Page 58 of Down Knot Out (Pack Alphas of Misty Pines #3)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chloe

F rom downstairs comes the sound of Quinn’s laughter, bright and uncomplicated. Sadie’s head lifts at the sound, her face softening with a trace of peace.

I clear my throat, drawing their attention. “Would you like to see the rest of the upstairs? Where we all live together? Quinn and I can give you a tour.”

Sadie’s head lifts, her face brightening with interest. “I’d like that.”

Blake opens his mouth, but I catch his eye and give a small shake of my head. This moment between Sadie and Quinn might flow more naturally without his protective presence.

He catches on and backs toward the door. “I’ll check on Holden to see where we’re at for lunch. I’ll send Quinn back up.”

As Blake leaves, his fingers brush my shoulder in passing, gratitude flowing through our bond. Nathaniel follows him out, leaving me alone with Quinn’s mother.

I turn to Sadie, who stands from the bed, uncertainty written in the tight line of her mouth.

“It’s not a fancy tour.” I move toward the hallway. “But this place has become home for all of us.”

Footsteps pound up the stairs, and Quinn appears in the doorway to the main cabin, catching her breath. “Are you showing Mom the writing office?

The word ‘Mom’ falls from her lips without hesitation, and Sadie’s breath catches. Unaware of the impact her words have, Quinn slips her small hand into mine, her palm warm and a little sticky.

“I was going to show her all of the family quarters,” I say, knowing if we start with my office, Quinn won’t want to tour the rest of the upstairs.

“Can I come, too?” She peers up at me, then glances at Sadie, her expression hopeful but guarded.

“Of course.” I squeeze her hand. “You know this place better than I do. ”

Quinn’s posture relaxes, and she stays close to my side but doesn’t hide behind me as we move down the hallway.

“This is where we have movie nights.” Quinn pulls us into the living room with its oversized sectional and flat-screen television. “We have a movie room downstairs with a whole library of DVDs.”

Sadie follows, taking in the throw blankets and pillows piled on the couch, the glass of water forgotten on the coffee table, and the pack photos displayed on the walls. Evidence of life lived together.

“Everyone gets to pick a movie sometimes,” Quinn continues, warming to her role as tour guide. “Even Sprinkles.”

Sadie’s eyebrows lift. “The dog picks movies?”

“Well, Uncle Blake helps him.” Quinn giggles. “He always picks ones with other dogs in them.”

The sound of her daughter’s laughter softens Sadie’s expression. She moves to the wall, studying the photos of Quinn riding on Blake’s shoulders at the beach, Holden and Quinn covered in flour as they bake cookies, and Nathaniel trying to teach her to play chess.

The pictures appear in the frames when no one is looking, which always delights Quinn when she spots a new one. I suspect Dominic is the photo fairy, since he’s in none of them, but I have yet to catch him in the act.

“You look happy here,” Sadie whispers.

“I am.” Quinn’s grip on my hand loosens. “I am. But I miss you, too, sometimes.”

The admission hangs in the air, honest and unfiltered in the way only children can manage.

Sadie’s throat works as she swallows, her fingers hovering over a frame without quite touching it. “I miss you, too, kiddo.”

Quinn tugs me forward, breaking the moment before it can grow too heavy. “Come on, I want to show you the office now!”

The scent of garlic and onions wafts up from the kitchen below, signaling Holden’s meal preparations, and my stomach growls in response.

Quinn giggles. “Uncle Holden says Aunt Chloe’s tummy is always talking.” She pats my middle with casual affection. “He says it’s because she needs lots of food for energy.”

Heat rises to my cheeks as Sadie’s eyes drop to my stomach, then lift to my face in question. I shake my head. No confirmation of pregnancy yet, though the possibility lingers in the air.

“These are the bedrooms,” I say, changing the subject as we move back toward the hallway. “There are still a couple of empty ones.”

Quinn wanders ahead of us, aiming for the entrance to the garage office, giving us a moment of privacy.

“Have you lived here long?” Sadie asks.

