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Chapter twenty-one

VIOLET

The morning passes mostly in silence with soft caresses and barely there kisses. Sofie hops around between the three of us before she settles on the floor, dragging a blanket into her corner. Then a pillow. And then hilariously one of Lance’s socks that she steals off his goddamn foot. I never thought I’d see her nesting but this just proves that we belong right here.

That is until I catch the one scent I hadn’t prepared myself for. God, I knew he was part of all this but it didn’t really dawn on me last night because he wasn’t there. I hold my breath, his warm amber scent filling my nose, faint notes of vanilla and other spices I can’t figure out—all of it bringing back the fantasies from that one weekend.

I twist around just enough to catch those light blue eyes I remember staring into as he treated me like the most precious thing in the entire goddamn world. He’s still covered in a mass of piercings–the one in his lip that he likes to play with, the one over his brow, his ears decorated with hoops and dangling hooks. His grin is slow, knowing, sharp at the edges, and the worst fucking part is that he’s enjoying this. Enjoying the way I’ve gone stiff, enjoying the way my whole body is betraying me, the way I can’t even school my face into something neutral because I didn’t have time to prepare for this.

“See, I knew the twins had brought someone home last night but I didn’t expect you,” he drawls, stepping up to the back of the couch, inches away from me. Puma is just behind me, the heat of his presence keeping me from falling into a puddle. The mixture of their scents is making it really hard to concentrate. “Princess, what are you doing here?”

Heat bleeds through me, a small need to reach for him growing until it’s damn hard to ignore. I forgot how explosive the passion between us was. It had been an immediate connection, something we both needed, something we both craved. I should have figured it out then that he was my mate but I was twisted up in my head that it never occurred to me. Even as my body gave me every fucking clue in the book.

And now, here, I’m not sure how I ever missed it.

Lance shifts beside me, sensing the change, his brow furrowing as he glances between us, clearly picking up on the sexual tension but not understanding where it’s coming from. “Wait, do you two know each other?”

Gray grins wider. “ Intimately .”

I expect for someone to freak out, to demand our history, to figure out where we first met but it’s quite the opposite. Sofie is beside herself, all giggles and happiness. The twins having matching grins, almost as if they’re just as amused at this turn of events. And Puma, fuck, I don’t even have to turn around to know how he feels about this. It’s like his emotions are bleeding into me, a mixture of desire and love. I’m not sure how to handle this.

“I was gone for one night and it’s like I just walked into a fucking dream. Princess, are you ours? Is that what this is? Please tell me yes, god, tell me yes.” The earnest plea in his voice deepens as he bends down to claim my lips unashamedly. It’s too much and not enough in that moment as I melt against the edge of the couch, his hands cupping my cheeks, drawing me further into the embrace.

When he releases me, I fall back against Puma, my cheeks heated. Heat claws up my throat, my stomach twisting, my breath shallow, my scent sweetening just enough for everyone in the room to know how I feel about this development. It’s like we’re back during that weekend, like I never left his bed. Like there hasn’t been any time that’s passed.

Puma leans forward, his lips pressed against my ear. “See, he couldn’t stop from talking about you when he came home after that weekend. The first and last time he’s taken off of work. Didn’t know that it was about you or I’d have dragged you home a lot sooner.”

“How did you figure it out?”

His lips trail down my neck and I realize he’s doing it on purpose, Gray’s eyes tracking the moment, heat building in his expression. “He’s an artist. Described every last curve, freckle, everything . I kept trying to get Gray to pick up the paintings at Ash & Ivory but he was always ‘too busy’.”

A gasp falls from my lips as his teeth graze my shoulder, my back arching just the slightest bit. God, this is embarrassing. “Need a minute,” I push out, dashing off to Puma’s bedroom, Sofie on my heels. Her giggles follow me, growing louder as she shuts the door behind us and stumbles into my arms. “You didn’t have to come in here.”

She just shakes her head, tilting her chin up for a kiss. I grant it to her, knowing we both need it right now. “You deserve that. All of what just happened. You’re happy here, aren’t you?”

“It was just a little too much.”

“It was like you lit up when Gray walked in, like some part of you has been searching for him.”

That feels like exactly what it was. “Something like that. I just… we went from us to four more. It’s a lot of attention.” I try to dissect the expression on her face, realizing that she didn’t just come in here to talk to me. Her cheeks are flushed, her body heating up again. “Sofie…”

She turns up her nose. “Don’t. He came into the room and then your scent got sweet and I just… I think I’m going to have another spike.” She twitches in my arms, letting out a breathy sigh as her scent thickens. The scent of her arousal blooms in the air, a small whine pulling from her throat.

