Chapter 24 Brodie
brODIE
The glow of the fire casts long shadows across the walls, flickering softly, wrapping the room in a golden haze. The storm outside has settled into a steady hush, the wind rattling against the windows like a whispered reminder of the chaos that led us here.
But inside, the world feels still. Quiet. Except for the soft, rhythmic breathing of the woman in my arms.
Sophie.
She’s curled against me, her body molded to mine, warm and pliant beneath the heavy blankets. Her weight is grounding, and her scent wraps around me in waves, intoxicating even though the overwhelming sweetness of her heat has faded.
It should be a relief that her body has settled, that she isn’t suffering the full force of her need anymore. But instead, something in me protests—some deep, primal part of my Alpha that hates the loss of that calling scent.
She stirs, shifting slightly, and her scent flares—still rich, still Sophie, still enough to make my pulse hammer against my ribs and my cock as hard as granite.
My hand tightens where it rests against her waist, fingers flexing against the soft fabric of her shirt. She’s smaller than me, delicate but strong, and every instinct in my body screams at me to protect her. To claim her.
I exhale slowly, willing myself to stay in control. I won’t be like other Alphas—selfish, greedy, taking what they want without a thought. Sophie isn’t some fragile thing to be consumed.
She’s fierce and independent, and if she chooses us, it will be her choice alone.
But fuck, she’s making it hard to be good.
The fire crackles softly, casting flickering shadows along the walls, but all I can focus on is the woman in my arms.
Her scent is everywhere, wrapping around me, seeping into my skin, making my entire body coil with primal awareness.
Even with her heat dampened, there’s something about being this close to her that drives me wild—something that keeps me on edge, waiting for the moment when she finally asks for what we both know she needs.
She shifts against me, pressing back into my chest, and I bite back a curse.
A quiet, needy whimper leaves her lips as she moves again—this time deliberately, seeking me out in her sleep, her hips rolling just enough to press against my length. Fuck.
My body reacts instantly, heat rolling through me like a wave, a low growl rumbling in my chest before I can stop it. Every muscle in my body locks up, trying to resist the instincts screaming at me to take, to claim, to give her exactly what her Omega is begging for.
I try to shift back, give her some space, but then she stirs, a soft sigh slipping past her lips, “Brodie.”
Her voice is hot, breathless, and when I look down, her heavy-lidded eyes meet mine. She’s awake. And she knows exactly what she’s doing.
Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted, her scent thickening in the air between us. Pure need. Pure desperation.
“Brodie…” she whispers again, her fingers reaching up and curling in my hair as she presses her body against me, grinding against my length in a way that makes my control snap thread by thread.
Fuck.
I grip her hips, trying to steady her, trying to hold on to my last shred of sanity, but she doesn’t stop. Instead, she whimpers, her Omega instincts taking over, her body practically trembling against mine.
Her lips brush against my jaw as she leans up, her breath hot against my skin. “I—” She swallows hard, her voice shaking. “I need you.”
Need.
The word destroys me.
Her fingers dig into my chest, clutching me, her thighs squeezing together as she grinds against me, completely lost in the overwhelming haze of her heat.
“Sophie…” My voice is rough, almost unrecognizable. I have to be sure. I have to hear her say it.
I grip her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. My Omega. My responsibility.
“You have to tell me,” I say, my voice dark with restraint. “You have to say it, sweetheart. That you want this.”
She nods quickly, her breath coming in ragged pants. “I do. I want you, Brodie. I need you. Please.”
The please is what shatters me.
Something primal takes over, something deep in my Alpha instincts that refuses to deny her.
A growl rumbles from deep in my chest as my lips claim hers in a kiss that’s all heat, all possession, all need.
Sophie moans into my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, her body arching into mine like she’s made for me. Her slick an aphrodisiac.
Mine.
I nip at her lower lip, dragging my teeth over the delicate skin before pulling away just enough to press my forehead against hers.
“You’re sure?” I whisper, my voice strained, my body shaking with the effort to hold back.
“Yes,” she breathes, her nails raking down my back, her body practically vibrating beneath me. “Brodie, please. I can’t—I need—”
I don’t let her finish.
My fingers skim down the curve of her hip, tracing over the thin fabric of her sleep shorts. She sighs again, her body pressing into the contact, and when my hand drifts lower, she doesn’t stop me.
“Brodie…” Her voice is soft, slurred with arousal. I lean in, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “You’re so warm, so wet for me, sweetheart,” I murmur, my voice rough with restraint. “So soft.”
She shudders, her breath catching, and I know I’ve got her. She’s right on the edge, her body reacting purely on instinct.
I trail my fingers along the inside of her thigh, teasing, testing, watching for any sign that she wants me to stop. But all she does is arch into me, her legs parting slightly as she makes the most desperate little noise.
Fuck.
I slip my fingers beneath the hem of her shorts, finding exactly what I expected—slick. So much of it.
I suck in a sharp breath and bring my hand to my lips as I lick her slick from my fingers. She needs this, her body is still craving relief. Craving me.
I circle my fingers over her, teasing, and she gasps, her hips rocking forward into my hand. “Brodie—”
“I’ve got you,” I murmur against her neck, pressing a kiss to the delicate skin there. “Just let go, baby.”
Sophie moans, her head tipping back against my shoulder as I slip one, two, three fingers inside her, groaning at the wet heat that welcomes me. Her walls clenching around me, her body already trembling, and I know she’s close—so fucking close.
I keep my movements slow, deliberate, building her up with careful strokes. Circling her clit while my other arm pins her arching body to my chest.
“You’re so perfect,” I whisper, kissing down the side of her neck, scent-marking her as I go. “I could touch you like this forever.”
She whimpers, her hips bucking, desperate for more. I give her what she needs, pressing my palm against her sensitive little clit and stroking her until she’s writhing against me.
“Brodie—” Her voice breaks, and then she shatters, her orgasm hitting her hard, her entire body tensing before she comes apart in my arms.
I hold her through it, whispering filthy, reverent things in her ear, letting her ride the pleasure out as her slick coats my fingers. Her body trembles, soft gasps leaving her lips, and when she finally sags against me, completely boneless, I press a gentle kiss to the back of her shoulder.
But I’m not done. Not even close.
Sophie shifts slightly, turning her head just enough for our lips to brush. “Brodie,” she breathes, her hand reaching back to touch me, fingers brushing over my very obvious problem.
I groan, my control slipping fast.
She turns in my arms, pressing her chest against mine, her lips parting for me like a silent invitation. The second our mouths meet, I’m gone—kissing her deep, drinking her in the way I’ve been dying to since the last time we fucked.
Her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me closer, her hips rolling against mine. “I need you to bite me. I need your knot while you claim me,” she whispers, and fuck, those words nearly break me.
I roll on top of her, pinning her beneath me, growling against her lips. “You don’t know how much I want to give you that.”
Her pupils are blown wide, her lips kiss-swollen, her scent utterly infused with desire.
But then—reality crashes back.
Not like this.
I want her, God, I want her. But she’s still recovering, still vulnerable, and I won’t take her like this. Not when she deserves more than rushed desperation.
I force myself to pull away, breathing hard. “Not now, love,” I rasp, brushing my fingers through her hair. “You need rest.”
She blinks up at me, her lips parting like she wants to argue, but exhaustion wins. Her body is still weak from what she’s been through, and even though I can smell her need, her trust in me wins out.
I press a soft kiss to her forehead, then settling behind her again and wrapping my arms around her as she melts against me. “Sleep, Sophie.”
She sighs, her breathing evening out, and as I hold her tightly in my arms, I realize something terrifying.
I’m in love with her.
Completely. Hopelessly.