Page 36 of Trick Knot Treat

“Khione.”

“You are the most perfect person, Zaire, and I’m going to be sad when they all realise it and I lose you.”

“You won’t ever lose me.”

She huffs a laugh but then goes quiet. “Do you remember when we first met?”

“Yes, you tried to steal my dog.”

“I didn’t try to steal him; he wanted to come home for dinner.”

“You used sausages to coax him into your house while I was standing right there on the street calling him,” I point out flatly.

“I would never!”

“You absolutely would.”

“In my defense, he is the cutest puppy dog I have ever seen. And you came in, too. Maybe it was all my dark plan.”

“You had a plan to kidnap me?” I laugh and adjust my arms so I’m holding her better.

“Of course, I always think these things through, and you intrigued me.”

“Oh, did I?”

“Of course, you are my midnight wanderer, going for all these mystery walks like it’s your sole purpose in life. You are the most playful and kind person to that dog, you spoil him rotten. It was a plan that was carefully thought out.”

“Ah, so, I see I’ve fallen into the trap of a criminal mastermind.”

“I prefer Queen of the Underworld Empire.”

“Okay, Your Highness.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that.”

I snort. “Don’t you have to paint rocks?”

She wails. “Don’t cheapen my thrills.”

I laugh again. That has been the biggest surprise. How easily I laugh around this beta. I don’t care who else walks into my life, there is one truth that I’m not ready to say out loud, and that is that Khione is never going to be walking out of it.

Chapter 10

Khione

“It’s going to be okay. We have to trust the situation, Spectre. Zaire will be fine.”

The dog in question looks up at me and wags that feather duster tail.

“Oh, you are no help.” I pause, thinking. “You’re right. We should have more faith. Of course, it’s going to be fine.”

Zaire is standing in the crowd of people, but he’s got his frowny face on and his arms crossed. Felix is beside him, looking bored and aloof, while Clint and Jace stand on either side. None of the four of them look happy at all.

“We should do something.”

I wring my fingers, but that doesn’t help anything but make my fingers sore.

There are so many people, and I recognise maybe a third of them. The skeleton decorations dance in the air, hanging from orange pumpkin lanterns.