Page 29 of Knotted By the Triad

“Princess, I brought breakfa...” Allie started.

“Allie, come here.”

I glanced over my shoulder to find her standing in the doorway carrying a large platter. Her eyes moved from me to the clothes I'd already started pulling from the closet.

“What are you doing, Princess?”

“Forget the food for now. Put it down and help me find something to wear tonight.”

Allie's brows furrowed. “Tonight? Are you preparing to see the alphas tonight?”

“Hell no. It’s something better than that.” I grinned. “We're going to rob a group of smugglers tonight.”

Allie sighed. “Again?”

Had we done this before? Then a memory flitted through my mind. Damn. We’d gotten into a lot of trouble in the past. We’d even robbed bootleggers who were smuggling whiskey into the countryside. Grandmother had scolded us, but she’d drunk the liquor with us that night.

“Put the food down and help me put together an outfit for our mission.”

“Okay, Princess,” Allie said with another sigh. “Oh, and I have something that would be perfect for us to wear.”

That’s the spirit!

It was great to have a ride-or-die friend by my side.

***

KAI

Night had fallen by the time I finished preparing for the mission.

I stood in my room dressed in all black, fastening the leather guards around my wrists. My tunic and trousers were made from lightweight material that wouldn't restrict my movements during a fight.

My sword rested on the table beside me. I picked it up and inspected the blade. This steel was forged by my Iron Clan. Our insignia rested at the center of the blade. The sight of that alone would make my enemies bow.

Yet, I had no idea what enemies awaited us tonight. Whoever they were, they would pay for trying to smuggle DB into the capital. After inspecting the blade, I slid it into the sheath at my waist.

My thoughts drifted again. I groaned, frustrated with myself and my wayward mind. I should be completely focused on the mission. We were walking into a situation involving smugglers who had managed to move Dragonblight through our territory using forged clan authorizations.

This was serious business. Dangerous business. Yet, my mind kept straying to Zuri, who was slowly becoming the bane of my existence. I tightened my jaw. I needed to get that woman out of my head.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t erase the image of her standing in Lin'er's courtyard, her eyes solely on me as her entire face brightened. She’d smiled because of me. Not Daemin. Not Zian. Just me.

It had happened when I'd told her that giving her access to our money wouldn't be a problem. She'd looked at me as though I'd given her something far more valuable than a few coins, and my heart had done something strange in my chest.

Even now, I couldn't explain what I'd felt. But what I did know was that, in that moment, I would’ve given her anything she wanted just to keep that smile on her face. At the time, all I could do was stare at her, stunned by her beauty.

Then, without meaning to, I smiled back, something I rarely did. I shook my head, irritated that the memory of her expression almost made me smile again. Nothing about this situation was amusing.

Especially considering that, during those few moments while I'd been talking to Zuri, I'd completely forgotten Lin'er was sitting beside me. Her whispered words, Alpha Kai, had washed over me like ice-cold water, leaving me irritated with her and myself.

My dragon had snarled at the interruption. The irritation was immediately followed by guilt. Lin'er was my omega. She was the woman my pack brothers and I had cared for all these years.

Yet I'd been so focused on another woman that hearing Lin'er's voice had irritated me. I'd immediately turned toward her and gentled my gaze, hoping she hadn't noticed anything was wrong.

But something was definitely wrong. I walked over to the table and reached for the black outer robe I'd laid there earlier. As I pulled it on, my thoughts shifted to my pack brothers.

Through our bond, I'd felt their interest in Zuri that morning as clearly as I'd felt my own. Even before she arrived at Lin'er's courtyard, Zian and Daemin had been restless. Both had wanted to leave to check on Zuri.