Page 2 of Love Me Knot, Part One (Knotty Omegas #1)

DAPHNE

Same day, nine years ago

There’s something undeniably sexy about watching the men I’m fixated on sign our marriage certificate. The smooth hands, the clean nails, the firm grip on the pen. They’re all doing things to me. Things that shouldn’t happen while my parents scowl at my side.

But how can I stop when the men I’ve craved for so long will be my husbands in an hour? My alphas. My pack.

All those nights alone in my dorm, gone.

Whispered words and veiled promises over quiet dinners and secret emails, over.

Sneaking away at parties to get off before we’re caught is a thing of the past.

After four years of waiting, I’ve finally presented, and this obsession born over years of slow, unofficial courting, will finally become something real.

Mrs. Daphne Parker. I like the sound of that.

Especially when I remember that we’ll bond as soon as we get home. My soul twined with my alphas, holding us together for the rest of our lives.

It’s hard to focus on anything but my men, and how different my life’s about to become. Corey’s hooded gaze skims over me with a smirk as Lance pulls me from my parents into the circle of their bodies. Jacob’s warm hand curls around my hip, anchoring me to his side.

“Pretty little omega. Are you needy for us?”

“You know I am,” I whine, stepping closer until I’m nearly plastered against him. There’s something dark in his voice that makes my skin thrum, aching for my alpha.

Their scents are thicker now and I inhale so fast, I get dizzy. How do they smell so good?

Scent-sympathetic, the books call this. Nature’s way of ensuring compatibility by making partners smell almost addictive. These alphas smell amazing and taste like sex and security. They’re so different, yet I’m drawn to these men in a way that feels borderline unhealthy.

Jacob, the eldest at twenty-five, is tall, golden, and utterly handsome.

Not a hair out of place, he has this effortless swagger about him, born from someone who’s always the most powerful in the room.

There’s an edge of aloofness to my pack lead that draws me closer, desperate to be the one to soften the sharpness of his lemon sent and dull the edges of that well-disguised temper.

A few months younger, Lance is by far the prettiest. Bottle green eyes, a lean body and this bad boy smile make my breath catch all the time. His violet and mandarin scent works with that natural charm to get whatever he wants in a flash.

At the end stands Corey, Jacob’s younger brother.

The closest to my age at twenty, he’s still got the roundness of youth and the playfulness that comes with it.

Always the first to shoot me a wink or tease me too far, his fresh bergamot pairs perfectly with the others, creating a bouquet of fairytale beginnings that are all mine as soon as this meeting is over.

Taylorson, my father’s lawyer, organizes the pages of the contract and clears his throat. “Before we start, I just need to go through some housekeeping. Is everyone here of their own free will?”

Pack Parker and I voice our agreement with easy smiles and heated looks.

“Wonderful. Miss Barnes, do you acknowledge that you’ve been through your first heat?”

“She does.” Father cuts me off before I can so much as think the word no .

Taylorson looks at my alphas. “Jacob, as pack lead, do you acknowledge that Daphne Barnes has already had her first heat?”

My alpha doesn’t glance my way as he lies, too. “I do.”

What the hell?

I could assume Father doesn’t know because he’s never kept tabs on me, but Jacob and I have been planning my first heat for months. We all want it to be perfect.

When I try to speak, Mother snatches me away. My alphas growl softly, but she drops her gaze, shoulders bowed until my pack lead pulls his furious gaze away.

Lorelai Barnes embraced the idea of staying young with both fists and my father’s bank account. Strangers regularly assume she’s my poised older sister, much to her delight. To me, she’s always been this beautiful figure to see but not touch. In fact, this may be the closest we’ve ever been.

“Why are they lying?” I ask, careful to keep my voice down.

Mother’s lips pinch before smoothing out. “Because they’re tired of waiting for you to fully present. If we don’t sign today, they’re going to look for another omega.”

I was thirteen when the blood tests revealed I was an omega and at fifteen, I matched to Pack Parker.

At first, I was terrified. They were older, with everyone but Corey in college already.

What did I know about taking care of myself, let alone a pack of alphas?

But they never pushed me, taking their time to ensure I felt comfortable.

Letting me fall in love with them at my own pace.

And I did. I fell hard and fast for these men.

The hardest part was waiting for my body to be ready, but it is now.

