Chapter 7

Sophia Hope

I guess I didn't realize that I had simply suppressed my appetite. As I munch on the fries, sitting cross-legged on my couch, a cup of tea before me on the coffee table, I feel slightly better. Of course, that could also have to do with the fact that I just cried like a little baby not five minutes ago. I've never been someone who sheds tears. It was my first lesson as a child. Crying was pointless. It only ever served to get me in trouble.

I can't remember the last time I cried in front of someone. I never expected Drew to actually comfort me.

It was a nice feeling.

I glance at my friend. He has a brooding expression on his face, his gaze fixed on some invisible spot on the coffee table. He hasn't touched his tea. It's just been sitting there. I'm waiting for him to say something because I feel awkward. It's not easy for me to be vulnerable with anyone, and while life has knocked me down more than a couple times, I've always gotten back up and dusted myself off. This time, it's a little different. It's harder to tell myself to get over it. When I try to, my wolf remains listless.

Maybe if I could shift and let it out, it might be able to go on a run and deal with its emotions. But even though I managed to wake up the dormant beast inside me years ago, I've never been able to shift forms.

Unable to take the awkward silence anymore, I begin, "Drew—"

"Did he admit that he was your fated mate?"

"No." I look down at my cold fries, my appetite waning. I don't want to talk about this, about Alex. "But he knew." I let out a heavy sigh. "I could tell. He was itching his mating spot area like crazy, and when I tried to stop him, his reaction was off."

"Has he managed to catch your scent?" Drew demands.

I shake my head, thinking about my scent blockers. "No. But I got injured when Freddy attacked me. I was bleeding. He definitely scented my blood."

The same happened to me, now that I think about it. When he saved me from Freddy, I accidentally scratched Alex's wrist, and he bled slightly.

Drew frowns. "Well, you're a lovely person, and he doesn't know what he's missing out on. It's his loss."

I beam at him, his unexpected praise cheering me up. I lift one of the fries in the air. "Hear, hear."

I've spent the last couple of days lying in bed and wondering what made me so unappealing to Alex. I don't have low self-esteem, so my first reaction isn't to jump to my looks.

"Do you think it's because I can't shift?"

Drew starts. "What?"

I try to shrug casually. "I'm just saying. My wolf is latent, so maybe he asked around about me and decided he didn't want a damaged shifter as his mate. I don't fault him for it."

"If that's his reason," Drew says fiercely, "then he really doesn't deserve you. Anybody can have a latent wolf. It's not like we live in full form as it is. If he wants to be a superficial bastard—"

He's getting himself all worked up, and I lift my hands placatingly. "I'm not saying that's what it is. I'm just suggesting it could be that. Or maybe I'm simply not attractive enough for him."

Drew waves off my second concern. "There's nothing wrong with your looks. I don't know what this guy's problem is, but if you tell me who he is, I can go have a chat with him."

When Drew moved here and I befriended him, he stepped into the role of older brother. Given our ten-year age difference, it made sense. I never had a family, so it's nice to have him defend me like this. It makes me feel less lonely, and the haze of bitterness and misery starts to fade.

"Thanks." I give him a small smile. "But there's no point confronting someone just because they're not interested in me. I can't make somebody like me, Drew. Besides, aside from the physical attraction, it's not like I'm head over heels for him. I'll get over this. Fated mate or not, I won't let it drag me down."

Drew picks up his tea and swirls the liquid in the cup idly. "It's not that easy to overcome rejection from your fated mate, Sophia. But it's not unheard of. I remember learning about it. The fated mate bond keeps pushing two shifters together. It's going to become harder to ignore each other. If this person says you're not his type, it's a lie. The attraction between fated mates is intense, and it keeps growing after their first encounter. Biology dictates that their relationship become physical; the Goddess hardwired us this way. So whatever his reasons are for pushing you away, attraction isn't one of them. He's lying through his teeth about that."

I look away from Drew. If he's right, then it has to be because of my latent wolf.

"But if you keep your distance from him," Drew continues, "over time, the bond will weaken. Just because you have a fated mate doesn't mean you can't find yourself a different mate in the future. A fated mate bond isn't set in stone. The bond can sever if the mates don't get along. However, if you keep interacting with each other, it's going to keep intensifying. Try to make sure that your dealings with him are limited. Honestly, though, I don't have a very high opinion of this man. Whoever he is, you can do much better than him."

