Page 81 of Seen Knot Heard

Chloe’s not ready to give up the autonomy her home represents. It’s too soon. We haven’t even shared her Heat yet, haven’t cemented our bond. We have to be patient and do things in the right order.

No matter how much instinct demands that I steal her away and claim her as mine, it’s too soon.

Chloe pastes on a bright smile for the building manager. “Sorry for the confusion. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’m doing much better. We’re just here to pack a few things for now.”

“Glad to hear it.” The older woman turns back toward her office. “Let me get your mail.”

Chloe trails behind her to the door. “I’ll fill out a form to have my mail forwarded, too, so it doesn’t keep collecting up.”

“Not a problem.” She returns with a stack of envelopes held together with a rubber band. As she passes it to Chloe, her expression remains assessing. “You let me know if you needanything, you hear? Be careful with those Alphas sniffing around where they don’t belong.”

Warning given, she vanishes back into her office.

Chloe’s sweet scent spikes with distress, the lilies and lilacs taking on a bitter tinge that tickles my nose.

I wrap an arm around her waist, drawing her close, and rumble deep in my chest to comfort her. “It’s okay. We’ll be in and out fast.”

“Louie has no claim on you.” Protectiveness flashes across Nathaniel’s face. “Even if he shows up here, you don’t have to speak to him.”

Chloe shivers, tucking herself deeper into my embrace. “You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just…unsettling. The thought of him or his people staking out my apartment.”

My arm tightens around her. If Louie had caught her alone, he would have kidnapped her, and she wouldn’t have escaped again.

I press a kiss to her temple, savoring the sweet softness of her skin. “You’re not alone anymore. You’ve got us now.”

She takes a deep breath, gathering herself. Then she straightens. “Okay. Let’s hurry and get out of here.”

We crowd into the elevator, Chloe leaning her weight on me as we ascend. She’s flagging, the events of the day taking their toll.

The doors open with a soft ding, and we step out onto her floor. Chloe hesitates for a moment, staring down the quiet hallway.

Then she squares her shoulders and marches over to one of the doors, pulling out a key.

“This is Grady’s place.” She unlocks it. “I’ll take care of it until he wakes up.”

Pain sharpens her pheromones. After her appointment, we had stopped by Grady’s room, and Chloe had fallen apart at the sight of her friend lying so still and silent in the hospital bed.

It had been painful to witness and left me feeling helpless. There’s nothing any of us can do, though, but wait and hope.

We step inside the apartment, and I take in the tidy space, decorated with modern furniture and framed vintage posters on the walls. A towering bookshelf takes up one entire wall, crammed full of books about marketing and the publishing world.

“He’s really dedicated.” Nathaniel peruses the titles. “Dominic has several of these.”

Chloe flushes at the mention of the Alpha and turns away. “Grady is the one who convinced me to turnThe Fairy and the Dragonlordinto a series. I never would have gotten this far without him.”

Sadness crinkles her brow, and she sniffles, tears shimmering in her pink eyes.

I step forward. “What do you need us to do, sweetheart?”

“Oh, um, if one of you could water his plants, that would be great.” She gestures to the trio of potted ficus trees and the miniature herb garden on the kitchen windowsill. “And I guess we should clean out the fridge, too, and dispose of anything that’s gone bad.”

“I can handle that,” Nathaniel volunteers, already heading for the kitchen. “Just show me where the trash bags are.”

Grateful to have him take control, Chloe points out the cabinet under the sink.

She turns to me, worry on her delicate features. “While he does that, do you mind coming to my place? I just… I don’t want to be alone. In case…”

She trails off, but I understand what she doesn’t say. In case Louie left any other nasty surprises. Anger surges through me at the thought, hot and violent, but I tamp it down.

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