Page 126 of Knot my Alphas

My gaze focuses on the man leading the parading troop.

Raiden, my mind whispers excitedly.

Before I know it, I’m on my feet too. My heart beats at the same tempo as those of the drums as I watch Raiden leading his men. He looks amazingly handsome in his uniform. Pride and happiness swell inside me, almost drowning all thought of the enemy seated right behind me.

A radiant smile stretches across Julian’s handsome face as he whistles and cheers along with the rest of the crowd. He turns toward me, his eyes mirroring the same reverence and adoration that are shining in mine.

The hours tick by faster than I could’ve imagined.

Unlike most traditional ceremonies, the Solveig Pack martyrs’ day is celebrated with displays of lots of military parades and drills. The colorful flags and acrobatics keep everyone entertained until Gerald goes back to the podium to declare the end of the event.

“Thank you once again for joining me and my pack in celebrating and honoring our brave soldiers who are no more with us but are always shining their light on us,” Gerald says in a loud, booming voice. “Since this is a celebration, let us end it with a feast in their honor.”

The crowd of soldiers lets out a deafening cheer.

“They’re all looking for an excuse to get drunk tonight,” Julian mutters in my ear. “I wish we could be doing the same.” He glances backward slightly before staring back at me.

Caroline gestures for us to follow her as the crowd starts making their way toward the mansion.

We’re halfway across the grounds when I turn around.

Callahan is easily discernible in his white suit among a sea of black uniforms. His dark, calculating gaze is fixed on me. He’s so bold, he’s not even pretending to ignore me.

“He’s fucking stalking you,” Julian hisses, tightening his hold on my hand.

“You’re going to have to let me go once we’re inside.”

“No way! He’ll hurt you the moment he finds you alone.”

“I know.”

“Iris.” Julian halts in his step and stares down at me with a grim gaze. “It’s too reckless to be putting yourself in his trap. What if things go wrong? What if he hurts you? How can I sit back and—”

I stop him by placing a finger on his lips. “We have a plan,” I remind him. “You have cameras in every inch of the mansion, including the bathrooms. This is the only way we can ever get a confession out of him. We need that to get Gerald on our side. We can’t let Callahan get away with hurting more innocent people.”

“But—”

“We discussed this. You promised to help me.”

A defeated sigh escapes him. “Why do you have to be such a brave-ass girl? Why can’t you be all soft and sweet like the other omegas?”

A chuckle escapes me. “You’d have hated me if I was like any other omega.”

Julian’s about to reply when a cold, scratchy voice sounds from behind us.

“Why aren’t you going indoors?” Callahan asks, coming to stand right beside us.

“We don’t owe you an explanation, you fucking piece of shit,” Julian hisses, his eyes burning with rage. “How dare you step in here after massacring our men?”

A satisfied smirk flashes across Callahan’s tan face. “What are you going to do about it, omega?”

Julian’s grip on my hand tightens painfully. I can tell he’s struggling to hold onto his rage and barely managing to stay sane.

My hand itches with the urge to punch the asshole but doing so would attract everyone’s attention to us. Callahan is aware of it and knows he can rile us up without any consequence.

“Fuck off, omega,” Callahan says, slamming Julian with his dominance.

Julian’s face reddens with rage. His eyes flash and his jaw sets in a hard line but he steps away from me.

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