Page 96 of Seen Knot Heard

“I don’t know,” I admit, though I have my suspicions it has to do with a certain casino owner. “But I intend to find out.”

I pause at the doorway, turning back to face her. She appears small, wrapped in my jacket, her bun sitting sideways on her head from my fingers.

A fierce protectiveness surges through me, mingling with the simmering embers of desire. I cup her face in my hands, pressing a hard, swift kiss to her lips.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” My breath mingles with hers. “Wait for me.”

Not giving her a chance to respond, I leave her at the Homestead, shoving my instincts back down. Right now, I need a level head, which means keeping my mind focused on work and not the tempting Omega I leave behind.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chloe

“Can we make the magnifying glass extra sparkly, Chloe?” Quinn asks, already grabbing bottles of silver glitter and sequins.

I smile at her enthusiasm. “Of course, princess. Let’s make it the sparkliest one ever.”

While Quinn cuts out a lopsided circle, I work on the more complex drawing of the unicorn. “Tell me more about your new detective unicorn story?”

Quinn’s face scrunches up in concentration as she dabs glue onto her magnifying glass. “Well, the detective has to solve the mystery of the missing teddy bear. But she can only do it if her uniform is fancy enough.”

I laugh at her imagination. “Is that so? I guess we better draw it extra fancy then.”

As we work, Quinn’s tongue pokes out in concentration as she places each sequin, and a bittersweet ache blooms in my chest. When was the last time I felt so carefree? Did I ever?

I grew up under the pressure of the Sinclair pack. Fun, back then, wasn’t carefree but performative, crafted to meet my father’s approval or deflect my mother’s resentment. After we were kicked out, I lived in survival mode, always wondering howwe would keep a roof over our heads. Afraid that we would be homeless at any moment.

Even in college, freedom had come at a cost, constantly juggling my coursework and three part-time jobs to cover my tuition and dorm fees. Then, whenThe Fairy and the Dragonlordtook off, the constant stress of fan expectations kept me working nonstop under the ever-present fear of letting someone down.

Quinn could have easily turned out the same way I did, but thanks to Blake stepping in, and the love of the Alphas of Misty Pines, she’ll grow up in a loving, nurturing environment.

“Chloe!” Quinn holds up a misshapen blob covered in so much glitter that the construction paper can’t stand up straight. “The horn is ready to attach!”

“Wow, it’s amazing!” I pass over the unicorn’s body, which I decorated with far less glitter. “The teddy bear won’t stay missing for long with our fancy detective on the case now.”

Quinn beams with pride as she grabs up the glue bottle again and drags over a piece of blue construction paper.

The door to the kitchen swings open, and Holden steps into the dining room, bringing with him the scent of something savory and rich with rosemary. His golden-brown curls lie disheveled across his forehead, as if he’s been running his hands through them.

“Hey.” He gives us a strained smile that doesn’t quite reach his hazel eyes. “How’s the art party going?”

Tension fills his shoulders, and as he stops next to me, his usual warm vanilla scent holds a sharp tinge of anxiety.

I lean against his side to offer comfort. “We’re having a blast, aren’t we, Quinn?”

“Yep!” Quinn holds up our glitter-covered creation, the weight of the glue and glitter causing the horn to slide down thepaper. “Look, Uncle Holden! Detective Stardust is ready to solve another case!”

“That’s incredible, princess.” Holden steps closer, his arm brushing mine as he leans down to inspect the glittering detective. “You’re quite the artist.”

As he straightens, his thumb brushes over my cheek. He holds his thumb up, showing me a smudge of silver glitter, and the corners of his lips twitch. “You both are.”

I wait for Quinn to get distracted as she adds a background to her picture before I whisper, “Everything okay?”

He hesitates before shaking his head. “Just… inspection report stuff. Don’t worry about it.”

I reach out to clasp his hand. “Holden?—”

“I mean it, Chloe,” he interrupts. “It’s under control.”

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