Page 67 of Knot Your Baby

A bark interrupts us as Rosie, our pack’s Labrador, comes bounding into the room. She jumps up, paws landing on my leg, tail wagging furiously.

“Do you need to go for another walk, Rosie?”

Another enthusiastic bark answers me as she dashes to the cupboard where her leash hangs.

Freya’s laugh rings out, bright and clear. “I’ll come with you.” She smooths down her shirt, some of her usual sparkle returning to her eyes. “When we get back, I need to test some recipes for when my bakery is back in business. I can make you lunch.”

“You’re not giving it up then?” I adjust Stone in my arms, his tiny fingers wrapping around my thumb.

“Never.” She scratches behind Rosie’s ears. “That bakery is my dream. I just need to figure out how to make it happen again.”

Stone is in the sling and sleeping against my chest as we walk along the shoreline. His tiny body is warm and secure against mine. It feels natural, like he is mine.

Impulsively, I reach for Freya’s hand, threading my fingers through hers. Her green eyes widen as she glances from my hand to my face, stunned by the contact.

“My, Dr. Astor, you’re being rather forward today.” She tries to brush off her shock with her usual sass.

“When you find what you’re looking for, follow the path.” I squeeze her hand gently.

She studies my face for a long moment before her gaze drops to Stone. “I know you’re my scent match. I can smell you. Every scent is the same as Zane’s.”

Thank fuck she is admitting to it.

A smile tugs at my lips. “What scent does your inhibitor hide?” I’m sure as well as the strawberry I smelled lime on her before, so if the inhibitor is hiding tequila, she is ours.

“I don’t want to tell you. I want you to smell it when we’re all ready.” She bumps her shoulder against mine. “Only then will I stop taking my inhibitors and we can work it out.”

“Thank you. You’re terrified, aren’t you?”

“Petrified,” she admits and laughs. It carries on the ocean breeze. “You know, I wish I met you or Zane that night. It would have worked out perfectly.” She touches Stone’s cheek softly. “Or maybe it did.”

“You’re talking in riddles, Freya. What night?”

She keeps her eyes on Stone. “The night I was in heat.”

“Freya.”

Her fingers tighten around mine. “You promise to keep this a secret?”

I blow out a breath and nod.

“I never went to the omega wellness center. I gave my place to another girl. She had to use my name.” She kicks at the sand as we walk. “But she—”

“You didn’t?” I interrupt her.

She blows out a deep breath and shakes her head. “She needed it more than me.” She wraps her free hand around her front and shivers. I’m sure she just wondered why she told me.

I get this tight feeling in my chest, like my body is readying to fight for her. Here’s this woman who gave up her spot at a wellness center to help another omega in need, and now is asking me to guard her secret.

“And what did you do?” I know she wants to tell me everything, and I want her to.

“I was at home getting ready to go in, but my ex-housemate called me to ask if I needed her to work the next week. She started telling me about another omega, her friend, who was having a hard time. It was her first heat, and she never had a pack. Her choice. But she’s also a student with no money but plenty of hope for her future.” She strokes Stone’s cheek. “It was meant to happen, wasn’t it, baby?”

“And you let her take your spot, but what did you do?”

She smiles. “I did. I never really wanted to use the wellness center, anyway. It didn’t feel right.” Her laugh is soft as she reminisces. “And I had this eureka moment. Everything suddenly made sense, like this girl needing my help gave me the clarity I needed, and I—”

My phone’s sharp ring cuts through the moment. Freya jumps, her eyes fixing on the screen.

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