Page 43 of Knot my Alphas

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Iris says, squeezing my hand. “This is something that even they don’t know.” Her expression is a mix of pain and sadness.

“Callahan grabbed me while you were unconscious,” she explains. “I came to look for you and found him near the entrance hall. At first, I thought he was here to help us but that quickly changed when he compelled me to follow him to the roof. He confessed about being the Black Widow and forced me into entering his chopper.”

I go still as my shock overtakes my anger.

“He took me to this wild, abandoned property that’s been in his family for generations,” she says. “He has a room there that’s like a shrine to the woman he loved. That woman...” Iris struggles, looking like she’s finding it hard to put her thoughts into words. “That woman is supposed to be my real mother.”

“Wait, what?” Damon says. “Your real mother?”

“Take a look at this,” she says, handing him a photograph.

“Holy shit,” Damon whispers, staring at the photograph.

Caleb walks toward him and leans over the couch to take a look. “Wow, she almost looks like you.”

My curiosity piques. “Wait. Let me see.” I extend my hand out and Caleb drops the photograph on my palm.

The woman in the photo has an uncanny resemblance to Iris. It takes a closer look to find the few subtle differences between Iris and the stranger.

“He’s got her old clothes and stuff in that room,” Iris says. “It’s the only place that’s substantially cleaner than the rest of the house. He obviously cares enough to take care of the room while the rest of the manor is falling apart.”

“How did he know who you are?” I ask, still staring at the photograph.

“He saw me at the mayor’s charity gala,” she replies. “He got suspicious and that’s the reason he came to dance with me. I told him I was a beta but he wasn’t convinced. He orchestrated that attack so he could separate me from you guys.”

“Things are starting to make sense,” Damon says slowly. “This is the reason he’s so keen on kicking us out of all investigations regarding the Black Widow.”

“Not just that. He has been leading the investigations against them all these years,” says Raiden. “Just imagine how easy it has been for him to destroy evidence as well as cover his tracks.”

“He thinks he can replace me with her,” Iris says in a low, grim tone. “His obsession started with her.”

“Crazy fucker,” I mutter while anxiety settles in my gut.

Nox Callahan is far more formidable than I could’ve ever imagined. He has been our enemy long before we met Iris.

“He injected me with a kind of drug that was supposed to bring on my heat,” Iris says, continuing her chilling unraveling of Callahan’s secrets. “My body was already in a bad condition due to the suppressors and blockers my mom fed me my whole life. The drug triggered another reaction.”

Pain lances across my chest. I still haven’t forgotten about the time she was rushed into emergency due to stomach cramps. Being an omega, I understand the upheavals hormonal changes can bring to our bodies.

Callahan’s obsession and greed have no limits. He is even willing to use drugs to force Iris into total submission.

“He’s a disgusting pig,” I curse.

“We found her in a horrible condition,” says Raiden, looking at me. “She was writhing with pain and crying. Even her scent turned sour. We couldn’t risk wasting any time, so we ran the hell out of there.”

“I called Dr. Lawson because she was aware of Iris’s condition,” says Caleb. “She asked me to bring her to the clinic instead of going to the emergency unit at St. Nik. She’s been recuperating there these past couple of days.”

“I knew you were hurt,” I say in a pained voice. “I couldfeelsomething was wrong.”

Caleb and Raiden exchange a look between themselves. “We both felt it too. We could physically feel her pain when we were out looking for her.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you guys,” Iris says, gazing between Caleb and Raiden. “How did you guys find me?”

“That bracelet,” Caleb says, gesturing toward the gold band around her wrist.

I glance toward it as well. He’d gifted her the golden bracelet before leaving that day.

“There’s a tracking chip inside it,” Raiden explains. “It’s the only reason we were able to get to you so quickly.”

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