Page 97 of Knot the One They Want

But when I open the door, my smile falters. Instead of a harried courier, I'm faced with a beta woman in a crisp suit, clipboard in hand. Her eyes, a steely gray, assess me coolly.

"Evangeline Blackwood?" she asks, her tone clipped and professional.

I nod, a knot of nervousness forming in my stomach. "Yes, that's me. Can I help you?"

She flashes a badge too quickly for me to read it properly. "I'm from the Council's Omega Welfare Division. We received a report that I've been asked to look into."

Fuck.

I groan inwardly. The doctor at the hospital must have reported my case after all. Enough time has passed since all that, I thought maybe they'd forgotten about it. Did I miss a follow-up appointment? Actually, since I've been lounging around the house and sleeping half the time to restore my energy after my heat, accomplishing precisely nothing while my alphas dote on me and enjoying every minute of it, that's definitely a possibility. It feels like I've been in a time warp.

The most blissful time warp of my life.

I plaster on my most convincing smile. "Oh, I see. Well, I can assure you, everything is fine. It was all just a misunderstanding."

The beta's expression doesn't change. "I'm still required to make a full report and assessment. May I come in?"

I hesitate, my mind racing. I could refuse, but that would only make things worse. With a resigned sigh, I step back, gesturing for her to enter. "Of course. Please, come in."

As if on cue, Lori appears in the foyer, her eyes widening at the sight of our unexpected guest. "Oh! I didn't realize we had company, Miss Evie."

I seize the opportunity, grateful for the distraction. "It wasn't planned. Lori, would you mind bringing us some tea? We'll be in the living room."

Her eyes widen, clearly onto the fact that something isn't quite right here. "Of course, Miss!"

As Lori scurries off, I turn to the beta. "I just need to grab something from the kitchen. Please, make yourself comfortable in the living room. It's just through there."

She nods, her heels clicking against the hardwood as she moves in that direction. The moment she's out of sight, I whip out my phone, firing off a quick text to Asher.

Council investigator here. Everything's fine, but you might want to come home.

I slip my phone back into my pocket, taking a deep breath to steady myself before rejoining the beta in the living room. She's perched on the edge of the sofa, her clipboard balanced on her knee.

"I'm sorry, um, what did you say your name is?" I ask.

"I didn't," she answers. "But it's Diana."

"Right…" I sigh.

"Now then, Mrs. Blackwood," she begins as I settle into the armchair across from her. "I just have a few questions for you."

Lori bustles in with the tea tray, and I use the momentary distraction to school my features into a mask of calm. As she pours, I wrack my brain for a plausible explanation that won't result in my alphas being hauled before the Council.

"Of course," I say, forcing a smile. "I'm happy to answer any questions you might have."

The beta takes a sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving my face. I can tell she's scrutinizing me. "Let's start with the incident that led to your hospitalization. Can you tell me what happened?"

I take a deep breath. "We just weren't able to complete the mark right away. I'd rather not get into all the… spicy details, if you don't mind."

Her eyebrow arches skeptically. "And the infection? How did it get that bad?"

I drop my gaze, feigning embarrassment. "They were just so busy, and I thought I could treat it myself. It just got out of hand," I say, cringing inwardly at how vapid I sound.

"Mrs. Blackwood," the beta says, her voice softening slightly. "An omega should always be able to go to her alphas for anything. Especially medical concerns."

I nod, meeting her eyes. "I know that now. They've made it very clear that I can come to them with anything. And the marks are complete now, so there's nothing to worry about."

Her gaze drops to my neck, lingering on the collar that mostly hides my marks. No more need for those bandages.

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