Chapter 32 Sophie
SOPHIE
The morning light spills through the frost-kissed windows, casting a golden glow across the room. I stretch lazily beneath the heavy weight of the blankets, my body sinking deeper into the nest I’ve built—warm, soft, safe.
My hair is still damp from the shower Ethan insisted I take before I crawled back into bed, but the heat of the room has dried most of it, leaving the ends curling against my shoulders.
The scent of them still lingers around me, woven into the blankets, the pillows, my nest is saturated in them, and my Omega purrs with contentment.
I sigh, watching the sunlight dance across the wall. The slow, rhythmic rise and fall of my chest match the quiet peace that hums beneath my skin. The fever of my heat has finally passed, leaving behind a deep satisfaction that settles into my bones.
There’s no urgency now, no desperate, consuming need—just a quiet, contented warmth that pulses through me.
Through the slightly open window, I can hear them outside, their deep voices carried by the crisp morning air. Laughter rumbles between them, mingling with the rhythmic scrape of shovels against packed snow.
I don’t have to look to know what they’re doing—clearing the drive, making sure everything is safe, tending to our home even though the roads will be cleared by this evening. Because that’s what this is now. Home.
The thought settles over me, as golden and warm as the morning sun. I never thought I’d have this—never thought I’d want it. But here, wrapped in the scent of my Alphas, in the space we built together, I finally let myself admit the truth that has been creeping closer and closer for weeks.
I love them.
All of them.
Ethan, with his quiet strength and fierce protectiveness. Tyler, with his easy charm and unwavering loyalty. Brodie, who grounds me with a single look, who sees through every wall I’ve ever built and refuses to let me hide.
I turn my face into the pillow, inhaling deeply. Their scents surround me, wrapping around me like an embrace, and I know, without hesitation, that I am exactly where I’m meant to be. My heart swells with it—with them.
I shift slightly, burrowing deeper into the nest, so only my face peeks out of the covers, allowing myself just a few more moments of indulgence before I have to rise. But not yet. Not when the world feels so perfect.
When hope sits so heavily in my chest, pressing against my ribs like it’s been waiting for me to notice it all along, I almost let myself sink into it—almost let myself believe that this happiness is mine to keep.
But then, a whisper of doubt slips in, curling around the edges of my mind, so quiet at first that I barely notice it. But it grows, weaving into my thoughts, filling the spaces where certainty should be.
What if I’m not enough? What if they don’t want me?
The thought slithers in, uninvited, a sharp contrast to the peace I had only moments ago. I don’t know how to be a proper Omega—not the way others do. I wasn’t raised in a pack and didn’t grow up surrounded by Alphas who taught me what it meant to belong, to submit, to trust.
My parents were never there. It was always just me and the inn, my Aunt doing the best she could while running a business. She never really showed me what it meant to be this.
An Omega.
A mate.
A mother.
My stomach knots at the thought. Because what if that’s next? What if my body is already preparing for something I don’t know how to give?
The idea of carrying a pup, of being responsible for another life, of being the kind of mother I never had—it terrifies me. I barely know how to be someone’s Omega. What if I fail them? What if I fail at being what they need?
The blankets that had felt so warm and comforting now feel suffocating. My breath comes a little faster, and my chest tightens with uncertainty.
I press my palms into my temples, trying to shove the thoughts away, but they keep coming. What if I’m too stubborn, too independent? What if I don’t know how to let them take care of me the way an Omega is supposed to?
I’ve spent so long being anywhere but where I belong. So long pretending I didn’t need anyone, that I could handle everything on my own. And now, when I finally have something real, something worth holding onto…what if I don’t know how?
I swallow against the rising panic, close my eyes, and force a deep, long breath. “All right, girl, dial a lifeline.”
I grab my phone off the nightstand and unlock it with shaky fingers, scrolling to the one person who might understand. The only other Omega I trust enough to talk to about this.
I stare at the screen, my fingers hesitating over the keyboard for a moment, trying to make my panic sound reasonable.
Sophie: SOS
It only takes a few seconds before the typing bubble appears and then:
Lily: What happened? Are you dying? Are you Ok?
I groan, sinking further into my nest, my phone held above my face.
Sophie: Not dying. But might be spiraling.
Lily: Oof. Okay. What kind of spiral? Sexy spiral? Emotional spiral? Existential crisis spiral?
Sophie: ALL OF THE ABOVE
The dots appear and disappear a few times like she’s either really thinking about her response or trying not to laugh at me.
Lily: Babe. Be more specific. Should I bring chocolate or liquor?
Sophie: I don’t know. Maybe both? I had a Heat. And, I just…I feel like I’m screwing everything up.
Sophie: I don’t know how to be an Omega.
Sophie: Or a mate
Sophie: And I FUCK…if I know how to be a mom if that ever happens.
Sophie: What if I don’t know how to let them take care of me?
Sophie: What if I don’t know how to take care of them?
Sophie: :(
Lily’s response is immediate.
Lily: Babe. Breathe. First of all, you’re not screwing anything up. Second, you’re not supposed to know everything. That’s why you have them. That’s why you have me.
Her words should be reassuring, but I still feel like I’m treading water, my insecurities weighing me down.
Sophie: I just…I never had an example of this, you know? I wasn’t raised in a pack. I don’t even know what a healthy relationship looks like.
Lily: Neither did I.
That stops me.
Lily: But you figure it out. Day by day. You let yourself love them, and you let them love you back. It’s not about being a “proper” Omega. It’s about being you—and trusting that they chose you because that’s exactly what they want.
I exhale slowly, staring at the screen.
Sophie: That’s…way too logical for my 7 AM panic.
I set the phone down and look out the window before texting her back.
Sophie: Im so happy I’m your friend…
Lily: I’m a single Omega who survived pregnancy and childbirth. I’m basically a goddess now. Bow before my wisdom.
I snort, some of the tension in my chest finally easing. Before…
Sophie: OMG…But now I’m the worst friend ever. You had your baby! Ethan told me…But I’ve been so lost in my own shit. HOW are you?
Lily: Sooooo tired but so in love. I never knew how big my heart could be until they handed her to me.
Sophie: Can we meet up tomorrow? If you’re able? I need to talk this out before my brain eats itself and I want to give you all the hugs. And see that baby!
Lily: Yes. Café at ten. I’ve been cooped up for the last week and need some real world time. Coffee, food and I’ll bring Charlie. You bring that hot mess energy I’ve missed so much.
I smile, rolling onto my side as I type my final response.
Sophie: Deal.
I set my phone down, exhaling deeply. My nerves and insecurities are still gnawing at the edges of my mind, but at least now I have a plan. A place to start.