Page 148 of Knot So Social

When I turn to meet his gaze, I read fear there.

He steps forward, extending his arm in front of his daughter.

“I’ll handle this, sweetheart,” he snaps.

She throws me a look of absolute disgust and whirls about.

The moment she’s out of sight, he gets in my face. “You ought to be real careful, speaking about your betters that way, Alex. You won’t survive long in this world with that attitude.”

I clench my teeth together, trying to get a lid on my boiling anger. This is how they operate, closing ranks to protect their peers, and, I’d bet my left hand on it, his own reputation. He's as slimy as his wife. I also know there’s no way to defend myself.

The injustice cuts like a physical blade.

“I’ll get going now,” I say, turning away.

Flinging the crushed magazine to the deck, I stride out into the rain, shaking with suppressed anger. My hands turn white from gripping the steering wheel as I drive back to Willow’s house. I gave up an afternoon with my omega for this shit? My jaw clunks from squeezing my teeth so tightly together.

Pulling up in Willow’s front yard, I suck in deep breaths to get myself under control. I can’t go in with my thoughts a mess like this. I’ve faced racism in my life, and injustice. I need to let it roll off my back as usual. But the thought of my former landlady spreading lies about me all through the city’s elite class gets my hackles up. I only ever did right by them.

My father’s words drift in through my clouded thoughts. Don’t stoop to their level, he’d always say. But that was kids being idiots. This is different. This is my career and reputation.

And now I have an omega to think about. And maybe a pack as well, which is so weird and sudden.

I sit in the car for a long moment, steaming as the heating blows over my dripping skin. A momentary pause in the downpour reveals the beautiful house.

And a gaping hole in one front window. Beyond it hunkers an unfamiliar service van.

I throw myself out of the car in a blind panic.

“Willow?” I shout, running to the window. What happened while I was away? I never should've left her. Thunder booms overhead, and that’s when I recall the scars on her thigh.

I’m such an idiot!

I peel my wet shirt off and throw it over the broken window glass before vaulting in. Glass pricks my hand through the fabric, but I charge in regardless. Someone thought the rain was a good cover to break into her house.

“Willow?” I roar, skidding as I reach the hallway.

Her scent floods the house, bitter with fear. At least four separate scents mingle with it, but I can’t sense a single living person in the house.

“Willow? Mr Shares?” I shout again, running from room to room and slamming doors open.

Tiny drips of blood run from Willow’s bedroom to the kitchen, but then the trail disappears. I claw at my throat, gasping for breath. My omega’s gone.

I grab for my phone, dropping it once in my haste. Cursing, I pick it up and dial her number. The line rings.

“Hello?”

I bite back a sob. “Willow! Dio mio! Where are you? Are you hurt?”

“Slow down, Alessandro! I can’t understand you.”

“I’m at your house but you’re not here. There’s blood—”

Her breath catches. “Oh, shit. Joel, open the door!”

My omega’s scent blooms through the kitchen and I spin. Mr Shares leaps out from the pantry, yipping and dancing with delight.

“Hello, sweet boy,” I croon, patting his head as I brush past.