Chapter 16

Alex Stone

"Do you have any proof of this?"

I look at Patrick, fury building up inside me.

"She must have been outside the room when you were talking about going to the north side of the forest for a run," my senior lieutenant tells me. "I watched you leave, and then I saw her shadowing you. I followed her. She stopped to place a call, and I heard every word. I tried to hurry after you to warn you, but she must have seen me. Crazy bitch attacked me. Went for my fucking jugular. I managed to fend her off but got two broken ribs as a result."

He lifts up his shirt, revealing the black and blue bruises on his side.

"Why would she do that?" I frown. "What would be the point?"

Patrick lowers his shirt and picks up a snow globe from the shelf next to him, giving it a shake. "I think she was pissed that you rejected her. I know she came to your room the night before."

My eyes harden. "That wasn't the first time I rejected her. No, I think it's something else. She wouldn't be stupid enough to try to get me killed."

Patrick studies me. "What if that was her intention all along? What if that's why she came here? To get rid of you, on the Queen's orders?"

His words give me pause. I can imagine that happening, but I have a hard time with the idea that the woman who is so desperate to possess me would try to eliminate me. Even if the Queen ordered it, Julia still does have a mind of her own. The whole problem stems from the fact that I don't know Julia's true purpose in coming here.

"What's been going on with her this morning?"

Patrick shakes the snow globe once again before setting it back on the shelf. "She stopped by your room a couple of times, but Nathan was there. She acted like she was looking for something. Whatever it was, Nathan's presence stopped her. I ran into her an hour ago. She was heading out somewhere. The bitch actually smirked at me."

I can see her doing that.

I've never been a fan of using foul language where women are concerned, but Julia is a special case.

"And you weren't followed here?"

"I made sure she wasn't around before I left. I'm guessing she went into the forest to look for you." I watch my right-hand man start to pace, a look of angry frustration on his face. "If it weren't for the promise you extracted from us, we would have been out there searching for you first."

I shake my head. "I already told you, if anything happens to me, you are not to interfere. We cannot afford for the rest of you to fail, too. The pack needs you. When I go, you're the next Alpha. I'm glad you kept your word."

My friend glares at me. "You have no idea how fucking hard it was. And if it weren't for Sophia, I don't think you would have survived, Alex."

I let out a gust of air. "I know. She found me at the right time. The healing potion I had was barely enough to save my life. I think it managed to repair my intestines to some extent, but not much. That Noah Black is a powerful fighter. There's a sadistic edge to him. Instead of killing me outright, he was toying with me."

"How did he manage to overpower you? He's not even an Alpha."

"Not yet, but he does have Alpha blood. Even so, his strength was at an abnormal level. I'm not sure any Alpha could have overpowered him."

What worries me more is that Sophia is getting romantically entangled with him. Even if I put my emotions aside, the man is an enigma—and extremely dangerous. Elsa did warn me about him, but I didn't realize the monster he was till I faced him.

But I don't know how to explain this to Sophia. She's not going to believe me.

"So, now what?" Patrick glances toward the closed door. "I think she is going to let you stay, but she's not taking this whole situation very well, Alex. It's very cruel to her."

My shoulders slump. "You think I don't know that? But going back to the motel is not a good idea with Julia there, and besides the six of us, Sophia's the only one I can trust in this town."

"Because of your fated mate bond?"

Patrick's question makes me roll my eyes. "No. Because even though she thinks I don't know her, I have a good grasp of the person Sophia is. She won't sell me out. Even if it is uncomfortable for her, she will let me stay here. Of course, at this point, it feels like I'm taking advantage of her."

Patrick makes a sound of annoyance. "I don't understand why you're making things so difficult. You could still be with her. You don't necessarily have to form a mating bond with the Silver Wolf. One of us could do it, but if that's out of the question, we could strike up a business relationship with her. I'm sure there's something we can give the Silver Wolf that she wants."

His idea is tempting, but it's one I've already considered carefully. "If the Silver Wolf is not bound to us, she can be taken from us quite easily. We need her loyalty. To be honest, if she prefers one of you guys, I don't give a shit. As long as you can tie her to yourself in a mate bond, it's fine. We just need her power. But even then, accepting Sophia is out of the question. Karina will see her as my biggest weakness. You know we cannot reject anything the Queen offers under the guise of civility. She could very well invite Sophia to visit her pack and then keep her there as a hostage. Or, ignoring civility altogether, she could simply kidnap Sophia outright so she can hold her over my head."

My friend sighs heavily. "I see your point. But I also see that you're miserable. And it doesn't help that the bond between the two of you is intensifying. I doubt you'll be able to keep your hands off Sophia for very long if you stay here. This might not be the best place for you, Alex."

I give him a sharp look. "I can control myself."

"I'm not saying you can't, but I am saying that if the situation presents itself, especially considering that you two will be in close quarters here, it's going to be hard to resist. I'm not blind. You can hardly keep your eyes off your girl."

"She's not my girl," I mutter bitterly.

Patrick gives me a frustrated look, but he doesn't press the matter. Instead, he changes the subject. "Julia is going to lose her freaking mind when she can't find you in the forest. I bet she assumed you would be badly wounded but alive. Or maybe she's gone to look for your dead body. Either way, when she doesn't find you, she's going to flip."

The idea appeases some of my anger. Let her panic.

