Page 129 of Knot Their Safe Haven
I touch the scarf at my throat, a gesture that looks nervous but actually ensures the recording device is still functioning. Alessandro's paranoia serving its purpose.
"I've spent twenty years building this movement, saving others while ignoring my own needs. Accepting situationships that offered fragments instead of fulfillment. Hiding essential parts of myself to make others comfortable with their cowardice."
That word lands like a slap. I see Knox flinch, see Malcolm's jaw tighten, see Adyani's fingers curl around rose stems tight enough to draw blood from thorns.
"But near-death experiences have a way of clarifying priorities." I straighten, letting strength replace the false vulnerability. "I'm thirty-nine years old. I'll be forty in mere months. According to traditional omega biology, I'm past my prime. According to societal expectations, I should be grateful for any attention, any affection, any scrap of recognition that comes my way."
A few omegas in the audience nod, recognizing their own experiences in my words.
"I reject that narrative." The words ring out clear and sharp. "I reject the idea that omega worth diminishes with age. That our bodies become less deserving of pleasure, our hearts less worthy of genuine love, our futures less bright because we've passed some arbitrary expiration date."
I click the remote again, displaying medical charts—anonymized but clearly showing improvement in omega health metrics.
"Recent medical interventions have shown that with proper care, with pack support, with biological harmony, omegas can thrive well into their fifties. Even pregnancy remains viable with appropriate medical supervision and pack bonding that provides necessary hormonal support."
Another reporter raises her hand, practically vibrating with the need to ask about my personal situation. I hold up one finger—wait.
"Which is why I've decided to take a temporary leave of absence from day-to-day operations."
The explosion of voices is immediate. Questions shouted over each other, cameras clicking like automatic weapons, bodies pressing forward as if proximity will provide answers. I stand perfectly still, waiting for the chaos to exhaust itself.
Marina steps forward from the wings, her presence enough to restore marginal order.
"Please," I say once the volume drops to manageable levels. "I'll address your concerns, but first, you deserve to know who will be supporting me during this transition."
This is it. The moment where everything changes.
I look directly at Knox, at Malcolm, at Adyani. Their faces are studies in barely contained hope, bodies coiled with anticipationof being called forward, of being claimed publicly after twenty years of shadows.
"The pack I've chosen—or rather, who chose me when I was incapable of choosing myself—has shown me what genuine care looks like. They signed papers when I was dying. They fought for my medical care when bureaucracy would have let me rot. They've spent every moment since my recovery showing me what I was missing while accepting crumbs disguised as feasts."
My voice carries over the crowd's murmuring, each word precise as a surgical cut.
"The Noctuary Larissa Organization has graciously agreed to not only support the Haven expansion but to provide ongoing security for all locations. Their pack has officially claimed me, and I've accepted that claim with enthusiasm I didn't know I was still capable of feeling."
The ripple of shock that goes through Knox, Malcolm, and Adyani is visible even from the stage. Knox's face drains of color, his hands gripping the edge of his seat. Malcolm's medical bag falls from nerveless fingers, pills rattling against the marble floor. Adyani's roses tumble from her lap, white petals scattering like surrender flags.
"Before I announce my pack formally, there's one other matter that requires addressing." I grip the podium harder, feeling my knuckles white beneath skin. "The bombing that nearly killed me wasn't random. It wasn't infrastructure failure or unfortunate timing. It was targeted. Deliberate. Personal."
Every eye in the room locks onto me. The cameras zoom closer, their mechanical eyes hungry for revelation.
"The police investigation yielded no results, they claimed. Too much destruction, too much water damage, too many variables to determine culpability." I pause, letting that sink in. "But my pack has resources beyond traditional law enforcement.They've uncovered truths that would have remained buried if not for their dedication to justice."
My heart pounds against my ribs, each beat a countdown to detonation.
"Knox. Adyani. Malcolm." I gesture to them, my hand steady despite the earthquake in my chest. "Would you please join me on stage?"
The confusion that flashes across their faces might be comical in other circumstances. Knox rises first, probably from muscle memory of following my requests. Adyani follows, gathering her fallen roses with hands that shake slightly. Malcolm retrieves his medical bag, the doctor in him unable to leave it behind even now.
They climb the steps slowly, and I can see them trying to piece together this puzzle. Knox reaches me first, moving to touch my arm in that casual possessive way he never quite stopped despite our distance. I step back, maintaining professional space, and his hand falls to his side.
They arrange themselves beside me, and I can smell their combined scents—smoke and cedar, saffron and roses, eucalyptus and mint. Once upon a time, those scents meant safety. Now they just smell like betrayal wearing familiar cologne.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I say, turning back to the audience while keeping them in my peripheral vision. "I'd like to introduce you to three individuals who've been integral to my life for the past twenty years. Knox, who owns the gym where many of our Haven residents train in self-defense. Princess Adyani, whose international connections have provided sanctuary for omegas fleeing across borders. And Dr. Malcolm Hayes, whose medical expertise has saved countless omega lives."
Applause starts, scattered and confused, because surely there's more to this story. There is.
"They've been constant presences in my journey. Supporters of the movement. Partners in various capacities." I pause, feeling the weight of the next words gathering in my throat. "They've also had numerous opportunities to step forward, to claim me, to offer the protection and recognition that every omega deserves from those who profess to love them."
