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Chapter thirty-eight

PUMA

The week drags, the air heavy with the kind of waiting that grates on my nerves. Lawsuits pile up like dead weight on my shoulders, dragging behind me with every step. It’s all bullshit—whispers twisted into accusations, accusations sharpened into threats. I half-expected it, but now that it’s in full swing, now that it’s clawing at the edges of everything we’ve built, I’m more annoyed than anything.

Xavier has vanished, slipping into the cracks before we could pin him down, and the idea that Orion is behind this is only part of the problem. There’s someone else in the shadows, pulling the strings. This isn’t just retaliation. It’s strategy. A setup. The kind I’ve seen before, the kind that ends with people behind bars or buried in the ground.

Still, none of it is more important than keeping my people safe.

Violet and Sofie have changed the house, filled the spaces between us with something warm, something none of us realized we were missing. They’ve made it feel like a home, like more than just a place to sleep between jobs, between fights, between waiting for the next inevitable problem to knock at the door. Gray is the most obvious about it, a lovesick bastard walking around like he’s just waiting for Violet to breathe in his direction. Lance and Hawk are no better, circling Sofie and Violet every chance they get.

Sofie and Violet have been attached at the hip over the last week, but the energy between them has changed. Sofie sleeps through the night without waking in a panic, without scrambling to find Violet like she’s the only thing tethering her to the world. And Violet—she’s letting down her walls.

It's been so much easier as she lets herself be loved in the stolen kisses and soft caresses. She doesn’t flinch when one of the twins drags her into their lap, doesn’t tense when a hand lands on her waist. Hawk’s become more bold, catching her before she reaches the kitchen as he smothers her. And the rare moments she lets me steal her away for a bath or just to curl up against me at night is everything.

The moment we finally had time to give our women a full tour, I wish we had done it sooner. The wide-eyed looks, Sofie’s squeals, and Violet’s knowing smirk as she whispered ‘there’ and then looked over at Gray. If she thinks he’s the only one who will be christening this house, she’s sorely mistaken.

I watch them from the kitchen, arms crossed, coffee in hand, leaning against the counter as I take it all in. The house is loud in a way it never used to be, filled with laughter, teasing, chaos. And I fucking love it and not just for the distraction it provides. Gray’s got Violet in his arms, dipping her low in some exaggerated ballroom move, a manic grin stretched across his face as she shrieks and claws at his shirt.

“Gray, you asshole—”

“Shh, princess, I got you.”

She’s fighting and melting at the same time, rolling her eyes but holding onto his shoulders like she’d never dream of letting go. Sofie watches from the couch, curled up in Lance’s lap, fingers absently playing with his. Hawk is stretched out next to him, long legs sprawled over the cushions, but when Sofie giggles at something Lance says, Hawk—without even thinking—grabs her and hauls her onto his chest.

Like some kind of caveman.

“Mine.” The word rumbles from his chest, lazy and absolute, like it’s just a fact.

Sofie lets out a startled squeak before dissolving into laughter, squirming in his grip. “You gonna carry me around forever?”

“Yeah.” No hesitation. No humor. Just pure, unwavering certainty.

Violet, still half-trapped in Gray’s hold, chokes on her laughter. “Jesus, Hawk, at least pretend to be civilized.”

Hawk shrugs, his fingers still curled possessively around Sofie’s waist. “No.”

I smirk, shaking my head as I disappear into the office, hearing the soft footsteps following me. It’s the moments she sneaks away into my office that I enjoy the most. The door creaks open, the sound hesitant, but I don’t bother looking up. I already know it’s her. I’ve told her too many times she doesn’t have to knock or tread lightly in here but it never changes.

Soft footfalls move across the room, and then she’s there, climbing into my lap without a word. She exhales long and slow as she melts against my chest, face pressed into my shirt, fingers curling into the fabric like she needs something to hold onto.

I let my hand settle on her hip, rubbing slow, lazy circles over her shirt as her jasmine scent sinks into me. “Something wrong, Dove?” A few seconds ago, she was laughing right along with the rest of them and now… I don’t really like the way her lips are pulling into a frown.

She shakes her head, her fingers trailing idly along my collar. “No. Just… needed to work some things out in my head.” Her breath slows, her body settling, but her fingers keep moving, tracing thoughtless shapes against my chest. Then, finally— “It’s not just Sofie,” she murmurs, voice quiet. “I mean, she’s settled now, and that’s good. But there’s everything else. The apartment, the bills, the fact that I need to figure out what the fuck I’m doing before next month rolls around.”