"It's going to take another couple of days for you to heal entirely," Patrick continues. "I can't give you any more of that potion because it has its own side effects. You need to let your natural wolf healing kick in and take over."

I run my fingers through my hair. "Yeah. You have a point there. I'm guessing three more days. Again, I don't think being around Julia in this condition is a good idea. That's why I didn't want to go back to the motel last night."

Patrick agrees with me, but his tone is dark. "The others are pissed. They want her blood. It's not easy keeping them away from her right now. Last night, Jared was ready to kill her on the spot."

"Don't tell me—"

"Nobody touched her," Patrick reassures me. "I kept them in line."

"Good." I feel my tense shoulders relax. "If anything happens to Karina's favorite pet, she will use that as an excuse to annihilate our pack. That's the only reason why Julia has not already met with an accidental death."

But selling me out while I am on a supposed mission for the Queen of the North Alliance is something I doubt even Karina would forgive, unless the whole thing is on her orders. In any case, I fully intend to make a stink about this when I get back. So far, Julia has been allowed to harass me and my pack, and every other pack has turned a blind eye. But meddling in Alliance affairs is something Karina's pack elders will frown upon.

"When is the next cage fight?" I ask, eager to stop talking about Julia.

Patrick looks uncertain. "It's supposed to be tonight. But I don't think you should go."

I try to get to my feet and falter, my abdomen screaming in pain. I fall back onto the bed with a groan. "I think you're right. But I want you guys to be there in my stead. See if you can talk to that female fighter. Stick to the plan if she doesn't cooperate: chase her through the forest and force her to shift forms. We need to confirm her identity. If she is the Silver Wolf, we might have to resort to kidnapping her."

"I thought you were against the kidnapping idea." Patrick gives me an amused look. "Something about wanting to buy her trust?"

"We're running out of time," I say grimly. "The existence of at least one black wolf has already been noticed by this town's pack security. When they don't find my corpse, they're going to start looking at all the newcomers in town. We can't afford to waste any more time playing nice."

Patrick's expression grows serious. "You're right. Leave the Wily Vixen to me and the boys. We'll deal with her."

He's about to turn around and leave the room when I remember something. "This morning, something strange happened."

"Strange?" Patrick eyes me.

"Sophia was sleeping by the bed. I felt a bizarre energy from her. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like magic. It gave off that same tingly sensation that spells do. She stopped breathing…" I recall the sick fear I experienced in that moment as I watched her lips turn blue, every attempt to touch her making my hands prickle from the power radiating off her. "When I managed to wake her up, she mentioned dreaming about a silver wolf in a cell. I didn't get the opportunity to ask her more about it."

Patrick stiffens at my words. "That cannot be a coincidence."

I meet his gaze. "I don't think so, either. She knows something. She must."

"Have you tried asking her?"

"I told you, we never got around to discussing it. Other things came up."

"You're going to have to ask her. If she knows anything, we have to find out what. It could be that Sophia knows the identity of the Silver Wolf."

I tap my fingers against the soft bed sheet. "I agree with you." I see an odd flicker in Patrick's eyes, and I can sense that he wants to say something. "What is it?"

"Do you think there's even a chance, a fragment of a possibility, that Sophia is the Silver Wolf?"

I stare at him. "Are you drunk?"

"We've never seen her shift bef—"

"She can't shift," I say tightly. "She has a latent wolf."

I can see that this is news to Patrick because he looks shocked. "Are you absolutely sure?"

My silence is all the answer he needs.

He lets out a disappointed sigh. "And here I thought she would make a good Alpha Female."

"She would," I say abruptly. "Having a latent wolf doesn't affect her qualifications as a potential Alpha Female. She would be an asset to the pack. She's protective to a fault. She's quick-witted and intelligent. She may not have the same strength as us, but you saw her fight that kid, Freddy, in the restaurant. She's tough. She's also kind—kinder than you would imagine. After all, she hasn't thrown me out of her apartment despite the danger my presence has put her in."

"Well, that's because of your bond—"

"I rejected Sophia, Patrick. And Julia introduced herself to her as my fiancée." My voice is quiet, dull almost, and I hear his sharp intake of breath.

"You've broken the bond?" he hisses.

"Not yet. It's going to be very painful to do that. I don't want to her to have to go through it."

There are two ways to reject one's fated mate. The bond can be severed, which is an agonizing process and one I don't want to put Sophia through. The other way is to put distance between us and, once the strength of the bond fades, take another mate. That is also painful, but the severity is less since the bond has already weakened due to the decreased interaction.

Of course, this is all theory. I've never witnessed anybody breaking their fated mate bond. While the backlash is mentioned in texts and we were taught about it in school, not even our pack elders have ever seen such an event unfold.

Patrick rubs his temple, exasperated. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Alex. But whatever it is, you are right about one thing. We are out of time. I'll deal with that female fighter tonight. In the meantime, I don't think I'll come back here. Once Julia realizes you aren't in the forest, she's going to start watching the rest of us like a hawk. I don't think it's worth the risk."

I agree with him and nod my approval.

As Patrick starts to leave, he says over his shoulder, "I wasn't implying that Sophia would make a bad Alpha Female. But with all the disadvantages our pack already has, I don't think we need another one."

My jaw tightens, and I reply coldly, "Sophia will never be a disadvantage to us."

