Chapter 2

"Mummy, who was that man? Is he really your family?"

I froze behind my daughter as we laid cuddling that night. Family? The word tasted bitter.

Stroking her arm, I said calmly, "The only family I have is you, baby. That man mistook me for someone else."

My chest tightened. Her words were a trigger. Jake flashed in my mind and it sent me back to the day he ruined my idea of family.

I thought blood or not he would always be my brother, but four years ago, he looked at me with cold eyes holding Emma as she sobbed in his arms. She claimed she had fallen down the stairs but she and I knew what happened.

I walked into her trap.

"Sofia, how can you be so heartless?" His words were as cold as ice. "From today, you're not part of the Dallas family. I don't want a heartless, inconsiderate sister like you. If you're going to try to harm Liv, then get out of our lives. She's the only sister I have."

He growled the words as his alpha aura suffocated the air. The only thing stopping him from tearing me from limb to limb was Emma being in his arms.

There were tears in her eyes as she sobbed but when she turned to look at me, she smirked.

This was her plan all along. To turn Jake against me.

"I didn't do it!" I dropped to my knees before my brother and grabbed his leg. My wolf trembled inside, afraid under his alpha aura.

"Please believe me. I didn't push her. She's lying." I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face, heart twisting painfully but fierce cold eyes stared down at me.

He shrugged me off like I was gum under his feet and in the process, his boot connected with my stomach.

The pain numbed my brain and I clutched my stomach in pain. I groaned, curling into a ball. In the past, Jake couldn't stand to see me in pain. He would get on his knees quickly and find a solution.

This time, he yelled at me. Pissed and irritated. "Stop being so dramatic, Sofia! Goddess! You're so annoying!"

Then he drove his shoe into my stomach.

Once. Twice. He kicked me over and over again. "Now I'll give you something to cry about!"

The pain exploded in my body and I screamed through it. But the more I screamed, the harder the kicks came. When I finally realized he was irritated with my voice, I pressed my hands to my mouth to shut up and that's when he stopped.

I could taste blood in my mouth. I was sobbing quietly on the floor, shaking from the trauma as he walked away, holding Emma like she was all he cared about in the world.

My eyes snapped open and I clutched my daughter tighter into me until I stopped shaking. I swore I'd never cry for them, but the tears rolled down anyway.

Four years and my body still remembered what he did to me.

I spent the night reliving my nightmares and by morning, I tried to shake it off by taking Ana to the park. Under the warm sunlight, I breathed fresh air and allowed nature to wash away my pains, until a sleek black car pulled over beside us.

Before the windows rolled down, my wolf caught a familiar scent.

One that sent cold shivers down my spine. I drew Ana close as the car window rolled down.

My breath hitched.

Jake.

What was he doing here?

How did he- oh. Oliver . Of course he ran to tell the alpha who he saw.

Jake's face morphed into relief as he stepped down from the car in his expensive suit and when I looked down at his shoes, the haunting memories flooded me again.

"It's really you."

I wrinkled my nose and tipped my head up. No longer will I lower my gaze or shrink myself before any of them. "Alpha." I said, cold and distant.

"You're my sister, Sofia. You don't need to call me-"

"I was never your sister, Alpha Jake. I clearly remember you disowning me," I cut in quickly and sharply.

His eyes widened. He froze in shock, hurt boldly written on his face. "Sofia, no. I could never disown you-"

So I told him about that day. The one where he kicked me without pause. Without care. Where he walked out on me and left me to possibly die. His face fell as I spoke and guilt settled on his features. He couldn't look me in the eye again.

"You don’t need to feel bad, Alpha. You did what you thought was right." My words were sharp despite the turmoil I was having inside.

"That's not what I meant-"

But I continued, "Are you here because you're afraid I'll use your precious Dallas name to do something bad? Don't worry. I changed my name a long time ago."

He stared at me with wide eyes.

"I'm Sofia. I'm not the fake sister anymore. I'm just Sofia." I clutched Ana's hand to drag me back from the dark clouds in my head. She was my safe space. The only thing keeping me sane.

Jake had tears in his eyes. His hands balled into fists by his side.

I turned to leave, pulling my daughter along, "If you'll excuse me-"

“It's been four years, aren't you a bit relieved to see me? I searched everywhere for you.”

“Relieved?” I scoffed and turned to his desperate face. “Four years and I knew I was relieved to be away from you and your fake promises, your abuse and your humiliation.”

His eyes were bloodshot red, devastation clouded his face and tears threatened to fall but I wasn't moved by all this.

"Let me take you home at least!" he offered, throwing it out there like a last resort to get close to me. His voice was broken and defeated as he whispered. "Please.”