Sophia’s Claim 

ISABELLA’S POV 

Theodore’s unable to speak? 

The sudden revelation stunned me. But my confusion only grew stronger. 

How could Theodore be mute? This morning, I just witnessed him talk with a cloaked man, 

and I personally heard him talk and even heard how his voice sound so similar to Xavier’s. I was sure I wasn’t mistaken. It was clearly him whom I witnessed earlier. 

But the seriousness on Xavier’s tone didn’t suggest a lie. Xavier seemed to be genuinely telling 

the truth, but I found myself faced with even more questions that before. 

“When he was eight years old, there was an accident,” Xavier explained. “It left him unable to speak physically. But he’s still able to speak through the mind link. Everyone in the pack 

knows about his condition.” 

I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. If Theodore has been unable to speak for such a long time now, then what have I heard earlier? 

It wasn’t just my illusion. I was certain of what I had seen and heard. I witnessed Theodore speak. But here was Xavier claiming he can’t, and most of the pack members also knew about 

1. it. 

Theodore’s earlier conversation with the cloaked man came flashing back inside my mind. They were discussing a secretive matter, and it seemed they were even cautious of having their conversation heard by anyone. 

A chill run down my spine as a tight knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Why didn’t I realize it sooner? The conversation they had was suspicious. They seemed to discuss about a plan… 

something that felt… dangerous. 

A thought suddenly ran in my mind. There was a possibility that Theodore was just pretending all this time, and judging by his earlier conversation with the cloaked man, I was also having a bad feeling that they were planning something… something that could harm the Lunar 

Crescent Pack. 

However, I was not in the right place to jump into conclusions. I didn’t know the whole story behind, and seeing how Xavier seemed to trust Theodore, I could not voice out my suspicions 

right now. 

“Is that so…” I mumbled, though my thoughts were racing, sending waves of unease through 

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1. me. 

“Yes. Don’t worry, he doesn’t hold it against you.” Xavier spoke, his tone low and somewhat reassuring. 

But it wasn’t what I was worried about. I raised my eyes to meet his gaze. My throat feels tight, but I forced myself to ask him. 

“He’s someone important to you, isn’t he?” 

Xavier’s expression shifted, becoming more serious. He then turned away to face the dense forest surrounding us. “He’s one of the people I’m indebted to.” 

My eyes slightly widened in surprise. I found myself staring at his profile, though he was not facing me this time as he continued speaking. 

“The accident, which caused him to be unable to speak, has something to do with me.” His voice sounded low and strained, as though he were reliving the memory. 

For a moment, he paused, and I thought he might not continue. But after a deep breath, he spoke again, his gaze fixed on the trees ahead. 

“When I was 12 years old, I was kidnapped by rogues, but at that time, Theodore was with me, and they also took him. We were held hostage for two days. My mentor found us first, even before my father or the warriors.” 

His tone hardened, darkening with each word. “The reinforcements came too late. He was outnumbered. Theodore and I witnessed him being killed by rogues in front of our eyes.” 

I noticed how his eyes narrow and hardened with every word he spoke. His jaw clenched as he shut his eyes tightly then. 

“Theodore was much younger than me… and it was his own father’s death whom he witnessed. And the trauma… it took his voice.” 

A lump formed in my throat as I listened, feeling the weight of the story settle heavily on my chest. The pain in Xavier’s eyes was raw and even after all these years, I could see how that event still affected him so much. 

My chest unknowingly tightened too. Perhaps it was because of the mate bond… Maybe it was because of his current feelings that I also felt affected. 

“You didn’t have to tell me this,” I whispered, my voice softer than I intended. “It must have been hard for you…” 

“But I wanted to tell you.” He interrupted, swiftly turning to face me and his sudden serious and intense gaze directed towards me made my heart race. “I want to tell you everything this 

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time, Isabella.” 

He spoke, his tone laced with a sense of determination while he never moved his eyes away 

from me. “In the past, I didn’t have the chance to tell you about it all. I wasn’t ready. And I was 

a coward for that.” 

This time, he looked at me with such raw vulnerability that somewhat made me unable to 

breathe. 

“I was a coward, and I lost you because of it.” 

My heart started pounding erratically in my chest upon hearing his sudden statement. I 

looked at him with a complicated gaze, unable to find the words to say. 

Before I could react, he suddenly closed the distance between us. We were just inches apart 

now, so close to each other that I could feel the heat radiating off his body as his figure 

closely loomed in front of me. The electric pull of our mate bond only intensified between us. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice filled with regret. “For everything I did. For everything that 

happened.” 

I stilled, now, this what was what I’ve never expected the most to hear from him in the past. 

But now, he did. And the apology came at such an unexpected time that I didn’t even know 

how to respond. 

Sparks and tingles suddenly shot from my hands, and I realized he had now grasped my arms 

in his, holding them tightly yet gently at the same time. 

My breath hitched as I stared up at him, finding myself suddenly getting lost in his deep, 

intense gaze once more. 

“Please give me a chance, Isabella…” He pleaded almost breathlessly with his voice barley above a whisper. “I promise to make things right, for you and for our children…” 

For a moment, we both stared at each other. The silence started to envelope us once more, 

and the only thing I could hear was the loud pounding of my heart while I felt the mate bond 

pulling me more with each second that passed by, stronger than ever. 

But before I could even make up for a response, the moment was shattered by a figure rushing 

toward us. 

“Alpha… Miss Isabella…” 

A pack warrior arrived and suddenly hesitated, clearly surprised by how close Xavier and I 

were standing. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I quickly stepped back, pulling my arms from 

Xavier’s grip. 

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A wave of embarrassment wash over me with the sudden realization. 

I could feel Xavier’s eyes lingering on me for a moment before he finally turned towards the 

pack warrior. 

“What is it?” His tone was slightly sharp, clearly frustrated by the sudden interruption. 

The pack warrior bowed in apology, but he spoke in a hurried tone. “I’m sorry for interrupting, Alpha. But Miss Sophia… she’s been causing a scene in the dungeons.” 

My heart sank at the mention of her name. This time, my eyes darted towards Xavier, and I noticed how his face darkened as he spoke in deep displeasure. 

“What is she up to again?” 

“She’s been demanding to see her mate. She’s even threatening to end her life if we don’t take 

her to him.” 

Shock and confusion coursed through me. Sophia has a mate? Who could it be? 

Xavier glanced at me for a moment, his jaw tightening as he turned to face the pack warrior 

again. 

“Who’s this mate she’s talking about?” His voice sounded cold and serious. 

The pack warrior kept his head bowed, clearly feeling the intensity of Xavier’s imposing presence before he finally answered. 

“She claims it’s Theodore.”