Chapter 4

Sophia Hope

I look at Alex, shaken. "You're not…"

Why isn't he affected by my blood?

I don't know why, but ever since that afternoon many years ago when I tasted my first kill, there has been something about my blood and my scent that makes males go insane. I tried asking the Director of the orphanage about it as she was packing my few, meager belongings to ship me off to this town, but she ignored me, even though she was the one who had me start taking scent blockers.

Nobody ever told me anything about why I'm like this, and none of the books in the local library helped, either.

This person before me is the first man to appear unaffected by my blood.

Alex is giving me a strange look, as if something is bothering him. Finally, he says, "I'll take you to a healer—"

"No!" I burst out. I struggle to get to my feet. "Not the healer! He's a male." I know my words don't make sense to Alex, and I don't expect them to. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. You can leave."

I expect him to walk away. That would be the obvious thing to do. But he lets out a sigh, and before I can stop him, he picks me up in his arms like a bride and jumps up on top of the van. I don't even have time to ask him what he's trying to do before he leaps again, landing on the roof of the bar.

"What are you doing?" I gasp in shock.

"Do you ever stop talking?" He gives me a mildly annoyed look.

Insulted, I glare at him. "I don't need your help. I can manage on my own just fine."

"I can see that." He studies me for a moment. "Just humor me."

But I don't want to humor him. I just want to be left alone so that I can deal with this situation and be done with it.

He keeps jumping from roof to roof, moving so fast that the scenery around me is a blur. When he enters the forest, my fingers curl around the front of his shirt. "Where are you taking me? I don't go into the forest with strange men!"

"If I wanted to do anything to you," Alex sounds faintly amused, "I would have done it in that dark alley. Now, be a good girl and stay still."

Be a good girl?! I'm not a little kid!

My heart is pounding at his proximity, my wolf excited rather than tense. I don't know what's wrong with it. Maybe that's why I get so agitated around Alex. My animal has never shown much interest in anyone till Alex showed his face, and now it's acting like a mushy little puppy. If I could shift, I'm sure my wolf would be on its back, arms and legs in the air, tongue out like a fool.

You're an embarrassment to us , I inform my animal, who doesn't seem to care.

Alex suddenly jumps to the ground and then sits me down, positioning my back against a tree. He crouches in front of me and uses his claws to make quick work of my already torn sleeve. I open my mouth to protest, but one look from him has me pressing my lips together as I choose to keep my opinions to myself.

He produces a small bottle from his jacket's inner pocket and unscrews the top. "This is going to heal you, but it's going to hurt. A lot."

The last part is added as an afterthought.

Wolf shifters have faster healing than humans, but that doesn't mean our injuries are gone within minutes or hours. Large wounds take a full day to completely close up and heal. That said, I don't know what's in this bottle, and I certainly don't plan to find out.

"Don't even—"

Alex pours the liquid from the bottle onto the gashes on my shoulder, and almost instantly, my cuts begin to sizzle, a putrid smell coming from them. I let out a sobbing gasp as the pain becomes unbearable. Desperate, I lift my other hand to do I don't know what, but Alex stops me, his voice serious and his expression agitated. "It's a healing remedy. I've treated my own wounds with this. I'm not trying to poison you."

"So you say!" I try to sound angry, but I'm in so much agony that I can't even muster up that emotion.

"I am the last person who would hurt you, Sophia."

I have no choice but to listen to him, but with the agony that is seizing my body, his words barely register in me. Nor does the frustration in his voice.

I squeeze my eyes shut, shrinking away from him in pain. Whatever he's putting on my shoulder burns my skin, and I bite my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. The agony is a vicious sort, and I struggle to breathe.

Surprisingly, Alex's voice is gentle. "Just give it some time. The discomfort will go away."

