The pack's people watched as the stranger walked through their territory. Looming eyes and presences fixed on the stranger.
She knew what they all thought of her as if she could smell their distrust in the air. Sophie sighed. She couldn't blame them, though.
She didn't know how trusting she would be of a stranger if she were in their position.
Theo's hand squeezed hers more tightly, maybe to reassure her of his support. His presence was enough. The fact that he believed her beyond all else was enough.
Sophie was still deep in her thoughts when out of nowhere her body was suddenly dragged to the side. Her chest pushed harshly against his, the air being knocked out of her sharply. As soon as the confusion about his actions dispersed, questions arose.
Her lips were formed to utter a question, but before she could, his finger was placed to bar the words from escaping.
Two men walked, and the silence was interrupted as they chatted heartily. As soon as the men passed, his finger fell from her delicate lips, signifying that she could now speak.
"Why did you do that?"
"That was my cousin and his father, the Beta of this pack, who just walked by. I don't need my father finding out about this before I get a chance to tell him myself."
"Your father is—"
"The Alpha. Yes." Theo cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
She knew she had felt something about him, something powerful, but she had never expected this.
"What exactly do you not want him finding out about because he must know about me by now, right?"
"Come with me." A boyish smile was now present on his face, and she was almost certain that meant trouble. He ran to the front of what seemed to be a house, and her eyes barely got to scan the interior before he dragged both of them up the stairs.
"Pick," he simply stated, and her eyebrow rose in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Pick one."
She pointed in a random direction and hoped that whatever she was picking wasn't the wrong choice.
"Great. Now it's all yours."
He pushed a door, and it opened to reveal a room; breathtaking was, to say the least. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in all the light that activated the vibrant colors that brought the room to life. She was simply in awe.
"This is beautiful." To that, he only smiled.
"I have to leave now to talk to my father about you."
"What do you think he'll say?"
"I don't know. We'll just have to hope for the best and that he doesn't try to override my decision."
"But—"
"I have to go talk to him now, so just stay here. I'll send someone I trust to come and help you. And don't run away, okay?"
His words were genuine, and so were hers.
"I won't. We made a deal, right?"
"That's true. See you soon, Sophie."
***
Theo exited the room and instantly felt all the pressure that was placed on him. It was like a thousand bricks had rested on his shoulders. They were pushing him down but ultimately also strengthening him for the task he had to do.
He had never defied his father's wishes before. This, though, was a different circumstance because even though he didn't have the answers his father wanted, he knew this was the right thing to do. Theo was going to stick with his course of action and pray like hell he didn't feel the wrath of the Alpha.
Before leaving the house, he searched for a guard that could temporarily watch over Sophie. As promised, he made sure it was someone he trusted, someone that had been a warrior in the pack for many years.
When he found someone, he handed out his instructions before leaving.
Theo ran down the stairs quickly, as he wanted to get to his father before the news of Sophie's move from the cells reached him.
He found his father in the grand hall soon enough.
"Father, can we speak for a moment?"
"Sure, son."
They walked away from the grand hall to find a more private room to talk. Theo was once again straightforward in his discussions, and he revealed the truth of his actions.
"She's no longer in the cells."
"What?!" his father exclaimed. "Where is she then?"
"I moved her to a room."
"Why? Did she give you the information you asked of her?"
"No." Theo shook his head. "She can't."
"Why not!"
"Father, calm down. You said that this was my responsibility, and I took it on with the full intention of solving the problem. The thing is it can't be solved, at least not as easy as you want it to, and dismissing that fact won't change it."
At that moment, he saw something in his father's eyes, he didn't recognize what it was, but it wasn't important right now.
"I promise you I am handling it, and I need you to go along with my decision."
The older man huffed. "Fine, son, but as you just said, it's your decision, so if anything goes wrong, the fault falls on you."
"I completely understand."
Then, the look in his father's eyes softened. "You make me more proud every day, son."
The words were uttered with such love and sincerity that it shocked him to the core. It wasn't the fact that he and his father didn't get along. In fact, they did very well. It was just that the old man wasn't the emotional type, and he always chose to keep his feelings on the inside rather than expressed.
Right now, though, the smile that graced Theo's face could light up the world.
***
Theo walked back to Sophie's room, a lot more enthusiastic than when he had first left.
The guard that Theo had assigned was still there, standing watch. When he noticed that Theo had returned, he bowed before retreating.
With a light knock on the door, Theo announced his presence, only to get a slight shuffle behind the door in return.
"It's me," he spoke up, and immediately the latch was unlocked.
Sophie poked her head out. "What happened?"
"No one else in this entire pack would believe me if I said this, but he said he was proud of me. My father spoke those words out loud, maybe for the first time ever." He laughed.
"I take it you two don't get along well?"
"No, we get along great. It's just... My father isn't a very outspoken man. He'll be proud of you but probably never tell you."
Theo walked into the room past Sophie, essentially uninvited. Her brow raised, and he looked around in confusion before a blush blessed his face when he realized what he had done.
"My apologies, I wasn't even thinking," he stated as he walked back towards the door. She quickly stopped him from exiting, shutting the door before he could leave.
"It's okay. Now tell me everything."
Theo began to tell her of the exchange between him and his father, and she listened attentively.
She liked to watch him when he was like this, his eyes coming alive with the happiness he felt below the surface. She was fortunate enough to see it, and somehow that felt like a privilege she experienced.
***
The night went on much faster than any of them had realized, and soon enough, it was almost midnight.
"Wow. I can't believe we've been up talking this long," Theo said.
"Yeah. It's really surprising."
She shuffled around almost nervously, and it piqued his interest.
"How so?" Theo raised his eyebrow in question, and she turned her head before she responded.
"I meant only that we spent a lot of hours together. It was unexpected."
"For me as well, but I think it's time I take off. Are you going to be okay here alone, or should I have someone guard your door?"
It sounded like he was joking, but somehow she knew that he would do it anyway. She was still a stranger to his home. And to order a guard to stand watch at her door was the least he should do to ensure his people's safety.
"Yeah, I think I'll need a guard."
His tone got serious once she said those words, and somehow he felt the need to inch closer to her.
"Well, I was partly joking about that, but you do understand that it's for both of our safety, right? It's not to keep you..."
Sophie smiled softly. "I do, and we both need some rest, so good night, Theo."
"You're right. Have a good night, Sophie."
He bid her farewell, then exited the room, shutting the door behind him. A guard was already waiting outside the room, and Theo instantly knew who had sent him.
He only nodded in acknowledgment before he walked away. The guard nodded back and took his place at her door.
Theo ran down the stairs quickly, thinking about how the day had progressed. Suddenly, the faintest smell of smoke wafted into his nostrils, and his eyes lit up with panic. He pushed the door open and ran out into the clearing in search of fire. From there, he saw the embers of terror as they wafted through the night's sky.
It was like he became immobile, all of his limbs shutting down as his eyes saw the target of the flames.
"Father," his voice cracked as he uttered the word.
Theo had no idea where he found the strength, but he pushed off and erupted into a sprint. His feet brought him towards the site of the grand hall, the sight bringing tears to his eyes.
The building was ablaze, and somewhere deep down inside, he knew that nothing could escape the burn. But still, he had to try. So, in one swift motion, he rushed in and broke through the burning doors.