Page 22 of Fear

"What about you, Sofia?" Dakota asked, tilting her head. "How are you holding up?"

Sofia hesitated before exhaling. "I think… I’m adjusting. Faster than I thought I would. It’s not easy, but—" she looked around at them, "—I’m starting to understand."

Siena smirked. "You mean you’re starting to understand that once a Wolverine man claims you, there’s no getting rid of him?"

Sofia laughed. "Yeah. That, too."

They all laughed, a sound that was warming her heart.

Alaska smirked, leaning closer. "Speaking of which... how the hell are you still walking after last night?"

Sofia's face flamed, and she immediately covered it with her hands as laughter erupted around her.

"Oh, come on!" Siena grinned, nudging her. "We’ve all seen the way Goliath looks at you. Like he’s two seconds away from throwing you over his shoulder and locking you in his damn room for the rest of eternity."

Dakota snickered. "And let’s be honest, that man is built like a beast. He’s got to be—"

"STOP!" Sofia groaned, mortified as the women howled with laughter.

"What? We’re just saying what everyone’s thinking!" Alaska teased. "I mean, we all know our men are obsessed when they find their mate. But Goliath? That man is hornier than a damn teenager."

Sofia’s stomach twisted—not in embarrassment, but in heat. Because the truth was, she loved it. She loved the way he touched her, the way he claimed her like she was his whole world.

"You’re blushing," Siena pointed out, eyes gleaming with mischief. "That means you like it."

Sofia groaned, covering her face again. "He’s just... intense."

"Intense?" Alaska snorted. "That man growled at a prospect for breathing too close to you! You better believe that when all this is over, he’s going to keep you tied to his damn bed for days."

Sofia’s pulse spiked, and the worst part. She wasn’t entirely against the idea.

Chapter 10

The ride back to the clubhouse was quiet. Too quiet. The weight of what they were about to do sat heavy in the air, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. This wasn’t just another club skirmish—this was war. And every man riding toward that battle knew it.

Goliath pulled up next to King as they neared the clubhouse. “We ready for this?”

King’s expression was unreadable as he let out a slow breath. “We have to be.”

Goliath exhaled sharply, glancing at the men around them. "We should think about calling in some allies. We can’t be the only ones who want the Shadow Riders put in the ground."

King nodded slowly, considering it. "I already reached out to the Blood Fangs and the Iron Claws. They’ll back us if we need it. But you know how this works—favours come with a price. If we pull them in, we owe them."

Goliath grunted. "Better than going in outnumbered. And what about shifting? We’ve got an advantage they don’t. If some of the brothers shift and take them from behind, they won’t see it coming."

King’s jaw tightened. "We have to be careful with that. Too many people knowing what we are? That’s dangerous. We don’t trust the Blood Fangs or the Iron Claws enough to let them see thatside of us. The wrong person finds out, and we’ve got more than just MCs after us. We have hunters, scientists, and every other bastard out there who would love to rip us apart and study what makes us tick."

Goliath nodded reluctantly. "I get it. But if shit goes south, we use everything we have. Agreed?"

King’s eyes flashed with determination. "Agreed."

As the men prepared for the fight ahead, Goliath stepped away from the others, phone in hand. He dialled the number by heart, pressing the phone to his ear as it rang.

"Sofia."

Her breath caught on the other end. “Goliath?”

"Yeah, baby. It’s me."

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