Page 52 of Nesting With My Three Alphas
I hadn't told him about the package. About the way I'd stared at those photos for hours, willing myself not to panic. But Jonah's steady presence made the idea of speaking up feel... possible. Maybe not now. But soon.
"You okay?" Jonah asked gently, his eyes flicking from the road to my face.
"Just nervous," I admitted. "It feels so formal, giving an official statement. Like it makes everything more real somehow."
"It does make it more real," Jonah said. "But that's a good thing. Real means there are real consequences for what Marcus is trying to do."
As we drove through downtown Hollow Haven, I couldn't help but notice the way people looked at us. Mrs. Carrington waved from her garden, calling out, "You tell the truth, dear. We're all behind you." Mr. Peterson nodded seriously from his hardware store entrance. Even Anna, the teenager from art class, gave me a thumbs up from across the street.
The whole town knew. And instead of feeling exposed or vulnerable, I felt supported in a way I'd never experienced before.
"This is what community looks like," Jonah said, apparently reading my thoughts. "People who care about each other's wellbeing."
The sheriff's office was a small, neat building that somehow managed to feel both official and welcoming. Sheriff Rowe greeted us at the front desk, his expression serious but kind.
"Kit, thank you for coming in. I know this isn't easy." He led us to a quiet office in the back. "I've reviewed the documents that were filed, and I have to say, they're some of the most obvious forgeries I've seen in twenty years of law enforcement."
Relief flooded through me. "So you can tell they're fake?"
"Oh, absolutely. Whoever created these did a poor job of it. Wrong legal terminology, inconsistent formatting, and the signatures don't even slightly match any of the samples you sent through." Sheriff Rowe pulled out a folder. "But I need your official statement confirming you never signed anything binding with this Marcus individual."
For the next hour, I walked Sheriff Rowe through my relationship with Marcus, carefully explaining the controlling nature of it without going into details that still felt too raw to share. I confirmed that I'd never signed any legal documentsbinding me to him, never entered into any kind of pre-bonding contract, never agreed to any of the arrangements the fake papers claimed. Then Jonah helped me explain what had happened since I arrived. The black sedan, the text messages and finally I told them both about the package I’d received. Jonah held my hand through the whole thing, squeezing it softly when I felt like I was about to break. His steady presence holding me together when I didn’t feel like I had the strength to do it myself.
"This is very helpful," Sheriff Rowe said as he finished taking notes. "And more than a little concerning. We're initiating a restraining order against Marcus, and I’m going to recommend that we pursue charges for falsifying legal documents."
"What does that mean for Kit's safety?" Jonah asked.
"It means she's got the full protection of the law, and the full support of this community," Sheriff Rowe said firmly. "Marcus made a mistake coming here and trying to manipulate our legal system. We don't take kindly to that."
Our legal system. Like I was already part of this place, already someone worth protecting.
"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "All of you. I never expected..."
"Expected what?" Sheriff Rowe asked gently.
"Expected people to believe me. To support me without question. To treat this as seriously as you are."
Sheriff Rowe's expression grew stern. "Kit, what this man is trying to do is harassment and intimidation. No one deserves that, especially not someone who's clearly trying to build a good life here."
As we left the sheriff's office, I felt lighter than I had in days. The legal threat that had been hanging over me was being handled by competent, caring people who had no agenda beyond keeping me safe.
"You were so brave in there," Jonah said as we walked back to his truck. "I'm proud of you."
When was the last time someone had said that and meant it?
"I couldn't have done it without you," I said honestly. "Having you there made all the difference."
"That's what..." Jonah paused, then seemed to make a decision. "That's what family does. We support each other."
The word settled in my chest like a warm ember. Family. It perfectly described how I felt about my position with all of them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the photographs earlier. You shouldn’t have had to hear about it that way.”
Jonah frowned and then he reached for my hand pulling me to a stop. “Reed told me,” he said quietly. “But he only told us last night after we knew that Marcus had filed the papers. He felt that we needed the full picture to make sure that we were keeping you safe.”
The relief that swept through me was nearly overwhelming.
“Don’t be angry with him,” Jonah rushed out.
