Page 36

Chapter thirty-six

VIOLET

When Hawk peeked into the room to ask if we wanted to go to dinner, I didn’t expect an actual restaurant. I also didn’t expect one of those fancy private booths that cuts us off from the regular dinner hall. There’s still chatter and the occasional laughter but it’s all very… poised. The only reason I’m suffering through is because Sofie is curled up in my lap, her body draped against mine like she belongs there. Her fingers rest against my thighs, as she hums around the bite of food I just fed her. She’s still caught in that post-heat haze, that syrupy sweetness that makes her melt a little too easily, makes her sigh every time my fingers slide through her hair.

She’s been softening like this every time one of us gives her more than a few seconds of attention and I fucking love it. She’s leaning into her instincts, letting herself feel out the Omega she wants to be. And I for one am all for this version.

The twins sit shoulder to shoulder, murmuring between themselves, their hands moving lazily as they pick through their food. Hawk glances over every few moments, like he’s making sure Sofie is still enjoying herself. It’s instinct, and I know it, because I’ve been doing the same damn thing. However, Hawk’s gaze occasionally falls to me, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Puma wasn’t wrong when he said that I caught the attention of all four of the Alphas in this pack.

His sharp musky scent is tinged with an edge of mint, a cooling feeling that settles my nerves. It’s never been this strong before, heat pooling in my lower belly at the thought of Hawk doing more than just staring. I quickly clear my throat and feed Sofie another bite as my attention flits to Puma seated at the head of the table. He’s staring at me with a knowing smirk, my entire body lighting up. God, it’s going to be impossible with these men, isn’t it?

Gray shifts closer to me, his amber scent thickening as his lips meet the curve of my ear. A shiver runs down my spine as I feel like I’m suddenly on display for these men. His tongue darts out to lick sensitive skin before a small piece of steak is lifted to my lips. “For you, princess,” he murmurs, voice edged with teasing, something darker curling underneath it.

I twist around to see him, my eyes narrowing, already knowing this is a setup. There’s no way in hell I’m playing into whatever game he’s decided to start. My mouth opens, already halfway through a well-aimed insult, Gray taking the opportunity to press the beef through my lips.

Hawk and Lance stop mid-conversation, their forks hovering in the air, their gazes locked on me like I just did something completely out of character. Puma doesn’t react, but there’s amusement rolling off him in thick, unspoken waves. And Gray is watching me like he’s won something.

The heat that licks at my cheeks is slow, creeping up from my neck until I’m damn sure I’m going to burst into flames. I chew, swallow, glare at him. “Happy?”

Gray hums, dragging his fingers against my jaw, barely grazing my skin before he reaches for another bite. “Almost. One more.” This time when he feeds me, the rumble of his purr has me pressing my thighs together and holding Sofie a little tighter against my chest. My scent betrays me, though. Hawk tentatively reaching over to slide a hand around the back of my neck. And then he squeezes, a traitorous moan falling from my lips.

“Fuck,” I mutter, embarrassed, ashamed—hell, I’m not even sure. The heat in Hawk’s eyes has deepened, his nostrils flaring as something connects between us. I quickly shimmy out of his grip but there isn’t anywhere to go, trapped between him and Gray. “Just keep talking and leave me be. There is no way to relieve this state you’ve got me in. No, none of you look like that. We’re not doing stuff in public.”

Gray grins. “You used to. What? She did! Remember that one day at the mall—”

“ No .” God, where is a hole so I can drop into it and lose myself forever. “Please just eat.” Puma’s sitting over there, his shoulders jostling as he tries to swallow down his laughter. I’m not even going to chance looking at Lance.

Sofie is looking up at me with that knowing smile so I grab one of the cherry tomatoes from her salad and stuff it between her lips. The conversation picks up again, leaving me and Sofie to our own little piece of heaven. It’s starting to feel like this could be more than a fleeting moment, like it could be some kind of forever and I’m deliriously hopeful.

Half an hour later, I can’t eat another bite and if Gray tries feeding me again, I’m going to bite off his finger. He seems to know that as he sneaks bites off my plate like he wasn’t the one hand-feeding me a minute ago, his grin smug every time I glare at him. I settle back into the cushions, pulling Sofie with me. She’s half asleep, murmuring about something I can’t quite catch. God, I love that she’s comfortable enough to do that now—to relax because a few weeks ago, she’d be all wide-eyed and alert.

