Page 23 of Knot All Is Lost: Part 2

“Cambrie, this is not you, stop acting like a brat or I will treat you like one,” Savo warned. “Be my sweet girl, and you will get all the answers you are looking for.”

Pouting, I stilled and looked at him. “I’m listening.”

Savo grunted and shifted me so I was straddling his legs and facing him. “First thing I need you to hear loud and clear is that other than not telling you I was an Alpha, I’ve never lied to you. Having to hide who I am from the world is more than I’d like to manage so I don’t lie in any other area of my life, and never to you.Keksík,when an Alpha connects to an Omega there is no changing the connection. You are like my heart beating outside my chest. I’d never let anything harm you, including myself.”

I searched his face, desperately wanting to believe he was telling me and what I saw had me feeling ashamed for how I’d acted. “Why lie at all?”

He lifted a hand, stroking my cheek as his expression turned sad. “This is not an easy story to tell, my sweet girl, but you of all people deserve to know who you will one day be bonded to.”

The need to wrap him up in a hug was more than I could bear, but with my arms wrapped up all I could manage was to lean in and give him a reassuring kiss. “I’m sorry for being a brat, and I’m ready to listen to whatever it is you want to tell me.”

A smile that didn’t reach his eyes tugged at his lips, before he gave me another peck on the lips and loosened the towel so I could free my arms. Taking a moment, I secured the towel around my chest but didn’t move from his lap. Something told me that being there for him through this was what he needed.

“I told you that I grew up in Asturg and that I didn’t have any family left there. That isn’t completely true,” Savo started. “My father is still living but we hate each other, and I’ve never been able to see eye to eye with him on anything. I had a little sister, the one who I used to sing that song to, but she died in one of the breeding houses. As a female your choice was to either join the fight carrying a gun, or on your back bearing more children to replace those that were lost. Anica was like you, sweet with a gentle spirit that could never fight on the front lines. So, Father made sure she did her duty and died trying to give birth when she was only your age.”

Savo took a moment, tears shimmering in his eyes as he stroked my head lovingly. “You two would have been good friends, I know it. Both of you see the good in the world when there isn’t much of it left. Anica was all I had left. Our mother died when I was twelve leaving me to look after Anica, who was just seven. I tried to do everything I could to protect her, but our father wouldn’t have it.”

He took a deep breath and refused to meet my gaze. “Remember how I told you that there are two leaders in Asturg? Well, my father was one of those men, General Rasvan of the Northern Asturg army. He leads our people's battle and is also in charge of enforcing the laws of our people. Which is why he couldn’t let his daughter have any kind of special treatment. Southern Asturg is ruled by President Dragomire, who is trying to fight for peace between our two groups, but my father is one of the cruelest generals the north has ever had. He doesn't care how many die as long as we gain ground and take back what’s ours. The thing is, no one knows what that actually is, but he’s so addicted to power, father wants all of Asturg in his grasp.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as I could, kissing along his neck feeling how much this was a struggle for him to tell me. “I’m so sorry, Savo, you’ve suffered so much losing your mother and sister like that. It makes sense why you had to leave. What I don’t get is why you needed to pretend to be a Beta?”

“My father had planned for me to take over after him, training me in everything I needed to know to be the next general. That’s why I’m so good at my job, it was beaten into me since I was able to walk or hold a gun. If the government knew who I was, with the knowledge that I have about my people, they would lock me away. Being a Beta means I get overlooked, I can blend in with the crowd and no one’s the wiser,” Savo explained. “As a Beta, I was given this job, allowing me to look after you. Something an Alpha never would have been permitted to do for fear of what’s happened between us.”

Sitting back, I looked at him scrunching up my face. “What do you mean?”

“Once an Alpha has decided an Omega is theirs there is nothing that can be done about it. The Alpha either bonds with the Omega or will forever long for that Omega. Either way, that Alpha is no longer objective, they will do whatever is necessary to protect their Omega,” Savo elaborated. “You are my one and only concern,Keksík, everything else can fuck off as far as I’m concerned.”

I felt the tears fall down my cheeks. “Forgive me,” I begged. “It was wrong of me to doubt you after all you’ve done is take care of me.”

“Shh,Keksík,” Savo soothed, pulling me against his chest as he started to purr, soothing my worries. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself and getting mad at me. People who have been through what you have struggle with being able to tell someone no or to push back, in fear of getting hurt again. Cambrie, you are so much stronger than you realize, and it makes you all the more loveable.”

Sniffling, I nuzzled into his neck. “I don’t feel strong.”

“That’s alright. Your pack and I will be here looking after you until you do,” Savo murmured, kissing my shoulder. “Now, let’s get you properly dried off so we can get some sleep, hmm?”

“Okay,” I whispered as he carried me into the bathroom.

Bodhi had been the only other person to do my hair for me, but Savo seemed quite practiced with it. It made me wonder if he’d done the same thing for his sister when she was alive. The feel of the warm blow dryer and his sure steady touch had me falling asleep where I sat. Once he was finished, Savo slipped the towel off me and we curled up under the covers with him cuddling me to his chest, purring me into blissful slumber.

Even though I’d only been here a few short days, Arthur kept us on such a strict schedule it was hard not to adjust. After breakfast I was back in the school room, working on the skills that I’d been found lacking in. Having spent most of my life teaching myself, it wasn’t that hard or different from before my designation presented itself. The hardest part was if I didn’t understand something, having to approach Arthur about it.

“This is simple, Miss Cambrie, I’m not sure why you’re struggling with it so much,” Arthur grumbled. “Grammar is the foundation of communication. What does it say if you’re writing a letter and constantly using the wrong ‘there’? No one will take you seriously, and your new pack is in a position of power, you can’t disgrace them.”

Arthur’s rant was interrupted when a knock sounded at the door. Frowning, he answered it, only to be handed a cell phone. Lifting it to his ear, he greeted the caller then listened to whatever the person on the other end had to say.

“Understood, when will they be arriving to procure her?” Arthur asked. “Tomorrow, that is much too soon, Alpha.” The butler flinched at whatever the response was, rubbing his forehead. “As you command,Alpha, but you better hold up your end of the deal. I won’t be blamed if they find her lacking when I’ve only had four days to work with her.”

Gritting his teeth, Arthur hung up and threw the phone against the wall so it smashed into pieces, making me gasp.

When he turned back to face me his face was blank of expression, but his eyes were alight with fury. “It would seem that certain events have forced your father’s hand, and you will be joining your pack tomorrow. We have the rest of today to get you as ready as I can before an escort comes to take you in the morning.”

Dread started to claw its way into my heart.This couldn’t be happening. They can’t take me away. I already have a pack!My hands started to shake so badly the pen I was holding slipped through my fingers. I didn’t even bother to pick it up, feeling this whole thing was pointless. I was being sent off to a group of men I didn't know, by a man who claimed to be my father. How had everything been so perfect only to fall apart in a blink of an eye?

A hand rested on my knee, drawing me back to what was happening around me. Savo was kneeling in front of me, concern radiating off him as he handed me back my pen. “You dropped this.”

Reaching out I grasped it, but he took the chance to take my hand and bring it to his lips. That one simple gesture, that could have cost him so much if Arthur had been paying attention instead of pacing furiously, gave me the strength I needed to calm myself. Savo wouldn’t let anything happen to me, he was here right by my side as he promised.

“I need to step out of the room for a moment and reach out to the man who hired me,” Savo explained. “You will stay right here in this room. I don’t care who comes for you, but you will not move from this place without me, understood?”

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