Page 8 of Knot Your Kismet

Jensen raises his hands in defeat, a sadness in his golden eyes I didn’t recognize before. Is it pity? Is it something else? Whatever it is, I can’t stand it.

“You are part of my pack, and I won’t leave you. You’re my responsibility as much as anyone else in Pack Kismet now. I know you’re hurting, and this is completely unfair, but we will figure this out together. It’s what our parents would’ve wanted. Your mom—”

“Don’t you dare try to speak on my mom’s behalf. You have no clue what she would’ve wanted. She was supposed to be here. She was helping me secure my independence.” My voice turns to a whisper, the thoughts catching up with me.

“I know. My dad asked me to help him research other Omega Resorts. They weren’t just coming to support you, Calista. They were considering removing you from this facility. They had movers on standby. They were supposed to arrive early this morning because they decided to drive overnight… There was a dust storm. The semi didn’t see…” Jensen wipes his hand across his brown eyes, the amber color shining in the overhead lights as he turns away from me.

His words sink in. This was my fault. Mom was only supposed to come to support me. She might have asked me if I wanted to change to a different resort, but I told her no. Why would she persist? Why would they bother driving overnight?

I wish the world would make sense.

“They were killed because of me,” I whisper, my heart aching in a way I’ve never felt before. This far exceeds the guilt I feel about my anger.

“No, butterfly. It was a freak accident. Don’t blame yourself.” Jensen closes the space to me. I yearn to hug him, but a part of me knows better. This is my omega instinct. It’s what makes me want to react to him. I can’t. I won’t. He could use it against me to manipulate me like he’s trying to do with giving me a nickname.

“Then you should blame me. Henry is dead because of me. I’m the omega Pack Kismet had to take in because of my mom. I’m a burden. I’ll always be a burden.” I meet Jensen’s deep amber eyes, the speckles of gold gleaming with his brown irises. It’s the first time I’ve really looked at him. I’ve only been paying attention to his scent, the strong lime fragrance threatening to break through the scent blocker I tapped on my nose earlier tonight.

And now that I think of it, I inhale another long breath. His gaze captures me, his eyes refusing to shift away. This is a staring contest I need to lose because if I stay here any longer, he might convince me to believe him.

The door behind me booms open, and I startle, the commotion breaking Jensen’s sudden spell on me.

“We have to get out of here before Alpha Daines tries something stupid. She obviously thinks she’s above the law.” I tighten my jaw at the sound of Jensen’s brother’s voice, Nolan. He’s vaguely familiar, with similar features to Henry without the softness his dad carried. I place his name because he carries what I can only describe as the entitlement of a firstborn son and heir to be pack leader.

His words ignite a spark of fight within me. This shouldn’t be so easy. I shouldn’t have to go with men who are practically strangers. I don’t care if they’re Henry’s sons. I don’t care if they’re going to be the new leaders of Pack Kismet. The only thing I care about is myself, as it should be, because surely they’re only thinking of themselves too.

“I’m not going. My home is here.” I cross my arms over my chest, stiffening my body. If I don’t stand firm, they’ll try to walk all over me. Jensen seems nice enough, but I heard the way Nolan spoke to Ivy. He’s not leaving any room open to discussion.

Nolan swings his gaze to me, his thick brows lowering. His eyes are a darker brown than his brother’s, the color of wood soaked with rain. His hair hangs over his forehead when it should be styled back. His wrinkled shirt brings my attention to the chest hair peeking out from the open top button. He looks tired, like he’s lost all his fucks to give. Kind of like me.

“Your home is here?” Nolan questions, his lips tilting downward, tightening his sharp jawline even more. “Have you been brainwashed?”

Annoyance zings through me. There’s no point in arguing with him. So I don’t. Instead, I rush past him and into the lobby of the Omega Resort. I need to stick to my plan.

Through my blurry vision, I rush out of the building and into the street. Tires screech and the scent of burning rubber assaults my nose. I brace for a vehicle to take me out. I expect to die right here.

But nothing happens.

The world turns silent for a few seconds, and the only thing I can hear is my pounding heart.

“What the actual fuck, omega? Lucas could have hit you.” Hearing Nolan’s gruff voice makes me wish I were dealing with Jensen. Because Nolan doesn’t sound like he’s going to try and reason with me. He’s fed up.

“I told you I’m not going with you. Just get out of my way and let me be, alpha.” I glower as I call him by his order like he did to me with mine. My tears make it impossible to easily speak. I wish my voice would sound stronger. I wish I felt stronger right now. But everything is crashing down around me.

“You’re part of Pack Kismet. It’s our responsibility to look after you now that our parents are…” Did Nolan’s voice just crack? I suddenly see a softness to him that he hasn’t shared since I laid eyes on him. I guess losing someone can do that even to the toughest alpha. “We can’t leave you here. Even though our parents paid for your sponsorship for the rest of the year, the contract and everything in the estate are now put on hold. Ivy was lying about the refund. She’s trying to make things harder and turn you against us so she can whore you out. If we don’t take you, either she’ll ensure you never see your pack again or the authorities will come and drag you to Poppy Cove. You don’t really want that, do you? Please. It’s been hard enough.”

I press my lips together, remaining silent. That would actually buy me some time. All of this—the dramatics, the chasing, the threatening—it’s all for show. It’s a power trip. He’s proven I have other options to consider, even if he thinks they’re terrible.

Nolan reads my expression, realizing the mistake of his comment. He rushes toward me, and I dodge out of his way and decide it’s best to keep trying to run. This is all a game. They think they can intimidate me into being an obedient omega. What nerve.

“Calista! If you don’t stop right now, you’re going to lose everything. I don’t have it in me to cater to your tantrums. Our parents are fucking dead. We have a lot of shit to do. Stop being a brat. I knew our parents sponsoring you would turn you into a—”

Against my better judgment, I spin and charge at Nolan. I place my hands against his broad chest and shove him as hard as I can. He loses his balance and crashes to the street, swearing up a storm. I go after him again, wanting nothing more than to slap every comment he has about me from his brain.

“I’m going to lose everything? What exactly do I have to lose now? I have already lost it.” Tears spring from my eyes, and a sob escapes my mouth. Why am I like this? I’ve been working on my independence. I’ve been strong. I shouldn’t be breaking down because of a couple shitty words Nolan said.

I wipe my face on my arm and turn to stride away, but two tall figures block me, and I catch the scent of a third familiar alpha standing with Jensen. It’s Lucas, the youngest of the three. I have only met him once at our parents’ wedding. He’s grown a lot since then with his stubble shadowing his cheeks and brightening his hazel eyes.

“Calista, we’re not monsters. This is a lot for you. I get it. But you can’t stay here. You can’t. Jess wouldn’t have wanted you to. So come on. We’ll figure out what is best for everyone. You need to be with your pack.” Jensen steps forward away from Lucas and holds his hand out to me.