Chapter 0123

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, a slow-building inferno.

It ignited something primal deep inside me.

Power thrummed beneath my skin.

And it was all because of Sophia.

I found her trying to hide in a closet.

Her panicked words blurred together as my own fear spiked.

Tears streamed down her face faster than she could wipe them away.

I did what Alexander asked.

I kept her here.

But I couldn't stop myself from glancing out the window.

I had to see.

The Lycans were clapping.

A bizarre, jarring sound.

They slammed their clawed hands together, staring down the Wolves.

This was utterly insane.

'What are they doing?' I asked Nyx.

She just shrugged.

I desperately wanted to link Alexander.

I needed to hear his voice, to understand.

But all I heard was Sophia's muffled sobs from the closet.

I pulled the door open.

I offered her a weak, reassuring smile.

"They aren't here for you, Sophia. They're here for me."

She was curled into a ball, arms wrapped tightly around her knees.

Just like I used to do.

It was strange how we both tried to make ourselves smaller when danger came.

"That woman... Cassandra... the one who brought me here," she stammered. "She wants me to bring you to them."

She refused to meet my gaze.

"Is that why you're hiding?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice calm.

Sophia shook her head.

Then she tapped her temple.

"In here. I hear her. It was a whisper before. Now..." Her soft blue eyes finally lifted to mine. "Now it's a command."

"A command?"

She nodded vigorously. "She keeps saying, 'I am your maker. You will obey me!'"

Control. Of course. That was all Victoria ever wanted.

"Are you going to try and hand me over?" I asked quietly, understanding dawning.

This was why they changed a child.

"I... I don't want to," she whispered.

I sighed. "You can't fight a direct order. Obedience is ingrained in us. We must obey those above us."

Sophia uncurled slightly. "You make me feel like I can fight it. Being near you, I feel safer. If you told me not to, I'd have to listen, right? Because you're the Alpha. My Alpha. You're more powerful than she is."

"Alexander is—"

"No. You are the Lycans' Alpha. If I understand it right, they have to answer to you. Sebastian told me that." She glanced toward the window but squeezed her eyes shut. "Her demands are getting louder. It actually hurts my chest now. That's bad, right?"

"It's because you're resisting her command."

"Can you make it stop?"

Would it work? Alexander mentioned linking them all. But could I do this?

'Only one way to find out,' Nyx murmured.

"I order you not to take me to Victoria."

Sophia threw her arms around me in a sudden, fierce hug. "Thank you."

'I think the kid is onto something,' Nyx mused. 'Let's go take down the whole pack.'

I smiled at Sophia. "I think you might be right. And now, I need your help."

My bare feet touched the cool grass.

Sophia walked slightly behind me, as if presenting me.

She was trying so hard to hold herself together, just like I was.

It wouldn't be for long.

Just long enough to make Victoria believe she had won.

I was desperate to look for Alexander, but I knew I'd break if our eyes met.

I asked Nyx to block him from my mind, just temporarily.

Just until I ended this.

Two words broke through the barrier anyway. "Don't shift."

Shifting was not part of the plan.

Cheers erupted from the Lycans.

If you could call them cheers.

It was a cacophony of roars and howls of satisfaction.

They didn't even have me yet, and they were already celebrating.

As the noise died down, Victoria yelled, "You will bring her to me!"

Sophia stared through the rows of Wolves.

Like me, she was almost too short to see.

Slowly, she reached out and locked her hand with mine.

Her grip was surprisingly strong.

"You may be my maker," she declared, her voice shaking but clear. "But you are not my Alpha."

My heart raced. I could hardly believe her courage.

"You are a stupid little girl!" Victoria shrieked. "You know nothing of our world!"

"I know enough to know who is wrong!" Sophia squeezed my hand tighter, staring straight ahead.

Her eyes darkened, just like Alexander said mine do.

She was close to shifting.

"Bring her to me!" Victoria yelled, stomping her foot in a furious rage.