Chapter 19

Alex Stone

I expected Sophia's reaction to be volatile when she woke up in the morning. What I didn't expect was that I would still be feeling the aftereffects hours later.

My ear is still ringing from where she screamed right into it.

In hindsight, climbing onto her bed to get closer to her was probably not the best idea. The bed couldn't take my weight in my wolf form. I shouldn't think about how adorable Sophia looks when she's huffing and puffing mad. She couldn't even form full sentences, too worked up to speak properly.

But her face all red with anger, her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's, was a sight I would like to see again. I tried apologizing, but it must have sounded insincere because I couldn't be completely regretful. I was enjoying her reaction too much.

I look around her apartment.

Maybe I should break something else.

My train of thought catches up to me, and I run my fingers through my hair, muttering, "What in the world are you thinking?"

Saul shares the same thought when he arrives an hour later with a new bed frame.

"Glad to see you're still alive, boss," he grunts, putting down the heavy load. "Guy at the shop said we have to put this together ourselves or he can send a man here tomorrow. I didn't think you'd want anyone seeing you, so I'd said I'd do it myself."

"Did anyone see you, though?" I watch him start to poke around Sophia's apartment.

"It's eleven in the morning, so yeah, a few people. Nobody paid much attention. Besides," he jerks his thumb toward the long cardboard box, "I rented a van. No way in hell was I carrying that thing all the way here on my back." He looks around curiously. "Not that fancy a place, is it?"

"I like it." I stick my hands in my pockets, feeling a little miffed by the disdain in his voice.

I don't appreciate the way Saul is studying everything with a critical gaze. It's obvious to me that Sophia has put effort into her small apartment. I see how she's managed to turn this place into a home. This is her space, and I like being in her space. I'll be damned if I let Saul—

My lieutenant gives me a smirk. "You've got it bad. Patrick warned me, but I had to see it to believe it."

I shoot him an annoyed look. "If I wanted your commentary, I'd ask for it."

He grins. "It's complimentary. Comes with the bed frame. Sophia's not home?"

I puff out my cheeks, scowling to hide my embarrassment. "She wasn't too pleased with the fact that I decided to occupy the bed with her last night. And then I broke it, on top of that. She stormed out of here this morning."

My friend chuckles. "Look at you, a whipped dog." I bare my teeth at him, but his smile just grows broader. "Does she even know you're replacing the bed?"

My answer is a dark look aimed at him.

Saul snickers. "How the mighty have fallen. You know, you might not remember because you were younger then, but your dad behaved pretty much the same way around your mother."

Saul was a teenager when the massacre happened, so he has more memories of my parents than I do. Warily, I ask, "What do you mean?"

He pulls apart the cardboard and brings out the heavy wooden frame into the living room. "Your father was a force of nature, Alex. But when it came to your mother, he both feared and adored her. I remember he once broke one of the clay vases she liked to make. He paid me twenty bucks to take the blame. Easiest twenty I ever made in my life."

I feel slightly offended. "I'm not scared of Sophia."

He glances at me, amused. "I never said you were. But I'm not the one tiptoeing around her right now because I broke her bed."

"I don't tiptoe."

"Whatever you say, twinkle toes." Saul winks at me.

My arms cross over my chest as a glower at him. "I am still your Alpha, you know."

He just whistles a tune, ignoring me.

I help Saul take the new bedframe into the bedroom and get rid of the broken one. Perhaps it's the fact that I slept curled around Sophia last night, but my body feels sturdier, my healing having picked up pace.

Suddenly, I remember to ask, "How did it go last night?"

The humor fades from his face as he looks over at me. "The Wily Vixen was expecting us. She waited two whole hours before leaving, but we chased her. Not that it was a good idea. She lost a fight last night. Pretty banged up. And I think we made it worse by chasing her through the woods. She managed to evade us eventually, but she could barely walk, Alex."

I feel a stab of guilt. "She didn't shift?"

Saul shakes his head. "Not even when Nathan got close to her."

