Page 45 of Knot My Type

"I stumble forward, and my feet sink into the soft earth. My breath fogs in the cold air, and my skin tingles—not from cold, but from the crawling tension of being watched. This is the clearing where everything fractured."

I opened my eyes and found all three of them watching me with intense focus. Kael's hands were clenched into fists on his knees, Rhys's jaw was tight with controlled anger, and Fen's usually calm expression had hardened into something dangerous.

"My pack stood at the edge of the clearing," I continued, my voice growing stronger even as my heart raced. "They were tense, like prey animals who already knew the hunter was coming. And my Alpha asked, 'Is it done?'"

The taste of betrayal flooded my mouth again, bitter and sharp. I could still see the Beta's face, the one who used to bring me coffee before runs, who carried me through a snowdrift when I twisted my ankle. The one who sold us out.

"The Beta—Marcus—he whispered, 'What if they know? What if they're watching us?' Someone tried to quiet him, but it was too late. I felt the shift in the air before I saw them. A rival pack, slinking through the trees with bared teeth and fury on their breath."

I had to pause, taking a sip of tea to wet my suddenly dry throat. The chamomile tasted like safety now, like home, so different from the fear that had coated my tongue that night.

"My stomach lurched as I realized what had happened. Marcus had sold us out. I couldn't believe it at first—he was myfriend, someone I trusted. But Dad always said everyone has a price, and I guess Marcus found his."

Kael's growl rumbled low in his chest, and the scent of his anger spiked in the air. "Fucking traitor."

"The Alpha didn't get to react before chaos erupted," I continued, my voice shaking now as I reached the worst part. "Growls, shrieks, the thunder of bodies colliding. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I tried to move, but my limbs were locked in place by instinct or fear or—"

"Heat," Fen said quietly, understanding in his voice.

I nodded, tears finally spilling over. "My heat hit right then, in the middle of the battle. My scent bloomed hot and slick in the air, and suddenly I wasn't just witnessing a massacre—I was making it worse. Drawing attention from both sides, making the alphas lose focus."

The memory of those hungry eyes still made my skin crawl. I could taste the shame again, sharp and acidic.

"Snarls tore through the air like static. The ground trembled from bodies colliding, claws raking, fists cracking against ribs. I could hear bones break, feel it in my own chest like an echo of violence I couldn't unsee. And over it all, my scent rose like smoke, saturating the air in a way that drew those hungry eyes."

Rhys reached out then, his large hand covering mine where it gripped my mug. His touch was warm, solid, real—so different from the ghostly helplessness of my memory.

"Someone grabbed my wrist," I whispered, "dragging me behind a fallen log. There was panic in his eyes as he said, 'You have to get out of here—your scent—it's pulling them—' Then there was a flash of movement, a growl like thunder, and he was gone."

I was fully crying now, tears streaming down my cheeks as I relived the worst night of my life. "I was kneeling on the ground, shaking, drenched in my own scent while the pack I trusted andloved was being torn apart. And Marcus—the Beta who caused it all—he stood at the edge of the clearing, untouched. His face was pale, his shoulders stiff, but his hands weren't shaking."

The betrayal still cut deep, a knife to the ribs that never fully healed.

"The betrayal split through me like a blade. I tried to lurch forward, to do something, anything, but my body wouldn't follow through. The heat had me locked down, paralyzed in the middle of the worst moment of my life. I tried to shout 'You did this,' but it came out broken."

Kael was on his feet now, pacing behind his chair like a caged Alpha. His scent was sharp with protective fury, and I could hear his breathing getting heavier.

"He turned away," I continued, my voice barely a whisper. "That was the last straw. I fell backward into myself, the heat rising like a fever flood, and just before the memory released me, I heard my Alpha's voice one last time—raw, furious, hurt. He said, 'Eliana—run.'"

I looked up at the three men who had become my anchor over the past month, seeing my own pain reflected in their eyes.

"I would have run if I could, but I was stuck—not just in the grief of watching everyone I'd ever loved be slaughtered, but in the knowledge that it was my fault. My heat, my scent, my presence that made everything worse. That's why I worry about my role here. What if I mess this up too? What if my omega nature brings danger to another pack I care about?"

The silence that followed was heavy with emotion. I could taste their scents mixing in the air—anger, protectiveness, and something deeper that made my heart race for entirely different reasons.

Finally, Kael stopped pacing and turned to face me, his dark eyes intense but gentle. "Eliana," he said, his voice rough with emotion, "what happened to your pack wasn't your fault. ThatBeta's betrayal had nothing to do with you being in heat. He made his choice before you ever set foot in that clearing."

"But my scent—"

"Your scent is part of who you are," Rhys interrupted, his voice warm but firm. "It's not a weapon or a curse. It's a gift, and any alpha worth his salt knows how to control himself around an omega in heat."

Fen nodded in agreement. "The chaos you described would have happened regardless. Marcus set that trap before your heat ever triggered. You were just caught in the crossfire of his betrayal."

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, tasting salt and hope in equal measure. "But what if—"

"No what-ifs," Kael said, dropping back into his chair and leaning forward to catch my gaze. "You want to know something? I used to think having an omega in our pack would be a liability. Thought it would make us weak, distracted, vulnerable."

My heart clenched at his words, but he continued before I could spiral.

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