Page 15

Chapter fifteen

VIOLET

Puma hasn’t said much since we took off down the road, just that Gray would pick up my car in the morning. His voice had been low, almost distant, the words slipping past like an afterthought. The dynamic I’ll have to face once everything is settled will be chaotic but none of that matters right now.

Because behind me, Sofie is finally, finally quiet. Not fully—but enough. Her whimpers have softened, no longer gasping, no longer sharp with pain. Her body is moving differently now, less like she’s being torn apart, more like she’s finally grasping something to hold onto.

Lance is giving her that something. He holds her like she’s something precious, like the weight of her doesn’t bother him in the slightest. His voice is quiet, murmured against the top of her head, soothing in a way that makes my stomach churn. She clings to him, fingers curled into the front of his jacket, face buried against his chest. Her hips shift, slow, seeking, and his hands are there, steadying her, letting her take what she needs, letting her use him the way her body is demanding.

I force my eyes forward, staring into the darkness beyond the windshield, trying to ignore the way my stomach knots, the way my throat tightens. Because I had to watch her suffer, had to hold her through the worst of it, had to listen to her sob and beg and break apart in my arms—only to be helpless.

The jeep skids to a stop into their long driveway, my heart in my stomach at the thought of walking into their estate. There’s no turning back now. I rush out of the car, already moving alongside Lance as he cradles her. Hawk pushes the front door open, his face twisted up in confusion as we step inside. His gaze falls to Sofie, the same heat in Lance’s expression now mirrored in his.

Not much is said in the next several minutes as I follow on Lance’s heels, needing to make sure Sofie is safe and taken care of before they shut me out. My connection with Sofie is visceral, almost animalistic. It doesn’t make sense but it’s the reason why this is so much harder than it needs to be.

The bedroom door is already open by the time I reach it, Lance laying Sofie down in the middle of a bed larger than my fucking dreams. He brushes damp hair away from her face, his fingers trailing lightly over her skin, his movements slow, patient. Hawk steps in right behind him, his face softening. Their scents mingle with hers, creating this erotic smell of citrus, melon, and mint. They’re hers. Lance and Hawk are undeniably hers and I can’t fight that knowledge any longer.

I wrap my arms around my soaked self, watching as they lovingly caress her, slowly moving to undress her, stripping away the rain-soaked fabric clinging to her overheated skin. Her head tilts, body arching instinctively toward Lance’s hands, her breath catching on quiet, desperate little sounds. She’s completely succumbed to her heat, her eyes glazed over as she pleads for more.

And even though I know I should leave, let them take care of her the way she needs, my feet won’t move. Some part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and curl up beside Sofie as they knot her but experience tells me that it won’t end the way I need it to. I might be Sofie’s Beta but I’m not theirs. I have absolutely no idea how they’ll react to me and one wrong move will ruin everything.

Besides, she’s in good hands. I hope. I stay long enough to watch her cling to Hawk as he steps out of his pants and thrusts into her, her little cries of pleasure causing me to shut the door. I can’t fucking watch that. She’s getting what she needs but it doesn’t mean it isn’t painful in the process.

I press my forehead against the cool wall, fingers curled into my damp sleeves, my body wrung out, my mind stretched thin. The weight of exhaustion sits heavy in my chest, but my nerves won’t settle, won’t let me rest, won’t let me breathe. A shiver runs down my back, the cold threatening to pull me into a void of sickness I don’t have time for.

“Violet, come with me.”

My body shudders beneath Puma’s command. I didn’t even know he was standing there, watching me fall apart. It makes me feel just a bit worse. When I don’t move, I feel his hands on my shoulders, fingers lightly pressing into my skin.

“I know this hurts but standing here, torturing yourself will only make this worse. Let’s get you dry and then you can come back to check on Sofie. I promise she’s safe.”

I’m not sure why those are the words I needed to hear but I let him guide me away, across the hall to a second bedroom. It’s warm, the glow of a bedside lamp casting soft shadows along the walls. Puma disappears into the attached bathroom, the sound of running water filling the quiet space. It’s odd for someone to focus their attention on me without wanting a crack at Sofie.

The few advances I’ve had in the last three months aside from Lance have always been because they want an Omega to fuck. Puma’s goal feels completely different, like Sofie isn’t the prize at the end of the game for him. In some weird fucking way, it feels like I am. Like all those soft smiles when he came into Ash & Ivory were always for me.

It feels weird but it also feels nice. Really fucking nice. Just the thought of being able to lean on someone else, to pour my heart out to someone who won’t judge me sounds like heaven. Sofie was right. I do need an Alpha. I need someone to catch me when I fall. Because when I feel helpless, when I feel like I’m not enough… I fall apart. And god, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.

I don’t even realize I’m shaking until he steps back into the room, his gaze sweeping over me, taking in every little tremor, every uneven breath. His exhale is measured, like he’s choosing his words carefully. “You did the best you could,” he says. “She’s safe now. Being taken care of.” His eyes hold mine. “Now it’s time for you to take care of yourself.”

That’s what breaks me. Because I don’t know how. I don’t know how to stop holding everything together with sheer fucking willpower, don’t know how to let go, don’t know how to rest without the crushing weight of guilt pressing into my chest.

A sob tears free before I can swallow it down, my body folding in on itself, my arms tightening, fingers digging into my skin like I can hold myself together if I just squeeze tight enough. “I—I don’t know how,” I whisper, my voice wrecked, shaking apart with every breath.

Puma steps closer, one hand coming up to cup the back of my neck, fingers slipping into my damp hair, his grip firm, grounding. The contact ignites the need I’ve been ignoring, the desire Sofie’s heat scent creates but I can never quench. “Then let me take care of you,” he murmurs, his voice like honey as it glides over me.

I’m done telling myself I don’t need help. I’m tired and scared and fucking mad at myself that I let Sofie suffer for so long. So, I close my eyes and give in.