Page 57 of Down Knot Out
“I don’t want to go,” I confess, leaning into his touch. “I’d rather go back to believing I’m not a Sinclair, because knowing I was one all along, that we suffered for nothing, makes the last ten years hurt even more.”
“I know.” He kisses my forehead. “But we can’t change the past. We can only decide what to do now.”
“Yeah.” I lean against his shoulder again, drawing strength from him. “I don’t want to face this alone.”
“You won’t have to.” His hand slips through my hair to cup my nape. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.” I pull back, shaking my head. “The Sinclairs are such assholes, Dom. I don’t want you pulled back into that world. Not after everything your mother put you through because of them.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth before it fades. “I’m well aware of who they are, Chloe. I grew up in the same circles, remember?”
“Exactly.” I place both hands on his chest, his heart a steady beat beneath my fingers. “You escaped all that. I don’t want you to get dragged back in.”
He catches my hands and brings them to his lips. “You’re not dragging me anywhere. I’m choosing to stand beside you.” Fierce conviction fills his voice. “I’m not letting you go alone. I’m never letting you face bullies like them alone again.”
His vehemence steals my breath, a reminder that the boy who once backed down when our families tore us apart is now a man who would face down the world for me. The bond between us thrums with renewed strength, weaving itself into the fabric of my being.
“Okay.” The fight drains from me. “But this doesn’t just change things for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your mom kicked you out of the pack for refusing to bond with a suitable mate.” My throat tightens. “If the Sinclairs acknowledge me?—”
His finger over my lips stops me. “Fuck my mom. And fuck the Sinclairs. You are Chloe Richardson, the future Omega of the Misty Pines pack. That’s all that matters.”
My shoulders relax. “Are you sure? You could get a big inheritance.”
“I don’t want money from the Sterlings or the Sinclairs.” He snorts. “I wish we didn’t take money from the Burtons, either. It just complicated thingsfor our pack. But we’re going to do things better than our families did.”
His arms tighten around me, drawing me so close I’m almost in his lap. I melt into him, absorbing his certainty that we can face this together.
“Thank you,” I murmur into his neck. “For everything.”
He doesn’t respond with words. Instead, his fingers tangle in my hair, tilting my head back so he can capture my lips in a tender kiss that bridges our past and whatever future we forge together.
When we part, I feel steadier, more certain.
For the first time since I found out I’m a Sinclair, the ground beneath me has stabilized again.
Whatever the Sinclairs want from me, whatever game they’re playing, I’ll face it with my Alphas at my side.
Chapter Sixteen
Chloe
My phone sits heavy in my palm, the contact information for Sinclair & Associates glowing on the screen.
Dominic’s hand settles on my hip, and he kisses my shoulder. “You don’t have to do this right now. We can wait until we’re back on the island.”
“No, I don’t want to keep putting it off.” I reach for the soft, crocheted blanket at the foot of the bed and snuggle up with Dominic for comfort.
But still, I don’t dial the number. If I call, I open a door I can’t close. Everything I’ve fought so hard for in my life will suddenly be put in front of and judged by the people who once saw me as disposable.
Just call. Just do it.
My thumb taps out the number before mycourage fails. Each ring sends my pulse racing faster, and by the third one, sweat dampens my palm, the plastic protective case on my phone slipping in my grasp.
A crisp female voice breaks the silence. “Sinclair and Associates, how may I direct your call?”
