Page 71 of Knot All is Forgiven

"Are you going to eat that right now?" Lanie calls behind me.

"Yep!" I shout over my shoulder.

Several colleagues give me odd looks, but I don't care. It doesn't take long until I have a bowl of mango chunks tossed with lime juice and salt. I grab my cell phone and snap a picture, texting it to Rafe.

Thanks for the afternoon pick-me-up! I've been feeling sick today and this hits the spot

Rafe

We're not in school anymore but technically this was when you'd have your afternoon snack

If it's not the right ripeness yes it is

I don't want to hear anything stating otherwise

Popping a piece into my mouth, I groan at the flavor that explodes on my tongue. By the time I return to my office, Lanie is back at her desk, whispering into her phone.

I don't know why she feels the need to whisper. I've never given her grief about personal calls.

It's not until I sit back down at my desk that the teddy bear in the basket catches my attention again.

With the maroon bow around its neck.

Rafe is making it hard to stay upset at him. But this is how he's always been. Thoughtful, remembering even the smallest thing I've told him. It was one of the things I loved most about him.

His fathers were like that with his mom, too, so I think it's just something he was raised to do. I remember fawning over how much his dads worshipped his mother. I would watch them together, with the casual touches and whispered words that led to giggles, just because gifts of flowers or candies, and daydream about what it would be like when I had my own pack.

I had that daydream until I was eighteen when the boys left for Lunarcrest City.

The mango loses its taste on my tongue, and I push the bowl away, the memory of that heartache souring it – but not in a good way.

I was so close to forgetting what they put me through.

Is that how pathetic I am? Is a single video call and gift basket all it takes to undo thirteen years of hurt?

Before I have time to slip into that spiral, my calendar dings with a five-minute reminder for a conference call, and I push all thoughts of Pack Stargazer from my mind and focus on the job I love.

"Thanks for coming tolunch with me," Athena says, wrapping both hands around her water glass. "I know how busy you are…"

"You're family, Athena. I'm always going to be here for you." It's nice to have a distraction. Tonight is the dinner with Pack Stargazer, and I have been spiraling about it all morning. "What's going on?"

"What, can't I just ask to see my sister in mating for lunch last minute on a random Wednesday?"

"You can," I say slowly, "but you typically don't."

"Fair," she says with a chuckle. "I really do want to spend time with you, you know that, right?"

I close my menu. "Athena, you don't need to justify anything. I'm always here for you. We may not be blood, but I don't have any siblings. It's been nice getting to know you." I lean forward, resting my chin in my hands. "Now, do you want to tell me the real reason you asked me to lunch?"

Before she can begin, the server comes over to take our orders.

Only, they don't take mine.

"And what will your Omega have?" they ask Athena.

She wrinkles her nose. "Uh, how would I know? Ask her."

I open my mouth to speak when the server speaks again, cutting me off. "I'll come back when you're ready, then."

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