Page 95 of Seen Knot Heard

“But we’re all in agreement about wanting a true pack.” My words tumble over each other in a rush. “Not like our parents.We all want what Holden’s familial pack has. Scent matched and bonded.”

“I understand.” Her teeth worry at her bottom lip. “Do you think you’ll bond with me?”

My heart stutters at the vulnerability in her eyes, the longing in her scent.

“Chloe, I…” I take a deep breath to steady myself. “I want to. More than anything. But how can we ask that of you when our future isn’t guaranteed? If all of this falls through, if Blake and I are forced to return to our familial packs, it would hurt you.”

Chloe’s hand settles on my chest. “You’ve bonded with the other Alphas, though. It’s already too late to go back.”

She’s right, of course. The bond I share with Blake and the others is unbreakable, a tether tying us together even when we’re apart. Such a bond hasn’t formed yet with Chloe, though. There’s still a chance to spare her future pain.

“I know,” I say roughly. “But Chloe, a true bond… It can’t be dissolved outside of death. If we do this, if we take this step, there’s no going back.”

Chloe shifts closer, her scent enveloping me like a warm embrace. “I know the risk, but I want this. I want you.”

Her words shatter the last of my resolve. A rumble vibrates in my chest as I pull her to me, my hands sliding over the curve of her hips. Chloe’s breath hitches, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt.

“Chloe.” I nuzzle into the soft skin of her neck, letting my instincts take control for once. “If we do this, I won’t be able to let you go.”

“Then don’t.” She tilts her head to bare her throat in a gesture of submission, and my inner Alpha howls with satisfaction. “I want to court, I want to bond, I want this pack.”

Something snaps inside me at her words. With a fierce growl, my mouth covers hers, and I pour all of my longing and desireinto the kiss. Chloe melts in my arms, her body molding to mine as if we were made for each other.

I lose myself in the taste of her, in the silky glide of her tongue. My hands roam over her curves, mapping the contours of her body through the thin fabric of her T-shirt beneath my jacket.

Chloe whimpers, arching into my touch like a flower seeking the sun.

The rest of the world fades away until only the scent of her skin, the warmth of her body, the soft sounds of pleasure that spill from her lips exist. Nothing else matters. Not the uncertain future ahead of us, not the risks that come from giving in to our desires.

Only Chloe matters, and the bond that hums between us, reaching, yearning to connect. I deepen the kiss, my hands moving to her hips. I want to lay her down in the grass, want to taste the flowers on her skin, to worship the petal softness of my mate.

The shrill ring of my cell phone shatters the heated moment.

I try to ignore it at first, losing myself once more in the strawberry sweetness of Chloe’s kiss. But the insistent buzzing continues, drilling into my awareness like a jackhammer.

With a growl of frustration, I break away, fumbling in my pocket for the offending device.

Chloe watches me through heavy-lidded eyes, her lips swollen and glistening, her chest rising and falling with rapid pants. The sight of her, disheveled and wanting, sends a fresh surge of desire crackling through my veins.

Ready to toss the phone aside, I look at the screen, thumb over the decline button before I freeze, unease dimming my desire. Emily’s name flashes on the display. She wouldn’t call me at this time of day unless it was important.

I press the phone to my ear, my other hand still resting on the curve of Chloe’s hip. “What is it?”

“We’ve got a problem, Nat,” Emily says, her normally unflappable tone holding an edge of tension. “There’s an inspector waiting at the docks, demanding to be walked through the job site. He’s threatening to shut us down if we don’t comply.”

Ice floods my veins, chasing away the last heat of arousal.

An inspector, here? Now?

My mind races, trying to piece together what could have brought this on. We’ve been meticulous about following every regulation, dotting every i and crossing every t. There’s no reason for an inspection, unless…

Unless someone tipped them off. Someone who wants to see us fail.

“I’ll meet him at the work site,” I bite out, already moving toward the garden door, Chloe trailing behind me with a worried frown. “I’m on my way down now.”

As I end the call and shove the phone back into my pocket, I meet her questioning eyes. “I have to go. An inspector is coming to the job site, threatening to shut us down.”

Alarm flashes across her face. “What? Why?”

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