Page 123 of Knot a Thief

She narrows her eyes; her gaze not lifting from him.

“I knew you’d steal it.” He smiles. “That’s how I knew you were here. It has a tracker inside it.”

Ava nods her head lightly. “I know.”

Max’s grin disappears in an instance.

“That’s why I disappeared from your room in Monaco. But left your calling card. I wanted you to know I was onto you.”

Silas bursts out laughing as did I. She hadn’t even confided in me. But at least I know why she was so adamant about going to the room.

Max pulls Ava onto his knee, and says, “But you kept it.”

Ava’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Maybe I was seeing if I could outwit the alpha,” she teases, tapping Max’s nose playfully.

“Or you wanted me to find you,” he pushes.

Ava just smiles and lifts one shoulder in the air.

As laughter fills the boat, a wave of contentment washes over me.

This is what family feels like. I’ve never had it before. My life went from care home to care home while I learned to hack to make enough money to not need anyone.

Until her.

Until she found me.

We were both alone at that time. We needed each other. But now I have something I never unexpected.

A pack.

Yes, it’s complicated, but it’s also so utterly perfect.

As I continue to watch Ava and Max’s banter, a familiar twinge of insecurity flares in my chest. Being the beta in this pack, I know I’ll sometimes feel like I’m on the outside looking in. But then Ava catches my eye and smiles, and I’m reminded of why I’m here—why we’re all here.

“I need a glass of water,” Ava says. “And then I’m going to check on Lily.”

When she disappears, Silas appears beside me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You ready?” he whispers.

I nod, trying to swallow my nerves. We only organized this today, once Max called to let us know Ava wanted this pack, providing I wanted it.

And now that the moment is here, I’m terrified. What if she says no? What if she doesn’t want a beta like me as her forever?

Max joins us, his eyes shining with excitement. “Let’s do this,” he says, giving us each an encouraging nod.

“She’s sound asleep,” Ava says, striding back onto the deck with a glass of water in her hand. “What—”

I exchange glances with Max and Silas, drawing strength from their alpha presence. It’s now or never.

Taking a deep breath, I start. “Ava,” I begin, my voice softer than I intended, “we’ve been thinking…”

“About how much we love you,” Silas continues, his confidence bolstering my own.

“And how we wasted too much time already and we want to spend the rest of our lives with you,” Max finishes, taking her hand. “And you know you can marry your pack in Europe.”

“And we know you wanted a proposal on the Amalfi Coast,” Silas says.

Her mouth opens wide.

---