Chapter 28

Sofia

Sofia sat in her hospital bed, staring at her cell phone. She was back, had been back for two weeks now, and still there was nothing. She hadn’t heard from Arthur. She wasn’t even sure if he knew she was in the hospital.

She frowned. It wasn’t like him to ignore her like this. She couldn’t honestly believe that she had upset him enough to earn this type of treatment. Arthur loved her and had always forgiven her for whatever she’d done.

But her pride wouldn’t allow her to call him again. Sofia had already talked to Arthur’s father and he had promised that Arthur would come visit her. She still hadn’t seen him though.

In fact, none of Arthur’s pack had been to see her. Her own pack had sent their well wishes, but her home was not near her original packlands. So she hadn’t had any in-person visits. Except for her parents. But they couldn’t stay due to their responsibilities.

It was strange. If she didn’t have nurses poking and prodding her at all hours, Sofia would wonder if she even existed anymore.

A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. Sofia sighed. It was probably just another nurse checking in on her.

“Come in,” she called, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone here. Why should she? She had nothing to prove to these people.

The door opened slowly and Sofia was surprised to see William, Arthur’s nephew, walk into the room.

Sofia visibly brightened. Perhaps they hadn’t forgotten about her after all. It wasn’t Arthur, but she wasn’t going to complain…much.

William walked to her bedside, setting a vase full of roses on the table next to her. They were a pale yellow that immediately made the room more cheerful. She breathed in their scent, relaxing just a little.

“Hello, Sofia. How are you feeling?” William asked softly and Sofia grimaced. She didn’t really want to talk about it. Her worst fears had come true. She would never be able to dance professionally again.

“I’ve been better. What are you doing here? Where’sArthur? Why hasn’t he come?” Sofia asked, her questions coming one right after the other. No one could ever accuse her of beating around the bush.

William smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just came to see you. Arthur sends his love. He’s sorry that he couldn’t be here. Something has come up in the pack that he can’t get away from. The flowers are from him.”

Even if Sofia wasn’t a wolf, she would have been able to see straight through that lie. William had never been good at deceit. She pressed her lips together in a thin line.

“Tell me the truth, William. Where. Is. Arthur?” She enunciated each word, her voice ending in a growl. William winced and looked everywhere but at her.

“Spit it out, William!” She commanded when he didn’t answer her. William bit his bottom lip, giving his face a boyish appearance. She’d find him handsome, but he wasn’t an alpha and therefore held no interest for her.

“Arthur doesn’t want to see you. I’m sorry that you have to hear it from me, but Arthur has moved on. He’s engaged to someone else,” William says, backing away slightly as if she could even get out of bed.

“What do you mean he’s engaged? We never broke up. How could he be engaged?” Sofia snapped, fisting her hands in the blanket. That didn’t make any sense. She’d only been gone for two weeks. She’d rejected his proposal, sure, but they hadn’t actually broken up.

“He introduced her to the family last week at the banquet. Her name is Almara. She’s a painter. Based on what the pack is saying, they are getting along really well,” William told her and she didn’t miss the look in his eyes as he said the last part. He wasn’t happy about that particular piece of news.

“You’ve met her?” Sofia asked carefully. She wanted to be sure of what she was seeing in William.

William’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! I got to watch her paint at the banquet. She’s amazing. I actually ended up buying the painting. She would have given it to me for free, but Arthur made me pay for it. I didn’t mind though. She deserves it.”

Sofia’s eyes narrowed and a cruel smile twisted her lips. While she didn’t love hearing about Arthur’s new fiance, it was clear to her that William had feelings for the girl. It might not have been love quite yet, but if she just gave him a little push, he could probably steal her from Arthur. Or at least come between them enough that Arthur leaves her himself.

“Well, I can’t say that I’m entirely happy about this. But the poor girl…As Arthur’s fiance, she must be very busy,” Sofia said casually. She knew Arthur well enough that he would never go for someone that just sit at home all day. The girl must have some kind of career.

“Yeah. The pack says that she works at some fancy art gallery in the city. And she’s also working with some famous artist, too. She’s rarely at home during the day. I haven’t had the chance to see her since the banquet.”

Sofia hummed with feigned sympathy. “She’s probably in need of a fun day off.”

“I’m sure Arthur’s taking care of her,” William said, defending his uncle. But Sofia could see the wheels turning in his head. He wanted to be the one to take care of….whatever her name was.

“Yes, you’re probably right,” Sofia said, but put enough sarcasm into her voice to further plant the seed of doubt.

“You’re taking this rather well, Sofia. I was worried that I might lose my head for a second,” William said suddenly and Sofia froze. Did he see through her?

Sofia laughed dryly. “If Arthur has decided to ghost me and move on, then that’s his loss. I’m not going to sit here and mope. I’m a princess. I always get what I want in the end.”

William offered her a small smile. Sofia had to work from curling her lips in a sneer. She didn’t need his pity. She was stronger than he gave her credit for. Even from a hospital bed, she could get what she wanted. And what she wanted was Arthur.

Who cares if she had to manipulate people along the way? It’s not like she could leave her hospital bed any time soon. The doctors had said she’d be there for at least a month.

“Well, I hope you feel better soon, Sofia. I’m sorry that I had to bring you bad news while you’re recovering,” William said, giving her another one of his small smiles. Sofia smiled back at him, using the one she usually reserved for TV appearances. “Thank you for coming to visit me! I really appreciate it!”

She watched him leave, knowing that was already planning to do what she wanted him to do. William would definitely go visit the girl, take her out, maybe even try to woo her while they were together. A slow smile spread across her face. Arthur would be hers again soon enough.