Will it? I can feel my skin stretching over the wound as it knits back together. One glance at it has me wanting to throw up. My fingers dig in the earth as I'm unable to stop the tears from spilling out. I've never experienced something so excruciating, and right now, overwhelmed and in such utter distress, a small part of me wishes that I could run and hide in someone's arms, that someone would just hold me till this nightmare ends.

But I don't have anyone, and that's never going to change.

However, Alex's hand wraps around mine in a grip so firm that something within me settles at his touch. I let out a shaky breath, telling myself to pull my hand away, but his warmth is comforting. I lean my head back against the tree, my jaw tense as I ride the wave of pain.

"Try to breathe through it," Alex instructs. "Slow, deep breaths."

To my surprise, he mimics the action he wants me to take. I am able to follow him, breath for breath, and within a few minutes, I feel the intensity of the pain begin to lessen. I don't want to admit it, but I feel a sense of comfort with him here. I don't trust him, but his presence calms me. It soothes me.

"In…and out…" He keeps repeating the phrase, as he draws in air and waits for me to do the same before expelling it.

I'm not even insulted that he's treating me like a child. It's helping.

I don't have an accurate measure of time, but it feels like forever before I'm able to think clearly, the burning sensations finally fading away.

My whole body feels clammy, but this time, when I look at my shoulder, there is no trace of any injury.

I look at Alex, exhausted and stunned at the same time. "How is that possible?"

He notices that my breathing is uneven, and he takes a flask from his side. "Drink."

I don't protest, thirstily gulping down the cold water.

The refreshing liquid gives me some of my strength back and makes me feel more aware of my surroundings. My body is aching in a way it never has before, and I know I need to rest. I groan quietly, pulling myself into a better sitting position before looking at Alex. "What was in that bottle?"

He has already tucked it back into his jacket's inner pocket. His eyes are serious as he says, "You don't need to worry about it. But you should probably report the assault on you."

His words make me want to smile humorlessly. "Bold of you to assume that anybody will care. Freddy is the son of someone high up in the pack security team. Nobody can do anything to him. If I say something, they're going to come after me instead. It's best that I pretend nothing ever happened."

Alex's eyes flash in anger. "Your Alpha doesn't care?"

"Freddy's right," I say, more to myself than to Alex. "Alpha Black would rather be rid of me." I feel the man before me start, and I realize I've spoken out loud again. I give him a half smile. "Don't sweat it. Thanks for your help. I've got it from here. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone what you did to Freddy and his goons."

I try to get to my feet, but I stumble, my legs unable to hold my weight. Alex catches me before I fall on my face. I have a flash of déjà vu—only this time, if he snaps at me about watching my step, I won't be able to retaliate. But he doesn't say anything. He just stares down at me, and once again, he doesn't let go of me as quickly as he should.

His gaze is burning, filled with something my body understands but my mind doesn't. My heart is fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. As his eyes search mine, I feel as if somebody has lit a match in the pit of my stomach, the heat slowly enveloping me.

His mouth is too close to mine. I feel overwhelmed with the desire to reduce the distance between our lips.

For a moment, it seems Alex wants to do the same. But then, I see something akin to panic fill his eyes, and he practically shoves me away from him.

"Your wound has healed, so you should go home now."

A little taken aback at his abruptness, I make sure that I can balance myself on my feet. "Yeah, I—"

"You should also try to stay out of trouble."

My hands, which were dusting off my shirt, go still. I lift my head to gape at him. "Excuse me?"

His eyes are narrowed into tiny slits. "I'm just saying don't go looking for trouble."

My mouth moves as I try to form words, but my brain seems to be short-circuiting. "You think I went up to Freddy and asked him and his friends to beat me up? Why would I do that? For shits and giggles?"

Alex flinches. "That's not what I meant—"

"That's exactly what you meant," I hiss, feeling oddly hurt for some reason. "You think I had nothing better to do with my day, so I put on my thinking cap and decided, ‘Gee golly! You know what sounds fun? Going up to a group of violent men and asking them to kick my ass. That'll be a great experience.'"

