Page 79 of Knot Their Arrangement

The realization hits with crushing certainty. All these months, while I've been building a new life in the safety of Velvet’s safe haven and Astraea’s financial support to keep me there, he's been searching.

Not because he loves me or even particularly wants me.

But because I wounded his pride.

Because I dared to reject him publicly, to shame him in front of our entire community.

The scar on his face seems to pulse in the dim lighting, a reminder of what happens to Omegas who defy him. Lakshmi's final act of defiance earned her a place in our community's cautionary tales.

What consequences would my very public rejection from the past earn me?

My body trembles with the need to run, but I force myself to remain still. Running worked last time because I had the element of surprise — had planned my escape route carefully.But now?I'm trapped in a secluded hallway of an exclusive club's VIP section, my path blocked by a man who's spent months imagining all the ways he'll make me pay for humiliating him.

The scent of Damon and Kieran still lingers on my skin, mixing with the remnants of our shared pleasure. Will he be able to smell them on me? Will knowing I've been with other Alphas make his revenge sweeter or more brutal?

I should have never left the Safe Haven.

The thought comes unbidden, thick with regret. But even as fear threatens to paralyze me, another part of my mind races with possibilities. I'm not the same frightened Omega who fled her wedding. I've grown stronger, and more confident.

And I'm not alone –not really.

Damon and Kieran are just beyond these walls, powerful Alphas who showed me what real respect feels like.

If I could just get back to them...

But the look in Maharaja’s eyes tells me he has no intention of letting me past him. His lips curl into something that might be trying to be a smile but looks more like a snarl, revealing teeth that seem sharper than I remember.

"Meri pyari dulhan," he says, the Hindi words for 'my beloved bride' dripping with poisoned honey.

Panic settles in while his manic smiles solidify the zero possibilities of a peaceful escape.

"Did you really think you could hide from me forever?"

I’ve been caught with no choice but to return to my gilded cage…

12

CAPTIVE FEAR

~KAMARI~

"Chhor do mujhe!"I struggle against Maharaja's iron grip, the Hindi plea to let me go falling on deaf ears. He says nothing as he drags me through the parking lot, his silence more terrifying than any threat.

Pain radiates through my arm as his fingers dig into my wrist, sure to leave bruises that will mark his cruelty. Each step takes us further from safety, from the warmth and protection I'd found so briefly inside Cardinal.

The sight of his matte black sports car makes my blood run cold.

The vehicle is as much a symbol of his personality as anything else – flashy and impressive on the outside but neglected where it truly matters. Just like his treatment of Omegas.

Panic claws at my throat as I look back over my shoulder. Cardinal grows smaller with each forced step, its elegant facade now seeming like a cruel mirage.

Inside those walls, Damon and Kieran probably haven't even noticed my absence yet.

They won't realize I'm gone until it's far too late.

Tears burn at the corners of my eyes, but I fight them back with desperate determination. I refuse to show weakness to this man, this monster who views my defiance as a personal insult to be punished.

The passenger door flies open with violent force, the sound making me flinch. Before I can process what's happening, he throws me into the seat with brutal efficiency. The action drives home just how physically outmatched I am.

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