Chapter 26 Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Chapter 26
ZANE
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 
I should have killed her. 
Jax glared at me from where he stood against the wall, arms crossed like he was already planning my funeral. Luca couldn't tear his fucking eyes off Mira, hovering over her like some lovesick pup, while I stood here with my blood pounding in my ears, thinking about how I was about to lose her before I even had the chance to claim her. To bury myself inside that tight little body of hers and make her scream my name until she forgot the other two existed. 
We were back in the room now, the air thick with the stench of dirt and fear rolling off Sofia. The bitch had taken a bath, scrubbed the grime from her skin, but it didn't hide the bruises blooming on her arms or the way her eyes darted like a cornered animal. 
Mira had wrapped her in a blanket, fussing over her like a mother hen, while the rest of us circled them like predators deciding who got the first bite. Sofia sat on the edge of the bed, trembling just enough to sell whatever bullshit story she was about to spin. 
Mira leaned in, her voice soft, too fucking soft for this world. "What happened, Sofia? You were gone. No one has seen you for days!. We thought... gods, we thought something terrible." 
Sofia's eyes flicked up. Straight to me. Lips parting slow, like she was tasting the words before she spit them out. My heart slammed against my ribs, a brutal rhythm that made my vision tunnel. This was it. She was going to expose me. Spill every dirty secret—how I'd dragged her to that old cabin, tied her up like the whore she was, kept her there to shut her mouth about our fucks. How she'd begged, offered more, and I'd taken it because why the hell not? Mira would look at me with those wide eyes, see the monster underneath, and I'd lose her. Lose the chance to mark her, breed her, make her mine before my brothers ruined everything. 
Sweat beaded on my forehead. My fists clenched at my sides until my knuckles cracked. Say it, bitch. Say it and watch me snap your neck right here. 
But Sofia's gaze dropped. She shook her head, a sob bubbling up from her throat. Tears streaked down her cheeks, mixing with the remnants of dirt she'd missed. 
"I... I went for a run in the woods. Needed to clear my head. And then... they came out of nowhere. Some other pack men. I didn't see their faces. They grabbed me. Pinned me down. And they... they did things to me." 
Her voice cracked on the last word, body curling in on itself like she'd shatter if anyone touched her. Mira gasped, pulling her into a hug, murmuring comforts while Luca's face twisted in rage, his wolf flashing gold in his eyes. Jax just watched, unreadable as always. 
But I knew the truth. We all knew the truth. She was lying through her pretty little teeth. Hell, when Jax had told me that night that I needed to "finish Sofia" before she blabbed to Mira about us fucking behind her back, I'd gone to the cabin ready to end it. She'd been tied to the bedpost, wrists raw from the ropes, but the moment I walked in, she'd looked up with those tear-streaked eyes and whispered, "Please, Zane. I'll do anything. Let me show you." 
I'd hesitated. Stupid fucking mistake. She'd dropped to her knees, hands fumbling at my belt even with the ties biting into her skin. And gods, she sucked good. Slow at first, teasing with her tongue, then deep, throat working around me like she was born for it. I'd gripped her hair, fucked her mouth until I came down her throat, telling myself I'd kill her after. But I held off. A few more days, I thought. A few more uses. Now the cunt had escaped, and here she was, spinning her sob story while Mira ate it up. 
My cock twitched at the memory, even as bile rose in my throat. I wanted to strangle her. Make her choke on her lies the way she'd choked on me. 
Jax tilted his head toward the door, a subtle jerk that said we need to talk. I nodded, jaw tight. We slipped out while Mira cooed over Sofia, Luca staying behind like the loyal dog he was. 
The hallway was dim, shadows clinging to the walls like secrets. The second we were out of earshot, Jax spun on me. His hand shot out, slamming into my chest, shoving me back against the stone wall so hard the air punched out of my lungs. Pain bloomed across my ribs, but I didn't flinch. 
"What the fuck, Zane?" he growled, low and lethal, face inches from mine. His breath was hot, eyes burning with that cold fire he always kept leashed. 
