Page 7 of Seen Knot Heard

Silent, she rocks on her bed, clutching her elbows.

Steps heavy, I walk away. It feels like I’m abandoning her, but I can’t save her from herself. She has to want it, has to choose the hard path to recovery.

At least if she falls again, she won’t put Quinn at risk, too.

Guilt churns in my gut as I leave the rehab center. What I’m doing is best for both her and Quinn, but the confrontation ripped open old wounds, spilling out the toxic remnants of our dysfunctional family.

Sadie’s accusation echoes in my mind as I climb into my truck, the engine rumbling to life. Am I becoming like our dad? Detached, unfeeling, unable to give Sadie the support she needs while putting all of my focus on Quinn?

I recoil at the thought, my grip tightening on the steering wheel until my knuckles ache.

No, I’m not like our father. I don’t abandon my people when they need me most. Chloe is proof of that. I’m just prioritizing the pack I chose and not the toxic people who share my blood and want to drag me down to their depths.

The sterile scent of antiseptic assaults my senses as I stride into the hospital.

Stepping into Grady’s room, the sight stops me cold.

Grady lies motionless in the bed, bandages swathing his head. The machinery that surrounds him dwarfs his lanky frame, and tubes snake into his arms while another feeds him.

He appears so fragile, so unlike the charming, vibrant man I met a few days ago.

Unbidden, my mind flashes an image of Chloe in his place, her pink hair fanned across the pillow. A visceral ache grips my heart. Thank God she wasn’t hurt worse in the fall, or she’d still be in a hospital bed like Grady.

Now she’s gone, whisked away by her mother. I can’t protect her. Can’t hold her.

The helplessness eats at me.

Turning away, I find Holden slumped in a chair by the window, Grady’s laptop hugged to his chest. He looks more exhausted than when I dropped him off, an almost feverish light in his eyes.

“Did you get what you needed from Grady’s files?” I ask, my voice rough.

He rises on unsteady legs. “I gained access and changed the password so I can do a deep dive once we’re home. Hopefully,he’ll have something on here to give us a lead on where they took her.”

A spark of hope kindles to life inside me, and I clap his shoulder. “Good work. Did the doctors say anything about his condition?”

“The swelling in his head is going down, but they don’t know when he’ll wake up.” He shuffles toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

We exit the hospital into sunlight and climb into my truck.

Silence fills the drive down to the docks, where Kyle waits with the water taxi, his usual jovial demeanor replaced by concern.

Wind whips dark hair across my face as I help Holden board, afraid he’ll fall into the ocean without support.

We sit in the shade on one of the metal benches in the center of the craft, and Holden lists sideways, head drooping with fatigue.

I loop an arm around him, tugging him to my side. “Easy. I got you.”

He burrows his head against my shoulder. “What if she thinks we abandoned her? Like her dad did?”

My chest clenches, and I hug him tighter. “She knows we love her. We’ll find her.”

The words ring hollow, though. The last time I saw Chloe, I’d sent her away, consumed with worry for my niece. Did I ever tell her I love her? That I believe she’s our true mate?

“But—”

“No.” I pull back to cup his face, his stubbled jaw trembling. “She’s our Omega. Nothing will keep us from her.”

He searches my face for a long moment before giving a jerky nod. Shoulders squared, he clutches the laptop. “Something in Grady’s files will help us find her. It has to.”

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