Knot their Burden

Knot Their Burden Melissa Huxley Copyright © 2023 by Melissa Huxley All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. Author Note This book is written in British English, because I am a English Rose through and through. Well, I may be more of a weed than a rose, but you get the gist. If some words look a bit wrong to you, they may not be mistakes! If you think anything is an error please drop me a message and I will reply as soon as possible. Happy Reading! Contents 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Chapter Seventeen 18. Chapter Eighteen 19. Chapter Nineteen 20. Chapter Twenty 21. Chapter Twenty-One 22. Chapter Twenty-Two 23. Chapter Twenty-Three 24. Chapter Twenty-Four 25. Chapter Twenty-Five 26. Chapter Twenty-Six 27. Chapter Twenty-Seven 28. Chapter Twenty-Eight 29. Chapter Twenty-Nine 30. Chapter Thirty 31. Chapter Thirty-One 32. Chapter Thirty-Two 33. Chapter Thirty-Three 34. Chapter Thirty-Four 35. Chapter Thirty-Five 36. Chapter Thirty-Six 37. Chapter Thirty-Seven 38. Chapter Thirty-Eight 39. Chapter Thirty-Nine 40. Chapter Forty 41. Chapter Forty-One 42. Chapter Forty-Two 43. Chapter Forty-Three 44. Chapter Forty-Four 45. Chapter Forty-Five 46. Chapter Forty-Six Pre-order Lavender's Story! About the Author Acknowledgements Chapter One Sage This paperwork is never ending, and it’s only going to get worse. I closed another file, leaning over to put it away in the industrial grey filing cabinet. Turning back to my desk, I stretched my neck, groaning when it gave a satisfying pop. In the three years since I’d started working at Norden, never once had my workload died down. I was far too familiar with long days, harsh deadlines and extended periods of time at a desk. It didn’t bother me, in fact I loved it...most of the time. Norden was a huge conglomerate with its fingers in many pies. Working deep in the accounting division, I spent my days filling out spreadsheets and writing up financial reports. Numbers made sense to me, there was always a definitive answer, and I loved rooting said answer out. I kept my head down after joining the company fresh from graduating, shooting up the ranks to project manager after just a year and being given my own office. Granted, it was a tiny room in the corner of an overcrowded floor, but still, it was my own. A knock on my door frame diverted my attention from the new spreadsheet I had just opened. “I’ve got another file for you, Sage.” Alex, a fellow accountant, stood in my doorway, brandishing a folder. I groaned at the sight of the manila menace. “Another one? I haven’t had a moment to rest today,” I grumbled. “I just had three more sent to my desk, but they’re tiny jobs so they won’t take you long, thank God. You made yourself far too useful, so all the tough jobs get sent your way now,” he laughed. Alex was a sweet guy, a beta like me, with blonde hair he kept gelled back, so he almost looked like Ken Doll with a boyish smile. He didn’t irritate me like some of my other colleagues did, but I wasn’t overly fond of him, either. “Let me guess, Cora assigned said folder to me?” I raised my eyebrows in question. “Well, I doubt she assigned it, but she did find joy in telling me this folder was for you.” Cora—a pretty platinum blonde with a chip on her shoulder—had been a small thorn in my side for a while. While I technically outranked her, the assistant loved finding ways to antagonise me. It was common knowledge that she had sucked off a manager several months back for a few more ‘responsibilities’ to lord over everyone else. Cora was the kind of woman who would take any opportunity to assert her dominance or let others know she was the top dog. Frankly, it was exhausting, and I wanted nothing to do with it. “She really doesn’t like me, does she?” “You’re just too pretty.” Alex grinned, his eyes crinkling as I rolled mine. It wasn’t my mediocre appearance angering Cora, it was more the fact that she was pissed at the world she wasn’t born an omega. She thought the life of a lowly beta wasn’t good enough for her and she wanted to be spoiled, given riches and pretty clothes, like omegas. To compensate she tried to make herself overly important and attractive, like if an alpha had a tumble with her then she was instantly so much better than the rest of us, but I didn’t want to say that out loud and risk her wrath, as she could be petty and vindictive. “I’m sure that’s it.” I laughed sarcastically, reaching my hand out for the file. “Give me that, surely you have your own job to get back to?” I wasn’t comfortable with the compliments, and Alex could be a little over friendly. He was like a puppy who needed a good scolding to stop humping your leg, harmless, but you didn’t want to encourage the behaviour either, so I wasn’t overly engaging with him. Alex passed me the folder, huffing. His scent wafted into my office with the movement. Toner, like the kind you would use in a printer. It wasn’t repulsive, but it wasn’t pleasant either. “Thanks for reminding me. I was hoping to avoid work. That’s what normal people do,” he chuckled, throwing his head back while he lingered in my doorway. “Go!” I exclaimed in an exasperated tone, keeping a small smile on my face so I didn’t come across as bitchy. He threw his hands up, walking away with a wave. Turning