Chapter 3

Sophia Hope

The next night, I find out that Mathew has banned Roger Clark from taking part in the cage fights.

"He demanded to know your name and address," Mathew tells me over the phone. "I had already gotten your message about the altercation. We can't have someone in the cage with you who holds a personal grudge. It may not end well."

"So, what about the rest of my ‘appointments'?" I ask, my voice low.

He sighs. "You don't need to come in this week. Some of the fights have been rescheduled, so go ahead and take a break."

I open my mouth to ask if he knows anything about Alex, but I hear something in the background, and then he says, "I'll talk to you later, Sophia. Something's come up."

He ends the call. I tuck my cell phone in my pocket and prepare to get on with my day, just in time for the door to open.

Loud, pompous laughter can be heard coming from the entrance to the bar.

I look over and quietly groan. I recognize the group of young male shifters that has just walked in. There are five of them, and all five are established troublemakers. But since they always pay their bill and haven't actually done anything wrong yet, throwing them out of the restaurant isn't really an option.

Their server, Eve, looks tense as she approaches the table they have chosen in her section.

The boys leer at her. "Hey, sweet cheeks!"

Eve is a relatively new waitress, and she's a little shy. But she's also a shifter, so she should be able to manage this lot. However, I feel a little uncomfortable about her being forced into such a situation. I know exactly how these types of customers behave with female staff. The boys are barely of legal age. I recognize one of them as the younger son of Migael Henrick, one of the top lieutenants of the pack security team that is in charge of this town.

Freddy Henrick is a nuisance. His father is a fair man from what I've seen, and loyal to the pack, but Freddy seems to think that his father's position will help him get away with everything. It is true to quite an extent. I know of several cases where Freddy has destroyed public property, but I feel it's his mother, Susan, who hides her little boy behind her skirts, who protects him by using her mate's name.

Elsa sees what is going on and whispers to me, "Eve can handle herself. But come get me if things get out of hand." Then, she retreats into her office.

"Sophia!" A friendly face pops into my line of sight. "Draft beer, please."

"Drew!" I smile at my customer. Drew is my next-door neighbor. He's a construction worker, and he has a five-year-old son, Tim, who I sometimes babysit. "I thought you had a date tonight."

"I do." Drew gives me a smile that is filled with nerves. "I'm supposed to wait for her at the bar here."

I pour him his beer. "Isn't this your first date?"

"It is." He looks at the mug as I set it down in front of him.

"Why bring her here?" I study him. "You should take her somewhere nice, maybe that new French place that opened up last week."

Drew grimaces. "I don't really want to spend half my paycheck on a first date. Besides, she's the one who suggested we meet up someplace casual."

Loud, boisterous laughter from the table near the window prompts me to glance over there, and I murmur, "Perhaps not so casual today."

Drew follows my gaze, and his brow furrows. "What're Freddy and his gang of miscreants doing here? I thought they weren't of drinking age."

I stare at the group of boys, and irritation festers within me. "They are now. Freddy's birthday was last month. He and his friends have been drinking all over town. Nobody can really say anything to him, now, can they?"

Drew is silent for a moment, his lips pressed together. He doesn't need to tell me what he's thinking. Drew and the younger Henrick have a long history. Even though Drew is an insignificant being to Freddy, Freddy single-handedly ruined my friend and neighbor's life. Drew lost his mate and his job.

"Drew," I say, keeping my voice low. "It's not worth it. Think of your son."

My words jolt the older man back to the present.

He slowly turns around in his seat to face me, grief in his expression. Under that grief is a rage that never died.

"Tim," he breathes, his voice unsteady.

"Perhaps you should go to another bar," I suggest. "This is your first date in four years. No need to ruin it."

I can see him contemplating my words, but he shakes his head after some deliberation. "No. I'll be fine. Besides, this isn't the first time I've run into him. You're right. I have to think about Tim."

His smile is filled with a helpless pain that I don't know how to erase. Losing Katie broke him in a way that nobody can understand. And then his pack's betrayal when he tried to seek justice for his mate's murder shattered all that was left of him. Now, Drew functions as well as he does solely for his son. This is the first time he's even considered going on a date, and to come across the murderer of his mate and his unborn child on today of all days…I can't even imagine what is going through his head at this moment.

