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
RUBY I could sense the atmosphere around us shifting, as if something new was awakening when I looked deep into his dark eyes. It was almost unnoticeable, but then it hit me— a scent. His scent. I had always noticed it before, but now it seemed… different. More intense, more intoxicating, like fresh rain mixed with something warm and inviting. It wrapped around me like a blanket, and I found myself leaning into it, drawn to him in a way that startled me. My breath hitched as I took in his features; sharp jawline, tousled brown hair, and those eyes, deep and dark like the night sky. He looked more handsome than I’d ever allowed myself to admit before.What was happening to me?We were supposed to be pretending. This wasn’t real. And yet, in this moment, with his strong arms around my waist and his eyes locked on mine, it felt real. Too real.My thoughts were jumbled, swimming between reality and the overwhelming emotions of the moment.“You’re beautiful,” a voice said, breaking throu
SEBASTIAN I never felt so hungry for lips before but tonight I was. Since the dance with Ruby, I had been battling with everything inside me not to devour her mouth as my wolf reminded me of how her lips tasted the first time I kissed her at the school night party. I was drunk that night but I couldn't forget her taste.Even now as my gaze dropped to her lips, I fucking wanted to taste her. Her breath hitched the moment she realized where I was staring at and Immediately she snapped her head to look out the window. I smirked, licking my lips as I focused back on the road.I could still feel the warmth of her body from the dance. There was something about holding Ruby close that made it feel... less fake.There was something different about her, something I hadn’t felt with any other girl, but I knew she wasn’t my mate. If Ruby were, I should’ve felt the undeniable bond sparking between us. But there was nothing. Just emptiness where that connection should be.Why was I even thinkin
SEBASTIAN Annalisa had always been strong, but in this moment, she seemed fragile, and my heart squeezed. I had hurt her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for exactly. For hurting her? For not loving her the way she wanted me to? Or maybe for the lie I’d just got myself into with Ruby.When her sobs started to quiet, she pulled back just enough to look up at me, her hands still gripping the fabric of my shirt. Her eyes, red and puffy, flickered between my lips and my eyes.“Sebastian… I love you. I mean it. I fucking love you. I’ve wished my whole life that the goddess will destiny us as mates,” she whispered, her voice shaky, filled with so much longing and hope that it broke something inside me."Annalisa, we..." I began, but before I finished, she leaned up and kissed me.I froze for a second, my heart thumping away. I knew I shouldn’t. But as her lips pressed against mine, I kissed her back. I didn't know if it was because of the familiari
RUBYFor the past few minutes, my annoying alarm clock had been ringing, urging me to get ready for school, but I didn’t move from my bed. Instead, I groaned, curling deeper under my blanket as last night’s events replayed in my mind. Suddenly, my body shuddered with fear, gripped by familiar trauma as Sebastian's voice asking about my wolf rang in my ears.No. No. No. I couldn’t let myself think about the past. I threw off the blanket, sitting upright in bed and gasping for air.Just then, my phone buzzed beside the alarm clock on my nightstand. Shit! I’d forgotten to turn it off after using it in the mid-night during the power outage.Groaning, I reached for it. The screen lit up with a notification."You've just received $150,000 from Sebastian Kings."I gasped, my hand almost covering my mouth. I had never seen that much money in my entire life. My mind raced, trying to process the shocking amount.Before I could make sense of it, another message appeared."Thank you, Ruby" Seba
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
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
ANNALISAI had always believed Sebastian was meant to be mine. From the moment I became aware of the word "mate'', I couldn't imagine the perfect mate to spend the rest of my life with other than him.As the Beta's daughter, I grew up alongside him. I was supposed to be on Beta training but because of the love I had for him, I switched. I was there for every Luna training session, every meeting that Sebastian had to go. As the future Alpha, he had to learn the ways of the pack, and I made sure I was right by his side, preparing to be his Luna.We trained together and shared countless moments that convinced me we were destined to be more than just friends. Everyone around us thought we would end up together as fated mates. And although my parents always warned to guard my heart around Sebastian, especially my father. He constantly told me I shouldn't get my hopes up until I turned eighteen and found out for sure if he was my mate. But I didn’t listen. How could I, when every fiber
RUBY“I asked a question,” Mrs. Whitewoods said again, adjusting her glasses slightly down the bridge of her nose, her short raven hair neatly pinned back. Her tone, though calm, carried authority. “What’s going on here?”The girls around me shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. Lizzy hesitated, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for a way to twist the story. Renee and Ginger exchanged nervous glances, but neither spoke up.My heart pounded in my chest as I debated speaking up, knowing Lizzy could twist the story. But before I could say anything, Mrs. Whitewoods’ voice cut through the silence.“Skylar,” she called.“What exactly happened here before I walked in?”Skylar hesitated, her eyes darting between me and Lizzy. “There was… an altercation. Lizzy insulted... the future Luna and tried to assert that she shouldn’t be part of the group.”Mrs. Whitewoods’ expression darkened as she turned to Lizzy. “is this true?”Lizzy stammered, “I-I didn’t mean—”“Don’t lie to