Page 236 of Knot What I Expected

“He was afraid of you?”

“Yes.”

Interesting.

“He had me beaten and chained.”

Everything inside me stops.

“What?”

“He said I was a freak.”

Monster lunges so violently inside me that my teeth ache.

“He said he was going to cure me.”

My arm tightens around her.

“He locked you up?”

She nods.

“And then he said my child was a bastard. An abomination.”

Matteo.

My fucking pup.

“He said whatever was wrong with me might be inside the baby too.”

The growl tearing out of me doesn't sound human anymore.

Gabby turns toward me.

“Rowan—”

“What did he do?”

“He said Matteo needed to be purged at birth.”

No.

The word doesn't leave my mouth. It comes from somewhere deeper.

Monster.

Me.

Alpha.

Mate.

All the same fucking thing now.

Gabby's tears spill freely.

“So, the second I could, I ran.”