There it is. Violet has spent so much time making sure Sofie is okay, making sure she fits into this life, that she hasn’t stopped to think about herself. Violet might have been letting us in but I think we all kind of forgot about the life she stepped out of—the one she left behind. In no way do I want her to return to that apartment. Hell, I want her to get rid of it. There’s no reason for her to still have it.

The problem is that none of us have talked about it. It hasn’t come up in conversation as if we’ve all just been so focused on the life we’re building here that we forgot everything else. And that’s on me. I drag my hand up her spine, fingertips pressing just firm enough to keep her grounded. “What do you want to do?”

She hesitates before tilting her chin up to look at me, something tired in her eyes, something worn. “I don’t know.” Her laugh is small, humorless. “I haven’t had time to think about what I want. I’ve just been surviving, you know? And now I’m in paradise. It feels like a dream.”

Yeah. I know. A dream I never want to leave. I know exactly what it’s like to live like she had. To carry everything on your back without stopping to ask if you even want to. To prioritize someone else’s safety, someone else’s comfort, until you forget what it means to have your own. It’s why I pull her closer, why I press a kiss to the top of her head and let it linger. “You don’t have to figure it all out today, dove.” She hums at the use of the name I’ve given her over the past few days. She’s all fierce and rough around the edges but when she lets us see her, there’s that renewed scene of peace that shines through.

“I know,” she whispers. “But it’s hard to turn it off.”

A smirk tugs at my lips, my arms tightening around her, locking her against me. “Then let me help.”

I’ve never been a hesitant man. Every move I’ve made in life has been calculated, deliberate, made with confidence since my Omega passed away. I don’t second-guess, don’t leave room for doubt. But this—this is different. It isn’t business. It isn’t some deal that can be negotiated, signed, and tucked away under the watchful eye of a lawyer.

It’s them. Violet curled into my lap like she was always meant to be here. Sofie, nestled between the twins, half-asleep, glowing with that soft, quiet happiness that’s still so fucking new. It’s them, and I haven’t been fair.

They’ve been waiting. Even if they don’t say it outright, even if they hide it well, I see it—I feel it. The doubt. The fear that this is temporary. That one day, the pack will decide they’ve had their fill, that Sofie and Violet will be forced to pack their shit and leave with nothing but the memories of warmth and security they were finally allowed to taste.

I hate that I haven’t done enough to make them believe otherwise. And as fucking soon as it might seem, I’m done waiting. This week has been proof enough that they belong here. In this house. In this pack. With me. With all of us. And I’ll be damned if I let them think for another second that they’re anything less than permanent. Violet stirs against my chest, shifting just enough to meet my gaze, her brows pulling together when she catches the tension in my muscles. “What’s wrong?”

I brush my thumb along her cheek, smoothing out the little crease in her brow. “There’s a conversation I’ve been waiting to have until the time is right,” I murmur. “But the truth is, it may never be the right time. And with everything going on, I wanted to wait, but—”

She straightens, eyes narrowing, reading me the way she always does, always searching for the angle, the catch. “Wait, what’s going on?”

“Relax, dove.” I shake my head, holding her closer. “It’s nothing bad.”

She doesn’t relax. If anything, she tenses even more, fingers curling into my shirt like she’s ready to hold herself together with sheer force of will.

So I don’t drag it out. I give her the truth. “You and Sofie aren’t temporary. I don’t know what you’ve been told before, what you’ve had to go through, but this?” My voice stays low, steady, leaving no room for argument. “This isn’t a trial run, Violet. You’re part of this pack. Sofie is part of this pack. And I’m not letting either of you go.”

Her breath shudders, lips parting, fingers tightening where they grip my shirt. She’s fighting it, holding herself back, trying not to let herself believe. So I cup the back of her neck, tilting her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze.

“Do you understand me?”

She swallows hard, something flickering behind her eyes—something vulnerable, something raw. Then, so fucking quiet I almost don’t catch it—“Say it again.”

My grip tightens, my lips brushing against hers, voice nothing but a murmur between us. “I’m not letting you go.” I cup her face, thumb brushing along the sharp edge of her jaw, and pull her in, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss against her lips. When I pull back, I realize that keeping Violet and Sofie out of the limelight is one thing but keeping things from them is entirely different. They deserve to know just what they’re getting into with us—however it ends. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Her brows pull together immediately, eyes narrowing with that sharp, calculating way she looks at things when she’s waiting for a fight to start. “That sounds ominous.”

“It is.”

She stiffens, but she doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t even flinch. “Tell me.”

