Page 31 of Trick Knot Treat

“Officer Friendly.”

I roll my eyes. “Have you been watching horror again?”

Fox grins but spots the carrier. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“We have a cat desperately needing a temporary home,” I say with dry sarcasm.

Fox hesitates.

“Please, his mother had a medical episode and is in hospital for a few weeks. She didn’t have any family, and I didn’t have the heart to take him to the council.”

“Aww, of course, we can’t do that. Come in.”

I gratefully hand off the carrier and follow him into the house. He leads me through to their kitchen, where in amongst stunning trees, they have a beautiful view of the beach.

“This is really nice.”

“Yeah, it is perfect for us. Want a cuppa?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I’ve got to get back and fill out the paperwork, I just wanted to get this guy safe.”

“Does he have a name?”

I hesitate. “She was calling him body snatcher.”

Fox blinks. “Right, so let’s call him Alien.”

I grin. “Cute.”

A door in the house opens, and a voice I would know anywhere speaks quietly. I turn, desperate for a glimpse of him.

“Felix and Sebastian are having an argument.”

I bristle. “Oh?”

“Felix wants to abandon the Halloween event. Sebastian is insisting that he needs to stick it out for their mum.”

It hurts. It shouldn’t hurt, but I’m just never going to be enough for him. Clint says that voice is just Mum speaking through me, but I don’t know anymore.

Felix walks out, and his words hit hard. “Look, I know that everyone thinks this is a great idea, but it’s a waste of time. I don’t want alphas. I was just saving Asher from putting up with Zaire again.”

“Do you know him?” I ask coldly. “Or are you judging him based on the two seconds that you spent looking at him?”

I feel like I’m outside my body speaking. My mouth is suddenly filled with saliva, and my heart jumping. But I’m angry.

Felix jumps when he spots me. His lips quiver, and his eyes widen. “What?”

“Do you know Zaire? Like, at all? Or are you just making snap judgments like you always do and deciding no one is good enough?”

“Jace!” Sebastian growls in warning.

I’ve always been friendly with Sebastian. Unlike his brother, he’s never made me or Clint feel less. He treats us like we’re neighbours.

“Khione really likes Zaire,” I say, continuing my vicious attack.

Felix’s mouth opens, and I think for a moment he will apologise, but then he scowls and turns away. “I wasn’t asking for your opinion, Jace. Why don’t you go back to doing favours for my mother.”

The way he says my name with all that attitude makes me want to throw him up against a wall.