Page 8 of Fear

Sofia’s stomach twisted as the voices around her became background noise, her mind spiralling into worst-case scenarios. Had she just traded one dangerous club for another? Was she safe here, or had Alaska unknowingly handed her over to a different kind of monster?

“Relax, babe.” Alaska’s voice cut through her thoughts, making her jerk slightly. “No one here is gonna hurt you. Well, unless you piss them off, but that’s just common sense.” She smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

Sofia tried to return the smile, but it faltered. “I just… I don’t know how to do this. Be here. Trust this.”

Dakota, sitting beside her, leaned forward. “I get it. This world, the way we live, it’s not easy to understand from the outside. But we’re not like the Shadow Riders, Sofia. We don’t take what isn’t ours. We protect what is.”

Sofia’s brow furrowed. “But you’re still an MC. You still… fight. Kill.”

Siena nodded. “Yeah, we do. When we have to. The difference is, we don’t prey on the weak. We don’t use people for power. If someone crosses us, they get what’s coming, but we don’t hurt innocents. That’s what sets us apart from clubs like the Shadow Riders.”

Sofia swallowed, glancing around at the men—some joking, some watching her with unreadable expressions. The weight of their presence still loomed over her, but for the first time, she saw something else beneath the rough exterior. Loyalty. Brotherhood. Honor.

Maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t the same.

From across the room, Goliath watched her. His entire body was tense, his fingers twitching at his sides as he forced himself to stay back. She was too far away. Too surrounded. Too unprotected.

His wolf snarled inside him, pacing, restless. Go to her. Pull her away from them. Take her somewhere only you can be near her.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. He had seen the fear in her eyes, the hesitation. She wasn’t ready for him, and that burned more than anything. She was his, but she didn’t know it yet.

Every time she shifted uncomfortably, every time one of the men so much as glanced at her, his possessiveness sharpened. She’s mine. Mine to protect. Mine to keep.

When she suddenly looked up, her blue eyes meeting his, the air between them crackled. She inhaled sharply, and he saw it—the pull. She felt it too, but she didn’t understand it. Not yet.

Goliath’s muscles coiled as he took an unconscious step forward, but before he could get any closer, King’s voice cut through the room. “Alright, business. If you don’t need to be here, clear the room.”

The meeting was starting, and he had to tear himself away from her. He forced himself to turn, but his wolf was already screaming in protest.

As Goliath followed the others into the meeting room, his patience wore thinner by the second. His body was rigid, his mind still on Sofia, but King’s sharp voice forced him to focus.

"We’ve got an arms run coming up. Goliath, Frost, Fang, Hunter—you’re riding point. Tim, you’re tagging along to learn how this shit works," King said, leaning over the table. "We’re meeting our contact outside the city. Standard pickup, but we take every job like it could go south."

Frost crossed his arms. "Who’s the contact?"

"A group out of Louisiana. They’ve been reliable before, but that don’t mean shit until the deal is done."

Hunter ran a hand through his beard. "What’s the route?"

King tapped a map spread across the table. "We’ll be riding through open highway for the first half, but the last stretch takesus through backroads. Less visibility. Less risk of heat. But more chance of an ambush."

Goliath barely heard the words. He knew the job, he knew what needed to be done, but his gut twisted with frustration. Now. Now, when his mate was in the clubhouse, King was sending him away.

King must have noticed his tension because he levelled a look at Goliath. "I know you’re pissed. I know what your wolf is doing to you right now. But this run is important. And if you’re being honest with yourself, getting away for a few hours might be the best thing for you."

Goliath’s jaw ticked. "Leaving her here when she doesn’t know what she means to me? Leaving her unguarded?"

"She’s not unguarded. She’s got the women and the club at her back. And you being here, prowling around like a caged animal, is going to do more damage than good."

Fang smirked. "Shit, he’s right. The more you hover, the more you’re gonna scare her off."

Goliath growled low, but King shut it down with a glare. "She’s not ready for you yet. Let her breathe, let her understand what’s happening before you come at her full force."

Goliath’s hands clenched at his sides; his entire body coiled tight. But King was right. He hated it, but he was right.

"We ride out in an hour," King said, closing the discussion. "Gear up and be ready."

***

---