TM [Complete ✔️]

20. Last name

Sofia's P.O.V

I knew the day would come when Zane would get his wolf back. I knew the time in which he figured out what we were was coming, and yet I let myself ignore it. I let the thought slip to the back of my mind, and became careless.

I didn't protect my heart enough to be able to leave, despite the way he was currently looking at me.

Hatred. Pure hatred and betrayal so strong younger members took a step back.

I thought I could take it, the stare of blazing hatred in his eyes, but only a few seconds later my facade was cracking. No matter how much I wanted to, how hard I tried, I couldn't look away.

With his wolf now present, the bond hit even me like a hundred bricks. It washed through me, filling me with a warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside so at odds with my freezing limbs. I dug my heels into the ground, an invisible thread pushing me to get to him, to claim what was supposed to be mine.

My naked arms sprouted in goosebumps under his watch. Sound disappeared around us - the chatter of our confused pack members, the Gammas trying to get everyone back to training, the swooshing of the wind, the chirping of birds and insects - all gone.

Zane and I were as If wrapped up in our own bubble, the only thing remaining being the two of us.

I'd never had the ability to stare into his eyes for so long from so up close. They were beautiful. A raging blue storm of rain and crashing waves.

They'd be infinitely more beautiful if they were filled with anything other than disdain.

I knew it was impossible, and yet in the four months that I'd known of us, our bond, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he was simply surprised, shocked even. If he didn't reject me on the spot. And even though I knew it was impossible, I stupidly didn't shut down the thoughts. Neither mine, nor my wolf's.

I didn't protect our hearts from being crushed by a bond another time.

We weren't rejected now but very soon we will be and I couldn't do anything about it.

Sam hid from his stare, leaving me alone.

Pulled out of my stupor, I stumbled back, crashing into pack members, who did their best to set me to the side instead of letting me fall.

I couldn't let him reject me. Not after I'd had to pull myself from hell twice now. I wouldn't survive a third time and I shouldn't have to.

There was only so much agony one could live through.

I took another couple of steps back, slowly, not daring to pull my gaze away from his should I need to keep his mouth shut.

"I won't let him say the words, Sam," I promised my wolf. She said nothing in response.

Zane's P.O.V

All I could do was blink as millions of thoughts washed over me.

Hatred - at the moment I hated myself so much I wasn't sure I could make myself breathe. I hated fate for all the cruel pranks it was pulling on me and wondered if perhaps it was karma for the jokes I'd pulled myself when I was younger, though those were far more innocent. I even hated the fact that I was a werewolf, that I was blessed with a beautiful bond too soon, that I had to live through not only the grief of losing my wife but with the pain of my soul being split in half, that that bond was now being tarnished by the one I couldn't push down.

I hated myself because I couldn't do anything to stop it from forming, to stop it from weaving its threads through my body, mind, and wolf.

Anger was the other strongest emotion - anger directed at the she-wolf who had stood in my presence for months and said nothing, practically lying to my face, knowing, because I'd been stupid enough to let her see, what grief was doing to me.

I let her get close to my pup, let her watch Beyla on countless occasions on which her nanny couldn't.

She had months to mention at least the tiniest hint of this forsaken bond, and yet she chose to stay quiet.

To ignore it.

Sound rushed back to my ears as she took small, careful steps back, away from me, preparing to take off.

I threw a glance at Ezra, the easygoing male gone, replaced by a disciplined warrior. As soon as his eyes met mine and he gave me the tiniest of nods, he and his mate were already moving, their voices commanding as they forced the rest of the wolves back in their spots, back to training.

It took me seconds to move, to bring myself back from that place of wrath and agony and hatred before I was rushing over to Sofia's side, gripping her by the arm before she could even think about trying to run as the look in her eyes told me she had.

"Zane," she whispered, trying to remove herself from my hold.

"Walk!" I hissed in her ear, shielding us from the others' view.

"You're hurting me!" She whimpered, finally pulling her arm away and rubbing the spot I'd grabbed, a bruise the size of my fingers forming.

I would've winced had I not been too angry to register my actions.

We walked the rest of the way to my office in silence, Sofia under my watchful gaze, her body trembling slightly. She was holding onto her arm, her thumb rubbing the already healing bruise.

I had a feeling it wasn't because of pain but rather the igniting sparks she seemed to have no problem with.

Once in front of my office, I c****d an eyebrow, willing her to walk through the door before I slammed it shut and locked it, Sofia sitting in the chair across from my desk where she'd sat for countless of meetings regarding the pack.

Meetings during which I had the right to know what she hid a secret.

"Mate." Zion whimpered out of nowhere, his voice and presence weak, though he didn't leave me this time, at least.

If there was something even remotely good about this day, it was that the other part of me was back and despite my anger towards him, I also understood. Didn't feel quite so empty as I did without him.

