Back and Stronger: Alpha's Daughter
Chapter 22

Waking up more rested and feeling happier than – well – ever before, Sophia rolled over on her flimsy mattress as the sound of the rusted and straining springs of it only reminded her that she was still in her basement room. Alone. But not as cold anymore, as she had slept in Neil’s long-sleeved shirt he’d lent her yesterday.

Groggy from the deep sleep she’d enjoyed for once, she turned onto her back and sighed happily up at the ceiling. Keeping her eyes closed, Sophia hugged herself and couldn’t hold back the ginormous smile stretching her face due to the blissful afterglow of the dream she had just had of Neil again.

Somewhere at the back of her mind, she was grateful that it hadn’t been another one of Matthew again. Though that particular dream had still left a bitter taste in her mouth that she couldn’t seem to shake. As though he hadn’t been repulsive to Sophia enough, that dream had made the feeling within her exponentially worse. Not to mention the sense of doom it brought her since that snake had become her mate. A fate she couldn’t escape.

But with the mood she had woken up in, had her shaking that memory from her mind without any further ado. Maybe it had been because of her wearing Neil’s shirt, or the unforgettable day she’d had with the enigmatic and brooding male shifter, but the dream last night had been clearer and more real than ever before.

Sophia could still feel her skin prickling statically everywhere Neil had touched her. Her mouth burning like cinders where he’d kissed her. Her breasts still strained to be taken by his hands and his mouth. Her loins still aching longingly where he had been.

All the other dreams had always had a bit of a haze to them. She could always see that it was someone that looked like Neil, doing things she thought she wanted him to do, but this time was different. It felt more real, like she’d been more present for it this time somehow.

And even though those brooding bronze eyes still terrified her senseless with its clear savage intent, he did so in a trembling and toe-curling kind of way. If that even made any fucking sense.

This time it had been the real Neil she had gotten to know. The haze had completely lifted. The whole scene had become so much clearer and filled with more overpowering sensations than any of her dreams had given her before.

Sophia had even been able to smell and taste him, and had found her senses utterly overwhelmed, while wanting nothing other than to have more of it.

It was hard to explain, but Neil smelled like a lush meadow would, after spring rain had fallen. There was simply no other way to describe it. And then the thunder came, and that heady smell became electric. It had struck up a thunderous storm within Sophia. A violent and loud storm.

Oh, Goddess, and the taste of him! It was as though he had a salty sweetness to his skin that tasted fresh and crisp, and like warm sweet tea in her mouth somehow, all at the same time.

There was no other way to explain it, but in a way, Sophia thought that she would just diminish the sublime splendor of it if she so much as kept trying to, so she left it there tucked away in her olfactory memory. The experience of senses being overwhelmed like that didn’t need any descriptions to remain with her forever and ever.

Whenever she wanted to remember, she knew those smells and tastes would come back to her, as they did just then.

How Sophia wished she could just go back to sleep and try to pick up where the dream had left her, but she knew that it was just another impossibility in her life.

No matter how sick she could have pretended to be to try and remain home and in bed today, her father would especially force her to go to school then.

Speaking of the Lucian pack Alpha, Sophia hadn’t heard him return during the night, and obviously, he hadn’t come to give her another beating or torture session last night either. Thankfully he’d been too busy again with whatever they were doing over there at the Lucian Headquarters lately.

This reminded Sophia of the conversation she had overheard when Bobby and his group of friends were in the cafeteria. Something was going on with the Moon Walker pack from the northern shifter territories, and by the way it had sounded to her, a war with them may very much be upon them soon.

For an instant, Sophia felt dread at the prospect of a turf war, but only because of what it could mean for Leo, and possibly for Neil. The latter would be obligated to fight and she was concerned that she might lose him if this was to happen.

Turf wars were tricky situations, where the citizens of the conquered territory couldn’t know for sure whether they would be wiped out as well, or be made to join the new pack.

If that was the case, Sophia had no doubt that her situation might improve tremendously, but it would then take Leo’s status as the rightful heir to the Lucian pack away from him. And Sophia didn’t want that either, for she knew what a noble and fair leader Leo was capable of becoming. Was destined to become.

She said a silent prayer while she quickly got dressed for school, asking the Goddess to not let the Moon Walkers make more trouble for them. She prayed even while being pessimistic about her prayer even being heard, though she did it anyway.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

Even though Sophia knew that her father hadn’t returned during the night, she still tip-toed up to the door and carefully listened for any footsteps or sounds that might indicate that she’d been wrong in assuming it.

