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Sophia's POVEveryone stayed silent for what seemed like forever, even though it was probably just a few seconds.Then, Ethan let out a sound. It was a deep, pained groan from way down in his chest, like an animal hit with a fatal blow. The spark in his eyes didn't just fade; it got buried under a rush of total, crushing heartbreak. He took one shaky step backward.Lucas's expression turned empty, a flawless front of soldier-like calm, but his fingers dug white into the chair's arm.Marcus... Marcus seemed stunned. Then, bit by bit, a deep, gut-wrenching realization lit in his eyes. He wasn't looking at a win. He was looking at an obligation he'd vowed to honor.I pushed myself to break the silence, my words shaking but steady. "Ethan... Lucas... I'm sorry. This isn't turning my back on who you are. It's picking what I need at this moment. And I have my reasons.""Reasons," Ethan repeated, the term sounding empty and rough. "What reasons? What could possibly..."He got interrupted as
Chapter 66Sophia's POVThis guy had a way for dropping heavy truths even when he could've kept quiet. Choose anyone but Ethan. I gaped at him, the solid iron key in my grip feeling like a dead weight."What?" I got out at last, my words hardly above a breath. "Why say that? He's your Alpha.""He was my Alpha," Idris amended, his tone still hushed but unyielding. "Before you came along, Ethan was a weapon. Keen, focused, unyielding. He ruled with total command. The pack thrived because his resolve was steel. No splits, no quiet rebellions, no outside witches bold enough to step on our ground."He locked eyes with me, his timeless gaze grim. "Since you showed up, Sophia, he's turned... vulnerable. Every call runs through the filter of keeping you secure. The raid on the base wasn't a calculated hit; it was a wild charge. He marched into Holloway's chamber not as a bargaining Alpha, but as a frantic mate. He bared his biggest flaw to our worst foe.""He rescued me," I argued, my face hea
Sophia's POVThe atmosphere in the office shifted to something brittle, like it could shatter. Ethan's calm query lingered between us, edged enough to slice.My eyes darted from his impassive expression back to the lit display, to those incriminating phrases: She's just toying with you.All the muddle, the dread, the churning feelings from the last week hardened into one icy stab of disloyalty. "Who's Jess?" I questioned, my tone misleadingly even.He stayed put in the entrance, a mute barrier to my way out. "A connection. From way back.""A connection who messages you about me. Who claims I'm toying with you." I allowed the pain to color my words, pivoting to confront him squarely. "While you've been preaching about Lucas's acts, you've been getting tips from some... some echo of your history?""It's not what you think." He stepped inside at last, easing the door closed. The snap of the lock carried a foreboding weight. "Jess is... was... a go-between. From an impartial group. She ha
Chapter 64Sophia's POVThe atmosphere in the room didn't just spark; it turned to ice, for real. Ethan's aura was a barrier of rage and frost. He appeared menacing."Have a good time on your outing?" The query sliced through the hush.I shut the door at my back, pressing against it. "It was just a talk.""It was a show." He advanced a step. "Twinkling lights and fancy steak while a witch stalks our territory and your ability is an enigma that might end you. He's peddling a dream, Sophia. One that'll leave you vulnerable the second you leave my safeguard.""Your safeguard?" I fired back, stepping away from the door, my own anger flaring. "Your safeguard feels a whole lot like ownership! It feels like quiet and hidden truths and putting marks on everybody near you! Lucas put forward a scheme. A way to stay secure that doesn't mean being the endless hub of a battleground!""Lucas put forward a dream where he plays the savior who snagged the Alpha's reward!" he bellowed, his restraint bre
Sophia's POVThe quiet that came after my announcement was a void that drained every bit of oxygen from the space. Ethan had gone from pale to a frightening fury."You will not," he stated, his tone unyielding."I will," I countered, my voice holding firm in a way that surprised me. "I'll take a week. Seven days. To reflect. To... evaluate. Without any pushing, without alpha orders." I made myself glance at the others.Marcus appeared shocked, Idris troubled, Lucas guardedly optimistic. "If, after that week, my decision is Ethan, then we carry on. But if it's not..." I gulped, pushing the words forward. "Then I'll go with whoever I pick, if they'll take me. And my existence, my ability, and my protection become their duty. Not Blackwell's."It was the biggest risk imaginable.Ethan leaped up, his chair hurtling back and smashing into the cabinet. "This isn't some joke! You're my mate! The connection isn't optional, it's reality!""And reality can be handled in various ways!" I yelled
Sophia's POVThe quiet after Lucas's statement wasn't mere silence; it was the eerie calm before a brewing storm that ignited a fresh conflict.My cheeks burned with heat. The sheer nonsense, the boldness, the outright meanness of dumping this on me, right there and then, snapped me out of my daze."That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I said, my voice coming out surprisingly steady. "I'm not some... pack reward to be handed off or picked from a menu. I'm an individual. And I'm mated." The term felt firm, conclusive. I stared at Lucas, my letdown cutting deep. "How could you even bring that up?"I figured Ethan would blow up. But instead, a deep, reflective hum came from next to me."Is it, really?" Marcus questioned, rubbing his beard. Every head turned his way. "Dumb? Consider it, Sophia. You got tossed into this life without a say. The connection with Ethan... it's strong, no doubt. But it kicked off in turmoil, amid the Blood Moon. Then you're singled out, pursued, snatched







