Page 39 of Knot Your Kismet

“I want you to leave,” I say, cutting Ivy off. “Please don’t contact me again. I’ll not be going back to an Omega Resort, especially yours.”

“Cali—”

“She said to leave.” The voice comes from behind me. I release a soft breath at the sight of Lucas. He didn’t stay in the car. I should’ve known he wouldn’t, and I’m grateful that he didn’t. “You’re no longer welcome in Poppy Cove. We’ll file a complaint with the courts because of this. Cali is mine.”

I blink a few times. Damn. Lucas sounds as commanding as his brothers, and it tickles my very nature. I love the sound of his voice and how powerful he looks standing in the aisle between bookcases only a few feet away.

Ivy doesn’t bother to argue and snatches her brother by the collar of his shirt, yanking him with her.

Georgia doesn’t say anything as they exit the café.

But I know Ivy isn’t quick to give up.

Her final look at me proves as much.

What have I gotten myself into?

How do I even move on from here?

23

Madly in Love

Lucas

“Make sure they leave,” Cali says, staring at the exit.

I want nothing more than to run and hug Cali, to kiss her and make sure she’s okay, but Cali is right. I need to guarantee Pack Daines leaves. If her lawyer hadn’t told Ivy off, then I’d be torn about leaving Cali with a stranger.

“I’ll be right back. Stay with your lawyer.” I clench my jaw, glancing quickly at the lawyer, and head out the exit. Unfortunately, I hear voices nearby, so I can’t turn around and head back inside.

“You’re a bitch. I can’t believe you embarrassed me like that.” The stern voice draws my attention to the alley next to the coffee shop. I stroll close but stay out of view from Ivy and one of her many brothers. Their former pack leader should’ve really fucking used a condom. Am I a dick for saying that? I don’t give a fuck. It was cruel for him to keep procreating, considering that Pack Daines can only have one omega and they have thirty-five biological Daines alphas. They were trying to trick Cali into bonding with supposedly one, which is disgusting, considering the contract would immediately be contested and risk Cali having to satiate every single one of them.

I growl at the thought.

“Oh, shut up, Will. I’m trying to think,” Ivy says.

I couldn’t imagine what kind of life they live. I bet they’re constantly fighting and plotting against each other instead of working together as they should. I know my brothers and I sometimes fight, but it’s never something we can’t get over. I was the one who chose to live a beta life. They might have judged me for not wanting the same power that our dad had, and I’m okay with that. They didn’t force me otherwise. I came back for the funeral with every intention of returning home. At least, that was until Cali came into our parents’ bedroom and I saw just how broken we both were—maybe still are.

“Don’t tell me what to do, bitch.”

I peek around the corner to see Ivy and her brother facing each other. Ivy taps away on her phone while Will glowers at her, his thin hair hanging in his face. A part of me is glad that I watch Ivy and her brother fight. They don’t even notice me. That’s their type. They think that no one else in the world is worth a single second of their attention.

“You can call me a bitch all you want, but you can only blame yourself. I told you that Cali wouldn’t just accept you as an alpha. She has standards. You’re not even her type. You should have allowed one of our other brothers to come, because now we have lost a great opportunity. She won’t even return to Nevada. I guarantee you that. I have a lot of damage control to do now.” Ivy jabs him in the chest with her long fingernail. “You better hope I can fix things with Cali.”

I scratch my fingers across my neat beard, listening in on their conversation. I knew from the beginning that Ivy had an ulterior motive. She wouldn’t have hired Cali a lawyer out of the goodness of her heart. She hired a lawyer who would have benefited Pack Daines. Now I’m dying to know what kind of exchange went down that I missed.

“I don’t need you to fix anything. I’ll handle it. I’ll not allow her to shame us. She’s going to want—no, beg us—to bring her into our pack as our omega.” Ivy’s brother puffs out his chest yet still manages to look scrawny.

The bastard has a lot of nerve to assume he’s worthy of Cali. It takes everything in me not to charge him and punch his ugly face. I’m not a violent guy, usually. I don’t find joy in the physical pain of someone else, but the thought of pulverizing one of the Daines’ alphas scratches an itch I didn’t realize I had.

“Why am I so surprised by your audacity, brother? You really think highly of yourself, don’t you?” Ivy shakes her head while rolling her eyes. “I’ll let you have your way but only because I know you’ll prove me right. You’ll only fuck things up more. At least then everyone will realize that you’re unworthy of even carrying our pack’s name.”

Will grits his teeth and jerks his arm back swinging an inch above Ivy’s head. She doesn’t duck or even flinch. She probably faces this type of behavior all the time. Instead, she shoves her palm to his chest and pushes him away. Her heels click against the pavement, and she storms toward the luxury vehicle waiting for her. A driver opens the door, and she slides in. With wide eyes, Will stares with his mouth agape. The driver peels away from the curb as if the two of them are now on the run.

Will throws his hands up. “Ivy! You bitch!” Striding in the opposite direction, Will yells into his phone. He’s so enraged that I can only make out a few words about picking him up. I keep my distance, so he doesn’t realize I’m following him. If a black SUV with dark tint didn’t pull up to the mouth of the alley on the other street, I’d ensure he walks his ass out of town. I take out my phone and film Will getting into the vehicle, trying to see who hides behind the tinted windows inside. I catch the license plate and take a screenshot to send to my brothers.

Cali: Can you come inside? Georgia wants to speak with you.