His words make me smile again. "Maybe."

Drew gives me a serious look. "I really do think you need to put yourself out there. You avoid the other shifters in this town, and I know you don't attend the pack runs, either."

I try to play it off. "What am I going to do at a pack run?"

"The pack socializes over a bonfire and food after the run. Don't make excuses. You might find someone you connect with."

I really don't want to be having this conversation. "I'm not interested in socializing, Drew. I don't think dating is for me."

"You won't know until you try it," is the response I receive. "Maybe you'll find somebody who understands and likes you. Do you want to stay alone forever? Life is very long, Sophia. You need somebody to share it with. I didn't realize that until I lost Katie."

I want to tell him he's wrong, but I shut up. I know it's a very childish mindset that I have, but my reasons are practical. My lack of a wolf is public knowledge in this town. Nobody has ever asked me out. And I don't think I can handle being humiliated if I even consider putting myself in such a vulnerable position. Being alone seems to be a safer alternative.

I lower my head, knowing Drew is like a dog with a bone. He's not going to drop this.

I cross my arms over my chest. "I'll think about it."

He gives me a dubious look but thankfully doesn't push the topic.

I know he means well, but at the end of the day, Drew isn't standing in my shoes. I can understand his logic, but he and I are walking different paths in life. He has experienced life as a shifter who can change forms. He is complete. He doesn't know what it's like to be ostracized for not being able to shift. Even if he's not on good terms with the pack security, he's not being rejected by the pack. Meanwhile, my presence and existence are just barely tolerated. I don't want to be harsh to him because I know he's looking out for me, but sometimes I feel like I'm screaming into the void.

He's going to say what he's going to say, but Drew will never truly understand why I have chosen not to put myself out there—and why I never will.

*** **

I know I can't hide from the world forever. Drew's visit last night gave me what I needed to kick-start my brain. It's not as if I am in love with Alex or even like him as a person. It was simply the idea that he represented. I'm just going to make it a point to stay away from him.

He and his friends have become consistent diners at the bar. The past couple of days, when they've come in, I've gone on my break or retreated to the storage room to deal with one thing or another. Elsa hasn't noticed yet, but I'm sure she will soon. I didn't want to cross paths with Alex, but if I'm hiding from him, doesn't that make me a coward?

I've never been a coward. And I have no reason to hide from him. I've done nothing wrong.

Although, now that I have Drew's suggestion in mind that I should stay as far away from Alex as possible, I no longer want to. The humiliation and hurt have faded into anger. He sought me out on the beach; he didn't have to do that. It's almost as if he went out of his way to let me know that I am worthy of him.

"Worthy of him," I scoff, cleaning one of the coffee jars vigorously. "Who would want him anyway? I'd rather get a dog than be with him."

"Excuse me?" Elsa passes by me, tossing me an odd look.

"Nothing." I give her a tight smile. "Just talking to myself."

"You really shouldn't do that, Sophia," Elsa says disapprovingly. "That's not a healthy habit."

"Yes, Mom."

"What was that?" she asks sharply, and I blink innocently.

"I said, ‘Yes, ma'am.'"

Elsa shakes her head at me and, picking up the menu for the day, walks into the kitchen.

I turn my attention back to the jar. I've finished wiping it down, so I empty a bag of coffee beans into it. I've run out of things to do in the storage room, so I guess I should head back out to the bar.

After all, I've decided I'm not going to let Alex drive me out of my own space. Let him do what he wants. I will keep our interactions to a minimum, but that doesn't mean I have to skulk around trying to avoid him. I have a feeling that's what he wanted. He may think I'm not good enough for him, but I want to make sure he knows I don't give a shit.

It is amusing, though, that he seems desperate to talk to the Wily Vixen but has a problem with me. My lips curve in a wry smile.

I check the time. Usually in the afternoon, people are only here to have lunch. There are not a lot of heavy drinkers this time of day. Maybe a beer or two, but the bar is not as crowded as it is at night. I'm pouring a draft for a customer when I overhear the conversation between two people sitting on the other side of the bar.

I don't pay attention till I hear Freddy's name pop up. My interest is automatically piqued.

I lean toward them. "What're you guys talking about?"