Patrick turns the doorknob. "She won't bring as many benefits as the Silver Wolf will, though, will she?" I remain silent as he opens the door, his voice is hard. "You're still stuck in the middle, Alex. You can't afford to be this undecided. Our pack is barely hanging on as it is. Think of the pups."

I glance at him, and my eyes widen fractionally when I see Sophia standing in the middle of the living room, watching us. I expect her to walk away, but instead, she picks up a tray and brings it into the bedroom, walking past Patrick.

"Here. This should help your healing."

It's a beef steak, drowning in butter and herbs, and it smells fantastic. I don't think I've had this kind of food down at the Dancing Bear.

I can see Patrick's envious look in my direction, and I smirk at him. He sure had a lot to say about Sophia. And now he's drooling over her cooking. Hypocrite.

As Sophia shows him out, my sudden good humor fades. Patrick is right. I can't afford to be indecisive. I have to think of the pups.

I hear the front door close and then the sound of footsteps returning toward me. Sophia doesn't come into the room; she stands in the doorway, watching me intently. Her eyes look slightly red-rimmed but are dry, and her expression is carefully blank.

"What pups?"

I'd hoped she hadn't heard that part of the conversation. It makes me wonder what else she heard. It wasn't like we were being quiet in here.

"I don't think—"

"I am already knee-deep in this situation," Sophia cuts me off abruptly. "Why not just tell me what you're doing here?"

I frown. "Because it can put you in more danger."

She gives me a jaded look. "You mean more than you what you've already put me in? And by the way, I wasn't eavesdropping on your conversation. It's a wonder you guys have managed to keep your identities secret. You really have no sense of volume control."

"So, you heard everything?" I ask warily.

"No. Just from when you told your friend my wolf is latent and he thought I would be a burden on your pack. Just the normal, uplifting stuff."

It bothers me that I can't read her eyes. Her tone is sarcastic, but I can't get an idea of her true feelings.

"Patrick was just—"

She shrugs. "You don't have to defend him. I'm not mad. A latent wolf is always a burden on a pack. It's not my first rodeo. But I heard mention of a Silver Wolf. And then the pups. I think it's time you explain to me what you and your friends are really doing here in this town out in the middle of nowhere. And who is this Silver Wolf you're looking for?"

I close my eyes briefly. "This situation is more complicated than you can possibly understand," I say as I finally look at her. "If you find out our true purpose here, it'll put you at more risk then you realize, Sophia."

"Shouldn't that be my decision?" She folds her arms across her chest. "I would like to know why you came all this way and upended my life."

Her tone is neutral, but when I try to access the fated mate bond between us, it feels cold. I've never actually examined the link that ties us together, but it's always felt like a vibrant thread inside me. I've never known it to turn cold like this.

I don't know what it means, but it cannot be anything good.

I contemplate telling her the truth, or at least a version of it, but I don't know if she'll believe me.

I am half inclined on the bed, propped up by the pillows that Patrick placed behind me. Every attempt I make to stand is terribly agonizing, so I've given up on it. But right now, I wish I could get to my feet, cup Sophia's face with my hands, and peer into her eyes. Why is the thread that binds us suddenly so cold? What is she feeling? What is making my mate so anxious?

"The North Alliance has its struggles," I finally reveal, sighing heavily. "My pack, the Moonrise Wolf Pack, once ruled the North Alliance. The current head of the Alliance is Queen Karina. Instead of following the rules of leadership transfer, where a battle is requested with the reigning leader, she infiltrated my pack under the guise of friendship, drugged my parents, and after murdering them, initiated the slaughter of every adult who might pose a threat to her. I was very young then. She left only a few adults alive and was planning to destroy our entire pack and absorb the territory, but she couldn't kill the children. Our kind abhors the murder of young ones. It would have been an unforgivable sin, even in the eyes of her own pack. What she decided to do instead was sell us off. But the idea of slavery is a human concept. Her own pack elders protested, and she had to give up the plan. I was forced to become the Alpha of my pack at the age of ten. I was nothing but her puppet. Our pack was never allowed to thrive, and a majority of our territory was seized."

Sophia doesn't interrupt me, but I see the shock in her eyes and the way her nails are digging into the side of her arm. Is she upset for me?

Now that I've begun, I may as well tell her everything. But even after two decades, it still feels fresh—the grief, the pain, the anger. I can still hear the screams of my people, smell their blood, and see their bodies. The way my mother rushed toward my father as Karina decapitated him. Her shouting at me to run, right before she suffered a similar fate.

All of it is etched in my memory forever.

"We weren't the only ones Karina had her eyes on," I say roughly. "The Alliance had eleven wolf packs; she stripped away the power of each one. Those who dared to voice dissent over her methods suffered. You asked me about the pups?" I lift my gaze to meet hers. "You're right. You should know. Because those pups are the reason, one of the main reasons, why I cannot be with you."

There's a glimmer of emotion in her eyes, and she wraps her arms around herself tighter in a motion that breaks my heart.

"Karina sent her trusted people to each pack to act as nannies for the pups. I don't know how it is here in the South, but when children are born to us, they are raised together by pack nannies until they are two years old. It is custom in the North Alliance to build strong bonds between the pups in this way. The Queen's nannies were accompanied by soldiers for their protection—and to guard the pack nursery."

