“I’ll be right here,” I promised.
Serena swallowed hard, then carefully shifted Violet toward me. The girl whimpered at the movement, fingers tightening in Serena’s shirt like her subconscious knew what letting go meant.
Serena gently unwound her hand. “You’re okay,” she murmured. “You’re alright, little one. I won’t let anyone else hurt you.”
And then, reluctantly, she placed Violet into my arms.
The moment her weight settled against me, something inside my chest cinched tight, sharp enough to bruise bone. Violet let out a small, relieved breath. Her head tucked under my chin like she’d done it a thousand times, like she’d been made to fit there.
Her tiny hand curled into my shirt as if she had no intention of ever letting go.
My whole body went still.
Don’t bite her.
Don’t bite her.
Do. Not. Bite. Violet.
My jaw locked so hard that pain shot up to my temples, and I forced myself to lower my head and press my lips to her forehead. A completely innocent kiss to prove I could be gentle with her.
The touch soothed her instantly.
It didnotsoothe me.
Serena’s shoulders sagged; Benji nodded once, satisfied enough to leave this fragile little mess in my arms. They slipped out of the room, footsteps fading.
What they didn’t realize, or more so, what theycouldn’trealize, was that I didn’t need to sink my teeth into Violet to claim her.
When tonight started, I had wanted her to be dosed with emergency contraception by morning. Having a kid with a stranger wasn’t responsible or smart or ethical or logical or any of the shit I pretended to care about.
But with all the chaos of the day, and emotion, and the fucking pheromones, no one was going to remember my request.
And without that?
Violet would, more than likely, get pregnant.
Withmychild.
And once that happened, it would only be a matter of time before shebeggedme to mark her. To bond her. To keep her.
Pregnancy was hard enough with a fresh bond connecting you to the alpha who put the baby there.
Without a bond?
It was next to impossible.
Violet wouldneedme.
And I’d be right where I wanted to be. Holding her. Protecting her. Listening to her breathe.
There was no possible way for this situation to get any better.
I’d made good on my promise to hold Violet for most of the night anyway. But around three A.M., one of my capos, Marco, called me.
It wasn’t anything major. Not really.
Even though my pack had dropped the Rossi name a few weeks ago, I was still the head of the family business. Which meant one annoying thing: I had to keep the Stellar clan on a short fucking leash.