Knot in This Lifetime

Chapter 2

Sage

Time seemed to crawl by in a chaotic whirlwind of flashes, shoved microphones, fake smiles and nauseating pats on her head, with her as the centerpiece of the circus. Every lens zoomed in, every question hurled, and she had never felt more like prey in a den full of predators.

Her pack Alpha's growingly unbearable possessiveness, now cranked to an unbearable high, was the only thing keeping the situation from spiraling out of control — yet it was also its own form of mind gnawing torment.

He had gone red eyed with fury, steam pouring out his head, veins pulsing at his temples, with the amount of hidden cameras and bugs which seemed to have crawled into her room overnight. Paranoid and territorial, he had for once, grown an uncanny sixth sense for detecting even the smallest intrusions into what he considered his territory.

Unfortunately, this sudden onslaught of possessiveness had also reduced him to a seething, growling, green-eyed mess. Convinced she would be kidnapped the moment he blinked, he had refused to let her out of his line of sight for even a moment. If, godforbid, there was an actual kidnapper, Sage doubted his fat and overweight ass would do anything to stop them — he'd probably just provide comic relief.

Now, she was trapped in his room, her hair standing on ends, skin crawling under the weight of his incessant, unnerving stare. Every second under his watchful eye made her feel like prey caught in the crosshairs, noose tightening around her neck. The only semblance of privacy she had was in the bathroom, and even that had been a battle which she nearly lost.

The sole, bitter upside to her new status was that he no longer leered over her like some mouth watering morsel to be devoured. Now, he appraised her with the cold, calculating glint of a merchant examining the wares he intended to sell at a premium. Not that this felt in any way better — a hollow victory at best.

Sleep had become a distant memory in the past five days, and the giant dark circles under her eyes proved it. Yet, he remained annoyingly energetic, cackling to himself, palms rubbing together in glee at whatever new idea he was concocting.

Thankfully, the day of the party had arrived at last. Sage had wanted to wear something practical — an understated suit and pants — that would allow her to blend into the background. But, of course, her pack Alpha insisted on the exact opposite: A striking red gown, the colour of freshly spilled blood, embedded with layers of glittering crystals. It was garish, attention-grabbing, and far too revealing. Everything she didn't want.

Her name had been published on the list of top scholars, and she stood alone — a Beta among Alphas, the only rose in a sea of thorns. That already made her draw far more attention than she wanted, but her Alpha seemed to take perverse delight in that fact.

"It's all about the image," he said, waving off her protests with a dismissive flick of his hand.

First impressions were crucial, apparently, and in his world, appearances mattered more than anything else. The dress being virtual meant it cost next to nothing, reaffirming his usual stinginess to splurge on anyone but himself. The purchase of the gown, horrible as it was, made perfect sense in the grand scheme of his shallow investments. After all, it wasn't about her comfort or wants; it was about how much attention her appearance could generate, how much status he could milk from her public display.

The dress was a nightmare made real. A breathtaking masterpiece that bound her in molten lava like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. It shimmered as though each crystal embedded in the fabric was lit from within, casting her as a living flame. Each curve of her body was amplified, accentuated with shameless clarity. She felt like she was drowning in an ocean of glimmering crystals. It wasn't just loud — it was suffocating, an itch spreading beneath the layers of fabric as if the crystals themselves were biting into her skin. She fought the urge to rip the glittering monstrosity off, her hands clenched, trembling at her sides.