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Chapter twenty-three

VIOLET

Sofie is unraveling and I can feel it in every sharp inhale, every frustrated movement, every single tremor in her fingers as she grips the blankets like they might slip through her grasp if she lets go. Her scent is thick again, coating every damn thing in Lance’s room. It’s not quite a spike, not full-blown heat, but something close enough that my stomach tightens with a mixture of instinctual panic and need.

She’s still standing there, arms folded tight, jaw clenched, glaring at the empty space in the nest like it personally insulted her. And that’s when I realize what’s missing. Sofie’s never truly built a nest and I’m so damn proud of this one but she’s missing the pillow from our apartment.

I scrub a hand over my face, trying to push past the exhaustion, past the absurdity, past the fact that I should be used to this by now. This is how she gets when her instincts are running too hot, when her body overrides her rational mind, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to talk her down from it. She needs the pillow.

The one we’ve had since the college days, the one with stuffing practically leaking from the seams, the one we used to fight over when we had sleepovers at my house like it was some kind of prize. Of all the things she could have fixated on, of all the luxury surrounding her in this ridiculous estate, she wants that.

I sigh, dragging my hands through my hair. “Baby, I don’t think I packed it.”

Her breath catches, her fingers twitch, and then a whimper falls from her lips. Low, broken, barely a sound at all, but it guts me like a knife between the ribs. Fuck . She looks at me, her lips parting, eyes glassy with raw emotion, and I know—fuck, I know—I just made it worse.

The panic is settling in now, twisting its claws into her, making her scent shift into something desperate. I move fast, closing the space between us, hands settling firmly on her shoulders. “Hey, hey, I’ll figure something out, okay?” The words spill out too quickly, too eager, because I’ll say anything to stop that look of despair on her face.

She nods, but doesn’t look convinced. Her hands fist into my hoodie as I press a kiss to her forehead. “Just breathe for me, baby.” I exhale, stepping back and forcing my hands to move even though I want to keep them on my Omega as I draw her into my chest. “I’ll check my bag. Just sit, okay? Stay in the nest.” I know for a fact that it’s not in my bag. It’s one of many things I forgot but it’s the most important thing and now I’m kicking myself for it.

I dash out into the hallway, hoping that Sofie won’t notice I’m about to leave the house. It won’t take long to drive there and back, maybe thirty minutes. It’s a dumb thing to do but the only thought on my mind is making her happy. She needs the pillow so I’m going to go get it. Unfortunately, I barely make it to the kitchen before I realize my mistake.

The moment I snatch my keys off the counter, Puma and Gray’s quiet conversation cuts short, their attention snapping toward me like I just announced I was setting the house on fire. Sofie is right behind me, gluing herself to my side immediately. Well… that was anticlimactic.

Puma’s brows furrow. “What’s going on?”

I flick my keys between my fingers. “I’m grabbing Sofie’s pillow.” Sofie grunts, a wordless gesture that tells me I should have just told her that it wasn’t here.

His frown deepens. “Is that a good idea with her this close to her heat?” Puma stands, walking toward us, his expression full of concern. “Love, she might be hours away from a full-blown heat and if you’re not here, she’s going to panic.”

That would explain why Sofie is basically speaking whines and grunts. I twist to look at her, her hazel eyes glazed over. Her hand digs into my shoulder, one of her brows lifting in a challenge. She’s not letting me leave her side.

Gray laughs from his seat at the table, but there’s no humor in it—just dry amusement mixed with pure disbelief. “Yeah, that’s a horrible idea.”

I bristle, ready to argue, but then I catch the warning look in Puma’s eyes. I hate the way my gut tells me to listen, the way my instincts are at odds with what I want to do. I’m not used to standing down when it comes to Sofie. But something about the way these two Alphas are watching me, waiting for me to make the wrong move has me hesitating.

Gray lets out a heavy sigh, approaching the both of us as well. “I’ll go.”

Sofie immediately shakes her head, stubborn as ever. “You won’t know which one is the right one.” Her words are thick and slurred, her body starting to vibrate by my side. God, the idea swirling around in my head is an awful one.

Gray raises a brow. “It’s a pillow, sunshine.”

Sofie glares. “It’s the pillow.”

Gray exhales through his nose as he pinches the bridge, shaking his head. I turn to Sofie, brushing my fingers along her warm wrist, trying to reason with her. “Baby, if you have a spike while we’re gone, you need to be here. The twins or Gray can help.”

Sofie shakes her head harder, clutching at my hoodie. “No.”

I sigh, rubbing my temple. “Sofie—”

“No, Violet.” Her voice wobbles, and fuck, it’s the tone that gets me. She’s not arguing for fun—she needs this. I can feel it in my chest, the way she leans into me, the way her body trembles just the slightest bit.

Gray rolls his shoulders, exhaling sharply before stepping forward. “Fine. We all go.” Gray is already moving, grabbing a jacket off the chair, Puma throwing him a warning glance as well. Puma turns to me and presses a simple kiss to my forehead like ‘be safe’ and ‘be smart’ all in one gesture. Nothing about this is smart and I’m surprised no one is yelling at us for it. That is until I realize the two men who probably would stop us from doing something this reckless are the twins who aren’t currently here.

Sofie is practically vibrating, barely waiting for us before she piles into the backseat, already tucking herself into the blankets. I watch her for a second, making sure she’s settled, then turn back to Gray with a mock-serious look. “No kinky business,” I warn, wagging a finger at him. “Sofie’s too close to her heat for you to be playing around.”

Gray laughs, a rich deep sound I’ve missed, shaking his head. “Princess, I remember how much you loved that side of me.”

And just like that—his hands are on me. Strong, sure, fingers curling around my waist, pulling me close until my breath catches in my throat. Gray’s amber scent wrapping around me, making my thoughts hazy for a split second. I gasp, pressing my hands against his chest, heart hammering when I feel how solid he is. “Gray—”

His lips curve into a dangerous, teasing smile. “What’s wrong, princess? Thought you could handle me?”

I let out a low growl, shoving against him half-heartedly. “Just keep it in your pants,” I mutter, forcing myself to step back, ignoring the way my skin feels cold the second I’m out of his grip. “Sofie’s coming with us. And I can’t handle it if there’s a repeat of the other night.”

Gray’s teasing grin softens, something gentler slipping into his expression. “I get it. Let’s go get our Omega’s pillow.”

Our .

He says it like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like Sofie already belongs to him. To us. I try not to read into it.