Chapter 16 #2
“I’m not setting myself up for a fucking rejection in ten years' time. I won’t end up like Dad!” He jumps from the couch and starts pacing the room, every muscle coiled tight, fury radiating off him. “I’d rather fucking die.”
“Don’t you dare,” I snarl before I can stop myself. The idea of losing him claws at my insides. But even worse is the thought of Sofia left shattered and alone.
“You can’t give up,” I say as Sofia pushes around from behind me. Again. I keep blocking her, and she refuses to stand back. She’s so damn stubborn.
“You don’t get to give up,” Sofia says. “You don’t get to leave me alone. You hold on until we get those omegas out. Until you find her.”
“I don’t exactly have a lot of options,” Ryans grits out. “This is the reason you both need to accept the bond. It makes sense. Maybe she’s one of the missing omegas, but maybe not. If I’m not supposed to find my mate, then you can become alpha and luna of Lunar Eclipse. The pack will be safe.”
Sofia’s answering laugh is bitter, sharp as glass.
“That’s not happening. I’m not going to let anyone strong-arm me into a bond I don’t want, not you, and sure as hell not him.
You are not going to just give up, Ryan.
And in case it wasn’t obvious, you can’t fucking make me.
” Her voice is calm and determined. It’s sexy as hell when she’s not directing it at me, even if I do hate the words coming out of her mouth.
But still, my wolf howls in pain at the certainty in her voice. Every time I feel like I’m getting somewhere, she shuts me down again.
Ryan simmers, his head hanging low as the cogs in his head turn.
“How long?” he grits out. “How long have you known you could resist my alpha command?” And, fuck, I want the answer to this question, too.
“Since always. I figured it was easier to sneak out if you thought I was listening when you commanded me to stay in my room till morning or not date. Probably shouldn’t have assumed immunity didn’t only apply to alpha males.
Probably should have also commanded the warriors to stay away from me instead. ”
She winks, and I take it back; I don’t want her to sass him, either. We both let out a growl at the realization that none of what we thought about her teen years is accurate. Who the fuck has she been dating in the shadows?
“Who do I need to kill?” I ask, my tone conveying the darkness of my threat. But Sofia only scoffs and rolls her eyes before telling me we have more important things to worry about than who she dated. I seriously need to teach this brat a lesson when we sort out Ryan’s shit.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter,” Ryan says with a sigh. “I can’t take a chosen mate. There’s no one I want, no one my wolf will consider.”
Sofia lets out a sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose. “She must be one of the omegas. You just need to hang on until we get them out of there. Where are we with the plans?”
“I have a call with Caleb in a couple of days. He has managed to make contact with someone on the inside. We need to regroup and plan.” Ryan says. “His contact said security will be lowest on the full moon; we need to move in then.”
“Fuck,” Sofia replies with a sharp intake of breath. I grit my teeth to hold back the building frustration at Sofia hearing about this. I don’t want her anywhere near the action when we break the omegas out and burn the operation to the ground.
“That’s two weeks away. Will you be okay until then?” I ask Ryan, not wanting to ignore the elephant in the room. He will be more vulnerable the closer we get to the full moon and the longer it takes for him to find his mate.
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Ryan shares. His shoulders slump, and I can’t imagine how hard this is for him. To admit his vulnerability. And I am so fucked up for using this as a way to get closer to Sofia. But I’m going to do it anyway.
I clear my throat. “Sofia can’t stay here.”
Her eyes cut to me, and if looks could kill, I would have dropped dead. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I would ever leave my brother when he needs me? I knew you thought low of me, but this is above and beyond.”
“Hey, hey,” I say, raising my hands defensively. “This isn’t about you. What happens if you’re here when he loses control again? What happens if he wakes in the middle of the night and doesn’t recognize you? How do you think Ryan could ever come back from it if he hurt you?”
Her face falls, and the fire in her eyes dims. The golden hue of her wolf receding back to the deep brown of her human form. “I’m the safest shifter he could be around. I’m the only one immune to his command, and I can hold my own.”
“He’s right, little sis,” Ryan says, wrapping his arms around her. And even though he’s her brother, my wolf still gets his hackles up. “It would be safer for everyone if you weren’t here. Only until we free the omegas and I hopefully find my mate.”
“I can’t just abandon you,” Sofia says, her voice breaking as a salty taste permeates the air. It guts me that she’s going through this. That she won’t let me be there for her like she used to. It’s my fault, of course, but it’s still painful.
“I can’t—”
“You can,” Ryan interrupts softly. “You’ll still be there for me, but if I ever hurt you, I’d never come back from it.”
“I hate this,” she says with a heavy sigh. “But fine. If this is what you need. I’ll check with Emily and Jackson and see if I can stay with them. Or I can stay at the packhouse.”
My wolf explodes inside me. The idea of her in the packhouse, surrounded by unmated males? No, no fucking way will that be happening.
“There is no chance in hell you’re staying in the packhouse,” I growl, voice rough with possession.
Sofia clenches her fists and steps into my space. “What the hell is your problem now? It was your idea for me not to stay here!”
“And you can’t. But staying at the packhouse will raise questions. There’s only one place you can go without drawing attention to why you’ve left your home. And you know where that is.”
Sofia’s brows scrunch together for a fraction of a second as she puts two and two together.
Her eyes widen, horror flashing across her face as the truth lands.
My grin is sharp, victorious, and maybe even a little cruel.
She can hate me for it all she wants, but the Goddess herself just handed me exactly what I’ve craved—an excuse to keep her in my home.
And I’m not going to apologize for finding a reason to have my mate in my home. I grin at her, and she glares back at me.
Her scowl is molten, furious, and it only makes her more beautiful. She spins on her heel and storms toward her bedroom, all fire and sassy attitude, before slamming the door behind her.
I lean back against the wall, smiling like a wolf with a fresh kill.
Let’s see her try to avoid me now.