Suddenly, I recall when Sophia came home late last night. I assumed she must've been attacked outside the bar after work. But what if—

No. The idea is ludicrous! For starters, Sophia is an inch taller than the Wily Vixen. Plus…

Nothing. I can't come up with a second reason why she cannot be the female cage fighter.

"What time did you lose sight of her?" I ask carefully.

"Well after midnight, I would say," Saul shrugs. "Probably around one-thirty or two in the morning. I remember looking at my watch while we were waiting for her. It must have been almost one a.m. when she finally left the arena."

Sophia came home a little before three. I checked the clock.

It can't be. If she were the Wily Vixen, she would've told me yesterday when I explained to her about the Silver Wolf and my suspicions. Then again, I never told her that we were looking into the cage fighting ring for the shifter in question.

I cannot imagine Sophia in a cage fight. I must have a few screws loose. It couldn't possibly be her.

"Alex?" Saul gives me an inquisitive look. "What's on your mind?"

I shake my head grimly. "Nothing. So, she didn't shift, huh?"

The seed of suspicion has been planted in my mind now. What if the female they were chasing last night didn't shift because she can't shift? If she really is Sophia, that would also explain my attraction toward the masked fighter.

But if the Wily Vixen is Sophia, that means we've been looking in the wrong place this whole time. Sophia's wolf is latent. She cannot shift. She cannot be the Silver Wolf.

I have to ask her. I have to know the truth.

Until I find out for sure, I don't want to tell my companions. I have to be absolutely certain.

Suddenly, that hateful look in her eyes last night also makes sense to me. My heart sinks. Maybe she waited two hours to leave because she'd overheard our plans, what I was discussing with Patrick about chasing her through the forest. Maybe she was hoping they'd think they missed her and leave. But they didn't, and that means she was in such bad shape when she got home because of me. The men were acting under my orders.

My wolf howls mournfully. We hurt our mate.

There are still a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but I have a feeling I'm on the right track.

"You said the Wily Vixen was beaten in the ring last night," I say to Saul, his earlier words registering on me. "How is that possible? Was the other fighter a shifter, too?" When my friend doesn't answer, I look at him, sensing something is wrong. "Who was the other fighter, Saul?"

Saul takes a deep breath and sets down the hammer and nails he brought with him to assemble the bed. "It was Julia."

I feel my body go cold. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The woman isn't a complete idiot, Alex. She figured out where we were going and put two and two together. She signed on as a fighter last night. She was already in the ring before we realized. There was nothing we could do. Her attacks were brutal. For a moment, I thought she fully intended to kill the Wily Vixen."

"This is not good." I feel a ball of tension form in the base of my neck. "That woman is like a cockroach who refuses to die."

Saul zips up his bag with the tools in it, muttering, "Amen to that."

The idea of Julia hurting Sophia makes me shake with anger. My wolf wants her blood, and I'm afraid that this time I might not be able to stop it. I push down my animal, trying to be rational right now. "You think Julia's onto us?"

"I can't say for sure," Saul responds. "Either she realized that we suspect the Wily Vixen is the Silver Wolf, or she simply noticed your interest in another female shifter."

My mood dark, I ponder this new development. I cannot let Julia interfere in our mission. And if the masked fighter truly is Sophia, then I may just have to kill Julia to keep her away from my mate, damn the consequences.

Now that Saul is done with the bed, I want him out before Sophia returns. I have to talk to her, and I'm not looking forward to that conversation. Getting answers from that girl is like pulling teeth.

Sophia's lack of trust in me is more than evident. And if I'm right about her identity, then she has even less reason to trust me. She was in so much pain yesterday, and it was all because of me.

By the time Saul leaves, I'm running through scenarios in my head, trying to meld the image of the Wily Vixen and Sophia. In my gut, I'm sure they are one and the same. But if that's the case, then who is the Silver Wolf? Was she even in this town to begin with? Have we been searching in the wrong place all along?

We are running out of time. With the Alpha Successor already aware that this town has been infiltrated, and with no black wolf body for him to find, he's going to be on high alert. Patrick and the others already had their identities scrutinized yesterday.

We need to find the Silver Wolf, and we need to find her now.

