Page 5 of Knot All is Crystal
In my wildest dreams, I slit his throat and dance on his fucking grave, but I know now that the only way out is a body bag.
I didn’t realize it four years ago when I gave myself to the Conglomerate, but I know now that he will never let me go. Kieran will always find a way to say I still owe him a debt.
“You have my loyalty, Kieran. You know that.”
“Show me, then.” He stands up, eyes predatory. “Let me see my mark.”
“My heat finished five days ago,” I whisper, wrapping my hands around my waist. “It’s gone.”
His long legs eat up the distance between us, and he spins me around, an arm banding tightly around my waist. One hand sweeps my hair from the back of my neck and trails across my nape.
“So I see. Well, that won’t do, will it?”
A sharp, brutal pain overtakes my whole body.
Bonding is supposed to be pleasurable. Beautiful.
That’s what the Academy said.
But they didn’t teach about blighted bonds there. Why scare the pretty Omega princesses with tales of Alphas who don’t care about your consent?
It’s easier to pretend that bonding is a wonderful, sacred thing.
A bite outside of heat that is not reciprocated creates a bond that is a shadow of what it should be. There is no emotional connection between the Alpha and Omega, nor are there any permanent ties between them. If it’s not reinforced during the next heat, it fades.
I don’t want to risk the bite sticking around, so I no longer take my heat suppressants. That means, every three months, Kieran Cobb sinks his teeth into the back of my neck, right below my hairline, to mark me as his.
To claim flesh that was never meant to be his.
A pained whimper escapes me, and he chuckles around his grip on my nape. His hot tongue laves against it, and I fight the urge to cringe at the unwelcome sensation.
“There,” he whispers against my broken skin. “That should do it. I do so hate that it fades so quickly.”
I don’t respond.
I can’t.
My throat is tight.
I don’t give a fuck that it’s temporary. Right now, it feels like forever.
“You should be thanking me for protecting you, Crystal. You’re very well taken care of here. No one will bother you with my bite on your neck.” The weight of his presence lifts from my back as he walks back to his desk. My muscles are still frozen, and the back of my neck throbs.
I feel helpless.
“You’re ungrateful, you know that? I could do this during your heat, but I am gracious enough to offer you my protection through my bite and let it be one that fades. You’ll still be able to find your pack once you work off your debt.” He smooths down the front of his black shirt before steepling his hands on his desk.
“Go on, then. Thank me.”
Bile rises in my throat, and my fists clench at my side. I breathe slowly through my nose, begging my voice not to betray me.
“Thank you, Kieran.”
He smiles so broadly it’s almost blinding. “You’re welcome, Queenie. I like the purple in your hair. It’s exotic.”
I grit my teeth and bare them in a smile. “Thank you.”
And with that unpleasantness done, he’s back to business.
