Chapter 38 Sophie
SOPHIE
“Take your fucking hands off her.”
The voice is deadly calm.
Brodie.
Relief crashes through me like a tidal wave as my Alphas step through the doorway, moving as one. Brodie and Ethan, whose eyes are dark with fury, radiate barely leashed aggression.
Tyler, usually the easygoing one, has shed every ounce of his charm, his jaw clenched so tightly I swear I can hear his teeth grind. And Brodie—his focus is locked entirely on Adam, his frame coiled with violence just waiting to be unleashed.
Adam doesn’t let go right away. His fingers are still clamped around my wrist like he has every right to touch me. “Relax,” he drawls, flashing a smirk he probably thinks is charming but only makes my stomach churn. “We were just saying hello.”
Brodie takes a single step forward, and the air thickens with an unspoken threat. “Last warning.”
Adam’s fingers twitch against my skin—just a tiny squeeze, a final act of defiance—before he finally releases me. But he doesn’t back away. Instead, he has the audacity to chuckle. “Didn’t realize she was already claimed,” he muses, his tone mocking. “Oh, wait. She’s not.”
The words barely have time to settle before Ethan moves in front of me, pushing me behind him with one strong arm. His stance is one of pure, unrelenting Alpha dominance. Tyler cracks his knuckles beside him, his sharp grin nothing short of a threat.
“She’s ours,” Ethan says, voice low and lethal.
Adam chuckles, but I can see the flicker of unease in his expression. He shrugs, feigning casual indifference. “Is that right? Because from where I’m standing, she doesn’t have your marks.”
Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating.
My breath catches.
Adam smirks like he’s just won something, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping into a cruel whisper meant only for me.
“If I were you, I’d be asking myself why they haven’t marked you yet. What’s wrong with you, Sophie? If you were mine, I’d have already sunk my teeth into that pretty little neck while I was fu—”
He doesn’t get to finish.
Tyler moves first. And before Adam can finish that disgusting thought, a single, brutal punch sends him staggering back into his packmates.
Chaos erupts. I hear the sharp scrape of chairs against the floor as people scramble to get out of the way, the low, vicious sound of Ethan and Tyler advancing on the rest of the pack like predators closing in.
But Adam’s pack doesn’t stick around to finish the fight. They retreat, grumbling, licking their wounds, dragging Adam with them.
But the damage is already done.
Before I can even process it, Brodie scoops me into his arms, carrying me out of the café like I weigh nothing, shielding me completely with his body. His grip is firm and unyielding, as if letting go isn’t even an option.
I can feel the fury radiating off him, every muscle in his body coiled tight, vibrating with barely restrained aggression.
My arms go around his neck instinctively, burrowing my face into his shoulder, breathing in his rich amber and leather scent. My fingers curl into the fabric of his jacket, seeking something solid, something grounding, but my whole frame is trembling.
The weight of what just happened presses down on me, a slow, suffocating realization creeping through my veins.
“Breathe, sweetheart,” Brodie murmurs, his voice a low, soothing rumble against my ear. He squeezes me tighter, his scent thickening around me like a shield. “You’re safe. We’ve got you.”
The cold air bites at my skin as he strides toward the car, but I barely feel it. My mind is stuck on Adam’s words, looping in my head like a cruel whisper I can’t silence. Why haven’t they marked you yet?
The car door opens, and I barely register the movement as Brodie slides in first. He keeps me cradled in his lap, as if I might shatter the second he lets go. His warmth wraps around me, and his strong hands rub slow circles over my back, grounding me, but my thoughts keep spinning.
Ethan and Tyler climb in after us, the tension still rolling off them in waves. Tyler’s knuckles are already bruising. Ethan’s jaw is tight, and his hands grip the steering wheel so hard that I hear the faint creak of leather.
“Soph?” Tyler’s voice is softer than I expected, still laced with lingering rage but full of concern. “You okay, baby?”
