Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chloe
“ C an we make the magnifying glass extra sparkly, Chloe?” Quinn asks, already grabbing bottles of silver glitter and sequins.
I smile at her enthusiasm. “Of course, princess. Let’s make it the sparkliest one ever.”
While Quinn cuts out a lopsided circle, I work on the more complex drawing of the unicorn. “Tell me more about your new detective unicorn story?”
Quinn’s face scrunches up in concentration as she dabs glue onto her magnifying glass. “Well, the detective has to solve the mystery of the missing teddy bear. But she can only do it if her uniform is fancy enough.”
I laugh at her imagination. “Is that so? I guess we better draw it extra fancy then.”
As we work, Quinn’s tongue pokes out in concentration as she places each sequin, and a bittersweet ache blooms in my chest. When was the last time I felt so carefree? Did I ever?
I grew up under the pressure of the Sinclair pack. Fun, back then, wasn’t carefree but performative, crafted to meet my father’s approval or deflect my mother’s resentment. After we were kicked out, I lived in survival mode, always wondering how we would keep a roof over our heads. Afraid that we would be homeless at any moment.
Even in college, freedom had come at a cost, constantly juggling my coursework and three part-time jobs to cover my tuition and dorm fees. Then, when The Fairy and the Dragonlord took off, the constant stress of fan expectations kept me working nonstop under the ever-present fear of letting someone down.
Quinn could have easily turned out the same way I did, but thanks to Blake stepping in, and the love of the Alphas of Misty Pines, she’ll grow up in a loving, nurturing environment.
“Chloe!” Quinn holds up a misshapen blob covered in so much glitter that the construction paper can’t stand up straight. “The horn is ready to attach!”
“Wow, it’s amazing!” I pass over the unicorn’s body, which I decorated with far less glitter. “The teddy bear won’t stay missing for long with our fancy detective on the case now.”
Quinn beams with pride as she grabs up the glue bottle again and drags over a piece of blue construction paper.
The door to the kitchen swings open, and Holden steps into the dining room, bringing with him the scent of something savory and rich with rosemary. His golden-brown curls lie disheveled across his forehead, as if he’s been running his hands through them.
“Hey.” He gives us a strained smile that doesn’t quite reach his hazel eyes. “How’s the art party going?”
Tension fills his shoulders, and as he stops next to me, his usual warm vanilla scent holds a sharp tinge of anxiety.
I lean against his side to offer comfort. “We’re having a blast, aren’t we, Quinn?”
“Yep!” Quinn holds up our glitter-covered creation, the weight of the glue and glitter causing the horn to slide down the paper. “Look, Uncle Holden! Detective Stardust is ready to solve another case!”
“That’s incredible, princess.” Holden steps closer, his arm brushing mine as he leans down to inspect the glittering detective. “You’re quite the artist.”
As he straightens, his thumb brushes over my cheek. He holds his thumb up, showing me a smudge of silver glitter, and the corners of his lips twitch. “You both are.”
I wait for Quinn to get distracted as she adds a background to her picture before I whisper, “Everything okay?”
He hesitates before shaking his head. “Just… inspection report stuff. Don’t worry about it.”
I reach out to clasp his hand. “Holden?—”
“I mean it, Chloe,” he interrupts. “It’s under control.”
Dominic’s voice comes from the back hall, clipped and bristling with anger. “No, that’s not acceptable. I don’t care what your policy is. This needs to be resolved now.”
I tilt my head up to Holden. “Nothing to worry about, huh?”
He exhales a humorless laugh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, maybe not nothing. But there’s nothing you can do that you’re not already doing.”
I had volunteered to keep Quinn distracted so Dominic could try to find out why they were under inspection again, and Holden could focus on dinner.
“Chloe?” Quinn pats my arm, leaving more glitter behind. “Can I have the pink glitter?”
“Oh, sure.” I find the container in the craft bucket and pass it over. “Here you go, princess.”
Holden bends to kiss my cheek. “Let me know if you need a break. We can always bake cookies.”
“Thank you.” Before he can straighten, I cup his cheek and turn my head to give him a chaste kiss.
A giggle erupts from Quinn, and blood rushes to my cheeks while Holden blushes.
“Have fun, you two.” Holden backs toward the kitchen. “Clean up all the glitter before dinner.”
My ears catch Dominic’s next muffled words. “I don’t care how long it takes. I want every piece of dirt you can find on this inspector.”
A pause, then a harsh laugh. “You think I give a damn about proper channels? This is my pack we’re talking about. My family. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.”
The vehemence in Dominic’s voice sends a shiver through me. I’ve never heard him use a tone like that, and it reminds me how much we’ve both changed in the years since our friendship ended.
Quinn’s small hand on my arm jolts me back to our craft project. When I turn to her, she beckons me closer.
Bemused, I lean in as she cups her hand over her mouth and whispers, “Are you going to bond with Uncle Holden?”
My face heats with embarrassment. “That’s the plan.”
She lets out a high-pitched squeal. “And Uncle Blake?” At my nod, she bounces in her seat. “And Uncle Nat?”
By now, my face feels beet red. “Yes.”
“And Uncle Dom, too!” She thrusts her arms into the air, not noticing my flinch in her excitement. “Does that mean I can call you Auntie Chloe?”
The request catches me off guard, filling me with a peculiar warmth. I had never considered what it would be like to have a niece. While the Sinclair pack is big, as the head of the pack, my father didn’t put me in with my cousins, and my uncle never took a mate. Rumors said he was impotent, which is why, even though he was older, he didn’t lead the pack.
Boots on the porch draw my attention to the door as Nathaniel steps inside. Our eyes meet, and despite the tension in his body, raw hunger heats his gaze. An electric current fills the air between us, sending my pulse racing.