The two men are from the human police station, local cops. We have a human population here in Oakrest, so human police are required. Fortunately, they don't treat me with the disdain that the shifters sometimes do.

"You didn't hear?" One of them looks around before telling me, "Freddy and his crew were out running in the woods. They were attacked."

I stare at him, shocked. "When was this?"

The other cop shrugs. "Two days ago. None of them were able to identify their attacker. They said it looked like a black wolf, but they'd been drinking."

The two officers exchange a look, and then one of them leans forward, his voice low. "Aren't all the wolf shifters in this region brown-haired?"

"Well, yeah," I reply slowly, stunned by the audacity of someone to attack Freddy, apparently unprovoked. "Black wolves are from the North Alliance. But there's no way one would show up down here. The South Alliance has never allowed anyone from the North access to our area. And the security around border towns is intense. You can't enter or exit easily."

I leave them to their drinks, my thoughts in disarray.

A black wolf? In Oakrest?

That's simply not possible.

I never did ask Elsa what happened to Freddy after that night in the alley. Since Migael, his father, didn't come for my neck, I assumed Freddy was alive and well somewhere, making somebody else's life difficult. I was sure he'd return to take his revenge, once again, for the humiliation he suffered, but he never came back. I hoped that would be the end of the matter. But if someone attacked Freddy, that's a whole new issue.

I look out the window, and suddenly, it hits me. There's been an influx of pack security around here. I didn't notice it before, but now I can't miss it. They've been crawling the streets. I spot at least five members as I peer through the glass right now. They could just be hanging out, minding their own business, but I doubt it. In fact, now that I think about it, I saw two of them around my building last night. I don't typically engage with them, so I just kept my head low and walked past them.

I find the likelihood of a black wolf attacking Freddy a little ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is that the pack security is buying into his lies. He most likely got drunk and picked a fight with somebody who was stronger than him. And since he doesn't like losing, he probably made up a whole story.

I shake my head in disgust.

Just then, one of the servers, Reese, appears in front of me, knocking on the wooden surface of the bar to get my attention. He looks stressed, and he jerks his head toward the dining area. "Can you take table five for me? I've got to drop off food at three other tables, and I don't have time to take their order. They've been waiting on me for a couple minutes now."

My eyes dart around at the many filled tables. I hadn't realized the place had become so crowded. I look over at table five, and my heart sinks. It's Alex and his friends.

"I can deliver the food to the other tables for you," I offer to Reese, but he just gives me an annoyed look.

"Can you please just do what I asked? The bar will be fine without you for one minute."

There's no point arguing with him. Reluctantly, I grab one of the notebooks and head over. They're talking quietly among themselves, their menus open in front of them.

"Any luck?" one of them is asking Alex.

"I haven't seen her for the past few days. But she's still listed as one of the fighters, so she'll be back."

"How about an ambush? We force her to talk to us."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nathan," Alex growls. "The point is to earn her—"

"What can I get for you guys?" I keep my voice calm, deliberately not looking at Alex.

From the corner of my eye, I can see him stiffen. His friend Patrick looks up and smiles at me warmly. "Sophia. I haven't seen you around."

I don't miss the flash of guardedness in his eyes.

I return the smile. "I've been busy."

"I've been wanting to thank you for the tip about the strawberries," Patrick adds. "They were great."

"Glad you liked them," I say politely. "Would you all like to place your order?"

It's a physical effort to stand here and not look at Alex. I don't know when he stopped taking blockers, but his scent is thick in the air right now, and my wolf is miserable, aware that it's not wanted. My pulse is beating in a jagged rhythm, and I want nothing more than to get out of here.

They start to place their orders, and my hands shake as I write them down.

When it's Alex's turn, my voice turns frosty. "And for you?"

He looks at me, and it's a jolt to my system. Years of practice, however, allow me to keep my expression neutral. When he doesn't answer, just watching me in a way that has the pit of my stomach tightening, I push, my voice hard. "What will you have?"

"The lunch special," Alex relents. The way he's watching me with such naked heat in his gaze feels like he's undressing me with his eyes. I repress the urge to scoff. He doesn't want me, huh? Lying asshole.

"And to drink?"

"Whatever you suggest."

His voice is light, the same tone he had when we were conversing on the beach. It pisses me off.

"I'm afraid you'll have to tell me what you want," I say coolly. "Or go without."

