Alaric’s heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hot iron. When he had pulled up in his car and saw Damien standing so close to Sofia, a wave of pure panic hit him. He was a powerful Alpha, but he knew the laws of nature; he knew about the mate bond. He was terrified that a few words from Damien could undo everything he had built with Sofia.
Sofia looked at Alaric, her eyes cold. "What are you doing here, Alpha? I thought our business was finished for the night."
Alaric stepped closer, his scent heavy and commanding. "I wanted to be sure you got ho safe. The streets aren’t safe for a woman alone."
Sofia frowned, looking from Alaric back to Damien. She could see the tension between them, like a string pulled too tight. Damien, noticing the coldness in Sofia’s voice when she spoke to his uncle, felt a small spark of hope. He realized things weren’t as perfect between them as he feared. I still have a chance, he thought.
But Sofia had had enough of both of them. Her head was spinning from the truth about the "Fake Sofia," and her body was still sore from Alaric.
"You n know your way out," she said sharply. She didn’t wait for an answer. She turned around, walked into the apartnt building, and slamd the heavy door shut.
Inside, she locked the deadbolt and leaned her back against the wood. She slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands. How did she end up in such a situation? She thought. if only she knew, this was just the beginning.
Outside, the silence was terrifying.
Alaric and Damien stood on the sidewalk, staring at each other. Two n of the sa blood, who had once been close, now looked like two hungry wolves ready to kill.
"Stay away from her, Damien," Alaric growled, his voice vibrating with power. "She made her choice. She is mine now."
Damien let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Is she, Uncle? Because she didn’t look like a happy woman just now. She looked like soone who is trapped. You might have her in your bed, but you’ll never have the bond. I felt her pain tonight... and I know she still carries a piece of ."
Alaric’s eyes glowed a bright, dangerous green. He stepped into Damien’s space, his aura so heavy that the streetlights seed to flicker. "The bond is a mistake. She was frad, and you were too weak to believe her. You lost your right to her the mont you believed she was a killer."
Damien flinched, the truth of Alaric’s words cutting deep. But he didn’t back down. "I’m going to prove to Sofia that I love her more than you ever could, and when I do, I’ll take her back."
Alaric watched his nephew walk away to his car. He stood alone outside Sofia’s door, his fists clenched. He had to make Sofia fall in love with him before Damien did. If he didn’t, he might lose the only woman who ever made his cold heart feel alive.
The next morning, Sofia’s alarm felt like a hamr against her skull. Her body ached in places she didn’t want to think about—a constant reminder of Alaric’s weight and his rough, angry touch in the garden.
She dressed quickly in a simple, professional corporate skirt and a blouse—one of the items Alaric had sent.
By the ti she reached the main road, her heart sank. The bus was pulling away, a cloud of exhaust the only thing left behind.
"Shit!" she cursed, checking her phone. It was 7:50 AM. Staff were supposed to be at the factory at 8:00 AM sharp, and it was a twenty-minute drive. If she was late, Bianca would use it as an excuse to humiliate her again, and Alaric... she didn’t know what Alaric would do now that they had a "contract."
She stood on the curb, looking desperately for a taxi. She knew a cab would cost half her weekly food budget, but she couldn’t afford to be late.
Suddenly, the sound of a sharp, expensive horn cut through the air. A sleek, black rcedes slowed to a crawl beside her. Sofia looked up, expecting a stranger or a taxi, but when the tinted window rolled down, she froze.
It was Alexander. He was leaning back in the leather seat, looking effortlessly powerful with a pair of dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.
"Alpha Alexander? What are you doing here?" Sofia asked, her voice tight with surprise. She knew Alexander’s pack was two packs away, and seeing him this close to her apartnt so early in the morning felt like more than a coincidence.
Alexander scoffed, a small, amused smile playing on his lips as he adjusted his sunglasses. "My pack territory isn’t far from here, Sofia. This is a neutral road. I happen to use it often."
Sofia nodded slowly, though her wolf felt the weight of his gaze. Alexander had always been different from the two other n; he was less explosive, but just as intense.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over her professional attire.
"Work," she said shortly, glancing back at the empty road where the bus had been. "I missed my ride."
"Co in," Alexander said, gesturing to the passenger seat. "I’ll take you."
Sofia stepped back slightly, shaking her head. "No, I don’t want to bother you, Alpha. I’ll just wait for a taxi."
Alexander didn’t take no for an answer. He scoffed again, shifting the car into park. To Sofia’s surprise, he actually stepped out of the rcedes. He walked around to the passenger side with a graceful, predator-like stride and pulled the door open for her.
"Get in, Sofia," he said, his voice dropping to a lower, more commanding tone. "I’m not going to let you stand on a street corner like a stranger. Besides, you seem late."
Sofia looked at the open door and then at Alexander’s calm, handso face. He wasn’t growling or dragging her like Alaric or Damien, but there was a quiet possessive aura in the way he stood there, waiting. She sighed and slid into the cool, leather interior.
As Alexander climbed back into the driver’s seat and pulled away, the silence in the car was thick. He drove with one hand, looking perfectly relaxed, while Sofia sat as stiff as a board.
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