Page 102 of Knot Baked Out For This
We sit there, plans spread between us, and something settles in my chest. Not quite peace, but maybe its cousin.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "For freaking out. For assuming the worst. It's just—Korrin and his pack, they never let me own anything. Every decision had to go through them. My bank account was 'supervised.' My choices were 'guided.' Even the bakery was supposed to be theirs, originally."
"What?" Rowan's voice has gone dangerously low.
"The business loan. It was in his name. His credit. His dream of owning a chain of cafes." I laugh bitterly. "I was just supposed to run it. Like a employee with benefits."
"Benefits being?" Luca asks.
"Being his omega. Getting to bear his cubs. You know, the usual." The sarcasm tastes like old poison. "When I left, I had nothing. No credit, no savings, no anything. This bakery? It's the first thing that's actually mine."
"And now we're—" Levi stops, understanding dawning.
"Taking over," I confirm. "Or that's what it felt like."
"We should have asked," Rowan says. "Should have talked to you first."
"When? Korrin filed that complaint Friday afternoon. We had the weekend to act or you'd have been shut down today."
"You gave up your weekend for my bakery?"
"We gave up our weekend for you," Luca corrects quietly.
The weight of that, the simple truth of it, breaks something loose in my chest.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Always," they respond in unison, and it's becoming our thing, this call and response of gratitude and permanence.
"I should probably shower," I say, realizing I'm still in yesterday's clothes with construction dust in my hair. "Then go see what they're doing to my baby."
"Your baby?" Levi grins. "The bakery or the espresso machine?"
"Yes."
They laugh, standing to leave, but I catch Rowan's sleeve.
"The forgery thing. That's illegal."
"Very."
"You could lose your job."
"Worth it."
"Rowan—"
"Hazel." He turns to face me fully. "I'd forge a hundred documents, lose a dozen jobs, fight the entire town council if it meant keeping you safe and happy. Get used to it."
He leaves before I can respond, which is probably good because my response would have been to climb him like a tree, and that's not helpful right now.
"We're proud of you," Luca says quietly from the doorway. "For accepting help. We know it's hard."
"Getting easier," I admit.
"Good." Levi grins. "Because wait until you see what we're doing with the display cases."
"What are you doing with my display cases?"
