RUBY. “Are you ready to meet your subjects?” Clinton asked me with a smile, and my heart melted.Goddess, he was my mate. I couldn't believe it. Everything felt like a dream.“Yes, our mate is gorgeous!” Falcon said in a sing-song voice, dancing and twirling around in my head.Oh Goddess, I missed her.“I missed you as well. But I did what I had to do,” she uttered with a sigh, causing my brows to lift in question.“What do you mean?”“I'll tell you later, but right now, we need to go with our mate.”I nodded eagerly at Clinton as I accepted his hand. “Yes, I am more than ready to meet everyone.”His smile widened, and I watched him lift my hand to his lips, placing a wet kiss on it as sparks danced around my body. “Then let's go ahead.”While he led us inside the compound, I couldn't help but wonder how I had been so blind all this time. Clinton had been so obvious, yet I did not see it. The way he always cared about me—something he didn't even know—and accepted me into his pack wit
“My name is Asher, Beta to the Alpha. Your mate sent me to bring you food.” He smiled at me while gesturing at the tray.I returned his smile and found myself staring at him. He had short brown hair cropped to his head like a crown. His gray eyes shimmered as he traced every curve on my body, but it wasn't creepy like most men do. It didn't feel like he was undressing me with his eyes but more like he was appreciating what he was seeing.I thanked him for the food and collected the tray from him. He was still standing there as though he had something more to say, and I waited for him to get it out.“Gamma Eric will bring yours and the Alpha’s bags,” he said, the smile not leaving his face.“Thank you so much… for everything.”“No need to thank me, Luna.” He blushed, scratching his stubble, which looked like something that was growing recently and not what he was used to keeping.I nodded my head, and he told me he needed to leave but that if I ever needed something, I should call him.
KAEL. I had failed. As an Alpha, as a son, and worst of all, as a mate. The moment Ruby—my mate—revealed that Dawn had killed my father, I felt a crushing weight of regret. How could I have been so blind? Instead of investigating my father's death, I had thrown Ruby and her father into the dungeon. I ordered my guards to beat and starve her for days, convinced she was guilty. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I rejected her and banished her from the pack, not caring whether she had anywhere else to go. If I had known... “I told you to find out what happened that night, but you didn’t,” Echo, my wolf, snarled in my mind. “Everyone blames me, and now you too?” I snapped back, a bitter edge to my thoughts. “Well done... just well done.” “If only you had listened to me, we wouldn’t be here.” He was right, of course. But I couldn’t bear to hear it. I pushed him away, trying to focus on how to set things right. Carolina had warned me too, yet I’d ignored her advice. Now, the thought of f
CLINTON.My Gamma addressed Ruby as his Luna. Not that I was against it, but I couldn’t make her my Luna—not with the whole dark oath thing with Seraphina hanging over us. Yet, when he called her that, it felt so right. I didn’t have the heart to correct him in her presence.I sighed as I walked toward my mom’s room. Ruby wanted us to tie the knot already, and I wanted that too, but not until we cleared the air between us. The last thing I wanted was for her to have regrets.When I reached my mom’s room, I paused and mind-linked my Beta, asking him to send food to my mate and to instruct Gamma Eric to take the boxes to my room. Mom was lying on her bed, legs crossed, smiling at something on her phone. She didn’t look up when I closed the door, but I knew she was waiting for me to speak.“Greetings, Mom,” I said with a slight bow. “I’m home.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to have this conversation, but what choice did I have if I didn’t want her causing a scene in front of Ruby?“The prodiga
RUBY. When Clinton and I arrived at the dining Hall we met Beta Asher and Gamma Eric already seated. The place was beautiful and I noted that the dinning was made of gold and that food was already placed on the table. Clinton walked ahead of me and pulled out a chair for me. I blushed and sat down, not missing the look shared between the Beta and Gamma, which made the red tints in my cheeks deepen. Clinton sat down at the head of the table, which was beside mine. The seat on his right was for his mom, and I knew she was coming down for dinner, as Clinton had mentioned when we were on our way here.“Good evening, Beta Asher. Good evening, Gamma Eric,” I greeted both of them, bending my head in each direction, which caused a growl to escape from Clinton's mouth.“You bow to no one, Ruby.” I nodded, even though there was nothing wrong with me bowing to his Beta and Gamma, as I knew they would reciprocate. However, I didn't want to argue with him in front of them, especially with his
I wasn't able to respond before he slammed me against the wall and crushed his mouth on mine. Clinton kissed me as though he were drunk, his left leg roughly parting my legs as he pressed his body against mine. I moaned against his lips, kissing him back with equal fervor. My hands moved to his chest, and I began unbuttoning his shirt, desperate to remove anything that was keeping me from seeing his chest. Falcon purred in my head, fully supporting what I was doing. I chuckled and finished with the first three buttons before tearing the rest away, sending them flying through the air. “Better,” I purred, placing both hands on his chest. His abs felt incredible under my fingers, and I wanted to spend the night tracing them. They were utterly beautiful. Goddess, this man was a feast, and I wanted to devour him right now. Clinton grabbed my jaw, tilting my head to the side, and deepened the kiss. If he'd been kissing me like he was drunk before, now it felt like he was afraid I'd be
I woke up the next morning to an empty bedroom. Clinton was nowhere in sight, and as I got up from the bed, a dull throb between my thighs reminded me of last night’s intense passion. My skin tingled with the memory of Clinton's touch, the warmth of his body still lingering on mine. A slow smile spread across my lips as I recalled the way he made me feel—cherished, desired, and completely overwhelmed by his tenderness and passion. But that contentment quickly faded. A frown creased my brow as I remembered that we hadn’t completed the bond last night. What did that mean? Was he holding back on purpose? The uncertainty gnawed at me, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was something stopping him from fully claiming me. I sighed and glanced over at the nightstand where I’d left my phone. Grabbing it, I gasped when I saw the time: 6:28 a.m. I had only twelve minutes to get ready for training with Gamma Eric. Panic set in as I dropped my phone on the bed and dashed to the bathroom. I
After breakfast, I locked myself in my room. Clinton was yet to be back, so I spent time scrolling through the internet and watching some reels.By the time I grew tired of it and didn't have anything else to do, I left the room and headed to the library to pick a book. Once I selected one I liked, I spent the day reading it.By evening, I was beginning to miss my mate. I kept checking my phone for his call or any text message, but there was none. When I decided to call him, it was not reachable. If I had been initiated into the pack, then I would have mind-linked him directly.When I couldn't bear the loneliness anymore, I went in search of the Gamma to ask him about Clinton's whereabouts.Gamma Eric was sitting in the living room watching TV. I glanced at the screen to see he was watching a horror movie, so I quickly averted my gaze.Once he spotted me, he pointed at the space beside him, but I shook my head.“Any news on my mate, Gamma?” I asked, getting straight to the point. I di
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