Page 58 of Seen Knot Heard

No. I rein in my Alpha, not wanting to scare Chloe after she already had one fright for the night.

The curtains billow from the cool night breeze as I step back through the French doors. The sting of Chloe’s fear still taints the air, making me want to pound my chest and tear whoever scared her to shreds. At the same time, it takes every ounce of self-control not to rush to her, to pull her into my arms.

Instead of doing either, I force myself to focus on securing the room, locking the doors and tugging the curtains closed with a swift, decisive motion. The heavy fabric falls into place, blocking out the moonlight.

“I didn’t find anyone,” I report, my voice rough with restrained emotion.

Chloe’s eyes, wide and luminous in the dim lighting, find mine. “Iknowwhat I saw. Someone was watching us.”

My breath catches, snagging on the creamy shoulders visible above the quilt clutched to her breast. Her skin looks just as soft as I imagined, and I can already envision sinking my teeth into her, leaving a red ring for all the world to see, to know this Omega is claimed.

Holden, now fully dressed, moves to her side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. “We believe you, sugar. You’re safe now. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

I take in his disheveled appearance, his golden-brown curls tousled from sleep. The scent of flowers clings to his skin, combining with his natural vanilla sweetness. The knowledge that he connected with Chloe, that our pack bond hums stronger, should bring comfort, but it does little to soothe the restless energy thrumming through my veins.

Bending, he scoops a T-shirt off the floor. I force myself to turn away, to give her a semblance of privacy as he helps her thread her cast through the sleeve.

As I do, I spot Blake standing in the doorway in only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, his chest bare and his brown hair hanging down past his shoulders, tousled from sleep.

But his focus is sharp, assessing. “We’ll search for footprints once the sun comes up.”

The memory of those odd tracks pacing back and forth in front of Chloe’s cabin flood back. And Kyle’s words echo in my mind, the mention of a small boat washing up on one of the smaller shores during the storm.

Unease settles in my gut. Has someone from Louie’s pack been on the island all along, keeping tabs on Chloe? Is that why Louie made his move when he did? Because he heard she was growing close with another pack?

The thought is chilling, rage and fear warring within me. I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I struggle to maintain my composure.

“We need to search the island,” I grit out, my voice bordering on a growl. “If someone’s out there, we’ll find them.”

Blake nods, silent understanding passing between us. Our pack is being threatened, and the primal need to protect overrides all else.

My attention returns to Chloe, huddled in her oversized T-shirt, her pink hair tumbling around her shoulders, and I realizeI’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to claim this Omega as my own.

Unable to hold back my Alpha a second more, I stride forward, nudging Holden back a step with my shoulder.

“Pardon me.” In one smooth motion, I scoop Chloe off the bed, quilts and all, cradling her against my chest.

Chloe squeaks in surprise, her small hand clutching at my shoulders. The scent of lilies and lilacs intensifies, swirling around us, no longer smelling of fear, but something far headier that sends my head spinning.

A flush rises to my cheeks, but I keep my face impassive as I face the others. “No one is sleeping outside the family residence from now on.”

My tone brooks no argument as my arms tighten around Chloe, and I carry her from the room, my footsteps echoing down the hallway. The little Omega weighs less than the quilts around her.

Her soft breaths puff against my throat. “I can walk.”

I growl, and she falls quiet, her hand squeezing my tense shoulder.

From the bedroom, Holden lets out a low whistle. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Right,” Blake agrees. “We should probably….”

Their footsteps sound behind me as they rush to catch up.

As we climb the stairs, Blake’s voice drifts up to me and Chloe. “Dominic already took Quinn and Sprinkles up to my room. I passed them on the way down. Quinn got scared when Chloe screamed, but he didn’t find any sign of someone trying to get into the room from the dog run.”

My heart clenches at the thought of our little girl afraid, of how easy it would have been for someone to crawl through the large dog door in the castle room.

Blake must be thinking along the same lines, because his steps quicken, and he passes us on the stairs. But he slows as he catches sight of Chloe’s face again, torn by the desire to stick close to her, too. She appears so small buried inside the quilts, her bright pink cast poking out.

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