Chapter 39
Adrian Valehart
Maybe I really am losing my mind.
I spent the entire day buried in paperwork, rushing through meetings, signing off decisions I barely read, just to get the hell out of there in time.
All because of her.
I dumped so much on Cedric and Cael they didn’t even have time to question me when I left early, storming out without a single explanation.
Sofia.
She’s not powerful. She’s not rich. She’s not famous.
She’s nothing but a stubborn, arrogant half-blood who doesn’t even understand what she truly is.
But I do.
And now here I was — standing in the middle of that damn bar — staring at the door she had just walked out of, leaving me behind like a complete fool.
Like a dog who came running after her… just to protect her from that insolent cop.
My fists clenched at the memory of the way he looked at her.
Demanding to know who she was.
His eyes… they weren’t just curious.
There was something else. Something deeper.
But he didn’t get the message.
He didn’t understand.
No one touches what’s mine. Not even with their eyes.
Yeah.
She’s mine.
Even if she doesn’t know it yet.
My blood burned just thinking about her, saying she’d be back tomorrow.
That couldn’t happen. I needed to shut this down, find a way to keep her away from that place.
For a second, I felt a savage urge to burn it all to the ground. Wipe that filthy place off the map and be done with it.
But no, not everything in our world could be solved that way.
There were rules. Hierarchies. Protocols.
Fucking bureaucracy.
I let out a bitter sigh and walked slowly to the bar, still hearing whispers ripple through the room. The bartender, a young Beta who wouldn’t even look me in the eyes, poured me a few heavy shots of whiskey without waiting for me to ask.
Maybe he felt the tension pouring off me.
Maybe... he knew I needed to drown it all.
I knocked the drink back hard, welcoming the burn as it seared my throat, hoping it would scorch her image out of my head.
No use.
Every detail. Every curve. Every strand of her hair - engraved on me like a curse.
I left the bar with the whiskey buzzing hot in my veins, but it wasn’t enough. Not to calm the storm she left inside me.
I slammed the car door shut and leaned my head back against the seat, staring at the roof, trying to regain control of my own fucking body.
“How ironic,” I muttered with a dry laugh.
"A Valehart losing his damn mind over a half-blood."
That’s exactly what they’d say — after what I did.
After holding her like that.
A disgrace.
A scandal.
If word got out, it could take down my entire bloodline.
My family’s name.
Yes.
My reputation was on the line.
And yet...
I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
That look on her face — the fear, the confusion.
And me…
I’d risk everything to keep her safe.
I breathed deep, my eyes still fixed on the ceiling.
Ran a hand through my hair.
Felt the heat of the alcohol finally spreading through my body, slow and deep.
I needed to understand why that damn cop was so interested in her.
Needed to pull her out of that filthy world—because sooner or later, if I wasn’t there, something would happen.
Some hungry wolf was going to devour it.
And that...
That would destroy me.
Rip me and my wolf to fucking pieces.
I had to find a way. Even if it meant going against the entire pack… even if I had to go against my own family.
"Screw it."
If the world had to burn to keep her safe by my side, then let it burn until there’s nothing left but ash.
But first, of course… I’d try the Valehart way.
I pressed a hand against the steering wheel, head pounding with thoughts that refused to shut up.
I was sure that policeman was looking for something in her — something no one else could see.
But what the hell was it?
I lowered my head for a second, jaw tight, muscles tense.
Then reached for my phone in the passenger seat.
I needed answers.
Unlocked the screen. Dialed a number I rarely used.
This wasn’t a business contact.
Hell no.
This was someone I couldn’t be seen with. Not in public.
Someone from the other side—the kind of name my family liked to pretend didn’t exist.
But I wasn’t like the rest of the Valeharts.
I do what needs to be done.
“Mr. Valehart…” The voice answered on the first ring. Calm. Cold. Already knew who I was.
“It’s been a while.”
“I’ve got a problem,” I said flatly. “Some fucking fly is buzzing around what’s mine… and I want to know why.”
“An Alpha from a rival pack? A politician? Some cocky little CEO?”
“A cop.”
He chuckled, dry and amused.
“This is going to be fun. Send me everything you’ve got. I’ll dig deep.”
I hung up. No goodbyes.
I threw the phone on the seat next to me.
Then I finally turned on the car.
I pressed the accelerator. I felt the car rumble beneath me before I set off.
Sofia…
She might hate me for this.
She might scream. Push me. Say I’m crossing lines, controlling too much.
But I'd rather she hated me now... than cry in someone else's lap later.
“One way or another, I’ll make sure you stop going to that damn bar... Or my name isn’t Adrian Valehart.”