Page 78 of Stuck with my Pack
My stomach twists, a heavy feeling settling deep in my chest. “You really think so?” I ask, barely above a whisper.
Lily’s smirk returns, this time softer, knowing. “I don’t think, babe. I know. You, Ethan, Brodie, and Tyler? You’re meant to be. And the sooner you let yourself believe that, the happier you’ll be.”
I glance down at the baby in my arms, watching the slow rise and fall of her tiny chest, thinking about warmth, about belonging, about love.
Carefully, I hand the baby back to Lily, my hands lingering for just a second longer than necessary. “I think…I think you’re right.”
Lily grins, her usual teasing edge returning. “Of course I am. I’m always right.”
The easy warmth in her voice makes me laugh, but it’s shaky, breathless. My mind is still spinning, but there’s something lighter about it now, something more certain.
I pull out my phone, glancing at the time. “You free in a couple of days?”
Lily quirks a brow. “Depends. You buying my coffee?”
“Obviously.”
She smirks. “Then yeah. Same time?”
I nod, sliding out of the booth. “Yeah.”
She watches me, her expression unreadable, but I know she sees everything—the doubt, the hope, the fragile confidence I’m still trying to hold onto. But she doesn’t say anything else. She just nods.
34
BRODIE
Iwake slowly, my body warm and sated, tangled in the white sheets that still carry Sophie’s scent, remembering how she barely made it through the front door yesterday before she had us all tangled up in her nest, her scent rich and sweet, pulling us in like gravity.
Whatever hesitations she’d been holding onto had melted away by the time she returned from town, her eyes clear, her touch sure. We hadn’t even made it to dinner before she had us wrapped around her, her need for closeness undeniable.
And now, as the golden morning light filters through the frost-lined windows, I wake to find myself still here, a permanent fixture in the space she’s claimed as her own. My hand presses onto the empty pillow beside me, still warm from where she slept. I breathe in the lingering traces of her—warm honey, wildflowers, and something uniquelyher, a slow smile tugging at my lips.
Beside me, Ethan shifts but doesn’t wake, his breathing steady and deep. He looks peaceful, an arm thrown over his eyes, his usually sharp edges softened by sleep.
A soft laugh drifts up the stairs from the kitchen, followed by the rich aroma of coffee and the unmistakable sound of Tyler.I close my eyes for a second, just listening. There’s something about this—waking up to them, to her—that feels fucking perfect.
I never imagined this. Never thought I’d settle in one place, let alone with three other people tangled in my life.
The scent of pancakes pulls me from bed, and I throw on a pair of jeans before padding downstairs. Sophie is perched on a barstool barefoot, her hair a wild mess from sleep. She’s wearing one of my shirts, and nothing else—something that shouldn’t be that erotic. But it makes me hard and my Alpha growls in approval.
Tyler stands beside her at the range, flipping pancakes with an exaggerated flourish, his grin wide. “You call that a flip?” Sophie teases, giggling as Tyler feigns offense.
“First of all,” Tyler says, pointing the spatula at her, “I’m anexcellentcook, thank you very much. Second, if you think you can do better, be my guest.”
Sophie snatches the spatula from him with a triumphant smirk as she hops down from her perch. “Don’t mind if I do.” They haven’t noticed me yet.
Before she sees me, I creep up behind Sophie, moving silently until I’m close enough to grab her around the middle. I dip my head near her ear and rumble, “Morning, beautiful.”
She jumps with a startled squeak, her scent blooming in surprise, sweet and sharp from the sudden closeness. “Brodie! You—” Her words cut off as she spins, glaring up at me with flushed cheeks and wide, accusing eyes.
Tyler snickers, casually flipping a pancake with an easy flick of his wrist. “One day, you’re gonna scare the shit out of her.”
Sophie huffs, crossing her arms, but the small, reluctant twitch of her lips gives her away. “Damn straight. One of these days, I’m gonna makeyouscreech like a little girl,” she says as she pokes me in the chest.
I chuckle, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against my chest, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “I’d like to see you try, sweetheart.”
Sophie glances up, her smile brightening when she sees me. Tyler rolls his eyes. “He’s just jealous,” he quips.
