Page 93 of Knotted By the Triad

“My dad wanted Kai to become king. Once Zeyan was gone, Kai would've taken the throne, and I would've been his queen. My son would’ve been the crown prince. One day, my family would’ve become the royal family.”

“And Daemin and Zian?”

“I told you, I don't need them!” She was crying harder now. “They could leave. They could have whatever lives they wanted. Without them around, Kai would've finally seen me. Really seen me.”

I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

“You think killing his cousin and getting rid of his pack brothers would've made Kai fall in love with you?”

“He would have! You don't know him!”

“I know him well enough to know murdering his family isn't the way to win his heart.”

Her face twisted. “He would've loved me eventually. Whether he was my fated one or not,” she continued. “I would've made him love me.”

“You can't make somebody love you.”

She rushed a step closer. “You walked into their lives, and suddenly they can barely breathe without knowing where you are. You’re the one they’ve been waiting on. You're their precious omega, so everything is simply handed to you. Omegas get everything!”

“I'm pretty sure getting thrown into a tower wasn't part of my omega benefits.”

Her scream cut me off. “Omegas aren’t the only ones who deserve love!”

“You're right.”

Mei Lin blinked.

I kept my eyes on her. “Betas deserve love. Omegas deserve love. Everybody deserves the chance to be loved.”

Her breathing slowed.

“But nobody owes it to you,” I added.

Her face hardened.

“You don't get to drug yourself into another designation. You don't get to lie to people, spy on them, help your father use them, and try to destroy another woman's life because you decided somebody else's love belongs to you.”

“You stole my life.”

“No. Your father sold you a fantasy, and you helped him build it.”

Her fingers clenched around the shard. I needed that damn thing. I reached for my dragon again.

“Okay. Now would be a great time to take over.”

Warmth spread through my chest.

Release all fear and let me take over.

I nearly screamed. “How?”

Release all fear and let me take over.

I looked at Mei Lin. Then at the shard. Then at the open window. I was trapped hundreds of feet above the ground with a crying psychopath who could teleport around the room whenever she wanted. And my dragon wanted me to stop being afraid. Wonderful. I couldn’t depend on my dragon, so I had to depend on my fists. I bent my knees slightly.

Mei Lin frowned. “What are you doing?”

I rushed her. Her eyes widened. Blue light flashed. She disappeared. I stumbled through the space where she'd been. Something moved behind me. A foot slammed into my back. I flew forward and crashed into the wall. Pain exploded through my shoulder. Mei Lin laughed.