Knot Ready (Hiddenverse #3)

Prologue

Chad

I’m standing outside Richard’s building, hugging my jacket tight as a January wind whips through my hair. This concrete fortress is everything he ever wanted—sleek, modern, expensive. The doorman eyes me like I’m a stray about to scratch up the marble floors. I don’t blame him. After Omega in Paradise , the world seems convinced I’m the villain who tried to snatch the alphas from sweet, innocent Lilah.

God, how did my life get so twisted?

The door slides open, and here comes Richard, dressed in a tailored coat so sharp it could slice diamonds. He looks me up and down, a sneer curling his lips. He always did love sneering—makes him feel taller, I guess.

“What are you doing here?” he says, voice dripping with the same condescension that used to make me doubt every breath I took.

I straighten my spine. “I came to get the rest of my stuff. You know, the stuff I left before I flew off to film a fake dating show?”

His jaw flexes, and he huffs out a laugh. “Oh, that stuff. Sorry, Chad, I decided I didn’t want any reminders of you cluttering up my place.” He flips a hand like he’s shooing away a fly. “You should’ve moved it before you embarrassed yourself on national TV.”

I grit my teeth. “You threw it all out?”

He smirks. “Don’t look so shocked. I have a new omega—someone who doesn’t come with so much…baggage.”

A spark of pure rage flares in my chest. “So my mother’s ring was ‘baggage’? My laptop? Everything else? You’re a real piece of work.”

He shrugs, unbothered. “They took up space. Just like you used to.”

I clench my fists, knuckles going white. And I hate that tears threaten to burn my eyes, because damn if I’ll let him see me cry. This man, this alpha, was once the center of my universe. I bent over backwards and tied myself into knots attempting to please him. Now he’s just a living reminder of how foolish I was.

I inhale sharply and try to stand my ground. “You know what, Richard? Fine. Keep your apartment, your shiny new omega. Keep living in your fantasy world where you walk all over people.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’re so dramatic. It’s no wonder you were the show’s villain. I saw those episodes, Chad. You weren’t exactly painting yourself in a good light.”

That does it. “ I did what I had to do to stay on that ridiculous show so Lilah could have her shot at love. I didn’t sabotage her; I boosted her. The producers cut it to look like I was the jerk, but everyone who was actually there —Lilah, Willow, the other omegas—they know the truth. We sat on the patio each night, away from the cameras, practicing lines and giving Lilah pep talks because she was really falling for those alphas. I was just the decoy. But guess what? Lies sell.”

It probably helps that they didn’t start as all lies. But I don’t mention that part. He wouldn’t care either way.

Richard rolls his eyes. “Oh, spare me the sob story.”

I fire back, voice trembling with anger, “Call it what you want, but at least I know I’m capable of loyalty. That’s more than you can say.”

The doorman coughs, trying to get our attention, but I ignore him. I’ve got nothing left to lose here. Richard’s thrown away the last physical pieces I had of my past. And as much as it hurts, it also sets me free. I don’t owe him anything—not tears, not regret, not even a goodbye.

Stepping back, I let the cold air fill my lungs. “Enjoy your glass tower, Richard. Someday, you’ll realize you can’t just toss people out like yesterday’s trash.” Then I force a tight grin. “But until that day comes, good luck. You’ll need it.”

I turn on my heel and march off into the crowded New York street. My heart’s pounding, and my cheeks burn with fury and grief. But I’m done letting him see how I break.

As I walk, the city lights blur, and I hear distant whispers—people recognizing me for the “role” I played on Omega in Paradise . They can keep their assumptions. I know who I really am, and so do Lilah and Willow. Those memories of us—three omegas sneaking away from the cameras, sipping coconut water, making each other laugh until we cried—that’s the real me. No producer can edit out that friendship.

Richard can’t tarnish it either. Not anymore.

I force my legs to move faster, weaving through the late-night crowd as the neon signs blur. A surge of adrenaline still buzzes under my skin from facing Richard. My eyes sting—not just from the biting wind but from the realization that he actually threw away my mother’s ring. It was the one thing she ever willingly gave me.

I want to scream or cry, but I won’t give into either. Not here, not while everyone still sees me as that reality show villain. I’m already the target of enough stares, enough gossip.

My shoulders hunch, and I lower my gaze, too lost in my own thoughts to pay attention to my surroundings until I hear a deep, mocking laugh behind me.

“Hey, look who it is!”

