Chapter 4. Poison Her Mind

Kane had never felt this lost before. He searched for Sophie, calling out her name and trying to pick up her scent. At first, he thought she might have gone for a walk in the woods, enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the wilderness.

As time went by, however, Kane's fear turned into doubt. He started to question himself, wondering whether he had pushed her too hard or scared her off with his domineering attitude.

All those thoughts raced through his mind as he climbed up the ladder to the roof of the cabin.

He knew he needed to find Sophie and talk to her, reassuring her that he loved her and would never hurt her.

As he emerged onto the rooftop, though, Kane saw her sitting there, her back against the wall, her head tilted upwards towards the starry sky.

"Sophie!" he said, his relief apparent in his voice. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Sophie didn't answer, though. She just kept staring at the sky, as if she were lost in her thoughts.

Kane stepped closer to her, and when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks, his heart broke. "What's wrong?" he asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

Sophie flinched away from him as if he had burned her. "Nothing," she said, trying to stifle her sobs. "I just needed some air."

Kane could smell the sadness and the fear emanating from her, and he knew that something had happened. "No, that's not true," he said. "You're crying. Please, Sophie, tell me what's wrong."

Sophie looked at him then, her eyes red and puffy. "You know what's wrong," she said. "Logan told me everything about you. He said you're a killer, a ruthless Alpha who's killed and fed on humans. Is that true, Kane?"

Kane felt like he had been punched in the gut. He knew that his reputation preceded him, but he had hoped that Sophie would see past it.

"Yes," he said, without hesitation. "I killed to protect my people, to keep them safe, and I also feed on humans. But that doesn't define me, Sophie. I'm not a monster. I would never hurt you."

Sophie shook her head. "I don't know what to believe," she said. "I'm scared, Kane. I'm scared of what you might do if I make the wrong move or don't follow your orders. Logan said that you punish your pack members harshly and that you don't tolerate dissent."

Kane felt his anger rising at Logan's words. He had trusted the other Alpha with his life, and Logan had repaid him by poisoning Sophie's mind against him.

"Logan is a liar," he said, his voice shaking with fury. "He's trying to turn you against me, to undermine my authority. He's jealous of what we have, Sophie. He wants to break us apart."

Kane couldn't believe that Logan would go this far. Wasn't he the same Logan with whom he had a little conversation a few hours ago?

Logan was something else. What is he planning to achieve? That was what Kane didn't know but would eventually find out.

Sophie looked at him then, really looked at him. She saw the pain and vulnerability in his eyes, and she felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe she was being too harsh on him. Maybe she was too quick to believe Logan's lies.

"I don't know, Kane," she said finally. "I don't know if I can be with someone who kills and punishes as you do. It goes against everything I believe in."

Kane felt like his heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. He had never felt so rejected or alone before.

"Please, Sophie," he said, taking her hands in his. "Give me a chance to prove myself. Let me show you that I'm not the monster Logan makes me out to be. I'll do anything, Sophie. Anything to make you happy."

Was the moon goddess wrong to make Sophie his mate? Kane was so possessive because he didn't want to lose her either.

Sophie looked at him then, and for a moment, she saw the Kane she had fallen in love with. The Kane she was fated to

Kane was strong, passionate, and kind. Kane, who had wooed her with his words and his touch But then she remembered Logan's words, and the doubts crept back in.

"I don't know if I can, Kane," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry."

With that, she pulled her hands away from his and stood up, walking towards the ladder. Kane stood there, watching her go, feeling like his world had been turned upside down. He didn't know what to do now or how to fix this. But he knew that he couldn't just let her go. Not without a fight.

"You can't just leave like this, Sophie," he said, his voice desperate. "Please, let's talk about this."

But Sophie just kept walking, not even looking back at him. As she descended the ladder, Kane felt a sense of dread settle in his stomach. He won't lose her without a fight.

Sophie went back to her cabin and cried herself to sleep, tormented by thoughts of Kane and what he was capable of.

She had never been afraid of anyone before, but now she was scared. She was scared that she had made a mistake in accepting him as her mate. She was scared that he might hurt her if she crossed him.

As she lay there, tossing and turning in her bed, Sophie knew that she had a decision to make. She could either stay with Kane and risk her safety, or she could leave him and try to start over. Deep down, she knew that it wasn't that simple. She loved Kane more than anything in the world. And she didn't want to lose him. But she also couldn't ignore the facts—the harsh truth of what he had done and what he was capable of doing.

In the end, Sophie fell asleep with tears in her eyes and weight on her chest. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy. Not for her, and not for Kane.