I remember the distrust when those females and soldiers arrived, as well as the crippling fear that followed. "It started small, not letting the parents spend more than a couple of minutes with their pups. When one of the mothers protested, she was cut down on the spot. That was the moment the packs realized the threat these people posed. Karina used a witch to tie the lives of the pups to those of her nannies and soldiers. But it's only one-way. If a pup dies, nobody is affected. But if one of her people dies, three pups perish. One of the packs retaliated, and they lost all their young ones as punishment. And as they grieved, the adults were killed by Karina's soldiers."

As I tell her about the pack that was made an example for the rest, my stomach churns. I still have not been able to process it. So many vulnerable innocents lost because of one woman's thirst for power.

"So, she has been holding your pups hostage in an attempt to control your pack," Sophia comments, clearly shaken.

I nod, unable to meet her gaze. There's shame within me, guilt about not being able to protect my own people from the clutches of Queen Karina.

"We're trying to figure out a way to break that magical link," I explain, "but witches don't meddle in other witches' magic. So, you can see why I reject—"

"What does the Silver Wolf have to do with all of this? And who is the Silver Wolf?"

Sophia's voice is slightly strange, but when I look at her, she is once again wearing the same mask that won't let me see what she's really thinking.

This is the part I am most worried about. I don't know why, but I feel I can trust Sophia not to betray us. However, using my emotions to make a decision isn't smart. I need to use logic, and logic dictates that she has no reason not to betray us if I tell her about the existence of the Silver Wolf.

It's almost as if she can read my mind because she sighs, annoyed. "I have no reason to betray you, Alex. And I'm not interested in helping my own pack. Don't think I have any misplaced sense of loyalty toward them. My goal is just to survive."

Survive?

Her words stun me. What does she mean, she needs to survive? Surely her life cannot be that unbearable here…

She mistakes my silence for a refusal to speak, and she huffs. "Fine. Don't tell me. But then don't expect me to be forthcoming, either. You keep your secrets, and I'll keep my dream about the Silver Wolf all to myself."

She turns around, and I immediately call out, "Wait!"

She stops.

I hesitate. "The Silver Wolf is our last hope, Sophia."

"Why?" She still has her back to me, but I hear the strange undertone in her voice.

"There's a prophecy that whoever possesses the Silver Wolf will have access to her power. And I need that power to save my pack."

"What kind of power?" This time, Sophia turns to look at me, her eyes carefully guarded.

I open my mouth and then pause.

I'm not really sure. There has been very little mention of past Silver Wolves in history books. Everything I do know is from the tidbits of information that my spies have managed to gather. If we had access to the records of the Central Alliance, it would be much easier. But the Central Alliance is closed off, and their terrain is so difficult to navigate that nobody dares go there.

I tell Sophia everything I know, which isn't much. "It is said that the Silver Wolf has the ability to use magic. We need her to break the link between the nannies and the pups. And we need her power to overthrow Karina so I can reinstate my pack in its rightful place."

"Which one is your priority?" Sophia asks, unfolding her arms and tucking her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "The pups or overthrowing Karina?"

I give her a startled look. "They're one and the same thing."

"I don't think so." She studies me. "One sounds like a revenge plan, and the other sounds like a necessity."

I frown at her. "What's the difference?"

She meets my gaze steadily. "When you take revenge, countless lives may be lost. If you plan to cause bloodshed, do you think your precious Silver Wolf will be happy to go along with it, when she hasn't suffered the same loss as you have? Are you going to stain her hands with blood, using her as a means to an end, just another tool?"

My voice gets stuck in my throat. I never considered that. All this time, I have been so focused on vengeance and breaking my pack free of Karina's control that I never thought of the Silver Wolf as another living being. I never considered what I would be putting her through to get my revenge. But…

"What am I supposed to do, then?" I demand. "Let my pack be oppressed?"

"I don't have an answer to that question. But I do know that putting another person through that sort of emotional turmoil just to get what you want will always weigh heavily on your conscience." Sophia stares at me for a few seconds before continuing. "This is the real reason you rejected me, isn't it? It wasn't to protect me. It was because you wanted to find the Silver Wolf and tie her to you in such a way that she will be forced to do what you want, no matter the consequences to her."

My mouth is dry as I meet her gaze.

It's true.

While I don't want to put Sophia in Karina's crosshairs, the reason why I want to be the one to mate the Silver Wolf and why I am reluctant to hand that duty over to one of my men is because I know that once the mating bond is established, emotions become involved. No male will want to force his woman to cause bloodshed against her will. There's a good chance my men would back out in an attempt to protect their mate. I, however, am driven to settle the score. I will not let anyone or any emotion get in the way of that.

Deep in my heart, I always knew this. When forced to face my own ruthlessness in front of Sophia, I wince. Because the truth is that the kind of revenge I want would rattle anybody's soul. And unless somebody is used to that kind of carnage, they may go insane. That is a risk I was willing to take with the Silver Wolf. Even if it was against her will, I wanted to use her to destroy Karina and her pack.

Sophia gives me a small, humorless smile. "I guess you're not all that different from Karina then, are you? Destroying another person to get what you want." She glances at my plate. "Your food's getting cold."

I watch her leave, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

The silence is heavy and suffocating once I'm alone.

I'm not anything like Karina. I just want to protect my people.

However, even as I think that, Sophia's words keep ringing in my head.

Admittedly, my plan for the Silver Wolf is not the kindest. But it's not as if I will mistreat her. It's just that without her power, we can't fight Karina, who has the support of all the witch covens in the North Alliance. How are we supposed to overcome that?

