Chapter 34

Sophia Hope

Alex charges toward Alpha Black. The latter takes him on, and they exchange violent blows.

I don't want anything to happen to Alex, but I still need Robert Black. He knows about my mother. I have to rescue her. My mother is alive. I'm not an orphan.

The realization is still ringing in my ears.

I see the two Alphas clash together under the heavy rainfall, and with the backdrop of thunder and lightning, it is a sight to see. Both are powerful in their own right. I've never seen Alex fight in his wolf form, and awe fills me as I watch his body move. I can barely see his attacks, he's so fast. Alpha Black is unable to keep up with his speed.

But Black makes up for his slowness with his strength. His blows are brutal.

As I watch the fight, I see movement in my peripheral vision. Drew is dragging himself toward a tree. After finding out what he did to his family, I don't want to feel sorry for him. I don't want to help him. But I'm plagued by all the memories of us together. Surely, there's something I'm missing here.

Why would he go so far just to please Alpha Black? I've seen Drew with Tim. Even if he is a little neglectful, he adores his son. There was never a time that he talked about Katie when there weren't tears in his eyes. He loved her. No loyalty in the world can force you to kill somebody you love. Something else must have happened.

I hurry over to where he's now leaning sideways against a tree trunk, struggling for breath. He flinches when he sees me.

"Th—This is your chance." He can barely get out any words. "Run, Sophia. Run, please."

"And leave you like this?"

"I deserve to die." Tears fall from his eyes. "I deserve to suffer."

"But Tim needs his father, doesn't he? You already took his mother away from him. Do you really want to leave him at the mercy of the world, without the protection of his father?"

Drew lets out a broken sound. "He's better off an orphan than with a father like me."

"I was an orphan, Drew!" I hiss. "Trust me, he's better off with you."

Reaching into my bag, I take out a healing potion and press it to his mouth. As he begins drinking it, I wrap my hand around the arrow protruding from his back and yank it out.

His body jerks, but he doesn't make a sound. Then, he slumps back against the tree, the empty potion bottle falling to the ground.

His eyes are dull, but I can see the pain in them.

"Run," he whispers. "While they're fighting, you can escape. Go somewhere far away. Please."

"Why are you pretending to help me?"

I can't hate him, but I'm so angry with him. For what he did to his own family. For lying to me.

"I was—I was going to betray you," Drew gasps. "I had my orders." He coughs up blood before letting out a shuddering breath. The healing potion is going to take some time, and I'm hopeful it will work. "But when I moved here, I was grieving for Katie and our daughter. And you went from being a target to being a friend." He looks distressed and in pain. "You were…so kind. You became family. I couldn't do that to you. I tried," he sobs, looking at me, "I tried to convince you to be with Alex. I knew what he was. I knew if you were with him, you would be safe, but—"

"Why didn't you tell me the truth? Why did you blame Freddy?"

He leans his head back against the trunk of the tree, struggling to breathe. His color is actually getting better, but he's still in unimaginable agony. "I considered telling you the truth so many times. But I was so afraid to lose you. Aside from Katie, you're the only family I've ever known. I was scared you would turn your back on me. I've already lost so many people. All because of my foolishness. I couldn't go through that again."

I look over at Alex Stone and Robert Black. Neither of them seems to be winning or losing. They're too equally matched.

Suddenly, Drew grabs my leg. "Sophia, you can help Alex!" His eyes are glistening with something other than tears now. "You can give him more power!"

"What are you talking about?" I glance at Alex again before locking eyes with Drew. "How can I help him?"

"Your fated mate bond." Drew is still having a hard time speaking, and each word makes his chest wobble. "You can share your strength with him. Channel your power and send it through the bond."

"I don't know how to do that!"

"Look for the bond. Look for the thread inside you!"

Drew slides down the trunk of the tree, on the verge of unconsciousness.

Look for the thread? Channel my power through the bond? How am I supposed to do that?

It all seems too strange, but I close my eyes and search inwardly for anything that makes sense. At first, there's nothing, but then, as the sound of the rain leaves my ears and all I hear is the battle taking place, I feel something within me. It's a slight vibration.

