CLINTON.In two days, the arrangement for Ruby and me was made. I couldn't wait to take my female from here, where I'd be with her without anyone interrupting us.Even though I had planned to introduce her to the pack as my mate, I didn't want to do that yet before I had the chance to make her fall in love with me.I know the bond between mates is always strong, but I didn't want her to feel any particular emotion toward us because of that.I want her to love us—Kai and me—and I would do everything to make that happen.When I went to meet her at the penthouse last night, I told her what I had planned. At first, she refused to come with me, but after convincing her that it would do both of us good to date each other, as I wouldn't let her go, she agreed to my plans.Now she's patiently waiting for me tonight because I planned for us to leave the kingdom so that we could be in Valoria by morning.I picked that part of the human city because it has the best scenic beauty for lovers. And
CLINTON.‘Your highness, Carlos sent a message.’ Beta Asher's voice filled my head. ‘He said he's watching you. That he knows just how to bring you to your knees because he has found your weakness.’There could only be one weakness he was referring to, and that happened to be Ruby. But how the fuck did he find out about her? Only Liam knew about her. And I trusted him not to spill a word to others. So I wondered how he could have found out about her.It was either he had a spy in this pack, or he was talking about something else.Whatever it was, I'd never let anyone touch even a hair on her neck. My grip on my mate tightened as fierce possessiveness washed over me. I didn't know what I'd do if someone hurt her. Hell, would I allow that? I'd protect her, even if it meant endangering my life.‘Don't give him a response. Let him keep barking like the dog he is. Once I'm back from my vacation, I'll have a long talk with the council of elders.’ I growled, my jaw clenching.‘As you wish, A
RUBY. “Wow, this whole city is like stepping into a dream,” I muttered, glancing up at the tall, beautiful hotel we were going to stay in.It had been twenty-two minutes since the plane landed, and Clinton had hired an Uber to bring us here. Everything was incredible—far beyond what I had imagined a human city would look like.Clinton chuckled beside me, drawing my attention away from the breathtaking view. Not that he wasn't handsome, but I’d seen his face enough times to be bored stiff.Of course, I knew that was a lie, but it wasn’t for me to admire. There was someone made for him—someone crafted from his rib by the moon goddess herself.‘Then why are you here with him, leaving behind all your goals to be on a date with him?’ my very traitorous mind said to me.Oh, whatever.“What are you laughing at?” I asked.He shrugged and grabbed my hand as he steered us inside the hotel. The interior was even more opulent than the exterior, brimming with grand chandeliers dripping with cryst
CLINTON.“Tell me, little m—Ruby, do you like what you see?” I immediately caught the word that almost slipped out of my mouth. Luckily, I didn't think she noticed any slight slip-up.She wasn't supposed to find out now. That was why we were here, to make her fall in love with me before I revealed the truth to her.I smirked at her blush, loving that I had such an effect on her. Maybe she couldn't tell we were mates, but from the way she acted around me most times, I could tell I affected her as well.Ruby tried to push me away, but her strength wasn't comparable to mine, so she ended up putting her arms down.“You have nothing for me to admire,” she said, rolling her eyes, but she didn't take her eyes off my chest.I could see the heated gaze she tried to hide. Her defiant words were contradicted by the way her breath hitched and her pupils dilated, betraying her true feelings.“Is that so?” I chuckled, leaning in just enough to close the distance between us. The scent of her nervous
RUBY.“Where are we going?” I asked as Clinton led me to the car he had hired—a brand-new Porsche. He had mentioned he wasn't keen on ordering an Uber every now and then.He opened the passenger door for me, and as I slipped into the seat and reached for the seatbelt, he stopped me. With a wink, he leaned in and helped me buckle up.I mouthed softly, “Thank you,” rubbing my hands over my arms and pursing my lips as I waited for him to get in the car. Once he was seated beside me, he started the engine with a purr. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced at him, waiting for him to answer my question, but when he didn't, I asked again.“Where are we going?”He turned to face me and smiled, then faced the road once again. “Wait and see.”I watched him for a moment before accepting defeat. I'd just wait until we got there.Clinton finally pulled the car to a stop in front of a tall, attractive three-story building painted in light blue and yellow.He stepped out of the car, and whi
RUBY.My heart pounded rapidly as I kissed him fiercely, like I had been starving for him and only he could satisfy my hunger. I moaned as I parted his lips and plunged my tongue into his mouth, tilting my head to the side to take control of the kiss.I wanted him.The words chanted like a mantra in my head, twisting my insides in and out. The more I kissed him, the louder the chant grew, a rhythmic pulse that matched the quickening beat of my heart. It was as if every cell in my body was attuned to the need coursing through me, a need that only he could quench.His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. The intensity of the moment wrapped around us like a cocoon, shutting out the rest of the world. Nothing else mattered—only the heat between us, the electric connection that sparked with every touch. My breath hitched as he responded with equal fervor, his hands exploring my back, his lips moving against mine with a hunger that mirrored my ow
