Sophie took her seat and watched as Cherryl, who was already seated, said something that made the normally solemn guest of honour giggle. Sophie felt a twinge of envy for her sister's ease in public interactions, which she saw tonight in a slim-fitting flame-purple gown. Sophie could work the crowd with the best of them when necessary, but it was a learned skill. That came naturally to Cherryl.Sophie pondered and considered what she saw in Sage's future. Was it possible to make a change? Is it possible to change the outcome so that she does not end up as a rogue or, worse, hated by Landon's people? What happened today that messed up the next three weeks? First, she deduced from the vision that she had been transferred to Robinson's pack to await the full moon, and then Landon happened to find his true mate?That was a complete mess. What about her? What about their engagement tonight? And why does everyone in the Robinson pack despise her? What did she do to make them believe she was
Alpha Alfonso’s wife, Luna Annabelle, reached out and laid her hand over her husband’s. "Not the time, Alfonso," she murmured softly. "Relax and enjoy the food, dear." The effort to respond to her warning glance deepened the unhealthy ruddiness, and another couple of shades before the table was engulfed in a painfully awkward silence, broken after a few uncomfortable moments by Luna Ally. "Sophie, I thought you were wearing your necklace earlier?" Sophie shook her head as the tightness in her chest deepened. She strained to keep her brain from spinning with righteous rage. She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled with flaring nostrils. In her eyes, the Master Alpha was a bad excuse for a parent—he was a bully! A jerk. "A minor mishap, mom," she eventually managed, her gaze moving towards Sage. There had been no mistake in Master Alpha's attempt to humiliate his son. Sage didn't need to be looked after right now, but he didn't deserve—no one did—his father publicly humiliating him, and
Sophie realised she was back in the seer's vision, perhaps three or four weeks from now. This was Landon's mind, and she shivered at the prospect of undoing what had happened the first time she went inside his head. After all, being held as a prisoner for alleged crimes she did not commit was not a reason to consider taking a vacation. "I'm sorry for the mess, Sophie," Alpha Landon grumbled behind her. It had been days since she had been locked up in the prison cell and the failed escape attempt with Sage, even before Landon had left with Roxanne. "I understand, but are you really sure that Roxanne is your true mate? I mean, I know, what we have isn't—um, love, but—really? With Roxanne?" "Why the doubt?" Landon asked. "Because I thought, um, you like my sister?" "That’s true," he said, acting as though her clenched response were actually wisdom and not desperation. "Would you like to come with me while I tell my father that?" Woah! That’s it. This was all Alpha Alfonso’s scheme.
Present Time Sophie went to the garden after watching Landon leave. It was by far the most messed-up vision she had. What the hell happened that made Roxanne mess up her life so badly? In fact, she didn't even know that woman; she knew she was a pack whore who went viral after the topless dance, but why would she hate her? Sophie doesn't have an enemy, or maybe she does. Secretly? After the engagement today, she was sure as hell they would line up. Yet Sophie truly believed her sister, Cherryl, was Landon's true mate. So, what was the point of having Roxanne in the picture? First: she knew she'd be transferred to Robinson's pack in three weeks. Two: she'd be the pack doctor there, and Roxanne would ruin her life. Three: she would not be Landon's true mate; their marriage would not happen; and she would go rogue. Now, where and what in the hell would she screw up to ensure that it never happened? "You don't seem very joyf
Sophie just had to accept it and not fight or want more. This was her destiny. Pawn or not, it was all worth it for the sake of her pack. But why does it hurt? "I'm alright. I'm going inside now. Landon is anticipating my return." She said with a little nod of her head. "I'll see you later then," Sage groaned. He was getting closer. "So you're now the nice guy," she taunted awkwardly as she raised her brow. Sage's eyes had adjusted to the light, and her face was a pale blur, as was her body. The need to reach for her in the darkness was so intense that suppressing it made him shiver like a delirious creature. His wolf was anticipating imprinting on her wolf. "That was my fault, but you deserved a greater proposal." "Not everyone has your command of the romantic language. But guess the only proposals you are familiar with are of the indecent sort." "I may not know much about responsibility, but you have now accepted to marry my brother; therefore, you are entirely out of bounds, e
It was never a good idea to do a psychopath a favor, and there was no doubt that Carlos Halton, Robinson's former beta and the most fearsome warrior, had become just that. Given what had happened to him at a correctional facility at the hands of brutal human soldiers, it was no surprise that he had emotionally shut down. Sage and Carlos had kept one another's backs in that shithole, which is why Sage considered him a comrade—even if he'd lost his sense of morality.Carlos' hatred and disgust for judgmental humans had led him to join the Werewolf Crusade, a group of werewolves who worked to safeguard their kind from human anti-supernatural extremists who repeatedly tried to enact laws such as isolating werewolves to their own regions, prohibiting them from mating with humans, registering each one, and limiting werewolf couples to one child.These radicals claimed that werewolves were too violent, vicious, and animalistic to be near people.Some of those regulations may have passed, spa
It was strange to see his comrade concerned with anything other than the Werewolf Crusade. Carlos had changed, becoming indifferent and hard as he had spent more time in human jail. They were no longer "people" to him. Those he kept in his life were either colleagues or accomplices—things he could utilise, according to Carlos. Sophie, on the other hand, was obviously very valuable to him, which could only indicate she was his truemate? Perhaps a daughter? "What exactly do you want me to do?" Sage inquired. "My friend, all I ask is that you look after her for a time. In five months, I'll be out of here. I'll take it from there." Sighing, Sage leaned back in his seat. Doing what Carlos had asked wouldn’t be easy, since Alpha Landon hated outsiders around his pack. "You should have gone to Landon with this. He’s the Alpha." "Yeah, but he doesn’t owe me a favour, Sage." Anger thickened Carlos’s voice as he continued. "She’s not safe there with those female fuckers, Sage." "It's likely
Luna Annabelle sniffed haughtily, planting a kiss on Landon’s cheek. "Fine. If you won’t do it for Sophie or Carlos, you could consider doing it for Sage. Carlos isn’t going to like it if Sage doesn’t live up to his word." She raised her brow at the younger man before adding, "Right, dear?" "Yes, mother," agreed Sage. "I’ve heard plenty about Carlos Halton. Apart from the fact that he joined the Crusade, none of it was good." "That’s because he’s mentally disturbed," spat Landon. Luna Annabelle’s brow slowly slid up as she stared at her stepson. "Then I’ll bet you and he get along quite well." Ignoring Sage’s chuckle, Landon slashed a hand in the air. "I’m not having a seer in my pack, mother.." "If Carlos is part of the crusade, he must know a lot of people," mused Luna Annabelle. "Dangerous people who could easily deal with this for him, right?" "He does," verified Sage. "But we all know how the Werewolf Crusade ‘deals’ with things." It involved blood and death. They’d simply g