Page 36 of Knotted By my Pack (North Coast Omegaverse #3)

The cops stop by. Two officers in uniform, faces familiar from town meetings and Sunday market patrols. They ask if I have a minute and pull me aside near the storage closet.

“We’ve gone through the footage again. No matches yet, but we’re still combing the surrounding counties. Might’ve been someone passing through.”

“So you think it wasn’t personal?”

“Can’t say for sure. But it looks random. Smash-and-grab with no pattern.”

I nod, trying to keep my voice steady. “Thank you for checking in.”

“We’ll keep you posted.”

Noah watches the whole exchange from behind the counter, arms folded, protective and unreadable. I shake my head at him. Not now. I’m okay.

Not long after they leave, the front bell rings again. Everyone quiets.

Lockwood walks in.

The assistant mayor isn’t someone I ever expected to see here. He’s always struck me as polished in a fake way. Something about him makes me distrust him.

Unlike Mayor Jake, who tries to stay out of dirty town politics, there’s something quite fishy about his assistant. Everyone in town knows that the two of them don’t get along.

Lockwood walks up to the counter and orders a black coffee and a lemon tart, then pauses as he scans the room.

“You’ve got quite the crowd.”

“I’m lucky.”

“You’re part of what makes this town worth protecting.”

I blink. That... wasn’t what I expected.

“You’re doing a good thing,” he adds. “Don’t let anyone scare you off.”

I nod slowly, the words settling in my mind. He believes this was targeted. Or does he know something I don’t? I shake that thought away. Julian would never stoop this low. And he’s proven he cares for me.

“Thank you. Really.”

When he leaves, I just stare after him. Noah nudges my shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just realizing how much I love this place.”

“Because of the lemon tarts?”

“Because of everything.”

Around four, the pace finally slows. A few customers linger by the front window, sipping their drinks and chatting, the faint hum of music playing from the old speaker tucked under the counter filling the atmosphere.

I lean back against Noah, who wraps his arms around me from behind, his fingers teasing along the hem of my dress.

“You wore this just to mess with me,” he murmurs.

“I wore it because I couldn’t wear underwear.”

“Don’t remind me.”

I giggle, turning in his arms, kissing his jaw.

“We could close early.”

I laugh, breathless. “We’re not closing.”

“Then let’s celebrate after.”

“How?”

He grins, nose brushing mine. “Let me take you dancing.”

I blink. “It’s a weekday.”

“I’m full of surprises.”

The bell rings again and Grace walks in, braid loose over her shoulder, jeans dusted with soil. Her eyes light up when she sees me.

“There she is,” she says. “And look at you. Covered in flour and mate-scent.”

Noah turns, grinning. “Thanks for the flower tips. That stuff you said about sun placement actually helped.”

“You didn’t kill them?”

“Not yet.”

Grace hugs me tight, swaying us gently. “How are you doing?”

“I’m amazing,” I say, and I mean it.

I send Noah to check the oven while Grace pulls me outside for some air. We sit on the bench just to the side of the front steps, watching bees drift between the garden beds in the late afternoon shade.

“You smell like three different Alphas,” she says, not judging, just amused.

“Is it that obvious?”

“To us? Yeah.”

“I’m losing my mind, Grace. Can I confess something to you?”

“We are practically besties now. Please do.”

“I want them constantly. It’s like my heat never ended. I can’t focus. I wake up aching.”

She pats my knee. “You’re not broken. You’re bonded.”

“But all three of them?”

“You think it’s strange?”

“I think it’s... intense. And impossible to manage.”

“Poly-pack bonds exist. They’re rare. But they’re not impossible.”

I blink at her. “Is that what this is?”

“It sure looks like it. The way they orbit you. The way your scent’s changed. You’re still adjusting, but your body’s already chosen.”

I stare out at the street, overwhelmed and somehow thrilled. “How do I survive this without climbing one of them every ten minutes?”

“You give in a little. And then you learn to ride the rhythm.”

“That’s poetic.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just tired of pretending it’s not normal to be deeply in love with more than one person.”

I turn to her. “Your husbands?”

“Of course. My bondmates are older now, but I’m still so stupidly in love it’s embarrassing. It takes time and effort to exist outside that bubble, but it does get easier to navigate, and girl, it is so worth it in the end.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, Cora. You know you can talk to me just about anything. I was once in your position, so I get it, but you are not alone. They care about you. I care about you. This is intense and it’s new, but it’s good—and we can talk about it anytime.”

“I think I’d love that.”

She smiles and bumps my shoulder. “And until then, we’ll go dancing. Just us girls.”

I grin. “This weekend?”

“Hell yes. But if your Alphas show up and steal you away, I expect you to at least buy me a croissant.”

“Deal.”

We head back inside, and the scent of my bondmates hits me all over again. I’m undone by it. Every cell alert. Every breath shallow.

Grace leans in. “Yeah. You’re screwed.”

I laugh, cheeks burning. And I wouldn’t trade a second of it.