Page 22 of Accidentally Forever

A sob tears free before I can swallow it down, my body folding in on itself, my arms tightening, fingers digging into my skin like I can hold myself together if I just squeeze tight enough. “I—I don’t know how,” I whisper, my voice wrecked, shaking apart with every breath.

Puma steps closer, one hand coming up to cup the back of my neck, fingers slipping into my damp hair, his grip firm, grounding. The contact ignites the need I’ve been ignoring, the desire Sofie’s heat scent creates but I can never quench. “Then let me take care of you,” he murmurs, his voice like honey as it glides over me.

I’m done telling myself I don’t need help. I’m tired and scared and fucking mad at myself that I let Sofie suffer for so long. So, I close my eyes and give in.

Chapter sixteen

PUMA

It’s like watching a flower wilt . Violet’s silent as I sit her on the toilet seat. I meant to just run her a bath and leave her to herself but it’s like all the fight has left her now that Sofie is safe. I can’t imagine what’s going through her head, the sound of her Omega’s cries slipping through the door. I thought about dragging Violet to a room farther down the hall but her connection with her Omega is stronger than anything I’ve ever seen.

It makes sense now, Violet’s fierce protection and the despair in her eyes when we showed up. I’m not sure how anyone has missed it but Violet and Sofie are a bonded pair. Not sure how it happened or how it works but it checks every box, what little I’ve figured out from the medical jargon I studied thinking I wanted to be a doctor after my Omega died.

Violet’s heart is literally breaking and I suspect the moment Sofie comes out of that heat haze, she’ll go looking for the Beta in front of me.

“Violet, love, I need to get you out of those clothes. If I do nothing else, let me do that.” The raw, broken look in her eyes when her head tilts upward tugs at my heartstrings. God, I’m going to break for this woman, aren’t I? When she doesn’t move, I reach forward and slowly grab the hem of her hoodie before pulling it up. She doesn’t fight me, something almost like resignation settling in her scent.

I don’t expect her to be bare when the hoodie comes off, Violet not even moving to hide herself from me. She just lets me undress her the rest of the way before I guide her toward the bath, her hand gripping my arm. I almost miss the word that falls from her lips but it’s a command I can’t ignore.Stay.

“Do you want me in the bath with you or just in the room?” Violet doesn’t answer. “Love, I can’t help you if you don’t—”

A broken sigh falls from her lips as a tear falls down her cheek. “I just don’t want to think anymore.”

I nod, stripping out of my own clothes before helping her into the warm water. Settling behind her, I pull her flush against my chest, content to hold her there, her head falling back against my shoulder. The silence allows for Sofie’s cries to filter into the room, sobs tearing from Violet’s throat. “I know she’s okay. I can feel it. She’s getting everything she needs.”

It feels like she’s reassuring herself but it almost cements the idea that they’re bonded. Not with a physical mating bond but with something stronger, something deeper than just our biological ties. Needing to cover up Sofie’s cries, I let my purr take over, the sound rumbling through my chest. I’m trying to comfort the Beta wrapped up in my arms, give her something else to focus on but it’s only proving to frustrate the both of us.

Even though I don’t see an Omega in my future, that doesn’t mean I’m immune to that syrupy melon scent filling the entire goddamn house. I have no idea where Gray ended up but if he’s still in the house, no doubt he’s staving off the desire running through his veins.

A whimper comes from her as she sits forward, Violet twisting around as she fights with her feelings. “I’m sorry, fuck. This isn’t…” Her sharp scent is back in full force, my cock thickening between my thighs. I can’t even apologize for it as her gaze dips down to my length. “Fuck.”

Violet is mine, I can feel it and the visceral need to draw her into my lap and fuck her senseless is trying to override my rationale. I should help her out of the tub, dry her off, and put her to bed. I should check in with the twins and then find Gray before fucking his brains out to relieve this need. But I’m too selfish for that.

“Use me, love. Take what you need.” And I mean it. The same way Lance couldn’t stand Sofie’s painful cries, I can’t sit here knowing that Violet needs more than she’s asking for. She hesitates and I realize it’s because she doesn’t want to think. Doesn’t want to make any more decisions. She’s exhausted and about to spiral and I might be the one person who can stop it.

So, I drag her onto my lap and crash my lips to hers. Violet’s reaction is immediate, her body melting against mine, her nipples dragging along my chest. Her hands fall to my shoulders before her arms extend past them, those elegant fingers sliding into my hair. She’s absolutely everything I thought she would be, all soft skin and sharp edges.

And god, after tonight, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let her go.

She rocks her hips over mine, seeking the relief I can give her before she reaches between us to grab my cock. There’s no hesitation in her movements as she slides down my length, her hips moving automatically. Violet lets out a strangled moan, dropping her head to my shoulder as she rides me and I just hold her.

It feels like she’s trying to run a marathon, pent up on a mixture of anger and despair, her pussy already trying to suck me in deeper. My knot flutters at her entrance, tempting me to go a little further but neither of us are in the right headspace for that. It’s a discussion that may happen in the future but Violet wouldn’t enjoy it in this moment. She’d feel trapped and that’s the last thing I want.

She comes on a broken cry, her entire body shuddering with relief as I drag her off my lap seconds before my own orgasm. She sags against me, uneven breaths hitting the curve of my neck. It takes me a few moments before I realize the wetness dripping down my chest is from her tears.

“Do you want to check on Sofie or let me put you to bed?” I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least ask. As hard as it might be to watch the twins satisfying her Omega, it might still be a reassurance she needs.

Silence filters between us before she nods. “I need to see her. I just… I won’t touch her. I just need to see her.”

My heart breaks a little more at her resolve as she slaps away the tears on her face. She climbs out of the bath on shaking legs and I’m right behind her, determined to care for her the way she needs. Violet lets me dry her off, even allowing me to press a kiss to her forehead before I procure a shirt from the drawers in the bedroom. It’s long enough to cover her, Violet scrambling across the hallway the moment I slip it over her head.

The door is cracked, whispers spilling into the hallway as Violet gently presses it open. Lance and Hawk are curled around Sofie, the Omega even smaller than I remember. Her lips are parted in sleep, her cheeks flushed, Hawk currently knotting her based on their positions. Violet’s scent hardens just slightly, Hawk’s attention focusing on the Beta at my side. His nostrils flare, his lips turning up in a snarl.

It’s just his instincts talking, his need to protect Sofie present over everything else but I already know that this shit isn’t going to fly. Sofie is Violet’s first regardless of what bonds get passed around in the house.

Violet quickly steps back and marches herself back into the other bedroom, already climbing into my bed. “Love,” I start but she just shakes her head.

“No. I knew it would happen. That’s why I didn’t go in. I smell like a threat. We’re not mated and it would cause confusion and maybe even a fight. I can’t go in there. Fuck! But she’s safe. Sofie is safe and she’s happy. Did you see that sweet smile on her face?”

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