I feel furious now, my previous amorous emotions having quickly disappeared. The look of awkwardness and irritation on this man's face does nothing to lessen my anger.

"I was doing my job. The only reason Freddy and his friends cornered and attacked me was because I did not let them have their way with one of the waitresses. And next time, you don't need to get involved in my problems. I never asked for your help. I appreciate it, but I didn't ask you to do anything. So, I don't need a lecture from you."

I know he possibly saved my life, but to be told that what happened was my own doing, as if I deliberately sought out my attackers, makes me want to scream at somebody. I can't control the smell of my blood, and I'm doing my best to mask my overall scent. These are things I was born with. I can't control somebody else's actions, either. So, why am I to blame?

I expect Alex to feel a shred of shame, but he seems determined to get his point across.

"All I meant is that you should steer clear of that guy. He is not good news."

That is not at all what he meant. He's trying to backpedal, which I find even more annoying.

"Thank you so much," I say sarcastically. "Next time I see Freddy, I'll run like a madwoman to the other side of town. Or even better, I'll go hide in my apartment. You know, just to make sure we never cross paths in this small town."

Alex's eyes flash at me, but I refuse to back down.

"You are a very hardheaded woman!" he suddenly growls.

"You're no walk in the park yourself, pal," I retort. "And I'm going to take that as a compliment. Remember, next time you see me in trouble, don't bother intervening."

I see the frustration on his face before he gives me the coldest look he can possibly muster. Then, turning on his heel, he storms off. I stare after him, my body quivering in rage. I just want to wring his neck!

As soon as he's out of sight, however, I feel all the fight leave me, and I sink back down to the forest ground, leaning against the tree. It's foolish, but tears come to my eyes.

I wipe them away. There's no reason for me to be this upset. But the hurt is like a physical pain. It's not the first time I've been treated like this, and it's most definitely not going to be the last. But for some reason, Alex talking to me this way makes me feel like complete and utter shit.

I rub the heel of my palm against my chest, right on top of where my heart is.

"Shake it off," I tell myself out loud, hating the way my voice is so wobbly. "Since when have you become a crybaby? Why are you getting your feelings hurt over some stranger? He's the last person you need to be thinking about."

My little pep talk helps me a bit. More so when it hits me that I really do have to be wary of this man. Whatever his reason is for being in town, it's got something to do with the cage fighting ring, and he seems to have sniffed out that a wolf shifter is involved in it. He's going to cause me no end of problems. Right now, he is trouble personified.

I get up and slowly start walking in the direction of town. I can't stick around in the forest any longer. I need a bath, and I want to sleep this pain off. I'm going to have to call Elsa and tell her I've gone home; I don't have the strength to go back to work. But I can't lie to her about why, since it's more than likely that someone has come across Freddy and his friends. It'll be better if she knows what really happened before that moron accuses me of something.

Not that she would believe him.

*** **

I don't usually get time off from work, but sometimes, my boss makes an exception. After the events two nights ago, she told me to take a couple days off while she dealt with everything. The first thing she did when I called her that night upon reaching my apartment was to ask me if I was safe.

She got my side of the story, and I wasn't surprised to hear that she believed me. She had no reason not to—I didn't realize that Elsa had installed security cameras in the back alley as well as inside the bar. She told me to keep a low profile for two days and just rest. I kept my promise to Alex and didn't reveal the identity of my rescuer. All I told her was that I passed out and woke up in the forest, injured. I don't know whether she believes that part or not, but she didn't say anything aside from pressing me about what the man looked like. I guess Alex and I were hidden by the van, so the security camera didn't catch his face when he removed his hood.

It's been two days, and I'm already feeling trapped and suffocated in my tiny apartment. I have not seen Drew since the incident in the bar, and in the back of my mind, I'm a little concerned about him. I did hear that Cameron, the delivery guy, was just knocked out. He's human, and killing humans is punishable by death, so Freddy exerted some restraint there.

