RUBYAs Annalisa approached, the lively buzz in the air began to die down. Even the hockey boys, who had been singing just moments ago, lowered their voices to a murmur. Everyone knew or at least assumed that the goddess would bond Annalisa and Sebastian as mates. But now, the tables had seemingly turned.The thought hovered over the crowd like a dark cloud, stirring uneasy whispers through the courtyard.I stood still, my breath shallow, trying not to let the awkwardness overwhelm me."Uh-oh, looks like a storm’s heading our way," Cassie whispered beside me.My stomach twisted with nerves, but my eyes never left Annalisa, whose every stride felt like it trampled my heart. I had never crossed path with her before or seen her anywhere bullying omegas like others but I refused to believe she was different from them. "She must be losing it because of the news. After all, everyone thought she’d end up with Sebastian, but now it's..." Cassie trailed off as Annalisa reached usShe stoppe
RUBY"Don’t stress about Aiden," Cassie said, squeezing my arm. "He might not be Sebastian’s biggest fan, but he’ll get over it. He cares about you, you know."Of course, Aiden cared about me. I was scared he would even confront or hit Sebastian if he saw him flirting with other girls, now that we were supposedly mates.I forced a smile, pushing the feeling aside. "And hey," Cassie added, her brows lifting playfully. "You’ve got your school fees now, right?"I nodded, hoping she’d leave it there. But Cassie’s eyes narrowed as she studied my face, suspicion flickering in her gaze."Wait a minute…" She grabbed my shoulders, giving me a little shake like she always did if she wanted to know the truth. But that was just her own superstition. "Sebastian sent you the money, didn’t he?" She asked.I shifted nervously, glancing around before answering."Yes," I whispered.Cassie’s eyes lit up as she let go my shoulders, her triumphant gasp loud enough to draw a few curious glances."I kn
RUBYI stepped back quickly, confusion flickering across my face. Aiden stared at me, disappointment flickering in his eyes, mixed with something close to the pain of rejection. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he pressed them shut as I took another step back.He was always hard to read, but this time, I knew exactly what I saw or was I imagining things?“I... I’m sorry, Ruby. I wouldn’t have reacted like that if your mate isn’t Sebastian. He’s an asshole, you know that,” Aiden said with a sigh, dragging his fingers through his hair.I let out a bitter chuckle, anger still simmering, though not as sharp as before.“I know what Sebastian is like. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to reject him. I mean... it’s not like I had a choice. The Goddess chose him for me,” I said, my stomach twisting at how easily the lie slipped off my tongue.“Would you reject your mate just because of their past?” I asked, meeting Aiden’s gaze.He opened his mouth, then shu
SEBASTIANThe hockey rink echoed with the sharp slice of skates on ice, the clash of sticks, and the shouts of encouragement from our coach, Brody. He stood on the sidelines, watching us intently, assessing every move like he always did.Today’s practice was going smoothly, much better than before, when Brody would blow his whistle every five seconds, frustrated with my lack of focus.Back then, my mind had been tangled with my father’s expectations, and the constant pressure was throwing me off.The fact that I couldn’t find my fated mate had me worried sick. The pressure was suffocating, making me feel like there was no way out.But thanks to Ruby, I managed to pull through, even though what connected us wasn’t the bond of the Goddess. And now, everyone believed it was.I hadn’t expected my teammates to come out earlier, holding a banner with photos of Ruby and me from last night. I was really surprised to see them cheering for us. They’d been rooting for me, hoping the Goddess wou
SEBASTIANFuck! I ran my fingers through my hair. Mentally, I slammed my fist on the wheel before leaning back in my seat, uneasiness settling in my stomach. Ruby was right. My father could use his Alpha powers on her. She was an omega, and her wolf would easily submit to whatever an Alpha wolf instructed. She wouldn’t be able to resist, even if she tried.I turned my head to look at her, noticing the fear flashing in her beautiful blue eyes.“Maybe you should just find something to tell them as an excuse. I can’t go to this dinner with you, Seb,” she said, her lips quivering as if they were calling me to claim them.I hated to admit it, but Ruby was having an effect on me whenever I was around her, unlike any girl I’d slept with. The feeling was so strange that I couldn’t shake the sense that she could be my…'She’s not our mate' my wolf suddenly cut in. 'How many times do have to tell you I don’t feel any connection to her wolf,' he added, slipping to the front of my mind.Conside
RUBYI had almost forgotten how scared I was about coming to this dinner earlier.Thanks to the way Kiara and Luna Scarlett had kindly welcomed me, as though they'd known me for more than just a few minutes. I used to think Cassie talked a lot, but Kiara was even more talkative. In just a few minutes of meeting her, I’d already learned that she was sixteen, that Sebastian had beaten up two boys who cheated on her, and that he had even paid off a boy she liked so he wouldn’t try to sleep with her.She was so annoyed with Sebastian's overprotective, big-brother attitude, but I loved hearing this sweet side of him. It felt as though he wasn’t the same playboy and arrogant guy I knew. That clearly showed he loved his sister deeply. Kiara was beautiful, sweet, and kind, just like Luna Scarlett who reminded me of my mom with how she kept checking if I was enjoying my meal every few seconds. We hadn't spent even thirty minutes here at the dining table, but I’d lost count of how many ti
