Page 142 of Knot Their Arrangement

"Get in the mood of riding every band member's pony," I huff, then immediately blush as I remember Ezekiel can hear everything.

"Hey! Have some hope here?!"

"Nah. You're gorgeous and once you have alcohol in your system, you become a dominant beast who loves to give lap dances and shit," I complain, watching Ezekiel's shoulders shake with silent laughter. "Those Alphas are doomed."

"No," she groans. "Don't rat me out like that, Kamari."

"Mhmmmm," I smirk. "Please keep in touch at least once a week, thanks."

"Likewise, bitch!" she retorts. "Last time I checked, I called you?"

"Yes, and the notification came into my email since my phone is probably one with the Atlantic Ocean or whatever body of water we're near."

"We're near lakes, Kamari. Not oceans. Unless your phone was thrown out of a plane."

"Well..." I glance at Ezekiel with a smirk, wondering if I should go along with it just to see my besties reaction. I love riling her up cause I know whatever she’s going through may be a tough cookie to handle and a bit of distraction gives her a breather, but I don’t want to keep her too long on the phone either.

"You know what, I ain't even going to ask for the details," she decides wisely. "I'll keep in touch, bestie. Stay safe. Love you lots."

"Love you more, bestie. I will. Be good and don't become a trending topic unless you're revealing 'you know what', okay?"

Truthfully, I just hope she continues to be safe because it’s clear Omegas are being hunted —like me, just for different reasons —but Astraea is vital in this society, and I don’t want anything happening to her.

"I ain't revealing shit."

"Sure," I sing teasingly. "Bye!"

"Bye,” she replies and hangs up.

A deep sigh escapes me as I end the call, the weight of everything Astraea's dealing with settling heavily on my shoulders. Making my way over to the shooting booth I was going to play around with, I offered Ezekiel his phone with a quiet "thanks."

His dark eyes study me for a moment before he says.

"You have a good friendship with this Astraea girl."

"Yeah," I agree, warmth filling my chest at the thought of my best friend. "She's my true friend. Not like the fake people in this world." My fingers trace patterns on the smooth surface of the shooting booth. "Only she and Velvet are worthy of my time and affection, though I wish I could help Velvet more, especially with what she's dealing with at the Safe Haven."

The thought of the Haven potentially being locked down until this targeting situation gets figured out makes my heart ache. So many Omegas depend on that sanctuary, just as I did when I had nowhere else to turn.

Ezekiel bobs his head thoughtfully, his expression shifting into something more calculated – the detective I first met emerging beneath the Alpha I'm coming to know.

"I can see what strings I can pull to make sure they have support from my police force unit."

The casual way he offers such significant help makes me blink in surprise, but he continues as if suggesting police protection is perfectly normal.

"We can offer some 24/7 surveillance for a few days and provide other resources under the premise of the new movement and ensuring stability and safety."

My eyes widen in shock.

"Is that okay? Or super expensive?" The words tumble out before I can stop them. "I'm not rich like Astraea or anything but I can pay you back."

His hand moves with swift grace, pressing gently against my lips to stop the flood of offers. Our eyes lock, and something electric passes between us in that moment of contact.

Then he's leaning forward, closing the distance until our lips barely brush – a kiss so light and sweet it feels more like a promise than a passion.

When he pulls back, his expression carries both tenderness and authority.

"I'm not doing this for you to pay me back." His voice drops lower, more intimate. "As an Alpha, it's supposed to be my duty to take care of you and anyone you cherish."

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