I'm running low on groceries, so I decide to head to the farmers' market and pick up some things. I also shop for one of the pack members, Rita Brown, who lives near the edge of town. The weather is kind of nice outside, with cool but non-freezing winds here in our dismal town. Perhaps a nice walk will help clear my head. Winter is finally over, and I love springtime.

It's the middle of the day, so there aren't a lot of people at the farmers' market. It's open all week, but the weekends are more crowded.

As I'm reaching for the last box of strawberries, someone else picks it up first. I look to see who it is, and my eyes land on a hulking man. I recognize him as one of Alex's companions from the other night. I instantly stiffen.

Mistaking my alarm for upset, he offers me the box. I shake my head and tell him, "You can keep it."

"Are you sure?" he asks, immediately putting the box with the rest of his things. I see the barely concealed excitement in his eyes.

Unable to help myself, I suggest, "If you like strawberries that much, there's a small farm on the edge of town where they grow them. You can pick them yourself and fill a basket if you pay a certain fee."

The man's eyes gleam with interest. "That's a good idea. We don't really have strawberries where we're from, so—"

He stops, but his words already have me blinking. "The South Alliance is known for producing the best strawberries. Which pack are you from that you don't have access to strawberries?"

It's his turn to become stiff. "I meant that the area where my pack is located is a little barren. We focus more on other fruit."

"I see." I don't buy it, but then again, I don't really know a lot about other packs and how they are run. I'm just a suspicious sort by nature. "Well, enjoy your strawberries."

"Wait…" The man stops me. "Aren't you the waitress from the other night?" He studies me closely, and then a huge grin breaks out on his face. "Yes, you are. Oh man, you really had Alex going there."

The wise choice would be to ignore his words and move on, but hearing Alex's name has me lingering despite my better judgment. "What do you mean?"

The man chuckles. "Nothing. It's just that I've never seen our a—" he pauses before continuing— "our boss so on edge around a female before."

A surge of irritation gathers in me. "Are you saying he's a womanizer?"

I don't know why it bothers me.

"A womanizer?" the man chuckles. "Far from it. Anyway, it was a treat to see him so flustered. I'm Patrick, by the way."

"Sophia," I introduce myself reluctantly. "But I guess you already knew that."

"Kind of." Patrick grins. "You're hard to miss."

I stare at him, wondering if that's an insult or a compliment. I can't figure it out with this guy. But he has a jovial personality, and it's hard not to like him. He seems to be in the mood for some conversation, though, and I am not.

"The couple who run the farm are a pair of elderly humans," I tell him. "They'll be coming to the farmers' market tomorrow, and they hand out pamphlets about the pick-your-own strawberries. If you come in the afternoon, you can't miss them."

I gather my things and head out. Oakrest isn't exactly huge. The business center is smack dab in the middle of the town, surrounded by residential housing and apartments. Although we live by the ocean, the land is extremely fertile, so there are a lot of farms and ranches as you head further inland. Ever since Alpha Black took charge of this town and its surrounding area, there hasn't been a lot of development. Most of it is rural and just woods. But the walking paths within the town are well maintained, and as I stroll along, I enjoy the cool breeze caressing my face.

It's spring here in the South now, but the weather is mildly cold, edging toward warm. Living so close to the sea, I've never experienced snow. I've always wanted to know what it's like.

I feel there's a lot I've not experienced in life, and I won't get to till I leave this dreary place.

Being sent away from the orphanage and my hometown where the main pack resides was a punishment. Years have passed, and as I grew older, I realized that I was not wholly responsible for my actions that night. What I did was terrible, indeed, but I was defending myself. Nobody took that into account. Nobody asked what those boys tried to do to me or if I was okay. I was just packed up and exiled to this isolated town, forgotten and abandoned. Oakrest is at the far end of the South Alliance and under the control and protection of Alpha Black, so I guess they sent me here to hide my crimes and leave me for dead.

