Knot the Witch Next Door (Knotty Streak Omegaverse #3.5)

CHAPTER NINE – Carmilla

I used to joke that the pumpkin patch turned me on, but now every time I would think of the farm, I would become aroused. That hot romp in the corn maze and the delirious run through it afterward. Both times, Deacon on my tail like some wicked beast ready to eat me up.

And fuck, I really wanted him to.

Rosemary thought we were behaving like children. She rolled her eyes and chided us for egging one another on. She didn’t have a clue and this tore at my insides. My bestie was always the first person I told anything to. Like the first time I kissed a boy and where I ordered my vibrator from online. But now with the Alpha ravaging me being her brother, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.

As I stared at the back of her head on the car ride home, I weighed my options. Maybe she would be completely supportive. She could love the fact that we might officially become sisters. That idea made me giddy too. Or Rosemary might freak out. I didn’t know what would be worse: if she would be disgusted by my wanton actions or if she could be ashamed and disappointed. So much so that she might never speak to me again.

I swallowed hard. I couldn’t lose her. While I had friends from the COOP, most fully embraced the Omega life, and I felt like the black sheep. Rosemary was my only real confidante and my biggest cheerleader. I loved her so much for it.

Deacon brushed his fingers over mine and gave me a smile. Damn, he was so sweet.

Yet there was that persistent voice in the back of my head nagging me with questions. Did he truly like me or was he just an Alpha attracted to an Omega in heat? He’d be gone as soon as my heat was over. His mother would never approve of me, and I couldn’t make his family life any more difficult than it was.

“Ugh!” Rosemary threw back her head and bonked it against the headrest. “Mom’s sending me texts asking where we are. She’s typing in all caps.”

Speak of the devil.

“Shit. We were supposed to be home and ready for her guests to arrive by five.” Deacon sighed and removed his phone from his pocket, which seemed to have been on silent mode.

Peeking at the dashboard clock, it was almost five. The dinner party Rosemary had mentioned must be when their mother is introducing Deacon to that other Omega. My hands started to tremble, and I clasped them together on my lap.

Inside, I was shouting he was mine. But it could never be, even if he wasn’t compatible with the other Omega.

“Can you come in and help me pick a dress and do my makeup, Milla?” Rosemary glanced over her shoulder at me. “It’ll go much quicker if you’re doing it.”

No way. I couldn’t go in there where Deacon was meeting another Omega. “I don’t know. I don’t want your mom—”

Rosemary waved my weak excuses away. “We’ll go in through the kitchen and up the back stairs. No one will see you.” Then she gave me big pleading eyes. “Pretty please?”

Dammit. I couldn’t say no to her. “Alright. If your blue dress is clean, that’s the one you should wear.”

“You look spectacular in blue.” Sam smiled at Rosemary and her cheeks reddened.

“Are you staying for dinner too, Sam?” I asked, trying not to look at Deacon.

“No, I have a dinner tonight with some of the folks from the local animal shelter. Working out the details of our annual spay and neuter event.” Sam turned down our street, and my anxiety started to twist my stomach.

“You get to have all the fun. I’ll be stuck trying to remember which fork is used for salad and which one is for the meat.” Rosemary laughed and kissed Sam as he parked in front of their house. “I’ll call you later tonight, babe. I’m going to help Milla with some packaging, so it might be late, but I figure Rory and Amy from the shelter will likely keep you there a while.”

“Man, Rory can talk. Love you.” Sam kissed her back and then grinned at me. “Thanks so much for doing the photo shoot, Carmilla. You’re awesome. I can’t wait to see the photos.”

“No problem. I had fun.” More than he would ever know.

Rosemary glanced at her phone and rolled her eyes. “Mom’s telling us to get inside.”

We hopped out of the SUV and waved once more to Sam before he drove away. Deacon’s presence beside me was making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. It was like I could feel his every breath. I resisted the urge to turn and run to my house.

“Come on!” Rosemary jogged up their driveway, and I forced my legs to follow. Deacon was beside me the entire way.

We went around back to the kitchen door, and not five seconds after we were inside, Claudia burst into the kitchen. She wore a designer pale peach blouse and a navy skirt with big flowers. Yet despite the soft colors, her face was severe. The three cooks and pair of servers in the kitchen pretended not to pay attention to us.

“Where were you? Our guests are here .” Claudia’s eyes narrowed when she looked at me. “And what is Carmilla doing here? This is a private dinner party.”

Always so welcoming. I did my best not to cringe.

“Milla’s just going to help me with my hair and makeup. No need to get snippy about it.” Rosemary took off her flannel jacket and draped it over her arm. She took my hand as if holding it would ensure I wouldn’t be sent away.

“Mom,” Deacon said smoothly, directing her intensity towards him. He took off his leather jacket and hung it on a hook by the door. “Why don’t you take me in and introduce me to your guests?”

To the Omega.

I wanted to scream, but I swallowed it back with a wee croak.

Claudia sighed and gave him a once over. “You’re filthy from the farm, but since they have been here for nearly twenty minutes, I need to bring you out as you are.” She looped her arm through Deacon’s and glanced at Rosemary. “Ten minutes. Then you must be down in the parlor.”

Deacon flashed me a smile before he escorted his mother out of the kitchen. Everyone visibly relaxed and let out a collective breath of relief. Rosemary led me upstairs to her room and shut the door. She laid back against it and groaned.

“Sorry about Mom. You know how she is.”

