skin as I crash into Declan’s arms. He catches me and lifts me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as I bury my nose into his neck. “Alpha,” I breathe.
“Mine,” he growls into my ear, one of his hands holding my ass, the other gently wrapping around the back of my neck. “Had to see you,” he purrs and then he kisses me, his lips warm against my chilled ones. The rain soaks us through, but I don’t care, kissing him back with everything I’ve got.
I cup his face in my hands, our tongues tangling together before pulling back. “I shouldn’t want you like this but then I realized you’re mine. Not just a need or a craving. You’re my Alpha.Mine.” Milo always told me that I would know when it happened, when it felt like I was dying if we were separated or if I felt rejected. That I would feel like I was on top of the world when he held me or knotted me or called me nice things.
“Yeah, I am. You’re also my Omega. I don’t fucking care what anyone else is saying.” Declan kisses me again before placing me back on my feet. “We’ll figure this out. Mom says I have to help you move your stuff out of your dorm tomorrow, but we’ll figure this out. Just know that I’m yours, regardless.”
A half sob, half laugh tears from my throat just as I see dim lights turn onto our street down below. “Fuck. You’re going to get in trouble. You have to go.” I reach up to kiss him again, getting lost in his touch. Slick threatens to turn this moment into something else entirely as I feel the familiar sensation slide down my inner thighs.
“Go back upstairs before I knot you out here,” he purrs, leaving me with one last kiss.
I dash back into the house, waiting long enough to see Declan walking toward the south end. He hops into a car and it speeds off, my heart warming at the fact that he had someone bring him here to see me. But I have no time to dwell on that. I need toget upstairs and back into my room to avoid questions from Dad and Lila while preserving this newest memory between me and my Alpha.