It's as I'm thinking this that I feel a vibration in the delicate thread of the bond that ties Sophia and me. I go completely still.

Fear, uncertainty.

I feel these emotions, but they're not mine.

They are Sophia's.

I get to my feet. What is happening? How am I able to feel her emotions?

There's something else, something I can't quite put my finger on. A sense of urgency that my wolf reacts to. The beast is uneasy inside the cage of my mind, pacing and growling.

I have to find her.

I need to know where she is and make sure she's unharmed. My hand is already on the doorknob, and I turn it only to see my mate reaching the top of the stairs. Her face is flushed, her body trembling.

"Soph—"

Her scent knocks the wind out of me. It's tantalizing. She smells ripe, ready for the taking.

My wolf growls in approval, and I can feel desire wrap around me like a noose.

There's still time.

I can turn around.

I can leave.

My pack has to come first.

But I can't resist her any longer. My hand is reaching out for her as I faintly realize that I've been referring to this woman as my mate all this time. Not my fated mate, but my mate. Mine.

She comes to me easily as I yank her forward. She doesn't resist as I slam my mouth down on hers hungrily, starving for her.

There's nothing gentle or sweet about this kiss. I have her pressed against the door frame, feeling every curve and dip of her body as it presses against mine.

Why is she so perfect?

I groan into her mouth when her hands settle on my chest.

I can hear someone on the steps, calling out her name.

A male.

A surge of possessiveness overtakes me. I pull her inside the apartment and slam the door shut.

"Sophia!" Someone is on the landing, but Sophia can't answer. My mate is wedged between me and the door, her arms above her head, tangled up in the blouse that I've just lifted. She's wearing a plain, white bra underneath, her dusty pink nipples hard points, straining against the material.

I've never desired a woman like I do her.

The man is pounding on the door now. "Sophia? Sophia, are you alright?"

Sophia's eyes are cloudy with lust and need as I slice her bra in half from the front, revealing her perfect chest. Her breasts are not too large and not too small. They fit my palms perfectly, soft and delicate. And I know I'm the first male ever to see them.

It's instinctual knowledge.

She's never been touched.

She's mine, and she's untouched.

It drives my wolf half mad to know that my mate will only ever know my touch. The dark satisfaction that fills me at that thought has me taking her nipple in my mouth and sucking it with vigor.

"Sophia?!" The banging on the door increases.

I sink my teeth into her nipple, and she lets out a hiss. I can hear the pleasure in it. I feel her fingers dive into my hair as she pulls me back up to kiss me.

I like this aggressiveness.

As I lick the inside of her mouth, she lifts her legs and wraps them around my waist, pressing down against my hard cock. She's rubbing herself against the hardness like a wanton creature. For someone with no experience, she sure knows how to press my buttons. My hand reaches between us, and I begin undoing the button of her jeans.

"Sophia!"

The man outside is persistent as fuck. I glare at the door.

If he doesn't leave right now, I'm going to wring his fucking neck.

As if annoyed by my distraction, Sophia runs her hand down my shirt, right into my pants.

"Dad?"

My hand curls around her wrist, stopping her, as a child's voice sounds from the other side of the door.

"Dad, what're you doing?"

After a moment, the man outside replies, a defeated edge to his tone. "Nothing. Come on."

I hear footsteps leaving, and my eyes dart to Sophia's.

Her lips are parted, her breathing hard. But it's her eyes that have me pausing. They are glazed over, and when she looks at me, just for a moment, I feel like she's seeing right through me.

My wolf stills, and uneasiness spreads within me.

It suddenly hits me that she hasn't said a word since I dragged her in here.

"Sophia?" I ask hesitantly, looking at her.

She doesn't speak, just lets out a whine. The smell of her arousal is thick in the air, and it's messing with my head. However, my wolf is showing restraint, concern overshadowing the burning desire.

Why is she acting like this?

I grab her jaw, forcing her to look at me. She resists, and the sounds escaping her mouth make my lower body throb in need.