The Silver Wolf is said to have massive magical powers. I don't know if that means she has the ability to cast spells like witches or if it's something else. But I cannot doubt the prophecy, not if Karina believes in it. Her sources are reliable. I know this with certainty because once, when I was younger, a year after my parents' murder, she unwittingly revealed in a drunken moment that it had been a prophecy that had guided her on when to strike and what outcomes to expect.

That was when I realized that she'd had the help of witches who had foretold a prophecy, and that she had followed it to the letter, becoming the leader of the North Alliance as a result. But to put me in the same category as Karina, who has harmed the most vulnerable of children, is unfair.

"One sounds like a revenge plan, and the other sounds like a necessity."

I lower my head into my hands. It's true that I want revenge. Yes, I want the heads of every person who was involved in my pack's destruction. I want them to feel the same pain of losing their loved ones. But now, as I think about the detailed strategy I have devised for my revenge, the brutality of it hits me and makes me wonder if I truly am no better than the monster who bathed in the blood of my pack.

The easiest thing would be to kill Karina and end it at that. Perhaps get rid of the people who were directly involved. But after all the years, after all the humiliation I constantly faced, I want them to suffer the same way we did. I want them to watch as I cut off the heads of the people they loved. I want to see their faces as they hear the screams of the women, of the people they cherish. The same things I watched. The same things my friends heard.

This pain is beating like a drum inside me, and I dig my nails into my thighs, furious. Who does this woman think she is? How dare she make me doubt myself?

I want to storm out of this room and shake some sense into her! I want to remind her that she hasn't suffered the way I have! Controlling the Silver Wolf is the only way I can appease the hurt and anger simmering inside the hearts of my pack mates. Even if the Silver Wolf suffers, I will be able to finally give relief to all those who have placed their trust and hope in me.

My methods may be dubious and harsh, but my intentions are solid. Sophia will never understand that. She's always lived a sheltered life. Sure, she's been rejected by her pack, according to her. But she hasn't lived through the hellish experiences I have. She doesn't get to judge me for what I am planning to do.

I finish my cold steak and set the plate on the bedside table. As I slowly lower myself down on the bed, I grind my teeth, swallowing my grunts of pain. I'll be damned if I call her for help. If only I had a healer here; they would be able to repair some of the internal damage. My arm is still not in the best shape, either, but in a few days, it should be fine.

As I begin to drift off, I recall that day at the cage fighting arena when I became aroused by the Wily Vixen. Why did my body react to her like that? It doesn't make sense to me. Have already met my fated mate, I should not be attracted to another female. So what was it about her that had my wolf so worked up?

I close my eyes, my thoughts dim and confused. Exhaustion is creeping up on me.

Sophia is wrong. I'm not a monster.

She has to be wrong.

Right?

*** **

It's a soft groan of pain that wakes me up. For a moment, I stare at the ceiling in the dark room, dazed.

And then I hear it again. This time, I feel more alert. I know where I am. I'm in Sophia's bedroom. She's not here.

The sound of a heavy thud from the other side of the door has me rising from the bed.

I try to jump to my feet, but I fall back on the pillows. The pain is less, but it's still there. Grabbing the edge of the bed, I push myself up to a standing position, my wolf growing anxious.

What is going on?

Sophia?!

I can hear her cursing softly, and then I catch the faintest scent of blood.

Sophia's blood.

Alarm and fear hit me like a punch in the gut, and I throw open the bedroom door with renewed strength. My eyes widen in shock when I see her collapsed against the wall, her breathing uneven, her eyes glazed over in pain.

Chapter 17

Alex Stone

My wolf howls in fury at the sight of her. She has a large black eye, and there are bruises around her mouth and on her cheek.

"Sophia!"

I cover the distance between us, but she lets out a growl, lifting her hand, her voice rough. "I don't need your help."

Her breathing is shallow as she struggles to get to her feet. I grab her arm to support her; she pushes me away.

"I said I don't need your help!" she snarls at me.

Pride. And anger.

There is a wealth of both emotions simmering behind her eyes.

Does she expect me to walk away? Turn a blind eye to her condition?

This time when I seize her hand, my grip is forceful. "You're in no position to argue right now!"

She shoots me a hateful look, and my wolf freezes at the sight. Why? Why is she so mad at me? Why is she looking at me as if she considers me the very scum of the Earth?

I help her into the bedroom, ignoring the very precise curse words she's aiming at me.

I can still feel the rawness inside my own abdomen, but I pay no attention to it. From the way Sophia is hobbling, her injuries may very well be located on other parts of her body in addition to what I can see.

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

"I don't need—"

"I know," I say impatiently. "You don't need anybody's help, especially mine. But you're going to get it, so either you tell me where your first aid kit is or I go digging around your entire apartment till I find one. It's your choice."

From the look on her face, she would like nothing better than to give me a black eye to match her own.

"In the living room, under the coffee table," she finally mutters.

My injuries haven't exactly healed, so I can't move very fast. By the time I retrieve the first aid kit and return, I walk in on her taking off her shirt. She's wearing a sports bra underneath, but I can see that her entire back and both sides are littered with bruises. I can't control my sharp intake of breath.

Her body stiffens, and she glares at me over her shoulder. "Get out! I'm changing!"

I don't move. "Who did this to you?" My voice is furious, my wolf enraged. Somebody used her as a punching bag.