RUBY"Annalisa..." Sebastian whispered, surprise flickering in his voice as he looked from her to me.My heart pounded in my chest, the feel of his lips still lingering on mine. I swallowed hard, stepping back from him and glancing around. Guards stood by the entrance and along the mansion's sides, though they seemed to be looking elsewhere. Still, my face flushed with embarrassment.I looked at Sebastian, who didn’t seem the least bit disturbed that we’d just made out right in front of the guards. His gaze was still clouded with the heat of the kiss, and I cursed under my breath as a tingling sensation spread through me.Goddess, what was Sebastian doing to me?Sebastian swallowed, turning to face Annalisa."If I hadn’t shown up, you two would’ve gone even further out here," she muttered.I lifted my chin, noticing a flicker of hurt in her expression. I wanted to shake my head, but it became stiff.Sebastian sighed, brushing his hair from his forehead as he glanced between Annali
RUBY The next day, I woke up late for school for the first time. As loud as my annoying alarm was, I didn’t even know when it rang and went off. After Sebastian dropped me off last night, I’d climbed into bed after a shower, hoping to drift off immediately but sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, everything that had happened at the packhouse kept playing in my head, scene after scene, refusing to let me rest. And the kiss with Sebastian… that was the worst part, looping through my mind like a glitching reel, something I couldn’t turn off no matter how hard I tried. I tossed and turned, even whispering a quick prayer to the goddess to let me sleep. Eventually, sleep must have crept in without me realizing it, because the next thing I knew, I was jerking awake, breathless and sweating. The image of Annalisa’s wolf with blazing eyes, seared through my mind. In the nightmare, she lunged at me, slashing her claws down my side when she saw me with Sebastian. I shuddered as the dream fl
RUBYAfter soaking in the warm bath for a while, I finally stepped out, wrapping myself in a thick towel. The heat had eased the ache in my muscles, but my thoughts remained tangled. I dried myself off, walked into the bedroom, and picked up the cup of tea Noelle had left on the nightstand. It was still warm, and I took slow sips, letting the herbal scent soothe me.Dropping the cup down, I walked into the closet, and grabbed the thickest sweater I could find, along with some sweatpants. As I pulled them on, my mind drifted to Aiden and Cassie. They must have been worried sick about me.I wanted to call and tell them I was fine when I remembered my phone was inside my bag… which was still in my locker at school.I sighed, pulling the sweater over my head. As I tied my hair into a loose ponytail and stepped out of the closet, the door to my room swung open.“Ruby!”Cassie rushed in and hugged me tightly, nearly knocking the air out of my lungs.“I’m fine, Cass,” I said, patting her bac
RUBY"You okay?" Sebastian glanced over at me.It wasn’t the first time he had asked. In fact, I had lost count of how many times he had checked on me.I had a headache, but I forced a smile. "Yea."When his eyes diverted to Warren’s jacket beside me, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he refocused on the road.I sighed. The warmth of the car’s heater eased the cold from my skin, but it did nothing to dull the pounding in my head. When I smelled another scent mixed with Sebastian's as he carried out the pool area, I knew instantly that it belonged to Warren.Even though it was faint, I could tell it irritated Sebastian.Sebastian had never given me cold glares before until today. That's why I didn't hesitate to shrug off warren's jacket.He was jealous. And I didn’t think it was just an act anymore.For a while, I had convinced myself that everything was part of the contract. That he was just playing his role, pretending to be possessive so othe
SEBASTIAN I tightened my grip around Ruby, my arms securing her close to my chest as I stepped out of the exit. The whispers of the students faded into the background, but my mind kept replaying that moment I walked in and saw fucking Warren crouched in front of her.That bastard had his hand in her hair, pulling it back from her face. Worse, he was looking from her eyes to her lips like he wanted her. Like he was tempted to do something he had no fucking right to. My wolf growled as anger boiled inside me. He had the fucking guts to touch what was mine and then smirk at me, opening his damn mouth to say, "It’s not like I kissed her. Though, she does have soft lips."Hearing that, I nearly lost it. My wolf snarled in my head, ready to rip him apart. Ruby may not have been my fated mate, but as long as the contract between us hadn’t expired, she was mine.How dare he?How dare he speak to me like that?How dare he talk about my Ruby like she was some casual prize he could toy with