I don’t know how to answer that. I feel raw, exposed in a way I’ve never felt before.
I stare out the window, watching Adam and his pack disappear down the sidewalk, licking their wounds.
I’ve always been unbonded. It was just a fact of my existence, something I never really questioned before.
But now, it feels different. Now, it feels like a weakness. A vulnerability.
And what if Adam was right?
I take a slow, uneven breath and finally turn, looking at them—my Alphas, my protectors. The men who have stood beside me, fought for me, held me through my worst moments.
I take in the bruised knuckles, the tension still lingering in their jaws, the way their chests still rise and fall with the aftermath of adrenaline. The way their eyes are locked on me, tracking every tiny movement, every breath I take.
Brodie shifts beneath me, his arms still wrapped around me protectively, his fingers tracing slow, soothing circles against my back. “Talk to us, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his voice low, coaxing. “You’ve been quiet since we got in the car. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
I keep my gaze fixed on my lap, my fingers twisting into the fabric of his jacket. My chest is tight, a lump lodged firmly in my throat. I want to tell them. I should tell them. But the words feel too big, too heavy.
Ethan exhales sharply from the front seat, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. “Sophie.” His tone is firmer now, a thread of frustration woven between the concern. “You’re shaking. You think we didn’t notice? Talk to us, honey.”
Tyler shifts beside me, his hand sliding over my knee, grounding, steady. “Baby, whatever it is, just say it,” he urges, his voice softer than Ethan’s but no less insistent. “We can’t fix it if we don’t know what’s wrong.”
I draw in a shuddering breath, my pulse pounding in my ears.
And then, before I can talk myself out of it, I force the words out.
“What if…” I hesitate, my voice barely above a whisper. “What if Adam is right and something is wrong with me?”
The car goes silent.
Tyler stills, his fingers tightening on my knee. Ethan’s sharp inhale is audible in the quiet, and Brodie’s grip on me turns, almost bruising, like he’s afraid I might slip away.
The weight of their silence is suffocating. I press on, rushing to fill the space before I lose the courage to say anything.
“We’ve never talked about it before,” I continue, my voice wobbling. “I—I never thought about it before. But bonding isn’t just about instinct. It’s forever. And I didn’t think…” I break off, my stomach twisting into knots.
I didn’t think anyone would ever want me like that.
Brodie curses under his breath. I swallow hard, my throat tight, but the words tumble out before I can stop them.
“What if…” I hesitate, my fingers tightening on Brodie’s jacket. “What if you don’t want to bond me?”
The question is barely more than a whisper, but it lands like a bomb in the confined space of the car.
The silence stretches, thick with something unreadable, something I’m too afraid to face.
Until Brodie’s fingers tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes are molten gold, intense and unwavering.
“Sophie,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “Not want you? That’s not even fucking possible.”
Tyler leans in, his hand finding my knee, squeezing gently. “Baby, do you really think we don’t want you?”
Ethan exhales harshly, running a hand through his hair. “Christ, Sophie. We’ve been trying to give you time. We didn’t want to push you into something you weren’t ready for. Didn’t want you to feel like you didn’t have a choice.”
I blink, stunned. “A choice?”
Brodie cups my face, his thumbs brushing away a tear I didn’t realize had slipped free. “Sweetheart, we’ve been waiting on you.”
Tyler huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “We’ve been walking around like fucking starved animals trying not to bite you every time you smell too damn good.”
Ethan’s jaw clenches. “You are ours, Sophie. That was never in question.”
Something cracks inside me, the fear unraveling, replaced with something warmer, more substantial.
“But bonding—” My voice wavers. “That means forever.”
Brodie’s grip tightens, his eyes burning into mine. “That’s the point.”
Tyler kisses my temple, his voice gentle but firm. “We’re not going anywhere, Soph. You don’t get to doubt that.”
Ethan watches me for a long moment before leaning in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Whenever you’re ready, Omega,” he murmurs, his voice soft but resolute. “We’re yours.”