Chapter 6
Sofia felt like she was in a fever dream.
The past twenty-four hours had shattered every belief she had about the world. She had spent years thinking she had men figured out—dangerous ones at least. She knew how they operated, how they thought, how they hunted. But nothing could have prepared her for this. For them.
For the fact that the men surrounding her weren’t just outlaws on bikes. They were wolves.
She had seen it with her own eyes, Goliath shifting before her, the impossible becoming reality. And it wasn’t just him, it was all of them. Every Wolverine MC member was like him. Men who could walk as humans one moment and shift into massive, lethal beasts the next.
Sofia had spent the night pacing in her room, sleep an impossible luxury. Her mind ran in circles, telling her to leave, to run—but where? The Shadow Riders were out there, hunting her. And no matter how much she wanted to deny it, something about the Wolverines felt different. Goliath felt different.
The memory of his lips on hers refused to leave her mind, like a brand seared into her soul. He had kissed her like she was his, like there was no other option but them, and that terrified her even more than the idea of him shifting into a massive predator.
What was worse? Every time she turned around, he was there. Watching. Waiting. Hunting her without moving.
“You’re spiralling, babe,” Alaska said, her voice light as she sipped her coffee at the clubhouse bar.
Sofia scoffed, gripping the mug in her hands. “Gee, you think?”
Onix leaned against the counter beside her, smirking. “You’ll get used to it.”
Sofia gave her an incredulous look. “You say that like it’s normal. Like shifting into a giant wolf and howling at the moon is just some minor character quirk.”
Siena chuckled. “It is normal—to us.”
Sofia exhaled sharply, rubbing her hands down her face. “I can’t believe this.”
Alaska nudged her shoulder. “Look, I know it’s a lot. I freaked out when I found out too. But it’s not as scary as it seems.”
Sofia shot her a look. “You didn’t see him, Alaska. He’s—he’s massive.”
A slow grin spread over Alaska’s face. “Yeah, babe. And that’s just in human form.”
Sofia’s cheeks burned as the other women laughed. “That is not what I meant!”
Dakota’s expression softened. “Listen, I get it. You feel like you’ve been thrown into the deep end of something you never signed up for. But it’s not just about them being wolves—it’s about the bond.”
Sofia frowned, “The bond?”
Siena nodded. “Mating. It’s not like humans, Sofia. When a wolf finds their mate, it’s final. It’s absolute. Goliath’s wolf has already chosen you.”
A shiver ran down Sofia’s spine. “That doesn’t mean I have to choose him.”
Alaska sighed. “That’s where things get tricky. The pull between mates is… intense. If you deny it, it’ll hurt you both.”
Sofia swallowed hard, “How bad?”
Dakota tilted her head. “Ever seen a wolf without its mate? It’s not pretty.”
Sofia opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden roar of engines outside had all the women snapping their heads toward the door.
The sound wasn’t the Wolverines. It was unfamiliar. The first gunshot shattered the moment.
The women barely had time to react before chaos erupted. Glass shattered, wood splintered, and bullets tore through the clubhouse walls. Sofia threw herself to the ground, her heart slamming against her ribs as screams and curses filled the air. Dakota grabbed Siena, pulling her down behind the bar, while Alaska ducked and covered her head, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
"Get down!" Dakota shouted, her voice barely audible over the rapid gunfire. We can hear Onix shouting in anger from the corridor. Dawn is screaming in fright.
Sofia pressed herself against the cold floorboards, her fingers digging into the wood as adrenaline surged through her system. The sound of shattering bottles filled the air as the bar took heavy fire, liquid splattering across the floor. Her ears rang from the explosions of gunfire, and for a split second, she thought she was back in that warehouse—back when Grant had murdered her sister.
Terror clawed at her throat, but something else burned beneath it. Fury.
Alaska's hand gripped her wrist, pulling her closer. "Stay low! They won’t get inside!" But there was fear in her eyes, and that terrified Sofia even more.
The gunfire lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the roaring of engines filled the air, tires screeching as the attackers sped away.
Silence followed, thick and heavy, broken only by the sound of shattered glass crunching under hurried footsteps as the men stormed inside.
