Knot the One They Want (Claimverse Book 1)

I look down at the ivory silk wrapped around my body, the delicate fabric cool and slippery beneath my fingertips. In the mirror, a stranger stares back at me, a vision in white.

Beautiful. Proper. The perfect little omega bride.

But it’s all a farce. And as I stand here on a literal pedestal in the most overpriced bridal shop in the city, I can’t help but feel like this whole thing is just a mockery of all my dreams.

‘Evie, that one is stunning on you,’ Addie breathes, her hazel eyes wide in the mirror. ‘If those Blackwood boys don’t fall over themselves at first sight, they’re idiots.’

I attempt a smile, but it wobbles, my reflection blurring as tears threaten to spill out. ‘I can’t believe my mating ceremony is only a week away,’ I mumble, hugging myself. My voice cracks and I swallow hard. ‘Addie, I don’t know if I can do this.’

She wraps an arm around my waist, resting her chin on my shoulder. Our gazes meet in the mirror, understanding passing between us without words. Addie has been my rock through all the arrangements, the endless fittings and etiquette lessons with a coach who’s been throwing a fit she only had a couple of weeks to get me up to snuff. Then again, most omegas begin finishing once they officially come out to society.

Addie alone knows how trapped I feel. How suffocated.

Across the boutique, her mother and Vivienne chat with the mating ceremony planner, their heads bent together over binders of floral arrangements and color swatches. Vivienne looks up and examines a rack of dresses, her critical gaze lingering on necklines and hemlines. No doubt judging which will make me appear the most demure and obedient omega, the perfect arm candy.

‘Here you are, ladies,’ the shopkeeper trills, bustling over to us with a tray of champagne flutes and gourmet chocolates. ‘A little treat for the blushing bride-to-be!’

I accept a glass but don’t sip, my stomach churning. The drink fizzes and bubbles, mocking me with its celebratory air. There’s nothing to celebrate. Only a future I didn’t choose closing in around me like a gilded cage.

‘Maybe there’s still a way out of this,’ Addie whispers once the woman leaves. ‘What if we just… ran away? We could leave tonight, hop on a train to the city. Start fresh where no one knows us. Find some alphas who aren’t complete assholes.’

For a moment, I let myself imagine it. Leaving everything behind, all the suffocating expectations, the prescribed path I’ve been forced onto since birth. But then reality crashes in and I shake my head. ‘You know I can’t. My father would never allow it. He’s made it clear—if I refuse the Blackwood pack, he’ll choose someone else. Someone a lot worse.’ A shudder runs through me at the thought. ‘He’s just vindictive enough to do it, too. To pair me with a cruel alpha out of spite for defying him.’

Addie’s eyes spark with impotent anger and she squeezes me tighter. ‘I hate this. Hate him for putting you in this position. Hate them for being such pretentious douchebags. It’s so unfair that you have no say, that he can just… sell you off to the highest bidder.’

‘I know.’ Misery wells up, threatening to pull me under. ‘But I don’t have a choice. At least the Blackwoods have a good reputation. They’re civilized. It could be so much worse.’

‘Oh, Evie.’ Addie turns me to face her, hands warm on my shoulders. ‘You deserve so much better than ‘it could be worse.’ You deserve to be cherished, to be swept off your feet by an alpha who will move heaven and earth to make you happy.’

Tears slip free, tracking mascara down my cheeks. ‘That’s a lovely dream, Addie. But we both know that’s not how the real world works. Not for omegas like me.’

I was an idiot to ever think it could be different. Maybe Vivienne is right and I’ve been dreaming above my station.

Addie’s lips thin and she dashes away my tears with gentle fingers. ‘Well, if those brutes are going to claim you regardless, we’ll make damn sure you bring them to their knees while doing it. Let’s get you a dress that’ll make their eyes pop out of their thick skulls, shall we?’ She grins, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

I nod, mustering a weak smile. If I can’t have a true love match, at least I’ll look devastating.

A small, petty victory, but I’ll take what I can get.

Addie hops off the pedestal and plucks another gown from the rack, holding it up with a flourish. White silk spills over her arms, the neckline daring, the back cut low enough to be just this side of scandalous. ‘Try this one next. If it doesn’t scream ‘irresistible, unattainable temptress,’ I’ll eat my guitar pick.’

I slip into the dressing room, the gown draped over my arm like a waterfall of silk and lace. Addie follows close behind, her eyes sparkling with mischief. The shop assistant bustles in after us, all professionalism and polite smiles.

As I step into the dress, the fabric slides over my skin like a cool caress. Addie and the assistant work together to fasten the delicate buttons trailing down my spine, their fingers nimble and sure. With each button, the bodice cinches tighter, molding to my curves like a second skin.

I hold my breath as they finish, almost afraid to look. But when I turn to face the mirror, the sight steals the air from my lungs.

The gown is a work of art, the epitome of bridal elegance with a daring twist. The beaded bodice sparkles under the lights, every swirl and flourish accentuating my waist and the gentle swell of my breasts. The sweetheart neckline dips low, hinting at cleavage without crossing the line into indecency. It’s the perfect blend of demure and tempting, innocent yet alluring.

And the skirt… Oh, the skirt. It flares out from my hips in a froth of tulle and silk, the material so light it seems to float around me. I feel like a princess straight out of a fairy tale, ready to enchant and beguile.

Except this one won’t have a happy ending.

Addie lets out a low whistle, her eyes wide. ‘Holy shit, Evie. That’s the one. You look… I don’t even have words.’

I can only nod, my throat tight with emotion. For the first time since this whole Blackwood mating ordeal began, I feel a flicker of power.

Let them try to underestimate me. Let them dismiss me as a naive little omega. In this dress, I am a force to be reckoned with.

The assistant leads me out of the dressing room, Addie trailing behind with a giddy grin. As I step into the main area of the boutique, conversation grinds to a halt. Three pairs of eyes snap to me, widening in shock and admiration.

Even Vivienne, normally so composed, can’t quite hide her reaction. Her perfectly painted lips part and her gaze rakes over me from head to toe, a flash of something like envy sparking in her eyes before she shutters it away.

Good. If even my stepmother—the queen of finding fault—can’t criticize, I must be doing something right.

I step back up onto the pedestal, the skirt whispering around my ankles. In the larger mirror, the effect is even more striking. My golden curls tumble over my shoulders, a soft contrast to the structured bodice. The beading catches the light, sending sparkles dancing across the ivory silk. I look like I stepped out of the pages of a bridal magazine. The ideal omega bride.

Addie comes up beside me, pride and fierce affection shining in her eyes. ‘Babes, you are going to bring those alphas to their knees.’

I meet her gaze in the mirror, a slow smile curving my lips. ‘That’s the plan.’

If I’m to be a sacrifice, a pawn in a game of power and politics, I’ll be the most exquisite pawn the Blackwoods have ever seen.

And I’ll bring them to their knees if it’s the last thing I do.