CLINTON.After leaving Ruby in my penthouse, I called Kiara and ordered her not to reveal too much to Ruby if she asked about me, especially the part about having a mate or a girlfriend.Then I returned to the pack house and issued a stern warning to all the pack members via the pack mind-link not to disturb me for any reason, as I was busy with work. Then, I went straight to my chambers.I locked the door behind me and paced around my room. Ruby's face flashed back in my mind and I groaned in frustration. I had fucked up twice just the first day I got to have a conversation with her; now she'd think I was an asshole.Biting down a growl, I marched towards my bed, fell on it, and sighed. I needed to fix this if I wanted her to trust me or even like me at this point.The pain that had passed through her eyes was unmistakable, and I felt hurt that I was the cause of it. Whatever made her leave her pack that day must have broken something in her, making her think I said she was homeless.
CLINTON.“Oh... alright, I'll soon be with you. Love you,” Seraphina cooed from her end, and I bit down on my lower lip. Hard.“Hmmm,” I sighed. “See you soon.”I brought down my phone from my ear to my face to swipe it off, but it seemed like she wasn't done yet. “I'm waiting.”I knew what she meant but played ignorant. “You're waiting for what?”“Seriously? I just said I love you. So I'm waiting for you to say it back.”I sighed and rolled my eyes. If it were in the past, it wouldn't have taken me long to say the words back, but now things were different. I didn't feel for her the same way I did back then. Now that I had a mate, it didn't feel right to keep saying them when I knew those feelings had died.I had a mate, and I'm only allowed to say those words to her.“No,” Seraphina shrieked, and an image of a storm raging in her eyes flashed through my mind.“I love you too,” I conceded, because I didn't want to upset her more than she already was because of what I was going to disc
CLINTON.I didn't know what to say, and I just can't deny her...Kai growled in my head, and I sighed. If I want her to agree to us breaking the oath, then telling her that I had a mate would be mean... really mean.“There's no way you will deny our mate!” Kai roared. Like really roared.“I have to, unless you don't want things to get easier for us,” I told him. He must have realized how right I was because he retreated at the back of my mind, still shaking with anger.“No, I did not find my mate.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. I continued, “I only wanted the best for you. We've been together for years now, and I think us taking a break from one another would be the best—”“And?” She interrupted with a snort.“—for now. We need to figure out what we actually want. I don't want you to regret anything; that's why I'm suggesting a break.”Damn. Did things really have to be like this?Like a flash of lightning, Kiara closed the distance between us, her lower lip between her teeth as she p
CLINTON.“Now that looks like it,” I snorted, “Perfect gift to send back to Carlos.” It had taken all my self-control not to entirely kill Logan. After my not-too-happy conversation with Seraphina, I mind-linked Asher to meet me at the dungeon because I didn't trust myself not to kill him. Now, after one hour and twenty minutes, I could say I felt satisfied with the shape I left the motherfucker in.Over my interrogation—which was full of my package, if you note the sarcasm—he had confessed it was Carlos who sent them. But too bad I still beat the hell out of him afterward.“I can imagine the look of shock on his face when he sees them.” Asher chuckled, flexing his muscles as he looked over at the other rogues he had taken care of. Blood splattered all over his body, and I looked down to see mine was worse. While I had only taken care of just one wolf, I had been intense in my torturing.Rolling my eyes, I stood up and caught the towel the guard at the entrance threw my way. I wrinkle
RUBY. I woke up with a smile. Memories of the Alpha King's kisses made me feel a warm glow in my heart. I had resisted him at first, but then he bit my lower lip, using the opportunity to put his tongue in my mouth. That was my first kiss, and he stole it without knowing.I cleaned up my room and did my morning duties, which included having a bath and brushing my teeth. Then, I went down for breakfast.Kiara was chatty as usual. She told me stories about her childhood; most were very funny, but some were quite touching. However, she never asked me about mine. I felt guilty that she was opening up to me while I was still keeping things from her. I knew it would probably make the Alpha King throw me out of his pack because I'm a Lycan.That was the last thing I wanted to happen before I brought Alpha Frederick's murderer down. But before that, I needed to start formulating a plan on how to begin.I spent the rest of the day reading in my room. I had picked up a book written by one of m
CLINTON. Not that she knows she's my mate, but Kiara's not stupid. She must have realized Ruby is important to me by now. Ruby was the first person to visit my penthouse, let alone live there. Before Ruby arrived, no one besides Kiara and myself knew I owned a penthouse.I wanted it that way. It was my place of solitude, and now that my mate was staying there, I'd never disclose it to anyone.When I arrived at the pack house, Asher stood alone, leaning against the wall with a scowl on his face. The guards around nodded in greeting, and I bobbed my head in acknowledgment.I walked down to where Asher was and asked, “Any lead on who sent the rogues?” I already knew it was Carlos, but I didn't want to come to a conclusion without enough evidence.Asher shrugged. “As far as I know, it's only Carlos who has been sending rogues to attack us. Makes me wonder if it isn't time for you to take action this time.”I nodded when I heard him call him by his name. The fucker didn't deserve respect
CLINTON. On the bed lay Seraphina, her hands starting to touch her body once our eyes met. She spread out her legs, trailing a finger along her thigh as she purred softly. Her once long rose-blonde hair was now styled in a pixie cut, and I couldn't deny it looked better on her. I blinked and met her gaze again, refusing to look down at her naked body. Kai growled at the pathetic way she was trying to seduce me. Once, I would have been tempted and given in to her, but it held no meaning to me now. She had been attractive to me before my mate's arrival, but now I found nothing appealing in her. My loyalty and desire belonged entirely to my mate. Her attempts to lure me were futile and only filled me with a sense of pity and irritation. Kai's growl intensified, mirroring my own inner turmoil and reinforcing my resolve. “Seraphina, what's the meaning of this?” I asked, my anger rising. “How's my new look?” She deliberately ignored me. “I thought maybe changing something about myself mi
KAEL.It's only been six days since I rejected and banished my mate. And in those six days, I had not been myself. My wolf Echo had been giving me the silent treatment ever since. He was mad at me for rejecting our mate and banishing her from the pack without giving her the chance to defend herself. But I knew he was wrong. Ruby had killed my father, and I couldn't have had it any other way. My name is Kael Leonard, the only child of the late Alpha Frederick Leonard, except you'd count Ruby, his adopted daughter, as his child. I lost my mom at the age of fifteen. It was too painful for everyone, and everyone grieved at the loss because my mom was the perfect Luna. She was the heart of the pack, always there to provide comfort, guidance, and strength. Her presence was a source of solace, and without her, the pack felt lost and vulnerable. She had a way of bringing everyone together, fostering a sense of unity and belonging that now seemed fractured. Every corner of our territory re