“Not officially until recently.” My fingers trail along the hallway wall, feeling the slight texture of the paint. “I originally came here for a two-week vacation. A lot happened, and we made it permanent.”

“Before or after the bonding?” Sadie looks at my neck, where the Marks of my Alphas peek above my collar. “Those are fresh bonds.”

“Before. The bonds came after I was already part of their lives.” My fingers rise to touch the raised edges of Blake’s claim. “But it didn’t take long for us to know it would be a true bond.”

“All four of them?” Surprise colors the question.

“Yes.” Pride fills me. “How could it not be, when they’re all true bonded Alphas?”

Her brow furrows in confusion. “They are?”

Now, it’s my turn to be confused. “Did you not know?”

“Blake said so when they first formed their pack, but our dad…” She shakes her head, her lips thinning. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Dad li ed. This being a true bonded pack doesn’t fit the narrative he’s built in his mind.”

It sounds like there’s a bigger story there, and I offer, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Our father has always aimed to be on the same level as the Burton pack, and he’s pushed us to make those connections to pull him up the social ladder. He was furious when Blake broke out on his own.” She turns toward me. “You know about him and Nathaniel?”

“That they grew up together, and Nathaniel was the one who asked Blake to form their own pack?”

She nods. “Dad always hoped they’d form a bond, but his scheme was for Blake to become a Burton, so the wealth and connections would trickle down to him. He never fathomed Nathaniel stepping away from his familial pack and giving up everything our dad wanted.”

“So, in your dad’s mind, if Blake doesn’t share a true bond with Holden and Dominic, there’s a chance Nathaniel will go crawling back to the Burtons, and his plan for Blake will be back on track?” I ask, my storyteller’s mind spinning.

“Exactly.” Sadie turns to where her daughter waits by the office door. “And with Quinn now joining your pack, there go his plans for the Patels, too. ”

I hesitate before I reach out to touch her arm. “You don’t have to keep carrying the weight of what he wanted for you.”

Her eyes flick back to me, wary and vulnerable all at once.

“It’s hard to cut ties.” My arm drops back to my side and, not wanting to appear closed off, I resist the desire to hug myself.

“Even when they’re choking you. My dad wouldn’t even acknowledge me, and my mom used me like a bargaining chip to fuel her extravagant lifestyle.

I spent too long trying to hold on to the idea of family. But all it did was hurt.”

I take a deep breath. “Blood can lie to you. It can control you. But that’s not family. Family is about who shows up. Blake is one of the best men I’ve ever known. If you’re trying, really trying , he’ll have your back.”

I steady myself before continuing. “But you have to choose it. Choose him. Not your father. Not the poison.”

She tries to smile, her lips trembling. “I’m trying. I don’t know what it was about the counseling in this latest rehab, but the things my counselor said struck a chord this time. I want to do the work, but it means changing things about my life. ”

Her attention returns to Quinn, who is now bouncing with impatience. “I just wish I could do it with Quinn. But—” She cuts off and takes a steadying breath as she turns to me, tears barely held in check. “Am I doing the right thing, putting myself ahead of my daughter?”

“No. That’s what you’ve been doing, but you’re putting Quinn first now.” I reach down to take her hand. “The best thing you can do for Quinn is make sure she’s safe, happy, and loved. But that won’t happen if you keep falling into the same patterns.”

I squeeze her fingers to take the harshness out of the words. “If you focus on healing, though, there’s a chance Quinn gets to grow up with her mom in her life. Because from what I’ve heard, the road you were on wasn’t going to end with a reunion. It was going to end with her losing you forever.”

Sadie blinks, tears slipping down her cheeks that she swipes away before Quinn can notice them.

I squeeze her hand. “Now, come on. Let’s show you the office space before we go down for lunch. Holden’s food is magic.”

She sniffles. “Thank you for everything. You’ll be good for my brother. ”

“ He’s good for me .” I release her, and we walk down the hall. “If not for him, I never would have met the others or made amends with Dominic. I’d be bonded to an evil Alpha, and my mother would still be making money off my suffering.”

