Page 154 of Hard Knot

The simple sincerity in his voice makes my throat tight.

"Thanks, Dad," I manage before we hang up.

I have to set both the phone and the envelope down for a moment, fanning my eyes to keep the tears at bay. The last thing I need is to ruin my makeup before tonight's adventures.

Deep breaths, Elizabeth. You can get emotional about having the best dad ever later.

Once I'm sure my mascara isn't in immediate danger, I pick up the mysterious envelope again. The paper is high quality – thick and creamy under my fingers – but completely unmarked except for my name in elegant handwriting.

Well, this is either going to be really good or really bad...

I slide my finger under the envelope's seal, pulling out a single sheet of paper that immediately makes my eyebrows rise.

The message, crafted from letters cut from various newspapers and magazines, looks like something straight out of a low-budget thriller movie.

LEAVE YOUR PACK OR DIE IN AN ALLEY LIKE THE WORTHLESS OMEGA YOU ARE!

"Damn," I mutter, turning the paper over to examine the amateur craftsmanship. "These bitches are fast. Can't even have a viral video before I'm getting threatened with death and misery. Fun."

I move to rip the letter, already mentally composing a TikTok about how basic this attempt at intimidation is when Felix's voice crackles through what must be an intercom system I didn't even know existed.

"I wouldn't rip that if I were you."

My head snaps up, eyes scanning the ceiling as if I might catch him hanging from one of the panels like some tech-savvy Spider-Man.

"Felix?"

His chuckle carries through the speaker, warm and amused.

"In the man cave."

"The what now?" I spin slowly, trying to locate the source of his voice. "And how many cameras do you have in this place?"

"Enough," he says cryptically. "Want to find me? We can play Marco Polo."

A laugh bubbles up from my chest, and I have to appreciate the absurdity of the moment. Here I am, holding what's essentially a death threat, and I'm about to play hide and seek with an Alpha who's probably watching me through multiple cameras.

"You know what? Sure," I say, carefully folding the threatening letter and sliding it into my pocket. "But let's make it interesting. Every time I guess wrong, I'll strip off a piece of clothing."

There's a choking sound from the speaker, followed by muffled cursing.

"Fuck," Felix manages finally. "I'll be lost forever then, just to catch footage of you strolling around the house naked."

"Perv," I tease, already moving toward the stairs. "But you know...the faster I find you, the faster we can deal with whatever this is and maybe have some quality time before the others show up."

"Basement level, hidden door between the stairs. There's a panel that looks like part of the wall, but if you press the right side, it'll swing open."

The speed with which he responds makes me laugh out loud.

"What happened to Marco Polo?" I ask, already heading for the stairs.

"Elizabeth," his voice carries that mix of exasperation and amusement I'm growing fond of, "you just offered alone time. I'm not about to waste that playing games."

“Love the bold confidence,” I praise. Still chuckling, I make my way down to the basement. Sure enough, there's a seemingly solid panel between the stairs that gives way when I press it, revealing a hidden passage.

"Very Batman of you," I comment as I step through.

The space beyond the secret door feels like stepping into another world. Banks of computer monitors line the walls, their screens displaying everything from security camera feeds to what looks like complex code scrolling past. Various gadgets and pieces of technology I can't even begin to identify fill the shelves, and the soft hum of powerful equipment fills the air.

---