Drew's mate, Katie, was five months pregnant with their second child when Freddy and his friends crossed paths with her that fateful day in the forest. Nobody knows what really went down, but when the pack security, including Drew, found her, she was in her wolf form, battered and bruised, curled protectively around her one-year-old son. She and her unborn child didn't make it. Migael was with Drew when they discovered the body.

If it wasn't enough that Tim kept repeating Freddy's name, the latter's scent was all over the area and on Katie's body. However, the leader of the pack security protected Freddy at his father's request. They got rid of the evidence, and when the townspeople began to talk, they turned the tables on Katie, throwing dirt on her character. Still hopeful for vengeance, the grieving Drew decided to take the matter to Alpha Black, but all that happened was that he got fired from his position on the pack security team. He lost his job and his income. I was an eyewitness to the year that followed, during which Freddy taunted Drew for being unemployed and went as far as to show up at Tim's daycare and harass the already traumatized child.

It was only when Elsa intervened and had a chat with Migael that Freddy backed off.

I know Drew has tried to apply for jobs in other towns and even other packs, but all his requests have been denied. I'm beginning to think it's because Freddy's mother, Susan, is in the administration department of Oakrest Town and wants him to pay for trying to implicate her son in Katie's murder. Susan rejected his appeal to leave this town, as well as his application for low-income housing, and even tried to declare him an unfit father, take his son away from him, and send Tim to the orphanage.

If evil had a name, it would be Henrick.

Drew is a good person. And his son is a sweet little boy. It makes me wonder sometimes why bad things happen to good people. Life is not fair, I guess. I know that firsthand, after all.

"When your lady friend arrives, I'll have Christy set you up with a table in the back, away from them," I tell Drew.

He gives me a grateful smile.

Suddenly, I hear a terrified cry, and I immediately look up. Eve is standing by Freddy's table, surrounded by Freddy and a friend of his. She's trembling like a leaf. "Let go of me!"

"Come on," Freddy sneers. "Come to the back alley with us. We've got something to show you."

"I don't want to." Eve's voice is shaking, and she sounds like she's near to tears.

"It's not a request, you little bitch." Freddy pulls her toward him. "Me and my boys are bored. You're going to show us a good time. Drag her!"

I can see Drew about to leave his seat, but I'm faster. Vaulting over the bar, I cover the distance to the table in the blink of an eye. Reaching out, I grab Freddy's hand—the one holding Eve's wrist—and twist it, forcing him to release her. With my other hand, I grab the back of Eve's shirt and yank her backward, hurling her into Drew's arms.

"Mind telling me what you're trying to do here?" I ask, my voice cold. "If you're going to cause trouble, get out. We don't allow customers to harass our servers."

Freddy glares at me. "Who the fuck are you?"

I sneer at him. One of the reasons I don't have a problem locking horns with Freddy Henrick is because, since I am an orphan, according to pack law, I am under the direct protection of the Alpha. Even if Alpha Black doesn't like me, if Freddy does something to me, that is a smear on the Alpha's reputation. So, I'm willing to take the risk.

One of his companions suddenly slaps Freddy's shoulder. "I know her! She's the orphan who doesn't have a wolf."

The anger in Freddy's eyes is replaced by a mocking gleam. "Well, well. A defective thing like you standing up to me? Where do you get the nerve?"

"Like I said," I say tightly, "I'm not going to tolerate you harassing the staff."

The arrogant boy gets in my face. "Tolerate? I can do what I like to whomever I like. What are you gonna do about it? You useless bitch."

"Bitch" seems to be this kid's favorite insult. It's quite pathetic.

When Freddy's face flushes red, I realize I must've spoken out loud.

"What did you say?!" He grabs me by a fistful of my hair, but without breaking a sweat, I jab my hand upward and use my elbow to break free of his hold.

"Do not put your hands on me again!" I hiss.

"Look, boys!" Freddy's eyes are glinting with fury and humiliation. "This little whore thinks she can tell me what to do. I run this town, you b—"

He bites his tongue at the last word, and a few of the diners snicker at the self-fulfilling prophecy he just became.

"You can run this town all you want," I say, giving him a disgusted look. "But do it from elsewhere."