His brows knit together as he looks at me. I simply stare back.

"A beer," he finally says.

I write it down, and I'm about to leave when I hear him say, "Sophia, wait—"

I cut him off without hesitation. "Your server will be Reese. He'll bring your food over as soon as it's ready."

My stomach is churning as I walk away. I hand the slip over to the kitchen before returning to the bar.

If I thought Alex and his friends would leave when they finished their meals, I'm proven wrong. As the lunch crowd thins out, they linger, ordering coffee and talking in low voices.

I don't know what they're up to, but since the lunch rush is over, the number of servers has decreased. That puts me in charge of the area facing the bar. It's only me and Eve at this point, and she's taking care of the other end of the bar. Therefore, every time Alex and his group want more coffee, I'm forced to go serve them. Worse, I can feel Alex's eyes on me throughout, and I'm having to restrain myself from going over and demanding to know what he wants from me.

I glance at the wall clock and scowl. It's been three hours. It's getting dark outside. I can already hear the clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen, meaning dinner prep is underway. As Elsa walks by, I stop her. "Don't you have a set amount of time that customers can stay here?"

She's looking at a document on her tablet and asks absentmindedly, "What do you mean?"

I incline my head toward Alex's table. "They've been here since lunch. More than three hours now."

Elsa follows my gaze and sees the coffee cups on their table. "They seem to be having coffee."

"Yes, but that's all they've been ordering since lunch," I inform her. "Coffee, every half hour."

My boss shrugs. "Well, as long as they're making me money, I don't mind. Besides, the bar is nearly empty. What's the problem?"

I let out a defeated sigh. "There's no problem. No problem at all."

Maybe I should slip laxatives into their next cups, I muse to myself. We've only got one bathroom. The idea of six grown men clambering to get to the bathroom makes me cackle. Alex will get a double dose of laxatives.

My revenge will be sweet and smelly.

I sense movement at Alex's table, and when I look up, he's coming toward me. My heart rate kicks up, and I hate the heat that crawls within me at the sight of him. But I can't exactly control my body's response, now, can I?

When he reaches me, I ask, "Can I help you?"

"I didn't realize you had such long shifts," Alex says. "You've been here since morning, haven't you?"

I just tilt my head and watch him, refusing to answer his question.

"I never even saw you go grab lunch," he continues.

Why is he even talking to me? Does he expect me to have a heart-to-heart with him after what he said to me?

"Can I help you?" I repeat, refusing to hold any other conversation with him.

I see the slight irritation in his eyes, and that gives me no end of satisfaction. "I'm just trying to be friendly."

I smile at him. "I would prefer it if you stay away from me. But since you don't want to do that, then I would prefer it if you tell me what you want and then leave me alone. I don't have time to waste on you."

My words are harsh, but the wounds he delivered on my heart were harsher.

"You left the other day without finishing our conversation," Alex says quietly.

My brows arch. "You mean the one where you told me that despite us being fated mates, I'm not your cup of tea? That conversation? I'm sorry. Did you want me to stick around so you could list everything you find undesirable about me? Either you have a very high opinion of yourself or an extremely low one of me. In any case," I rap my knuckles on the wooden bar, giving him an expectant look, "I'm going to ask you one more time. Do you want to place another order? Or are you just here to harass me?"

Alex's jaw tightens. "Giving me the cold shoulder isn't going to fix anything."

I smile sweetly at him. "If it gets you out of my face, it solves ninety-nine percent of my problems."

"I know you're upset by what I said—"

"Upset?" I gape at him. "Didn't you hear me? I'm not interested in anything you have to say. I wasn't the other day, and I sure as hell am not now. You seem to think I care about you. Just because you're my fated mate doesn't mean you're important to me. The Goddess may have decided that we're meant to be together, but you're not my type. I'm not interested in you. You're the one who keeps approaching me, trying to ‘talk.' I don't want to talk. I want you nowhere near me. How's that for upset?"

Alex is stunned into silence. It does nothing to negate my anger, but there's a petty, vindictive satisfaction in seeing the shock on his face when he realizes that I don't find him particularly desirable, either. It may be a lie, but it makes me feel better. I'm sure he thought he had the upper hand since he was the one to reject me.

"Sophia?" Elsa walks out of the kitchen and looks between the two of us. "Is everything alright here?"

