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Karen’s gaze races across the screen in her hand as she tracks the messages coming through on her tablet. “I think you should see this,” she says, turning it my way.
The comments come through faster than I can read, but I catch things like, “It’s the least they can do,” and “Verity deserves to choose her destiny.”
“Seems like society’s on your side,” Ry murmurs, squeezing my hand.
It bolsters my confidence as Mrs. Violet says, “Verity Graves, I’m turning the last half of this ceremony over to you. Would you mind telling our ravenous Heat Fiends who you’ve chosen to take permanent spots in your pack?”
The smell of alpha pie reaches me before I see the men it belongs to, the warmth of their presence heating my back as I take the stage with them flanking me. Right on time, boys.
“Good evening, Heat Fiends,” I begin. “I’d love to introduce to you the men that have stolen my heart and completely obliterated my expectations of love. Truthfully, I didn’t expect to discover what I found with these men while I was here. I was completely skeptical of the process. But I’m extremely proud to say I’ve met my matches, my equals in every way, and I hope you’re accepting of them.”
I sweep my arms wide, hoping the camera is zoomed out far enough to capture them. I mean, I do have four hulking alphas and a toned beta. Something about that thought paired with the scent of their happiness has a wave of desire washing over me. Hate to break it to you, but now is so not a good time, vagina. Simmer down.
Did it get twenty degrees hotter in here, or is it me?
Blowing out a breath, I turn, letting them surround me as I mentally prepare myself for what I want to say during our Knotting Ceremony. “Heat Fiends, you already know and love Andrik Hart. This alpha stole my heart from the moment he chased me in the woods and brought me to the Designation Ceremony. Andrik, may I tie the final knot in your cord?”
“Always.” Andrik’s eyes shine with warmth as he presents me his pristine piece of rope, showing how meticulously he took care of it. I work my fingers through the string, tying a loop before pulling it taut, then I set it on the podium.
“Where Andrik goes, his brother surely follows.” That garners a genuine laugh from the crew. “Jedrik and I had a rockier start, but honestly, I think it only served to make us stronger. When Jedrik sets his mind to something though...” I mime fanning myself. “And when he went all in with me, I could’ve swooned on the spot. Jedrik, may I tie the final knot in your cord?”
“I would be honored, Trouble.” His cord is as cared for as Andrik’s, and I place it next to his twin’s when I’m finished.
“Now, as most of you probably saw, Kyle took me by surprise, but his addition was flawless. He and I clicked right from the very start, as he did with the rest of my pack. Besides, the man can cook. Totally a keeper, am I right, ladies?” Kyle chuckles and steps forward when I ask to tie his knot. Repeating the same movements as before, I loop it through and pull before placing it next to the others. Staring at the three cords makes my heart pang. I don’t have anything to represent Emmett or Ryland. It’s not a true Knotting Ceremony if they don’t have one too.
My best friend clears his throat. “Hello, Heat Fiends. Most of you know me as Verity’s best friend and while that is absolutely true, there’s also more to it. Our journey here brought us together in ways we were fighting for what feels like our whole lives, not wanting to ruin what we had. But I should’ve known loving Verity meant nothing would be ruined between us, only strengthened, as our love blossomed. Giving in to our feelings is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“And, as a way to show him he’s an equal,” Andrik begins. “We’d like to give him this.”
Jedrik hands Ry a cord, exactly like theirs, except no knots have been tied in it yet. Ryland’s eyes light up as he takes it and extends it toward me to fix the five knots like the others.
Truthfully, it feels fitting. Five knots for five mates. Ry kisses me on the cheek and steps back, allowing me to move on to Emmett. He stands there, dashing as fuck in his matching suit, patiently waiting for his turn. The glint of uncertainty in his eyes makes me want to wipe it away immediately.
“For my fifth mate, I choose Dr. Emmett DeLuca. While he was never a contending alpha, we were drawn to each other straight from the start. I truly don’t believe fate or anything else could’ve stood in our way. I belong with him as much as he belongs with me and this pack.”
I’m surprised, even though I shouldn’t be, when he reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a new cord, exactly like Ryland’s. Something tells me this is what they were doing beforehand and why they were MIA. Once his five are complete, I work on braiding it so it can be tied around my wrist like tradition, all of their strings intermingled with one another like we’ll be after this. It’s symbolic but also literal in a way.
Their scent is almost intoxicating as I continue, my sweet pears exploding around us because I can’t seem to stop them. My skin feels flushed as Emmett works to fix the cords around my wrist. “You okay, Little Omega?” he whispers under his breath, and I swear for a moment, it’s as if his dark chocolate scent is melting, becoming sweeter to one up mine.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, the excitement is getting to me,” I respond quietly. When he’s finished, I turn back to the camera as my five mates surround me. “Before I leave with my alphas, I’d like to thank Mrs. Violet again for allowing me to choose my mates. I can’t wait to spend a lifetime with them.” The camera I’m facing turns off, and I catch Mrs. Violet ending the segment on the other side of the studio.
A mischievous glint in Kyle’s eyes catches my attention, and our gazes lock. He winks at me before breaking into a devilish grin. Before I can even process what’s happening, his strong arms hoist me up and throw me over his shoulder. Panic floods my chest, but a sinful thrill courses through me at the same time. I’m grateful that no one can hear the thud of my heart as he kidnaps me from the stage.
“You’re mine now, Verity. You know what that means, right?” he exclaims. My core clenches. Boy, do I ever. He’s my only alpha who hasn’t knotted me yet. It’s past time we correct that.
“Fuck yes!” I giggle. He simply laughs, smacking my ass, sending a jolt of pleasure through me. I can hear my other men chuckling behind us, but I can’t focus on anything except the delicious sensation of being manhandled.
Exactly like I should be.
Chapter 54
Verity
Kyle sets me on my feet and I’m able to appreciate walking through the mansion for one of the last times. Relief, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, relaxes my body. The biggest weight that’s been dragging me down is finally gone. I’ve spent more time than I’d care to calculate worrying about my fate. It started before I ran, and consumed my thoughts more than once a day since then. But now I never have to think about it ever again.
We move through the halls until we reach the library. Andrik jogs ahead, and by the time we reach him, he already has the secret passageway open. Of course, we take the most direct path back to the room. We’re in a rush to celebrate!
I officially have a pack. It’s mine. Forever and always. They can’t take my alphas away from me. Never.