My mind is beginning to empty, and I can feel a little bit of Alex inside me. I don't know how I know it's him; I just do, instinctively. Something is tying us together. It's not tangible. I can't touch it, nor can I see it, but I can sense it. But how do I send him my strength? I want to help him. I want him to come out of this fight unharmed.

I don't know if I necessarily believe what Drew just told me about channeling my power, but it's worth a try. I don't want to be useless to Alex; I want to be an asset to him. I've had my eyes closed in this life for far too long.

My wolf stretches, and it takes over.

Calm and steady, it pushes itself into the bond that Alex and I share. There is a pulsing sensation inside me. I don't know what it is, but I can hear Alex howl in delight. My eyes fly open.

Astounded, I watch as Alex becomes more aggressive, fiercer. The speed of his movements increases tenfold. His claws slash at his opponent's ear, ripping it off. Alpha Black roars in pain. Alex is now forcing Black to retreat, and it's becoming increasingly obvious who has control over the fight.

I watch with bated breath. My wolf is thrumming with excitement at seeing its mate fight for it, and I can't help but feel the same way. There is something raw in the air. Alex's determination to come out on top is steadily crushing any doubts I had. He has put his life on the line for me.

Alex grips Black's neck with his teeth and shakes him. Then, he pins Black to the ground on his back. Alex's powerful jaw is opening to deliver that final, crushing blow, when I scream, "No! You can't kill him, Alex!"

My interruption is all the distraction the person hiding in the shadows needs. A slim figure darts out from the trees, a thin, sharp object in her hand.

"Alex!" I shout, already running toward him. "Watch out!"

But the woman is faster than me, and she jumps on Alex's back, stabbing the blade into his neck.

Alex lets out a howl of rage and pain, trying to shake her off.

Alpha Black takes the opportunity to escape from Alex's grasp. He turns around and sinks his teeth into Alex's neck, tearing the flesh.

Alex goes limp.

I stumble to a stop, the realization of what has just happened dawning on me.

Alex is dead.

They just killed my mate.

My eyes slowly move toward the woman on Alex's back, and I recognize her.

Eve.

"A couple of months ago, I sent someone I trusted to your town."

Eve's not the Silver Wolf; she's Robert Black's spy!

And she killed the man I love.

Suddenly, there is a terrible keening sound. I vaguely sense that it's coming from me.

I'm the one who's wailing.

I don't feel the rain washing over me. All I can see is Alex's blood soaking into the ground, getting washed away by the torrential downpour.

My sweet Alex. I've lost him.

The grief that hits me is immeasurably more than what I felt when Rita died. The pain is intense, as if the very core of me has been ripped out.

I can't stop screaming.

I can't stop this agony.

My face is wet—from tears or rain, I don't know. But it feels like my soul is being torn apart. My wolf is struggling to get to its feet, still trying to process the shock of it all.

It stands up. And it looks out of my eyes at the wolf lying motionless before us.

Something in my head snaps.

My wolf howls, and my whole body burns as if on fire. This time, my scream is animalistic. I can feel my entire body rippling like the surface of a lake when someone tosses in a stone.

Somebody is shouting Alex's name. Not one person but many people.

I'm too lost in my madness to care.

My mate. My Alex.

My wolf wants blood.

I am going to kill them. I will kill them all.

My skin is changing. My body is bending forward.

I don't understand this change, but it doesn't matter.

I feel more powerful all of a sudden, and the strength coursing through me is different than anything I have ever experienced in my life.

I will destroy them all.

With nothing but revenge on my mind, I move toward Alpha Black. I realize I'm running on all fours, but I don't care. Black's eyes go wide in shock and delight. He's in his human form now, and he's walking toward me as if to embrace me.

My mouth opens, and I slam into him. Without a second thought, I chomp down on his head and rip it off.

There's a shocked scream from the other side of me. My head tilts toward the woman—the evil creature who stabbed my mate.

She has to suffer. She has to die.

Rage is controlling me. As is my wolf. It is at the forefront of my mind, directing each thought, each action. It wants to lay waste to this world. And I am in agreement with its desire for more violence.

