Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Choices and Chains
SONIA’S POV
He was here, and by the moon goddess, he looked beautiful. The sunlight caught the sharp lines of his jaw and the tension in his broad shoulders, making my breath catch despite everything. He also looked like he had barely had any sleep, dark circles shadowing his eyes and his hair slightly disheveled.
Did he miss me, or was it just all in my head?
I had missed him though. I could admit to myself I had missed a lot of things about him. The way his eyes shone just before he punished me. Be it from glee or from regret, I loved the way they shone. The low rumble of his voice when he said my name. The heat of his body when he held me close by the river.
However, even as all my thoughts went his way, he barely regarded me. His gaze passed over me like I was just another face in the crowd.
I followed the direction of his gaze, and it came to rest on Freya. He was staring at her, almost with pity in his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly as he took in the chain around her neck and the way she knelt on the ground.
Suddenly, I was hit with reality, and my delusion vanished. He wasn’t someone to be missed. He had been a beast in the worst way possible.
I had gone through hell in his hands, and it was all thanks to his collaboration with Freya. The memory of the cold nights, the isolation, the way he had treated me like I was nothing more than a tool for his revenge flooded back, making my stomach twist.
"Everyone’s unmoving. I don’t like that," Cade said, taking a step forward, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.
Together with alpha Liam, Ramon drew closer, and stopped just a few paces before us. The air between us felt charged, thick with unspoken words and old wounds.
My eyes went to alpha Liam, and my heart skipped a beat. It was him all along. I hadn’t seen him clearly until he stepped forward. Tall, handsome, with that easy confidence that seemed to draw the eye without effort. He stood beside Ramon like a steady anchor, his presence calm but strong.
"Welcome to Silverpaw alpha Ramon, and alpha Liam. I would invite you two in, but we don’t have the patience or grace to do that. Instead, I’ll just go straight to the point. Sonia, would you like to return to his pack with him as his mate?" Cade asked, turning to me, his tone formal but firm.
My fingers instantly twisted together, as my stomach flipped and my heart pounded loudly against my chest. The question hung in the air, heavy and final. I could feel everyone’s gaze on me. They were all waiting for a response, or even a decision from me. The pressure made my skin prickle.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze, hoping to see some softness in Ramon’s eyes. If I did see some, I could reconsider my decisions. A small part of me still clung to the hope that the man who had held me by the river was still in there somewhere.
But his eyes were expressionless, his jaw stiff, and his face dull. It looked like he wanted me to refuse him. How wouldn’t he? When all he could think about was being with Lorena. The thought stung sharper than I expected, a fresh wave of hurt washing over me.
"Sonia, do you want me to ask you the question again?" Cade asked after I took all of that time without a response, his voice patient but insistent.
"Can I talk to Ferins instead?" I heard him ask, and my blood boiled. The nerve of him to bypass me like I was nothing.
The gall of him! I thought, as I stepped forward, my hands clenching at my sides.
"You won’t, because you’re here to talk to me," I replied, just like I had practiced in the mirror. It had taken a short time, but I had gotten quite the hang of being brusque. The words felt foreign on my tongue, but they came out stronger than I expected.
"I am?" He asked, eyeing me from my head to toe, his gaze lingering just long enough to make my skin heat.
It was so condescending. I felt small, and I could swear that was his goal.
But he wasn’t going to be successful. If it was the last thing I do, I’d make sure of that.
"Yes, Ramon," I stressed his name, as I drew even closer to him, my chin lifted in defiance.
"Well you were asked a question, and you should answer. Are you returning to Bloodmoon with me?"
I scoffed in utter disbelief. This was the same man that wouldn’t allow me to make my decisions, and now he wanted my answer?
"I’m genuinely shocked you didn’t devise another method to have me kidnapped. That you have come into my pack in such humility is surprising. Perhaps, this is one of your many tricks? Should we have our guards down?" I asked, returning his once-over stare with one of my own.
He looked shocked at my reaction. I was shocked at myself too.
I didn’t know I had it in me to be this cruel, but he deserved it.
My eyes had finally opened after everything I was told, and I believed he needed to be put in his place.
"What are you doing, Sonia? It’s me. Tell your father I’m here to get you back, and let’s leave," he said, his voice low but edged with frustration.
The gall of him to order me about. What did he think would happen?
He’d sashay into the pack, and just like the dog Freya was being treated as, I’d allow him to do whatever he liked.
"I think you too need to talk in private, Sonia," alpha Liam said.
He hadn’t spoken a word until then. And as he spoke, I was compelled to look at him.
Subconsciously, I began to draw comparisons. Liam stood tall and steady, his presence calm but commanding. Everything had happened so fast, I barely had time to dwell on it.
What I did know was the alpha Liam was going to be my new mate.
I wasn’t quite sure yet how that was supposed to work, but it was just what I knew was going to happen. The thought both terrified and intrigued me.
"Why are you here? To take me to your pack too?" I asked him confidently, my voice steadier than I felt.
His head doubled back, as he stared at me in disbelief, his eyes widening slightly.
"Sonia, he really–"
"Can I talk to her alone?" Ramon directed at Cade, his tone sharp and impatient.
"Why? So you can try and manipulate her into doing whatever you choose. Nah, I don’t think so," Wolf said.
His voice thundered, sending chills down my spine.
Wolf had been waiting for a day like this for a long time. I knew he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. His massive frame loomed, the chain in his hand reminding everyone of his control.
"No, I’d just like to understand why she’s suddenly acting like we’re enemies. I don’t like your father, not you," he said audaciously, his eyes locked on mine.
I couldn’t believe the balls of Ramon. To openly state something so audacious against my father would be enthralling if it wasn’t so stupid.
Even funnier, if I had not heard the things I heard.
"Do you want to talk to him alone, Sonia? It’s up to you," Castiel said, trying to be the voice of reason, his tone calm and measured.
"Hey, you stopped wagging," Wolf said before I could respond. "Keep wagging." he snapped a finger at Freya, as if she was a robotic toy, designed to do all of his bidding.
Hopeless, Freya did as she was commanded, because the option to disobey wasn’t even possible. The sight made my stomach turn, a fresh wave of disgust rising in my throat.
"Good girl, now back to you, Sonia. Are you going with the kidnaper, or is it time to sever ties with him and make him pay?" Wolf asked, his voice booming with authority.
"Answer the question, Sonia. What is it going to be? My pack, or Silverpaw?"
"Silverpaw," Without thinking twice, I answered quickly, much to everyone’s surprise.
