Page 15 of Knot Happening Again

I roll my eyes, but can't help laughing as I turn to see Troy leaning against the doorframe, his signature smirk firmly in place.

He's actually made an attempt to halfway style his short black hair, but it still falls into those intensely blue eyes of his. I guess it matches his aesthetic as the brooding musician he is, but I'm relieved he toned it down today, wearing a nice black button down and slacks. Even if it's still monotone.

I'm starting to think if he even touched colorful fabric, he'd spontaneously combust, but beggars can't be choosers.

"You're just jealous of our bond," I tease.

"Of you two saps? Not likely," Troy scoffs, but there's no real heat behind his words.

Leon gives me a light tap on the shoulder before picking up his briefcase. "Alright, I'm off. Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone."

"No promises!" Troy calls after him as Leon heads out the door.

As soon as Leon's car disappears down the driveway, I turn to Troy and Mace, who's just lumbered into the entryway.

"Ready to go?" I ask.

Mace grunts in affirmation, while Troy just shrugs. "Let's go meet our new potential baby mama," Troy drawls.

I swat his arm as we head out to my car. "Don't be crude. This is a big deal for all of us. And this is just a temporary arrangement."

I need to remind myself of that more than anyone.

The drive to Temporary Bonds is filled with Troy trying to get more than a few words out of Mace. I tune them out, my mind racing with possibilities.

What will our potential omega be like?

Will she fit in with our pack?

Will she even like us?

Before I know it, we're pulling up to the sleek glass building that houses Temporary Bonds.

As we enter the lobby, I'm struck again by how professional and welcoming it feels. Nothing like the seedy clubs or matchmaking services I've heard horror stories about from my patients.

Samantha greets us with a warm smile, her beta scent calm and reassuring. "Welcome back, gentlemen. If you'll follow me, we can get started."

As we follow her down a hallway lined with tasteful artwork, she glances back at us. "I noticed you're missing two members today. Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," I assure her quickly. "Leon has a fight coming up, and Maddox is his manager. They had to fly out early, but they know about this meeting and they’re willing to accept any omega we agree to."

Samantha nods, leading us into a cozy consultation room. "Wonderful. Well, let's get started, shall we? I have some exciting news for you."

We settle into the plush chairs as Samantha takes a seat behind a sleek desk. "When we spoke on the phone, I mentioned we had found a potential match for your pack," she begins, her fingers dancing over a tablet. "However, I'm pleased to inform you that we actually havethreeomegas who came up as matches in our database."

I blink in surprise, exchanging glances with Troy and Mace. "Three?" I repeat. "That's... unexpected."

Samantha nods, her smile apologetic. "We didn't call earlier because we were waiting on your background checks to clear. There was a minor issue with one of them." Her gaze flicks to Mace, who shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Something about a skinny dipping incident?" she adds delicately.

Mace's face flushes a deep red as Troy bursts into laughter. "That was years ago," Mace grumbles. "I was a dumb college kid."

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "The charges were dropped, right?"

Samantha nods quickly. "Oh yes, it's not an issue. We just have to be thorough, you understand. We can never be too careful about protecting the omegas that come through our doors. Especially since some are from troubled pasts."

A pang of concern shoots through me at the thought of omegas being mistreated. “Of course,” I say quietly. “Omegas are precious.”

Samantha's expression softens. "I'm glad you understand. Now, let me show you the profiles of your potential matches." She hands me a tablet, and I lean in so Troy and Mace can see as well.

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