Chapter 59: Want You

Alexander led Sofia to the suite. He opened the door for her as a gentleman and stepped aside for her to enter—a kind gesture Damien had never done for the past two years.

​”Thank you,” Sofia muttered and stepped into the suite.

​Alexander closed the door behind them, but he didn’t move to lock it—another subtle difference that made Sofia’s heart stutter.

​”Please, make yourself comfortable, Sofia,” Alexander said, gesturing toward a plush velvet armchair. “I’ve had the staff prepare some light tea. I imagine you will need it.”

​Sofia sat down, her curvy hips sinking into the soft fabric. She watched him as he poured two cups of tea with steady, graceful hands. He didn’t loom over her; he sat in the chair opposite her, maintaining a respectful distance that allowed her to breathe.

​”You look beautiful in that dress,” he said softly, his eyes meeting hers with a warmth that felt like a healing balm. “But I can see the pain behind your eyes. And I can smell the injury on your skin. Damien told the Council it was an ’accident’ during the ambush, but we both know you threw yourself in front of that bullet.”

​Sofia looked down at her tea, her fingers tracing the gold rim of the porcelain cup. “He would have died, Alpha Alexander. I didn’t think… I just couldn’t watch it happen.”

​”Even after how he has treated you?” Alexander asked, his voice tinged with a genuine, quiet sadness. “I have heard the rumors, Sofia. I know about the ’crime’ he claims you committed. I also know that a woman like you—a woman who would take a bullet for her tormentor—is not a murderer.”

​Sofia felt a lump form in her throat. For the past few weeks, she had been a villain in everyone’s eyes. To hear an Alpha of Alexander’s stature say those words made her vision blur with tears.

​”I would never want to kill my sister, Alpha Alexander… It was an accident. In fact, she wanted to push me, and while struggling with her, she slipped and fell. That was what happened. I never pushed her… I would never push her. Lola was my sister,” she choked out through tears.

​Alexander’s heart sank. How could Damien and his pack be so foolish as not to see this girl was innocent? It was as clear as day.

​Sofia continued, “I don’t know how the CCTV was fabricated, but it showed me pushing Lola from behind—something that never happened.”

​Alexander’s heart broke for her. Seeing the way she clutched the porcelain cup, her frame shaking with the force of her sobs, he couldn’t stay on the other side of the room any longer. He stood up, but he didn’t tower over her. Instead, he moved and squatted before her chair, placing himself at her eye level.

​He reached out, his thumb catching a stray tear on her chubby, soft cheek. “I believe you, Sofia,” he said, his voice a steady anchor. “A wolf’s heart doesn’t lie, and yours is screaming the truth. If that CCTV was fabricated, then someone in the Pack wanted you gone. I will help you. I will use every resource I have to prove your innocence.”

​He paused, his gaze intensifying, searching her sea-blue eyes. “But tell me something. Once I prove your innocence, that means the slave contract is void. It means Damien can no longer own you. You will be a free woman. Is that right?”

​Sofia nodded weakly, her breath hitching in her ample chest. “Yes. By the laws of the Great Council, a false accusation of that magnitude breaks all bonds of servitude.”

​Alexander took a deep breath, his hands resting gently on the arms of her chair, still careful not to crowd her. “Then, Sofia, I have a selfish question. If you are a free woman… will you give me the chance to court you properly?”

​Sofia froze. She blinked rapidly, her tears momentarily drying from the sheer shock of his words. She looked down at herself—at her voluptuous waist and the full curves that she had been told were unattractive, a sign of weakness in a pack that valued lean, starving beauty.

​”You… you must be joking, Alpha Alexander,” she whispered, a self-deprecating laugh bubbling up in her throat. “I am not your kind of woman. I’m a plus-size lady. I’m not the elegant, thin Luna you should have on your arm. You’re mocking me.”

​Alexander’s expression shifted from gentleness to a fierce, protective heat. He took her hands in his, forcing her to feel the sincerity in his touch.

​”Who told you that?” he demanded, his voice low and growling with a sudden edge. “Sofia, look at me. You are fucking beautiful. What are the people in that shithole of a pack telling you that makes you believe otherwise? Do you have any idea how many Alphas saw you at this summit and are ready to pay anything just to have you?”

​He squeezed her hands, leaning in just a little. “You are the most desired woman here. You are soft where a woman should be soft, and you have the curves that most Alphas would kill for. To me, you aren’t ’unattractive’—you are a masterpiece. And if Damien is too blind to see that he’s holding a diamond, then he deserves to lose you.”

​Sofia stared at him, her heart hammering. For years, she had lived in a world of “trash” and “traitor.” Now, one of the most respected Alphas at the summit was calling her a diamond.

​”I’m not just saying this to be kind, Sofia,” Alexander murmured. He leaned closer, his scent surrounding her. “I’ve spent forty-eight hours trying to convince myself I was just being a protective Alpha. But the truth is, since I saw you walking behind Damien two days ago, I haven’t been myself. I haven’t been able to eat, I haven’t been able to focus on the summit… all I can think about is you.”

​Sofia’s lips parted in a silent gasp. “Alexander…”

​”It’s not just about desire,” he continued, his gaze drifting to her mouth before snapping back to her eyes. “Though God knows, looking at you is a torture all its own. There is a light in you, Sofia. Even after all they’ve done to break you, you still choose to save lives. You still have a soul that shines through. I’m an Alpha—I’ve met hundreds of women—but I’ve never met anyone like you.”

​He reached up, his fingers tangling gently in the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her just an inch closer.

​”I think I’m falling in love with you,” he confessed, the weight of the words hanging heavy and sacred in the air. “And I know how crazy that sounds. But I would go to war today if it meant I could have you all to myself.”

​Sofia felt a tear spill over, not of sadness this time. No one had ever spoken to her like this. No one had ever seen the “masterpiece” beneath the scars. She looked at Alexander and saw a man who was offering her a throne instead of a cage.

​”No one has ever wanted me for me,” she whispered.

​”Then let me be the first,” Alexander replied.

​He didn’t rush her. He moved with agonizing slowness, giving her every second to pull away, to stop him. But Sofia didn’t move. She leaned in, her breath hitching as his lips finally brushed against hers.

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