Page 32 of Trick Knot Treat

I advance towards him, and he turns so he’s facing me, warily stepping back. “Are you scared that you might catch feelings?” I taunt, staring down at him. He’s smaller when he’s uncertain and ashamed.

“No!” he snarls.

“Are you worried that you might end up happy?”

“With you three? I think not.”

I open my mouth to respond, but I see something that gives me pause. It’s the flicker of his eyes, the way he tightens his lip. He’s saying these words all aggressively, but his body language is saying scared.

Shit.

I take a breath, a big slow inhale, and when I exhale, I let go of all the anger.

“No one is going to hurt you.”

He gasps.

“I have to go.”

I watch as he turns and flees. Then I turn back to Sebastian, who looks as baffled as I feel.

“I don’t know,” he says, throwing his hands in the air.

“I have to get going,” I say, and I’m relieved to be going. I need to think. Unfortunately, I get as far as my hairball-scented car when my phone rings.

“Hi, Mother.”

“I’ve met someone.”

“Have you told Dan yet?”

She pauses, trying to catch up before she shouts, outraged. “Don’t be cute, Jace. You know I mean for you. An adorable omega, she’s got good breeding, money, and an education.”

Felix has all of those.

Except…he’s missing something, oh, yeah, a vagina and a womb. Two things mum puts in her top five of the perfect omega checklist, which contains money, breeding, social standing, and appearance.

“It would be a really good match, I’m absolutely sure of it. Then you can stop all this playing cop business.”

“I’m not playing, Mum. I’m working,” I say in exasperation.

“Oh, you can’t really be a policeman, it’s just not…”

Enough. Respectable. Ambitious. Classy. Pick an adjective.

“Thank you for your concern, Mum, but right now, I have no intention of seeing anyone-”

“Jace! Do you have any idea what I had to give up to give you this life? How hard I had to work? How many sacrifices I made? Can’t you just do this small thing for me?” She’s crying, actually weeping. But I know her tears will switch off the moment I say yes. And yet, I can’t say no. I have never been able to, no matter how much it costs me.

“When?” I ask in resignation.

“Two days.”

The first date for this event is tomorrow. I technically can go out and attend this dinner. I just…don’t want to.

“All right. Good. Meet her at 7pm at Angler’s Beach, the little restaurant known as Donna’s.”

“Sure. Look, I have to go. I’ve still got work to do.”