Page 101 of Seen Knot Heard

Understanding softens Blake’s features. “Your father was out of line. You’re a damn good leader. Don’t doubt yourself because of him.”

My fingers curl into my palms, nails digging in. “Somehow, he found out the job site is shut down.”

Blake’s jaw works. “You think one of our workers is a plant from the Burton pack?”

“That or we were wrong about Louie being behind the inspector showing up.” I knock the back of my head on the wall. “Want to take bets on whether my dad has an insurance policy that makes sure this project fails?”

“Don’t think like that. He wants you to succeed,” Blake says. “He’s just still pissed that you’re not at his beck and call twenty-four seven anymore, and he has to name a new successor.”

“Doesn’t matter. If I don’t fix this, leaving the family pack will have meant nothing.”

“We’ll fix it.” Blake steps back to grip my shoulder. “I’ll alert Emily to monitor the workers, and Dom will run a deeper background check. If any of the workers have a connection to your dad, we’ll find them and kick them off our island.”

“It’s not supposed to be this hard.” I look back down the hall, to where I can still hear Chloe and Dominic in the dining room. “This should be a happy time for our pack, but so much bullshit keeps getting in the way.”

“It does, and it sucks.” With a final squeeze, Blake releases me. “But you’re not doing it alone. We’re all in this together, and come summer, when we’ve met the stipulations of the contract and dealt with Louie, we’ll be stronger for getting through this point in our lives.”

“I’d rather be less strong and just have it be smooth sailing,” I grumble, his optimism unable to dispel the negativity brought on by the day, followed by dealing with my father.

I catch a flash of pink hair as Chloe peeks down the hall at us before she ducks back out of view.

“Someone’s worried about you.” Blake flashes me a quick grin. “Take a second to gather yourself, then come back out to join us, okay?”

When I nod, he heads out. A second later, Chloe’s sweet giggle fills the air, followed by Blake’s low rumble.

Alone in the shadowed hallway, I close my eyes and take a deep, centering breath, trying to shake off the lingering rage.

There’s nothing I can do about my father, the inspector, or Louie right now. But knowing and shrugging it off don’t go hand in hand for me the way they do for Blake. The worriesjust simmer in the back of my mind, making it hard to focus on anything happy.

With a final deep breath, I square my shoulders and head back into the dining room to join the others, determined to salvage what’s left of the evening.

The scent of dinner wraps around me as I step out. Immediately, my attention is drawn to Chloe, caught up in Blake’s arms as he tickles her. Nearby, Dominic finishes cleaning up the art project mess now that Quinn has vanished. The scene eases the tightness in my chest.

Mine, the Alpha in me growls. My pack to protect.

Chloe spots me and wiggles free of Blake’s hold to hurry forward, her cheeks pink from laughing. “Hey, everything okay?”

Unable to resist the urge to touch, I tug her close. “It will be.” I bend to fill my lungs with the scent of lilacs and lilies mingled with applewood and cider. “Sorry about that. My father…”

Chloe’s slender arms wind around my waist, and she tilts her head back, concern etched across her delicate features. “You have nothing to apologize for. Is he upset about the inspector’s findings?”

I brush a kiss across her furrowed brow. “Among other things. If it wasn’t this, though, it would be something else.”

“It shouldn’t be anything.” Chloe’s pink eyes flash. “Family should be supportive.”

An ache opens in my chest. We were both dealt shitty hands in the family department and share the same pain of being disappointed by our parents.

Her pain calls to me, settling deep in my chest, stoking my need to soothe and be soothed in return. I want to lay her before the fire, to show her how different our pack is from the ones we left. To trace every inch of her soft skin with lips, tongue, andteeth until she unravels in my arms, until my scent clings to her very soul.

Soon, I promise myself, reining in my desire before it can bleed into my scent and betray me. I won’t risk spooking her by acting like a beast and dragging her off to my bedroom before we’ve even had dinner.

“With such poor examples, we have a clear road map of thingsnotto do with our pack,” I say gruffly. “We’ll strive to do better.”

“Of course we will.” Chloe rises onto her tiptoes to brush a fleeting kiss across my cheek, and it takes every ounce of my self-control to not turn my head and catch her lips with my own.

A hand vacuum whirs to life, and Chloe steps back with regret. “I should help Dom clean up the mess I made, since I’m the one who pulled out the bucket with the glitter.”

“I’m sure Quinn tricked you into it.” I release her with reluctance. “She knows what’s in each tote.”

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