Page 35 of Stuck with my Pack
Sophie looks between us, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. But then her gaze sharpens, and her lips press into a thin line. “It’s Ethan,” she says suddenly. “It has to be. He’s the only one who’d do something like this. He always says he’s trying to protect me, but this? This is too far.”
The accusation hangs in the air, heavy and unresolved. I glance at Brodie, who’s already frowning. “I don’t really think Ethan would do this, do you…” He says, his voice careful, neutral.
“I don’t know,” Sophie admits, her frustration bleeding into her tone. “But he’s been so…difficult. He doesn’t want me to have the inn. He doesn’t think I can handle this.”
“That doesn’t mean he’d sabotage you,” I say slowly, unsure whose side I’m on. Ethan’s protective streak runs deep, but this? It doesn’t feel like him. Then again, I don’t know what’s been running through his head lately.
Brodie sighs, his gaze steady on Sophie. “We’ll figure out the truth later. Right now, let’s focus on what we can control. The rest can wait.”
Sophie’s expression hardens into resolve, ignoring Brodie. “I need to talk to Ethan,” she says abruptly, turning toward the door.
I watch her go, a knot of concern tightening in my chest. I know that look—determined, fiery, and maybe just a little reckless. She’s not going to let this go.
“She’s not going to be nice to him,” I mutter as the door slams shut behind her.
Brodie chuckles softly. “Would you expect anything less?”
“No,” I admit. “And that’s what worries me. Without Ethan, there’s no pack, and without a pack…”
“There’s no Omega,” he says softly, his brow lowering.
I stand there for a moment, staring at the door Sophie just stormed through, her fiery determination still crackling in the air. Brodie leans against the edge of the dining table, his arms crossed as he watches me with a knowing look.
“You worry too much, Hawk. Ethan could use a good dressing down from her. Dont you think?” he asks, his tone somewhere between amused and concerned.
“He might,” I mutter, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Or he might say something to piss her off even more, and then we’ll have a whole other pile of shit on our hands.”
Brodie leans against the counter, arms crossed, his amber eyes steady on me. “She’s opinionated for sure, but Ethan can handle it.”
I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “Handle it?Handle her?” My gaze flicks toward the doorway Sophie disappeared through. “That fire’s going to burn us all up if we aren’t careful.”
Brodie’s smirk is slow, knowing. “Yeah. But let’s be real—you wouldn’t mind.”
I don’t reply. Because he’s right, it’s not just her fire—it’s everything. The way she moves, the way her scent lingers in the air, sweet and grounding, wrapping around me even when I try to keep my distance.
It’s the way she fights for this place, like it’s part of her soul. Likewecould be part of her soul. She makes me want to be better, stronger—more.
The room feels too quiet without her in it, and the restless energy under my skin won’t settle. I push off the table, pacing. “You think she’s right?” I ask suddenly, glancing at Brodie. “About Ethan?”
Brodie tilts his head, considering. “I don’t know. He’s got his own way of doing things, but sabotage doesn’t feel like his style.”
I drag a hand through my hair, my frustration bubbling over. “Then what the hell is he doing? Half the time, it’s like he doesn’t know what he wants. And now Sophie’s caught in the middle.”
“Maybe he’s just trying to figure it out,” Brodie says. “Same as the rest of us.”
I stop pacing.The rest of us. I stare at him, letting the words sink in.
Brodie’s got a way of cutting through the noise, of saying exactly what needs to be said without dressing it up. It’s one of the reasons I missed him when he left. One of the reasons it feels like something is finallyrightwith him back.
But now he’s here. Sophie’s here. Ethan too.
“You think we can make this work?” I ask, my voice quieter now.
Brodie meets my eyes, his gaze unwavering. “Yeah. But it’s going to take us acting like a pack.”
I nod slowly, the weight of those words settling over me. It’s daunting, sure. But it’s also…right. Sophie is the missing piece, the one who could pull us together in ways we’ve never managed before.
I exhale through my nose. “Let’s just hope their conversation doesn’t end with someone in the hospital!”
