Page 30 of Chain Me Knot

I don’t want to press Emma harder than she’s ready. The last thing I want is the fragile trust, such as it is, to crash back down. But still, without her we might never put an end to this nightmare.

“Maybe she already knows more than she realizes,” Phoenix says, subdued steel entering his voice. “A name, a location, even a seemingly meaningless detail about how the transactions happen.”

“She needs to be willing to open up on her own terms.” The words taste bitter, clawing at my throat. Asking her to relive her trauma, even briefly, feels unbearably wrong. But inside, I can’t stop thinking of what’s at stake. “If we find the evidence through her, it’s not just about justice for Emma. It's about finally dismantling Hardwick’s operation and changing the very laws of our currently broken society.”

None of us speak but I can sense we're all struggling with the same impossible balance—the fine line between protecting her or exposing her again to the cost she's already paid.

“Whatever we do, we have to tread carefully. Pack Carmichael's ties to the commissioner change the game entirely. There’s no telling how deep his reach goes. At least we’re safe here, for now.” I rub my tense neck.

Soren meets my eyes, arms folding across his massive chest. “Do we think he was behind the hospital raid? Would he risk showing his hand so openly?”

“I think that was all them. The commissioner’s not that reckless. He’s cautious. He wouldn't publicly expose any connection to Pack Carmichael. Not until it serves him best. He’s been careful, staying hidden all this time. He isn’t going to slip now,” I say.

My stomach twists uneasily as I consider the risks we're taking; how dangerous this is becoming.

“Our best chance is still Emma. If she has the smallest clue—anything she can offer—it might be exactly what we need to bury them all.”

We exchange a look full of shared dread, pain, and the terrible weight of what we’re forced to ask of Emma. I press my palms against my eyes, hating every part ofthis. “Meanwhile she can barely look at us without flinching. Perhaps there’s some information buried in the old Haven servers. Adrian might be able to access…”

Soren is already pulling out his phone. “Cole would be more efficient for this,” he interjects, dialing quickly. “He's been decrypting Haven's backup servers since Mercer’s death.”

He puts the call on speaker and sets the phone on the coffee table. Three rings, then a crisp voice answers.

“Soren. It’s a bit late for a social call.”

“Hey Cole, I know, and it can’t be helped. We need more information from Haven's database. Anything and everything relating to Emma and Pack Carmichael. Purchase records, communications, financial transactions. Anything linking them to the auction network.”

He’s already infiltrated hidden records buried deep within the Haven mainframe we accessed with Mercer’s death. Hopefully he can find something directly related to Emma there.

“I’ll try to get as much as I can,” Cole says. He wants the same as I do. Equality for his omega as well as every other omega out there in hiding, in every abusive situation, or not able to flourish.

“Thanks, Cole,” Phoenix chimes in. “How's the hunt for Leah going?”

“Still nothing. Zane's running facial recognition through every database we can access, but if she didn't make it out with them…” Cole leaves the grim possibility unspoken.

“Keep us posted and we’ll do what it takes to get her back, too,” Soren says. “We owe you. Again.”

“You owe us nothing. We’ll nail Pack Carmichael to the wall. Those assholes won’t get away with what they’ve done,” Cole replies, a dangerous edge to his voice.

After ending the call, the living room becomes our war room. Except this time, it's personal. This time, our mate sleeps upstairs while we plot to keep her safe.

“We need to focus on our short-term priorities. Security, trust-building, helping her recover and feel safe,” Soren says.

Phoenix nods. “I’ll handle her nutrition. She's dangerously malnourished. I'll coordinate with Dr. Chen and set up a specialized plan.”

“I'll liaise with Cole. Keep on top of the legal and investigative fronts. Anything concrete to link the Carmichaels directly to Hardwick,” Soren says.

They both turn to look at me, waiting for my input as their prime. I exhale, frustration and grief a bitter knot inside my chest. “I'll keep my distance. She’s terrified of me—and with good reason. Right now, space is what she needs most from me.”

Phoenix opens his mouth to protest, but I raise a hand, stopping him before he starts. “It's practical, not self-pity. She responds best to you two right now. Use that, build trust where I can't.”

Soren nods in reluctant agreement, his gaze falling to the floor before he continues. “Medium-term goal—find evidence against Pack Carmichael. Proof strong enough to withstand any scrutiny: evidence that links undeniably back up the chain to Hardwick.”

“And long-term?” Phoenix asks, although he already knows the answer—we all do.

“We dismantle the entire network.” Our promise to Emma echoes within me, ironclad. “We end every auction, expose every corrupt official, and tear down every alpha who sees omegas as disposable property. We make them answer for their twisted sense of entitlement.”

Because that’s what it comes down to in the end. Alphas taking what they have no right to take. Using force and power to twist something precious and fragile into something that should have only ever been freely given.

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