“It’s okay. Everything’s got to be perfect for her, and we’re going to blow her heels off with what we can do with you in ten minutes.” I kept moving, because if I didn’t, I would pull out my hair knowing that Deacon was meeting that other Omega right now. I put my camera on the bed then slipped into the walk-in closet and pulled out the azure tea dress with the V-neck. “You will look properly classy.”

“You’re my hero.” Rosemary shed her sweater and jeans and sprayed herself with a spritz of perfume before I helped slip the dress over her head.

“Sam was right. Absolutely gorgeous.” I stepped back and let her straightened the skirt. “You’re going to be the most beautiful bride. Sam will fall to his knees in worship when he sees you in your wedding dress.”

Rosemary giggled and swept over to her vanity to start brushing her hair out. “I’m just eager to get the whole wedding over with and go on the honeymoon. Now when you get married, girl, you’re going to blow everyone away.”

I snorted and took the brush from her to do her hair. “Yeah, I’ll just attach a veil to my witch’s hat and hex anyone who says I don’t look pretty.” We laughed because we both knew that I had imagined what a witch’s wedding dress would look like. Not that I would be getting married any time soon. The only Alpha I was interested in was being paired with someone else right this moment. My smiled died fast as my heart grew heavy. “What’s it feel like, being so in love?”

“It’s magical. I’ve known Sam for two years now, and every time I think of him, my heart beats faster and I can’t stop from being happy. Even on the really tough days, he can make me smile.” She glanced up at me as I gathered her hair to put into a simple and elegant French Twist. “Why do you ask? Have you met someone?”

Met someone? I’ve more than met them. I just had sex with them in the corn maze! I had to bite my tongue to keep everything from pouring out of my mouth. “No. When do I ever get a chance to meet guys? The only time I ever get to go out without my family is with you. The thrills of being an Omega.”

Rosemary reached up and gave my hand a squeeze. “Oh sweetie, you’ll meet that special someone some day. Any guy would be incredibly lucky to have you.”

Not Deacon. I would ruin his life. I could only live vicariously through my best friend. “When did you know for sure that you loved Sam and he loved you?”

“I don’t know…” She pursed her lips as she thought about it and handed me pins as I put up her hair. “I think maybe it was that one day I had to put Mrs. Long’s poodle down at the clinic. The dog was such a sweetheart, but the cancer was too bad, and she was suffering. I was ready to give up my internship and do something stupid like become an accountant. I was in the storage room crying, and Sam came in, didn’t say a thing, just held me. He held me and hasn’t let go since.”

I remember how torn up she’d been about that. I was away at school, so I couldn’t be there for her. “I’m so glad you have him. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Finishing off her hair, I picked up a light foundation pen and touched up a few spots on her face. When Deacon held me in the tree house, I’d let myself imagine it was forever. Just for that one night. It felt so right. But even if he didn’t want to let go, I had to push him away. I wouldn’t sentence him to a life estranged from his family because they didn’t approve of me, and I wouldn’t take any chances on losing my bestie.

A bit of blush and eyeshadow, and I nodded. “All ready.”

Rosemary stood and hugged me. “You’re the best. Thank you so much for everything today. If I survive this dinner party, I’ll be over later to help with the packaging.”

“Text me if you die.” I gathered my stuff and motioned to the closet. “Don’t forget shoes.”

“Oh! Right.” Rosemary hurried to her closet and slipped on a pair of silver heels. “Thanks again, Milla. I’d better get down there before my mom sends a SWAT team to come get me.”

She rushed off, and I took a deep breath. I’d go home and have dinner with my folks and then check the photos I took. Packing up my products would take the rest of the night after that. Best to keep busy and not think about a certain sexy Alpha having dinner with some pretty Omega from Burlington.

I crept out of Rosemary’s room and down the hall. It was straight down the hall to the rear stairs which led down to the kitchen. I just had to keep moving. But my feet slowed as I passed by the main stairs and heard laughing.

Deacon’s laughter.

Not a polite, possibly even fake laugh. But his real deep from the belly laugh.

I internally yelled at myself to get out of the house, but I was already stepping down two stairs on the main staircase and crouching to peer between the posts.

Deacon stood with a genuine grin as he introduced who could only be the living incarnation of Aphrodite to Rosemary. The Omega had long golden red hair and sparkling eyes that matched my bestie’s dress. She was dressed in a black cocktail dress that clung to her every luscious curve. She was nearly as tall as Deacon in her heels, and her smile was as comfortable as his.

His hand rested on the small of her back, and they all laughed as he said something else.

An Alpha touched an unclaimed Omega. There was no hesitation on his part. No protest from her or anyone else.

That meant they were compatible.

My world spun, going black at the edges. I caught myself before I fell back, and then nearly fell forward down the stairs. I scrambled back and clawed my way to stand and stumbled to the rear stairs.

It shouldn’t matter. We couldn’t be together anyway. Hadn’t I already made up my mind that I wouldn’t make his life miserable by being a reason his family might disown him? And I didn’t want to lose my best friend.

How I made it down the stairs without falling, I didn’t know. My life had spiraled out of control. I didn’t know how to stop the feeling of having lost my spookily ever after. He wasn’t meant for me. He was never meant for me.

I didn’t glance at the cooks as I flew out of the back door and ran through my neighbor’s yard into my own. It was time for dinner, but I couldn’t face anyone at the moment. I bolted up the ladder into the tree house, and the trap door barely slammed shut by the time I threw myself into my reading corner and burst into tears.

Sobs wracked my body. I could barely breathe.

Deacon had found his Omega, and it wasn’t me. I hugged the ghost of what could have been and cried until I was numb.