Page 105 of Knot Going Down

It seems our pretend play is over.

Knox’s lips thin as he offers the girls an apologetic look. He wants this, but I don’t think he’ll fight Declan.

Until things are settled between them, everything will remain uncertain.

“When will we see you?” Emily asks Declan.

“After the wedding.” He gives her a kiss to soften the blow. “But I’ll call, alright?”

Emily nods, but there are tears in her eyes.

“Could you take Gunner for us?” Knox asks.

Declan glares at Knox, clearly outraged that the other alpha would make arrangements forhisdog.

Knox puts his hands on his hips. “We can’t take him to the wedding. Do you really want to leave him alone for hours? It’ll be better if he’s with our?—”

Declan growls before Knox can finish the sentence. Knox bites his tongue. Emily looks about ready to cry. Ava crosses her arms protectively and turns away, walls going back up right before my eyes.

“Would you be okay with that, Emily?” Declan asks, almost formal in the request.

“We’d love to have him.” She scratches behind the dog’s ears and tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

I have my work cut out for me if I’m going to keep this pack together. For now, I’ll be satisfied to stay with my beautiful women and my alpha’s pup.

52

DECLAN

After saying goodbye to what feels like my pack, I’m raw. Frayed at the edges in a way I haven’t felt since Kyle died. It’s not a death, not really. Not even a true goodbye. But it’s enough of a rupture to leave a hollow space in my chest. Once I get Glenn behind bars, I’ll be pounding down Emily’s door and begging them all to let me bite them. But not until the job is done. No promises until I’ve finished what I started.

In the meantime, I have Knox. Lucky me. The man is as despondent as I am.

“Stop whimpering or I’ll make you stop,” I snap as the cab pulls up to a narrow cul-de-sac, the kind with cracked sidewalks and mismatched mailboxes. It slows in front of a small, single-story house with faded shutters and a postage-stamp lawn. The grass is trimmed, even if it's more crabgrass than turf, and the porch has two matching chairs with sun-bleached cushions and a planter full of plastic tulips. There’s no luxury here—but there’s care. Pride.

“How you gonna do that, alpha?” Knox’s words are teasing, but the usual flirtation is gone. It’s all shadow underneath.

I lean in close, lips near his ear as I push the cab door open. “You know exactly how.”

His breath hitches, just enough. “Oh, does someone get horny when they’re sad?” Some of his lightness returns to his voice.

“I’m not sad.” I shove him to get out of the car. It would be easier to get out on my side, but for some reason, I don’t want to. I want to push him, control him, take out a little of my emotions on him.

“Well, I’m sad.” He stretches as he steps out, purposely slow and dramatic. “So let me whimper and lick my wounds in peace.”

I leave the cab after him, taking in the house where Knox lives with his parents. Glenn’s daughter’s wedding is tomorrow, and I got us a hotel a few blocks away from the Plansky estate. It can’t really be called a house. More of a compound with top security we wouldn’t be able to breach without the excuse of this wedding. The best opportunity I’ve had to take him down. That’s what I need to focus on, not the distance from my betas and my omega.

But before we could go to the hotel, Knox needed to pick up his tux, because apparently he gave Lucas back the one he wore on the ship. He also said he needed to pick up his gift for the bride and groom. I think he really just wanted to check on his family.

“This is your parents’ place?” I ask, more surprised than I mean to sound.

“No, it’s the Governor’s summer home,” Knox mutters. “Yes, this is it. Keep your manners on and your mouth shut.”

It’s the first time I’ve seen him genuinely uneasy. Not flirty. Not snarky. Just... braced.

I shoot him a sidelong look. “They don’t know anything?”

“Nope. And I’d like to keep it that way.”