Page 18 of Fear

While the men are strategizing Sofia sat on the bed in her room, her mind still reeling from the conversation she had overheard.The men were going to war, and she had no idea what that meant for her.

Alaska knocked once before stepping inside, closing the door behind her. "You, okay?"

Sofia sighed, rubbing her temples. "Define okay."

Alaska smirked but then sat beside her, expression turning serious. "Look, there’s something you need to do before shit gets worse. You need to contact your boss."

Sofia tensed. Jason Rodes. The man who had been her employer for the last five years. The man who trusted her with his secrets, his money, and his shady business.

"I can’t just disappear on him," Sofia admitted. "He won’t take it well."

Alaska leaned back against the headboard, crossing her arms. "Then you better tell him something. Make him think you’re leaving on your terms, not because you’re running from something."

Sofia exhaled sharply. "That’s not going to be easy. Jason doesn’t do ‘no.’ He doesn’t do people leaving. And I know way too much."

Alaska frowned. "How much do you know?"

Sofia hesitated. Too much. Jason owned multiple clubs, ran them with an iron grip. She had always suspected there was more happening behind the scenes—illegal money, underground dealings, but she had never dared to dig too deep.

"Enough to make him paranoid if I suddenly disappear," she admitted. "He trusts me. But I don’t think that trust extends to me walking away."

Alaska sighed. "Shit. That’s a problem."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Alaska studied her for a moment before nodding. "Call him. Make it sound like it was your choice. The last thing you need is him sending people after you thinking you betrayed him."

Sofia swallowed. Jason had hit on her more than once over the years, his attraction to her never subtle, but he had never forced the issue. She had always assumed that was the only reason she had lasted as long as she had in his world—because she never gave in.

"Fine," she muttered. "I’ll call him."

Alaska nodded. "Do it soon, babe. The last thing we need is another war on top of this one."

She paused, then added, "And don’t tell Goliath about Jason just yet."

Sofia blinked, surprised by the sudden shift. "Why not?"

Alaska gave her a knowing look. "Because a mated wolf is possessive as hell, and Goliath would lose his shit if he knew another man had been sniffing around you for years. And if that man was your boss? Someone with power? Goliath wouldn’t just let it go."

Sofia bit her lip, realizing just how true that was. Goliath was already on edge whenever she was out of his sight. If he found out Jason had made moves on her in the past, he might not take it well.

Alaska smirked at her expression. "Trust me, I know from experience. Dash, nearly ripped a bartender’s throat out just for winking at me once. And that was when we were just figuring things out. Imagine what Goliath would do if he knew some powerful asshole had been trying to get into your bed for years."

Sofia exhaled sharply. "Yeah… I don’t think he would handle that well."

"Understatement of the year," Alaska said, chuckling. "So, call Jason, do what you need to do, but keep that little detail to yourself. No need to light that fire under Goliath’s ass. He’s already got enough burning him up over you."

Sofia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's still… a lot. Having a mate. I never imagined my life would turn out like this. It’s like one moment I was running for my life, and now, I belong to someone—someone who’s so intense I can barely think straight when he looks at me."

Alaska grinned. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Mated wolves aren’t like regular men. When they find their mate, it’s game over. No second-guessing, no doubts. They know, and they make sure you do too. And Goliath? He’s one of the most possessive bastards I’ve ever seen."

Sofia bit her lip, heat creeping up her neck. "You’re not wrong. He… he watches me like I’m the only thing that matters. It’s overwhelming. And the things he says—"

Alaska waggled her brows. "Oh? What kind of things?"

Sofia exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Last night, after everything, he told me, ‘You’re mine, Sofia. There’s no running from this. No running from me.’ And the way he said it, I swear my whole body just—"

Alaska whooped, laughing. "Oh, babe, you’re in deep. And trust me, it only gets worse. Once they’ve claimed you, their instincts kick in even harder. You might as well get used to being followed, touched, and kissed every damn time you breathe."

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