"Why didn't you take care of it? I told you to finish her. Bury the body where no one would find it. But no, you had to keep your little fucktoy alive a few more days." 
I shoved him back, hard enough to make him stagger a step. My wolf rose, snarling inside me, claws itching to rip out. "Back off, Jax. You think it's that easy? She was useful. Kept her mouth shut with my cock down her throat." 
He laughed, sharp and bitter, no humor in it. "Useful? She's in there right now, spinning lies to Mira. One wrong word, and Mira finds out you were balls-deep in her best friend while we were supposed to be claiming her. You think Mira will spread her legs for you after that? You'll lose your shot at the heir. At everything." 
I grabbed his shirt, yanking him close until our foreheads nearly cracked together. "You think I don't know that? I was going to end it. Snap her neck clean. But she escaped. Probably chewed through the ropes like the rat she is." My voice dropped, venom lacing every word. "Don't act like you're clean, brother. I see the way you look at Mira. Like you want to tie her down and break her slow." 
Jax's eyes narrowed, hands coming up to grip my wrists, squeezing until bones ground together. Pain shot up my arms, but I held on. "That's the difference between us. I control it. You? You're sloppy. Weak. If I miss my chance with Mira because of your fuck-up, I'll kill you myself. Rip your throat out and watch you bleed." 
He shoved me again, harder this time, and I hit the wall with a thud that echoed down the hall. Then he turned, stalking away without another word, shoulders tense, disappearing into the shadows like the ghost he was. 
I stayed there, back against the cold stone, chest heaving. My mind raced, a storm of rage and regret. How the fuck had I let this happen? Sofia was a loose end I should have tied off days ago. Now she was back, playing the victim, and one slip could unravel everything. Mira was already pulling away, her eyes haunted by whatever ghosts lived in her head. If she found out about Sofia... about the times I'd fucked her in secret, using her to scratch the itch while waiting for Mira to break... it'd be over. No heir. No claim. Alpha would laugh his ass off and hand the pack to one of my brothers. 
Footsteps echoed softly down the hall. I tensed, ready to snap at whoever it was. But it was her. Sofia. Clean now, hair damp from the bath, wearing one of Mira's spare dresses that hugged her curves too tight. She stopped a few feet away, head tilted, a small smile playing on her lips that didn't reach her eyes. 
"What the fuck do you want?" I snarled, pushing off the wall. 
She stepped closer, unafraid. Stupid bitch. "Zane." Her voice was soft, almost a purr. "You look tense." 
I moved fast and my hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her throat, slamming her back against the opposite wall. She gasped, eyes widening, but she didn't fight, she Just stared up at me, pulse racing under my palm. I squeezed, not enough to kill—yet—but enough to make her wheeze. "You better not say a goddamn word to Mira. About us. About the cabin. Or I'll kill you. Slow. Make you beg like you did before." 
Her lips curved up, even as her face turned red. She laughed loudly, a choked, broken sound that grated on my nerves.
"You can't kill me." Her hands came up, nails digging into my wrist, but not to pull away. To hold on. "Not unless you want Mira to know what a sick, twisted bastard you are. How you tied me up. Fucked my mouth while I cried. Kept me like a pet because you couldn't wait for her." 
I squeezed harder. Her eyes watered, but the laugh didn't stop. It bubbled out, mocking me. "She'd hate you. Run from you. And you'd lose everything." 
Rage boiled in my veins. I wanted to crush her windpipe. Watch the life drain from her eyes. But she was right. Mira was too soft, too broken already. One more truth, and she'd shatter. I'd lose my shot at her—at the heir, at the power my father dangled like a bone. 
I released her. She slumped against the wall, coughing, rubbing her throat. But that smile stayed. She pushed off, straightening her dress, and walked away without a backward glance. Hips swaying like she owned the place. 
I stood there, fists clenched, breath ragged. What the fuck was I going to do? Kill her now and risk Mira finding the body? Let her live and wait for the knife in my back? The bond pulled at me, urging me back to Mira's room, to claim what was mine before my brothers did. But Sofia's laugh echoed in my head like a poison I couldn't shake. 
Fuck. I was screwed.