Page 14 of Knot in Their Wildest Dreams: Part 1

“Celeste?” Bella’s voice was timid as she spoke. “What’s going on?” I knew she would be worried about me. She knew who her kidnappers were, and knew that Pack Lockwood had hired them.

“It’s complicated. I can’t really explain it, but you have to trust that I know what I’m doing.” I sighed as I shut my eyes.

“You don’t really believe they are innocent, do you?” I could tell from her voice that she knew something was up.

“No. I don’t. I still trust what you told me, and I trust my instinct.” I admitted. Even if Bella hadn’t told me about them, something inside my gut knew Pack Lockwood had been behind it. They had the motive, and eventually I would find proof.

“Are you safe?” She asked, and I smiled despite my situation. Bella cared about me. It was nice to have someone on my side, especially another omega.

“I am for now. But I am technically in a courtship with Pack Lockwood.” I said, cringing at the words.

“Do you need help? I know people who can get you away from them safely,” she offered, her voice low but firm. And I believed her. I had a feeling she was connected to the kind of people who didn’t operate within official channels - the kind who got things done quietly, efficiently, and without leaving a trail. It wasn’t just a coincidence that she’d reappeared safe and sound, then ended up bonded to a powerful pack from the Eastern Province soon after.

“No, thank you though. I have to see this through. My whole career rides on it.” I admitted.

“Why can’t you get out of it? You’re much more powerful than them!” She said, and I hated that despite what everyone thought, I really didn’t have that much power.

“Well, I'm the CEO. But I'm a bit limited in my power.” I said, trying my best to explain it to Bella. “After my parents died, the company was supposed to go to the next male in my family. But even though my uncle agreed to let me have the inherited position, the board put in place to keep an eye on the company is so restrictive that they practically micromanage every decision.” I sighed.

“What? That’s ridiculous!” She said in outrage.

“It’s how we do things in the Eastern Province, unfortunately. I’m working on getting it changed. But since the board can vote me out, I have to balance making the changes I want with keeping their old-school traditions.” I explained, and Bella let out a noise of frustration.

“Are you sure you don’t need help? My pack has connections.” She asked.

“No, truthfully I’ll be okay. I just need to get through the next few months.” I told her in a voice that sounded more confident than I felt. “I appreciate the call though. And I will find out more about them. I always come out on top.” I said, and tried to believe my own words. “But, if worse comes to worse, I might take you up on your offer.” I admitted.

“Please, let me know. I can help more than you think.” She said, and I smiled at her sincerity.

“Let me try to tackle this one on my own first.” I said. I didn’t know exactly what kind of contacts she had, but I was sure I could manage a few months here.

“Alright. Take care.” She said with concern.

“You too, Bella.”

I hung up the phone and took a moment to glance at the flood of notifications lighting up my screen. Missed calls, voicemails, and an endless stream of texts poured in, but one message caught my eye. It was from Owen, a member of Pack Valence- the pack I had broken up with just months ago.

I opened it, a small wave of relief washing over me as I read his words:

“Hey, I heard the news. Are you okay? Call me if you need anything.”

Owen and his pack were some of the few people I still trusted. I’d spent over six months living with them during our courtship, and many had assumed we would bond. It had shocked everyone when we decided to part ways. My uncle, in particular, had been disappointed - he hoped I would settle down with them and bond.

Even though we didn’t continue to court, Pack Valence and I were still great friends, and I appreciated Owen checking in. I quickly typed out a reply:

“I’m good. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I see you next.”

His response came almost immediately.

“If you need anything, tell me. You know I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

I smiled faintly, grateful to have someone in my corner. For now, that small bit of support was enough to steady me.

But I knew the real storm was just beginning. My stomach tightened as I opened the news app on my phone. As I feared, the top headlines featured a picture of me side by side with Pack Lockwood, the captions teasing scandal and drama.

“Breaking: Controversial heiress claims the men thought to be behind her kidnapping plot are innocent!””

“Mama she’s in love with… criminals?”

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