Page 104 of Knot Only His

Tears spill down her cheeks, and I’m out of my chair in an instant, wrapping my arms around her. “We could bring the baby up together.”

She lets out a watery laugh, wiping her eyes. “You have your alphas. This is just a breather for you. You’ve gone through so much in such a short amount of time. You just need a few days to take it all in, and then you should go back to them.”

I sink back into my chair; the muffin is forgotten.

If only she knew. This isn’t just a breather—it’s an ending.

The pack needs me for the custody hearing, nothing more. Parker made that clear enough.

But I can’t bring myself to correct her, to voice the truth that would make it all too real.

Freya’s phone rings, and she glances at the screen with a grimace. “Sorry,” she mouths.

“It’s fine, take it.”

“Hi, Mom.”

I pick at my muffin while trying not to eavesdrop, but it’s impossible in the small apartment.

“No, Mom, I haven’t found an alpha yet.” Freya rolls her eyes at me. “Because I’m not looking... Yes, I know the wellness center isn’t ideal... Mom, please.”

My chest tightens thinking of my mother. Despite everything she did with the implant, I miss her. Miss the way she’d brush my hair when I was little, how she’d sing to me when I was sick.

How she protected me and my two sisters all our lives. My father was a deadbeat, leaving us when we were little. Mom hurt all her life. He claimed her when she wasn’t his to claim.

Is that what Parker thinks?

Is he worried that we don’t have a full scent match?

“Mom, I don’t fit the omega mold, okay? I’ll probably be single forever.” Freya’s voice cracks, taking me away from my own worries. “No, I’m not being silly. Some of us just don’t get the fairytale.”

My eyes drift to the newspaper on her coffee table, and my breath catches. There’s Carver, looking devastatingly handsome in his Raiders jersey. Tattoos on his arms and his neck.

The headline makes my heart skip.

Carver Sinclair Signs Record-Breaking NHL Contract with the LA Raiders.

He’s really staying. He moved across the country, signed the biggest deal in hockey history, all to be here. To be near me.

Freya ends her call with a heavy sigh. “My parents are worried I won’t get the perfect omega ending like my sister got. You know, the two alphas, three babies, white picket fence. The whole deal.”

“Your alphas are out there,” I say, meaning every word. “They’ll be amazing. The mates every omega wished they had.”

She snorts, gathering our empty mugs. “Right. Most alphas wear suits and prefer bourbon to muffins. I'm hardly likely to have the alphas of my dreams waiting to sweep me off my flour-covered feet.”

“Stop it, Freya. You deserve that happiness.”

“Maybe.” She shrugs, but I catch her small smile. “But right now, I’d settle for not having my mother remind me I’m failing at being an omega.”

As Freya rinses out the mugs, her shoulders slump. “Hopefully, I’ll get pregnant during this heat. I’m going to pick a large pack this time.”

“Really? Why?”

“I don’t want to remember any of the alphas and look at my baby and wonder about him.”

“Freya. That is so sad.”

“I’m going to go there a day early and prepare my nest, so everything is perfect…for me to conceive.” She nods, not meeting my eyes. “And after I have the baby I might go on scent blockers.”

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