Page 31 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

Darius, Ronan, and Lucian, three formidable Alphas, engaged in a clandestine meeting. The implications of their potential alliance sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Fuck," she breathed, her breath misting in the frigid air. What if they were actually a pack? The idea of such powerful, dangerous men united in purpose was enough to make her blood run cold.

Secretly finding a way to enter this hunt for their own benefit…and maybe hers with Darius involved.

And yet, a traitorous part of her couldn't help but wonder if they needed an Omega.

Needed her.

Serenity shook her head violently, disgusted with herself.

"Get it together," she muttered. "Now's not the time to get all hormonal over a bunch of megalomaniacal assholes." But even as she said it, she could feel the heat building between her thighs, the telltale slickness of arousal.

"Goddammit." She slammed her fist against the wall, relishing the grounding jolt of pain. She was not some simpering damsel, slave to her basest instincts.

She was Serenity fucking Vale, and she would not be conquered by biology or arrogant Alphas.

Squaring her shoulders, she stepped back out onto the street, melting into the oblivious holiday crowd. She had a mission, andnothing, not even her treacherous body's desires, would stand in her way.

The Alphas might think they were the hunters, but they were about to learn that this Omega had claws of her own.

As she wove through the throngs of shoppers and revelers, Serenity's mind raced with strategies and contingencies. She might be outnumbered and outgunned, but she was far from helpless. She had the map, the access codes, and a lifetime of hard-won survival skills. And most importantly, she had the element of surprise.

She would use their arrogance against them, bide her time until the perfect moment to strike.

And when she did, they would never see her coming.

A grim smile curved her lips as she disappeared into the Metro station, the cheerful strains of "Jingle Bells" fading behind her. The hunt was on, and Serenity was ready to play.

But this time, she would be the one setting the rules of the game.

And she played to win.

The bustling marketplace hit Serenity's senses like a freight train, an overwhelming assault on her already frayed nerves. Christmas lights blinked in dizzying patterns, bright stalls lined the streets, and the entire place throbbed with energy.

It was chaos, pure and intoxicating.

The cacophony of voices calling out holiday greetings clashed with music pounding from unseen speakers. It was sensory overload, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors, scents, and sounds. Pungent aromas of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts mingled with the crisp winter air, almost enough to trip her up.

For a second, she couldn't tell if the ground beneath her feet was solid.

Fuck. She hadn't expected so many people.

Her breath hitched, her control slipping. She was supposed to be composed, ready to face whatever Lucian had planned, not drowning in this madness.

She pressed onward, pushed through the crowd like she was tearing through underbrush, her eyes darting from face to face. She scanned the sea of people, desperate to spot any hint of danger lurking beneath the festive veneer.

Serenity reminded herself to blend in, and maneuver through.

Keep moving—don't let them pin you down.

She knew better than to think the Alphas wouldn't have their eyes on her. The whole thing could be a setup, the marketplace just a convenient snare. Her hands flexed and tightened around the suppressants in her pocket, the tablets her lifeline and armor.

She kept her head low, letting herself flow with the tide of bodies. Another day, another hunt, and she was right in the thick of it again. If Lucian thought a crowded Christmas market was enough to rattle her, he had another thing coming.

If he thought teaming up with Darius and Ronan would...

The name pierced her thoughts like a bullet, her mind suddenly blank.

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