Chapter 22
SOPHIA’S POV
I took a deep breath as I entered Stone manor.
I slowed my steps for just a moment. My wolf stirred inside me. Even from here, she could sense the tension before we got inside This place had always done that to me. It was beautiful and intense, much like the family that lived within its walls.
The manor felt colder than I remembered.
Not in temperature, but in spirit. The warmth I once tried so desperately to belong to had never truly existed. As I got in, I heard voices coming from the living room.
As soon as I entered, the murmur of voices stopped all at once. Everywhere was silent.
Damien and Ashley turned toward me at the same time.
Their expressions were already set. They glared at me. I could see the judgment written plainly across their faces. Damien’s eyes eyes immediately scanned me. He looked at me like he was looking for proof that my excuse was a lie. Ashley didn’t bother hiding her irritation. She didn’t even say hi to me.
I ignored them.
Instead, I looked at Grandpa George.
I felt relieved when I met his eyes. He sat in his usual chair. He looked smaller than I remembered but still commanding. He had lost a lot of weight due to how sick he was.
Grandpa George was the only one in this family who had ever treated me like I mattered. He was very kind to me. He treated me like a real person. Not as Damien’s mate. Not as Ashley’s mother. But as Sophia.
I smiled at him gently. “I’m sorry I’m late,” I said calmly. “There was an emergency at the hospital p>
Damien studied my face, like he was expecting me to apologize to him as well. I could almost hear his thoughts, how he was judging me. Ashley rolled her eyes openly. She scoffed and stomped her foot. George’s cane tapped sharply against the floor. He looked at me and his wrinkled eyes softened.
“I understand, child. Come. Sit down. You look exhausted.” He looked at me with concern. “Have you eaten p>
I shook my head slightly. “Not properly p>
“That won’t do,” he said firmly. He turned to Damien and Ashley. “You will bring her dinner. Both of you. Now p>
It wasn’t a request. It was an order.
The room seemed to hold its breath as Damien hesitated. He looked at his grandfather in disbelief. Ashley narrowed her eyes too. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something but stopped.
As they left, Grandpa George leaned closer to me.
“You’ve grown stronger,” he said quietly. “But you’re far too thin p>
I smiled. “I’ve been busy p>
He chuckled softly. “That sounds like you. Always carrying the weight of the world. Even when it was never yours to carry p>
We talked while we waited. He asked about my work, my patients, the hospital. I answered honestly. I felt a bit free for the first time since arriving. He even cracked a joke about pack politics, and I surprised myself by laughing. It felt strange, laughing here. With everything I had endured here, it felt almost forbidden.
When Damien and Ashley returned, the tension came back with them.
Damien placed a tray down in front of me. Ashley all but dropped her plate onto the table.
We ate in silence. The clink of cutlery sounded too loud in the huge dining room. George watched me closely. Damien avoided looking at me. Ashley pushed her food around.
When the meal ended, George cleared his throat.
“It’s only proper,” he said looking at me, “for Damien to keep you company here p>
My body went still for a second.
“No,” I said calmly “That won’t be necessary p>
Damien’s head snapped up. George studied me more closely then.
“I see,” he said quietly. After a pause, his shoulders sagged “The manor has grown very empty,” he admitted. “I am… tired of being alone p>
His vulnerability caught me off guard. He didn’t sound like the strong Alpha I knew. Right now, he sounded like an old man asking for comfort.
“Having you here,” he continued, “even for one night, would mean more to me than you know p>
I hesitated.
Staying meant reopening wounds. Sharing space with Damien. Enduring Ashley being mean to me longer than necessary. But George’s eyes held something sincere, something fragile.
“I’ll stay,” I said finally. “But I’ll keep to myself p>
His face brightened immediately. “Thank you, Sophia p>
Damien looked conflicted. Ashley was so angry that she was red in the face.
Without another word, I stood and excused myself, walking straight toward the stairs.
Behind me, something crashed to the floor. From the sound of it, I guessed Ashley knocked something to the floor. She always did that when she was angry.
Why was she angry?
I couldn’t be bothered to care.