Chapter 98: Insecurities

​Alexander’s hand gripped the steering wheel as he navigated the morning traffic, his movements calm and composed. “I’ve been looking for a way to talk to you, Sofia,” he said, breaking the silence. “Especially after everything that happened. How are you?”

​Sofia kept her eyes on the road ahead, her hands folded tightly in her lap. “I’m fine. My innocence has finally been proven. That’s all that matters.”

​Alexander let out a soft, dark scoff. “I know. I heard the news.”

​Sofia’s head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with surprise. “You heard? Already? But there was no council hearing for it.”

​”Sofia, you are quite popular in the gossip circles now,” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Don’t you know? People are anxious to know you. They want to see the lady causing such a massive rift between a nephew and his uncle—the Alphas of two of the most powerful packs in the region. Some are even saying you bewitched them.”

​Sofia felt a hot flush of embarrassment crawl up her neck. “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

​”I know you didn’t,” Alexander replied, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone. He slowed the car as they approached a red light and turned his head to look at her. He pulled his sunglasses down slightly, letting her see the intensity in his eyes. “I know you didn’t bewitch them… because I want you, too. Does that mean you bewitched me?”

​Inside her, Sofia’s wolf rolled her eyes with a huff of disbelief. Another one? Sofia shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat. “Alpha Alexander, please. I’m just trying to get to work on time. I don’t have time for more riddles.”

​”It’s not a riddle, Sofia. I like you…”

​Sofia swallowed hard and looked away; her heart was drumming against her ribs. Is the Moon Goddess playing a sick joke on me? she wondered. First Alaric, then Damien’s sudden regret, and now Alexander? It felt like a fever dream she couldn’t wake up from.

​Alexander noticed the way her fingers dug into her purse. “What are you thinking, Sofia?”

​She turned to him, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and genuine confusion. “Tell me, Alexander. Why? Why do you like me? What do you even see in me?”

​She started listing her insecurities like a grocery list of flaws. “I don’t have a flat stomach. I’m not lean or runway-sexy. I’m definitely not beautiful like the women you usually see. I’m broke, I have no family left, and my body…” she trailed off, her face heating up. “I’m just… me.”

​Before she could finish, Alexander suddenly jerked the steering wheel, pulling the Mercedes into a quiet corner of the road and slamming it into park. Sofia gasped, her back hitting the seat as he killed the engine.

​He slowly took off his sunglasses, tossing them onto the dashboard. He turned his entire body toward her, his gaze heavy and dark. “Sofia, you can be many things, but you are not ugly. Do you even look in the mirror?”

​Sofia nodded dumbly.

​”Then I think your mirror is broken,” he rasped.

​He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “Let’s start with this natural blonde hair—it looks like spun silk. These sea-blue eyes? I’ve seen men drown in less. Your face is rounded and spotless, like a doll.”

​His thumb moved, rubbing over her bottom lip, dragging it down slightly. “These lips… I’ve spent meetings wondering how they’d feel wrapped around me.”

​Sofia’s breath hitched, but he wasn’t done. His gaze dropped lower, lingering on the curve of her blouse. “You talk about your body like it’s a burden. But these?” He gestured to her breasts, his voice turning raw and husky. “They are full, heavy, and perfect. I want to see them spill out of my hands. I want to see how they bounce when I’m buried deep inside you.”

​”Alexander—”

​”And your hips,” he cut her off, his voice dropping into a growl. “They are wide, built for a man to hold onto. You think you’re not lean? Sofia, you have curves that make a man want to lose his mind. And that ass… it’s huge, soft, and so fucking distracting. Ever since I met you, I’ve dreamt of reaching out and grabbing it, pulling you flush against me just to feel how much of me you can take.”

​He leaned closer, his scent of expensive woodsmoke and raw Alpha power filling the small space. “Your stomach isn’t ’huge,’ Sofia. It’s soft. It’s womanly. You put on a sexy gown and men go mad because you look like a goddess made of flesh and blood, not some bone-thin girl who’s afraid to eat. You are the most attractive thing in this entire territory, and the fact that you don’t know it makes me want you even more.”

