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
RUBY"Lizzy is the Queen K leader. If I join, I’ll be under her. I doubt she’ll accept me easily, not after looking down on me for so long," I said, watching Cassie wave down a cab to take us back to the dorms.She paused, looking at me like I’d said something unbelievable."People in power rarely change, especially someone like Lizzy. She treats bullying Omegas like it’s her life’s mission.""Come on, Ruby, you’re in a higher position now," Cassie said, smirking."If Lizzy tries shit, just remind her of her place. She might be an Alpha’s daughter, but you’re the future Luna of this pack. This isn’t her father’s territory."I knew my new position meant no one would dare mess with me now. But this role was temporary, and I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention. I had to be careful with every move I made here, knowing Sebastian and I would part ways by this time next year."Getting back at Lizzy would make me just as cruel as her, and that’s the last thing I want," I said, tucking a
SEBASTIANRuby had done something strange to me. I thought I could keep my wolf under control, suppressing the cravings for sex to protect our fake bond.But since that intense moment with her last night that I smelled her arousal, my control began slippingMy wolf had gone wild, fierce and restless. I’d fought against the pull all day, trying to shake the sensations gnawing at me.But the moment I stepped into Lex Club with Robert, where one of our teammates was celebrating his birthday, the last thread of control snapped. The heavy scent of alcohol filled the air, laced with a faint, unmistakable smell of sex. That slight trace should’ve been easy to ignore, but it hit me hard, igniting something feral within me."I want to go," I whispered into Robert’s ear.He snapped his head up, confusion settling on his face under the glittering lights. "We just got here. What changed?" he asked, his voice barely cutting through the loud music.I wished I could tell him the truth, but I coul
RUBYI cried myself to sleep last night... After Sebastian left, I scolded my wolf for pushing him against the wall.She claimed she was trying to protect me because I seemed to be afraid of how he was touching me, and she said she didn’t mean to act so violently but...But what? Did I ask her for that? To act out of control, like I had that night, five years ago?The memory flooded back and a wave of guilt washed over me. Tears burned my eyes as I thought of how Mom had shielded me, burying my mistake that night to protect me. The guilt, mixed with the ache of losing her, felt raw with each memory. It was as if I could hear her voice, feel her arms around me, smoothing my hair and soothing me with her laughter. I hugged her photo frame to my chest, letting myself fall apart just a little longer.When I awoke the next day, my heart felt a little lighter, though my eyes were heavy as lead."I'm sorry, I no longer work there," I told a customer on the phone who wanted to order coffee
RUBY It took me a moment to realize why my heart had jolted. I glanced over at Aiden, and my mind flashed back to him leaning closer to my face just moments ago. Aiden was looking at me with a slight frown as he took another slow bite of his sandwich.My eyes dropped to his lips and my stomach fluttered with nerves. Immediately I looked away.Would he really have kissed me if Sebastian hadn’t called just then? And if I could remember this will be the second time Aiden was making attempt to kiss me. Why this sudden change from him?“Ruby?” Sebastian’s voice on the other end of the phone was loud and concerned.“Yea..." I said, unsure of what to say."I said to wait for me there. I’ll come pick you up.”"Okay,” I replied sharply.As Sebastian ended the call, I began gathering my things, slipping my notes into my bag. Part of me knew Sebastian wouldn’t mind seeing me with Aiden. After all, Aiden was just my friend. But knowing he’d almost kissed me left me feeling strangely unsettle
LIZZYThe moment my phone buzzed, I hesitated before walking to the bed and checking the message. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face the consequences of what I had done. But when I read the texts on my screen, a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding escaped my lips."Alpha Maximus has ordered that you should stay in school. Thanks to Dr. Sam, you will not be expelled. But the school head wants to see you in his office tomorrow morning."I reread the message Mrs. Whitewoods had just sent to me again, my fingers gripping my phone tightly. I should have felt grateful that I wasn’t going back to my pack.That I wasn’t going to face my parents’ disappointment. Sure, two of them would look at me like another problem added to their already miserable lives.I wasn’t ready to see them, or hear whatever lecture my father had prepared about what it meant to be the daughter of an Alpha, the expectations I had failed to meet.Maybe a part of me was grateful for all that, but it was buried beneat
ANNALISA "Why did you save her?" My voice was thick with anger as I stepped into the dimly lit room, the air heavy with the stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke.Even though my skin burned with rage, a cold sweat ran down my back the moment the door closed behind me.Warren sat on a stool, his back to me, lazily exhaling a cloud of smoke as he stared at his reflection in the grimy mirror. The wall beside it was covered in brutal red notes and pinned-up pictures of people, the knives securing them gleaming under the flickering light.A chill ran down my spine.I didn't coming here to meet Warren but after I tried calling him countless times and he ignored every call. I had no choice. My body boiled with anger at the memory of that damn video I watched earlier. The way Warren had jumped in to save Ruby from the pool. Warren didn't respond, but I heard the sound of his throat as he swallowed his drink, the glass settling onto the table with a dull thud.I growled, stepping forward, d
SEBASTIANMy blood was already boiling when I pulled into the driveway. The moment I saw Graham standing at the entrance with Ruby, I let out a low growl, my wolf stirring inside me.What was he fucking doing here?I was already fucking furious. The second Kiara called me earlier, telling me that my father had ordered Lizzy to stay in school, I knew something—or someone—had gotten to him. And when I arrived at the packhouse, I saw Doctor Sam just getting into his car.I didn’t know what the hell Doctor Sam had said, but whatever it was, it made my father refuse to hear a damn word from me.Not even my mother could sway him, and that pissed her off badly. I had never seen my father dismiss her like that before. It surprised me, making me wonder what kind of deal Doctor Sam had made with him.He hadn't even let me speak before shutting his office door in my face.I had stormed out of there in a rage. And now, coming home to find Doctor Sam’s son in my house?With Ruby?What was he fucki
RUBY"Are you not okay with this?" Sebastian said softly as he studied my face."Of course... I'm okay. Lizzy got what she deserved," I flashed a small smile. From the corner of my eye, I could see Cassie staring at us before she focused back on her phone.I wasn’t sure if I was truly okay with Lizzy leaving the school, considering her mother’s situation. I didn't know the specifics of her health condition, but from what I’d heard, she had been suffering for a long time.Maybe a different punishment would have been better than expulsion."She will serve as a lesson to anyone else who dares to treat you like shit. And if she tries anything after this, I'll do worse than what she got now," Sebastian cupped my face in his hands. His jaw clenched, and I could tell he wasn’t just punishing Lizzy for what she did to me, he had his own reasons for wanting her gone.But could Lizzy really hate Sebastian for no reason? He had told me to be careful around her but...Could it be that Sebastian
RUBY After 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 h
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 me out of 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 pos
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