Sadie’s head tilts. “Want to talk about it?”

I chuckle at my words being turned back on me. “Let’s save that for our next visit. I think Quinn’s patience has reached its limit.”

“Come on!” Quinn stamps her little foot. “We’re supposed to be giving a tour!”

“Yes, princess.” I reach past her to open the door. “Lead the way.”

She grabs Sadie’s hand without thinking, tugging her forward. Sadie freezes for a split second, surprise flashing across her features before she lets herself be led into the large space.

Quinn bypasses Dom’s area of the office to beeline for my writer space and pushes open the door with a flourish. “Here it is! See the sign? I made it with Uncle Blake!”

Sadie leans closer to inspect it. “It’s so pretty. I love the colors.”

“We made this space for her, so she has a place to write her stories!” Quinn tugs at Sadie’s sleeve. “I have a desk in here, too. See? For when I want to write with Aunt Chloe. ”

In the corner sits a small table and chair, sized for a child, with Quinn’s notebooks and colored pencils arranged in careful rows. Sadie crouches to examine it, her hand hovering over the half-finished story visible on the top page.

“Detective Stardust and the Missing Teddy Bear,” she reads aloud. “By Quinn Patel.”

“It’s about a teddy bear who gets kidnapped by the evil frog king, and Detective Stardust has to find him before the dance at midnight.” Quinn’s voice rises with excitement. “Aunt Chloe says it has a good plot structure.”

Sadie wipes at her cheeks again. “I’d love to read it when you’re finished.”

Quinn bounces on her toes. “Really?”

“Really.” Sadie straightens, wincing as her knees crack. “Maybe you could send it to me when it’s done?”

Quinn nibbles on her bottom lip. “Like pen pals?”

Hope flickers across her pale face. “Sounds like a fun thing to look forward to, don’t you think?”

Quinn’s face lights up. “I’ll work on it every day.”

Sadie’s fingers brush the edge of my desk. “You must feel very welcomed here. ”

“We do.” I place a hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “The Misty Pines pack takes care of their own.”

Quinn’s attention shifts, her natural restlessness reasserting itself. “Let’s show Mom Uncle Dom’s office next. He has all the cool blueprints for the resort.”

Quinn darts out of the office, and we follow her back into Dom’s workspace.

She stops next to Dom’s overflowing desk. “This is where Uncle Dom designs everything. He has a special desk that goes up and down with a button!”

The scent of pencil shavings lingers in Dominic’s office, mingling with the faint citrus of his pheromones.

Afternoon light streams through the windows, illuminating the drafting table where blueprints are weighed down by bean bags.

Architectural models sit on a shelf, the miniature cabins and Homestead rendered in detail.

Interest piqued, Sadie studies the blueprints with surprising focus, her fingers hovering over the careful lines without touching them.

“This is so detailed.” She takes in the scope of the resort project with admiration.

“Dad always said this place would fail without the family connections. But they’re really doing it. ”

“They’ve had a few setbacks, but Phase One will open on time.” Pride swells within me. “The Homestead is complete, and the cabins will be ready for the summer opening.”

Sadie frowns. “Dad mentioned something about permits being held up. I didn’t realize it was a serious problem.”

Quinn wanders to the window, distracted by a squirrel in the trees outside.

Sadie’s gaze drifts across Dominic’s desk, landing on a notebook left open, and her body goes still. “Why do you have this?”

The sudden tension in her body draws me over. “Have what?”

She points to the notebook, her finger trembling. “Redwater Holdings.” The words are underlined several times in the notebook. “Why is it in Dom’s notes?”

The name has become familiar over the past weeks as the pack traced the pattern of sabotage. “That’s the shell company behind the inspector payoffs. They’ve been trying to delay or sabotage the builds.”

Sadie’s face drains of color. “That’s… That’s the company Dad uses to pay for my rehab to keep it off-books. If this is the company paying to sabotage your resort plans, then our dad is behind it.”