Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever-Chapter 67 Wanting Him

SOPHIA’S POV

I met Lance at a small Italian restaurant the next evening. Nothing fancy, just a quiet place where we could talk without being interrupted. I’d spent the whole day with Ashley that morning, helping her get ready for school and making her lunch. She’d been happy to see me, which stopped some of the guilt that had been eating at me.

Lance was already there when I arrived. He stood up when he saw me, pulling out my chair like a gentleman. "You look better than yesterday. You look like you rested."

"I actually slept for once." I smiled then sat down and picked up the menu. "Probably because I have something to look forward to now. The doctoral program."

"Have you told Professor Archer yes officially?"

"I called him. It’s done. I’m enrolled." Just saying it out loud made me smile. "Classes start in six weeks. I’m nervous and excited at the same time."

"You should be excited. This is huge, Sophia." Lance’s eyes were warm. "You’re taking control of your life. You’re building something that’s yours."

We ordered food and spent the next hour talking about the program. Lance had done research in medical school too, so he understood what I was getting into. He asked about my focus areas and what kind of projects I hoped to work on. For the first time in months, I felt like myself again. Not Damien’s ex-wife. Not Ashley’s absent mother. Just Sophia, a doctor with dreams and ambitions.

"I brought you something." Lance reached into his bag and pulled out several thick textbooks. "These are from my own doctoral studies. The material is still relevant. I figured they might help you get started."

I took the books, running my hand over them. My wolf howled with joy. "Lance, these must have cost a fortune. I can’t accept-"

"You can and you will. Consider it an investment in your future." He smiled. "Besides, they were just collecting dust on my shelf. At least with you, they’ll be useful."

"Thank you." My throat felt tight with so many emotions. My eyes burned with tears. "For everything. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself."

"You always had it in you. You just needed to remember."

We were laughing about something Professor Archer had done during one of Lance’s classes when I felt it. I felt that prickle on the back of my neck. It was the sense of being watched. My wolf became alert. I turned slightly and my heart stopped.

Damien was there. He was seated at a table just behind us. Tiffany sat across from him. They must have come in while Lance and I were deep in conversation. I hadn’t noticed.

Damien was staring at me. His expression was unreadable but his eyes were intense. He looked at how close Lance and I were sitting. My wolf whined, confused by the look on our mate’s face.

Tiffany noticed where Damien’s attention had gone. She turned and saw us too. Her smile was sharp as she deliberately touched Damien’s hand on the table. She was claiming him, marking her territory.

I forced myself to look away. I forced myself to turn back to Lance and pretend I hadn’t seen them. "Tell me more about your research methods. I want to make sure I’m prepared."

Lance must have noticed my sudden tension because he glanced over his shoulder. When he saw Damien, his eyes got dark "Do you want to leave?"

"No. We were here first. I’m not running away." I picked up my wine glass "Besides, I’m having a good time. I refuse to let him ruin it."

So, we stayed. We finished our dinner and continued talking but I was aware of Damien the entire time. I was aware of his eyes on me. I was aware of how my wolf reacted to his presence even though we were trying to ignore him..

When we finally left, I didn’t look back at Damien’s table. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d affected me. Lance walked me to my car and gave me a hug goodnight.

He smiled "You did great in there by standing your ground."

"I don’t feel great. I feel exhausted." I leaned against my car. "Does it ever get easier? Seeing your ex with someone new?"

"I don’t know. I’ve never been married." Lance squeezed my shoulder. "But I imagine it gets easier with time eventually."

I hoped he was right. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

-

The next morning I was at Stone Villa early, getting ready to help Ashley with breakfast. I’d worn a nice dress, wanting to look put together. But when I reached behind to adjust something, I felt the zipper sliding down. It had come undone somehow.

I tried to reach it but couldn’t get the right angle. My wolf was frustrated with our human limitations. I was standing there struggling when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Here." Damien’s voice was quiet.

Before I could protest, his hands were on my back. He pulled the zipper it up slowly. His touch was warm against my skin. His touch was gentle in a way I hadn’t felt from him in years. My wolf practically purred at the contact with our mate. My breath caught.

"There” he said in a husky tone.

But he didn’t step away immediately. His hands stayed on my body for just a second longer than necessary.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He moved past me without another word, heading toward his office. I stood there trying to calm my racing heart. I tried to ignore how my body had responded to such a simple touch.

I went to the kitchen to make Ashley’s favorite soup for lunch later. I was at the stove stirring the pot when the lid started rattling. The pressure was building too fast. It was going to blow.

"Watch out!" Damien appeared from nowhere.

He pulled me backward into his arms just as the lid flew up. His other hand shot out and caught it, stabilizing the pot before it could spill everywhere.

I was pressed against his chest. His arms were around me. I could feel his heart beating against my back. I could smell his sweet scent.

My wolf wanted to melt into him. We wanted to turn around and bury our face in his neck like we used to.

"Are you okay?" His breath was warm against my ear.

"Yes. I’m fine. Thank you." But I didn’t move. Neither did he.

We stood there for a moment. My heart was fluttering in my chest. This was wrong. I shouldn’t feel this way. He was with Tiffany now. He’d replaced me. But my body didn’t seem to care about logic. It only cared that our mate was holding us.

Finally, Damien stepped back. I missed his warmth instantly.

"Be more careful” he said coldly.

Then he was gone again. He left me standing at the stove with shaking hands and a heart that wouldn’t slow down. My wolf whimpered. She wanted him back. She wanted more of his touch, more of his attention.

But I couldn’t let myself feel this way. Couldn’t let one kind gesture erase everything he’d done. Everything he was still doing. He was with Tiffany. He’d made his choice.

And I needed to remember that.