I spin around, and three alphas tower over me on the sidewalk, each clad in stylish coats and brimming with arrogance. I’ve encountered types like them before—rich kids drunk on entitlement.

One of them squints at me. “Is that the guy from Omega in Paradise ? The one who tried to steal Lilah’s alphas?”

The second alpha snorts. “Sure looks like him. Chad, right?” His voice is laced with derision, and there’s a spark of mean-spirited glee in his eyes.

I swallow. “Yeah, well, you must be big fans.” My sarcasm is automatic, an old reflex—defense by snark.

The third alpha edges in closer, blocking my path. “We’re not fans. We just think it’s hilarious how you embarrassed yourself on national TV. So desperate for that alpha cock. Well, I’ve got one right here for you. I can knot you real good.”

A spike of fear slams into me, but I keep my tone steady. “Move, please. I’m not looking for trouble.”

They don’t budge. The first alpha steps forward, and I catch the acrid tang of alcohol on his breath. Mixing with his nasty smelling musk. “How ’bout we teach you a lesson in humility, omega ?” He spits the last word like it’s an insult.

My pulse thunders in my ears. There’s nobody close enough on the sidewalk to help. The bright lights of the city seem to shine on everything but us, like we’re in a shadowy pocket of trouble.

“Get out of my way,” I say, trying to sound firm. But my voice wavers, betraying the panic creeping up my spine.

The second alpha grabs my arm roughly, yanks me forward. “What’s the rush? Maybe we should show you what happens when you mess with a real alpha.” His words are full of cruel implications, and a chill snakes through me.

A corner of my mind flashes back to the show—nights on the patio with Lilah and Willow, laughing about ridiculous pick-up lines, encouraging Lilah to go for her happy ending, forging a real friendship in the midst of all the producer-driven chaos. I clung to that camaraderie, to the idea that some alphas and omegas could meet as equals.

But these three? They’re a brutal reminder that people like Richard aren’t the only toxic ones out there.

The third alpha runs a hand through my hair as if he has any right to touch me, and I jerk back, heart pounding so hard I’m sure they can see it pulsing at my neck. “Let go,” I snarl, my voice sharper this time.

One of them shoves me against the cold brick wall. Pain flares in my shoulder. They’re bigger, stronger—and apparently all too happy to corner me in this deserted stretch of sidewalk.

“You think you’re tough?” the first alpha sneers, pressing an arm across my chest to pin me. “You’re just a mouthy little omega who got famous for five minutes.”

I can taste my own fear in the back of my throat. My mind races, searching for a way out. “Let me go,” I repeat, each word trembling with barely-contained rage and terror.

The second alpha slides closer, leering in a way that makes my stomach lurch. “Or what?” he taunts. “Gonna call your fans? The ones who think you’re a lying snake?”

I clench my teeth. “I said—let. Me. Go.”

Maybe it’s the way my voice cracks with real desperation, or maybe one of them realizes that this is more than just drunken fun. For a split second, their eyes dart around, checking if anyone’s watching.

And that’s my opening.

Summoning every bit of adrenaline I have left, I duck under the alpha’s arm and shove him with all my might. He staggers back, colliding with his friend. They stumble, unprepared for the sudden move.

I don’t wait—I bolt. My feet pound the sidewalk as I sprint away. My lungs burn, but I don’t stop until I’m halfway down another block, blending into the thicker crowd near a row of busy bars.

I double over, gulping air, heart hammering like it’s trying to break free of my chest. People pass by, oblivious to the terror that nearly swallowed me whole minutes ago.

Slowly, I straighten. A wave of nausea churns in my stomach when I realize how close I came to real harm. Another wave of fury crashes over me, directed at them, at Richard, at the entire messed-up hierarchy that says alphas can do whatever they want and omegas just have to take it.

My fingers tremble as I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry—especially not in public. But a single tear escapes, hot against my cheek, before I can blink it away.

Looking around, I find a small side street where I can breathe for a moment. My heart’s still in my throat. The truth is, I feel more broken than I have in a long time. The show’s negative spotlight, Richard’s cruelty, strangers cornering me on a dark street… It’s too much.

But one thought cuts through the whirlwind in my head: I won’t need an alpha again. I won’t rely on one, won’t let them think they own me or my future. Whatever I build for myself from here on out, it’ll be on my own terms.

And if the whole world wants to keep believing I’m the villain, let them. Maybe the villain is just someone who survived without anyone else’s help.

I’ll do whatever it takes to stand on my own two feet—even if the entire city, or the entire pack hierarchy, is against me.