My perfume’s come in, slick is a serious problem, and the telltale signs of heat are beginning.

All we need to do is sign a few pages and my alphas will be my first everything. My only.

Across the desk, Lance shoots me a smile so full of promise, desire, and affection that it shores me up against Mother’s words.

“I don’t believe you.” My heart races, voice a shaking whisper as I try to assert myself. It’s hard when I’ve been conditioned to be seen, not heard, but there’s no way my alphas would walk away after waiting this long. Not when we love each other so damn much.

She’s lying. She has to be.

“You’re wrong,” I tell Mother, knowing I need to hear it too. Faith in these men is the least they deserve after waiting for so long to have me.

Mother’s face tightens as much as it can. “Let’s not find out.”

Taylorson spreads a few more sheets across the desk. “As discussed, since Pack Parker is already established, this contract protects their assets in the case of a dissolution.”

“That won’t be a problem. We plan to keep Daphne so happy she never leaves,” Corey says, giving me a wink that makes my knees shake.

That’s not something a man with one foot out the door would do. Is it, Mother?

“We’ll still go through everything for clarity’s sake, starting with Miss Barnes.

” Taylorson turns to me with a professional smile.

“Daphne, you are to remain committed to the alphas of Pack Parker. They’ve requested you be a stay-at-home omega, though you’ll have a team to help you maintain the household.

You will entertain guests and do your best to be the perfect omega for your alphas in all ways. Do you agree?”

“Yes.”

We’ve discussed this over the last few years. The guys want a housewife, and I’m not interested in working for anyone else. Years of being on the wrong side of my parents’ reprimands make that untenable.

“And you understand that all parties have agreed to children, which you are required to carry unless surrogacy is medically necessary?”

“I do.”

Maybe growing up in a home devoid of anything but functional love—seeing affection offered to stave off the need rather than something to savor—has made me desperate for it, but I’ve always wanted a family of my own.

We’ll have to wait a few years while Corey gets through college and into law school, but then I’ll have it all.

The alphas, the bonds, the babies. My dream life laid out on a platter.

Tension blankets the room when Taylorson fidgets with the pages, cheeks ruddier with every passing second.

“What’s the hold up?” Jacob snaps.

Taylorson glances my way, pulling at his collar. “The rest of the omega’s duties are of a delicate nature. If you’d like, Daphne?—”

“Your alphas are entitled to sexual maintenance to keep them satisfied,” Father says bluntly.

“Two times a week per alpha, minimum of one child, and access to you during your heat. They’ll also need entrance to your nest and bed regularly.

No scent cancelling products or heat suppressants starting now unless requested by your pack.

No birth control once they’ve decided they’re ready for children. Is that everything, Taylorson?”

The lawyer clears his throat, acting like the desktop is the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “Yes, sir.”

Oh my god.

My face goes up in flames and Mother smooths her pearl necklace with a grimace.

It’s not like I thought we’d be celibate, but I never realized my sex life would be outlined so baldly. There’s a clinical nature to it that unsettles me, but let’s be real. Chances are, my pack will beat those expectations easily. It’s already hard to keep our hands off each other.

Still, if Father had to negotiate that on my behalf, I’m going to vomit.

Before I can spiral too far, a grateful Taylorson moves on.

“In exchange for everything we’ve discussed, Pack Parker agrees to a generous monthly stipend to be added to an investment portfolio in your name as payment for your work managing the household.

They’ll also allow free use of the pack funds, homes and vehicles.

Daphne, do you agree with everything I’ve said? ”

“I do.”

His relief is palpable as he slides the page my way. I reach for the pen, but Mother snatches it.

“Your father and I will sign as your proxies.”

I’m not sure that’s allowed, but I have to trust they understand the law better than me. My alphas certainly do, since Lance and Jacob just passed the bar exam to become lawyers themselves.

Mother and Father sign the omega proxy line, Taylorson initialing as a witness.

“Wonderful. Now, for Pack Parker. Jacob, Lance and Corey, do you understand you’re responsible for Daphne’s continued health, security and safety?

You are required to ensure she has adequate housing, food and clothing for her standing.

This includes access to any clubs or committees she may want to be in and any hobbies she entertains.

If she’s unhappy, it’s her job to speak up and your job to foot the bill. Do you all agree?”