CHAPTER 1 RUBY I never imagined my heart could shatter into a million pieces until tonight. Watching my boyfriend cupped the face of his fated mate, staring deeply into her eyes, the ache in my chest became unbearable, as if every breath pulled me further apart. “I, Graham Scott, accept you, Lizzy Harris, as my mate.” Graham's words echoed in my mind, ripping through me like a storm. Everything slowed. The room, the people, the lights. It all faded as the truth settled in. Two years. Two years of love, trust, and promises gone in an instant. Every smile, every shared moment, now felt like a cruel joke. He had always told me I was enough, that nothing would ever come between us. A month ago, when I turned eighteen and didn’t feel the pull of a mate, Graham convinced me it didn’t matter. He said the bond didn’t define us, that we were destined to be together regardless. I believed him. I trusted him. I held onto his words like they were my lifeline, like they were the on
RUBY On Monday morning, I woke up with a pounding headache and a heavy heart. The memories of last night replayed in my head like a broken record. Graham’s voice, so loud and certain, announcing his fated bond with Lizzy. The look in his eyes when he saw me, like I no longer existed. The way everyone in that room pitied me, whispered behind my back. But most of all, I remembered Sebastian. His kiss, unexpected and confusing. His words that filled with a bitterness I hadn’t expected. I sighed and pushed myself out of bed, shuffling toward the bathroom. Splashing cold water on my face didn’t erase the tired lines beneath my eyes or the ache that had settled deep in my chest. Last night had been overwhelming, to say the least, and even though I wanted to forget about it all, I couldn’t. Not when everything in my life was already falling apart. I thought of my mother, and the familiar pang of loss hit me like a punch to the gut. It had only been four months since she passed,
RUBY I hesitated for a moment, wondering why he cared enough to stop for me. Without a word, I climbed inside, the soft leather cold beneath me. We drove in silence for a few minutes, the tension in the car thick enough to choke on. Finally, he broke the silence. “You’re in trouble, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low but direct. I glanced at him, unsure of how to respond. How did he know? Except, Cassie and Aiden, I hadn’t told anyone about the scholarship yet, and I definitely hadn’t planned on telling him. But somehow, he could see it. “Hmm.. yes,” I muttered, staring out the window. “Mind sharing?” he pressed. I sighed, realizing there was no point in lying. “My scholarship got canceled. I have until the end of the month to pay the tuition, or I’m out.” He didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel his eyes on me. When he finally spoke, his voice was unusually calm. “How much do you need?” “Five thousand,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “But it do
RUBYAs I closed up from work and walked down the street, my mind was spinning with everything that had happened. The cold night breeze nipped at my cheeks, but it wasn’t enough to distract me from the thoughts running rampant through my head. Sebastian’s offer kept replaying in my mind, over and over again. Pretend to be his mate? Could I really go through with something like that?I tried to focus on something else—anything else. The hum of cars passing by, the distant chatter of people in the shops I passed—but it was useless. No matter how hard I tried, Sebastian’s words clung to me like a shadow.I hadn’t even gotten far from the café when I saw Lizzy and Graham. They were stepping out of the big shopping store, Lizzy’s arm looped around his, her head tipped back in laughter as if everything in the world was perfect.My stomach twisted. Graham. He used to be the light in my dark world. When we were together, I thought he was my escape from all of this—the whispers, the cruel star
SEBASTIANAs soon as I stepped into the house, the familiar scent of home wrapped around me, but it did little to ease the tension gripping my chest. My mother was the first to greet me, standing in the dimly lit hallway with a worried look on her face. It was already past 10 PM, and I hadn’t mentioned to her this morning that I would be coming home late.“You missed dinner,” she said, her soft voice laced with concern. Her delicate brow furrowed as she reached out, brushing my hair from my face like I was still her little boy. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a small smile to reassure her. But the truth was, I wasn’t fine. I hadn’t been fine for days. The weight of my father’s expectations hung over me like a storm cloud, threatening to break at any moment.My little sister, Kiara, bounded into the hallway, her face lighting up when she saw me. “Seb! You missed out! Mom made your favorite.”“Sorry, squirt. Got held up,” I said, ruffling her blonde hair, though t
SEBASTIANThe next morning, the house was quieter than usual. I wasn’t sure if it was the weight of the previous night’s unspoken tension or just the calm before the storm that was sure to come. Either way, it left me on edge. Since I had no classes today, I moved through my usual morning routine—shower, breakfast, and a quick workout in the gym downstairs—trying to distract myself from the growing knot in my stomach.The mating ball was tonight. My mother’s excitement was palpable, even though she wasn’t hovering over me like she usually did. She had this way of being silently hopeful, her gaze following me around the room as if she could will everything to fall into place by sheer force of maternal love.But even that couldn’t change reality. I knew what was coming.As I sat down at the kitchen table, Kiara bounced over, full of energy as always. “Are you excited about tonight?” she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.“Excited?” I glanced at her, a wry smile tugging at the corner