Alex holds my gaze for a few seconds before murmuring, "Just fine."

He stalks back to his group, and a beatific smile blooms on my face.

"What was that about?" Elsa studies me curiously, but I just shrug.

"I don't know. Maybe he didn't like the coffee?"

She gives me a disbelieving look, and her voice is sharp as she turns to leave. "You'd better not drive away the customers, Sophia."

"No, ma'am." I grin at her back as I watch her retreat into her office.

However, just minutes later, the smile falls from my face when the front door opens and I see someone I recognize.

My upper lip curls in a snarl. What are Freddy and his crew doing here?

There are four gash marks on Freddy's left cheek, and it reminds me of what the cops were talking about. The attack on Freddy in the woods. The injury has healed to some extent, but the scarring is obvious. It must have been a very deep wound to have left a permanent mark like this. Even wolf shifters are not immune to scars. And that is a nasty-looking one.

My hands ball into fists behind the counter. If he's here to cause a scene, I don't know what to do. There are not a lot of people here, but crowds have never stopped Freddy before. Maybe I should get Elsa.

I leave my post and am hurrying toward the back office when I hear Eve scream. My head whips to the side and my eyes widen in horror as I see her neck turned at an odd angle, Freddy holding her by the hair. He's dragging her toward the front door, snarling, "You were laughing at me, weren't you? I'll show you, bitch. I'll rip your face off! Let's see you laugh then! Tear your fucking lips off! What the fuck are you looking at?"

The last part is aimed at the few people watching him drag the female server away.

Nobody intervenes.

I see Alex half rise out of his seat, but while he's probably considering getting involved, I don't have to think about it. Grabbing one of the wine bottles, I march over and smash it against the back of Freddy's head, roaring, "Let her go!"

I may have just signed my own death sentence, but I'm not going to sit around like a coward and let someone get assaulted.

Freddy stumbles forward from the force of the blow, his grip on Eve's hair loosening. I take advantage of that and pull her toward me. She's sobbing now, trembling like a leaf. "I didn't even do anything. I swear, I didn't do anything!"

"Go get Elsa!" I shout at her, pushing her toward the hallway just as Freddy's two buddies surround me.

"You?!" Freddy rubs the back of his head as he turns around to look at me. "Why is it always you? Do you have a death wish?"

"I told you before, Freddy: you can't just come in here and do whatever you like," I hiss. "People aren't your playthings."

His face contorts. "They are what I tell them to be. And I've had just about enough of you. I think it's time you were taught a lesson."

I sneer at him. "You tried that last time, didn't you? How did that turn out for you?"

From the corner of my eye, I see Alex stand up, and I turn my head toward him, my voice cold. "Don't even think about interfering. I don't need your help."

Alex's expression is furious. Just as I'm turning back to face Freddy, I see his fist flying toward me. I duck immediately and grab his wrist, amazed at his stupidity in trying the same move as before. I pull his arm behind his back and kick him on the ass, making him fall forward onto the bar stools. His two friends rush at me, and I grab a decorative glass vase from an empty table and smash it on one of their heads. The shifter goes down, and using the sharp edges of the broken vase, I slash the other guy's chest.

Freddy lunges at me, a knife in his hand. I hear Alex shout my name and see him dart toward me, fear in his eyes. But he's too far away. Before I can move to avoid the knife, Freddy's friends pop up and grab me by the arms, holding me in place.

My eyes widen. My heart is pumping.

Is this moron really going to kill me in a public setting?

There's a manic look in Freddy's eyes. Just as he's about to plunge the knife into my chest, a hand seizes his wrist, stopping him.

"Who the fu—?" Freddy is turning his head, a curse on his lips, when his entire face turns white as a sheet. The knife drops from his hand. The person who grabbed his wrist shoves him aside and steps in front of me protectively. I'm facing a broad back and short blonde hair.

"How dare you attack a pack member like this?"

His voice is low and dangerous, and a shiver goes down my spine. I don't recognize his voice, but there's something familiar about it.

"I…We were…We were just joking around!" Freddy gasps out, his voice shaking. He sounds like he's about to shit his pants. I have never heard so much fear in Freddy's voice. Who is this mystery guy?

As if in sync with my thoughts, the man turns around. I suck in a breath.

I know him.

It's Noah Black.

The Alpha Successor to the Red Rock Wolf Pack.