I’m just about to ask if we can get dessert when a haughty, irritating voice spreads across the table. “Oh, I didn’t know you had started entertaining company again,” she drawls, her smile slow, practiced, laced with condescension. “This the newest bunch?”

The conversation around us dies, the warmth in the air bleeding out. Hawk’s jaw tightens, his entire body going rigid. Lance’s fingers curl into his napkin. Gray—who had been lazily sprawled in his seat just seconds ago—goes completely still. I’m not ready for the way Puma reacts to this woman though, because he just looks bored. He leans back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest, one brow raised as he waits for the woman to explain herself.

Sofie huffs, something between annoyed and irritated, curling a little tighter into my chest. Gone is the ease of this moment, turned into something filled with tension. The Beta at the edge of the table—all long legs, dark red lipstick, and hair that a shampoo commercial would be jealous of—tilts her head, her smile just a little too sharp, her gaze flicking between me and Sofie like she’s already worked out exactly where to dig in the knife.

“Oh, come on,” she purrs, saccharine sweet. “They occasionally pick up a straggler, give ‘em all the riches and everything, and then drop ‘em when they’re done. Didn’t they tell you?”

I think about checking the expressions at this table, where I’m supposed to tread or if they’re going to defend us. However, if they truly want me here with them, as part of their pack, they’re going to stand behind the haughty, hateful words that are about to come out of my mouth. A woman like her is either right and these Alphas are lying dicks or she’s a bitch, sticking her face where it doesn’t belong. Now I’m wondering which dick she tried to suck and who turned her down.

God, if she touched Puma, I’m going to tear her apart. “You want to run that by me again?” My voice is quiet, an edge of amusement padding my words. Because this is funny. The moment I start thinking about forever, this woman is just one of many things that decides to come along and ruin it.

Her head tilts, an infuriating little show of indifference. “I just think it’s interesting that they always seem to bring home Omegas in need. They find someone new, get all wrapped up in them, and when the high is over? They move on. Happened a few years ago. Happened a few years before that too.”

Again, unless these Alphas have been lying to me, I know for a fact that isn’t true. It’s not a secret that they’ve had relationships outside the pack but they haven’t brought home an Omega. They better not have. “You got some fucking nerve,” I spit out. “Coming over here and running your mouth about people you clearly don’t know.”

A flicker of hesitation crosses her face, gone in an instant. “I was just—”

“No,” I cut her off, eyes locked onto hers, daring her to try and backpedal. “You weren’t just anything. You came over here with your little fucking half-smile and your veiled insults, hoping to shake something loose. You thought you could plant a few seeds of doubt, stir up a little drama, and walk away feeling smug about it.” I love the way she stutters, her hands wringing together in front of her as she fights for words. No doubt she expected me to fall apart but I’m not a trophy piece. “You wanna know what they’re doing?” I continue, my words dripping with venom. “They’re making sure my Omega is safe. They’re making sure I am safe. And if you think for one goddamn second that I’m gonna let you stand here and talk like you have any fucking clue about what we have, you’re delusional.”

My words feel even more powerful since I’m sitting in the middle of the booth, the twins on one side, Gray on the other, and Puma at the head. She’s standing inches from him, a snarl playing on my lips. I swear to god if she fucking touches him, I’m ripping that hand off. Jealousy is rarely something I feel but I’m beginning to realize that at some point these Alphas became my Alphas, they became family. And not just because they’re taking care of Sofie anymore.

The Beta blinks, lips parting slightly, like she wasn’t expecting pushback. Like she thought we’d just sit here and take it. Puma stands, rolling his shoulders back as if shaking off the very presence of the woman before him. His expression doesn’t shift, doesn’t flicker, but his eyes—those sharp, calculating green eyes—are locked onto hers like a predator sizing up prey. "Jana," he says, voice smooth but sharp enough to slice. "I would say it’s nice to see you, but it’s really not."

Sofie stiffens against me, breath catching in her throat, the scent of her unease curling around. I tighten my arms around her and place a kiss to her temple, murmuring that it’ll be alright.

"As for the women at this table?" Puma continues, his voice deceptively casual, laced with the kind of authority that makes men fold. "That’s none of your fucking business. But if you must know, they’re our mates." His head tilts slightly, lips curling in something that isn’t quite a smile. "And as for your little ‘newest bunch’ theory?" His voice dips lower, a razor’s edge. "We’ve never operated like that and you fucking know it."

Jana’s nostrils flare, arms crossing over her chest like she’s trying to armor herself against his words. Puma isn’t finished.

