Page 85 of Knotting on Heaven's Door

I answered with a smile already tugging at my mouth. “Hey.”

She sighed on the other end, and it sounded like warmth and exhaustion and something a little softer than both.

“Everything’s good up here,” Ada said. “The venue looks incredible—tables are set, generators tested, staff briefed. Tomorrow at 7 a.m. the minibus picks everyone up, and it’ll all be full speed ahead.”

I heard the hum of the car engine. And in the background, Mia’s unmistakable muttering.

Then Ada’s voice dropped, low and unsure. “I… I have to tell you something.”

Before the words could land, Mia’s voice cut through the speaker with a loud scoff. “Oh my gods, just say it already. You’re literally mated. This isn’t a confession—it’s a status update.”

Ada groaned. “Mia, can you not—”

“I know,” I said, cutting her off gently. My voice was calm, but there was steel in it. “I know, Ada. I felt it through the bond. And I saw.”

Silence on her end.

Then, softer than I thought I could speak, I added, “And I love you, Ada.”

There it was.

The truth, simple and whole.

There was a pause on the line, like the world had to make space for it. Then I heard the breath she released, shaky and full.

“I love you too, Sebastian.”

And just like that, everything inside me quieted. Like the storm had passed.

I heard Mia mutter something on the other end, then louder, “I’ve never disrespected a client in my entire career, but if that man shows up tomorrow, I swear to the gods, I willpersonallyspit on his plate.”

Ada’s laugh rang through the speaker—sharp, warm, and tired. It curled around something inside me and tugged.

“Mia,” she chided, “stop exaggerating.”

“I’m not exaggerating,” Mia shot back. “That smug look, that tone—ugh. Entitled old alphas make my skin itch.”

Ada sighed. “So what if he comes tomorrow? It doesn’t matter.Hedoesn’t matter.”

I smiled to myself, thumbing the edge of my cutting board, the kitchen around me slowing to a manageable hum. “Drive safe,” I told them, voice steady but warm. “And get some rest. It’s going to be a long day.”

“We will,” Ada said. “Oh, and Sebastian?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sandwiches for the morning crew. Keep them simple but good. Something they can eat on the bus without making a mess.”

“Yes, boss,” I said, grinning.

“And don’t forget the vegetarian options this time.”

“That was one time, Ada.”

“One time too many.”

Mia snorted on the other side. “He’s got that mated alpha glow now—might forget we’re still mortals who need food and not just sex and pheromones.”

Ada groaned again, but I could hear her smile.

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