Page 21 of Accidentally Forever

She’s soaked in heat, body trembling, slick shining on her thighs even through the storm. Her hair clings to her sweat-damp skin, her lips parted around tiny, pained whimpers, her fingers twitching like she’s reaching for something—someone—but there’s no strength left in her to follow through. The scent of her suffering lingers thick in the air, heavy enough that even the storm can’t wash it away.

Something dark coils in my stomach. Not hunger. Not need. Something worse. Despair. Because I recognize love when I see it. Violet is breaking for this Omega, splintering apart in real time, her hands shaking, her face drawn tight with helplessness. She’s already given up before she’s even stepped back. She’s already mourning the fact that she isn’t enough.

And fuck—if that isn’t a feeling I know all too well.

Lance slips past her, crouching low, his voice soft as he murmurs, “I got you, sweetheart.”

Sofie shudders, her small body already leaning into him before she even fully registers what’s happening. It’s instinct, that need to be close to an Alpha, to feel safe. She lets herself be pulled into his chest as he scoops her up into his arms. My attention drifts to Violet who is on the verge of tears, her usually sharp scent burnt and acidic.

I move before I think, wrapping careful fingers around her arm, pulling her away from Lance. She stiffens beneath my grip, her muscles locking up, but when she finally looks at me, it nearly knocks the breath out of me. It’s like I can read every emotion playing on her face. Her whole world is sitting in the arms of an Alpha she’s hoping she can trust and it’s killing her.

Lance carries Sofie to our car, slipping into the back as he continues to hold her crushed against his chest. By the time I slide in behind the wheel, Lance is whispering quiet things that make her fingers twitch, make her body sag just slightly, just enough. Violet moves to sit in the front seat, staring at them in the mirror, her hands curled into fists in her lap, her shoulders hunched like she’s bracing for impact.

I start the engine, the low rumble filling the silence between us, filling the spaces between words we don’t know how to say.

Then, quietly, I murmur, “It’ll be alright.” I’m not entirely sure I believe that, though.

Chapter fifteen

VIOLET

Puma hasn’t said much since we took off down the road, just that Gray would pick up my car in the morning. His voice had been low, almost distant, the words slipping past like an afterthought. The dynamic I’ll have to face once everything is settled will be chaotic but none of that matters right now.

Because behind me, Sofie is finally, finally quiet. Not fully—but enough. Her whimpers have softened, no longer gasping, no longer sharp with pain. Her body is moving differently now, less like she’s being torn apart, more like she’s finally grasping something to hold onto.

Lance is giving her that something. He holds her like she’s something precious, like the weight of her doesn’t bother him in the slightest. His voice is quiet, murmured against the top of her head, soothing in a way that makes my stomach churn. She clings to him, fingers curled into the front of his jacket, face buried against his chest. Her hips shift, slow, seeking, and his hands are there, steadying her, letting her take what she needs, letting her use him the way her body is demanding.

I force my eyes forward, staring into the darkness beyond the windshield, trying to ignore the way my stomach knots, the way my throat tightens. Because I had to watch her suffer, had to hold her through the worst of it, had to listen to her sob and beg and break apart in my arms—only to be helpless.

The jeep skids to a stop into their long driveway, my heart in my stomach at the thought of walking into their estate. There’s no turning back now. I rush out of the car, already moving alongside Lance as he cradles her. Hawk pushes the front door open, his face twisted up in confusion as we step inside. His gaze falls to Sofie, the same heat in Lance’s expression now mirrored in his.

Not much is said in the next several minutes as I follow on Lance’s heels, needing to make sure Sofie is safe and taken care of before they shut me out. My connection with Sofie is visceral, almost animalistic. It doesn’t make sense but it’s the reason why this is so much harder than it needs to be.

The bedroom door is already open by the time I reach it, Lance laying Sofie down in the middle of a bed larger than my fucking dreams. He brushes damp hair away from her face, his fingers trailing lightly over her skin, his movements slow, patient. Hawk steps in right behind him, his face softening. Their scents mingle with hers, creating this erotic smell of citrus, melon, and mint. They’re hers. Lance and Hawk are undeniably hers and I can’t fight that knowledge any longer.

I wrap my arms around my soaked self, watching as they lovingly caress her, slowly moving to undress her, stripping away the rain-soaked fabric clinging to her overheated skin. Her head tilts, body arching instinctively toward Lance’s hands, her breath catching on quiet, desperate little sounds. She’s completely succumbed to her heat, her eyes glazed over as she pleads for more.

And even though I know I should leave, let them take care of her the way she needs, my feet won’t move. Some part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and curl up beside Sofie as they knot her but experience tells me that it won’t end the way I need it to. I might be Sofie’s Beta but I’m not theirs. I have absolutely no idea how they’ll react to me and one wrong move will ruin everything.

Besides, she’s in good hands. I hope. I stay long enough to watch her cling to Hawk as he steps out of his pants and thrusts into her, her little cries of pleasure causing me to shut the door. I can’t fucking watch that. She’s getting what she needs but it doesn’t mean it isn’t painful in the process.

I press my forehead against the cool wall, fingers curled into my damp sleeves, my body wrung out, my mind stretched thin. The weight of exhaustion sits heavy in my chest, but my nerves won’t settle, won’t let me rest, won’t let me breathe. A shiver runs down my back, the cold threatening to pull me into a void of sickness I don’t have time for.

“Violet, come with me.”

My body shudders beneath Puma’s command. I didn’t even know he was standing there, watching me fall apart. It makes me feel just a bit worse. When I don’t move, I feel his hands on my shoulders, fingers lightly pressing into my skin.

“I know this hurts but standing here, torturing yourself will only make this worse. Let’s get you dry and then you can come back to check on Sofie. I promise she’s safe.”

I’m not sure why those are the words I needed to hear but I let him guide me away, across the hall to a second bedroom. It’s warm, the glow of a bedside lamp casting soft shadows along the walls. Puma disappears into the attached bathroom, the sound of running water filling the quiet space. It’s odd for someone to focus their attention on me without wanting a crack at Sofie.

The few advances I’ve had in the last three months aside from Lance have always been because they want an Omega to fuck. Puma’s goal feels completely different, like Sofie isn’t the prize at the end of the game for him. In some weird fucking way, it feels likeIam. Like all those soft smiles when he came intoAsh & Ivorywere always for me.

It feels weird but it also feels nice. Really fucking nice. Just the thought of being able to lean on someone else, to pour my heart out to someone who won’t judge me sounds like heaven. Sofie was right. I do need an Alpha. I need someone to catch me when I fall. Because when I feel helpless, when I feel like I’m not enough… I fall apart. And god, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.

I don’t even realize I’m shaking until he steps back into the room, his gaze sweeping over me, taking in every little tremor, every uneven breath. His exhale is measured, like he’s choosing his words carefully. “You did the best you could,” he says. “She’s safe now. Being taken care of.” His eyes hold mine. “Now it’s time for you to take care of yourself.”

That’s what breaks me. Because I don’t know how. I don’t know how to stop holding everything together with sheer fucking willpower, don’t know how to let go, don’t know how to rest without the crushing weight of guilt pressing into my chest.

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