Page 21 of Knot the Stray

Edward scoops a huge portion of eggs onto his fork, nodding from his side of the table. “We aren’t here to cage you, sweetheart. We want to earn your time, not demand it.”

Nolan pushes his dark frames up the bridge of his nose before taking a bite of his toast. “Your autonomy remains the most important factor here, Jessie. Trapping you means we fail. We want you to choose us.”

I watch the tension bleed out of Jessie’s frame. The rigid set of her shoulders relaxes. Hearing the three of us agree to prioritize her freedom over our Alpha instincts chips away at her defensive walls. She takes a sip of her black coffee through the small opening in the plastic lid, the caffeine fortifying her nerves. She picks up a piece of toast with her fingers, the warm meal helping to ground her focus.

“I appreciate the terms.” Jessie sets the paper cup down on the laminate table. Her gaze locks onto me, the confident professional taking the lead. “But I have a few rules of my own.”

I lean back in my wooden chair, crossing my arms over my chest. I love seeing her take charge. “Let’s hear them.”

“I expect you to treat me as a professional first.” Jessie looks between the three of us, holding her ground with stubborn determination. “No weird territorial displays in the clinic lobby. No growling at my clients. I have a reputation to maintain in this town, and I won’t let a pack dynamic tank my credibility.”

“Done.” I nod without a second thought. “You get our best behavior.”

“And I handle my own problems.” Jessie taps her index finger against the table. “I spent my whole life fixing my own messes. I don’t need three huge guys stepping in to save me every time something gets complicated. I need you to respect my ability to handle my shit.”

Edward chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound that fills the kitchen. “We know you can handle a wild golden retriever on the side of a highway. We know how capable you are. We won’t step on your toes.”

Nolan offers a respectful nod. “We admire your strength, Jessie. We want to support you, not replace your independence.”

A small, genuine smile touches the corner of Jessie’s mouth. The guarded mask drops another inch. She looks at us, realizing we respect her intelligence and her grit. We don’t want a passive mate. We want the fierce, independent woman sitting across from us. The three of us bring different strengths to the table, and we want her to stand right beside us as an equal.

“Three months.” Jessie taps the edge of her plate, the words sounding less like a prison sentence and more like a challenge.

“Ninety days.” I hold her gaze, letting the promise settle between us. “You do your job, and we do ours. We take you on dates. We cook you dinner. We show you the best parts of this town. When the time runs out, the choice belongs to you.”

Jessie stares at the three of us for a long, quiet moment. The fear in her eyes fades, replaced by a cautious, burning curiosity.

“Deal.” Jessie picks up her fork and points it at my chest. “Now pass the salt.”

I grab the glass shaker from the center of the table and slide it toward her. We established our boundaries. Now we just have to win her heart.

The apartment falls into a comfortable rhythm as the four of us focus on our plates. Morning light streams through the windows, casting a warm glow over the checkered linoleum floor. The contrast between the desperate heat of yesterday and this calm, respectful morning gives me whiplash in the best way possible.

Grabbing a piece of toast, my eyes track Jessie. She picks up her fork and takes a bite of the eggs. A soft hum of appreciation vibrates in her throat. She finishes the bite and reaches for her paper coffee cup. The simple, domestic sight sends a jolt of satisfaction straight to my core. My inner Alpha hums, thrilled just to have her near.

Spending the next fifty years making her breakfast and watching the sunlight catch the dark strands of her messy hair sounds like heaven. But keeping my instincts in check remains my top priority. Forcing the possessive energy down, my attention shifts back to the conversation.

“So, roving vet work.” Nolan cuts into his eggs, looking at Jessie with genuine interest. “You mentioned bouncing between contracts. What’s the craziest thing you ever treated on the road?”

“I did a winter contract out in a farming county in Wyoming.” Jessie leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. “A rancher brought in a large goat. The poor thing stopped digesting food and looked terrible. We took x-rays, and the scans showed a tangled mess blocking the stomach.”

Edward raises his eyebrows, pausing with his cup halfway to his mouth. “What was it?”

“A string of battery-powered Christmas lights.” Jessie offers a proud smirk. “The goat got into the barn decorations and went to town. He thought he scored a jackpot.”

I lean back in my wooden chair. “How the hell do you fix that? Do you just wait for it to pass?”

“Not a chance. That requires careful surgery. I sedated the big guy, made a tiny abdominal incision, and pulled the entire wire out intact. We stitched him back up, and he recovered without a single problem. The owner got way more upset about the destroyed lights than the health of the goat.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “People are crazy. You must see some wild shit in the clinics.”

“Every single day.” Jessie takes a sip of her coffee. “People bring in farm dogs that choked on tractor parts, and barn cats that got stuck in engine blocks. That keeps the job interesting. I hate being bored.”

Edward leans back in his wooden chair, resting his hands on his stomach. “Boredom doesn’t exist in Willowside. We have our own brand of livestock chaos. Just last week, a local farmer left a gate open. A huge heifer got loose and shut down Main Street for three hours.”

Jessie raises an eyebrow, a spark of amusement in her eyes. “A single cow stopped traffic?”

“Dead in the water.” I shake my head, remembering the chaos. “Sheriff Davis tried to corral her with his police cruiser. He hit the sirens to scare her off the asphalt. The cow just stared at the flashing lights and took a giant dump right on the main crosswalk.”