***
The first crack of gunfire had Goliath moving before his brain caught up.
Drive-by. The Shadow Riders were making their move.
Windows shattered as bullets tore through the clubhouse. The Wolverines ducked for cover, some already drawing their weapons, but the enemy was moving fast. Too fast.
Goliath saw red.
He burst out of the clubhouse, his feet pounding against the pavement as his eyes locked onto the backs of three bikes speeding down the road.
"Mount up!" King roared.
In seconds, Wolverines were on their bikes, tires screeching as they peeled out in pursuit. But the Shadow Riders knew the land. They took a sharp turn, dust and gravel kicking up behind them, and by the time the Wolverines reached the road, they were gone. Vanished into the terrain like ghosts.
The rage boiling in Goliath’s blood had him shaking, his fingers gripping the handlebars so tight his knuckles turned white. They came here, they shot at his home, they could have hit her, maybe did hit her. That thought nearly sent him feral.
***
When the men returned, they were seething. King’s jaw was set like stone, his hands clenched into fists. "They got away."
"For now," Goliath growled, his golden eyes burning as he stalked toward the porch.
Sofia stood there, her arms wrapped around herself, heart still pounding. She had almost died, again, and suddenly, everything clicked. She couldn’t keep running, there was no escaping this. If she left, they’d find her. If she tried to do this on her own, she’d be dead in a week. Her only option—the only way to survive—was staying.
Staying with Goliath. The thought made her pulse race for an entirely different reason.
He stood at the base of the porch, staring at her like he knew what was running through her head, like he could feel her resolve shifting.
Her breath hitched. “I’m staying.”
Goliath’s expression hardened, his nostrils flaring. He took a slow step forward, voice low. “Say it again.”
Sofia swallowed, her heart hammering against her ribs, “I’m staying.”
Before she could process what was happening, Goliath was on her, pulling her flush against his body, his grip firm but not rough. His lips crashed down onto hers, demanding, searing—staking his claim. Everything around them disappeared as the world stopped.
There was no clubhouse, no looming threat, no uncertain future—only them.
Sofia gasped against his mouth, her body melting before her brain could protest. The fire between them ignited instantly, white-hot and consuming. His hands tightened on her waist, pulling her closer, like he needed her, like he would never let her go.
Goliath felt everything at once. Relief. Possession. Desire. His wolf roared in victory, claiming her, telling him she was his. She had said it—she was staying. And now that she had, he wasn’t letting her go.
The taste of her was pure fucking addiction, and he was drowning in it. The way she responded to him, how her breath hitched, how her fingers fisted the leather of his cut, it was all he needed. She felt this too.
Sofia was breathless, her mind spinning. She should be scared of this—of him—but instead, she was falling.
A loud whistle broke the moment.
“Damn, brother! Get a room!” Hunter’s amused voice cut through the thick tension, followed by a round of laughs and cheers from the gathered men.
Goliath pulled back, his golden eyes dark with heat, with hunger. He didn’t give a fuck about the others, but he had to stop before he lost all control.
Sofia exhaled shakily, staring up at him, her lips tingling from the kiss. She didn’t understand what was happening between them, but one thing was certain—she couldn’t fight it.
Before she could speak, a furious roar shook the air.
“I want the fuckers that did this?”
Fang was standing near the bar, his wolf barely restrained, his eyes blazing with rage as he grabbed his mate, Mystique, turning her hand over. A thin line of blood trailed from a cut on her arm—glass from the shootout.
“Fang, I’m fine,” Mystique tried to calm him, but he wasn’t hearing it. His fury was absolute.
Blue was at the far side of the room, his hands framing his mate’s face, checking her over. “You sure you’re okay, baby?” he murmured, his usual easy smirk gone, replaced with pure concern.
King, standing at the centre of it all, wasn’t laughing. His face was carved from stone, his eyes locked onto the bullet holes in the clubhouse walls. This was his kingdom, and it had been attacked.
“We end this,” King said, his voice lethal. “No more warnings. No more waiting.”
The club fell silent, but every single man in that room was ready for blood.