Page 70 of Knot Happening

"More than trust," Theo corrects quietly. "We're family. The kind of family you choose, not the kind you're born into."

Belle is quiet for a moment, processing this information. "And you've been together how long?"

"Seven years," I tell her. "Seven years of building something together, creating a life that works for all of us."

"What's your life like? Day to day, I mean."

Felix and I exchange glances, and I can see him fighting not to smile. "Probably more boring than you'd expect," Felix says. "We work, we come home, we argue about whose turn it is to cook dinner."

"Felix always wins because he actually enjoys cooking," I add. "Theo and I can manage basic survival food, but Felix turns meals into art."

"I like taking care of people," Felix says with a slight shrug. "It's satisfying to create something that nourishes the people I love."

"The people you love," Belle repeats softly, and I can smell the way her scent shifts with something that might be longing.

"Each other," Theo confirms. "And hopefully, eventually, you."

The direct honesty of it makes Belle's breath catch, and I can see her struggling with the magnitude of what we're offering. She shifts in her seat, clearly looking for safer ground.

"Okay, but your lives have to be more interesting than cooking and working," she says. "What do you do for fun? Sports?"

"Which ones?" she asks when we all nod.

I feel heat creep up my neck. "Boxing, mostly. For me, anyway." I clear my throat. "We love watching two alphas beat the shit out of each other."

"Football too," Theo jumps in, probably sensing my embarrassment. "And sometimes soccer."

"Nothing beats baseball though," Felix adds with conviction.

Belle stares at us for a moment. "What, just sports?"

The three of us look at each other with completely blank faces.

"Yeah," we say in unison.

Belle laughs, and the sound makes something warm unfurl in my chest. "What about your families?" she asks, still smiling but clearly trying to steer the conversation into safer territory. "Do they know about your... arrangement?"

"My parents know," I say. "They've met Felix and Theo multiple times, and while they don't entirely understand the dynamics, they accept that this is my life and these are the people I've chosen."

"Mine are similar," Felix adds. "My mother keeps asking when we're going to 'find a nice omega and settle down,' not realizing that the settling down part already happened and we're just waiting for the omega part."

"Your parents know you're looking for an omega to complete your pack?" Belle asks, and there's surprise in her voice.

"They know we want a family," Theo says. "They know we're not complete as we are. My parents died when I was young, but Marcus and Felix's families have essentially adopted me. They want us to be happy."

"And you think an omega would make you happy?"

"We think you already do," I say simply. "Belle, watching you light up when you talk about books, seeing the way you care about your community, experiencing the way you challenge us to be better than we are hat's actual happiness, right now."

Her scent spikes with pleasure, fear, and want all tangled together. "This is terrifying," she whispers.

"What specifically terrifies you?" Felix asks gently. "Maybe if we understand what you're afraid of, we can address it."

Belle is quiet for a long moment, her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her dress. "I'm afraid of losing myself," she finally says. "I'm afraid of becoming someone whose entire identity revolves around making three alphas happy instead of pursuing my own goals and dreams."

"What are your goals and dreams?" Theo asks, and there's genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I want to finish the library expansion project," Belle says immediately. "I want to see the literacy programs we've developed reach more people, and write a book someday about community-based education initiatives."

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