Father Knight

 

 

DONATELA

 

The intensity of the moment left me breathless and unsteady. The charged connection between us felt overwhelming, a force that both drew me in and warned me to pull away.

 

A part of my mind whispered that this was crossing a line, but another side was captivated by the raw emotion of it all. This was complicated. But regret could wait.

 

When he finally released me, stepping back with a look of fierce possession, he reached out and gently brushed a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

 

I smiled weakly, trying to regain my composure. "I think I need some time alone, Father."

 

"Time...?" He moved closer again, his voice low. "I don't think time will change this, do you?"

 

"Father..."

 

"We're werewolves. The rules are different for us. The bond is real." He sighed, a conflicted look in his eyes. "Or did you want to pretend it wasn't?"

 

"I should go." My voice was barely a whisper. "This conversation belongs somewhere else."

 

I didn't wait for a reply, I hurried out, my legs still shaky.

 

***

 

I locked the door behind me and sank to the floor when I got back to my room.

 

What had I just done?

 

My hands trembled. The strange energy of the bond still hummed faintly around my wrist, a persistent reminder.

 

I stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face three times, but it didn’t help calm the storm inside. The bond seemed to glow slightly brighter, as if responding to my turmoil.

 

Cleaning up physically wouldn't fix this. I decided I would try to sleep. Perhaps in the morning, everything would feel more clear, like waking from a vivid dream.

 

***

 

My ringtone blared, jolting me awake from a restless sleep.

 

I reached out to my bedside, where I normally kept my phone, but it wasn’t there.

 

Urrgh! I’d left it on the desk.

 

Still disoriented, I got up to get it and answered without checking the screen. “Hello?”

 

“Dona, where are you? I’ve been calling!” Mum’s voice rang out.

 

“Mum?”

 

“Oh, Donny, what were you doing?”

 

“I… I was sleeping and…”

 

"Never mind," she cut me off. "There's a situation."

 

My heart thumped. I waited.

 

"Moses just got a call. Knight is… unwell. He’s with some of the other clergy at Saint Thomas’s crypt, in the private study.”

 

I gulped hard. “So...??”

 

“So…?” Mum scoffed. “This is a chance for you to be helpful! Before he calls his brothers, you go there and make sure he gets home safely!”

 

My palms grew damp. “Mum, I can't just go fetch a priest from a crypt. What if he’s…”

 

“Consider it an opportunity to show you’re part of the family. Knight is the most reserved of them. Go now, or we’ll have to reconsider adding that library wing you wanted.”

 

“Mum…”

 

She ended the call.

 

How could she use something I’d wanted for two months as leverage like that?

 

Arggh!

 

I checked the time. It was 9:00 PM. She’d called over a dozen times—which meant I’d slept the entire afternoon, trying to process what had happened earlier.

 

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

 

I couldn’t risk losing the library.

 

Twenty minutes later, I was showered and dressed in a simple white dress, my hair still damp, and I left my room.

 

Reign’s room was closed, and the only other person home was Zion—the fourth brother—swimming laps in the pool.

 

I left the mansion quickly, trying my best to focus on the task as I hurried toward the cathedral, which wasn’t far.

 

I kept my gaze down as I walked, aware of looks from others but maintaining a composed demeanor.

 

“The Alpha's new stepdaughter is so serene. A true example,” I heard some sisters remark as they left the evening service. I offered a gentle smile as I passed them.

 

If only they knew the inner turmoil I was carrying.

 

Finding Saint Thomas's crypt wasn't hard. The private study was also easy to locate.

 

I paused. The atmosphere inside was unexpectedly lively, a stark contrast to the solemn crypt outside. Could Knight, the pilgrim, really be here?

 

Mum must be mistaken. I tried her phone, and as expected, it was off.

 

Typical, after giving me an impossible errand.

 

Nevertheless, I entered.

 

Several clergy members were gathered, talking loudly. None of them looked like my stepbrother.

 

I was about to leave when a hand tapped my shoulder from behind.

 

I whirled around, ready to deflect any unwanted attention, but it was Knight.

 

He swayed slightly. “Little Saint. What brings you here?”

 

I sighed in relief. “I came to bring you home, Father. Please, come with me.” I reached for his arm, but he pulled away.

 

“Do you think I’m a fool?” he mumbled, his words slightly slurred.

 

Dealing with someone in this state was frustrating. I kept my tone patient. “Of course not. You’re very respected. Now, let’s get you home.”

 

“No!” Knight snapped, his voice rising. “If I go back, I have to be in that house knowing she’s there… and I can’t even speak to her properly!”

 

I didn’t have time for cryptic complaints. I managed to get my arm around his shoulders to steady him. “Let’s go, Father. You’re not yourself right now.”

 

“I don’t want to see her.”

 

“Then tell her how you feel. Don’t avoid it.”

 

He stopped abruptly. “I can’t! Zion and Reign said she’s our sister now!”

 

Wait. “What?”

 

“You see…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

 

“We’ll talk at home,” I insisted, guiding him forward. He must be rambling because of his condition.

 

Through his mumbled words and unsteady steps, we made it out of the crypt to the empty parking lot behind the building.

 

The air was cool and quiet here, a sharp contrast to the stuffy room inside.

 

He pulled away from my grip to look at me. I held my ground. In this state, he might not even recognize me.

 

But I wasn’t that lucky.

 

“Dona… Donatella?” he reached out, his hand unsteady.

 

“You need to rest, Father. Let’s get you back.” I kept my voice firm despite my own nervousness.

 

His expression shifted, the haze in his eyes seeming to clear slightly. “Dona, it’s really you?”

 

“Yes, Father,” I said, taking a small step back. “Mum asked me to come.”

 

Knight stumbled forward and grabbed my wrist. The scent of alcohol was strong on him, making my pulse quicken.

 

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he slurred, his head dipping close to my shoulder. “It’s a constant conflict.”

 

These brothers were beyond complicated. First Reign, now Knight.

 

I tried to pull my hand free. “You’re not making sense, Father. Let me go.”

 

His grip tightened, and he backed me against the cold stone wall nearby. “You’re all I can think about.”

 

“Father Knight…” I began, but then I felt it—the same pulling sensation. I looked down at my wrist, and just like earlier with Reign, a glowing golden thread had appeared, tracing its way to Knight’s arm.

 

My heart slammed against my ribs as I watched the bond connect us.

 

He gasped as he saw it too, but a slow, bewildered smile spread across his face. “See. It’s real.”

 

“No,” I whispered, as if denial could break the light. “This can’t be happening… again!”

 

Two bonds. TWO. And both were to my stepbrothers.

 

“This isn’t possible,” I breathed. “It’s supposed to be one person.”

 

What was happening to me?

 

“Father, please,” I pleaded, my voice desperate. “We have to ignore this. It’s wrong!”

 

He laughed, a rough, sad sound. “I can’t ignore something this real.”

 

Before I could react, he leaned in, his forehead resting against mine, his breathing ragged. The glow of the bond intensified between us, a silent, undeniable truth.

 

The world seemed to narrow to that point of connection, a terrifying and thrilling pull that promised to upend everything.