"None of your business." She opens her closet, hissing in pain with each movement. She takes out a loose blouse and pulls it over her head. Her movements are clearly painful, and when she hobbles over, wanting to pass by me, I stop her.

"I'm making it my business, Sophia," I growl. "Who did this to you?"

She looks at me tight-lipped, her eyes flashing with anger. "Explain to me why you give a shit. Do you think I'm supposed to feel touched by your concern? Or do you think I need a big strong male to protect me?"

Her words have me staggering, the venom in them something I've never heard from her before.

"I just—"

She gets in my face. "Don't give me an explanation, Alex. You made your intentions very clear to me today. I understand why you have to do what you have to do. But rejecting me means you have no say in my life. So, back off. Besides, if I need a man's support, there's somebody else I can turn to."

She pushes me aside and limps away. I stare after her, my heart feeling like something is clenching it.

"You mean that baby Alpha?" I can't help the cold fury in my voice. "The one who's been fawning over you?"

She comes to a stop, and without turning to look at me, she replies, "Yes. He's the first person to treat me like I matter. So, if I need help with something, if I'm in any sort of trouble, you can bet your ass I will go to him before you any day."

My wolf snarls inside me, furious at me and enraged by her words. It wants nothing more than to go hunt down our rival.

Sophia is moving toward the kitchen. I follow her.

I have never understood Noah's interest in Sophia. Every Alpha Successor or Alpha chooses a mate they know will benefit them and their pack.

"Have you considered what that man wants from you?" I demand, watching her take out a bag of peas from the freezer and press it against her black eye.

Sophia lets out a dry, angry chuckle. "Why? Just because you are discarding me, does that mean every other man is supposed to do the same?"

I clench my jaw. "I'm not walking away from you because I want to! You know why I have to—"

She turns around to face me, and anger glitters in her uncovered eye. She looks glorious and beautiful, even with the bruises all over her. The defiance in her expression intrigues my wolf, stirring its wild nature. It wants to bite her, lick her.

"I am not in the habit of begging for anybody's affection, Alex. Your reasons are your own problem. I never questioned you. I never told you to choose me and not the Silver Wolf. I have not uttered a fucking word. So, why do you think you have a right to stick your nose into my business? You and I mean nothing to one another. If I fuck the next person who looks at me, it is not your business, and if somebody else wants me, I am not going to reject them because of your misplaced pride."

I open my mouth, but no words come out.

She's right. I know she is. I don't have a say in anything she does. But the idea of her and that Alpha Successor with the golden, surfer-boy looks drives me insane. A part of me knows I'm being unreasonable. But the analytical side of me is also concerned. Why is Noah Black pursuing Sophia? There is no logic to it. Her wolf is latent. Even if he is madly in love with her, the pack elders would not accept her as Alpha Female.

The Alpha Female is the heart of the pack. She is supposed to be a source of strength and nurturing and, like the Alpha, she is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the pack.

Even with all of Sophia's strengths, no sane Alpha Successor would choose her as Alpha Female because of her latent wolf. For me, the situation is different. She is my fated mate. Plus, I have no pack elders left alive who would protest the union.

But Noah? Very soon, he will challenge his father for the position of Alpha. It is a rite of passage, and he needs the pack elders' backing. Logic dictates he choose a strong mate. So, why is he pursuing Sophia?

I can only surmise that there is some unknown reasoning behind his actions. I haven't forgotten what she told me about how he bullied her when they were children. Although I only got the gist of the story, I could tell from the fear she displayed that Noah had been a source of torment.

Is this another game of his? Is he planning to make her fall in love with him and then crush her? I would not put it past him. The information I was able to gather on Noah was limited, but after my conversation with Elsa, I had my spies start digging deeper.

The man has a cruel streak. An almost sadistic one. His opponents and enemies fear him for his brutal actions. His methods of torture are so vile and so incomprehensibly cruel that tales of the few incidents that reached my ears made my skin crawl. Even if Sophia despises me, I can't let her be with that creature. He's up to something. I can't figure out what it is, but what I have been able to discern about Noah Black is that nothing he does is without a purpose.

Even Elsa, a human, is worried about Sophia's relationship with him.

To me, it seems that either Sophia is lashing out by letting Noah court her or she genuinely has feelings for him. I can't see the latter being the case. I can't even bear to think about it. Plus, it is simply not possible. With her fated mate in her presence, she cannot be physically attracted to another male. That's simply how our biology works. Our wolves are drawn to each other, and it's as if a switch is flipped off when it comes to anyone else.

This is why I can't understand why my body reacted the way it did when it came into contact with the Wily Vixen. Why was I aroused? This is something I try not to think about, because when I do, it feels like I'm betraying my own biology.

Sometimes I want to bury my head in my hands and scream. This whole fated mate business is messing with my brain. It's hard to even look at another female, let alone consider the idea of giving the Silver Wolf my mating mark.

The war raging within me is difficult to navigate. I know what I have to do, but my wolf is resistant to the idea. It is obsessed with the female before me—who is currently glaring at me as she holds a bag of frozen peas to her black eye. My beast wants to rip every male in her vicinity to shreds so that no one is left for her to look at but me. It wants to possess her in every sense of the word. I haven't forgotten our kiss; it was a mistake and one that shouldn't be repeated, but the sight of her pink lips makes me hungry with need. I want her wrapped around me till all I know is her.