She could hear that someone was in the kitchen, but by the light sounds of plates and cutlery being handled, she knew it was Leo. He had always been tentative and careful when doing things around the kitchen, whereas her father had been the opposite. When he handled anything for that matter, it would sound like those things were on the verge of breaking or shattering with each action. Same as with her body.

Feeling a little more confident, Sophia opened her door and slipped out into the hallway, and walked to the kitchen, where she did find her little brother there, as expected. He was making scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon, and she felt herself staring in astonishment.

Leo never actually ‘made’ breakfast, as he preferred like so many other teenagers to just settle for cereal and milk.

“I was just about to call you,” Leo said very excitedly and somewhat jittery, if Sophia wasn’t mistaken. “Breakfast is ready.”

She still watched him, trying her best not to openly gape at him, as he lay the plates out on the table for two, and brought the food over from the stovetop to the middle of the dining table.

He looked at her expectantly as he took his seat. “Dad’s not here, I already checked. You can come and join me for breakfast,” he said almost commandingly, but in an adorable way.

Sophia obliged with a reluctant smile, still uncertain of what to make of all this. It was very much likely that Sophia had still been in a dream, she realized. One amazing dream on top of the other.

How did she ever get this lucky?

And then there was also the matter of her father not having returned last night, and not being around this morning.

How her life could suddenly be so filled with happy and peaceful moments from yesterday afternoon at the lake, to this morning where Leo made her the biggest breakfast she’d seen in her life, Sophia had no idea.

But she certainly hoped that things would stay on this trend it seemed to be on, though she wished she’d been that naive to believe that to be possible. For all she knew, all of this had been ‘calm’ before the storm.

Whatever the case, she knew that it was moments like these that would grant her the strength to carry on when things got bad again. She had needed something more solid and good to hold onto, and she believed that she had gotten it. In Neil. In Leo. What they meant to her.

Even though Neil confounded her, and gave her the impression that he had a freaking multiple personality disorder or something, Sophia knew she could count on him. She knew beyond a sliver of a doubt that Neil would never hurt her as her father and Matthew did. Never.

When Leo must have seen how uncertain she was of what to do, as she just stared at the food still in the frying pans he’d placed in front of her, she heard him laugh softly as he got up and leaned over the table. He dropped a big spoonful of scrambled eggs onto her plate, then three rashers of bacon, and started to butter a piece of toast for her.

It smelled heavenly. Sophia honestly didn’t know whether she wanted to keep smelling it or devour it within seconds. Picking up the fork from the side of her plate, she scooped up a bit of the egg from her plate, and the moment it was in her mouth, the warmth of it, as well as the salt and peppery taste of it filled her.

Smiling, she looked up at Leo, who was already watching her with an elated smile of his own, displayed there on his proud face. And that was all she needed to start taking bigger bites and chewing quicker as she marveled at the taste of everything there in front of her.

Somewhere in between her gobbling down a second helping of eggs, she found the piece of toast that Leo had buttered and spread strawberry jam on for her in her plate as well.

Sophia was very well aware of the fact that she was going to be sick if she overdid it by too much, but she couldn’t help it.

“Where did you learn to make breakfast like this?” Sophia asked as she was sure as hell that their father wouldn’t have taken the time to teach him.

“I watched a video on the internet last night,” he answered, also enjoying the food as he got himself a second helping as well. “And then watched it again this morning.”

“Well, it is delicious, Leo,” Sophia said, placing her hand over his on the table. “Thank you.”

After cleaning up the kitchen, because if Thorin returned to find it in the state Leo had left it in, Sophia would surely feel the degree to his irritation in his punishments to her that night, they walked out to the road together to wait for the bus to pick them up.

Sophia could feel the uncomfortable anxiety practically radiating from Leo as he stood next to her, nervously toeing the pavement with the tip of his shoe. It was as though he wanted to say or ask something, but didn’t know how to begin.

“What is it?” Sophia simply inquired, giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder. “Spill it, what’s bothering you, little brother?”

“Nothing’s bothering me,” he said, almost defensively, but gave a nervous laugh nonetheless when he saw Sophia’s I-don’t-believe-you look. “Okay, maybe I’m just a little worried about something.”

