Page 124 of Seen Knot Heard

In a daze, I move to the closet, pulling out my smaller suitcase with numb fingers. There’s no way I can wheel them both down to the dock, and it’s not like Louie will let me keep my personal items. But I have to sell my departure to my?—

No,they’re notmyanything now.

I force my mind blank as I pack, shoving clothes and toiletries in without care. When I zip the suitcase shut, it sounds loud in the stillness of the room created for me in the Homestead. My gaze sweeps over the space—the small reading nook, the desk beneath the window, the fresh bouquet from the garden, and the shelves of fan gifts—as I say a silent goodbye.

Then I straighten, squaring my shoulders as I turn to face the door. Each step feels like a mile as I cross the threshold, but I don’t falter. I don’t hesitate. Because this is the only way to keep them safe. To protect the people I love, even if it means sacrificing myself.

As I step out into the hallway, I glimpse my reflection in the mirror. Pink hair, pink eyes, the same silly girl who thought she could save the world with a million-dollar book deal. But that girl is gone now, and in her place stands a woman I hardly recognize. A woman who will do whatever it takes, pay whatever price necessary, to keep her pack safe.

Even if it means walking straight into the devil’s lair.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Nathaniel

Thumping on the stairs draws my attention, the rhythmic sound unsettling in the quiet of the house. Blake had only just texted that he had picked up pizza and was on his way to collect Holden before heading home, and Dominic never makes that much noise.

Frowning, I set aside the knife I was using to chop ingredients for a salad and step out into the dining room to find Chloe coming down the stairs.

She freezes when she spots me, pink eyes wide, her small suitcase resting by her feet. Anxiety and something else thicken the air—something that ties my stomach into knots. Guilt. She was planning to leave. Without telling us.

“Chloe?” I keep my voice soft as I walk toward her. “What’s going on?”

She swallows hard, her fingers clenching and unclenching at her sides before she exhales a shaky breath. “I’m leaving.”

The words hit harder than I expect, knocking the air from my lungs. I don’t understand. Everything in me demands an explanation, demands to fix whatever has made her think this is her only option.

I shake my head, struggling to process the words. “Leaving? What do you mean, leaving?”

Chloe straightens her spine, meeting my eyes. There’s fear there, yes, but also determination. A kind of heartbreaking resolve that I don’t like seeing on her face. “I have to go. It’s… It’s not working out.”

I take another step forward, and she tenses, ready to bolt if I come too close.

“Chloe, please. Talk to me.” My voice comes out raw, pleading, because I can already sense her slipping away, and I don’t know how to stop it. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out.”

She flinches, and for a moment, I think she might reconsider. But then she shakes her head, her bun of pink hair wobbling in that way I find so adorable when she’s not breaking my heart. “I’m sorry. You were right. It’s not the right time. My career is changing, and you guys have so much going on with the resort, and— This is for the best.”

Anger replaces my confusion, and my hands ball into fists. “For the best? How can your leaving be for the best? We need you, Chloe. The pack needs you.”

She squeezes her eyes shut, her shoulders trembling. “No, you don’t. You’ll be better off without me. There will be another Omega for you, when you’re ready.”

Never. My Alpha pushes for dominance, pushes me to take her and claim her now so she can’t leave.

Struggling for self-restraint, I step closer, careful not to spook her. “That’s not true. We needyou,Chloe. You’re our bonded mate.”

The moment the words leave my lips, I know they’re not enough. Her expression crumples, but she doesn’t change her mind. She’s already convinced herself this was all a mistake.

“I’m sorry,” she says again, quieter this time. “But this is the way it has to be. Please, don’t try to stop me.”

She grips the handle of her suitcase, her fingers trembling, her entire body betraying the war she’s fighting inside. My instincts scream at me to act, to do something—anything—to make her stay. But I don’t want to force her. I don’t want to trap her the same way Louie did.

With a deep breath, I shove aside my instincts, locking them behind a wall of ice. “Fine. If this is what you want, what you think is best, then I won’t try to stop you.”

A broken sound escapes Chloe’s lips—half relief, half heartbreak. “Thank you for understanding.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “I don’t understand, Chloe. I don’t think I ever will. But I’ll respect your choice, even if I hate it.”

I watch as she picks up her suitcase and turns away. With every step she takes away from me, my lungs compress until I can’t draw in a single breath as she slips out the door, closing it behind her.

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