Knot the One They Want (Claimverse Book 1)
Knot the One They Want: Chapter 4

Who the hell does she think she is?

The click of my loafers echoes through the music room as I pace after the dinner, fury radiating from every pore while I wait for the others to join me. Genuinely, who the hell does she think she is, waltzing into my family’s estate with that sassy mouth and those defiant eyes?

And her scent…

A prickling feeling works its way down my spine at the mere thought of it. It lingers, even now, tormenting me. The scent of honey and vanilla. Of sweetness so delectable it took all the self-restraint I had not to grab her, put her up on the table, and devour her.

And I know I’m not the only one. I half-expected the others to acknowledge it then and there, despite the filthy looks I was giving them in warning. To act on the mutual realization we all had the moment we walked into that room.

Evangeline Beaumont is our scent match.

Of fucking course she is.

But it changes nothing.

As rare as omegas are, most alphas will go their entire lifetime without replaceing a scent match. An omega who’s tailored by nature itself to be their perfect fit. Finding a pack increases the odds a little, a numbers game if nothing else. But it’s still playing the lottery, and most packs who can get their hands on an omega don’t sweat it, even if there’s always the risk that their scent match will come along.

Depending on how shitty those alphas happened to be, they might ditch their chosen mate for their scent match.

I had never been one to put much stock into fate. I believed in owning my choices. In loyalty. So even if the sight—and scent—of Evangeline had been enough to throw me in the moment, it didn’t change anything. I still had every intention of running her off.

Now, more than ever.

It was just going to be a lot harder than I thought, and not simply because she happened to be our scent match.

I took one look at her—all silky hair and soft curves—and assumed a few cutting remarks would send the spoiled little omega running for the hills. And yet, that dinner was the first time anyone, especially an omega, has ever put me on the defensive.

Asher saunters into the room with Cole close behind him, the musician’s casual footsteps almost as annoying as the smirk on his face. He slides onto the piano bench and cracks his knuckles. ‘Well, she certainly gave you a run for your money, didn’t she?’

I shoot him a glare that could freeze hell. ‘Shut up.’

But damn him, he’s right. Little Miss Sunshine stood her ground, throwing my insults right back in my face with a sweet smile. I hate her for it. Hate her for not cowering like the rest. Hate her for the way my throat tightens when I remember the fire in her eyes.

Lake leans against the wall, his voice uncharacteristically soft. ‘She’s beautiful.’

‘And witty,’ Cole agrees as he lumbers through the door and sprawls out on the couch. ‘She’ll be tougher to scare off than we thought.’

Beautiful. The word echoes in my mind, taunting me. Yes, she’s beautiful. Infuriatingly so. With her delicate features and lush curves, my alpha instincts were raging at me all night to take her, to stake my claim, even as those instincts betray my very soul.

But there’s something else about her. Something fierce and untamed beneath the surface that I wasn’t expecting. It draws me to her like a moth to a flame, even as I despise myself for it.

I want to erase every trace of her from my mind.

But I can’t. She’s burned herself into my memory, a brand I can’t escape. The sway of her hips as she walked away. The lilt of her laugh. The way her eyes sparkled with challenge, daring me to do my worst.

I shake my head to clear it. I should be glad she’s not some wilting wallflower, if only because it’ll make it easier to do what has to be done. But all I feel is resentment. Resentment and a hunger I can’t name.

Asher’s fingers dance over the piano keys, a haunting melody filling the room. It grates on my nerves, too soft and sweet for my taste.

‘So,’ he begins, ‘are we going to keep dancing around the fact that she’s our scent match, or is it too taboo?’

I clench my jaw so hard I hear it crack and ease up. The last thing I need tonight is a trip to the emergency dentist. ‘It’s not taboo,’ I snap. ‘It just doesn’t change anything. We all knew there was a chance, however small, we’d meet our scent match after we marked Daria. Are you really so weak to your alpha instincts you’d be willing to betray that promise for an omega who smells like candy?’

