Page 97 of Seen Knot Heard

Dominic’s voice comes from the back hall, clipped and bristling with anger. “No, that’s not acceptable. I don’t care what your policy is. This needs to be resolved now.”

I tilt my head up to Holden. “Nothing to worry about, huh?”

He exhales a humorless laugh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, maybe not nothing. But there’s nothing you can do that you’re not already doing.”

I had volunteered to keep Quinn distracted so Dominic could try to find out why they were under inspection again, and Holden could focus on dinner.

“Chloe?” Quinn pats my arm, leaving more glitter behind. “Can I have the pink glitter?”

“Oh, sure.” I find the container in the craft bucket and pass it over. “Here you go, princess.”

Holden bends to kiss my cheek. “Let me know if you need a break. We can always bake cookies.”

“Thank you.” Before he can straighten, I cup his cheek and turn my head to give him a chaste kiss.

A giggle erupts from Quinn, and blood rushes to my cheeks while Holden blushes.

“Have fun, you two.” Holden backs toward the kitchen. “Clean up all the glitter before dinner.”

My ears catch Dominic’s next muffled words. “I don’t care how long it takes. I want every piece of dirt you can find on this inspector.”

A pause, then a harsh laugh. “You think I give a damn about proper channels? This is my pack we’re talking about. My family. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.”

The vehemence in Dominic’s voice sends a shiver through me. I’ve never heard him use a tone like that, and it reminds me how much we’ve both changed in the years since our friendship ended.

Quinn’s small hand on my arm jolts me back to our craft project. When I turn to her, she beckons me closer.

Bemused, I lean in as she cups her hand over her mouth and whispers, “Are you going to bond with Uncle Holden?”

My face heats with embarrassment. “That’s the plan.”

She lets out a high-pitched squeal. “And Uncle Blake?” At my nod, she bounces in her seat. “And Uncle Nat?”

By now, my face feels beet red. “Yes.”

“And Uncle Dom, too!” She thrusts her arms into the air, not noticing my flinch in her excitement. “Does that mean I can call you Auntie Chloe?”

The request catches me off guard, filling me with a peculiar warmth. I had never considered what it would be like to have a niece. While the Sinclair pack is big, as the head of the pack, my father didn’t put me in with my cousins, and my uncle never took a mate. Rumors said he was impotent, which is why, even though he was older, he didn’t lead the pack.

Boots on the porch draw my attention to the door as Nathaniel steps inside. Our eyes meet, and despite the tension inhis body, raw hunger heats his gaze. An electric current fills the air between us, sending my pulse racing.

“Nathaniel.” I stand from the table. “How did it go?”

He runs a hand through his short blond hair. “Not great. The inspector’s insisting on a complete overhaul of the electrical system, and he wants it done by the end of the week. Otherwise, he’s threatening to shut down the entire site.”

My stomach sinks. “Can you even do that? In such a short timeframe?”

“We’ll have to.” He shrugs out of his jacket. “I’m not letting that bastard win. Even if it means working around the clock, we’ll get it done.”

My stomach tightens at the defeat in his voice. This is all my fault. If I had stayed with Louie, if I hadn’t resisted going back with him at my apartment, none of this would be happening. The pack wouldn’t be in this mess, and Nathaniel wouldn’t be worrying that this setback could cause his pack to break up.

“I’m so sorry.” Tears sting my eyes. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to cause trouble for the pack, for you?—”

“Hey, no, this isn’t your fault.” Nathaniel steps closer, his pheromones enveloping me like a warm embrace. “We have contingencies built into our timeline. Delays are all part of construction.”

The storm had already set them back, though, as had the investigation into Grady’s accident. Now, because of me, Louie has set his sights on this small pack that doesn’t have the resources a powerful pack like the Santaros can pull from.

I’m the weak link, again.

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