“Nathaniel.” I stand from the table. “How did it go?”
He runs a hand through his short blond hair. “Not great. The inspector’s insisting on a complete overhaul of the electrical system, and he wants it done by the end of the week. Otherwise, he’s threatening to shut down the entire site.”
My stomach sinks. “Can you even do that? In such a short timeframe?”
“We’ll have to.” He shrugs out of his jacket. “I’m not letting that bastard win. Even if it means working around the clock, we’ll get it done.”
My stomach tightens at the defeat in his voice. This is all my fault. If I had stayed with Louie, if I hadn’t resisted going back with him at my apartment, none of this would be happening. The pack wouldn’t be in this mess, and Nathaniel wouldn’t be worrying that this setback could cause his pack to break up.
“I’m so sorry.” Tears sting my eyes. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to cause trouble for the pack, for you?—”
“Hey, no, this isn’t your fault.” Nathaniel steps closer, his pheromones enveloping me like a warm embrace. “We have contingencies built into our timeline. Delays are all part of construction.”
The storm had already set them back, though, as had the investigation into Grady’s accident. Now, because of me, Louie has set his sights on this small pack that doesn’t have the resources a powerful pack like the Santaros can pull from.
I’m the weak link, again.
Sensing my distress, Nathaniel reaches out, his fingers grazing the side of my face with a gentleness that steals my breath. “Don’t worry about it. This is only a minor hiccup.”
I let myself lean into his touch, savoring the warmth of his skin. But even as my body yearns for more, doubt creeps in.
Was I too hasty when I pushed for him to move forward with the bonding before his pack was secure? Is my desire to belong to the Misty Pines pack too selfish? If I returned to Louie now, would he call off the inspector?
I step back, putting distance between Nathaniel and me.
His hand falls to his side, but his eyes linger on mine, intense and searching.
“Uncle Nat!” Quinn rushes over to pull on his sleeve. “Come see the picture Auntie Chloe and I made!”
Nathaniel’s expression softens. “Auntie Chloe?”
“Because she’s going to form a bond with you and Uncle Holden, and Uncle Blake, and, and, and Uncle Dom!” She gasps to catch her breath.
Nathaniel allows her to drag him over to the table, and I trail behind them, now worried that I overstepped in telling Quinn before speaking to the Alphas.
Quinn holds up the picture of Detective Stardust. “This one’s for you, Uncle Nat!”
Nathaniel makes a show of accepting it and listens to Quinn tell him which parts she made and which ones I contributed.
“It’s beautiful.” Nathaniel holds the picture up so the light catches on all the glitter. “You’ll have to help me decide where to hang it.”
Quinn beams with pride. “Can we do it now?”
“I think we need to let the glue dry a little more.” He walks over to the fireplace and sets it on the mantel. “We’ll keep it safe here until morning. How does that sound?”
Quinn taps her chin in thought before she gives a decisive nod. “Sprinkles can guard it.”
“Good idea.” With a hand on her shoulder, he guides her back to the dining table. “Now, why don’t you clean up so we don’t have glitter in our dinner?”
Quinn throws her head back with a whine but climbs up onto the bench and starts putting things back into the tote.
As she does, Dominic strides out of the back hall, and my heart does that flutter it did the other night when I ran into him in the kitchen.
“I have an investigator searching for any connection Louie has with the inspector.” He slips his hands into the pockets of his jeans, drawing my eyes downward. “While he’s at it, I asked him to dig into Louie’s other activities. If we can dig up some dirt, we can use it as leverage to force him to back off.”
“Excellent work,” Nathaniel says.
“I also called our lawyer, and there’s at least some good news for Chloe.” Hearing my name, my head snaps up to find Dominic watching me.
“Sorry, what?” I ask, flustered at being caught staring.
A pleased expression crosses his face. “The restraining order Grady filed against your mother has gone through.”
“Oh.” I blink at the turn in conversation. “How will that work?”
“As soon as your mother is served, she won’t be allowed to contact you in any way or come within three hundred feet of your home, both here and at your apartment.” His gray eyes hold mine. “I forwarded a copy to your email. We’ll receive confirmation once the order is in place.”
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Thank you. That…means a lot to me.”
“Well, it was Grady who started it.” Dominic rocks on his heels. “We just got our lawyer to push it through faster.”
Nathaniel’s hand settles on the small of my back. “Soon you won’t have to hide your phone in your desk.”
“That will be a relief.” My shoulders sag. “Maybe then I’ll be able to focus on my outline.”
“Have you received a counteroffer from your publisher yet?” Dominic asks.
“No, not yet.” I risk a look at him, and that damn flutter returns. “I’ll let you know when I do. Whatever it is, though, I’ll be writing the next three books, so I figure it’s better to get a head start. Revisions take longer than the first draft does for me.”
“You always were one to do your homework.” His smile comes and goes. “Should we file a restraining order for Louie, too?”
“No!” Fear jolts through me, and when Quinn turns our way, I lower my voice. “No, it would only infuriate him, and he’d find a way around it.”
A silence falls between us.
“I agree.” Nathaniel’s hand moves up to my shoulder. “Louie knows exactly what he’s doing. The threat of police has never stopped him before.”
“Because he pays them off.” Dominic’s jaw works. “No one gets to hurt you, Chloe. Not your mother, and not him.”
I stare at him, wanting to believe. But Louie’s not a force that’s easy to push back. He’s relentless when it comes to getting what he wants, and for whatever reason, he set his sights on me.
What did he mean by investing in me all those years ago? He can’t have become infatuated at first sight. Not when I was a penniless child. It no longer feels like I was simply the hostage to my mother’s debt.
But what other reason could there be besides profiting off me?
There’s no pull of a bond with him like I have with the Alphas of Misty Pines.
So, why me?