Page 47

Chapter forty-seven

SOFIE

I wake up slowly, warmth pressed against every part of me, the heavy weight of a knot still keeping me plugged up. My body hums, sore and sated in a way I’ve never felt before. It’s like I’ve been stretched open and filled with something more than just relief—something deep and tethering, something that makes me feel whole.

Gray is still wrapped around me from behind, his breath hot against the back of my neck, one arm draped lazily over my waist. Violet’s in front of me, dead to the world, her lips parted, a little bit of drool slipping onto the nest. She looks so soft like this, so peaceful. And I can feel every single Alpha in this room. Even though I don’t have Puma’s bite, I can feel him through the twins and Gray. I can feel him through Violet too.

I shift slightly, and Gray lets out a deep, sleepy groan before his knot slips free with a slick pop. A rush of warmth spills out of me, pooling between my thighs, soaking into the nest beneath me. Jesus. This whole place needs to be bleached at this point.

But I feel so goddamn good. I stretch my limbs, my muscles sore and deliciously worn out, little sparks of overstimulation trailing up my spine. Violet stirs at the movement, grumbling as she wipes at the drool on her chin, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes.

“How’s it feel?” she rasps, voice thick with sleep.

I meet her gaze, my breath catching in my throat as something shifts inside me. It’s like I’ve been watching her from behind glass my whole life, feeling her emotions in muted echoes—but now, now, it’s different. The glass is shattered. The bond between us is alive in a way it wasn’t before. It sings.

I can feel her. Not just her presence, not just the tether that’s always been there, but her emotions, her warmth, her exhaustion, her love. My vision blurs with sudden tears, my throat tightening as I reach for her. “Vi,” I whisper, my fingers brushing over her cheek, tracing the soft skin there. “I could always feel you—I always knew how you felt, what was going on—but for the first time, I can actually feel you.”

Violet’s breath hitches, her lips parting as understanding dawns on her face. She lifts a shaky hand to cup mine, pressing it against her cheek, tears brimming. Gray groans beside me, shifting onto his back, running a hand through his messy hair before he looks over at us with a lazy grin. “That’s what happens when you share an Alpha,” he rumbles. “Strengthens bonds. Deepens connections.”

I glance at Violet, at the love and awe in her gaze, and I know—this isn’t just about Gray. This isn’t just about our pack. This is ours. This bond between us has been reforged, strengthened by something beyond just biology. It’s everything. Violet lets out a choked laugh, curling into me, pressing her forehead against mine. “Guess you’re stuck with me,” she whispers.

I let out a breathless giggle, burying my fingers in her hair. “I’ve always been stuck with you.”

I’m still floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness when Gray starts nursing his bite. I have no idea how long I was out or how Gray convinced the twins to let him have me this long. Their scents are still in the nest so I know they’re here, Puma and Violet wrapped up in each other in front of me.

Violet growls beside me, shifting so fast I barely process it before she’s pressing her face into my neck, her arms locking tight around my waist. "Why didn’t you bite Sofie in a weird place too?" she grumbles.

Gray chuckles against my skin, unbothered as he nips at my shoulder again before pulling back to regard Violet with amusement. "You want me to put a bite somewhere ridiculous just for fun? You did practically threaten me last night."

Violet scowls, rubbing her face against my skin in that mine kind of way that has my heart pounding. "You bit me on the ear, you bastard," she accuses. "The ear ."

Gray’s lips curl into a slow, teasing grin. "Saying the right thing will set Sofie off," he muses, shifting so he can run a hand down my spine. "She’s an Omega, after all." His voice is a low, playful murmur, and my breath catches in my throat because he’s right. My body reacts to every little touch, every word, every goddamn thing. And now that I can feel them all—I can feel every bit of pleasure and desire running through the bond. I bite back a whine as slick coats my thighs, realizing how impractical being an Omega is.

"But," he continues, eyes twinkling with mischief, "it’s not socially unacceptable to lovingly reach out and touch my mate’s ear, is it?"

I don’t even process what he means before he reaches out, pressing his fingers against the fresh bite on Violet’s ear. She basically melts beneath his touch, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. It’s the kind of sound that shouldn’t come from someone just waking up, the kind that immediately makes my skin prickle with heat, more slick pooling between my thighs. Gray smirks like the smug bastard he is, his fingers still ghosting over Violet’s ear, like he’s testing how much it takes to make her fall apart.

Hawk groans from somewhere nearby, voice thick with frustration. "Absolutely no more of whatever the fuck is going on," he warns. "Or someone is getting fucked again."

Gray sighs dramatically, rolling onto his back with a stretch. "Party pooper," he mutters. "But fine." He pauses, then tilts his head toward the doorway. "What’s for breakfast?"

Hawk grunts. "I’m not cooking."

Puma dips his lips to Violet’s bite on her shoulder, my Beta wriggling between us before just giving in. “Guess we’re ordering in,” he mutters against her skin. “Not even sure what fucking time it is but we should at least get some food in us.”

Violet finally pries herself off me and slips out of Puma’s grip, stretching like a cat before rubbing at her ear, still looking half-asleep. "This house is ridiculous." She looks freshly fucked and I got to taste her. This is definitely a win in my book.

"Welcome home, princess."

And despite how exhausted and sore I am, I can’t help but smile, because yeah—this is home now.