Her eyes are almost empty, nothing but lust in them. It's almost as if…

I recall an edge of bitterness in her mouth when I first kissed her tonight. I paid no attention to it at the time, but now I taste it on my tongue.

Humans came up with aphrodisiacs to lure in their mates. Wolf shifters don't need such trivial things. That's not to say aphrodisiacs don't affect our kind. They do, but they don't dull our senses completely.

Someone fed Sophia an aphrodisiac, and a strong one at that. She must have been given it quite a while ago, as it seems to have taken full effect.

"Sophia," I murmur.

Her arousal clearly grows stronger at the sound of her name, and her fingers reach for me.

"You ran all the way here in this state?" I pick her up, and her tongue licks my collarbone in a manner that has me moaning inwardly.

This isn't going to be easy.

I sit her down on the couch and try to figure out my next move. She can barely keep her hands off me. She wouldn't touch me willingly, not when she was so pissed at me this morning.

How did someone slip her an aphrodisiac without her knowledge? The taste of them is incredibly bitter to shifters. She would have noticed it.

Her sexual aggressiveness is increasing, and while I don't think I will have a problem holding her back, I don't want to hurt her. I've never seen someone under the effects of an aphrodisiac. I need to talk to somebody who might know more about them than I do.

My eyes flick toward the phone on the wall. There is one person who might be able to help me.

There is a phone book near the landline, and I use it. When I dial the number, it takes a couple of rings for Elsa to pick up.

"I need your help."

Silence from the other end, and then a sigh. "I knew you weren't dead. What is it?"

"Sophia. Someone gave her an aphrodisiac."

A hiss and a choking sound.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"She's trying to rip my clothes off, Elsa. Her mouth tastes bitter, and she doesn't seem to be aware of anything other than my body."

"Aphrodisiacs don't have that kind of impact on shifters." Elsa sounds worried. "She should still be in control of herself."

"What do I do?"

"You could wait it out. Tie her up, gag her, and leave her in a room alone," Elsa murmurs thoughtfully, unable to hide the concern in her voice. "But that's going to cause her a lot of pain. Will you be able to bear knowing she's in agony for hours?"

I suck in my breath. Restrain my mate? Muzzle her like an animal? Listen to her wail in misery?

"What's the alternative?" I ask roughly, my heart tightening in my chest at the mere thought.

"Give her what she wants," Elsa replies quietly.

"But…" I lean my forehead against the wall. Sophia is pressed against my back now, running her hands all over me. "She hates me, Elsa. I can't touch her against her will."

"This is her will," the woman on the other end tells me abruptly. "Aphrodisiacs works differently on shifters. They still have some control. If she sought you out, it's because she feels safest with you. She wants your touch. Some part of her knows that. And if I were you, I'd give her the mating mark." Elsa's words are cold and brutal. "Tie her to you. You can keep her safe."

Before I can ask her what she means, the line goes dead. I stare at the receiver.

Keep her safe from what?

I'm nearing the end of my rope with the way the woman behind me is so intent on seducing me. Turning around, I let her push me up against the wall. Her fingers tear my shirt, and then her mouth licks my chest and abs.

I could tie her up. Maybe then she won't hate me when she recovers.

When will that be?

"Come on." I harden my heart and drag her to the bedroom. "You're going to stay in here, and we're going to keep our hands off each other."

I don't have the heart to tie her up or gag her. I shove her inside and slam the door shut. Grabbing the knob, I hold the door closed with all my strength.

There's silence for a few seconds, and then Sophia tries to pull the door open. When it doesn't budge, she starts pounding on it. When that elicits no response from me, I hear her whine. She sounds like a wolf. Even if she's unable to shift forms, she's closest to her animal right now. And unlike her human self would under normal circumstances, her wolf doesn't understand this rejection.

The sounds coming from her are mournful, pained whimpers.

I keep hold of the doorknob, muttering to myself, "Stay strong. You're doing this for her."

When her cries grow in volume and intensity, my wolf begins to crash against its cage, desperate to get out.

I see the fur sprouting on my hands as my animal resorts to taking over my human form. Just then, I hear a crashing sound from inside the room. Heart in mouth, I open the door and see Sophia ramming herself against the window. She's managed to tear down the curtain rod.

