Page 66 of Seen Knot Heard

Quinn mulls this over for a moment before heaving a put-upon sigh. “M’kay. Will you nap with me, Chloe?”

Her hesitant gaze flicks to me.

I lift a brow, leaving the choice up to her.

“Please?” Quinn turns the full force of her wide, pleading eyes on Chloe, and she crumbles in an instant.

“All right.” She returns her crayons to the box. “Just a short nap.”

Before my niece changes her mind, I hoist her into my arms and hold out a hand to pull Chloe to her feet.

She takes it, her palm soft against my callused fingers. I lace our fingers together as I head upstairs, Quinn’s yawns filling my ear the entire way.

In my bedroom, I pull back the quilt and lay Quinn down.

She’s out almost as soon as her head hits the pillow, her stuffed black dog clutched to her chest. I tuck the blankets around her slight frame.

Chloe lingers by the door, teeth worrying her bottom lip. I pad over to her, keeping my steps slow and letting out my pheromones to soothe her.

“Hey,” I murmur. “You okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just…” She trails off, shoulders hunching inward.

Fighting the urge to reach out and pull her into my arms, I wait for her to continue.

“It’s been weeks since I felt safe enough to sleep, and now I can’t stop sleeping.” She leans against me. “You make me feel safe.”

The words knock the air from my lungs, and I wrap my arms around her. “Good. That’s good.”

I tuck a lock of hair behind the delicate shell of her ear. She leans into the touch, lashes fluttering shut, and it takes everything in me not to kiss her.

“C’mon,” I say instead, “Let’s get you settled.”

She allows me to guide her to the other side of the bed, a pretty blush staining her cheeks as I fluff the pillows and drape the blankets over her. She snuggles down, facing Quinn, one hand resting protectively on my niece’s back.

I perch on the edge of the mattress, fighting the urge to tangle my fingers in her hair, to lower my head and breathe in the sweet lily-and-lilac of her. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

Her lashes droop. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

As her breathing evens out, I feast on her delicate features, memorizing the fan of her lashes against her cheeks and the soft pink of her parted lips.

Mine, my Alpha rumbles.Mate. Protect.

I exhale, trying to ease the tightness in my chest. She’s not mine, not yet. But I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to her. To either of them.

Rising on silent feet, I slip out of the room, closing the door so they won’t be disturbed.

When I return downstairs, I find Nathaniel and Dominic hunched over the bedroom drawings.

“We can do the forest mural here.” Nathaniel taps a spot on Quinn’s sketch. “Maybe some glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling?”

“Definitely.” Dominic takes notes. “We can customize a couple of pre-made bookshelves to turn them into built-ins for Chloe.”

“They’ll be out for a while.” Dominic and Nathaniel straighten as I approach. “If you give me the measurements for the bookcases, I can cut and paint the trim pieces.”

“I placed an order for the desk last night.” He taps at his phone. “I’ll get the matching bookcases, too.”

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