Page 5

Chapter five

VIOLET

With Sofie passed out after forcing her to eat one of the leftover sandwiches from the fridge, I curl up on the bed with her in my lap, the soft beats of her breathing allowing me to finally relax. She’s resting—for now. But it won’t last.

A long breath escapes, exhaustion pressing at the edges of my mind. Sleep refuses to come, taunting me as all the things going wrong feed into my worries. The low buzz of my phone cuts through the quiet, pulling me back to the present. Careful not to jostle Sofie too much, I reach for it, glancing at the screen.

Missed call – Camila.

A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips, the first real one I’ve had in hours. Of course, it’s her. No matter how much time passes, no matter how much life shifts beneath our feet, Camila always has a way of cutting through the fog in my head like a damn knife. A few months ago, it was me pushing her to step out and follow her heart. And now she’s got three beautiful mates. I can only hope that my happily ever after is around the corner too.

I redial her number, opting for a video call, needing to see her gorgeous face. It rings twice before she comes into view, Camila too damn close to the screen before leaning back. She looks every bit as relaxed as I expected, her dark hair a tousled mess against the pillows, a lazy, satisfied smirk curving her lips. She’s lying back on a bed, looking ridiculously comfortable, while Kolsen, one of her Alphas, sits behind her, one arm draped around her waist, scrolling through something on his phone like this is just another night.

“There you are,” Camila murmurs. “Missed me?”

A snort escapes before I can stop it, shifting the phone slightly to get more comfortable. “You wish, Mila.” Sofie lets out a little whimper and curls in tighter against me as I draw the covers up further over her shoulders.

Camila hums, amusement flickering behind half-lidded eyes, the kind that says she knows better. Her gaze drops down to the tip of Sofie’s head, all she can see through the screen, and then back up to me. “You look like shit, babe. Rough night?”

Anyone else, I would deflect or pretend this wasn’t happening but there’s no need to hide from Camila. We’ve told each other everything since we were kids and that hasn’t changed. “You could say that.”

Kolsen’s gaze flicks up from his phone, nodding in greeting. “Violet.” His good eye settles on me, the other one covered in a soft black patch. I still remember the story Camila told me about the flames that left half of her Alpha’s face scarred. He had saved their Omega and I agree with Camila wholeheartedly that Kolsen is still beautiful inside and out. He has a terrifying Alpha presence but he’s gorgeous.

Camila twists around, playfully poking his arm. Despite having mated three men who own an entire sex club, she’s still adorable. Soft like Sofie is in some ways. “You don’t have to be so formal, Alpha,” she muses.

Kolsen smirks but doesn’t argue, his focus already shifting back to whatever he is doing. Camila, on the other hand, watches me more intently now, amusement fading just enough to make room for something sharper. “Tell me what’s up. And don’t give me the bullshit. You told me Sofie was going into heat months ago. What’s going on?”

I glance down at the love of my life in my arms, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before I speak. “I thought I could do this, Mila. I thought I could be everything she needs but she needs so much more than me. The bills are stacking up. Work is bullshit and Sofie… god, she’s a fucking angel, Mila.”

Camila’s expression shifts to something softer. “How is she?”

The guilt settles in deep, a familiar, unwelcome ache in my ribs. Camila and Sofie used to be close— we used to be close. The three of us, Betas running wild, moving through the world like nothing could touch us, convinced we had everything figured out. Untouchable, unshaken. Sofie was the wild one, the one that captured my heart, my whole world becoming her.

Then Sofie presented and everything changed.

She had been embarrassed, so damn embarrassed, retreating into herself, avoiding everyone—especially Camila. And it hadn’t helped that Camila had just found her mates, trying to figure out her own issues with her overbearing father. By the time Camila was fully settled, Sofie was so terrified of the world around her that I couldn’t even convince her to go do simple errands with me.

I had thrown everything into taking care of her. And while Sofie has come so far, I’ve let everything else slip. Camila fell to the sidelines. Other relationships withered away. The strained conversations between my parents stopped. They didn’t want me with Sofie now that she was an Omega but I wasn’t leaving just because things got hard.

