Page 26 of Accidentally Forever

Maybe it’s too early to utter those words but they feel right. For the first in a while, I want to open my heart to someone else and then I’m going to do everything in my power to protect her.

Chapter twenty

SOFIE

Violet follows Puma back into the kitchen, the tension from earlier as she slipped off to the bedroom mostly gone. It’s still there, lingering, festering and I have a suspicion that it has to do with the showing last night. I peek up from my seat on Lance’s lap, my inability to choose where to sit making it hard to think.

At least the haze from my heat has lessened. I track Violet’s movements, waiting for her to come over and when she’s within reach, I grin up at her. “Good morning, Vi.”

“Hey baby,” she mumbles into a kiss as I all but climb over the edge of the couch. She laughs as she keeps me seated on the cushions shaking her head. “Stay there. I need to get some food in you.” Her nose twists up as she stands back, her brows furrowing. Puma comes up behind her and places a kiss on the side of her head. “Fuck.Weneed to get some food in you.”

I never thought I’d see the day that she gave up a little bit of control. And seeing how affectionate Puma is with her warms my heart. She needs this, needs it more than I do. I’d suffer every goddamn day to be with my Beta but she needs someone to lean on when I become too much. Puma isperfect.

“Was it Xavier on the phone?” I ask, tugging at her hands gripping the back of the couch. “Vi?”

“It’s nothing. I’m figuring it out. Don’t worry, baby.”

She’s still trying to figure this out even though they’ve all expressed interest in making this more than just my heat. So, how can I not worry that she’s going to try and shoulder whatever is going on by herself when she doesn’t need to?

“What did he say?” My voice is softer this time, but there’s an edge to it, something that’s begging her to tell me the truth.

Violet exhales, her expression tight, her jaw working. “It doesn’t matter.”

I shake my head, my fingers curling tighter around her wrist. “Of course, it fucking matters.” The others haven’t seen this side of me but I guess now’s a better time than any. With Violet, I can find my voice, find the defiance I used to have as a Beta. With her, I find it easy to push at times. Like now. Like when she’s being stubborn. I swallow hard, forcing the words past my throat. “Did he fire you?”

The way her lips press together, the way her scent goes sharp, the way her gaze flickers, just for a second, is all the confirmation I need. Rage flares in my chest, burning through the last traces of exhaustion.

I shake my head, my breath shuddering as I force myself to stay calm. “No. No, he can’t do that.”

Violet finally looks at me, really looks at me, and there’s something in her eyes that guts me. “He said I’m the reason people were talking about fake paintings yesterday, said that I’m the reason the showing failed. He didn’t believe whatever I said but it’s okay. We’re going to be okay.” She bows her head to mine, blowing out a heavy breath. “They… they said they’re going to take care of us.”

I’m not sure if she knows how important those words are—how much weight they hold. It’s been us against the world for what feels like years even if it’s only been months. And she just told me that she’s going to let someone else help. Totrulyhelp.

I would have eaten a thousand more of those strange little sandwiches currently in our fridge and spent a billion more nights in that bed we both kind of hated. I would have worked that front counter for the rest of my life, watching my beautiful Beta as she flit around the gallery like it was the back of her hand. And yet, I’m excited to start this new chapter—a chapter where she has the same support she’s given me.

She will always be mine and I will always be hers. But maybe, just maybe, we can also be theirs.

“Are you going to get another job?” I’m hopeful that she will because she loves it and this time around, it won’t be because sheneedsto.

Puma approaches the back of the couch again, crouching down so that he’s eye level with me. He’s truly a beautiful Alpha even if his scent doesn’t make my mouth water. “I’ve offered her a little something and no, Violet, it’s not a handout.”

Violet rubs a hand down her face, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’ll draw up a contract?”

Puma shrugs, standing back up and leaning against the couch. “If that’s what you need, absolutely. Whatever you need, I’ll give. Any stipulations I need to make sure are in there?”

His seriousness has me and Violet laughing. Hers is more nervous than mine but something in her eases. Her scent softens and the guards she always has up fall just a little. “No,” she muses. “I’m good. It’s just going to take time to get used to all of this.” She waves her hand in the air, grinning when Hawk reaches over to steal me.

A squeal tears from my throat but I think I’m loving this. There’s so many laps to choose from. Violet will always be my first choice but being swallowed into the twins’ arms is perfect. I almost disappear.

My gaze falls on my Beta again and her smile as she looks up at Puma iseverything. That’s genuine happiness on her face and it’s a look I’ve been dying to see. I can’t wait to see what happens when Gray shows up. She’s going to get so flustered with all that attention on her and I can’t fucking wait.

Chapter twenty-one

VIOLET

The morning passes mostly in silence with soft caresses and barely there kisses. Sofie hops around between the three of us before she settles on the floor, dragging a blanket into her corner. Then a pillow. And then hilariously one of Lance’s socks that she steals off his goddamn foot. I never thought I’d see her nesting but this just proves that we belong right here.

That is until I catch the one scent I hadn’t prepared myself for. God, I knew he was part of all this but it didn’t really dawn on me last night because he wasn’t there. I hold my breath, his warm amber scent filling my nose, faint notes of vanilla and other spices I can’t figure out—all of it bringing back the fantasies from that one weekend.

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