​Sofia felt like she was melting into the leather seat. No one had ever spoken to her like this—so raw, so honest, and so hungry.

​Alexander chuckled, the sound deep and rich as he watched Sofia’s cheeks flush a deep crimson. “I want you, Sofia. And not just for your body—though, god, I definitely want that too.”

​He scoffed softly, his eyes searching hers with a sudden, genuine warmth that felt safer than Alaric’s fire. “I really want to know you. Can we go for a meal or something? You’re a free woman now, aren’t you? No more accusations hanging over your head.”

​Inside her mind, Sofia’s wolf stretched out, let out a satisfied purr, and spoke up. I’ll give him a ten out of ten, Sofia. The man is good with his words. Very good.

​Sofia couldn’t help it; a small, genuine laugh escaped her lips. It was the first time she had felt light in days. Alexander raised a brow, looking at her with a mix of confusion and charm. “What’s so funny? Did I say something wrong?”

​”No,” Sofia said, smiling as she tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear. “My wolf just likes you. She thinks you’re a smooth talker.”

​Alexander grinned, a flash of white teeth in the dim light of the car. “Well, at least someone in there is on my side.”

​He reached into his pocket, pulled out a sleek business card, and scribbled a personal number on the back. He pressed it into her hand, his warm fingers lingering against her palm for a second too long. “Call me, Sofia. I mean it. Don’t make me come hunting for you.”

​He checked his watch, his brow furrowing. “Now, let’s get you to work before Alaric decides to burn the building down looking for you.”

​He pulled back into traffic, leaving Sofia breathless and tingling.

​As the factory gates came into view, Sofia saw the crowd of workers already filing in. But her heart stopped when she spotted the familiar black SUV parked near the entrance. Alaric was standing beside it, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his gaze fixed on the road like a hawk waiting for its prey.

​Alexander didn’t slow down. Instead, he drove straight toward the main entrance, pulling his Mercedes right alongside Alaric’s SUV.

​”Here we are,” Alexander said, his voice loud enough to carry through the open window. He turned to Sofia, leaning in just close enough for her to catch the scent of his expensive woodsmoke cologne. “Remember what I said. If they become too much to handle, there is always room in my pack for a woman like you.”

​Sofia’s breath hitched as she saw Alaric’s face. His jaw was locked so tight his facial muscles were twitching, and his eyes were glowing a brilliant, murderous emerald green. He looked ready to rip the door off the Mercedes with his bare hands.

​Alexander didn’t wait for a reply. He reached over, his fingers brushing against Sofia’s arm as he opened the door for her.

​”Have a productive day, Sofia,” Alexander said with a wink.

​Sofia stepped out onto the pavement, the air suddenly feeling heavy and electric with Alaric’s approaching fury. She didn’t even have time to steady herself before Alaric’s shadow fell over her, cold and suffocating.

​”Ten minutes late,” Alaric growled, his voice a low vibration that promised trouble. “And arriving in another Alpha’s car. Do you have a death wish, Sofia, or are you just trying to see how fast I can lose control?”

​Sofia looked him straight in the eye, her expression unreadable. She didn’t flinch at his towering presence or the deadly aura radiating from him.

​”Good morning, Alpha Alaric,” she said calmly. “I am aware that I am late. I am ready to receive any punishment the staff regulations require for latecomers. I will speak to the HR manager about it immediately.”

​Alaric’s frown deepened, his jaw ticking with suppressed rage. He didn’t give a damn about the factory’s HR policies or the ten minutes she’d lost. He had spent the morning pacing his office, half-worried that she was struggling to find a way to work, and half-tempted to drive to her apartment himself.

​To see her arrive in Alexander’s car—smiling, laughing, and now treating him like a stranger—was a jagged pill to swallow. She was acting like they were nothing more than a boss and an employee, completely ignoring the feelings and the fire they had shared in the grass just last night.

​”HR?” Alaric growled, the word sounding like a curse. “You think this is about a time card?”

​Before she could respond, he moved like a predator and wrapped his hand around her wrist. “You want to be punished?” he snarled. “Fine, but you will be getting punished by me.”

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