Page 80 of Knot Only His

Later that day, the door swings open. A woman in a crisp suit steps inside the room, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor. Her clipboard is tight under her arm as she surveys us with sharp eyes.

“I’m Agent Roberts from The Designation Regulatory Authority, or the DRA,” she announces. “I need to ask you gentlemen some questions about the illegal device found inside Miss Foster. First, how did you discover that the omega had this implant?” She taps her pen against her notepad, eyes narrowing.

I glance at Carver, who runs his hands through his hair.

“It was during intimacy, I was sucking her nipple,” he says, his voice rough.

Agent Roberts just stares.

Carver continues, “Her nipple was always sensitive, especially at hockey games. She always complained about it in New York, especially in the cold. And then I thought...” He swallows hard. “I thought I’d hurt her when we were together. When I was sucking on it while we...”

The administrator shifts in her seat, crossing her legs tighter. “Did you knot her?”

“I did.”

“Why did you knot an alpha? Did you know she was an omega?”

“I’ve known...” Carver’s voice breaks. “I’ve known her scent since I was thirteen and she was eleven. All these years… I realized she was an omega. Not a switch, as was suggested earlier. A true omega whose designation was suppressed. How could she believe otherwise when everyone told her she was an alpha?”

The agent writes furiously in her notes. I stay quiet, honoring Carver’s wish to protect her mother’s involvement.

I watch Agent Roberts’ pen write on her notepad, each stroke making my jaw clench tighter.

The hospital room feels smaller with each passing second, the walls closing in as she fires question after question. But also because I need to hear news about Harlow. I never realized until now how much I wanted her.

“So none of you suspected anything when she joined your pack?” Her eyes narrow at me specifically. “As head alpha, didn’t you notice anything unusual?”

As I glance at Jagger as he sleeps, I decide to not tell her she isn’t our real pack mate. I still have to protect his future, too. So I lie. “We noticed she was special,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “But she joined the pack as an alpha.”

“And you just happened to form a pack bond with her?” She taps her pen against the pad. “All of you?”

Oliver shifts beside me. “We haven’t formed a pack bond yet. We’re in discussions about it.”

“But you told me you scented her while believing she was an alpha?” Agent Roberts’ eyebrow arches. “Did you know or not?”

“Look,” I lean forward, my patience wearing thin. “Is Harlow in trouble here? Because she’s the victim in all this.”

Agent Roberts purses her lips. “That depends on whether she was complicit in the deception or truly innocent.” She flips through her papers. “Though, eleven years with an alpha boyfriend who never noticed? That is quite the performance.”

“Exactly. She never knew.” My fists clench under the table. “She believed what she was told her entire life. How is that her fault?”

“Perhaps.” She closes her folder with a snap. “But someone knew. And I intend to find out who.”

The threat in her voice makes my skin crawl.

I glance at Carver, seeing my own worry reflected in his face. Harlow’s mother might have acted out of fear, but she’s put her daughter in an impossible position. Is he going to mention anything?

“When can we see her?” I ask, desperate to change the subject.

“Once she’s stable, I can ask her some questions and determine her level of involvement.” Agent Roberts stands, smoothing her suit. When she reaches the door, she says, “You can talk to her afterward.”

The tension in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife as we wait for news from surgery. Yet Jagger sleeps on, oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.

Oliver paces by the window while Asher sits with his head in his hands.

But it’s Carver who says, “Don’t worry. Harlow won’t implicate herself or anyone.”

“How do you know that?” Oliver hisses.

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