‘More like a bakery,’ Lake muses. When he sees the death glare I’m giving him, he shrugs. ‘What? She does.’

‘You seem to be forgetting one thing,’ Cole says dryly, his massive arms folded over his chest. ‘Daria left us. She broke the bond.’

‘You don’t think I know that?’ I hiss.

‘Evangeline isn’t going to just disappear, Damien,’ Lake interrupts quietly, his eyes knowing. ‘Your father clearly has his mind set on her.’

‘My father isn’t the leader of this pack,’ I counter. ‘And none of you breathes a word about the scent match to him or anyone else.’

I can feel my father’s presence before he even enters the room, as if we summoned him. The air gets thick, and the others fall silent, their eyes darting between me and the old man. When he steps inside, his expression is unreadable, but I know that look. It’s the same one he wears when he’s about to drop a bombshell.

‘Damien, a word in private, if you please.’ His tone leaves no room for argument.

I follow him out of the music room, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. Great. I really don’t need the three of them in there alone, talking about what just happened, getting carried away. But if I refuse to leave, it’ll only arouse the old man’s suspicion. We walk in silence until we reach his study down the hall, the heavy oak door closing behind us with a sense of finality.

‘So,’ he begins, settling into his leather chair. ‘What did you think of Evie?’

I scoff, crossing my arms. ‘It doesn’t matter what I think. She’s not Daria.’

‘Precisely.’ His eyes narrow, pinning me in place. ‘Damien, I know how much you and the others loved Daria. I understand firsthand the intensity of the bond between an alpha and their marked omega. But it’s been a year. You have to move on.’

Fury ignites in my veins, white-hot and blinding. ‘We refuse to give up on what’s ours.’

‘She’s not coming back!’ He slams his hand on the desk, the sound echoing like a gunshot. ‘And even if she did, she broke your mating mark and was claimed by another alpha. She’s unfit to stand at the head of this coalition as its first omega.’

His words are a knife to my gut, twisting and tearing. Because as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. But that doesn’t change the fact that my heart still bleeds from her betrayal.

‘You’ve thumbed your nose at every omega I’ve presented so far,’ he continues, his voice cold and unyielding. ‘But that’s coming to an end. Evie is the perfect match in every regard—beautiful, intelligent, witty, and devoted to something outside her own selfish interests. She’s exactly what this pack needs to get back on track to taking its proper place in the coalition.’

I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms until I’m sure they’ll leave marks. ‘I hate her.’

‘It’s her, or you forfeit your right as firstborn.’ His eyes bore into mine, daring me to challenge him. ‘I’ll pass my authority to Micah instead.’

The words hit me like a physical blow. Micah, my younger brother. The golden child who can do no wrong in our father’s eyes. The thought of him taking what’s rightfully mine makes my blood boil.

And that’s without him even knowing Evangeline is our scent match.

‘You’re bluffing,’ I manage to grind out through gritted teeth.

He leans back in his chair, a humorless smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ‘Try me.’

We stare each other down, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. I search his face for any sign of weakness, any crack in his armor. But there’s none. He means every word.

The realization settles over me like a lead weight, crushing and suffocating. I’m trapped. Trapped by duty, by destiny, by the very blood that runs through my veins.

And Evangeline… she is the key to it all.

The key to my future, to my birthright.

My fated mate.

But she’s also the embodiment of everything I despise. Everything that’s been forced on me from day one. I’ve lived my entire life trying to prove I’m more than just my family name. That my choices and actions are my own, and they matter. And here she comes along, threatening to turn it all into a joke. A mockery.

I want to roar, to rage, to tear this whole damn house down brick by brick. But I can’t. I’m a Blackwood, and Blackwoods don’t show weakness. We don’t bend, we don’t break.

Even when our hearts are shattered beyond repair.

