Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever-Chapter 145 Protecting You

SOPHIA’S POV

I was half-asleep when I felt the mattress dip. Before I could react, someone pinned me down. I felt a large hand covering my mouth to muffle any scream.

My wolf moved forward, ready to fight, but then the scent hit me.

As soon as I caught the scent, I recognized it instantly.

Zade.

I struggled hard, trying to push him off with my good arm. He was heavier, stronger, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

"Stop fighting me," Zade murmured against my ear. His breath was hot on my skin.

What the hell was he doing here?

I turned my head away. My whole body shuddered as his breath brushed my neck. My wolf was confused - recognizing him as not-threat while my human side screamed at the invasion.

He shifted his weight, and his hand accidentally pressed against my injured arm.

I couldn’t stop the whimper of pain that escaped. I screamed as the pain hit me.

Zade froze instantly. "What-"

He rolled off me and reached for the bedside lamp. He turned it on. I blinked against the sudden brightness.

"Let me see," Zade demanded. His eyes were fixed on my arm.

"I’m fine." I pulled away from him. "Get out of my room, Zade. How did you even get in here?"

"Your window was unlocked." He moved closer. "Show me your arm."

"No. Leave me alone."

My phone rang on the nightstand. Lance’s name flashed on the screen. I reached for it with my left hand.

Zade was faster. He snatched the phone, glanced at the caller ID, and slipped it into his pocket.

"Hey!" I protested. "Give that back!"

"Not until you let me see your arm." His voice dropped to alpha command. "Don’t move. Show me the wound...now."

I knew that tone. I knew that trying to fight an alpha in full command mode was useless, especially when my wolf was already inclined to submit to him.

With my good hand, I slowly rolled up my right sleeve.

The bandage was soaked through with fresh blood. I’d reopened the wound at some point during the day and hadn’t bothered to change the dressing.

Zade’s face darkened. His eyes flashed gold. "Who did this to you?"

"It was an accident-"

"Don’t lie to me." His voice was low and dangerous. "Who. Hurt. You."

"I fell down some stairs. That’s all." I tried to pull my sleeve back down, but Zade caught my wrist gently.

"Did Damien do this?" The anger in his voice made my wolf whimper. "Did he put his hands on you?"

"No!" I said quickly. "Damien didn’t - it wasn’t him."

"Then who?" Zade’s grip on my wrist tightened slightly. "Tell me who hurt you so I can tear them apart."

"It doesn’t matter-"

"It matters to me!" His voice rose. "You’re protecting someone. Even now, even bleeding, you’re protecting them. Is it Damien? His family?"

I looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"It was his family," Zade said, reading my silence correctly. "Which one? His mother? His brother?"

"Zade, please-"

"You’re still protecting them." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. it was a bitter laugh. "Even after everything they’ve done to you. Even bleeding through your bandages because you couldn’t be bothered to take proper care of yourself. You’re still protecting the people who hurt you."

"I’m not protecting anyone"

"Then tell me who did this." Zade’s eyes burned with intensity. "Let me handle it. Let me make sure they never hurt you again."

"And what would that accomplish?" I pulled my wrist from his grip. "More violence? More drama? I’m trying to move on with my life, Zade. Not start a war."

"They hurt you." His voice was flat "That means war has already started."

Despite his anger, his hands were gentle as he examined my arm.

"Where’s your first aid kit?" he asked.

"I don’t need-"

"Where. Is. It."

I sighed. "Bathroom. under the sink."

He disappeared and returned moments later with the kit. Without asking permission, he sat on the bed beside me and began carefully unwrapping the soaked bandage.

I tried to pull away. "I can do this myself"

"Stop being stubborn for five minutes and let someone take care of you." Zade’s voice was softer now. "Please."

The "please" broke through my resistance. I sat still, watching as he cleaned the wound with surprising gentleness for someone so clearly furious.

"You reopened it," he muttered. "Probably at work, right? Because you pushed yourself too hard instead of resting."

"I had patients"

"You are a patient right now." He applied fresh antiseptic. I flinched in pain. As soon as I did that, his jaw went tight. "You can’t help anyone else if you don’t help yourself first."

"That’s what the other doctor said."

"Then maybe you should listen." Zade wrapped clean bandages around my arm. "Where did you learn to ignore pain like this?"

"Years of practice."

Zade’s hands froze “Damien."

"My marriage taught me a lot of things. Pain tolerance was one of them."

When he finished bandaging my arm, Zade didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled me carefully into his arms, pressing my face against his chest.

"What are you-"

"Shhh." His hand stroked my hair gently. "Just let me hold you for a minute."

I should have pushed him away. I should have maintained boundaries. I should have remembered all the reasons this was a bad idea.

But I was so tired, so worn down. And his arms felt safe in a way nothing else did.

"Sometimes," Zade murmured into my hair, "I wish I could shrink you down and keep you in my pocket. So, no one could ever take you away from me again. So, I could protect you from everyone who wants to hurt you."

The words should have sounded creepy, possessive or controlling.

Instead, they just sounded... sad.

Like he knew he was fighting a losing battle but couldn’t stop trying.

"That’s not how it works," I said quietly against his chest. "You can’t protect someone by keeping them locked away."