Raised Among Alphas

29 - Sophia

Alora POV

"Good morning, Alora, you look beautiful," Sophia welcomed me in a jolly tone as Becker and I sat down at the table with her. I suppose I have to meet her before hating her, and so far, she didn't give me any hateful vibes.

"Good morning, Sophie, thank you. How are you feeling in the Desert?" I haven't had the time to sit down and talk to her since her arrival.

Sophia and I are complete opposites. Our skin, our hair, our eyes, our voices, our complexion... we are extreme opposites. Do all the Forest she-wolves look as ethereal as she does? 

I must look like a rag doll beside her.

I do wonder about her soul. Could we also be opposites inside?

"It's different. I am happy to have the chance of seeing it with my own eyes. We have heard stories of the Desert, its wolves, and its warmth. You are nothing short of what I was expecting." She had an honest personality, and she had heard stories of the Desert, which took my interest.

I haven't heard much of the Forest, only that they rarely ever leave their trees and think of themselves better than anyone else. And no wonder why, they are beautiful creatures.

"Well, now I am curious. What have you heard of?" Talking to Sophia felt natural. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be.

"I have heard many tales about the last war against the Mountain wolves. The Union of the Desert and how it was the largest army of wolves since the Blood War against the vampires. I heard how Jathred defeated an experienced Alpha when he was only seventeen. It's actually surreal to see him face-to-face. I can't believe he is the wolf behind the stories. There was another wolf everyone mentioned... Silver Dread, although I'm unsure of his real name. A wolf with abilities never seen before, stronger than any Alpha, and capable of destroying full armies alone." Sophie talked about the War for the Desert with an erudite passion. She had an admiration and respect for the Desert that I wasn't expecting to hear.

It's been a while since I heard my father's name on foreign lips. I felt a proud smile appear on my face, and nostalgia embraced my heart.

"His name was Frederick Lorcan. He was my father," I confessed, happy to call him mine out loud.

"You are the daughter of the Silver Dread and Mahala?" Becker intervened in shock. He had a skeptical gesture in his eyebrows. 

The only person more shocked than him was me. Who the fuck is Mahala, was that the name of the woman who birthed me? 

"No, my father was Frederick and my mother is the Desert. No one else." I answered proudly.

Whoever that woman was is irrelevant. She has been erased from our history books, her name and deeds to be forgotten forever.

"Did you know him... my father?" I asked, intrigued. 

Becker would've been about nineteen or twenty during the last war, now that I think about it, I don't know how old he is. But he must have been old enough to probably hear something about him. I mean, Sophia certainly has.

"Only by correspondence." He replied coldly, and his whole demeanour became distant afterward.

Could it be? 

I wondered, if was it him the one who sent the pine branch to my father all those years ago. Was it Becker the one I was supposed to go to if our defenses failed? It's odd how destiny works, but that would explain his scent impregnated in my memory.

Why did he react so coldly? Did he figure out I could've met him a decade ago? Or was it something else? Maybe he was one of the packs who denied my dad help and he felt guilty? Whatever it is, I'll make sure to ask him later.

"You must be very proud. He was a great wolf and an even better warrior," Sophia added, bringing my attention back to her, and then we changed the subject.

It took us all a while to finish our breakfast. We kept talking about the Desert, our traditions, and my life growing up with the Varon brothers. I left out the part where Kasthor and I became lovers from Jathred's birthday up until yesterday morning.

Sophia impresses me, she is a brilliant and gentle woman despite her fears. For a moment during our conversation, I took a quick glimpse inside of her. There weren't any heavy barriers in my way. It was quite the opposite. The path was clear, and she was an open book. Very awkwardly, her passions focused a lot on Becker. I tried my best to ignore those images and skip past her hormonal desires. 

She had a lot of recent desires related to food, sleep, and time for herself. She longed to be in what seemed to be her bed. She wanted her books and to read in what looked like a prairie surrounded by wildflowers and a river. She was full of desires, but one had a brighter light than the others... her pup. She loved him and wanted to see his face, keep him safe, and secure his happiness.

As for her fears, they were macabre. I wasn't expecting so much pain in a soul so full of light. She feared for the life of her pup and Becker's. She feared for her pack and the war. She feared my hate and anger. She even feared to see Jathred fighting against Becker. Those images were clear and recent, but past those, she had old fears she was still holding on to. There was darkness, and rage, and pain and hate. There was a man I had never seen before. She feared him. He was aggressive and savage. There were images of her life, glimpses of torment. Hidden in the darkness, the man would find her and hurt her. There were dozens of moments like that, living in her fears. I couldn't keep digging, I had to stop looking.

Every time I connect with another soul, a piece of my energy stays in them. That's how some wolves who are keen enough can sense me. My energy travels and mixes with them, but when I open that bridge, some of their energy travels back with me. Sophie was carrying so much mourn and pain with her that inevitably, it mixed with me, weighing me down. How does she manage to stand up every morning with all that weight on her back? How is her soul still strong enough not to let those fears take over her joy and happiness?

Becker was right. She is brave. I do like her.

Putting on my best mask, I continued to act as if I hadn't just found out some of the most private parts of her soul.

"Sophia, you should join us for a girls' night at the main diner in a couple of days. Almost every she-wolf will be there. It's a great chance to connect and learn. If you have any doubts or need advice about your pregnancy, you can confide in them. Our Luna is pregnant too, and she always feels better after every reunion once other moms guarantee her all of her symptoms are perfectly normal." I invited Sophia, knowing she probably needed it more than anyone else. 

Who knows when was the last time she was able to have a night off for herself? Not being escorted by an overprotective alpha or involved in politics and war talk.

"Really? That sounds great. I can't wait for it. Thank you." Her eyes lit up and I could tell she was genuinely excited.

"I'll come with you," A dominant Becker intervened with a deep voice, signing up for an event clearly he wasn't invited to.

"You will do no such thing. Girls' night means girls only. You can wait outside with Jathred and the rest of the maniacs who can't leave their pregnant mates to enjoy some freedom for three hours." I instructed him, wanting to roll my eyes but resisting the urge by pure miracle.

"We'll see then." Becker dropped the topic, and I could see how he tensed up again.

"I have to go now. My squad is waiting for me for our morning patrol. I'll see you guys later." I stood up with my plate, ready to drop it off and leave the house.

"Oh, and by the way, tomorrow we have a face-off. Alphas lead their groups. Pick your best nine." I winked at him and rushed out the door.