Page 103 of Knot my Alphas

It feels wonderful to hear such praise from Dad. Warmth and pleasure spread inside me, urging me to seek out the person I want to share them with.

My gaze searches for Iris again. She’s sitting close to Mom and having a steady conversation with her.

It’s been a while since I saw Mom smiling so brightly. An amused grin is etched onto her face as she listens to Iris.

Warmth and relief flood through me.

While I knew Mom would love Iris when she got to know her better, she was a tad more conservative than Dad when it came to choosing a mate.

Mom wanted us to choose a mate from one of the prestigious omega academies. She wanted a woman who was trained in etiquettes as well as pack dynamics to fit in with a family as affluent and powerful as ours.

Iris may not be an academy graduate but no one else could’ve taken a place among us. She’s the woman who binds us together and completes our pack.

“I was planning to host the Solveig Remembrance Day at our mansion but I think it’s best we celebrate it here as usual,” Dad says, drawing my attention away from Iris.

“Huh?”

“Why are you so distracted?” Dad asks in a commanding tone.

“Sorry,” I mutter. “What were you saying?”

“This mansion is our family home,” he says. “Our martyr day celebrations have always been held here. It’d be a shame to shift the location and allow those Black Widow terrorists to think they can affect our lives. They should know we’re stronger than them and that we’re coming to settle our debt.”

“A lot of our men are still injured,” I say, thinking of the hundreds of young soldiers who’re still recuperating at the hospital.

“Remembrance Day is still weeks away from now,” he says. “I’m sure you’ll have most of them joining their ranks by then. Besides, this year’s celebrations need to be even bigger and grander. We’ve lost so many of our men during the attack last month. They’d been loyal to our pack, Son. Each and every one of those men deserve to be honored and celebrated by us.”

I nod, feeling a tight choke in my throat.

Rage and sadness collide within me every time I think of the people we lost. Callahan mindlessly killed them because of his selfish obsession to possess our mate.

My hands clench into tight fists as I struggle to contain my reaction. The time to unveil Callahan’s true face hasn’t come just yet.

“Are you sure it’s safe to host a celebration?” I say in a grim tone. “A celebration of this scale would require us to invite the top military bureaucrats. The Black Widow would love to stage an attack with them housed under our roof. They’d love to use the opportunity to create more chaos. The general public is already terrified of them. Another attack could have a devastating effect on everyone.”

“Let them attack us,” Dad hisses, his silvery eyes flashing with rage. “I’d like to shoot some of those bastards in the face myself!”

“I have a question,” Damon speaks out, drawing Dad’s attention to him. “Would we have to inviteeveryonewe know?”

“What’re you talking about?” Dad asks, narrowing his gaze. “Who are you trying to avoid?”

“Nox Callahan.”

A chilly vibe spreads over our group at the mention of that name.

Iris turns her attention to Damon. Her grin disappears and a grim expression takes its place.

Dad becomes alert at once. “I know he’s caused you trouble but heisa senior fellow who comes from a prominent pack. Refusing him an invitation would be too insulting.”

“He made false accusations against Caleb,” says Raiden. “Overlooking a direct attack like that would be the same as cowering before him.”

“You’ve got to be smart when dealing with people like him,” Dad says. “You can’t always let your true feelings be known by your enemy or the people around you. Inviting Callahan would be an exercise in diplomacy.”

I struggle against the urge to roll my eyes. Dad always tries to turn everything into an exercise or a lesson.

“You don’t understand, Dad,” Damon insists. “He attacked Iris too. The asshole uses compulsion on omegas. Why would we want a perverted sicko like him in our home?”

Dad sits up straighter, focusing his attention on him. “Is there something between you and him that I don’t know about?” he asks. “He’s been among the few who didn’t support my decision to sanction you more troops and weapons. I need to know if something’s brewing between our packs.”