But the truth is ugly and undeniable. I’ve never wanted anyone more. Not Rachel. Nor any of the women I’ve dated or fucked, shifters or humans. No one holds my attention the way Sofia does.Even when I can’t stand her, I want her. Even when she’s pushing my buttons, I love her fire and sharp wit.
But I can’t tell them that. They’ll think I’m such a fucking creep. Because that’s exactly what I think of myself. Fuck! I’ve known her since she was a damn kid.
My head spins, and my jaw aches from clenching it while I try to process what to do. It’s the mate bond. I can say that’s why I want to be with her now. Act like this is the first time I’ve considered Sofia as anything other than a little sister. Yes, that makes sense. My wolf huffs at me the way he always does when he thinks I’m being stupid. He doesn’t get that the rules are different for our human parts. He doesn’t give a shit about any of it.
To him, she belongs to us, and that’s that.Find mate, claim them, live happily ever after.End of story.
Ryan studies me as if he can see straight through the lies I’m barely holding together. He can probably smell them. “Okay, but what’s the real issue here? You want her or not?” Ryan asks.
“Yeah, Sofia is a great catch. She’s smart, strong, beautiful,” Jackson adds, and now it’s my turn to growl. Even though I’m aware he’s ridiculously happy with his mate, I don’t want to hear him talking about mine. His wink and smug smirk let me know I’m going to hate whatever he says next. “If you don’t want her, I’m sure there were a few visiting ranked wolves who would snap her up as a chosen mate. She had plenty of offers from what I saw tonight.”
He’s purposely antagonizing me, but I still can’t keep my wolf contained. Before I can stop myself, I’m lunging for him, my fistconnecting with his face with a satisfying crack. He stumbles back, laughing even as blood drips from his lip. The scent of copper soothes my wolf ever so slightly as Ryan jumps in to separate us.
“Okay, now that we’ve established that you do, in fact, want Sofia, how are you going to get her?” Jackson asks.
I consider my options, contemplating hitting Jackson again to wipe that smug smile off his face. I’ve never had to work for a girl before, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to have to work for my mate. It’s just not the way for shifters. It’s supposed to be instant. Biology. Fate. The one female in the world who is supposed to be made for me.
“I have no idea,” I finally say. “She’s not the same girl who used to look at me like I hung the moon. She doesn’t even like me these days.”
“No, she definitely doesn’t,” Jackson says with a laugh, and I shoot him a glare. “I can ask Emily for inside information? If anyone has the inside scoop, it’s her. You got any ideas, Alpha?”
“I don’t know. Sofia is stubborn as hell at the best of times. But I can give you time, and you’re going to have to make it up to her. Win her over,” Ryan encourages before his mouth turns down and he recoils. “Fuck, I can’t believe I’m helping one of my best friends get together with my little sister.”
We sit there for hours, tossing around ideas that are half-assed at best but are all I’ve got. In the end, one thing is clear: I can’t just wait for Sofia to come to me. I have to fight for her. Earn her.
For tonight, I’m going to scrub every inch of my cabin free of the scent of other females and order new furniture. When I finallyget my mate back here, I don’t want anything standing in my way or posing as a reason for her to bolt again.
My wolf is restless. He’s pacing back and forth, snarling at me to hunt Sofia down. He has wanted to chase after her since she left; drag her back here and lay claim to his mate. Leave her with no doubt that we are perfect for her, but Jackson and Ryan are right. She needs space. So, I’ll give her tonight, but then I’m going after her.
I strip the sheets from my bed and toss them into the laundry. I’ll burn the furniture if I have to. Every trace of another female’s scent will be erased from this place. When I get Sofia back here—and I will—there won’t be a single excuse for her to walk away.
Because she’s mine. And I’m done pretending otherwise.
Chapter Eleven
Sofia
The party is long over, but I scent the air to make sure everyone has gone before I return home. I stay in my wolf form, padding down the hall until I make it to my room, grateful to Ryan for leaving the back door open for me.
I shift quickly, the cold air prickling my bare skin as I head straight for the shower. The hot spray pounds against me, washing away mud and sweat from my desperate run in the forest.
I hate running, but I needed to get out of there, and I needed to burn off some of the tension that coursed through my body.
By the time I climb into bed, every part of my body aches—not only from the physical exertion of the night. My head pounds, and my heart is breaking. I acted rashly, trying to reject him immediately. But I’ve spent all night thinking about it, and I still can’t find a single fault in my plan.
What if I’m the same as Emily? Maybe I need to reject my first—disastrously unsuitable—mate in order to meet the person who is really meant for me.
I have to drag myself out of bed when the blaring of my alarm clock wakes me in what seems to be only a couple of minutesafter I fell asleep. I go through the motions of getting changed and brushing my teeth before making my way to warrior training. I would love to skip it today, but Jackson is off the next two days after today, and I certainly don’t plan to start attending Luca’s training days now.
Pulling my hair into a low braid, my eyes are down as I walk into the training hall. I don’t need to look up to realize he’s here. His scent of amber and sandalwood hits me as soon as I enter the training arena.
I hazard a glance around the room in case it’s an old scent, but I should have known better. As soon as I meet Luca’s gaze, he starts walking towards me. Predatory and deliberate. Because apparently, a half second of eye contact is an invitation to come bother me. I scowl at him and head to the free weights area, reaching for a couple of 50-pound dumbbells for my warm-up.
“Aren’t those a bit heavy?” Luca asks, and I thank the moon goddess that it is not possible to actually dislocate my eyeballs from rolling them so hard.
“Nope,” I reply without sparing him a glance. “But you’re welcome to underestimate me somewhere further away.”
I turn my back on him, focusing on the sturdy weights in my hands, onanythingbut the heat crawling across my skin from his stare. He doesn’t move. I can feel the electricity of him standing so close and his scent fills my lungs. I hate the sensation of his gaze on me. And how my treacherous body and wolf still respond to him with longing despite how fucking awful he is to me.
