Page 106 of Knot Only His

“Did you know that Jake called her and threatened to expose her if she testified for Parker?”

"No." My fingers tighten on the rail. “That bastard.”

“Asher told me it spooked her pretty bad.”

“Of course it did. This isn’t just about Jagger anymore.” I run a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. “The DRA takes illegal implants seriously. Depending on what he says could implicate her and then she could face criminal charges. Only scent blockers are legal now.”

I watch Reynolds fumble another pass. “We need to work together on this. All of us. Keep her safe.”

Oliver nods, and something shifts between us. The territorial tension eases, replaced by a shared purpose. It feels…right. Natural. Like a pack.

“Carver?” a familiar voice calls from behind us.

I turn to find Bardot, her scent of amaretto, and vanilla tinged with worry. “Have either of you seen Harlow? She’s not answering her phone, and I’m leaving for the airport soon.”

Oliver and I exchange glances. He pulls his phone from his bag, thumbing through messages.

“Asher was the last one to see her,” Oliver says. “This morning before work.”

I keep one eye on Reynolds’ sloppy defense while trying to focus on Bardot. “Is your mother back in town?”

“No, she had an emergency case and can’t return until next week.” Bardot leans against the boards, watching the rookies on the ice. “It was an omega having triplets and Mom wouldn’t let the girl do it alone.”

Behind us, Oliver’s phone chirps. I strain to hear his conversation while pretending to watch Martin block a shot.

“What do you mean upset?” Oliver’s voice drops low. “Asher, define upset.”

I point at the ice, making a show of analyzing the play.Reynolds needs work on his left side coverage.

“I hope Harlow forgives Mom. She’s been doing some really valuable work,” Bardot continues. “Secretly funding omega rights groups. There’s this new research into safer suppressants she’s backing.”

“That’s brave of her.” I wince as Reynolds misses another block and the puck slides past him.

Coach Parker’s whistle tears through the air again.

“Yeah, well...” Bardot’s voice softens. “After what happened to our grandmother, can you blame her for being overprotective? The trauma, it's just...”

Behind us, Asher’s voice crackles through Oliver’s phone. “She seemed off this morning. Wouldn’t look at me when I left.”

Bardot must overhear the conversation too, because she says, “I haven’t been able to talk to Harlow all day.” She sighs as she glances at her watch. “And she’s not returning my calls, either.”

My chest tightens. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my bones, in that space where my connection to Harlow lives.

“Your mother did what she thought was right,” I tell Bardot, but my attention is fully on Oliver now as he ends his call with Asher.

I watch as Parker approaches, his eyes fixed on Bardot. He takes a deep breath through his nose, and a smile breaks across his face.

“Really?” I ask.

"She smells nice. Not like Harlow, but still I like it."

“I smell better than Harlow.” Bardot rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch with amusement.

“So you’ve removed the implant,” Parker says.

She nods. “I’m going to try being who I really am.” Bardot tucks her hair behind her ear. “No more implants. Mom said she is going to monitor me, but I have to take heat blockers for a few months, so I don’t go into an unexpected heat before my body has thetime to adjust.”

Oliver claps his hands together. “That’s fantastic news! We need to celebrate with Harlow.” Oliver turns to Parker. “Did you call Harlow? Asher mentioned he was going to ask you to check on her.”

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