Chapter 84: Fighting Over Her

Sofia’s brows furrowed as she glared at the man in front of her. “Excuse me?”

​The stranger smirked, calmly sliding one hand into the pocket of his tailored trousers. “I said I like you,” he repeated smoothly. “What do you say to us… being a thing?”

​Sofia blinked. For a moment, she genuinely wondered if she had stepped into another universe. First Damien, then Alaric, and now this? Did she reincarnate into a world where powerful Alphas suddenly admired plus-size women, or was the Moon Goddess laughing at her?

​She opened her mouth to respond, but a sleek black vehicle rolled in. Sofia didn’t even need to see the plate; her heart already knew. Alaric.

​Inside the car, Alaric’s jaw tightened the moment he saw Alpha Lucas standing close to Sofia. His wolf growled possessively in his chest. He didn’t wait; the door flew open, and he stepped out, his presence alone shifting the air.

​Sofia inhaled deeply in relief. Lucas raised a lazy brow as Alaric stopped directly in front of Sofia, pulling her gently but firmly behind him.

​”And what exactly are you doing here?” Alaric asked. His voice was calm, but deadly.

​Lucas scoffed lightly at the possessive gesture. “So the rumors are true,” Lucas murmured, his eyes drifting toward Sofia again. “I can see why.” His gaze traveled openly over her—her eyes, her hair, and her full curves. “She’s beautiful,” Lucas added bluntly. “I was curious why a woman like her was hidden away in the Full Moon Pack.”

​Alaric’s wolf snarled. “Alpha Lucas,” Alaric snapped sharply. “I asked you a question. Or has the cat got your tongue?”

​Before Lucas could answer, another SUV screeched into the yard. Sofia’s stomach dropped. Damien. He had placed guards around the cottage without telling her, and minutes ago, he’d received the report: Alpha Lucas was at Sofia’s house. He hadn’t hesitated. Damien stormed out of the vehicle, his eyes blazing.

​Lucas glanced between the two Alphas and gave an amused smile. “Well,” he drawled, “it seems we’re complete now.”

​Damien stopped in front of them, fury radiating off him. “What are you doing here, Alpha Lucas?” he demanded.

​Lucas shrugged casually. “I came to see Miss Sofia. I’ve heard quite a bit about her and thought I’d form my own opinion.”

​Damien’s wolf howled violently inside him. “And what business do you have with her?” he spat.

​Lucas folded his arms across his chest, his gaze locking with Damien’s. “That,” he said coolly, “is none of your business.”

​”It is,” Damien cut in sharply, stepping forward with a tight jaw. “She is my mate.”

​Silence fell. Even the wind seemed to pause. Lucas blinked. “…Your mate?” Shock flickered across his face. He had heard rumors she was Damien’s slave, his prisoner—but his mate? Lucas looked from Damien to Sofia. “You’re lying,” Lucas scoffed.

​Damien’s eyes flashed. “I don’t lie about something like that.”

​Lucas studied Sofia more carefully now. “Is that true?” he asked her directly. “Are you his mate?”

​Sofia’s throat tightened. Three powerful Alphas stood in her yard, arguing over her. Not for power, not for territory—but for her. The girl they once mocked for her size. The girl they once called nothing.

​She stepped out from behind Alaric. “Yes,” she said quietly. “We are mates.”

​Damien’s chest rose in relief, but she wasn’t finished. She lifted her chin. “But that doesn’t mean I belong to him.”

​Damien stiffened. Lucas’s brows lifted in interest, and Alaric’s hand hovered near her back, though he didn’t touch her this time. Sofia looked at Lucas directly. “And I am not interested in being ’a thing’ with anyone right now.”

​Lucas studied her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he smiled—not mockingly, but with respect. “Fair enough,” he said calmly. “A woman who chooses for herself. I like that even more.”

​Damien growled low, but Lucas held up both hands. “Relax. I don’t steal what isn’t freely given.” His eyes flicked briefly to Alaric. “Clearly, there’s already enough tension here.”

​Lucas stepped back toward his vehicle. “But this isn’t over,” he added lightly. “If you ever decide you want something different, Sofia… my door is open.”

​He got into his SUV and drove away. Silence settled again. Now it was just the three of them: Damien, Alaric, and Sofia.

​Damien stepped closer, his voice rough. “You see? They’ll circle you. They all will. Because you’re mine.”