Sophia smiled warmly at him. “If you want to, you can tell me about it.”

Leo eyed her contemplatively for a moment, but it didn’t take him long to make up his mind. “It’s about a girl I like,” he said shyly, his face slowly getting pinker.

“The pretty brunette that always seems to wear turtleneck sweaters and suede skirts?” Sophia asked with a knowing smile. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

At least in middle school they hadn’t been forced to wear ugly school uniforms like at high school, but in Sophia’s case, that might have just been seen as a blessing, as she wouldn’t exactly have been able to go to school in her flimsy nightgowns. Though, she wouldn’t have put it past her father to have forced her to in any case. Just another form of humiliation and torture.

“Yes, her name is Bella Rosset,” Leo informed her with an adoring glint in his eyes. Especially the one blue eye that seemed to turn into a turquoise blue as he’d said her name. “We are in the same grade, and have most classes together.”

“Tell me about her,” Sophia pressed for more information as he drifted into deep thought a bit after he’d said the last part. “Other than being obviously beautiful, what else do you like about her?”

“She’s sophisticated, elegant, kind, smart, and not afraid to speak her mind,” he said, his eyes glazing over as though he was imagining the girl in question right in front of him. “And she loves to dance. Oh, Sophia, you must see her dance. I had tears in my eyes the last time I watched one of her performances.”

Sophia was pleasantly surprised by how quickly he had answered her, which was a clear sign that he didn’t just like this Bella girl for her looks alone.

“I sometimes wish that she was older so she could have been in high school with you,” he said with pain in his eyes all of a sudden. “She would have spoken up on your behalf. She would have been able to convince everyone that bullying you at school was senseless and cruel.”

Sophia didn’t know what to say to that. She hated that her treatment at school was something that haunted him so much.

“Well, she sounds like she would make the perfect Luna to stand by your side one day,” Sophia said with a wink, and could instantly feel the truth to those words reverberating through her bones.

She could already see a brighter and fairer future for the Lucian pack in their hands within her mind’s eye. They would run the pack the way it was supposed to be run. This she just simply knew as though it had already been decided, not only by her, but by destiny as well.

“You really think so?” Leo’s eyes were achingly hopeful and it clenched at Sophia’s heart to see it. He was undeniably in love with this girl, and it was the most beautiful thing to behold so plainly within her innocent and compassionate brother. “I’m so scared I will say or do something wrong that would just mess things up.”

Her aching heart that had only been throbbing lightly before, started to pain more at her brother’s uncertainty.

“If Bella is exactly like you just described her to me, then that is impossible,” Sophia said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Speaking from a girl’s perspective, I can clearly see that she likes you very much, Leo, and that if you just remain your kind and considerate self toward her and others, there is no way that you can mess things up with her. Ever. Besides, you’re very handsome too, so there’s that.”

Laughing bashfully, he turned and pulled her into a bear hug. “Thank you, sis.”

Astonished not merely by his unexpected strength as he held her tightly against him, Sophia also found herself surprised by how easily he did it. How easily he’d called her ‘sis’.

Their relationship in the past five years had been loving but distant. It was the first time since then that he’d as much as touched her, much less held her in his arms.

Sophia allowed herself to melt into them, soaking up the feeling of it, but the moment she heard the bus coming around the corner, she pushed him away immediately. He didn’t look hurt or anything, as she saw understanding in his eyes, though there was a hint of anger there too.

As the bus finally stopped for them to get on it, Sophia did her quick mental preparation for the commencement of another ride in the ferry about to take her to the gates of the underworld, as well as preparing herself for another long day spent there, with Matthews threat to her still looming in the background like a sinister and foreboding score playing in her ears.

The driver gave her a sneer as a ‘good morning’, and Sophia moved quickly to go sit in her usual spot in front, avoiding eye contact with all the other shifter kids noisily chatting up a storm there.

Releasing a breath at not having been thrown with something as per usual, she smiled at Leo as he was about to pass her to go sit with his friends at the back of the bus.

But he surprised her when he took the seat right next to her.

“Leo,” Sophia whispered urgently. “What–”

“I don’t care,” he interjected before she could finish questioning his sanity. “You’re my sister.”

I don’t care…

You’re my sister…

Why, if those hadn’t instantly become her two favorite phrases in the whole wide world from that moment on, Sophia didn’t know what else would have made the cut.

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