Pack Obsession (Love Knot War #3)

Epilogue

CASEY

Weeks later

M y white-blonde hair falls loose around my shoulders as I lean forward, watching one of my best friends, Danica, demolish her third macaron. The afternoon sun streams through the café’s stained-glass windows, casting rainbow patterns across our corner table.

“Okay, but seriously,” I say, grinning as I pour more tea. “You have to tell me about the moment you realized you were actually going to be a rockstar. Like, the exact moment. How was it?”

Danica laughs, brushing crumbs from her oversized denim jacket. “God, it was surreal. I was literally on stage with the Fever band, convinced I was going to die from embarrassment. Then the crowd roars, and I swear?—”

“You blew them away with your amazing voice,” Kayla interrupts, her black curls shaking and reaching for her cup of tea, smiling. “I always knew you would do amazing.”

“Thank you, love. I never saw myself ending up being the Omega for the biggest band in the country. But here I am, and I swear I’ve never been happier,” Danica points out, reaching for another treat from the tower of delicacies Axel had arranged. The sweetheart booked the café after my brother found contacts for Danica and Kayla. After calling them to chat, Axel arranged everything for me.

I can’t stop smiling, watching my best friends talking. The whimsical café feels perfect for this reunion—exposed brick walls lined with weathered books, twinkling golden lights, and the soft clink of vintage teacups painted with fairy tale scenes. Even the chandelier above us seems to be listening, its crystal teardrops catching the light.

“I’ve missed this so much,” I say softly. “Missed you.”

Danica reaches across the table, squeezing my hand and Kayla’s. “We’re here now. All of us.”

“Well, almost all of us,” Kayla adds, her voice gentle. She tears a scone in half, offering a part to me. “What about Jess?”

They both stare at me, and I sigh heavily. The warmth of our reunion dims as reality settles back on a major reason I wanted to catch up with them, aside from the fact that I missed them terribly. I wrap my hands around my teacup, drawing strength from its warmth.

“Have either of you heard anything about her?” I ask, though I already know the answer from the way their faces tighten. “Any whispers, any signs? My brother said everyone he talks to has no clue.”

Danica sets down her cup with trembling fingers, all traces of the confident rockstar gone. “I’ve been asking around. Using every connection the band has. Radio silence.”

“Same here,” Kayla’s voice cracks. “My Alphas... they have contacts everywhere, but it’s like she just... disappeared.”

The fairy lights above us seem dimmer now, the whimsical setting a stark contrast to the heaviness in our hearts. I close my eyes, fighting back the memory that’s haunted me since the bus crash.

“That’s what worries me,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Danica clears her throat. “After the bus crash, everything went chaos... but I saw her. One of the Nexus enforcers grabbed her.”

Kayla’s hand flies to her mouth. “No...”

My stomach knots hard.

“He was huge, even for an enforcer.” She leans forward. “I think she was taken by Nexus.”

“Shit,” I breathe while Kayla’s face drains of color. “You think Nexus actually has her?”

Danica’s mouth pinches tight, her jaw set in that familiar way that means she’s ready for war. “Yes, and we have to find a way to get her out.”

“Unless...” Kayla starts, then stops, looking sick.

“Unless what?” I ask.

“Unless she was partnered with Alphas already, sent away,” Kayla says softly. “And if no one has heard from her, then that worries me about what they’re doing to her.”

The silence that follows feels like ice in my veins.

“No,” I say firmly, placing my palms flat on the table. “We find her. Whatever it takes. The three of us, we have resources now. Protection. Power.”

“Our Alphas will help,” Danica adds, strength returning to her voice. “They’ll understand.”

“Definitely,” I say.

Looking at my best friends and seeing the fierce determination in their eyes, I feel something shift. We’re not those same terrified girls from the nightclub anymore. We’re stronger now. Protected. Loved.

But we’re still us—still the four friends who swore to always have each other’s backs.

“Whatever it takes,” I repeat, reaching for their hands. “We find her.”

We fall silent. I came here to have us all on the same level—needing to find out what happened to our friend.

“Tell us about your Alpha, Casey,” Kayla says softly. “We need to keep our spirits up, so let’s talk about something happy for now.”

“Alphas,” I answer with a smile. “I got lucky, too, like both of you. Three of them. And it wasn’t easy at first. After the crash, I was so scared, so angry. But Logan... he has this way of seeing through all your defenses. And Nash, god, he’s brilliant but also so obsessive over me. Then Axel…” I gesture around us at the fairy tale setting he created for this reunion. “He understands what family means. What friendship means.”

“Speaking of understanding,” a young woman approaches our table, phone clutched to her chest, “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but are you Danica from Fever?”

Danica’s whole face lights up. “I am! Would you like a photo?” As they do it, Kayla and I just watch in awe.

“Is it weird?” I ask after the fan leaves, her face glowing with excitement. “Being recognized everywhere?”

“Sometimes,” Danica admits. “But then I think about where we could have ended up, and suddenly, a few photos don’t seem so bad.” She pauses, stirring her tea. “The guys—my Alphas—they helped me see that my music could be more than just an escape. It could be a voice.”

“A voice we definitely need,” Kayla says. “Especially now that things are changing. My stepfather being gone... that’s just the beginning. There are more of us out there, Omegas who need to know they have choices.”

I watch as she unconsciously touches her neck, where I know her claiming mark lies.

“Your Alphas,” I say carefully. “They helped with that? With your stepfather?”

Kayla’s dark eyes meet mine, steady and clear. “They showed me what real protection looks like. What real love is.” She smiles, soft but certain. “They’re actually shopping right now. Apparently, my library needs expanding.”

“They sound like heaven,” Danica teases.

We all dive back into the High Tea treats and our chat about our men.

As I look around our fairy tale setting, at the twinkling lights and vintage books and delicate teacups, I can’t help but wonder what kind of story we’re really in. Because if Jess is really in danger...

This might not be the kind of fairy tale that ends with just a happily ever after.