I can't wait to get out of here. As soon as I have enough money to buy my freedom from the South Alliance, I'm going to go somewhere far away. I want to travel the world.

I'm still lost in my daydreams when I turn the corner by a small, cozy-looking cottage. There's a golden retriever napping on the lawn, and he lifts his head as my shoes crush the gravel of the road.

"Hello, Buster."

Buster's tail begins to wag, and he gets to his feet, rushing over and barking happily. I let him sniff me till he's satisfied, and after one welcoming lick on my ankle, he returns to his spot and lies back down.

"You're not the best guard dog," I tell him.

He just huffs and closes his eyes.

I make my way to the front door and knock. "Mrs. Brown? Are you home?"

Moments later, I hear a clatter, and a voice calls out, "The door's open."

Rita Brown is a sweet woman in her early seventies. She moved here when her husband died a few years back. Not every wolf shifter mates their partner. Quite a lot of them opt for the human version of mating: marriage. Most of the shifters who do this do it in the hopes that, perhaps, at some point down the line, they might come across their fated mate.

I find the concept a little cruel. Why would you string somebody along for so many years and then abandon them the minute you find the person you are meant to be with? Every shifter has a fated mate, but because of the wars that led to the creation of the three Alliances, not everybody gets to meet theirs. Once two shifters give each other the mating mark, any link they ever had to their fated mate is instantly broken. That is why some shifters prefer to get married.

One of the benefits of human marriage is if one of the shifters passes away, the other isn't physically affected by the death. They may be upset and grieve, but they don't lose the will to live, as is common among mated couples. One of the only reasons Drew survived his mate's murder was because of his desire to care for his son.

Rita's husband died in an attack at the South Alliance's border. She was not left unscathed in the same attack, having lost one of her legs. That makes it harder for her to go into town to do things such as shop for groceries. I've been helping her with errands like that ever since she moved here.

"There you are, Sophia." Rita beams at me, using her crutch to get to her feet. "I was wondering when you would come by. Care for some coffee?"

"Sure," I reply, smiling back at her. "I can make it."

"Nonsense." Rita heads into the kitchen, and I trail after her. "I can do it. Let's have it outside. The weather's quite nice today."

Despite having just one leg, Rita is fiercely dependent. She does make trips into town, but not all that often. Every two weeks or so, she comes to have dinner at the bar and catch up with the few friends she's made in Oakrest.

"I got you some fruit and basic essentials," I tell her as I put away her groceries. "I also found some packets of lentils and picked up a few. I know you like your lentil soup."

"You're a peach." Rita puts the coffee beans in the grinder. "Do you mind pulling some weeds from around the gate, dear? My knee is giving me a little trouble, and I don't want my flowers to die out."

"Sure," I sigh.

She always kicks me out of the kitchen when she's making her special coffee. If it's not one excuse, it's another. The coffee she makes is the best I've ever had. Whatever her recipe is, the problem is that she won't share it with anyone. I always look forward to my visits here, just for the coffee.

"I'll be out soon. And then you can tell me all the gossip in town."

Rita has a grandmotherly air about her. Aside from Elsa and Drew, she's one of the few people I genuinely like. She never talks about her husband, and there are no photographs of him in the cottage. I've never asked her about him, as it is apparently a sensitive topic.

I head outside and take care of the weeds. Then, using the rake, I gather the debris and put it in a bag, leaving it outside the gate for the trash collectors to pick up.

As I come back into the yard, I hear the familiar squeaking of the wheels on the cart that Rita uses to carry her food. She's exiting the front door; I don't offer to help her, knowing she doesn't like it. Instead, I wait for her to reach the patio table and chairs before pulling one out for her.

She sits down with a mug of coffee and a heavy sigh. "I do love company."

I pick up the other mug from the cart and sip it, closing my eyes as I savor the taste.

"So, I heard you got in a little altercation with Freddy."

My eyes fly open, and I look at Rita. "How does Elsa have time to gossip with you? Isn't she too busy running a business?"

