Page 123 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

The living room feels too small for this conversation.

I sit perched on the edge of the couch, watching each of my packmates settle into their usual spots—Jax in the armchair by the window, Stone standing behind him with arms crossed, Ren pacing near the fireplace, unable to stay still. Beside me, Hailey tucks her legs beneath her, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater in a way that betrays her nerves despite the calm expression she’s trying to maintain.

We’ve been called together for what Jax described as an “important pack meeting,” which is formal even for him. The tension rolling off the alphas is palpable, vibrating through our bonds like a plucked string.

“Alright,” Jax says once we’re all settled. “Ren, why don’t you start?”

Ren pauses his pacing, running a hand through his dark hair before facing us. The haunted look in his eyes makes me want to reach out and call him to me. Makes me want to comfort my alpha, despite everything, and I have to swallow down awhimper and a plea. Whatever this is, it’s important. Let’s deal with this first.

“I met with Riordan Ashgrave,” he begins. “He shared some information that affects all of us.”

As Ren speaks, laying out the details of his meeting, I watch the others’ reactions. Jax’s expression grows more grim with each revelation. Stone’s jaw tightens, his posture becoming more rigid. Beside me, Hailey’s scent shifts subtly, fear threading through her usual honeyed sweetness.

I reach for her hand without thinking, lacing our fingers together in silent support. She squeezes back, and I know that, like me, she’s grateful for the connection.

“So she’s alive,” Hailey says when Ren finishes, her voice steadier than I expected. “And she has someone protecting her from inside the system.”

Ren nods, his ice-blue eyes meeting hers briefly before darting away. “Yes. Someone with enough access to remove evidence, alter reports, possibly even influence the investigation’s direction.”

“And we don’t know who,” I clarify, my mind already cataloging possibilities, likely departments, potential access points.

“Not yet.” Ren shakes his head. “The Ashgraves are working on it. But they thought we should know, given the…personal nature of our involvement.”

A heavy silence settles over the room as we all process this. It’s Stone who finally breaks it, his deep voice rumbling through the quiet.

“We need to find this person,” he says. “The corrupt officer. Before we even think about going after Heath directly.” He moves to stand beside Jax’s chair, his large hand coming to rest on Jax’s shoulder in an unconscious gesture of pack unity that warms me inside. “We need to cut off her resources here first.”

Jax nods, leaning slightly into Stone’s touch. “Agreed. Get rid of the mole and she’ll be just another fugitive, albeit a dangerous one.”

Hailey’s fingers tighten around mine as Jax lays out the extra security measures in response to the threat—GPS trackers in our phones, panic buttons installed in every room, rotating patrols from hired security detail outside the house. His voice is steady, but his scent betrays him: burnt cedar, sharp with something too close to desperation.

I catch Ren’s eye across the room. He sees it too—the way Jax’s shoulders bow slightly under invisible weight.Guilt. The same guilt that once made Ren pull away from us.

“Jax,” I say carefully, “the trackers are one thing, but bodyguards following us to the grocery store?”

His jaw hardens. “Non-negotiable.”

Hailey flinches.

Stone steps forward, voice low. “You’re scaring her.”

Jax’s gaze snaps to Hailey. To the way she’s unconsciously rubbing her throat. Something fractures in his expression.

“I failed you,” he grinds out, hands flexing at his sides. “Both of you. I won’t—” His voice cracks. “I can’t let it happen again. You’ve all said you still want me to lead this pack. So I will.”

Silence.

Before I realize what I’m doing, I cross the room and press my forehead to his chest. “We know, Jax,” I whisper. “But suffocating us won’t erase what happened.”

Jax’s breath shudders. When he speaks again, it’s raw. “Then tell me how to keep you safe without losing my damn mind.”

Ren exhales sharply. “I’ll…we’llfigure it out.”

I watch as Jax struggles visibly with himself, with the instinct to protect that’s as much a part of him as his alpha nature.

“How do we even begin looking?” Hailey whispers, and all our attention slides to her. “It could be anyone in any department.”

“We start with who had access to the evidence that’s disappeared,” Jax says, gathering himself. “We’ll need to gather intelligence on who processed what, who had authority to—” He stops abruptly, catching himself.

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