A Dangerous Agreement

Sofia

Theo opened the passenger door of a sleek black car parked at the valet curb. I stared at it for a second, hesitating. It felt surreal that hours ago, I'd walked into the gala on Leo's arm—convinced my future was with him. Now, I was climbing into the car of a man I barely knew, bound to him by a lie we hadn't even begun to understand.

"Don't overthink it," Theo said, sliding behind the wheel.

I fastened my seatbelt, trying not to shiver as the soft leather warmed beneath me.

"I'm not overthinking," I lied.

He glanced at me. "You chew your bottom lip when you overthink."

I stopped biting instantly. "You've known me for what—three hours?"

"Long enough," he said with a grin.

We drove in silence for a while. The city lights stretched like golden veins against the night sky, glittering across the rivers that wound through Moonveil like liquid silver. The hum of the engine and the softness of the seat made the entire moment feel like something out of a dream.

Or a trap.

Theo finally spoke. "Let's get a few more rules in place."

I looked at him. "Didn't we cover those already?"

"Public displays," he said, eyes on the road. "People will expect them. Hand-holding, cheek kisses, maybe more."

"Define 'maybe more,'" I said slowly.

"Nothing you're uncomfortable with. But... convincing."

My heart kicked. "Right. Convincing."

Another pause.

"What about the people closest to us?" I asked. "My mom's already texting. She wants to know who you are."

He smirked. "Tell her I'm a spoiled rich boy with commitment issues."

I gave him a look. "I thought we were trying to convince people this was real."

He laughed. "Then tell her I make you laugh."

I stared out the window. The truth was, he did.

Theo

I couldn't stop sneaking glances at her.

Sofia wasn't the kind of girl who faded quietly into the background. She had fire in her veins and glass in her voice. And for reasons I couldn't quite explain, being around her made everything else—Althea, the pack, the pressure—feel... manageable.

But that shimmer earlier—there was something off about it. Something ancient. And terrifying.

I couldn't risk her knowing yet.

"So," she said finally, "what's your endgame in all this?"

"Endgame?" I repeated, stalling.

"You get something out of this. You're not just doing it for kicks."

She wasn't wrong.

"I'm protecting you," I said simply.

She raised a brow. "From what?"

From people you don't know exist. From truths that could destroy you.

"From people who think they can treat you like collateral," I said instead.

Her gaze softened. "Well... thanks for that."

"You're welcome."

She had no idea what she was stepping into. And I wasn't sure I could stop it now that it had started.

We hit a red light. She turned to me. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"Who protects you?"

That stopped me.

I didn't answer.

Because I didn't know.

Maybe I didn't want to know.

Sofia

He was quiet for too long. There was a tension in his jaw, like I'd touched something he usually kept buried.

I didn't press. The truth hung between us, heavy and invisible. Whatever Theo's life was before this night, it wasn't soft. I could feel how he avoided questions with charm, how his laughter always carried a shadow.

He pulled outside my building, a modern high-rise with glass walls and soft lights spilling out of every unit. My chest tightened. This was supposed to be the part where I said goodnight. Went upstairs. Let the night fade.

But instead, I was tangled in something I didn't understand.

"Do you want to come up?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Theo blinked. "Do you want me to?"

I hesitated. "No. I mean—not like that. I just... It's quiet. And weird. And I don't want to be alone with my thoughts right now."

He studied me for a beat, then nodded. "I won't stay long."

Theo

I followed her into the building, trying not to let my instincts scream. I was trained not to trust unfamiliar places. But the vulnerability in her voice had been too real.

The elevator was silent except for the soft ding of the floors passing.

She kept her gaze ahead. I watched her reflection instead. She was unraveling quietly, holding herself together with sheer willpower. And it made me want to protect her even more.

Her apartment was neat, modern—just like her. But I could see the loneliness in the untouched furniture and the lack of personal details.

"Nice place," I offered.

"It's new," she said. "I moved in last month. Haven't had time to make it feel like home."

I nodded. "Feels like a waiting room."

She laughed. The sound hit something in my chest I hadn't expected.

We sat on opposite ends of the couch. Far enough to feel safe, close enough to feel something.

Sofia

"I don't know how to do this," I confessed.

"Fake date someone?"

"No. Lie with confidence. Pretend I'm not unraveling."

He turned to me. "Then don't. Be honest with me. Just not with them."

I looked at him. "You say that like you've had practice."

He gave me a wry smile. "Lying is practically a family tradition."

I arched a brow. "You don't seem like a liar."

"That's because I'm good at it."

His words weren't bragging. They were confessions dressed in humor. I found myself trusting him more for it.

He stood, walked over, and offered his hand. "Let's start over."

I blinked. "What?"

"Hi," he said, smile crooked. "I'm Theo. I have a sharp tongue, a questionable past, and I'm apparently your boyfriend now."

I laughed, despite myself. I took his hand. "I'm Sofia. Emotionally bruised, slightly impulsive, and apparently into bad ideas."

His fingers curled around mine.

The touch burned.

Not in a painful way. In a way that left heat pulsing beneath my skin, like something had been set loose. It was more than adrenaline. It was a current that licked at my nerves.

I gasped and jerked my hand back.

Theo's eyes widened.

"You felt that too?" he asked quietly.

I nodded.

Theo

I didn't understand it. That shimmer wasn't normal—not for humans. And Sofia… she wasn't supposed to feel it.

But she did.

And now I was sure she wasn't just some girl caught in a lie. There was something deeper in her blood. Something I wasn't ready to name yet.

I stepped forward again, slowly this time. "Sofia… I think there's more to this than either of us understands."

She didn't pull away.

And neither did I.

But I couldn't shake the way her skin burned beneath my fingers, like her body had recognized something before her mind had.

I watched her go to her bedroom hours later, and I stayed on her couch, pretending to sleep.

Sofia

I couldn't close my eyes.

My fingers tingled. My chest buzzed.

I rolled over, staring at my hand. The silver shimmer reappeared—only this time, it didn't fade.

It danced there, alive.

And it was coming from me.