So I do. I tell her everything. The rumors. The whispers that started quiet and then grew into a wildfire. The accusations of fraud, of stolen art, of entire collections being fabricated. The lawsuit. The criminal investigation. Xavier going off the grid. Orion looking more like a puppet than a mastermind. The looming suspicion that someone else is pulling the strings, someone with power, someone with a plan.

I tell her about the emails, the legal threats, the way clients are getting skittish. The way our best client warned us to tread carefully, the way Banks is scrambling to keep us one step ahead before this whole thing collapses. By the time I’m done, she’s not scared. She’s pissed.

Her whole body vibrates with emotion, with that slow-burning rage that builds until it explodes. “You didn’t think to tell me this sooner?” She growls, her face twisted in anger.

My shoulders rise with a heavy breath. “It wasn’t about keeping you in the dark, dove. It was about protecting you.”

Wrong fucking answer. Her eyes flash, jaw tightening like she’s seconds from swinging on me. “You think I need you to protect me?” she snaps, her grip on my shirt turning punishing. “This isn’t about keeping us safe, Puma. This is about helping. You didn’t tell me because you thought you could handle it yourself. Because you thought we were just here to be pampered and doted on. You always tell me to lean but you’re just a hypocrite. I could’ve helped. I can help.”

Her breath is coming too fast, her pulse hammering against my fingertips where I still have a hand on her hip. She’s not just angry. She’s insulted. I watch her, measure the frustration pouring off her in waves, then tip my head. She’s not wrong. Taking this all on myself, even trying to make sure the others don’t worry has made life way more difficult than it should be. And yet… there was still a reason for it. “That’s why I’ve been waiting.”

She hesitates, expression shifting. “Waiting for what?”

Dragging a hand through my hair, I let out a slow breath, holding her gaze. “Waiting to talk about bonds.”

Her lips part slightly, eyes narrowing like she’s trying to fit that piece into the rest of the puzzle. “Because of this?”

I nod. “Because I wasn’t sure how you and Sofie would feel while all this chaos was going on. I didn’t want you thinking we were dragging you into something bigger than you signed up for. That we were claiming you just to keep you locked in while everything around us burns.”

The anger in her expression softens as if she understands where I’m coming from but I’m not ready for the sadness that lingers in those brown eyes. “I was watching Sofie fall apart.” She lets out a quiet, shaky breath, like she’s saying something she hasn’t let herself acknowledge yet. “We thought we could do it alone. We thought we could keep everything together, that we didn’t need Alphas to handle our shit. And for a while, it worked.” Her eyes flick back up, something exhausted behind them. “But we were wrong.”

I don’t say anything. I let her keep going.

“Sofie needed a pack. She needed stability. And I needed someone to remind me that I didn’t have to shoulder everything alone.” A bitter chuckle leaves her lips as she shakes her head. “So, if you think a few fucking rumors are gonna scare me off, you don’t know me at all.”

A slow grin tugs at the corner of my mouth. “That’s my girl.” She glares, but there’s no fire behind it, just exasperation. The silence that follows makes me wonder if she even wants bonds, if that physical tether is in her million plans running around in her head. I already know what Sofie wants. Her instincts have been driving her, the way she slightly tilts her neck every time one of us approaches. Those little smiles when the twins or Gray start kissing up her shoulder and grazing their teeth over the skin.

She’ll be more than happy to take all they have to give but Violet isn’t submissive like that. She’s softer but still hard to read at times. Like now. I drag my thumb across the heat of her cheek, watching the way she leans into it, maybe without even realizing. “You want a bite, dove? Or is that just for Sofie?”

Her body tenses, the hesitation so slight, so quick, that most people wouldn’t have caught it. But I do. I see the way her fingers twitch against me, the way her throat works as she swallows, how her gaze flicks away just for a second. And then she softens again like I hadn’t even asked the question.

“There are four Alphas vying for your attention, sweetheart,” I murmur, letting my lips graze her ear, feeling the way she shudders against me. “It’s only a matter of time.”

Her breath slips out in something close to a sigh. “It wasn’t something I always thought about,” she admits. “But in the last week? The way I look at things has changed. I want that familial tie-in,” she says, like she’s only just realizing it as the words leave her lips. “That sense of belonging. And now that Sofie is safe, now that she’s cared for and not fighting just to get through every day… I don’t feel so guilty about being happy too.”

I wasn’t expecting her to just say it, to lay it out in the open, to strip it down to its rawest form and hand it to me without hesitation. No coyness, no avoidance, no deflection. Just truth. Just want. Just the first glimpse of what she’s finally allowing herself to have. I press my lips to her forehead, lingering there for a long moment, breathing her in, letting it settle. “You’re amazing, you know that?”