Page 7 of Knot Convenient

“Typically, you make the move to their town and have an initial meeting before you agree to go all in. But just in case, we prefer that you have your apartment packed and ready to go. If I’m honest, every single pack I’ve matched has ended up together, so I have a good feeling about this. How much stuff do you have?”

“Not much, maybe a single carload? Most of my furniture is too run-down to move or came with the apartment,” I admitted.

“How would you feel about packing up your place, just in case? We have an excellent moving service that can store the boxes, and then you can just take the few items that you want with you for the initial meetup. It’ll be perfect!”

Again, Callie was way more excited about this than I was. It wasn’t that I was dreading this, by any means, but I was still nervous. Not Callie. She was gung-ho and ready to go. She was a nice person and all, just…intense. Very salesperson, which made sense.

“That sounds… okay.”

“Perfect. Call in the morning, and we’ll start working on getting the ball rolling. Chat soon!”

And with that, she hung up. I let out a sigh. It was a lot of change, and a lot of unknowns. My chest felt tight with anxiety. On the one hand, this could help me monumentally. On the other, I could be walking into a living hell. There was no doubt about it. I was taking a leap of faith, and I wasn’t sure if I should.

But it was a little late for that now, wasn’t it?

Chapter 4

Summer

Willow Grove was a relatively small town compared to what I was used to. California was a hub of activity; there was no privacy, and space was greatly limited in both the cities and the homes. Willow Grove was several states away and very different.

As the bus drove along the narrow roads, I couldn’t help but admire the scenery as Milo dozed on my lap. The harsh, yellowing landscape gave way to lush green grass and trees.

For a moment, I could almost forget that I was in a smelly tin can on my way to meet my future pack, who I hadn’t even seen a photo of.

I had expected there would be a getting-to-know-each-other period. Maybe we would talk over email, but no. The minute I had agreed to make contact with Pack Winters, Callie had organized a trip to Willow Grove for an initial meeting in-person.

It was a leap of faith, but frankly, I was out of choices. My child was a problem for most packs. I knew that would be the case, but it still hurt to hear. To me, Milo was everything. The thought that anyone would see him as an issue was unfathomable. Who could say no to a sweet little baby?

Like he knew I was thinking about him, Milo started fussing in my lap.

“Hey, sweet boy,” I cooed, rocking him gently. “We are almost there.”

“How old is he?” a sweet, older lady asked from the seat across from me. She had brown hair with streaks of gray running through it and a warm, welcoming smile. The corners of her eyes crinkled with happiness when she looked at the baby fussing in my lap.

Most people were mad when a baby started crying in a public space, so I was pleasantly surprised.

“Nine months,” I told her.

She nodded. “Ah, I bet he’s at teething age, I remember that phase. All my babies were terrors while teething. He’s such a handsome little man. What’s his name?”

“Milo.” As I spoke, I reached into my bag and grabbed the rice puff snacks that Milo had been obsessed with of late.

“What a lovely name! Where are you guys heading to?”

For now, I was comforted by the easy conversation, and I let myself go with it. “Willow Grove?”

Her eyes lit up. “I’m from there! It’s a lovely little town. Are you just visiting?”

“Potentially moving there,” I admitted.

She looked around the crowded bus. “Where are your alphas?”

“It’s just Milo and me.”

Well, maybe not for much longer.

“I’m surprised someone hasn’t snapped you up! I’m Hattie, by the way. You should know, I have a son who is rather handsome…” She waggled her brows, and a genuine laugh tumbled out of me.