Page 127 of Seen Knot Heard

A cruel smirk twists his lips. “I’m going to dismantle them, of course. Strip away everything they hold dear until there’s nothing left but ashes and regret.”

Anger surges through me. “You said you’d leave them alone if I returned to you.”

“Don’t be so naïve. They tried to take what’s mine, and I won’t leave any lingering affection to chance.” He reaches for my arm. “Now, come along.”

The betrayal sends me reeling back a step. I was so stupid for believing he’d keep his word if I sacrificed myself. “I won’t let you destroy my pack.”

His head cocks to the side. “And how willyoustopme? Haven’t you already learned I always get what I want?”

My hands clench into fists, nails digging into my palms. “You’re a monster. A twisted, manipulative monster.”

Louie’s crooked nose wrinkles in amusement. “Monster? No, my dear Chloe. I’m a visionary. Someone who sees the world for what it is and takes what he wants.”

My gaze darts around the boat, assessing my surroundings with a newfound urgency. The gleaming deck, the sleek linesof the cabin, the dock quickly growing smaller and the ocean stretching out ahead.

Before Louie can react, I lunge forward, shoving him with all my might.

The suddenness of my attack catches him off guard, and he stumbles backward in shock. For a split second, I savor the surprised expression on his face, the realization that he underestimated me.

But I don’t have time to gloat.

Without hesitation, I turn and run, my feet pounding on the deck as I race toward the stern.

Louie’s roar of rage comes from behind me, but I don’t dare look back. I focus on the water, on the promise of escape that lies just beyond my reach.

And then, with a final, desperate burst of speed, I reach the end of the boat and hurl myself over the side, plunging into the cold, dark depths below.

Icy water envelops me, stealing the breath from my lungs and sending a shock through my system. For a moment, disorientation sets in, my senses overwhelmed by the sudden submersion. The cold is a living thing, wrapping around me like a vise, squeezing the air from my chest.

Then the suction of the propellers drags me backward, and desperation sets in. I wiggle free of the voluminous material of my onesie and kick my legs, propelling myself forward, my arms cutting through the water with powerful strokes, thankful that my private school allowed swimming to stand in place of physical education.

As I break through the surface, I gasp for air, my lungs burning as they fill with precious oxygen. The taste of salt stings my tongue, and I blink the water from my eyes.

Louie’s shouts come from above me, his voice laced with fury and disbelief, but growing distant. A quick check over myshoulder shows the yacht slowing, but its speed put distance between us before Louie could sound the alarm.

It won’t take them long to turn around, though. I only have a fleeting chance to put distance between myself and the man who seeks to destroy everything I hold dear.

I strike out toward the distant shore, my limbs moving with a strength I didn’t know I possessed.

As I swim, my mind races, plotting my next move. I have to warn my Alphas of Louie’s plans, but I’m not sure I can reach the Homestead before Louie catches up.

The shoreline grows closer, beckoning me like a beacon of hope. My limbs ache, my lungs burn, but I push through the pain, propelled by desperation.

As I near the shallows, my feet touch the rocky bottom, and I stagger to my feet, the water dripping from my body, my hair undone from its bun and hanging like seaweed.

I glance back again and find the boat closer.

No way I’ll make it up the incline to the Homestead. Not when my legs tremble from the swim, and cold wracks my body.

My only chance is to run, hide, and pray one of my Alphas finds me.

I stumble up the beach, my feet slipping over the rocky shore, then set off at a run, disappearing into the woods.

Chapter Forty-One

Holden

The rhythmic beeping of the machines fills the sterile hospital room as I sit by Grady’s bedside. The sound should be reassuring, a steady heartbeat signaling life, but instead, it fills me with anxiety.

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