RUBYThe sound of my heels resonated in my ears as I walked to the mirror, taking in my reflection. My blue eyes that I inherited from my mother, looked unusually bright tonight, standing out against my fair skin. My strawberry-blonde hair, soft and wavy, fell loosely around my shoulders.My mother always told me how special my hair was because of how rare it was to find a shade that was both blonde and red. I used to love that about myself, but now, with her gone, life felt different. The memory of Mom’s face flashed in my mind, and I quickly pushed the thought away, knowing I couldn’t let myself fall apart before the ball.Taking a deep breath, I tucked the knot-like metal tag of the necklace inside the emerald-green dress that hugged my body in all the right places. I stared at the light make-up and the red glossy lips that brightened my face, making me look more put together than I actually felt. But no matter how much I tried to transform myself on the outside, I couldn’t shake t
SEBASTIAN The moment I had stepped into the ballroom, the scent of jasmine and pine hit me— a smell I recognized instantly. I scanned the room, hoping it wasn’t her. Hoping it was just my imagination. But there she was. Annalisa. Amidst the crowd, she stood out in her red gown, which seemed to glow under the moonlight. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back as she glanced up at the moon through the open roof. She looked effortlessly stunning. Not that it surprised me. Annalisa always made sure she looked her best, especially in front of me. But I hadn’t expected her to be here tonight. Annalisa was my father’s Beta’s daughter. We grew up in the pack together. She had always been around hovering just on the edge of my world, close enough to care, but never too close to challenge the line I’d drawn. The line that said, we’re friends and nothing more. She’d been in love with me for as long as I could remember, making it obvious to anyone who had eyes. She even attende
RUBYThe morning greeted me with a comforting heaviness. My body aching was a proof to how much fun I had yesterday. Memories of the outing filled my thoughts, and for once, they weren’t overshadowed by regret.Kiara had been a breath of fresh air, full of energy and excitement to have me as her brother's mate. She dragged us to places I had only seen on TV or through the windows of passing street buses: a quaint diner with milkshakes and the best pancakes I’d ever tasted, a lively carnival Mom once promised we’d visit together, and a serene park adorned with fairy lights.For the first time in years, I let myself enjoy the moment and allowed my wolf to communicate with me freely. I laughed without restraint, and my wolf felt giddy with excitement as she guided me to win games at the carnival. For once, I forgot the weight of my reality.Yesterday felt like a dream, I didn’t want to end.But now, as I shifted in bed, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. I buried my face deeper i
SEBASTIAN Ruby’s laughter was light, melodic, and completely out of place in the moment. Even though I was confused, I couldn’t deny the pull her laugh had on my heart. It was sweet, almost addictive, and so contagious that I felt the corners of my lips twitching. I wanted to laugh along with her, but bursting into laughter without knowing why would be ridiculous. I blinked, trying to piece together what had just happened as Ruby laughed uncontrollably, her hand nearly covering her mouth. Why was she laughing? Was it because I told her my wolf wanted to fvk her? No. Ruby couldn’t be laughing because of that... could she? I glanced at her in confusion, then quickly looked down at myself as I leaned back in my seat. My shirt? Clean. No weird stains. My jeans? Intact. What could possibly be so funny? I even checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. Nothing out of the ordinary. My confusion deepened as I turned back to look at her, my brow furrowing. My patience was
SEBASTIAN“Can you grant me access to your wolf?” I asked, staring into her striking blue eyes.Ruby flinched, her breath hitching as the uncomfortable look I was becoming too familiar with washed over her.I barely remembered I was driving when I furrowed my brows slightly, staring deeper into her eyes as though the answer lay within them. My wolf, unhelpful as ever, flashed a vivid image of Ruby in her thin nightwear from last night and a tingling sensation danced through me. Noticing a slight movement of her lips, I shifted my gaze from her eyes to her trembling lips as they parted slightly as though she was about to speak.But before a word escaped her, a loud crash jolted us both.The car lurched forward violently, and Ruby was thrown toward the dashboard.“Ruby!” I growled, one hand gripping the steering wheel while the other shot out to stop her from hitting her head.Quickly steadying the car, I pulled over to the side of the road, letting the idiot behind us pass. My heart
RUBYEvery fiber of my being screamed at me to turn around and avoid a confrontation I might regret, but something inside refused to let me back down. I wasn’t going to let anyone make me feel small anymore.The strap of my bag slipped down my shoulder, and I jerked it back into place, my eyes never leaving Annalisa. She was approaching with her arms crossed, her blonde hair styled into two sleek braids, and her short purple dress radiating luxury. Her icy eyes took me in with a look of disdain.Once again, my mind went back to the nightmare, and a shiver ran down my spine. But I quickly pushed it aside.It was just a dream. Annalisa may hate me now, but I didn’t believe she’d go as far as trying to kill me. It was just one year, I would leave Sebastian.I took a steadying breath, forcing myself to meet her frosty stare as my heart hammered in my chest."As far as I know, Omegas are only meant to be one of two things: pup carriers or playthings for wolves who don’t want anything ser
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
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
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
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
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