I gape at her. She's trying to get out.

Get out and do what? Find somebody else to deal with her situation?

A wave of anger and jealousy floods through me. I pull her back, into my chest, and growl, "Where the fuck are you going?"

When her eyes meet mine, it's her wolf staring at me, and it's mesmerizing.

My own beast howls.

Sophia's hands rip my already torn shirt, and the remnants fall to the ground.

I sigh. "Well, now you've done it."

She pushes me against the wall, but it only takes me a second to reverse our positions. "You want my cock? Fine. But we'll do it my way."

She bites down on my pec, hard enough to draw blood, and a dark, amused laugh leaves my mouth. "I always knew you would be a handful in bed."

I gather her loose, flowing hair in one tight fistful and pull her head back. Ravaging her mouth, l use my claws to make quick work of her jeans, letting the shreds of cloth flutter to the ground.

Aside from her underwear, she's completely naked. And gorgeous.

Every inch of her skin is made for my hands.

My mouth traces wet kisses along her jaw, down her neck. I can feel the draw of the place where my mating mark should be.

Claim her.

It would be so easy.

I pull her panties to the side as I lick that spot on her neck, her mewls driving me insane. She sounds so wanton, so needy.

My free hand cups her breast, stroking, squeezing, marking the flesh with the pressure of my fingers. I could lick her all over and still not satiate my hunger. My grip on her hair is forceful as I use my mouth and hands to map her body.

She makes a helpless noise as her fingers reach down and press against her panties, against the damp spot that I can smell. My mouth waters.

The bed is not far from us, and light as she is, it's not hard to toss her onto it. Her bruises from last night have healed. There isn't a single remnant of them, but the realization barely registers on me. I lift her legs, parting them urgently.

Simple, white panties.

Gone.

Sophia isn't shy right now. Her wolf is gazing at me through her eyes—a challenge in them, blind lust and desire in them—and my own animal growls in approval. We may be in our human forms, but this is a mating of our beasts.

I dive into her pussy, my tongue licking and sucking, piercing her hole. The way her body writhes and squirms as I fuck her with my tongue is a sight to see. One hand is in my hair, clutching my head to the spot between her spread legs, and the other is digging into the sheets next to her. Soon enough though, it joins its companion in my hair.

I slurp all her juices as they drip from her. Gasping cries of need keep coming out of Sophia's mouth. Her clit is hard and stiff, and I gently bite down on it. Her scream is a delicious sound as she unravels, her orgasm flooding my mouth. I lap it up before taking advantage of her loosened grip on my head and moving back.

Her legs are spread open before me, and I thrust in two fingers.

She's so fucking tight.

"If you can't even take two of my fingers," I breathe, "how're you supposed to fit my cock in you?"

I jiggle the two fingers, watch her move her own hips, and then insert another. It's an even tighter fit, and this time, Sophia whimpers in pain.

"Easy now," I whisper, taking her nipple in my mouth as my fingers toy with her pussy, stretching that hole, opening it for what's to follow. She's torn between pleasure and pain. My cock is throbbing, but I ignore it. This should be about Sophia's pleasure. Only once she's exhausted will the effects of the aphrodisiac begin to fade. At least, that's my understanding of how this is supposed to go.

The fine sheen of sweat on her body is irresistible. I run my tongue over her flat stomach, enjoying the taste of her skin and sweat combined. It's hard to keep myself in check when all I want to do is turn her over and drill into her till we both lose our minds. For weeks, I've held off from touching her, only slipping up every now and then. As a result, I'm more pent up than I realized.

I feel her wet, slippery, lower muscles tighten around my fingers, and her back arches as she lets out a broken moan. Another sliver of my self-control cracks at the sound. I can't wait any longer.

Discarding my pants, I ignore the way my arm is hurting from the exertion of keeping Sophia in place.

She wraps her legs around me like a tight glove, and a groan escapes my lips.

