Page 62 of Seen Knot Heard

He strides to the closet and grabs a T-shirt for himself before tossing a pair of sweats across the bed for me to wear. “Not the pancakes I was hoping for, but it will have to do.”

A giggle escapes me, and I step into the bottoms, pulling them up under my oversized T-shirt. “I’m sure Uncle Holden’s pancakes are delicious.”

Blake’s brow furrows. “What am I missing here?”

We both laugh, and Holden claps him on the shoulder. “You had to be there for it. I’m heading down to start breakfast. Did anyone set the coffeepot to brew?”

“Pretty sure Dom did last night,” Blake calls after him as Holden strides out the door.

Holden whistles, and Sprinkles bounds after him, leaving us alone.

Blake shifts from one foot to the other, his long hair loose around his hunched shoulders, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

“Chloe, I…” He clears his throat, focusing on my shoulder. “I want to apologize. For how I acted before when Quinn went missing. It was wrong of me to order you to your room.”

My heart clenches at the memory of how hurt and rejected I felt in the moment, dismissed by the Alpha who had just been talking about courting and bonding.

“It’s all right.” I tug on the hem of my T-shirt. “It wasn’t my place. You and your pack needed to focus on finding Quinn.”

In two long strides, Blake crosses the room to stop at my side, his large hand enveloping my uninjured one. Warmth radiates through me at his touch.

“No, Chloe. I want it to be your place, too. Here, with the pack. With me.” His thumb rubs circles on my skin, and tingles travel through me from the contact. “I was ashamed of myself afterward. Of how I treated you. You deserve so much better.”

“Quinn’s safety has to come first,” I protest. “Of course it does. She’s just a little girl.”

“That’s no excuse for being harsh with you.” His pale-brown eyes finally lock onto mine with an intensity that steals my breath. “Never doubt you are my priority, too. I will prove myself a better Alpha.”

My pulse thrums under my skin, drawn to him like a magnet. I want to soothe the furrow between his brows, to run my fingersthrough his thick mane of chestnut hair, to breathe in the scent of him.

Blake tugs my hand, guiding me toward the bed. He sits on the edge, his broad frame dipping the mattress as he draws me closer. The heat of his body envelops me, and I find myself standing between his muscular thighs, my hands resting on his shoulders for balance.

“Dominic told us a bit about your mother.” His fingers trace slow circles on my hips. “Then we witnessed for ourselves at the hospital how cold she was. How vile…”

He trails off, his brow furrowing as if the memory pains him.

My throat tightens. For years, I knew my mother was a bad person, but realizing the depths of her cruelty after she handed me over to Louie is still a fresh wound.

Blake cups my waist, his hands nearly spanning my ribcage, and tugs me closer. His pheromones surround me, filling my lungs, and my head swims with a heady mix of comfort and desire.

“I should have spent more time talking to you, getting to know you.” His sigh comes warm against my cheek. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I was a fool, but I’ll do better.”

His words wrap around me like a caress, soothing the ache in my chest. I lean into him, my breasts brushing against the solid wall of his chest as I breathe him in. The rasp of his beard against my skin ignites a spark low in my belly, memories of the time we spent tangled together flooding back in vivid detail.

A purr rumbles from Blake’s chest, the sound sending delicious shivers through me. Head tilting, I seek his mouth, craving the taste of him. His lips meet mine, firm yet giving, and I melt into the kiss with a sigh.

The world falls away, narrowing to the slide of his tongue against mine, the nip of his teeth on my bottom lip. I run my fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the silken strands as hedeepens the kiss. It’s slow and thorough, a claiming, a promise of more to come.

When we break apart, I gasp for breath, my cheeks flushed and lips tingling.

Blake rests his forehead against mine as he inhales. “Mate.” The word rings with certainty. “My mate.”

The return of tiny footsteps in the hallway jolts us apart. Still dazed by the kiss, I blink down at Blake.

He shoots me a rueful grin, the heat of desire tempered by affection. “Guess I still need to work on not giving in to instinct, huh?”

“You’re not the only one.” I let out a relieved breath, glad we mended the hurt between us.

Quinn barges back into the room, brown hair flying and bubbling with excitement. She clutches a composition notebook to her chest. “Uncle Blake! Chloe!”

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