I turn away from my father, my jaw clenched so tight I can feel my teeth grinding. Losing control now would only prove him right. Prove that I’m not fit to lead.

‘The matter is settled, then.’ His voice is calm now, almost conciliatory. As if he hasn’t just ripped the ground out from under me. ‘Take some time, all of you. Get to know Evie in private. You may replace she’s not as objectionable as you think.’

A harsh laugh rips from my throat, grating and mirthless. ‘Don’t bother.’ I face him again. ‘You’ve clearly already made the decision. So why don’t you just make the proposal yourself? Let us know when to show up for the mating ceremony.’

His eyes flash, a warning. ‘Don’t tempt me, Damien.’

For a moment, we’re locked in another silent battle of wills. I’m one stray word away from throwing it all away. My birthright, my goals, everything I’ve fought for my whole life, even if it’s all standing in the way of what I truly want.

In the end, I break eye contact first, a bitter taste in my mouth. I can’t do that to my pack. It’s not just me I’m speaking for. If I turn my back on the Blackwood empire now, they’ll pay the price. The ripple effects won’t end with me.

But I’m not giving up. Not by a long shot.

Without another word, I stalk out of the room, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the frames on the walls. My feet carry me back to the music room, back to the only people in this world I trust.

They look up as I enter, their expressions ranging from curious to concerned. Asher is the first to speak, his fingers stilling on the piano keys. ‘What happened?’

I lean against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest as if I can physically hold myself together. ‘Change of plans. We’re not going to scare her off from the mating ceremony.’

Lake sits up straighter, his brow furrowed. ‘We’re not?’

‘No.’ My voice is flat, emotionless. ‘We’re going to make her life hell until she rejects us and leaves on her own.’

Silence descends, heavy and oppressive. I can feel their eyes on me, searching, probing. Trying to gauge just how serious I am. It’s Cole who finally breaks the tension, his voice a low rumble. ‘You want to drive her away.’

It’s not a question, but I nod anyway. ‘I want her to hate us. To regret ever setting foot in this house. We’ll see if our families ever try pushing another omega on us again when this one goes running for the hills after it’s official.’

Asher’s lips quirk, a glimmer of his usual mischief. ‘Well, that shouldn’t be too hard. We’re a pretty hateable bunch these days.’

I don’t smile. I can’t. This isn’t what I wanted. Isn’t how I saw my life playing out. But then, when has anything ever gone according to plan?

Lake’s voice is pained. Sharper than I’ve ever heard it. ‘She’s our scent match, Damien. Our omega.’

Those words are a punch in the gut. ‘Am I the only one in this pack who still believes in the promise we made the day Daria left?’ I snarl. Even when he flinches, I don’t regret the harshness of my words. ‘That we would get her back, no matter the cost. No matter how long it took.’

None of the others says a word. But their silence speaks volumes.

They know I’m right.

‘We don’t have a choice,’ I say, straightening my tie. Forcing myself to calm down. ‘Scent match or no, Evangeline isn’t our mate. She can’t be.’

Asher’s fingers dance over the keys once more, a dark and twisted melody that sends shivers down my spine. It’s a promise and a threat all in one. ‘I suppose it’s settled, then.’

Cole pushes off the wall, his steps purposeful as he crosses to the liquor cabinet. He pours four glasses of whiskey, the amber liquid sloshing against the cut crystal. When he hands me mine, his eyes are hard and determined.

‘To fighting fate,’ he says bitterly, raising his glass in a mockery of a toast.

I take a drink anyway, returning his glare. The whiskey burns as it goes down, a fire in my throat to match the one in my veins. It tastes like desperation and defeat, like the ashes of a future that’s been wrenched from my grasp.

But it also tastes like revenge. Like the bitter satisfaction of knowing that if I can’t have what I want, neither can the omega who’s been foisted on us—both by my father and the universe. Evangeline may have won this battle, but the war is far from over.

And I intend to make her rue the day she ever crossed paths with the Blackwood Pack.