The silence was deafening, neither of us saying anything as the she-wolf kept her head down, her hair hiding her face from view.

I paced around the spacious office, my thoughts drifting everywhere and going nowhere all at once.

Every ounce of my body was screaming at the betrayal to Rosie, was screaming at the pain of losing her, while an invisible thread, a part of the newly formed bond pushed me to go to Sofia, to comfort her.

"You're going to keep being silent?" I sneered, unable to handle it anymore. "Don't you think you did enough of that?" When she raised her head, she couldn't look up, from shame or something else, I didn't know. I did, however, manage to glance at the tear streaks coating her cheeks.

"I didn't mean for things to go this far," she sniffled quietly, keeping her gaze on the carpet, "I was only going to stay until I found a new pack to live in and a job." She once again went quiet.

"So why didn't you leave?" I snapped, running my hands frustratedly through my hair. "Why didn't you spare both us and our mates from this mess!"

"Because I don't regret being bonded to you! And I do not think having a second chance is something to be called a mess!" She finally raised her voice, her eyes now glued to my face.

I wished she'd kept them downwards.

I scoffed, glaring at her for a second before I couldn't stand to look at her any longer.

With my now again enhanced hearing, I listened as she got up and walked over to me, forcing me to look at her.

"I just wanted to help." I exploded before she could say another word.

"Help with what? Destroying my life further, ruining anything I'd managed to accomplish, however small? What did you think shackling yourself to me would achieve, Sofia?"

My words hit her like a blow to the gut, making her take a step back. If I'd gone too far, it hadn't registered yet.

Before I could understand what she was doing, she shoved the hidden beneath her shirt sleeve part of her arm in my face, then raised the fabric above her stomach, stopping when her fingers grabbed onto the waistband of her leggings.

"This," she murmured hoarsely, "this is what I wanted to prevent!" Horror crept up my spine in spite of myself.

"Did you-" I couldn't finish the question but she was nodding anyway, more tears slipping down her cheek.

"I just wanted to stay until I was sure you wouldn't do the same to yourself. That you wouldn't try to mark your skin with the pain forever." I tried my best to keep my arm at my sides instead of letting it go to the healed tattoo of my mark. "I should've been gone by the time you got your wolf back, so you'd never know what we were for a little while." She shrugged. "I tried. I packed my suitcase with my entire life's worth of belongings three times and with each one I ended up putting them back. I love Rowan with my entire heart but I'm also ready to not come home to an empty house."

"Your last name!" I demanded.

"What?"

"So I can reject you! What is your last name?" I racked my brain for the information written in the file but couldn't remember it for the life of me after so many pack members. "Your last name, Sofia! You may say you loved your mate but you would've never been standing here having this discussion with me if you did!" Hurt flashed across her face and I could've sworn disapproval was flowing like liquid lava through my veins.

"Valencia," she spat, her gaze hardening, so at odds with her usual smiles and laughter. The scars on her body were, too, though I'd rather not think about them. "My full name is Sofia Marie Valencia, get it over with!" Her words were laced with venom, her tears now angry as she did her best to wipe them away. "And if you ever talk to me like that about my mate ever again, Alpha or not, I will destroy you!" She hissed lowly, stepping away and waiting for the words to leave my lips.

I took a deep breath, Zion cowering away from the impending pain. If there was one thing about the new him I noticed straight away was that he was absolutely nothing like who he once was.

"I, Zane Lennox Brown, reject-"

"Stop!" My wolf pleaded, interrupting me. "I won't survive a rejection too! It's-it's worse for us wolves and I haven't even had a chance to shift, let alone meet her.

"You want another mate?" The betrayal of his words hit me low in the gut, making me nearly nauseous.

"I-no," he shook his head weakly, "I trust the Moon Goddess and want what she has in store for me."

Wolves were loyal, too loyal, at times.

"Please, Zane!" Zion said one last time before I shut him off.

"I," I shook my head, plopping my body harshly onto my chair and rubbing my face, weaving my fingers through my hair and tugging.

I'd joked with Knox about it in the past but understood all too well the need to pull your own hair out if it would simmer all the emotions down.

"I can't," I spat, "Just give me some time to strengthen my wolf and then we'll both be free." Sofia shook her head and headed for the door, twisting the key and grabbing the knob before she turned to me, "I thought I knew you well enough to want to try despite how hard it would be. I took you for a smart, hardworking, determined, and kind wolf, leader, just trying to grieve as anyone would after such a loss," she shook her head again, "but, Zane, I've grieved the love of my life too and never once did I become cruel! It's easy to lose yourself in the anger and numb everything else." She paused, turning her gaze to the door. "I hope you heal from the things that threaten to pull you under."

And then she was gone, her words shaking me so hard I couldn't stop thinking about them for months to come.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! What do we think about Zane's behaviour? Was his behaviour normal or was he completly out of line?