Page 117 of Knot Only His

“No. We both wore masks. It wasn’t until I started working for the Raiders that I realized...” Her eyes find mine, and that connection, the pull between us, crackles through the air. “I realized he was the alpha who had protected me.”

My chest tightens. Even now, watching her on the stand, I can hardly believe how perfectly she fits into our lives. Into my life. Into Jagger’s life.

“Coach Parker never asked me to pretend to be anything,” she says firmly. A slight lie, but she is pulling it off. “I was drawn to him, to all of them, before I even knew I was an omega. The scent bond was there, pulling us together, even when I didn’t understand why.”

The judge leans forward. “And now that you know?”

Harlow’s smile lights up her entire face. “Now I understand everything. Such as why I never felt right as an alpha. And why these specific men kept drawing me in. Of why Jagger felt like...” She swallows hard. “Like my own from the moment I met him.”

Pride swells in my chest. This woman, this incredible omega, chose us. Chose my nephew. Chose to fight for our family right here in this courtroom.

“Why is that, Miss Foster?” the judge prompts. “Why did you have to be an omega?”

“I can’t spend my life as an alpha again. I am an omega.” She shakes her head. “I feel right…normal now.”

“And taking on the little boy. Was that ever anything you’d expect as an omega?” the judge asks her.

“Honestly,” she shakes her head. “I could never have wished for a more beautiful little boy to ask me to be his mom.”

“Has he asked you?”

I hold my breath. Had Jagger asked her?

My heart thunders against my ribs as I watch Harlow on the stand. Each word she speaks about Jagger makes my chest feel like it might burst and now I’m waiting for my heart to break free.

“This morning Jagger came into my room and cuddled me.” Her smile lights up the courtroom as she wipes at her eyes. “He told me he loved me and he wanted me to be his mommy.”

I press my hand to my chest, trying to contain the emotion threatening to overwhelm me. Beside me, Asher squeezes my shoulder.

“And how did you reply to that?” the judge asks.

She lets out a small laugh that makes my heart skip. “I told him I would be honored to be his mom. And I would.”

Jake’s lawyer jumps up. “Objection, Your Honor. The defendant’s feelings, while touching, have no bearing on the child’s long-term welfare.”

“Objection overruled,” the judge says firmly. “The child’s welfare has never been in question since he was taken in by his uncle when his mother died and his father abandoned him. The question was whetherI wanted to change the child’s life when he was already being well cared for.” He pauses, studying Harlow. “And now his life is going to get even sweeter.”

I swallow hard, barely able to breathe.

The judge turns back to Harlow. “I understand there is an application for your pack to be legally bound. Do you understand the implications of that? You can still back out until it is rubber-stamped.”

“I was happy to sign it, as were my alphas.” She nods, and my chest tightens at the certainty in her expression. “We won’t be retracting it.”

The judge turns to Jake’s lawyer and asks, “Do you have any further questions, Mr. Vaughn?”

He consults with Jake and then shakes his head.

The judge asks Harlow to leave the stand, and I wait. My hands shaking with nervous tension.

The restaurant’s private room feels intimate, perfect for our celebration and as I watch Harlow from across the dining table with the candlelight dancing across her face as she laughs at something Oliver says, my heart sings.

“To our omega,” Carver raises his glass, “who owned that courtroom today.”

“All I did was tell the truth.” She ducks her head, but I catch the proud smile.

Asher reaches over, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You did more than that. You showed everyone exactly how brave you are.”

“Speaking of the truth,” I lean forward, the question that’s been burning in my mind finally spilling out. “When you inhaled my scent in the club, did it make you feel the way you told the court? Or was that for the benefit of the court?”

---