RUBY I couldn’t breathe.The water swallowed me whole.The pool’s icy grip tightened around my body as I thrashed, my limbs burning with exhaustion. Panic clawed at my chest as I fought to surface, but I didn’t know how to swim. I couldn’t swim.My lungs screamed for air. My vision blurred. Was this how it would end?Sebastian...I reached for him through the mind-link, my silent plea laced with desperation."Ruby! What's happening? Where are you? Answer me!" His voice was sharp with fear, but I couldn’t respond. My body was growing weaker. The darkness at the edges of my vision stretched, consuming me.Then, just as I was slipping away, strong arms wrapped around me.A force yanked me upward, breaking through the suffocating depths. Cold air rushed against my skin as my body was hauled onto solid ground, laid on the cold tiles, but I barely noticed. My chest convulsed, and water spilled from my mouth as I coughed violently, my entire body trembling.My eyes were still closed but I w
RUBYIt had been three weeks since the night I told Sebastian about my past. Sometimes, the nightmares still came, but they didn’t choke me with the same kind of fear anymore.I didn't know if it was because of Sebastian, all I knew was that whenever he fell asleep beside me, I slept like a baby. But he didn’t always stay.Sometimes, when the dreams became too much, I mindlinked him to come over.Other times, I wouldn’t even have to call him. I’d wake from the terror only to find him beside me, wrapping himself around me as if he just knew I needed him.I always wished Sebastian could sleep in my room every night, but he wouldn’t.He told me he couldn’t trust himself to be in the same bed with me every night. And I believed him because I felt the same. I wasn’t sure I could be around him without something happening between us.There were moments when we caught ourselves making out, satisfying our desires with nothing but our hands, as if we couldn’t help it. And when reality hit, we’d
SEBASTIAN Ruby wrapped her legs around me, and we were rocking together, despite too many clothes separating us. I could feel the heat radiating between her thighs, burning through every layer of fabric. My mouth trailed from her lips to her neck, and my nose brushed over the necklace resting there. I pressed closer, nuzzling gently as if I could claim her this way. My heart raced as the urge to sink my teeth into her soft skin filled me.But I resisted. She wasn’t my mate. I couldn’t mark her.Whatever this was between us; it was a business arrangement. I couldn’t cross that line or give her false hope. I had already hurt Annalisa before. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.I needed to pull away. I should pull away.But she wanted this. And so did I..."Are you... an Alpha's daughter?" I murmured, pulling away from her neck and gently holding her ear between my teeth."No..." Her voice was between whisper and moan."Then how did you—" I caught myself, exhaling a breath. Don’t push
SEBASTIANMy heart skipped and my hand, which had been moving gently up and down Ruby's arm, froze when her eyes suddenly snapped open with fear—just as I whispered, Who did you kill? My voice had been barely more than a whisper. I wasn’t accusing her. I had only been wondering what kind of past haunted her so deeply. "Sebastian?" Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper, but filled with surprise. She jerked away from me, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she sat up in bed, leaving a large gap between us. Her gaze flicked around the room before landing on me, as if trying to piece together how I had gotten here.I sighed, sitting up as well and raising my hands slightly, hoping not to startle her further. "Hey, it’s okay. I just—""What are you—what are you doing here? When did you come in?" she interrupted, her voice trembling. She glanced toward the clock. It was past nine. "Did you sleep here?"I shook my head. "No, I only came to check on you."A few hours after Ruby h
RUBY I wasn’t sure what terrified me more. The thought of an intruder or the raw intensity radiating from Sebastian. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice rough and commanding. His grip on my wrist tightened, as if he feared I might vanish. My heart thudded loudly as he shielded me with his broad frame. His growl low and menacing sent shivers down my spine. I could feel his Alpha aura swirling powerfully as though his wolf might surface any moment to slash at whoever it his wolf might surface at any moment. “Who’s there?” Sebastian growled. A muffled yelp broke the silence, followed by hesitant footsteps and a timid voice. “It’s me. I—I’m sorry, Alpha.” My jaw dropped as I peeked around Sebastian’s shoulder to see Noelle rushing out of the kitchen. Her face was pale, and her wide eyes darted nervously between us. She looked genuinely terrified, fumbling with a white earbud she yanked from her left ear with trembling hands. “I didn’t know you arrived! I was just coming out of
SEBASTIAN "Sebastian..." Annalisa began, but I cut her off immediately as a sliver of irritation rippled through me. "Why are you making this so hard?" I blew out a frustrated breath. I almost regretted having this fake bond with Ruby instead of Annalisa. But Ruby was the only one who knew my secret, which was why I had this arrangement with her in the first place. Why couldn’t Annalisa just move on? I thought we were done having this conversation. I thought we’d ended things between us. I didn’t miss the tears that glistened in her eyes before she lowered her head, staring at the ground. My heart sank. Fuck... I hated how much I’d hurt Annalisa. She had sacrificed so much to earn my heart, but she deserved someone who could love her back in the way she needed. And that someone wasn’t me. "I know I’ve hurt you, and I’m sorry," I said gently. Her scent of arousal filled the small space under the staircase, making my cock twitch even as I'd been trying hard to ignore it. She rais