Page 155 of Hard Knot

Felix sits in what can only be described as a command center, multiple screens arranged in a semicircle around a chair that probably costs more than my entire wardrobe. The blue light from the monitors reflects off his glasses as he turns to face me, his expression a mix of professional focus and personal concern.

"Welcome to my lair," he says with a small smile, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. "Now, let me see that letter."

"Your lair needs a mini-fridge," I observe, pulling out the folded paper. "And maybe some throw pillows. Make it cozy." I further look around. “I can make a little nest here.”

He pauses to look at where I’m looking at, tilting his head which makes his glasses slide lower on his nose.

“That can be arranged, though we’re almost done with your main nest at Holmes’ place.”

“Wait.”That’s new.“I have a nest in Holmes’ place?”

“Yes,” though he frowns. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

“Well, too late,” I say in glee, trying to tame my beating heart that’s going wild at the reveal.

That another part of this feels more permanent than some trial to appease our personal goals.

He accepts the letter with a snort of amusement, but his expression grows serious as he examines it.

"Did you touch the actual cutout letters?"

"Only the edges of the paper," I say, watching as he carefully places the letter in what looks like a clear evidence bag. "Though I have to say, if someone wanted to threaten me, they could at least be original about it. This is giving very much 'I just watched my first crime drama' energy."

“Or mean girls,” he mutters and I guess that makes sense just without the pasted scrapbook. The theme of the letter screams Burn Book material.

Felix's lips twitch slightly, but his eyes remain focused on the letter.

"Sometimes the most basic attempts can be the most dangerous. People who get creative usually want attention more than action. It's the simple, direct threats we need to worry about."

I lean against his desk, watching as he begins typing rapidly on one of his keyboards.

"You think this is serious?"

"I think," he says carefully, "that someone went to the trouble of finding out where we live, which isn't public information, and managed to get this letter past our security systems. I know it’s easier with us being at Knot Academy, but even with how shitty this school is, this part of Hard Knot Wing doesn’t play aroundwith security. This was able to slip through their analysis, which means it could be an inside hit." He glances up at me. "So yes, I'm taking it seriously."

"Fair point," I concede, trying to ignore the chill that runs down my spine. "Any ideas who might have sent it?"

"Several," he mutters, his fingers flying over the keys. "But let's gather some evidence before we start pointing fingers. I'm going to scan this for prints, analyze the paper type, and see if I can match the font styles to specific publications."

I blink, impressed despite myself.

"That's...thorough. Don’t you think you’re going overboard with it? I mean…it’s just a letter. Probably a joke.”

"You're a part of our pack now," he says simply as if that explains everything.And maybe it does.“We don’t accept our Omega receiving threats of any kind from anyone. We protect what’s ours and I guess we’re going to have to make note of that if it means people get the message.”

"So much for our quality time," I sigh dramatically, but I can't hide my smile when he shoots me a look over his glasses.

"Give me twenty minutes with this, and then we can have all the quality time you want before the others show up." His voice drops slightly. "Unless you'd rather wait and let them know about this right away?"

I consider it for a moment, watching the screens fill with data as he works.

"No," I decide finally. "Let's see what we can figure out first. No need to ruin everyone's night out if this turns out to be nothing. Personally, I don’t want them to know just yet if it’s not serious. Holmes will be all anal and cancel Thanksgiving plans, and truthfully, I don’t want to miss it now that I have the chance to go."

Felix nods approvingly.

"Smart choice. Besides," he adds with a slight smirk, "I'd hate to waste this rare opportunity for alone time just because someone decided to get crafty with scissors and glue."

I laugh, settling in to watch him work his technological magic.

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