"Open relationships are one thing," he continues, stepping toward her, each movement precise, controlled. "But we don’t work on a revolving basis. Just because Gray denied you a few times doesn’t give you permission to come over here and ruin a perfectly good night."

Jana’s expression darkens, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Oh, so now you’re mates?" she scoffs, gaze flicking between Sofie and me like she’s trying to find the cracks in the foundation. "You expect me to believe that you’ve suddenly changed your ways? Please."

Puma doesn’t blink, doesn’t even look amused anymore. "I don’t give a fuck what you believe."

Jana exhales sharply, then shifts, attention narrowing in on me, and for the first time since she opened her mouth, I feel a very specific kind of rage settle into my bones. "You won’t last long," she murmurs, voice sticky-sweet, sick with condescension. "None of them do."

This feels like high school where we had to deal with so much bullshit regarding the popular crowd. But we’re not kids anymore and I don’t take kindly to lies being spouted. So, I focus on making it seem like none of this shit bothers me, forcing ease into my posture. If she wants a rise out of me, she’s going to have to work a hell of a lot harder than that. "At least I’ve had all the men at this table," I say smoothly, flashing her a slow, deliberate smile.

Her brows furrow before she turns her attention to Puma, laying a soft hand to his shoulder. She opens her mouth to say something as fury curls in my gut, my teeth bared as jealousy takes over. Sofie leans forward before any of us can react, her voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "Back off, bitch."

Jana yanks her hand back as if she’s been burned, eyes wide, disbelief flashing across her face. She blinks, stunned, mouth parting like she might actually try to argue, but nothing comes out. I’m sure this is the wrong time to laugh but Sofie is vibrating on my lap, her body now facing Jana, her cute nose scrunched up in anger.

The Beta stays a few seconds more before stalking off, Sofie letting out a slow breath and sinking back against my side, her scent settling again. But everyone is still looking at her now, and I don’t miss the way Hawk’s lips twitch with something close to pride.

I nudge her lightly, smirking. "Are you jealous, baby?"

She makes a tiny sound of frustration, burying her face against my shoulder. "I didn’t like that." The words come out muffled, laced with something deeper than just irritation.

Hawk and Lance exchange a glance, something silent passing between them before Lance leans forward. "Sofie, Violet, we’ve had past relationships, yeah, but that doesn’t mean we were just running through them. We’ve never done something like this before."

Sofie lifts her head, studying him. "You mean the whole pack thing?"

"Yeah." Lance nods, eyes locked onto hers. "This isn’t just some fling. We’re all in. For you. For Violet. For all of us."

Sofie relaxes and it’s the same words I needed to hear from them as Puma takes his seat again. He seems a little too smug at how we handled ourselves and I’m sure he didn’t immediately push Jana away because he wanted to see what happened. I’ll get him for that later. Right now, though, I focus on Sofie. "We get it, baby. We’ve had past men too. It doesn’t mean anything."

And the second those words leave my mouth, I realize my mistake. Gray, who’s been sitting comfortably against my side, suddenly goes rigid. His arm tightens around my waist—not enough to hurt, just enough to remind me he’s there, that he heard every single word. His voice is low, rough, vibrating through his chest. "Who?"

I groan, already exhausted, throwing my head back against the chair. "Gray, don’t—"

"Who?" he repeats, slower this time, darker, more insistent.

My fingers trail up his arm, pressing gently against the tension there. "Calm down, tiger."

Gray scoffs, exhaling through his nose. "I’m no tiger, princess. I’m a wolf."

Laughter erupts around the table, Puma taking full advantage of the moment. He reaches over, gripping the front of Gray’s shirt with one strong hand, dragging him into his side with absurd ease.

His smirk is slow, a dangerous edge to it. "When it comes to me, you’re a goddamn puppy."

Gray growls, trying to shove him off, but Puma doesn’t budge, effortlessly keeping him pinned like he’s nothing more than an unruly pet. Lance, barely keeping it together, nearly chokes on his drink. "Fuck, Puma, let the man have some dignity."

Puma shrugs, releasing Gray with a rough pat on the chest. "What dignity?"

That just adds more laughter to the table, Sofie giggling in my arms, bringing back the warmth from earlier. Puma drags Gray into a fierce, claiming kiss that has the rest of us groaning but I’m really fucking happy for once. I’m not sure how I survived this long thinking that we were better off alone. And maybe I’m a little selfish for being glad that my plans fell apart.