I feel a tingling sensation within me as I jump toward her. She moves out of the way, but this new body of mine is faster. One swipe of my paw, and she goes flying into a tree. I don't miss a beat, covering the distance between us in one leap.

My wolf sniffs her. She's no shifter. She's not an animal like us. She's something else. Something I can recognize but not yet identify. She's kind of like me, but not like me.

I unsheathe my claws, and her eyes turn wide like saucers.

"No! No, please!" She's begging, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. I plunge my claws into her chest and drag them down, disemboweling her.

Her screams of agony are music to my ears.

My wolf snarls. She deserves it!

Once the woman is dead, I turn around and look in the direction of my mate. He's surrounded by five men, and I know they're not a threat to me. Dragging my feet, I make my way to where he's lying on the ground, and I curl my body around his. My silver fur is getting stained with his blood, but I don't care. Weeping, my wolf wants to die alongside its mate. I don't want to live, either.

I feel that tingling sensation again, and there's a strange warmth emitting from me. I ignore it, draping myself over Alex's cold body.

I don't want to stay here any longer. I just want to close my eyes and pass on. I'm so tired of this world and its people.

I hear quiet gasps, but I pay no attention to them.

And then, the wolf I'm wrapped around begins to stir.

My eyes fly open.

Alex?

Is he still alive?

"He's breathing!" Patrick shouts over the rain. "That last healing potion! Get it into his system now!"

Jared or Nathan, one of them, moves toward Alex's head and pours the potion into his mouth. My skin is still tingling with that odd sensation, and I can feel warmth leaving my body. I don't know what this is, but as it grows in intensity, Alex's wound, which is right in front of my eyes, begins to close. The skin is stitching back together at a rate that should be impossible. He lets out a rumble from his throat and opens his eyes, gazing at me.

This has to be an illusion. I saw him go down. It's impossible.

But he straightens up and licks my nose.

I let him stand up, and he sniffs me, circling me as if he was never injured to the point of death. How can somebody go from taking their last breath to suddenly prancing around me?

I let out a whimper, and he licks my face in response.

I've lost my mind. I'm seeing things. I've gone insane from sorrow.

He seems to realize what I'm thinking because he licks me once again before nudging me.

"Alex!" Patrick's voice reaches through the fog in my head. "How the hell is this possible? I saw you die!"

Alex shifts back to his human form, looking only at me.

"Are you all right, Sophia?"

I stare at him, my wolf still unsure.

He crouches in front of me, lifts my paw, and presses it against his chest. "Look at me. I'm alive. You saved me."

I let out another distressed whine, and he ruffles the fur on my face.

"This is Sophia?" Nathan gasps. "She was the Silver Wolf all along?"

The Silver Wolf?

I look at Nathan and then down at my legs.

My fur is silver. I noticed it before, but the meaning behind it didn't register on me.

I've shifted into my full wolf form. And I am the Silver Wolf. How is any of this possible?

"You can shift back now, Sophia," Alex says gently.

But I don't know how.

"Focus on your human center. Focus on something you need, like the power of speech. Focus on the simple things. It'll happen," he says reassuringly.

I try to do it once. Twice. But I keep failing. I'm beginning to panic. Am I going to be stuck in this form forever?

"It's not that hard!" Nathan says impatiently. "Just think that you want to be human again!"

Patrick smacks Nathan upside the head. "That's not helpful, kid."

"Give it some time," Alex says as he rubs my snout. "Breathe. It'll happen naturally. The first time is always tough."

I close my eyes and imagine myself in his arms.

This time, I feel the shift take hold of me. It's a pleasant sensation, as if cool water is coursing through my body. When I open my eyes, I'm standing on my feet.

And I'm completely naked.

"Whoa!" Jared exclaims, quickly covering his eyes and turning around. Saul and Derek do the same. Nathan gapes at me, and Patrick grabs the boy by his hair and forces him to turn his back to me.

Patrick takes off his jacket and tosses it over his shoulder to me, while Alex gives me his shirt.

"You've never shifted before, so you've never had to wear the special clothing that reappears when you shift back," Alex explains, seeing my confusion. "We'll buy you some."

