Page 15 of Knot Stepping Down
“Inside, both of you.”
We’re herded into the kitchen like a bunch of children, Lila standing by the kitchen counter as she addresses me. “Avery, you’re going to ruin Declan’s career before it’s even started!” she growls. “Sneaking around, causing scandals—do you know what people are saying?”
“Wait, what?” I blurt out before I can stop it.That’swhat her concern is?
Declan scoffs, stepping in front of me. I gladly take his hand in mine and rest my forehead against his back as he speaks to Lila. “So,nowwe care about my career? Because you didn’t before, Mom. Funny how that works.”
Dad slams a hand on the counter, his voice booming through the open layout. “Enough! This isn’t happening. We said it before that you’re not allowed to date. End of story.”
The problem is that I tried for a minute to follow Dad’s words. I told myself I’d be good and then Declan approached me in the hallway and I folded. I’m not giving him up and this next revelation might break us all. Slowly, I step up to Declan’s side, bringing his hand to my lips. “Dad, he’s mymate. We aren’t just fooling around. Maybe that’s how it started but it’s not that now.”
Dad’s face hardens, a growl permeating his next words. “Then you can do that outside of my house because I’m not going tohave my son fooling around with hisbrother.” The kitchen goes silent, tears welling up in my eyes.
“But Dad?” I whisper, hoping he’ll take it back. He can’t mean that. He can’t make me choose.
He shakes his head. “You’re not together under my roof. I didn’t bring him here so you could seduce him or vice versa. He’s meant to be yourbrother, Avery. Why couldn’t that be enough?” His disappointment cuts deeper than Lila’s anger, and I’m sobbing now, my vanilla scent sour with hurt.
I’ve never seen him that way. Not once.
Silence filters in, the three of us in a standoff until Declan breaks it. “If you’re going to throw him out, then I’ll take responsibility for him. He’s mine and I’m not letting him go.” He looks at me, his dark brown eyes soft with love and concern. And then he’s guiding me toward the stairs. “Grab what you need for a week or two and we’ll figure the rest out later. You’re going to stay with me.”
I have a dorm but I wouldn’t stay there alone if given the choice. I’d much rather be in Declan’s room so I don’t argue as we climb. I grab a bag and start stuffing clothes, my phone charger, and a few books inside, my hands shaking. “I didn’t expect this,” I cry, zipping it up. “I thought… I thought they’d understand, eventually. I didn’t think he would tell me to leave.”
Declan pulls me into his arms, holding me there until I settle. “Avery, listen to me. This isn’t easy for them but I can tell you one thing. Your father loves you very much and I hope that in time, he’ll see that. He’ll see that he’s made a mistake telling you to leave when he could have embraced you instead.”
“And Lila?”
He stiffens against me and then blows out a deep breath. “Mom and I were never as close as you and your father were. I don’t expect her to ever get on board with this. She found her happy ending with Henry and to her, I’m ruining it.”
I pull away, looking up to see the hurt in Declan’s eyes and a tear running down his cheek. My father’s words hurt him too. His mother’s dismissal cut him deep. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, reaching up to brush the tear from his skin.
He takes my thumb, wet from his tear and pressing a kiss to it. “I’m not. I’m not trading you, pretty boy. You’re mine and one day, I hope to make it official. Now, let’s get going before Mom decides to start throwing actual things instead of words.”
declan
Todayisthedayof the championship but I’m having a hard time focusing. It took forever for Avery to fall asleep, my poor Omega flopping around and huffing as he tried to get comfortable. He asked me to fuck him before he finally fell asleep after sucking me off again. The stress of his father throwing him out is getting to him, not to mention the sweetened edge to his scent telling me that his heat is just around the corner.
I step out of the practice room, Jax catching me in the side. “Oops, sorry! How is that brother of yours? Is he tight? He looks fucking tight. He looks like he’s a screamer too.”
I refrain from reacting but Kade doesn’t, throwing a right hook just as soon as he exits the practice room. “Uncalled for. They aren’t even related so lay off it. Besides, we literallyauction offAlphasevery month and I know for a fact that you ended up with two Omegas in your bed that night, Jax.”
My brows raise clean off my head, Kade pulling me down the hall. “That was a pretty strong right hook, Kade.”
“I’ve been saving it for a rainy day. Now, look, we’ve got a few hours before the game. Go kiss your boy better and come back refreshed.” Kade pats my shoulder and then squeezes when I open my mouth to protest. “You smell like a goddamn cupcake factory and we all caught that disgustingly sweet display as you kissed him goodbye this morning. You’re gross but adorable. I know how the new mate thing is so go on!”
I nod and then the words register. “Wait, Kade, are you mated?”
“Since sophomore year. She doesn’t go here so you’ve never met her but I understand the chaos that’s going on in your head right now and it doesn’t really ever settle until you physically bond your mate. Now go before the other guys start talking about how distracted you are.”
I wave him off, throwing him the middle finger before heading down the hallway to Avery’s classroom. We shared our schedules a few days ago, Avery’s last class of the day Business Economics. He still has no idea what he wants to go into right now but his business degree will take him far.
Standing outside the classroom, I wait for the lesson to end, swiping Avery the moment he steps out of the room. He grins up at me, holding the straps of his bag, another Omega saddling up against his side. I frown and look at Avery’s friend and then Avery. “What—”
The friend just grins. “Keeping you two out of trouble. Sienna’s been spewing a lot of hate in the last day or two and I’m just making sure they don’t have undeniable proof. Hence,” He leans in, that grin widening. “I’m cockblocking.”
“That’swonderful, truly but I need to talk to Avery.”
Avery giggles, keeping too much distance between us. “Milo caught me zoning out and said he knew that the first thing I’d do was try to find you and um… you know.”