A tear slips down my cheek and I wipe it away with my arm, Camila getting a full view of Sofie sleeping against my chest. I clear my throat and apologize. “Fuck, sorry. It’s been rough. She’s okay now. Well, not really.” Do I dare tell Camila how awful it’s been when she’s finally gotten the happy ending she deserves? One look at my best friend’s face and I know that if I don’t tell her, she’ll have my ass for it. “That day in the park when I told you Sofie had presented? It’s still like that. Everything is terrifying and strange and new. I want to rip out everyone’s goddamn throats all the time when they look at her wrong.”

Camila lets out a small laugh but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I love how protective you are over her. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when her parents threw her out but you’ve done amazing. And when everything evens out, I demand a get together. I’ve missed you two for too long.”

That’s a no brainer. “Her heat should be in the next couple of days. I still have to figure out what we’re going to do.”

“And you will.” Camila shifts, her dark hair spilling over Kolsen’s arm as she twists around. "You know," she muses, "I could always get you a job at the club." Kolsen barely glances up from his phone, fingers moving over the screen with idle attention. His grip around her waist tightens slightly, a subtle claim as a slow grin follows.

A quiet snort escapes as I shake my head. “Yeah, no thanks.”

Camila pouts dramatically, tilting her head just enough to make it look convincing. “Come on, babe. It’s easy money. Just flash that mean little smirk of yours and let the desperate fucks throw their wallets at you.” Kolsen squeezes her side again, this time in warning. No doubt, she’s going to get punished later or whatever kinky shit they get up to these days. I’ve lost count of how many stories Camila has thrown at me that end up in her naked usually somewhere in public.

I’m only mildly jealous. “Mila, as much as I’d love to shake my ass or whatever happens at Temple , I can’t bring all those scents home. Sofie would lose her damn mind.”

Camila hums. “She still that scent-sensitive?”

A slow breath pushes through my nose, as I resituate, gently laying Sofie down beside me. She immediately curls around my thigh, her cheek pressed into my bare skin. “She’s getting worse,” I admit, reluctant. “Had to throw out a whole sweater the other day because I brushed against someone too strong at work. It’s like… her body knows she needs something, but she won’t admit it. We both know she needs an Alpha and we had fun with one a few times, nothing serious. Don’t look at me like that. He’s the only one I’d mildly trust but he’s got his own pack. I’ve seen the bites in his shoulder. Every time I actually bring it up though, outside of the heat spikes, Sofie tells me she doesn’t need anything other than me.”

Camila’s smirk fades slightly, softening at the edges. “She loves you so goddamn much, Vi. I can’t imagine how painful that situation is.”

A shrug is the only answer I give, but even that feels forced. It gnaws at me, this helpless, restless thing that won’t settle, no matter how much I pretend we have it under control. “We’re managing.”

She doesn’t believe me. I can see it in the way she watches me, in the way her lips press together, the way her fingers drum absently against Kolsen’s forearm. Camila doesn’t take bullshit from anyone, least of all me. “Is there anything I can do?” Camila doesn’t say things just to say them—when she offers, she means it. If I asked, she would pull through without hesitation, without complaint.

Shaking my head, I manage a half-smile. “I’ll figure it out. I always do.”

Kolsen finally looks up from his phone, his sharp, assessing gaze flickering between us before settling on me. “Why not just call that Alpha friend of yours?”

I’ve never really spent a lot of time with Camila’s mates but it’s clear she tells them everything. “Because a mated Alpha helping with an unmated Omega’s heat is tricky. I don’t want Sofie pushed into something she can’t get out of. I know that Alpha is a good one but if he lost his control for even a second, Sofie would end up mated without a conversation. It’s too dangerous.”

“And you think he would do that?” Kolsen pushes.

I realize I’m being unreasonable, that I should have at least called Lance to see if he would come regardless of the circumstances. Sofie had asked for him and I told her no. Fuck, I’m an idiot. “No, I just… I’ll figure it out,” I say, flustered. “I’ve gotta go. Early start in the morning.” It’s a bunch of bullshit, the goodbyes brief, and then the call ends.

The second the screen goes dark, the silence in the room feels heavier than before. I slip down under the covers, pulling Sofie against me as she hums into my chest. It takes me a moment to realize she’s purring for me, my beautiful Omega giving me the most precious sound in the world. God, I don’t deserve her.