Page 106 of Chain Me Knot

Mira raises her voice over my babbling. “Would you like to keep the house?”

A heartbeat passes. My lungs freeze mid-breath. “Keep—your house? Mira, you can't mean that.”

“I do.” The sincerity in her voice leaves no doubt she's serious. “Look, I know Adrian, Cole, and Zane bought it for me, but I've never even been there. For me, that place isn't home. But for you…” Softness creeps into her tone. “For you, it is. I've known you half my life. I hear it in your voice. You’re healing there. I want this for you, Emma—more than anything.”

My throat tightens. “Mira, it's too big an offer. It's too generous. I can't just—”

“No pressure, okay? Just promise me you'll think about it. Take time, talk it out with your alphas. You don't have to rush. The offer stands as long as you need it to,” she says.

“What about your alphas?” I ask.

“They want what I want, and I want this for you.” She takes another breath. “Please, please open the doors to that nest room. There's no wrong way to build a nest. Follow your instincts and do what feels right. And maybe…” Her voice isgentle, full of quiet hope. “Maybe it'll help your heat finally come. Maybe that’s where you’ll bond Phoenix, too. You deserve this, Emma. You deserve every happiness.”

Warmth blooms behind my ribs, spreading slowly outward.

“I…” Emotion rises, stealing my breath. “Thank you, Mira.” Because what else can I say?

“Always,” she whispers back. “Just…please try, Emma.”

The call ends, her words lingering in my mind long afterward. My friend knows too well all there is to know about pain, darkness, and healing, but now we both see glimpses of something better, something pure and bright on the horizon.

Can I actually do this?

My pulse thuds beneath my ribs. Waves crash in the distance, a comforting murmur cascading through the warm, sunlit silence of the house. My feet move of their own accord, bringing me to a stop in front of those two closed doors I've both dreaded and longed to open.

I was punished for daring to hold onto my omega nature. Beaten down so viciously my body refused even its own instincts. How can I trust now that I'm doing the right thing?

What if I get this wrong?

Anxiety coils in my chest, whispering cruel doubts, but slowly, rising alongside that fear, comes an inner whisper Mira awakened. A fierce anger, burning hot beneath the anxiety.

This rage isn't new. It's the same fury I felt when Pack Carmichael ripped my dignity from me, the same bitter anger born the instant Haven stole my right to choose. My choice, something every omega deserves by virtue of just existing, was stripped away without remorse or care, buried beneath years of savage cruelty.

The bonds I share with my alphas flare warm, golden, and unwavering. They pulse beneath my skin, steady as heartbeats, each one lighting inside me with renewed strength. I'm no longer alone in the dark. My alphas thread through me, as close to me as my own heartbeat.

They anchor me and chase away the shadows from the hidden corners of my soul. Warmth bleeds into my bones, spreading light into places held hostage by fear. Their strength is mine, lifting me, empowering me to take back what no one had the right to steal.

Mira is correct.

My life is mine to reclaim.

Curling my fingers around the polished brass handles, I pause for just an instant, gathering courage from the split-second feeling of rightness that whispers through me. Then I twist both handles, pushing slowly forward. Warm air spills past me as the double doors swing open, revealing the nest waiting beyond.

Chapter Forty-One

Phoenix

We’ve already spent the better part of three hours hunched over blueprints, scattered laptops, and a handful of burner phones. My back aches, and I flex stiff fingers as I pace behind the table, tension coiled tight beneath my ribs. Contingency plans layered upon more contingency plans twist through my mind like tangled threads, knots of worry forming in my gut as I chase each possible scenario to its conclusion.

Asher is leaning over the blueprint of the Aegis Gala's venue, tapping against certain points on the map. Across the table sits Soren, fingers flying over his keyboard as he reprograms our encrypted comms, eyes scanning lines of code far faster thanI can follow.

“Adrian, Zane, and Cole are patched in again,” Soren calls over his shoulder. Relief settles briefly through me at their names. They're the best damn backup we could've hoped for. Frankly, the only outside alphas I would trust anywhere near Emma, but even their presence isn't enough to soothe the anxiety pumping through my veins.

I sink into a chair at the sound of their voices through the speaker, tapping the blunt edge of a pen against my thigh.

“We'll have Pack Hawthorne positioned strategically throughout the venue. No one is going in or out of that building without eyes on them,” Adrian says.

A faint scowl creases Soren’s brows. “Don't underestimate the reach of the commissioner's influence. They'll likely have ex-military assets. If they're cornered, locking down whole floors won't be out of the question.”

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