Page 41 of Seen Knot Heard

A lump forms in my throat. After everything, after questioning their feelings… They always wanted me here. Shame burns through me. How could I have ever doubted their intentions?

“It’s okay,” I try to joke, blinking back the tears. “Not sure I can handle stairs right now.”

Despite my efforts, a small sob escapes my throat. The tears overflow, trailing hot down my cheeks.

“Chloe? What’s wrong?” Alarmed, Holden reaches out a hand to cup my face. “Are you in pain?”

Unable to form words through the knot of emotion, I shake my head. Their kindness, their care… The intensity of my feelings overwhelms me.

A distressed rumble sounds from Dominic’s chest as I break down, and Holden pulls me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin. I press my face into the soft fabric of his sweater, breathing in the comforting scent of vanilla that clings to him.

“Shh, it’s all right,” he soothes, one hand rubbing gentle circles on my back. “Let it out. We’ve got you now.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t think you would come for me,” I confess between shuddering breaths, the words muffled against his chest. “They said…they told me you left me at the hospital. That you didn’t care.”

Holden’s arms tighten around me. “Never,” he swears, his voice rough with emotion. “Chloe, we never stopped searching for you, not for one second. We would never abandon you. We were ready to storm all of Louie’s penthouses to find you.”

Fresh sobs wrack my body, relief and desperate, aching love swirling inside me. “I was so alone, locked in that room, not knowing if I’d ever see you again.”

A vicious snarl rips from Dominic’s throat, his citrusy scent sharpening with fury.

Holden hushes his bondmate. “Not now.”

Then his attention returns to me, his expression sad. “I’m so sorry for everything you went through. But you’re safe now. We won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

My legs tremble, knees folding as the events of the day—the past three weeks—catch up to me.

Dominic reaches out a steadying hand, then in one smooth motion, he scoops me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

“Hey!” I protest weakly, smacking him with my cast. “Who gave you permission to pick me up?”

Even as I grumble, I bury my face against the warm skin at the base of his throat. I nuzzle into him, seeking the source of the alluring blend of tangy citrus and clean musk.

Dominic’s rumbling purr vibrates through me as I burrow closer. “Just pretend it’s Holden carrying you.”

The suggestion earns him another thump of my cast. “Shut up.”

Dominic turns to follow Holden down the hall toward my old guest suite, his strong arms supporting me with ease. My eyelids droop with exhaustion, but I force them open, needing to take in every detail.

After everything, I’m back where I belong.

Dominic carries me over the threshold into my suite, and I stare in disbelief. Everything is as I left it, down to the half-full cup of water on the nightstand and the eReader left by the loveseat, waiting for me to return to it.

It’s as if I never left. As if the past three weeks, the terror and pain inflicted by Louie, the despair of believing myself abandoned, was nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

The nearly healed broken arm and the ache in my body from my stomach being pumped make it all too real. I shudder in Dominic’s arms, and they tighten around me.

When he strides toward the bed, intending to lay me down, I squirm in protest. “Wait! Don’t put me in bed like this. I need a shower first.”

Dominic’s brow furrows. “Not sure that’s a good idea. You’re dead on your feet. What if you fall over? You could hit your head and give yourself a concussion, or worse.”

I open my mouth to argue that I’ll be fine, but Holden chimes in. “What about a bubble bath instead? I can run it for you, get it nice and warm so you can soak while I whip up some soup.”

The mental image is tempting, sinking into a steamy, fragrant tub, letting the heat soak into my aching muscles and wash away the lingering traces of Louie from my skin.

I start to nod, but stop when my head throbs in protest. “Yes, please. A bath sounds perfect.”

Holden flashes me a tender smile, the sight of it filling me with warmth before he heads into the en suite to start the water running.

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