Page 67 of Knot Happening

"Positive," I reply, leading her toward what looks like a garden shed but is actually the entrance to the underground shelter. "I helped oversee the renovation of this property three years ago. Had to make sure all the historical features were preserved and brought up to code."

I pull open what appears to be a decorative wooden door but is actually reinforced steel disguised to look like garden storage. Behind it, concrete steps lead down into darkness.

"Ladies first," I say, but Belle shakes her head.

"I'm not going down there alone."

"Felix will go first," I decide, understanding her reluctance to enter an unknown underground space without backup. "Then you, then me, then Theo."

Felix nods and disappears down the steps, his phone's flashlight creating a pale circle of light in the darkness. "It's clear," he calls back up. "And there are lights down here."

Belle takes a deep breath and follows him down, her rose gold dress rustling against the concrete walls. I'm right behind her, close enough to catch her if she stumbles, close enough to smell the way her scent spikes with anxiety as we descend into the underground space.

The shelter is larger than I remembered, a long rectangular room with concrete walls and a reinforced ceiling. But it's not empty the way I expected it to be. There's furniture down here – a bed, a dresser, a small kitchenette, bookshelves lined with novels and personal items. It looks like someone has been living here, using this space as more than just an emergency shelter.

"What is this place?" Belle asks, looking around with wide eyes.

Felix and I exchange a glance, and I can see the same recognition in his expression. This isn't just any undergroundshelter. Someone has been using this as a residence, and based on the scent lingering in the air, I know exactly who.

"It's Seraphina's place," Felix says quietly, and I can hear the careful neutrality in his voice.

"Seraphina?" Belle repeats. "The woman with Adam?"

“She left here to move to a cottage a few weeks ago, but before that she used to live here," Felix explains, settling into a chair that's clearly been arranged for comfort rather than storage. “Everyone in her pack died, and she blamed herself for the longest time for it.”

"She's been living underground?" Belle asks, and there's concern in her voice. "That's so..."

"Independent," Theo finishes, taking up a position near the entrance where he can monitor the stairs. "She wanted to be self-sufficient, to prove that omegas don't need alphas to survive."

"But Adam was with her tonight," Belle says, sinking onto the edge of the bed. "They looked..."

"Happy," I confirm. "They looked happy together. Sometimes independence isn't about proving you don't need anyone, but choosing who you want to need."

The wind outside is howling now, loud enough that we can hear it even through several feet of concrete and earth. Occasionally, there's a sound that might be debris hitting the ground above us, or hail pounding against whatever surface it can find.

"Adam," Belle says suddenly, her scent spiking with worry. "He's still in the palace. What if…”

"He's fine," I assure her quickly. "The palace has been through dozens of severe weather events. The staff know the protocols, they'll get everyone to the basement or interior rooms. Adam is safe, Belle."

"You can't know that for sure."

"I can know that Adam Chen is smart enough to follow emergency procedures and get himself and Seraphina to safety," Theo says firmly.

Belle nods reluctantly, but I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way she's holding herself like she's ready to bolt back up those stairs and into the storm if it means making sure Adam is okay.

"Besides," Felix adds gently, "from what we saw tonight, I don't think Adam is going to let anything happen to Seraphina, and vice-versa. They'll take care of each other."

"Maybe tonight has changed things," Belle says thoughtfully, her voice growing softer as she processes what we've all observed. "I've never seen Adam like that with anyone. The way he looked at her,they just... connected. Maybe finding each other was exactly what they both needed."

"Maybe it was," I agree, settling into another chair that gives me a clear view of both the entrance and Belle. "Sometimes the right person comes along at exactly the right moment, even when you're not looking for them."

Belle looks up at me, and there's something in her expression that makes my chest tight with hope. "Is that what happened with us? Right person, right time?"

"I think," I say carefully, "that might be exactly what happened. Though the timing could have been better."

"How so?" She asks.

"Well, for starters, we could have met under circumstances that didn't involve emergency heat situations and tornado warnings,” I explain.

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