CLINTON. I regretted bringing my female here. What was I thinking, taking her on a date to a museum? Granted, lovers visit museums, but in every romance book I've read, they always have romantic moments together. In our case, we were bombarded with stories of legends and their deeds. I swear I was reaching my limit, and I would have dragged Ruby out without excusing ourselves if she hadn't noticed my discomfort and told the guide that we'd visit some other time.Fuck me if I came here again. Once we were inside the car and ready for our next date, my mate surprised me by grabbing me by my shirt and kissing me intensely.And everything went into a blur after that. I wanted her and I always knew she wanted me but right now, her body reaction to me was saying something more. My cock twitched, and a moan escaped my throat. I wanted nothing more than to flip her over, ram my cock into her, and watch her beg for more.I was so lost in what I wanted to do to her when she pushed me away, o
RUBY. I couldn't help but anticipate what Clinton would do to me once we reached our hotel room. I was certain this was what I wanted. I craved the feeling of surrender, letting him take control and make me his. Though I had never been with any man before, the desire coursed through me, an undeniable urge to become one with him. It was a longing I felt deep in my bones, a yearning for completeness. I wanted him. I wanted him so badly. Oh Goddess, was I becoming a slut? And if I was, then so be it. I wondered what Falcon would have thought if she were still with me. Would she have encouraged me or scolded me for not saving myself for our mate? I couldn't know for sure, since she wasn't here. I'd give anything just to hear her thoughts on this. If only she'd come back…Once we reached the hotel, Clinton hurried us upstairs, paying no attention to the workers who greeted us. I couldn't help but giggle at his single-minded focus. It was clear we were both on
Ruby's P.O.VFLASHBACK CONTINUED. “What are you going to do with her?” someone asked, though I couldn’t place the voice. I wanted to open my eyes so badly, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right move. Maybe pretending to stay unconscious would buy me time to come up with a plan to escape.“I don’t know. I could have her killed for everything she did to me, but I won’t,” Seraphina’s unmistakable voice rang out, and I barely held back a snort. Everything I did to her? Ridiculous. “You mean you're just going to let her go? Just like that?” The first voice, filled with surprise, questioned.I was just as curious. After all her threats, why was she planning to let me go? Maybe she feared what Clinton would do to her if she killed me.“Yes, I won’t kill her.”“What if she tells the King what you did to her? Do you really think he’ll spare you?”“You’re too scared, Mom. Relax,” Seraphina laughed. “I have a plan. Don’t worry, it’ll work out perfectly.”My stomach knotted at her words. What
Ruby's P.O.VTRIGGER WARNING: Some scenes are abusive, but there's no rage. If you don't like physical torture, please skip this chapter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _FLASHBACK TO TWO DAYS AGO.I regained consciousness to someone pouring cold water on me. I gasped and shivered, cowering away as though that would make whoever it was pouring the water stop.And I was wrong.A half-naked man emptied another bucket of water on me before dropping it to the ground like he did with the last one.Seeing as I was now awake, he approached me and sent a kick to my stomach, making me yelp in pain.Raising my arm, I rubbed my face on it, wanting to clear the water out of my eyes because it was starting to make them tear up. It was the only way I could wipe my face because my hands were tied.“I thought you weren't going to wake up,” a familiar voice taunted, making me wince.It sounded like Seraphina, and I started to panic because I knew I wasn't going to leave here unscathed. And maybe... she wouldn'
Later that day, the doctor announced that I was free to go home and I followed my Dad and Pearl back to our palace. Not many things had changed. My room was still like I left it except that it was neat. When I mentioned this to Pearl, she told me that she always asked the maids to clean it up, with the hope that I would return soon. She said that she didn't want me to return and find my room in despair. I was touched. Who wouldn't? Pearl forced me to eat even though I didn't have an appetite to. I couldn't believe that everything I had known had been a lie. Learning that I'm special and what I could do, and that my mom was something else entirely, it was too much. And the most painful part of the information I learnt was the one that Alpha Rhys wasn't my mate. I rejected my pack and left my family for a man who wasn't even mine and wanted me killed. All I wanted to do since I returned from the hospital was stay cooped in my room, with bottles of beer lined in front of me. But Dad a
