Fated to my Saviour Alpha

Sophie stirred, her cheek pressed against the cool fabric of her pillow. The pale morning light seeped into the room through half-closed blinds, illuminating the small space in muted tones. Her eyes fluttered open, but the ache in her chest returned before her mind was fully awake. It was the same heaviness she'd been carrying since that night—since Luke.

The image of him flashed uninvited into her thoughts: his arm draped over someone else's shoulder, the casual smirk as though her discovery meant nothing. She closed her eyes tightly, willing the memory away, but it persisted, a thorn that refused to dislodge.

Her breath hitched as the betrayal sank in all over again. How could he?

Sophie swung her legs over the side of the bed, letting her bare feet touch the cold wooden floor. The sensation grounded her, but only just. She sat there, her shoulders hunched, fingers curling around the edge of the mattress.

Her mind spiraled back. It wasn't like she hadn't known things weren't perfect with Luke—she'd just never wanted to admit it. He was predictable, someone she could handle. She thought she held the cards in their relationship, but now the thought felt hollow, almost laughable. How much of it had been a lie? How long had he been lying to her?

Her chest ached with a bitter mix of anger and sadness. Was I not enough? Or was I just too much?

Her eyes darted toward her phone on the bedside table, the screen dark but taunting her all the same. No missed calls. No messages. She hadn't expected any, but the emptiness of it stung nonetheless. Not even an attempt to explain himself. Not that it would have mattered.

Sophie pushed herself up and wandered into the bathroom, her movements slow and mechanical. She caught her reflection in the mirror, her face pale and drawn, her hair a tangled mess. Her lips twisted into a humorless smile. "Look at you," she murmured. "What a picture of strength."

She turned the faucet on, the sound of rushing water filling the silence as she splashed her face. The coolness of it woke her up, if only slightly, but it didn't do much to wash away the swirling thoughts. When she looked up again, her reflection seemed to blur for a moment, her mind drifting somewhere else.

Darius.

His name came unbidden, like a whisper in the back of her mind. It wasn't just Luke haunting her thoughts. No, Darius was there too—dark and enigmatic, a presence she couldn't quite shake. Sophie leaned on the sink, gripping its edges as her mind conjured up his piercing gaze.

He was unlike anyone she'd ever met. Cold. Reserved. Dangerous. But beneath all that, there was something else. Something that had pulled at her even when she'd been too stubborn to admit it. His aloofness had frustrated her, but it also intrigued her. She'd wanted to crack the armor, to understand him—and maybe, selfishly, to have him understand her.

But Darius wasn't like Luke. He wasn't someone she could manipulate or charm into doing what she wanted. He saw through her. That alone unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Who are you, Darius? she thought, staring into the mirror, almost as if the reflection might hold the answer. The way he'd moved through danger without hesitation, the way he'd shielded her even when she hadn't asked for it—there was a story there. A story she didn't yet know but felt tangled up in nonetheless.

Sophie straightened, pushing back her shoulders as she tried to shake off the weight pressing down on her. She wasn't the kind of girl who wallowed, who let life knock her down without fighting back. If Luke had broken something inside her, then Darius had lit a spark—a dangerous, smoldering curiosity that refused to die.

She stepped out of the bathroom and moved toward the window, the morning sunlight warming her skin as she gazed out at the street below. The world outside looked so normal, so oblivious to the storm brewing inside her.

And yet, even in the stillness, she felt like a thread pulled too tight, ready to snap. Her life had been upended, her trust shattered. But in the chaos, a new determination had started to take root. She wouldn't let Luke's betrayal define her. And she wouldn't let Darius remain a mystery forever.

As she stood there, a quiet resolve settled over her. There were answers to be found, and Sophie was done waiting for them to come to her.

She'd find out who Darius really was—and if that meant walking into danger, so be it.

The scent of roasted coffee beans mingled with the tang of citrus fruits as Sophie meandered through the bustling market. It was supposed to be a distraction, an excuse to leave the suffocating confines of her apartment and her spiraling thoughts. Stalls lined the cobblestone path, colorful produce and handmade trinkets displayed with pride. But Sophie barely noticed any of it. Her mind buzzed with unanswered questions, tangled in confusion and lingering hurt.

Her steps faltered when she spotted him.

Darius stood by a narrow bookshop tucked between two larger storefronts, his tall frame as unyielding as ever. He was dressed down for once, though the dark sweater and jeans did little to soften his imposing presence. He seemed engrossed in conversation with a shopkeeper, but Sophie knew better than to mistake his posture for distraction. Darius was always aware, always watching.

She should've turned around, should've walked away and avoided the brewing storm. But her feet betrayed her. Sophie found herself moving toward him, the air between them charged long before he turned to notice her.