My mission hasn't changed, nor have my responsibilities, but when I'm standing here, looking at the anger in her eyes, the thinly veiled hurt, I want to forget it all. I just want to take her in my arms. I want to beg her to stay away from Noah.

She says I discarded her, but I have tucked her away in the deepest corner of my heart, somewhere nobody else can reach. I have tucked away every smile, every word, every inflection of her tone deep within me so that I can have it when my heart is breaking and I feel lonely. This is the most difficult sacrifice I've ever had to make, and I can see that I'm not the only one who's suffering.

"Don't, Alex." Her voice trembles as she says my name, and I belatedly realize that I have approached her, and my hand is now touching her cheek.

I should move back. I have to move back. I cannot trust myself not to cross all the lines today. Not when she's so vulnerable before me.

When I don't budge, I suddenly feel something sharp pressed against me. Sophia's voice is hard now.

"Step away."

It's a knife. She's holding a knife to my side.

I go still at the realization.

Instead of anger, excitement flares to life within me.

I want to test her. My wolf wants to see if she really will stab me.

Shifters prefer strong mates, and boy, is Sophia strong. My heart is palpitating with feverish exhilaration at the way her piercing gray eyes are flashing at me in fury, at the roaring challenge in her expression as she dares me to make a move.

I can stop her if I want. All I have to do is twist her wrist, and the knife will slip from her grasp. But it seems I want to tempt fate. I want to see how far my woman will go to make her point.

My fingers caress her cheek, and I can feel the tremor in her hand as she pushes the knife against my already injured side.

I consider stepping back. She doesn't want me touching her, after all.

But as my thumb traces her lower lip, I see the cloudy desire filling her eyes. My wolf is circling inside my mind, desperate to claim its mate, to mark her so she can never leave us. She still has a strong grip on the knife, and when my mouth descends to hers, she presses the blade against my side, breaking skin, even as her own lips part.

The heat is instantaneous, a kaleidoscope of colors and a scalding desire that refuses to lower in intensity. It's like giving a thirsty man a drop of water. He just wants more.

My other hand seizes the back of her neck as I kiss her deeply, our teeth clashing, my tongue exploring that sweet mouth in the filthiest of ways.

I don't know how to stop myself. She's not pushing me away. She's not stabbing me. She's just holding the knife there, against my ribs, as she kisses me back. I can smell the faint scent of my blood in the air, but I'm too far gone to care.

Her lips move clumsily against mine, hungry for more, and I oblige. I hear the soft moans spilling from her lips, and they drive me on. Both of us are far too bruised and broken to do anything more than this, but the taste of her mouth is like an aphrodisiac.

I can feel my cock harden as I realize she has not yet lowered the knife.

She's actually managed to cut me to some extent. Instead of worrying, my wolf is quivering with excitement. At the very basic core of us, we are creatures who are violent by nature and who value strength. The fact that she has managed to nick me is a display of dominance, and my wolf wants to put her in her place, to remind her that he is the one who is dominant in this relationship.

But as I continue to kiss this woman, I know she will never bow her head before anyone. She's too fiercely independent, too hardened by her own trials and tribulations. Vulnerability is a weakness in her view. Especially around me.

Sophia thinks I do not understand her or know her, but I've spent a lifetime observing people in order to get a read on them. It was a survival skill as a child navigating a treacherous battlefield, and now it is second nature to me. I can read this woman like the palm of my hand. She wears her emotions on her sleeve. Perhaps it's because we're fated mates, but from the moment I met her, even when I found her frustrating, it felt like I had known her my whole life. Her presence is a breath of fresh air, calming to my chained beast.

She is a source of light in the midst of never-ending darkness. If she could see herself through my eyes, she would not look at me with such hurt and anger. If she could feel an ounce of what I feel for her, I doubt she would let me do what I intend to do—which is to crush my heart into rubble.

"If you dig that knife any deeper," I breathe roughly, "you're going to cause some irreversible damage."

It's as if my voice has woken her up from a long dream. Her eyes become alert, and I see shame in them, followed by dark fury.

She jumps back, and I let out a pained sound as the tip of the knife exits my body. The concern in her eyes as she looks at the wound is endearing, but I could've stopped it at any time. I simply chose not to.

With the one lover I've had, it was a sweet, gentle experience. Both of us were inexperienced and na?ve. But if ever I get Sophia into my bed, I don't think it will be sweet or gentle. The fire inside her that she tries to bury may very well consume the both of us.

Sophia sets down the knife on the counter, her hand still trembling. "I warned you. You didn't listen."

"Sorry," I respond insincerely.

The silence that follows my words is awkward, and she finally mutters, "I'll fix that."

She tries to move past me, but I block her way. "I would rather patch you up first. And I want to know who did this to you."

"Why?" She looks at me, her voice blunt. "What are you going to do? Why do you care?" I open my mouth to say something, but she cuts me off. "You'll be gone soon enough. If somebody beats me up or kills me, you won't be around. It won't affect your life. So, I don't need your concern now."

Her words are like a slap in my face. She's right. But when she walks past me, my hand reaches out to curl around her slim wrist, stopping her.

"I don't like seeing you hurt."

Sophia scoffs. "That's rich, coming from you."

The harshness of those words isn't lost on me, but I follow her to the bedroom anyway, my hand clutching my injured side. I make sure to visibly wince with each step.

"Just let me patch that up," she says, sounding annoyed, but I can hear the guilt in her voice.