I stand there staring at all six men. When I speak, it's to Alex, and my voice is thick. "How are you alive? I saw him—I saw him rip out your throat."

"I didn't die, Sophia, but I was on the verge of death," Alex tells me, his voice careful. "I don't know how, but you did something. I was aware of your presence, and when you moved toward me and lay down next to me, I felt magic wash over me. Very strong, healing magic."

I recall the tingling sensation in my body. Was I healing him with my powers? I mean, do I have powers now?

"We need to get out of here," Alex says, looking at the two dead bodies. "If you stick around any longer, we're going to be in for trouble."

"What about Drew?" I look at the unconscious man at the foot of the tree.

"Did you give him a healing potion?" Alex asks.

"Yes, but—"

"He'll be fine, then." Alex takes my hand. "We really do have to leave, Sophia. The other members of Black's pack must've felt the ripples of our fight. We have a couple of hours at best. We have to make it past the South Alliance border. As soon as we enter Northern territory, we'll be safe."

Nathan turns around to address us, still shielding his eyes. "I still don't understand. She's the Silver Wolf? Why were we running around in circles looking for her when she was right here? Why did you lie to us, Sophia?"

"I didn't lie to you!" I stare at him, still not having processed the fact that I am the wolf they've been looking for all this time. Although, now that I think about it, it does make a lot of sense. It explains why Alpha Black was after me and why Rita wanted to tell me about my true identity. "Wait…"

The missing piece of the puzzle was me. It was always me.

"Noah knew. He knew who I was, and that's why he was trying to court me. In that book we read, Alex, didn't it say forced matings of the Silver Wolf result in her powers disappearing? Maybe that's what Noah wanted to prevent. He wanted me to mate him willingly and then share my powers with him."

"But then, why did Robert try to force you to mate him?" Alex looks as confused as I've been feeling.

I glance at the dead Alpha, but the sight of his missing head forces me to look away. "The archives room we went to was untouched. All the books we read were covered with a centuries' worth of dust. Nobody had been down there for ages. What if Alpha Black didn't know? What if Noah figured it out another way?"

"Then that's a problem. It means he knows a lot more than we do," Alex says grimly. "Like I said, it's time we leave."

The rest of his men turn to look at him, and they all nod, their communication silent.

They start to walk away, giving us a few minutes alone.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Sophia," Alex says as he cups my cheeks. "And please know, I'm not forcing you to do anything. I'm just glad you're here with me. Not because of what you are but because of who you are. My mate."

"If you die again—" I grip his shirt, my heart racing, the fear still on the tip of my tongue— "I'm going to be very upset, Alex. I thought…Back then…It felt like my entire world was falling apart. You can't put me through that again. You can't leave me. You can't!"

"I will never leave you if I can help it." He kisses me softly, gently, and my heart shakes.

When he pulls away, I look at him with tears streaming from my eyes. He wipes them off my cheeks, although it's pointless with the rain pouring down on us.

"I promise I won't. And we're going to find your mother. I promise you that, as well."

I take a sharp intake of breath. "We will?"

He grins at me. "You think I don't know what's going on in your mind? I know you want to look for her, and I'm going to be right there with you. Now, come on."

He shifts into his wolf form and nudges me, telling me to get on his back. I'm glad he doesn't want me to shift again, because I don't think I'm up for it.

I'm still grappling with all this new information. I bury my face in Alex's fur as we streak through the forest, his men right behind us in their wolf forms. The rain hides our tracks, and as we move farther and farther away from the town where I was imprisoned and deliberately isolated, I can't help but think about Elsa and Tim. I don't know if they're safe or not. And I hope Drew doesn't die.

I look down at the dark fur of the wolf beneath me, and my heart fills with happiness.

Life has gotten complicated for sure. But if Alex is by my side, I know I can face anything.

I'll be fine. We're going to be fine. Now, we just have to rescue the children of his pack and my mother.

I smile softly, feeling as if a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders.

My mother is alive. And my mate is by my side.

I never thought I would be this lucky.

My eyes flutter shut.

Lucky, indeed.