Knot the One They Want (Claimverse Book 1)

The file slaps onto my mahogany desk with a heavy thud. I raise an eyebrow at the private investigator who just walked into my office looking like a cliche in his dark coat and hat, my hand frozen mid-signature on acquisition papers that would expand the Blackwood empire.

‘What’s this?’ My voice is a low growl, daring him to waste my time.

‘The girl, sir. Daria Volkov. My team tracked her down.’

That name. A phantom blade twists between my ribs. I keep my expression carved from stone, refusing to let the pain bleed through. ‘And?’

He flips open the manila folder, revealing glossy surveillance photos. Daria walking city streets, a scarf wrapped around her raven hair. Daria outside some rundown coffee shop, a green apron tied at her slender waist.

And Daria with… another man.

Another alpha.

I snatch up a photo, studying this alpha who dares stand so close to her, his hand on the small of her back in one shot.

‘Who is he?’ The words are bitten off, sharp as fangs.

‘Alexei Petrov. A nobody from what I gathered. Works at that same coffee shop.’

I scoff harshly. A coffee shop. I would have given her the world on a platinum platter. Draped her in diamonds and furs. And she what, serves lattes to strangers now? She goes to bed with a so-called alpha who lets her work like a dog? The indignity sears like silver.

‘Are they together?’ I don’t want to ask, but I have to know. Bracing for impact like a punch I can’t dodge.

The investigator clears his throat. ‘It would appear so, Mr. Blackwood. They’re quite… close.’

The world goes crimson. A roar explodes from my chest as I sweep my arm across the desk, sending papers, pens, and a crystal decanter crashing to the floor. Glass shatters. Liquid amber pools on the carpet. I grip the edge of the desk, breathing harshly through my nose.

No. She belongs to me.

To the Blackwood Pack.

We are her alphas, her mates. No other man has the right to touch her.

I glare at the destroyed office, then back to the investigator. He stands very still, trying not to provoke the demon behind my eyes.

‘The file, sir. It has all the information. Her address, her daily movements…’

I pull the dossier closer, flipping through the pages. Apartment blueprints, work schedules, known associates. Alexei Petrov’s face taunts me from his profile. I want to tear it to confetti with my bare hands.

‘Does she know?’ I ask quietly, each word a cold razor. ‘That she’s being watched?’

‘No, sir. We’ve been very discreet. She has no idea.’

Good. I trace a finger over her photographed cheek, remembering the petal softness of her skin. The jasmine scent of her hair splayed across my pillows.

She ran from us. From her destiny. Now I finally have her in my crosshairs again. This time, I won’t let her slip away so easily.

‘Should I do anything else?’ he asks, awaiting my next command.

I stare at the scattered photographs, a muscle ticking in my jaw. Daria’s face peers back at me from a dozen angles, beautiful and unreachable. I want to gather her into my arms, bury my nose in her silken hair, and breathe in the scent of home.

But she made her choice.

She left me. Left the pack.

And I can’t just bring her back, no matter how much my soul screams for it.

‘No,’ I say finally, my voice rough as gravel. ‘Stand down for now. There’s another matter I need to resolve first.’

Evangeline Beaumont. The debutante my father handpicked to be the Blackwood Pack’s new omega mate. As if she could ever fill the void Daria left behind. As if any other woman could compare to my moon and stars.

But I have a duty to fulfill. A legacy to uphold. I can’t chase after Daria when my father is forcing us to claim another. It’s an impossible situation, a tangle of thorns constricting around my heart.

Even if I showed up at her doorstep and she wanted to come home, how could I bring her back here when we’re being forced to take another omega?

No… I have to solve the Evangeline problem first.

Especially now that she’s wearing our collar around her neck.

A knock at the door jolts me from my brooding thoughts. Asher pokes his head in, his eyes widening at the state of my office.

‘Sorry, am I interrupting?’ he asks, stepping inside.

The investigator clears his throat. ‘No, I was just leaving.’ He nods to me. ‘Let me know if you need anything else, Mr. Blackwood.’

As soon as the door clicks shut behind him, Asher rounds on me, stepping over broken glass. ‘What was that about?’

‘Nothing,’ I lie.

But his gaze falls on one of the photographs. He snatches it up, his brows knitting together.

‘Really, Damien? You’re stalking her now?’

‘I hired a private investigator,’ I correct him tersely.

Asher scoffs. ‘And that’s different how, exactly?’

I rake a hand through my hair, frustration coiling in my gut. ‘I had to know, Ash. I had to see for myself that she’s…’ I can’t bring myself to say it. That she’s moved on. That she’s in another alpha’s arms.

Asher’s expression softens. He sets the photo down and grips my shoulder. ‘I get it, man. I miss her too. But this? Spying on her? It’s not healthy.’

I shrug off his hand and stalk to the window, glaring out at the city skyline. ‘I’m not going to do anything. Not yet. Not until we deal with Evangeline.’

‘Ah, yes. The blushing bride-to-be.’ Asher’s voice drips with sarcasm. ‘Our parents are making plans for the ceremony as we speak.’

‘Tell me about it,’ I mutter. ‘Probably trying to make sure we don’t have time to sabotage it.’

‘Well, if your behavior at dinner didn’t do that, I’m not sure anything well.’

‘Care to make that a wager?’ I challenge.

Asher sighs. ‘Damien, we can’t keep doing this. We can’t keep living in the past. Daria’s gone. And whether we like it or not, Evangeline is our future.’

I whirl on him, my eyes flashing. ‘You think I don’t know that? You think I’m not aware of the duty that’s been forced upon us?’

He holds up his hands in surrender. ‘I’m just saying, maybe it’s time to let go. To move forward. Evangeline might surprise us.’

I shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping my throat. ‘No one could ever replace Daria. No one.’

The words hang heavy in the air between us. A truth we both know deep in our bones.

Asher picks up the photo again, studying Daria’s smiling face. ‘So what now? We just pine for her forever? Pretend to play happy family with Evangeline while our hearts bleed out?’

‘No,’ I say coldly. ‘The plan hasn’t changed. We run her off. Our families can force us into this ceremony, but they can’t do anything if she’s the one who chooses to leave.’

Asher’s eyes narrow as he studies me, trying to read between the lines of my icy facade. And I can tell the moment he realizes I haven’t changed my mind. ‘Damien… what exactly are you planning?’

I turn back to the window, my reflection a dark silhouette against the glittering city lights. A ghost of a smirk plays at the corner of my mouth. ‘You’ll see soon enough.’

‘That’s not an answer.’

‘It’s the only one you’re getting for now.’ My tone brooks no argument. ‘Just be ready to play your part when the time comes.’

Asher throws up his hands, exasperated. ‘And what part is that, exactly? Accomplice to whatever scheme you’re cooking up? Damage control for the fallout?’

I level him with a cutting glare. ‘I thought you had my back, Ash. The pack’s back. Or are you so eager to replace Daria that you’ll roll over and let our parents auction us off to the highest bidder?’

He recoils as if I’ve struck him. ‘That’s not fair and you know it. I loved her too⁠—’

‘Then act like it,’ I snarl. ‘Help me get rid of Evangeline so we can focus on bringing our real mate home.’

Asher drags a hand down his face, the weight of our shared pain etched in his features. ‘Fine,’ he grits out. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing.’

That made two of us.