"Sure." I sit down slowly on the chair facing the bed. "But only if you let me patch you up first."

She's holding the bag of peas to her bruised eye again, and she glares at me with the other one.

"Why are you so goddamn stubborn?!"

Does she really expect me to ignore her bruises? I can still see them on her legs. She's wearing a pair of shorts, and her slim thighs are littered with black and blue marks. No human could have landed such blows on her. It had to be another shifter.

Why is she protecting him? Why won't she tell me who it was?

A stab of fear makes me want to throw up.

It can't be.

"Was it Noah?" My insides feel frozen over. "Is that who you're protecting? If he put his hands on you—"

"It wasn't him!" Sophia gives me a furious look. "Why won't you let this go?!"

My frustration matches hers. "Why won't you let me help you?!"

She picks up the first aid kit and slams it against my chest. "Patch yourself up!"

Stunned, I watch her storm out of the room.

I make a move to follow her, but the gash in my side is getting more painful, and I have no other choice but to open the first aid kit and try to bandage the wound myself. However, with only one functioning arm, it's not possible. After a few failed attempts, I set down the bandage and make a frustrated sound. Maybe I should just let it heal by itself. If I get an infection, I can always take a healing potion. There's no way I—

The bedroom door whips open, and when Sophia barges in, her expression is dark. She sits on the bed across from my chair and snatches the bandage from me. She doesn't utter a word, simply glowering at me, silently daring me to open my mouth. I want to snipe at her because of my own hurt feelings, but I only take a sharp intake of breath when she pulls up my shirt.

Her hands are gentle as she cleans my wound. I can't take my eyes off her. My heart is pounding at each soft graze of her fingers, a blaze of heat and electricity forming a path in whatever direction those delicate fingers take.

How is she so unaware of my feelings?

I wish she weren't taking those damn blockers. Actually, I'm glad she is. My thoughts are scattered. I would go wild if she unleashed her scent on me. The memory of it is still vivid. Cool, refreshing, tantalizing. It made me want to lap her up.

"Don't make me stab you again," Sophia threatens, applying the disinfectant to my cut.

It's then that I realize the scent of my own desire is thick in the air, blanketing us both. She's able to resist it, which annoys me.

I can only watch her in silence. As angry as she is, she is still taking care of me. She unwinds the bandage and wraps it around my waist before tying it carefully. Lowering my shirt back down, she puts everything back in the first aid kit and leaves the room. Her foot has barely crossed the threshold when I hear her say, "I didn't mean to hurt you. But I don't want you touching me, either."

I stare after her, feeling slightly elated at her tender care. It makes me wonder if she really does feel anything for Noah Black. If she did, she wouldn't keep coming back in here to help me.

*** **

It's hard to lie in bed when I know Sophia is out there, probably asleep on the couch. I can feel my body healing slowly, but I still need a couple more days. I glance at the wall clock before getting to my feet. Flexing my injured arm, I'm relieved that it is regaining some of its movement. Making my way into the living room, I see Sophia lying on a mattress on the floor next to the coffee table.

The feeling of guilt is intense. I should be the one on the floor, not her. I can see from her uncomfortable expression that she's not sleeping easy. She keeps tossing and turning. I crouch down next to her and press my hand down on the mattress. It's quite lumpy. Making up my mind, I gently pick her up, swallowing a groan of pain when her weight settles on my injured arm.

I have never missed having a healer around more than I do right now. It's a struggle to carry Sophia even though she weighs next to nothing. I slowly place her on the bed and cover her with the blanket. Her tense muscles relax, almost as if her body recognizes where it is. My lips form a small smile.

Stroking the wayward strands of hair off her forehead, I study her calm expression.

She looks so at ease now. I don't think I have ever seen such an expression on her face. She's not going to tell me who put these bruises on her, but I'm going to find out. And like I did with Freddy that night in the woods, I'm going to teach whoever it is a lesson he will never forget.

I sit down on the chair beside the bed and watch my fated mate sleep soundly.

How can I protect her?

She's right, yet again. Once I leave, no matter what anybody does to her, I'll be too far away to do anything about it.

What if I convince her to join us? If we are successful in locating the Silver Wolf, maybe I can talk Sophia into coming north with us. The bond between us should disappear once I take a different female as my mate. I can find Sophia someone worthy of—

The train of thought comes to a halt as I realize the gravity of what I'm trying to plan. Hand Sophia off to another man? My wolf is throwing itself against the cage of my mind, enraged by the idea. No. No, I can't do that.

I should just make sure I get rid of those who want to hurt her. Starting with Noah Black. I don't trust him. There's something about him that doesn't rub me the right way.

What was with his strength? Even if he has been training, there is no possible way he should surpass an Alpha when it comes to speed and strength. But I could hardly keep up with him.

My eyes linger on the sleeping Sophia, and I feel the cage that holds my wolf inside me crack. It wants to be near her. It wants to comfort her, lick her wounds. If I restrain myself any longer, I know the consequences aren't going to be pretty, so I allow the shift to take place.

The bed is narrow, and I circle it anxiously, not knowing how to lie down next to my mate without waking her. Finally, with no other choice left, I rest my head on the bed, rumbling happily, one paw on her stomach. When she doesn't stir, I close my eyes, letting myself slip into sleep, Sophia's presence soothing the agitation inside me.

I know she's going to have words to say to me once she wakes up, but I would rather not think about it now.