Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever-Chapter 55 Someone Even Worse

SOPHIA’S POV

I sat across from Zade in the diner booth.

My wolf was tense. She kept growling low warnings that I felt in my chest. She didn’t trust this man.

Neither did I, but I needed his help.

"So you want me to help this Lance person get his job back," Zade said, leaning back in his seat. He looked relaxed, like we were old friends catching up. "That’s a big ask, Sophia. Damien has a lot of influence. Undoing his work won’t be easy."

"I know it’s not easy. That’s why I came to you." I sighed. "You have just as much influence as he does, maybe more in some areas. If anyone can push back against him, it’s you."

"Flattery. I like that." Zade smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "But you still haven’t told me what’s in it for me. I’m a businessman, Sophia. I don’t do favors without getting something in return."

My stomach twisted. I’d known this was coming. I knew there would be a price.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Well, that depends." He leaned forward again. His eyes raked over me in a way that made my skin crawl. "How badly do you want to help your friend?"

The implication in his tone was clear. My wolf snarled. I felt heat rush to my face.

"I’m not offering that. If that’s what you’re thinking, you can forget it."

"I didn’t say anything." Zade held up his hands in mock innocence. "You’re the one who jumped to conclusions. Though I have to say, I’m flattered you thought of it."

"Don’t play games with me. I know exactly what you were suggesting."

"Alright, alright." He chuckled. "Let’s talk business then. I can make some calls, put pressure on the right people. Maybe get your friend transferred back to the hospital. Maybe even get you transferred back too, if that’s what you want."

I felt hopeful as he spoke.

"You could do that? Really?"

"I could but here’s the thing. " Zade’s smile returned, “Look, there’s a five-star hotel about ten minutes from here. It’s a beautiful place. I have a suite. We could go there, have some lunch, talk more privately. No pressure. We’ll just be two adults having a civilized conversation."

My jaw dropped. The audacity of him made me speechless for a second. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? I’m offering lunch."

"You’re offering a hotel room. Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending otherwise."

"Sophia, come on. Don’t be so uptight about it." he grinned widely. "We’re both adults. Both single now, or close enough. Why not enjoy ourselves a little?"

"I’m still married." I snapped.

I stood up, grabbing my purse from the seat beside me. "And even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be interested. You’re shameless, absolutely shameless."

"I prefer confident." He stood too, blocking my way out of the booth. He was tall and intimidating when he wanted to be. "But fine. If you’re not interested in that, we can still talk business. Just come to the hotel. We’ll have lunch in the restaurant downstairs. It’s a public place. Nothing inappropriate."

"Move."

My wolf was pushing hard now, wanting out. She wanted to show this alpha that we weren’t prey that we wouldn’t be cornered.

"Sophia, you came to me for help. Don’t leave now without at least hearing my full offer."

"I said move." My voice came out harder than before. I felt my canines come out a bit.

Zade’s eyes narrowed. He’d noticed something. Maybe the flash of gold in my eyes. Maybe the edge in my voice that was more wolf than human.

"Are you-"

"Is there a problem here?"

The voice came from behind Zade. My heart jumped. Lance stood there, still in his scrubs from the hospital. He must have just finished his shift.

"No problem," Zade said smoothly, not moving. "Just having a conversation with an old friend."

"Doesn’t look like a conversation. It looks like you’re blocking her way." Lance stepped closer. "Step aside."

"And who are you exactly?"

"Someone who doesn’t force people to stay somewhere they don’t want to be. So I’ll say it again. Step aside."

For a moment, the two men just stared at each other. The diner had gone quiet. I could feel people watching. Small town gossip in action. This would be all over Millbrook Falls by tonight.

Zade finally laughed and moved out of the way, holding his hands up.

"No need to get territorial. I was just leaving anyway." He looked at me. “Sophia, think about what I said. My offer stands. Call me when you change your mind."

He walked past Lance but he paused to say something. "Nice to see you’ve already found a replacement. That didn’t take long. Though I have to wonder what Damien will think about his wife shacking up with the help."

Lance’s jaw tightened but he didn’t respond. He just reached out and took my hand, pulling me gently toward the exit. I let him.

My wolf was still on edge, ready to fight or run. We moved past curious stares and whispered conversations.

Lance didn’t let go of my hand until we were halfway down the block, away from the diner.

Then he stopped and turned to face me. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine." My voice came out shakier than I wanted. "Thank you. For that. You didn’t have to—"

"Yes, I did." Lance’s expression was serious. "What were you doing meeting with Zade Harrington?"

"How do you even know who he is?"

"Everyone in business knows who Zade Harrington is. He’s ruthless" Lance studied my face. "Why were you with him, Sophia?"

I looked away. "I was trying to help you. I wanted to fix what Damien did to your career. Zade and Damien are rivals. I thought maybe Zade could undo the transfer."

Lance looked shocked. "So you went to someone just as bad as Damien?”

"I know it was stupid. I know that now." Tears burned my eyes but I blinked them back hard. "But I had to try something. You don’t deserve to be stuck here because of me. Your whole career shouldn’t suffer because Damien is-"

"Stop." Lance’s hands came up to cup my face, forcing me to look at him. "Listen to me very carefully. What happened to my career is not your fault. None of this is your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

"But-"

"Damien made choices. You don’t need to fix it. You definitely don’t need to put yourself in danger trying to fix it."

"I just wanted to help." My voice broke. My wolf whimpered inside me.

"I know. And that’s exactly why you’re nothing like him." Lance smiled. “Promise me something. Don’t go to people like Zade Harrington."

"Okay," I whispered. "I promise."

"Good." Lance dropped his hands from my face but took one of my hands in his again. The contact felt natural. My wolf hummed. "Now come on.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw missed calls from Damien. Three of them. My stomach dropped. There were also several texts.

"We need to talk."

"Call me back."

What the -?