​Sofia’s eyes hardened instantly. “I am not yours,” she said firmly.

​The words landed like a slap. Damien’s jaw clenched, but before he could answer, Sofia turned to Alaric. “Alaric,” she said quietly, her voice calmer now. “Please… give me time. I need to change.”

​Alaric studied her face for a moment, the anger in him softening just slightly. “Take your time,” he said.

​Sofia nodded and stepped past both men. She walked into the cottage and closed the door behind her. The moment she was gone, the air shifted.

​Damien turned sharply to his uncle. “Where are you two going?”

​Alaric didn’t blink. “I offered her work. She accepted.”

​Damien frowned deeply. “Work?” he repeated. “Uncle, why are you doing this? Sofia is my mate.”

​Alaric’s expression remained unreadable. Damien stepped closer. “How would you feel,” he asked, his voice quiet but full of pain, “if I had dragged Elizabeth away from you when she was alive?”

​The name hit Alaric hard. Elizabeth was Alaric’s late mate. His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t answer.

​Damien continued, his voice no longer angry, but raw. “I love her, Uncle.”

​The confession hung in the morning air. Alaric’s eyes narrowed. “Love?” he repeated coldly. “You chained her. You humiliated her. You called her a murderer.”

​”I was wrong!” Damien snapped. “I was blind and I was angry. But that doesn’t change what I feel.”

​Alaric’s voice dropped. “Feeling something does not erase what you did.”

​Damien ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “She is my mate.”

​”And she is her own person,” Alaric shot back. “You don’t own her just because of a bond.”

​A heavy silence fell between them. Then, the cottage door opened. Sofia stepped out, having changed into simple jeans and a fitted blouse. Her hair was pulled back. She didn’t look at Damien; she simply walked toward Alaric’s car.

​”Sofia, wait!” Damien’s voice was desperate, a far cry from the commanding Alpha tone he usually used.

​Sofia stopped but didn’t turn around. Her shoulders were set, her posture stiff. “I’m going to work, Damien. I’m going to build a life where I don’t have to look over my shoulder to see if I’m being judged or punished.”

​”I can give you everything,” Damien pleaded, taking a half-step forward. “The factory, the work—you don’t have to go with him to get it. Just come back to the mansion. We can start over.”

​Sofia finally looked at him, and the pity in her eyes hurt worse than her anger. “That’s the problem, Damien. You still think this is about what you can give me. You still think you’re the center of my world.”

​She turned to Alaric, who was already holding the passenger door open for her. His expression remained stoic, but there was a flicker of triumph in his dark eyes as she slid into the leather seat.

​Alaric walked around to the driver’s side, pausing briefly to look at his nephew. He felt a flash of compassion for him, but he pushed it away and walked away.

​The engine roared to life, and the sleek black car pulled away, leaving Damien standing alone in the dirt of the yard. Through the rearview mirror, Sofia saw him shrink into a small, lonely figure until the dust from the road swallowed him whole.

​The drive was silent but not uncomfortable. The scent of dark spice filled the cabin, grounding Sofia’s frayed nerves. About twenty-five minutes later, they crossed the pack border into a neutral industrial zone.

​The factory was a massive, modern structure of glass and steel, starkly different from the rustic, traditional architecture of the Full Moon Pack. The sign out front read “Vanguard Textiles” in bold, silver lettering.

​As they pulled into the executive parking lot, Sofia felt a surge of nerves. Hundreds of workers were streaming in for the morning shift. It didn’t feel like a labor camp; it felt like a hub of high-end production. Security guards at the gate bowed their heads respectfully as Alaric’s car passed, but their eyes were sharp, scanning for threats.

​Alaric turned off the engine and looked at Sofia. He didn’t move to get out immediately.

​”You are safe here,” he said, his voice dropping into that low, resonant register that made her skin tingle. “My people know who you are. You are my guest, and today, you are a trainee. If anyone makes you feel otherwise, you tell me.”

​Sofia took a deep breath, smoothing her jeans. “I’m ready.”

​Alaric stepped out and walked around to her side, offering his hand. As Sofia took it, his large, warm fingers squeezed hers. The electric spark was still there, buzzing beneath the surface, reminding her that while she had escaped one Alpha’s cage, she was stepping into the world of a king who wanted her just as badly—even if he was willing to wait for her to choose him.

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