His gaze snapped to hers like a magnet, his eyes narrowing slightly. The conversation with the shopkeeper ended abruptly, Darius giving a curt nod before stepping out of the stall. He didn't approach her, didn't say a word—he simply waited, his expression unreadable.

"Fancy seeing you here," Sophie said, attempting a casual tone as she closed the distance. Her heart betrayed her calm facade, thudding against her ribs like a drumbeat.

"I could say the same," Darius replied, his voice low and measured. His eyes scanned her, not in the way Luke's had, filled with superficial charm and possessiveness, but as though he were cataloging her intentions.

Sophie crossed her arms, summoning her boldness. "So, do you always lurk in markets, or is this just a rare outing for the brooding Alpha?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, but it wasn't a smile—it was more like a flicker of amusement he couldn't quite suppress. "I didn't take you for someone who shops at markets either."

"Maybe I'm full of surprises." She tilted her head, watching his reaction carefully. "Though, something tells me you already know that."

Darius's expression remained impassive, but Sophie thought she caught the faintest flicker of something deeper in his gaze. He didn't answer, instead turning toward the secluded library entrance near the end of the row of stalls. His long strides carried him away, but not far enough to lose her.

"Running away?" she called after him, her tone sharper than intended. Heads turned, curious market-goers glancing at the exchange before quickly looking away.

Darius paused, his shoulders stiffening. Without looking back, he spoke. "I'm not the one chasing."

Her breath caught at the implication, heat rushing to her cheeks. But it wasn't embarrassment—it was frustration, a fiery indignation that burned away her restraint. Sophie closed the gap between them, following him into the dim, quiet library.

The air inside was heavy with the scent of aged paper and varnished wood. Sophie kept her voice low, mindful of the librarian's disapproving glare. "You know, for someone who acts like he's got all the answers, you're really good at avoiding questions."

Darius stopped near a secluded corner, turning to face her at last. The faint light filtering through the window highlighted the sharp planes of his face, making him look more like a carved statue than a man. "Ask your questions, then."

Her resolve wavered for a moment, caught off guard by his directness. But she didn't back down. "What happened at the cabin? Who were those things—those creatures? And why do you always show up at the exact moment I need saving?"

His silence stretched, and Sophie's irritation grew with each passing second. She stepped closer, invading his space, her chin tilted defiantly upward. "I'm not some damsel in distress. I deserve to know what's going on."

"You deserve it?" His voice was a low growl, sending a shiver down her spine. "You think the answers you're so desperate for will make you feel better? Safer?"

"Maybe not," she admitted, her voice softening but not losing its edge. "But I'd rather face the truth than be kept in the dark."

Darius stared at her for a long moment, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her like an unspoken challenge. Then, finally, he spoke. "The creatures you saw—shadows. Servants of a darker force. They weren't there for you, Sophie. They were there for me."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't look away. "Why?"

His jaw clenched, and for the first time, he looked away, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Because power always comes at a cost. And some debts don't stay buried."

Before Sophie could press him further, the library door creaked open, and a cold gust of wind swept through the room. Darius's head snapped toward the entrance, his entire body tense.

"We're not alone," he murmured, his voice barely audible but laced with urgency.

Sophie's pulse quickened as she followed his gaze. The door hung open, the faint sound of footsteps echoing through the otherwise empty space. Her questions were forgotten, replaced by the icy grip of fear.

Darius stepped in front of her, his body a shield, and Sophie realized with startling clarity that whatever followed them into the library wasn't human.

Footsteps, slow and deliberate, echoed from beyond the threshold. Sophie's breath hitched, the sound like the slow ticking of a clock counting down to something they couldn't avoid.

Darius's voice was low, barely a whisper as he looked at her over his shoulder. "Stay behind me. And don't make a sound."

Sophie didn't protest, the urgency in his tone sparking an icy chill in her veins. She felt the weight of the danger pressing in around her, a sense of inevitability settling over the room like a storm about to break.

The door creaked wider, and a shadow loomed in the opening, tall and indistinct at first, but unmistakably there. The air thickened, and Sophie's breath faltered as a pair of glowing eyes met hers, burning with a predatory hunger.

She had only a split second to react before the figure stepped fully into the room.

And in that heartbeat, the darkness seemed to swallow the light.

Sophie's pulse hammered in her ears, the air now crackling with a suffocating energy. Whatever it was that had entered, it was not human. And it was not here for small talk.

"Get ready," Darius muttered, his hand moving to the weapon at his side. "We don't have much time."

The figure's footsteps quickened, its form emerging from the shadows like a nightmare made flesh. Sophie's stomach twisted as she realized, with a sickening clarity, that she was about to be thrust into a fight she was nowhere near prepared for.

The last thing she saw before the world went black was Darius's eyes, glowing with the same unearthly light that had once haunted her nightmares.