His hand darts out and grabs my throat, slamming me against one of the pillars. "You think you can speak to me that way? You must not know who I am—"

After so many years of fighting, I know how to break an opponent's hold on me. Even if I am only up against humans, cage fighting has taught me how to defend myself. It's given me the kind of confidence I've always lacked. I can hold my own in a fight even if it is against the likes of Freddy Henrick.

My hand curls around his wrist and twists. This time I don't stop when he loosens his hold on me. Instead, I force his arm behind his back into a position that has him shouting out in pain.

"A little more pressure and your arm breaks," I whisper in his ear.

"Hey, let him go!" One of his friend's rushes forward, and without shifting my grip on Freddy, I use my other hand, propelling it upward to break the new guy's nose. He stumbles back, blood spurting from his face.

"Get out of here," I say calmly. "You're not welcome at the Dancing Bear any longer. None of you are. If you try to make a scene, we have plenty of security cameras in here. And I'm not stupid enough to simply hand them over to the pack security team. I'll blast them on every form of media there is. Let's see Daddy rescue you then."

I let go of Freddy and shove him toward the door. "Leave. And don't come back till you learn how to respect women—and everybody else, for that matter."

Freddy is clearly not done because he quickly turns around and charges toward me.

However, a hard voice comes from behind me and stops him in his tracks. "Did you not hear her? You are no longer welcome at the Dancing Bear, Freddy! Get out, before I call your father."

I don't know why people listen to Elsa, but there is something about her that commands respect. Or maybe fear. I've never seen my boss angry. Disappointed, yes, but furious, no. But those who have experienced Elsa's wrath consider her a terrifying woman. Even Freddy seems to reconsider his options.

Straightening up, he rubs his arm and looks at his friends. "Let's go." As he turns to leave, he glances at me. "This isn't over."

I roll my eyes at his thinly veiled threat, even though I know he's not going to let this go. I could've just called for Elsa and had this entire issue dealt with without getting involved. But seeing Freddy in the same vicinity as Drew pissed me off. And then, seeing how he was treating Eve—with nobody else coming to her aid—made me want to teach him a lesson. I am probably going to regret this; actually, I'm pretty certain of that. But it feels good to have put Freddy in his place even if just for a moment.

As soon as the door closes behind the last of them, I turn to look at Elsa, who has a disapproving look on her face. "What exactly were you thinking?"

I lower my head, knowing I'm in trouble. "Sorry."

"What if he had hurt you?" she demands. "You know the type of person he is. And he means what he said. He's not going to forget about this."

"He and his friends were about to drag Eve into the back alley against her will!" I raise my head, trying to make my case. "I had to do something!"

"Yes," Elsa says flatly. "And that something was to call for me. I would've dealt with it. But now you've gone and made things even more complicated for yourself."

I know she's worried about me, and my temporary sense of satisfaction fades away. "You're right. But I can take care of myself."

Elsa gives me an annoyed look. "You know, sometimes I think you're a very levelheaded person, and then you go and pull a stunt like this. You do not want to engage with Freddy Henrick or his family. You know how his mother is."

"I do," I mutter. "But if they try to do anything to me, I can make a complaint directly to the Alpha's office. I'm an orphan, remember?"

Elsa's eyes turn heavy. "I know you think you did the right thing, Sophia, but even if Alpha Black protects you, there are a lot of ways these people can make your life miserable. I'm going to reach out to Migael and see if I can fix the situation. In the meantime, please try not to provoke Freddy. Being a vigilante is not going to help you."

Having been sufficiently scolded, I wait until Elsa leaves me and goes to check on Eve. She takes the crying girl into her office, and I let out a sigh as I sit down next to Drew, whose face is pale.

He doesn't say anything for a few seconds, and when he does speak, his voice is rough. "I'm sorry."

I shoot him a confused look. "For what?"

He rubs his hands over his face. "I should've helped you. I should have—"

"I would have been very pissed if you had gotten involved, Drew," I tell him firmly. "It would be better for you not to interact with Freddy or the pack security any more than is necessary. They've already made your life hell."

He looks down at the drink in his hand, a brooding expression on his face. After a moment, he mutters, "I feel like a coward. What would Tim think of me?"

