Page 57 of Knot That Delicate

“Oh, there’s no hurry,” Juniper replied. “Really, I’m doing well. One of the pack members here used to be an army medic, and he has taken really good care of me. They fed me, and we’ve been comfortable, and it’s been okay, honestly. It’s actually been… nice,” Juniper said with a smile.

The other end of the line was quiet for a few moments before Leroy spoke. “Maybe I should speak to you alone, Juniper.”

She shook her head, chewing on her lip. “No, they are not taking advantage of me. I promise. If they were taking advantage of me, I wouldn’t be calling you, would I? I’m fine.”

Asher cleared his throat and spoke. “She had several injuries, but they’ve all been seen to, and she’s healed amazingly. It wasmainly some lacerations, some glass embedded in her foot, but it was all easily treatable with my med kit here. The biggest concern was malnutrition, since she hadn’t eaten properly in a long time, but she’s clearly gained weight in the best way.”

“And what’s your name?” Leroy asked.

“I’m Asher. Actually, I was second medic Asher Locke, in another life,” he said. “I kept notes and even photos of Juniper’s injuries while she was here so that I can hand them off to you guys as well.”

Juniper spoke up again. “I’m not sure of the best way forward. My brother has a pack now. Once upon a time, I was thinking about staying at a Haven before this happened. Would I still be able to stay at a Haven?”

“Of course. We want you here more than anything. Any omega is welcome at a Haven, at any point in their lives. It doesn’t matter if they’re mated, if they have children. Any omega can seek sanctuary here anytime,” Leroy assured her.

Juniper glanced at us. “Okay, then, we need to look at me potentially coming there. But would I still be able to talk to this pack?” As she spoke, she looked around at us. “I’ve gotten close to them, and I don’t like the idea of just vanishing. We’ve spent several months together.” Her voice trailed off, a sad look filling her eyes.

Would they let us keep in contact? Hope bloomed in my chest, and I was terrified that she was going to be ripped from us. My pack mates were just as tense and quiet.

“Of course. You’re not a prisoner here. You’ll have access to a phone, and you’ll have a tablet where you can text and message anyone you want to,” Leroy said.

Juniper chewed on her lip. “Are you sure? Cause I remember when I used to visit, and I discussed potentially staying, I was told that only alphas who paid the fees would be able to talk to me. Because they could financially take care of me and all that,”Juniper said, rolling her eyes. I understood why there were such heavy fees to court omegas, and to be part of a Haven. Omegas were so rare, so fragile, so precious.

Unlike Juniper, most of them were very feminine and princessy and liked the finer things in life. Due to simple supply and demand, it made sense that the Haven would want to ensure that the person or persons who would be entrusted with an omega had the financial means to really take care of them, come what may.

Also, they needed to have plenty of money to be able to protect their omega. More and more reports had been coming out of omegas being kidnapped or omegas being hurt in some way, so security was of the utmost importance.

“While that is usually the case, that is only for new alphas. But you know these alphas, and you are saying you’re friends with them, so of course you would still be able to speak with them,” Leroy clarified.

Juniper’s expression softened. “Okay, that’s good. They're the only friends I’ve really had, other than Lavender, and she’s now got her pack. I just didn’t want to be completely surrounded by strangers.”

“Oh, It won’t be like that at all, I assure you,” Leroy said. “I’m certain that once Lavender hears you are here, she will come and stay and visit, and also there are times when we can allow your family members to stay for extended periods. While it isn’t what’s usually done, I can definitely say that your situation is unique, and if your brother wants to be here for a bit to stay with you, then that’s more than understandable.”

“Wait, I thought alphas weren’t allowed in the Haven, no matter what?” Juniper asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Usually, they’re not. There's a separate building on the property where we will allow alphas if it will help their omega family members. There have been several occasions where anomega needed our protection, and her family has not been able to provide that protection. In those instances, we can’t just separate the omega from her family—that’s cruel. They have to be able to see their family and talk to them, especially in the early days when they’re making their transition. It's a lot of work and a lot of extra security to keep an eye on the alpha in question, because we never know for sure, but it's worth it if it’s what the omega needs,” Leroy said. “If you give us your full address, I will send a team there immediately.”

I shook my head, then said, “The roads are treacherous around here. We have off-road vehicles that can get down the mountain easily. We can bring her tomorrow. It’s already getting dark, and it won’t be safe to navigate this terrain at night.”

Leroy hesitated. “I’m not so sure. Now we know Juniper is alive and well, there are a lot of people looking for her, and I don't think her brother would be happy with us leaving her in your care for a second longer. Not that I doubt that you’ve been decent to her. From the sounds of it, you’ve been really good. But Juniper is an omega and she needs to be here.”

Juniper raised her voice. “Juniper is right here, and Juniper is choosing to stay the night, and then I will drive with the guys to the Haven tomorrow. I still have the ability to choose, don’t I?”

“Of course, you do,” Leroy said, stuttering for a moment. “If that’s your choice, we’ll honor it.” His tone changed rapidly, softening, now that he was talking to the omega, not the alphas in the conversation.

Leroy was most likely a beta, and he was standing up to us vocally and had the sound of a man who knew what he was doing. I was mildly impressed.

“Tonight, I will call your brother and let your family know. I’m pretty sure they’re going to hop on a plane or get in the car. I don’t know if they’re still away—they’ve gone abroad recently—but I’m sure they’ll be back soon, if they’re not already back. Do you want me to tell him you’re well?”

“I’d really appreciate that, please. The signal here is spotty, at best, so I think it's best that I wait until I’m at the Haven for a proper call. Because if I make a call and the signal drops mid-conversation, Kane would make himself crazy with worry,” Juniper said with a giggle. “I’m so excited to hear from him.”

“He’ll be so excited as well,” Leroy said. “Now, if we don’t hear from you by tomorrow night, we will be sending the full force of the keepers out to the address you provided to ensure you are actually safe. ”

“You can call this number any time. The signal may not be there, but she’ll have the phone on her,” Dylan added.

“Okay, I look forward to seeing you, Juniper. I’m really glad you’re okay,” Leroy said before the line went dead. No doubt, he was immediately contacting her brother with the good news.

Itwasgood news. So, why did it feel like my world was collapsing around me?

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