I thought she would feel pain, but instead, she grows almost feral at the penetration, her hands reaching for me, her claws digging into my chest, drawing blood. My wolf likes the violence, the bloodshed, and it makes a noise that almost sounds like a cat purring.

I push inside her till our bodies are completely joined. Then I take her wrists and, pinning them to the bed above her head, I begin to move. I don't bother with a slow pace. This isn't the time to draw things out. I fuck her hard and deep, grinding my teeth as I hold my own needs back. Our faces are inches apart, and something in me hurts when I still can't see any awareness in Sophia's eyes.

All I see is the feral wolf gazing back at me. I can't see Sophia.

As my lips press against hers, desperate to see some flicker of recognition in those eyes, her body seizes, and I rumble as she orgasms.

And that's when I see it.

Sophia!

As recognition dawns in her eyes, I see confusion and dazed pleasure in them. Her body is trembling, and I can still smell her arousal.

"You're safe," I tell her, gathering her in my arms, my cock still buried deep inside her. "I've got you."

Her lips part, and this time, when desire floods her eyes at my movement, it's Sophia who makes the first move, kissing me deeply.

*** **

The woman sitting in this bed baffles me.

A sheet wrapped around her body, Sophia watches me carry a tray full of the food that was just delivered to the apartment. It seems Elsa predicted what would happen.

Sophia doesn't look angry. Instead, she makes room for me on the bed. "Who was at the door?"

"Elsa," I answer, setting down the tray and sitting beside Sophia. Her bare shoulders are covered with marks. Marks that I put there. Despite the situation, seeing my marks on her makes me feel oddly satisfied.

I see the surprise on her face, but she doesn't ask why her boss dropped off food. Instead, she bites into the beef sandwich with relish. If I thought I was hungry, after the past couple of hours, Sophia is practically ravenous. She inhales half of the sandwiches on the tray before finally sighing and leaning back against the headboard.

I want to say something, but I'm too worried about putting my foot in my mouth at the moment. She hasn't screamed or yelled at me. She hasn't called me a monster for taking advantage of her. Even if I was helping her, I can't help but feel that what I did was wrong.

It's almost as if Sophia can read my mind, because she glances at me. "Stop beating yourself up."

"I—"

She doesn't let me speak. "It wasn't as if I was completely out of it. It was more like I could see through my eyes, but I couldn't control my body. And it was starting to hurt. A lot. It was my wolf who came to you. It trusts you."

"I'm sorry," I finally murmur regretfully.

She gives me a tightlipped smile. "What do you have to be sorry about? You helped me. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I forced you into a position where you had to sleep with me. I know it was distasteful, but—"

"Distasteful?" I stare at her, stupefied. "Is that what you're thinking? That I found the whole experience horrific?"

She shrugs, grabbing one of the water bottles I brought from the fridge. She sips the water, but it seems like she's just giving herself something to do rather than look at me. She really does think that I find her unattractive. After everything I've said and done, she still refuses to believe me.

"Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands off you?" I glare at her, furious about the way she sees herself from my eyes. "Touching you is as natural as breathing to me. I feel like you're trying to convince yourself that I am repulsed by you, even though I tell you it's the opposite. You drive me fucking insane, Sophia! I have never had to practice more self-control than when I'm around you. And if it were just your body, it would be simple. But it's not just that!"

My voice tapers off as I finally say the words out loud.

"If it were only the fated mate bond," I say slowly, my chest aching, "it would be easy."

I get off the bed and start to pace, my heart churning, a combination of misery and anger coursing through me.

"You are the farthest thing from distasteful to me. If my shoulders weren't carrying the burdens off my entire pack, do you think I would hesitate? When I had you under me, I desperately wanted to give you the mating mark. It would have been so easy to blame it on the heat of the moment. But I couldn't. My desires, my needs, come after those of my pack. Alphas don't live for themselves. I can't be with you because I have to protect my pack."

I smell the salt of her tears, and I turn around to see Sophia's hands fisted in the bedsheet, tears streaming down her face. I shut up.

Again, because of me, she's crying. Why is it always because of me?