Flashes of memories flooded my mind, each so vivid they played on an endless loop, over and over again.Dad gave Alpha Rhys—my mate—two choices: reject me or choose me. He rejected me without hesitation.Yet, Dad killed him.He cut off his head.No!!I shook my head, desperate to erase the memory. Sobs wracked my body, trembling violently as the images refused to fade.Pearl embraced me, and I let her. I cried into her chest, and when the sobs finally subsided, I looked up to see Dad standing before me. Tears shimmered in his eyes, and it only fueled my anger. Moving out of Pearl's arms, I lunged. “You killed him! Stop playing like the victim here because you are not!” I panted in between kicking him and raining blows on his chest. “Don't you dare cry as if you regret what you did!” I sent another kick to his knee, propelling myself to stop before I went animalistic. “I hate you!” I held his gaze for a while, letting him see the hate in my eyes before I eventually looked away and
Ruby's p. o. vI woke up with a start.The incessant beeping of a machine and the constant drumming nearby made my head spin. I wish they could move it away. I wish they could—Oh, shit.Where was I? I gazed around the unfamiliar room. I wasn't home. This wasn’t mine and Clinton's room. This was somewhere else. Did we sleep somewhere else…?Something clicked—a memory, sharp and raw. The library. I was abducted and warned never to return to my mate, or I'd be killed.I tried sitting up, but pain lanced through my body, pulling a cry from my throat as I collapsed back down. My mind raced as I took in my surroundings, trying to piece together how I got here. The last thing I remembered was running like my life depended on it—because it did.A drip hung on the wall, and panic surged through me as I noticed it was attached to my left hand, the IV's beeping in sync with my racing heart.Thud. Thud. Thud. My heart pounded faster. I needed to leave before someone came in and started hurting m
Clinton's p.o.vIt has been a few hours since we started searching for her. Our search came up empty. She was nowhere to be found. I was getting tired but I knew I could not go in without her. I needed to see her before I went crazy. Kai had been going berserk in my head, he needed to see his mate before he could calm down but there was nothing I could do. I was yet to hear from the warriors if they had seen her and I knew because of my threat, none of them would dare return without her. In as much as I wanted to beat my Gamma up for his foolishness, I knew it wouldn't bring her back. There was something strange going on. When I went back to her work place to look for her, she wasn't there and Kai and I couldn't sniff her. It was as if her scent had been wiped off completely, and it was making me more worried. I was pacing around when I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't turn around before I knew who it was. I could recognize my Beta's scent anywhere. Musk and coffee. “Any news
Clinton's p.o.v I had a really hectic day. I noticed something wrong with my company report, so I spent the day at the office, searching for the problem. Eventually, I found it—a mistake with one of our products had caused a huge shortage. We lost a lot of money, but I didn’t fire the man responsible, even though that would have been the easy, fair choice. After interrogating him thoroughly, I knew it was an honest mistake. And mistakes are meant to be forgiven. Afterwards, I got in my car and drove to a flower shop and bought a bouquet for Ruby. A lot had happened between us, and I wanted to make sure she was happy. I already fucked up twice, and this was time for me to make things right. Seraphina nearly tore us apart, and I was thankful we managed to deal with her before more damage could be done. The Elders had been surprisingly understanding, accepting my mate without hesitation. It didn’t matter if Ruby held the Queen title or not—she was known and treated as my mate. An
ONE MONTH LATER. Everything had been going well between my mate and me. He had taken me on several dates, where we had a lot of fun because we were in our pack, and I was with him as my mate. We hadn't heard from Seraphina since, and I was grateful for that.The Queen hasn’t paid much attention to us either, though in my encounters with her, she would mostly glare at me, making sure I knew she didn’t like me. Even though I had proven that I wasn’t the prim and proper type of Luna—by taking care of the sick and helping with the house chores—she still doesn’t like me. And right now? I’ve given up. I’m lucky to have Clinton; he’s been a very good mate. I’ve also gotten along with both the Beta and the Gamma.Although I hadn’t had a Luna ceremony yet, the pack treated me as one. I held meetings with the women, and most came to me for counseling. I never knew I could give them the advice they sought, but after seeing the smiles on their faces, I knew I had helped in the small ways I could
The ride to the meeting hall was silent. Clinton had told me about meeting with the Elders because he thought it was finally time. He also wanted to plead our case and discuss what Seraphina had been up to. We kept what she could do to us a secret, except from the Beta and Gamma.Not only that, he also shared his fears about losing his position as King, since it wasn't his birthright. Any misstep from him could cost him the throne.Even the man I encountered yesterday, Carlos was it? Clinton told me everything I needed to know about him. He was his greatest rival and he wouldn't hesitate taking him down from the throne if the opportunity arose. That wasn't all. I learnt that he couldn't just kill the man if he wanted to, even though Carlos was nothing but a thorn in his flesh. He was only tolerating him because it was against the wolf law in killing an Alpha. It came as a shock to me because back in the Lycan Kingdom, Alpha could do as they liked. Because that was because my father—A