Page 101 of Knot Only His

Every protective instinct screams at me to grab the phone, to shield her from whatever is causing that tremor in her voice.

She ends the call, her hand shaking so badly she almost drops the phone.

“That was Jake.” She stares straight ahead, her words barely audible. “If I testify, he’s going to expose the pack as fraudulent. He has evidence from when I first arrived at your home—proof I was registered as an alpha in New York and when I started the Raiders.”

My stomach plummets. The implications hit me like a punch to my stomach. Our careful plans, the custody arrangement, everything we’ve built—it could all crumble.

“He’ll have us all arrested for lying.” She wraps her arms around herself. “I can’t... I can’t be responsible for destroying everything.”

“Harlow—”

“I need to think.” She presses her forehead against the window.

The defeat in her voice tears at something deep inside me. I want to pull over, to gather her close and promise everything will be okay. But with my own scent spiking with anxiety, I know she can smell it.

Chapter 25

Harlow

I stare at the ceiling, my heart feeling like it’s being squeezed in a vise as the early morning light filters through the curtains. The light casts a shadow across the nest.

I inhale. It still smells like my alphas.

But they are not my alphas. They didn’t fight Parker when he told me he didn’t want to claim me. They were never truly mine.

Maybe my true pack will all have my scents. Everyone will smell of coconut, pineapple, vanilla, and rum. Not just three elements each. Apart from Carver.

“Did you sleep well?” Asher’s head pokes around the door, his green eyes filled with concern.

“Fine.” I force a smile. It's a lie. I had a restless night, tossing and turning as I thought everything through. “Have a lovely day at work.”

“Call me if you need me.” He hesitates. “I can be home in fifteen minutes.”

I don’t answer with anything but a nod, and he leaves.

The front door clicks shut moments later.

I drag myself out of bed, feet carrying me to Jagger’s room.

His space is so perfect for him.

Toy cars are scattered across the floor, a half-finished puzzle on his desk. His ceiling is full of space objects and constellations. He seems to like a bit of everything.

My fingers trace the edge of a drawing pinned to his cork board. My heart clenches, Jagger already informed me that the stick figures are of him and Parker holding hands.

A birthday card catches my eye, tucked into the corner of his mirror. The envelope is worn, like it’s been handled many times. I shouldn’t read it, but I can’t help myself.

“To my boy. One-year-old today. And I promise to always keep you safe, to give you the home and family you deserve. I will never hurt you. Nothing you ever do will ever change that. Love, Uncle Kai.”

My throat closes up.

It hits me like a slap across my cheek, and it stings just as badly.

I’m the thing that could change that. I’m the weakness of Parker’s promise to his nephew.

Only now do I get Parker’s reluctance to claim me. Only now does it make perfect sense.

I’m his omega, but being an alpha once is also a liability.

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