Page 36 of Seen Knot Heard

Angry tears threaten to spill over, and phantom hands paw at me. I can’t breathe. Can’t think.

Concern creases the receptionist’s brow. “Are you all right?”

“She’s afraid of needles,” Dominic says, the lie smooth as butter. “Holden, why don’t you take Chloe over to the sitting area while I buy her juice from the vending machine down the hall?”

“Sure.” Holden’s hand covers my back. “Come on, sugar. Take deep breaths.”

As he leads me toward a seating area, Dominic asks the receptionist, “If the DNA sample is wrong in the system, what does it mean for her current courtship?”

“Since a proper verification was not completed, the courtship is deemed invalid.”

Invalid.The word tolls through me like a bell, drowning out the roaring in my ears.

My knees weaken, and I sag against Holden. He wraps an arm around my waist to steady me, and I clutch his shirt, burying my face in his shoulder.

Invalid. Not binding. I don’t belong to Louie and never did.

It’s over. I’m free.

Even as giddy hope bubbles through me, dread coils beneath it. Vivian must have known falsifying my DNA sample would mean invalidating the contract once the discrepancy came to light. What was her plan? Or did she think it would go unnoticed until after Louie Marked me?

Holden eases me onto a sofa, his arm still around me. “Keep breathing. This is a lot, but once we’re done here, we can go home.”

Home? What does that word mean now? My apartment, where Grady no longer lives down the hall? Certainly not my mother’s flat in the Mosswood.

So many questions swirl through my mind that I’ll never have answers to. Once Vivian realizes I’ve stopped paying her debt… Stopped fulfilling the courtship with Louie… She’ll hate me and clutch her secrets even tighter to use as bargaining chips.

Dominic crouches in front of me, pressing an open apple juice into my hand. “Here, this always helped settle your nerves when we were kids.”

“Thank you.” My hand trembles as I take a sip, and the shaking calms with the rush of sugary sweetness over my tongue. I drain half the bottle in three swallows.

Holden rubs circles on my back. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah.” I return the juice to Dominic, who caps it. “Sorry, it’s just… Nineyears, and it wasinvalid.” A hysterical laugh escapes me. “I never had to…”

Wetness trickles down my cheeks, and I lift my hand to brush away the tears. “Why am I crying? It’sgoodthat the courtship is invalid.”

Holden rubs my back. “Very good.”

“It is.” I wipe away more tears. “I’m just so hungry. And tired. And my whole body hurts.”

Dominic’s hand lifts, hesitates, then settles feather light on my knee. “Will you tell us about what happened once we’re done here?”

“Yes.” I scrub my sleeve over my face. “After I shower. Let’s give this lady my blood so we can go home.”

We return to the counter, and I prick my finger in front of the receptionist, filling each of the dots on the card. When I finish, I slide it into the protective sleeve and hand it over. “Are you sure the courtship is invalid?”

“Yes.” She purses her lips. “If you’d like, I can also put a note in your file that you came in to cancel the contract.”

“Yes, please.” I grip the edge of the counter with my uninjured hand. “There can’t be any doubt.”

Her fingers fly over the keyboard. “Done. While you’re here, would you like to register your preferred pack or Alphas? We can begin the verification process as soon as your DNA results are on file. It will speed up the process.”

Dominic stills while Holden’s head turns toward me with a hopeful expression.

Every part of me wants to say yes, to jump into a courtship with the Alphas of Misty Pines. But we still have so many unresolved issues. Is it moving too fast? Am I ready for this? Ready to open my heart, to risk everything for a chance at happiness?

What if they change their minds? What if they realize I’m not worth the trouble?

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