"Better to have a coward for a father than no father at all," I say harshly. When he flinches and looks up at me, I continue. "I don't have a father, Drew. Nobody has ever protected me. Nobody has ever shielded me from the world's cruelties. You are Tim's shield against this world. He needs you. So, don't drag yourself into matters that don't concern you. Just live your life with your son and be happy. After everything that has happened, I'm the last person who expects you to fight for me or anybody else."

My words must have impacted him because he throws his drink back and then, setting the empty beer mug down on the bar, gets to his feet. "I think I'm going to go home to my son now."

"What about your date?" I ask, startled.

Drew gives me a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "I'll apologize to her later. I just want my boy right now."

He walks away from me, his shoulders slumped, and I don't know why, but I feel like I did something wrong.

I get behind the bar and pour myself a drink to calm my nerves. I don't usually make myself so prominent. I've always been careful to keep a low profile, but sometimes injustice gets to me. Freddy and his family are nothing short of tyrants around here. I don't know why they're allowed to do stuff like this. If I had not intervened, Freddy and his friends would have taken Eve into the back alley even if she had screamed or cried. Nobody would've stopped them. Freddy was right: everyone knows who his father is. Nobody dares cross Freddy.

I consider pouring myself another drink, but instead, I push the glass aside. I would rather keep my wits about me right now.

I cannot deny that I still feel some small amount of satisfaction about having knocked Freddy Henrick down a peg or two. But Elsa has a point. Obviously. Messing with this family is not going to result in a good outcome for me. Depending on Alpha Black to protect me may not work. The man has made his disgust for me more than obvious. But this is the first time in my life that I have stood up for someone. It doesn't matter that the someone was not me.

Changing my mind, I pour myself a second drink then stare down at the liquid in the shot glass.

Whatever happens, happens. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

*** **

I get there sooner than anticipated.

"Sophia," Jack calls, poking his head out of the kitchen window, "the delivery truck just pulled up. I think Elsa's in her office. Mind dealing with it?"

I nod at him. "I'll go take a look."

Jack is busy on the grill when I enter the kitchen, and his assistant is chopping up vegetables for side dishes.

"If you need a hand, I'll send Sam with you."

I glance at Sam, who is hyperfocused on clean, even cuts on the carrots, and I roll my eyes. "Don't worry. I got this."

Stepping outside, I close the door behind me. A small, blue van is parked in the alley, but the driver's seat is empty.

"Cameron?" I call out.

Nobody answers. I walk around the side of the vehicle and can see that its back doors are open.

"Cameron, where are—"

As I round the corner, coming to the double doors at the back of the van, I go still. Cameron, the delivery man, is lying unconscious inside the van, face down.

"Cameron?" Shocked, I lean toward him. Before I can reach him, though, the van door to my right swings shut, and I see a familiar face.

"Freddy," I breathe, my brain trying to connect the dots. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you it wasn't over," he sneers.

I stare at him. "Yes, and by that I thought you meant maybe next week, and you would ambush me somewhere. You don't even have the patience to wait for twenty-four hours? By the Goddess, you really don't have an ounce of patience, do you?"

I'm beginning to think that I might need to install a zipper on my mouth.

Freddy's expression tightens in rage. "How dare you talk to me like that, you b—"

"Please don't call me a bitch," I interrupt, giving him an exasperated look. "I'm sure you can think of something more colorful. But if that is the only word in your vocabulary of insults, then you need to go home and brush up on your education rather than harass people in dark alleys."

I'm having an out-of-body experience right now. The voice of reason inside me is screaming at me to shut up or shout for help. Anything but run my mouth.

It's like I'm fanning the flames. Or watching a train wreck in slow motion, and I'm smack dab in the middle of the tracks.

As I stand here watching Freddy flap his mouth, I vaguely wonder if I need therapy.

Freddy's face is a bright red, fury burning in his eyes.

"You're crazy. You know who my father is. I can do anything to you and get away with it. And you think you can speak to me like that? You must have a death wish!"

"You don't scare me, Freddy." I look at him evenly. "You see, if you do anything to me, Alpha Black is going to hear about it. I'm an orphan, remember? Orphans are under the protection of the Alpha." I enunciate each word. "Do you think your father will lie to the Alpha for you? Do you think you want to risk his life by asking him to do that?"