"Oh, my dear," Rita chuckles. "One always has time to gossip. She was worried about you. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I reassure her. "I'll be back to work tomorrow."

"I see." Rita sips her coffee, her eyes on me. "What else is going on in your life? Anything interesting?"

My lips curve. "You know how boring my life is, Rita. What could possibly be going on?"

Rita leans back in her chair, a wistful smile on her face. "I don't know. Small towns are so dreadfully boring. It's the same people every day. I miss city life."

"You lived in a city?" I ask curiously. "I didn't know that."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Sophia." Rita gives me a mysterious wink. When I open my mouth, she lifts her hand. "But I don't want to talk about myself today. Tell me something new that's going on in town. Anything. Sometimes I feel like I'll burst out of boredom."

Her words surprise me because I thought Rita was enjoying her life here.

"Well," I begin slowly, racking my brain, "we do have some visitors from out of town. Six of them, to be exact."

"You don't say," Rita immediately leans toward me, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Do tell."

I shrug. "Not much to tell." My hands wrap around the mug to warm them. "They seem okay, but one of them is very rude to me. It doesn't help that he's also very good-looking."

I don't know why I mention that part, but the moment I do, I berate myself internally. Good job, Sophia. Rita's never going to let that go.

And as I expected, Rita chuckles, "Is he now?"

I feel a flutter in my chest, and I sink deeper into the chair, thinking about Alex. "I don't know why his presence bothers me. He makes me feel…strange."

The last word is blurted out, and it catches Rita's attention.

"What do you mean?" Her brows knit together. "Strange, how?"

I shake my head, feeling embarrassed. "I'd rather not talk about him."

Rita reaches out and covers my hand with her withered one. "My dear, you should be able to talk about whatever you want with me. I've lived a full life and have more experience than you can imagine. I might be able to help you sort out your thoughts."

It's a tempting offer. It's not like I have people to talk to about this stuff. And besides, the only person Rita will share anything about me with is Elsa, and she won't if I ask her not to. I do so, and the old woman nods. "Of course. This stays between us."

Shifting in my seat uncomfortably, I admit, "My heart feels funny around him. You know I haven't dated anybody, ever. My being what I am doesn't make me—" I cut myself off, setting my mug down on the round table between us. "My point is that I always thought maybe I have no sex drive. I've never been attracted to anyone. But whenever this guy is around, I feel something inside me pulling me toward him."

Rita's expression grows serious. "Have you mentioned this to anybody else?"

"Of course not. He's the rudest—"

She wets her lips, something she only does when she's feeling anxious, and I pause as she studies me. "I'm going to ask you something, Sophia, and I would like you to be honest."

Hesitantly, I nod.

"Elsa told me that you were attacked in the alley and that somebody rescued you. Was it this man?"

I'm about to lie, but from the look in her eyes, she's already figured it out. My shoulders slump. "Yeah. Please don't tell Elsa."

Rita is silent for a moment. "I won't. This is just between us. It's better that Elsa doesn't know."

"What do you mean?"

My tone has her glancing up at me, and she asks abruptly, "Has he shown any interest in you?"

I remember the way he looked at me in the forest when I was falling and he caught me, and for a moment, I feel a hint of certainty. "Maybe? I don't know. I think we got a little close to that, but nothing happened."

"Good."

Her sharpness makes me blink in surprise.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I ask cautiously.

Her finger taps against the table, and she seems to be considering something. "What you describe sounds like the pull between two fated mates, Sophia. Of course, I can't be sure. However, I would advise you that once you leave here, don't let anybody know what we talked about. And if you do find out that this man is indeed your fated mate, keep that to yourself, as well."

I give her a confused look, not even bothering to focus on the first part of what she just said. "But if I were to find my fated mate, isn't that a good thing?"

Rita's voice is dark and heavy, filled with something that makes me uneasy. "Not always, Sophia. Not always."