“I do not have what you need, baby. There’s more than enough Alphas out there to help you through this.”

“I don’t want it if you’re not there. No. Listen to me. You have no fucking clue how it felt being lost in that haze and you weren’t there. Lance and Hawk were so good to me.” She pushes away from me, jabbing a finger into my chest. “But, you. Weren’t. There. Lance said something about us being bonded and I think, I think I need you more than you know. We need each other. You’re not allowed to be anywhere other than right here.”

She ends her words on a whine, crumpling against my chest.

“Who do you want? Other than me, baby.”

She gives me some undecipherable answer so I just yell for Lance. He’s the only one I know well enough and I need less questions and more action. I also don’t want to deal with the Alpha bullshit from yesterday. Sure, Puma told them that Sofie is mine but I’m not sure how I’ll react if Hawk snarls at me again.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I murmur against her forehead, carrying her to the bed before I start undressing her. She’s squirming, reaching for me, crying out for relief as she loses herself to another heat spike. This time I don’t feel the pain of not being able to fulfill her. She’s going to get what she needs and I’ll be right here with her, holding her, keeping her safe.

Lance is there seconds later, already scooting in behind her. He strips faster than I can blink, no words shared between us as I crawl into bed and draw her into a full kiss. She’s scratching at my chest, tearing at my shirt, whining for more.

“He’s going to give you his knot. Hold on baby.” She lets out a pleasurable sigh as her back arches and her hands dig into my arms. “Ah, he’s got you, doesn’t he?” It feels almost normal, sharing Sofie like this, like we used to. She smiles up at me, her eyes glazed over as she nods. “Stretching you out just like you need. Taking that big Alpha cock like a good girl, aren’t you?”

She hums a yes, little whimpers falling from her lips as Lance starts fucking into her. I drag her into another kiss, licking the inside of her mouth as I take what’s mine. She’s a garbled, beautiful mess between us, threatening to come undone like the goddess she is.

“She wants more, Violet. Give her more.”

So, I do, reaching between us as I press my fingers to her clit, massaging the sensitive bud. She bucks against my touch, screaming out in pleasure as she holds onto me. God, she’s gorgeous like this. All soft and pliant and taken care of.

My body is running hot, the need for relief growing but this moment is about her. Until it isn’t. Sofie lets out a frustrated sigh, dragging Lance’s hand from her hip and placing it on mine. “She comes with us. Mmm, Vi comes with us.” Her words are slurred, almost impossible to catch but the intent is clear.

I’m about to protest when Lance just follows Sofie’s command like it’s law. I have to grip Sofie’s arms for purchase as two fingers slide inside of me, curling a second later. I forgot how delicious this man’s hands were, how easy it was to fall apart on them. My body jerks with every plunge of his fingers, the man’s coordination between fucking Sofie and me is commendable.

And that’s when pleasure shoots through me, Lance’s growl reverberating through the room. It feels like we come together, Sofie crying out again as Lance’s knot lodges inside of her. His fingers are still curling inside of me, dragging out my orgasm as I coat his fingers, the three of us moving together like a well oiled machine.

Sofie is passed out in seconds, those Alpha pheromones pulling her under so that it’s just me and Lance as he removes his fingers. I’m waiting for it to get awkward now that the silence has set in but instead, I watch as he sucks those fingers into his mouth, moaning as my taste coats his tongue. “One day, it’ll be my tongue between those thighs, Violet. What? You didn’t think I’d want you too?” I didn’t. I always really thought it was about Sofie. Sure, the three of us had fun but Sofie was our focus. Still is. “Violet, listen to me when I say that when we’re done with the both of you, you will be wearing my bite. It’s only a matter of time until I get you to melt the same way Puma and Gray have. They might have a head start but we’ll see who wins.”

My face flushes with embarrassment, the need to go hide somewhere else a very real thought. But I don’t leave, Sofie reaching for me even in her sleep. “I was doing it by myself for so fucking long that I think I’ve forgotten how to give in, how to accept that I don’t need to be in control.” The weight of my words hits me like a freight train. “That I don’t want to always be in control.”

Leaning on Puma last night was everything I needed it to be. Having Lance in this bed feels normal, right. And the idea of being part of this pack no longer feels as terrifying as it did two days ago.