I see Freddy falter, but then he shakes off his thoughts like a dog shakes off water after a bath. "It doesn't matter what you are. The Alpha won't care about a broken thing like you. In fact, who's to say he won't thank me for getting rid of such a useless creature. And I want to make sure I do that today. Boys!"

The group that had previously been in the bar now enters the alley, surrounding me and blocking any way out.

"Five against one?" I raise one eyebrow. "That seems a little bit unfair. Are you trying to say you don't think one of you can take me on in human form? Or maybe you're just scared of getting your ass kicked again, Freddy."

There is no way I'll be able to survive all five of them at once, but if I can convince Freddy to go head-to-head with me, I have a better chance of coming out of this unscathed.

In my career, as I like to refer to my cage fighting, I've noticed that calling bullies "weak" triggers them. And this proves true a moment later.

Freddy shrugs off his jacket and throws it at one of his friends. "Give us some room. I want to teach this bitch never to mess with me again."

He darts forward, and without hesitation, I duck aside, making him lose momentum. I slam my elbow into the center of his back, and he goes down. His jaw hits the van as he falls.

"Freddy!"

His friends rush forward, but Freddy lifts his hand and starts to pull himself up. Getting to his feet, he spits blood near mine. "Nobody steps in. She's mine."

I see the look in his eyes, and I know he means business. He takes something out of his pocket; it's a sharp knife. My body tenses. "You need a weapon to take me on?"

Freddy's upper lip curls. "You're not the only one who can fight dirty."

My jaw tightens. "You don't know the first thing about fighting dirty. You're just a couple of boys acting like gangsters."

I can see that my words set him off, and when he jumps at me, the knife is out front. My focus is on avoiding it. However, as I dodge the blade, I make the egregious error of forgetting that he has more than one weapon: his claws dig into my shoulder and rake down the side of my arm.

Damn it!

Within seconds, everybody goes still.

Freddy stares at me. "What is that smell?"

One of his friends shoulders his way past him. "It's her blood. It smells…so good. I…Give her to me, Freddy. I must have her!"

"Shut up!" Freddy shoves him out of the way. "She's mine!"

I take a step back, my heart pounding in sick fear. I recognize the look in their eyes. It's a delirious look, one I've seen before. The events of that one night are forever carved in my memory. They are why I'm so careful about taking my scent blockers on time and making sure I don't get so much as a paper cut. I might be able to get away with a lot, but I cannot get away with killing Freddy and these other boys. I have to get out of here.

I jump on top of the van, but before I can leap down on the other side, Freddy grabs me by the ankle and pulls me toward him. I go flying and land on the asphalt, my face smashing against the ground. I feel a sharp pain in my nose and cheek, and I realize I must have broken bones in both.

But right now, that is the last thing I care about.

I have to get away from them. If I stay here any longer, more and more shifters will gather as the scent of my blood carries.

I can't kill them, but I may be able to knock them out. Unfortunately, Freddy's claws have made it impossible for me to lift my shoulder, the injury far too deep. But my other hand is still capable of moving. I punch Freddy in the face, making him stagger backward. Straining my muscles, I sweep my leg over the ground, dropping two of his friends, and then I slam my forehead against another one who is trying to grab me.

These guys are wolf shifters, though. These injuries are nothing to them. And since I cannot fight at full capacity, I am at a severe disadvantage. Freddy grabs me by the neck, and I know there is only one way out of this situation. I bare my claws, preparing myself to rip his heart out. However, before I can so much as move, somebody grabs Freddy by the back of his neck and hurls him out of the alley and into the street. This person deals with the rest of his friends in the same manner, first knocking them out and then tossing them aside like rag dolls. My heart is racing, fear making me whimper.

I could barely deal with Freddy, and now this man who has brute strength on his side has shown up. I won't be able to defend myself. He is wearing a hood that hides his face, so I don't even know who I'm up against.

My mouth bitter with the taste of fear, I slump to the ground.

I hear him step toward me, and I bare my claws. "I'm not going down without a fight!"

My voice is hoarse.

The man crouches before me and pushes his hood back. Alex's eyes meet mine.

"Let me guess," he says slowly. "Drop a tray on them, too?"

His voice is light, but I can see the anger in his eyes.