I know she's going to reject my touch, but I go over to her. Sitting down next to her, I take her in my arms. She doesn't fight me. Her face presses against my chest. Her tears are silent, and my wolf stirs, a mournful cry emitting from it.

It feels like her tears are for both of us, for the words she refuses to speak, for the pain she refuses to admit to, the pain I am putting her through because of my rejection. I can't offer any words of comfort to her. What should I even say?

This is an impossible situation.

However, there is something I need to confirm for her.

I pull away so I can look her in the eye. "You have to understand, Sophia. I am not rejecting you because I want to. I don't care if your wolf is latent. That is of the least consequence to me. I would choose you in a heartbeat if it were up to me."

Her sharp intake of breath doesn't escape me.

"But if I am selfish and choose you, I will be unable to protect the pups of my pack. My people have suffered for years. We have faced so much loss that I don't think they can take any more. They wouldn't begrudge me for choosing my happiness, but I can't do that to them."

Sophia angles away from me, not meeting my gaze. "I understand."

"It doesn't seem like you do," I say slowly.

I can still smell the faint arousal coming from her, but I don't move any closer.

"I understand that you have to choose your pack." Sophia's voice is quiet and subdued in a way I have never heard before. She looks out the window, a weary expression on her face that just about kills me. "I understand it all. I guess I just thought that maybe somebody would choose me for once."

Her words pierce me deep inside. The loneliness and sadness in her last sentence make me feel like a monster. She gets to her feet. "I'm going to take a shower. I think you're feeling well enough now; perhaps you should go back to the motel."

I don't want to end our conversation here. I want to talk with her. I want to get into her head and clear up any misunderstandings she has. But as she walks away from me, her gait uneven, I stop myself from reaching out to her. Will my words change anything? They will not alter the reality. I suppose it would be best, for Sophia's sake, if I just leave.

"The aphrodisiac," I say suddenly.

When she comes to a halt and glances at me, my heart stutters at the picture she's painting. Wrapped in a bedsheet that is trailing behind her, her hair streaming down her back as she looks at me from over her shoulder…She is mesmerizing. My breath catches, and it takes me a second to gather my thoughts.

"Somebody gave you that aphrodisiac, Sophia. We need to look into it."

She turns around to face me fully, and I see some of the fire return to her eyes. " We don't need to do anything. I will look into this matter myself. This is my problem, not yours. It is for the best that you and I stop getting involved with each other, Alex. I know you need to look for the Silver Wolf, and if it gets you out of town faster, I will help you. But I just want you gone. I want to start living my life again. I can't do that when you're still here."

She walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind her.

I stare at the bathroom door, feeling numb.

"I just want you gone."

My wolf makes a miserable sound.

I can feel the coldness from our bond, a dull sensation.

"I guess I just thought that maybe somebody would choose me for once."

I don't think Sophia intended for me to hear that. It felt like she was speaking to herself. I don't know much about her—an orphan raised in the pack's orphanage and now living in this small town—but I do know that she's lonely. I can sense it. She also admitted it when she first met me in my wolf form.

I realize I've gone after her when my hand touches the bathroom door. I want to open it. I want to apologize. I want to keep apologizing. That listless, empty look in her eyes breaks me.

I want to tell her that I desperately want to choose her, that I don't want to walk away from her. I want to tell her that my heart is breaking as well.

Maybe deep inside she knows it.

I wish I could comfort her. I wish I never came here.

Stepping back, I tilt my head and stare at the ceiling, trying to breathe through the agony of my emotions.

Somebody drugged Sophia. The only person I can think of is Noah, but when I asked Sophia who she was with this morning, she wouldn't tell me. However, the scent of the Alpha Successor is hard to miss. But there was also another scent on her. One that I didn't recognize.

That scent was fainter, meaning that whoever it was, she had been with that person a couple of hours ago. Aphrodisiacs don't work very fast, and Noah's scent was stronger. I grab my pants and tug them on over my briefs, my brain working in overdrive. If I follow the scent, it cannot be the Alpha Successor who drugged her.

Who was the other person?

And why did they give Sophia an aphrodisiac?