Page 37 of Seen Knot Heard

Holden’s hand finds mine, his fingers lacing through my own. “We’re here for you. No matter what you decide.”

Dominic’s jaw tightens. “You don’t have to register a courtship with all of us. It can just be Holden for now, and Blake when he can come down here.”

An ache opens in my chest. “You don’t want to court me?”

“Of course I do.” He looks away. “But I won’t push you into deciding right now.”

The anxiety from earlier returns. “What about Nathaniel?”

“He’s willing to give this a chance.” Holden rubs my back. “A courtship is only an agreement to get to know each other and see if a bond will form. You can change your mind later.”

I take a deep breath, the scent of vanilla and citrus mingling into a comforting combination.

But even as I savor the moment, doubt whispers in the back of my mind.

Both hopeful and anxious, I search Holden’s face for any sign of hesitation. “Are you sure about listing yourselves as potential Alphas for me? Even if we can change our minds later, it’s still a big step.”

Holden squeezes my hand. “We’re sure, Chloe. We care about you, and we want to be there for you, in whatever way you need.”

Dominic doesn’t waver. “My feelings haven’t changed since middle school.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but for once, they’re not tears of fear or sorrow. They’re tears of gratitude and hope.

With a deep breath, I turn to face the receptionist. “Yes, I’d like to enter a courtship with Holden Wright and Dominic Sterling.”

My friends.

My protectors.

My potential mates.

Chapter Twelve

Nathaniel

Gravel crunches under my boots as I pace back and forth along the edge of the work site. The salty ocean breeze whips at my face as I squint out over the choppy gray waves, hoping for a glimpse of the water taxi.

Nothing yet.

Down below, the whine of power tools mingles with the sharp crack of hammers striking nails, the noise carrying up from the construction site. Workers shout to one another over the din, their voices muffled by the crash of waves against the shore.

From where I stand on the hill, I can see Number Four, a jagged skeleton of a cabin stripped bare by the storm. Its exposed beams, darkened with water stains, jut skyward like broken ribs.

The other cabins fared better but still bear scars. Shattered windowpanes lie in a pile waiting to go to the dumpster. When we purchased replacements, they were on back-order at the manufacturer, but they finally arrived this morning.

Loose tarps flap in the wind, the sound like the snapping of a whip, and I wince as one nearly takes a worker off the ladder. The entire scene is controlled chaos, and on any other day, I’d be down there barking orders to keep workers hustling.

I pull out my phone for the dozenth time, unlocking it with a swipe of my thumb over the screen. Still no updates since the text that they found Chloe. Foundour Omega.

My stomach twists into anxious knots as I shove the phone back into my pocket. I can’t stop picturing her lovely pink hues, her playful tenderness with my bondmates, and her pheromones that remind me of the garden I escape to when I need peace.

The Omega I’ve never spoken to but who already tempts me in ways I always assumed were only for stories. My father will hate her. She’ll become one more needle for him to jab at me with. And I can’t block him out, because we owe him too much.

If this project fails, if I’m forced to return to the Burton pack after I’ve mated and Marked her…

I twist the heavy silver ring on my finger.

What would Grandad say about all this? Bringing an Omega into our pack now, with so much unfinished business between us? With so many wounds still raw?

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