Bonded To The Dysfunctional Alpha

Sophie’s POV The g-string sat perfectly between my cheeks and the bra cupped my boobs like it was made specifically for my body, when I turned to face the mirror I felt something settle warm and satisfied in my chest because damn, I looked good. My wolf agreed immediately, practically preening inside me. I grabbed my sunscreen off the dresser and headed out. The party hit me before I even cleared the door, music thumping loud enough to feel in my sternum, people screaming, someone getting thrown into the pool with their clothes still on. The moment I stepped outside properly head turned in my direction. One by one at first, then all at once. A guy stopped mid sentence and just stared. A girl lowered her drink slowly. We are the most beautiful ones here. My wolf sang it like she’d been waiting all day to say it, spinning happy circles in my chest. Heat shot straight to my cheeks. I tucked my hair back and kept walking like I felt nothing. Ava materialized out of nowhere and grabbed both my arms. “Three hours Sophie, you f*****g slept for three hours.” “I know, I’m so sorry, I was exhausted, I couldn't even keep my eyes open….” “No apology accepted without penalty.” She pointed behind her at the circle on the pool deck. “We are playing game, join us. That’s the only way I’m forgiving you.” I looked at the circle. Bottles on the ground, flushed faces, staring at me as if they were all anticipating for my reply “Fine…..”. She was already dragging me before I finished the word. “Now let the girl begin.” Ava squirmed the moment we found a seat. The game moved fast and I let it move around me. Kisses, dares, the bottle spinning again and again while the circle screamed at every turn. Someone pushed a cup into my hand and I drank without checking what it was, then drank again, then lost count somewhere between the third spin and the fourth dare. I stayed just outside the circle. Close enough that nobody questioned it, far enough to keep getting skipped. I laughed when they laughed. I clapped when someone did something ridiculous. Ava was in the dead center of everything, head thrown back, completely in her world. She didn’t notice I wasn’t really playing. But something was happening to me that I wasn’t ready to look at directly. I could feel the heat building in my body, don’t know if it’s the alcohol or something else. I crossed my legs and stared at the grass. The bottle stopped spinning and pointed right at me. “Sophie!” “Truth or dare?” A voice chimed in. I stared at all the faces, swallowing emptiness down my throat. “Dare.” The words fell out before I could grasp the meaning. “I dare you to kiss the person in your opposite direction.” My body froze when I realized it’s no one but a girl? A girl when I’m not Ava. Ava could kiss a girl without a care in the world, but me? Nah! I stood up immediately. “I need a drink.” I was already taking a step backward, shaking my empty cup in the air. “Empty, I’ll be right back.” A few groans. Ava narrowed her eyes but the bottle was already spinning again and she turned away. I walked to the drink table fast and didn’t look back. It was quieter over here. I poured something cold and leaned against the table and let myself breathe. Ava is so lucky. It came out of nowhere, soft and a little sad. She had a brother who let her throw a party like this. Who didn’t text her every hour checking her location. Who didn’t stand in doorways with that look my brother had perfected, the one that said I’m not angry I’m just worried while making absolutely every decision for me like I was still a child who couldn’t be trusted with her own life. A party. I almost laughed out loud. My brother would combust. The music alone would set him off and the outfits would come with a lecture about pack image and dignity and everything our family name was supposed to mean. These few days here were the first real breath I’d taken in longer than I wanted to admit. Away from his eyes and his rules and all the things he had quietly pressed me into without once asking if I wanted them. I wasn’t ready to think about all of that yet. I reached for a second cup when a clove stopped me. “Why the hell did you invite Ryan to my pack?” I spun around before I even decided to move. He was tall. broad shoulders, dark hair, a jaw that looked like it had been carved with something sharp. His shirt was off and his abs were just there, existing, completely unbothered about what that was doing to the general public. And his eyes were blue. Striking, almost unfair blue that caught the light and held it. Tyler. Ava’s brother. I had exactly one memory of him from years ago, a skinny kid with scraped knees and way too much energy. This was not that kid anymore. He’d been aiming those words somewhere behind me, fully loaded with anger, expecting his sister. Then he saw me and everything on his face stalled. The fury paused. Confusion moved through his expression fast, then something that looked like realization, and then he just stood there and stared. I waited for him to say something, maybe an apology but he just stood there. Just those blue eyes on me, jaw tight, giving me absolutely nothing to work with. Okay then. I cleared my throat, set my cup down and decided walking away was the most dignified option available. He wasn’t talking. This didn’t have to be a thing. I would simply leave. My heel caught the edge of a cooler I hadn’t seen. The ground tilted and I made a sound I will take to my grave, half gasp half yelp, arms flying out with nothing to grab onto. A hand closed around my arm. Warm. Firm. It stopped me completely, like I weighed absolutely nothing. The feeling hit me before I could prepare for it, sharp and immediate, rushing from where his hand gripped my arm straight through my chest and settling somewhere low and inconvenient. My wolf went completely still like she’d been struck. I looked up. He was looking down at me and for one second, just one, I saw surprise etched across his face. And something underneath the surprise that looked almost like oh no before it locked away behind a wall so fast I nearly missed it. Then he let go. I wasn’t ready for that so I hit the ground anyway, landing with a graceless thud next to the cooler that started the whole thing. He was already walking away when I looked up. Back straight, not a single word, like catching me had been an accident he’d already decided to forget.