Betrayal And Redemption (Wolves of Hollow Ridge Book 1)

Chapter 13. The Return!

Unlucky for some? Unlucky for Sophie!

The morning of Zack's promised return dawned bright and clear, much to Sophie's disgust. It should be dark and cloudy, rain and thunder pounding. Because then it would match her mood.

She had been awake much of the night after yet another nightmare made it impossible to get back to sleep. She was beyond done with this situation. The sooner she told him she wasn't going back with him the sooner she could get on with her life. And that's exactly what she intended to tell him.

She stood in her small kitchen sipping her fourth cup of coffee of the morning when she heard the sound of an engine approaching from the road. She sighed gustily and slammed her mug on the scarred counter, squared her shoulders and marched towards the door.

With her hand on the lock she took a moment to compose herself and threw open the door just as she heard footsteps on the porch.

But to her surprise and dismay, it was not Zack who stood there. It was Ron Stevens. What the hell was he doing back here. So much for Zack keeping everyone else away, she might have known he wouldn't keep his word.

Sophie pulled the door half over to block his entry, just in case, and reached her hand into the slot built into the panel of the door withdrawing her handgun and holding it behind the door.

"What are you doing back here?" She demanded angrily. "Did I not make myself clear when I told you what would happen if you came back here?"

Ron crossed his arms over his chest and smirked down at Sophie. "I told you I would be back girly, if you didn't return yourself. And lookee here, you didn't do the right thing. So here I am. And make no mistake girly, I will be taking you back to Hollow Ridge with me today whether you like it or not!" He declared, his chest puffed out, filled with self importance. "So you just run along now and get your stuff and we will be on our way."

Sophie's jaw dropped in astonishment. For a few seconds she couldn't even form the words scrabbling around in her brain trying to get out. She closed her mouth with a snap and released a growl her wolf would have been proud of and snarled between gritted teeth. "Get the fuck off my porch and off my land! I told you and your buddies the last time, I wasn't coming back and I will not repeat myself."

Ron huffed an annoyed breath and said angrily. "Why do you have to be difficult girly? I told you already, you are coming with me! Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, it don't matter to me which, but just remember if you choose the hard way and you wind up getting hurt it's on you."

Sophie gasped at the not so thinly veiled threat. "I'm not going anywhere with you, you arrogant, self important little prick. Who the hell do you think you are? I will not be threatened or intimidated by you or anyone else! Go back to your Alpha and tell him that. Now for the last time get off my property!"

Sophie watched as Ron's face turned an alarming shade of red and his eyes narrowed, his rage growing as she spoke. He growled menacingly and his eyes began to bleed red, a sure sign his wolf was close to the surface. As Sophie released the safety on her gun Ron suddenly stepped forward and put his hand on the door as if to push it open. She brought her hand out from behind the door and raised her gun, pointing it to the middle of his barrel chest.

"The first bullet is lead!" She told him, her calm voice at complete odds with her pounding heart. "The rest are silver. I don't want to shoot you, but if you take one more step I will."

Ron looked at the gun pointed right at his heart and took a half step back, he looked the the young woman in front of him a frown forming. "You won't shoot me girly, you don't have the guts!" He growled. He took another step forward and leaned down, his forehead almost touching hers. "Why do you have to make this so difficult? Now I'm getting tired of all this," he waved his hand negligently towards the gun still pointed at him, "put your toy away and let's GO!" He shouted the last word in her face and moved to grab her arm.