Ch. 1 - Belong

Note: This is book 2 of Her Triple Alpha’s Revenge. You can read as standalone but it will spoil parts of book 1.

Ruby POV

"Ruuuuby!" My mother's voice pierced the air for the tenth time this morning, her frustration practically shaking the walls. You'd think being ten minutes late was some kind of world-ending crisis.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yelled back, rolling my eyes as I put the finishing touches on my pixie cut with a single purple streak in the front. Short black hair wasn't just a style; it was a statement, and you couldn't just walk out looking like a mess.

"She thinks the King and Queen actually care what she looks like," my step-sister hissed to the other two harpies. They weren't really my sisters; none of us were blood-related, but surviving near death together apparently made us family. Or so the world thought. The world was wrong.

My three "sisters" were inseparable, a trio of toxic clones. Me? I was the outlier. The weird one with purple eyes and hands that occasionally shot out dangerous light. "A gift from the moon goddess," they said. It's more like a curse.

I stood up, giving my pink lips a final pat before admiring my reflection. I was hot, and I knew it. Not that anyone in this pack seemed to care.

"You're just jealous because they love me and don't even look at you twice." I let my gaze trail up and down Sheila's body. "Not that there's anything worth looking at, anyway." I giggled as she huffed in irritation.

"Mom! Ruby's being mean to us!" Sheila whined, descending the stairs.

At the bottom of the staircase, my mother waited, one hand on her hip, her scowl firmly in place. "Please, Ruby, no fighting today. I'm begging you." Her big brown eyes fluttered at me, pleading. She was terrified that the Queen might think she was a bad parent because of all the trouble I'd caused.

"They started it," I muttered, shooting her a defiant look as I brushed past. I loved her more than anything, would jump in front of a silver blade for her, but I was young and scarred by years of bullying. I couldn't see then how much she'd sacrificed for me.

"I'll be outside. Try not to take forever. We're already late," I added, a hint of demand in my tone. I could practically feel her shaking her head at me as I walked away. I was a handful, but my parents loved me regardless.

"This is going to be a long ride," I heard her mutter under her breath. I smirked as I stepped outside. It might be a long ride, but the destination was worth it. Not only would I see my aunts and uncles, but my best friend, my only friend, was coming home from Alpha Academy.

Sebastian was the one person in this world who let me be myself. He was like a brother who knew all my secrets and dirty little affairs. We were both outcasts, though he was praised for his oddities while I was scorned. We'd leaned on each other throughout our childhood, and I never thought I'd miss him as much as I had this past year.

As I propped myself against the car, absentmindedly fiddling with my black and pink nail polish, I felt a strange presence nearby. The aura was almost suffocating, wrapping around me like a thick fog. My feet moved involuntarily toward the street, my eyes scanning the road for this mysterious stranger. My heart pounded, a drumbeat of anticipation. No one had this kind of power except the royal family.

'Maybe it's our mate,' my inner wolf, Scarlet, purred in my head, urging me to seek out this stranger. She was the troublemaker that made me do the ridiculous things I did.

'Impossible, Scarlet. It's not a full moon,' I replied, annoyed by her constant wishful thinking.

But secretly, I wished it, too. I longed for that one soul to be bound with mine, like my parents or the King and Queen. Their love was the stuff of legends, and they were downright cruel for setting such high expectations for the rest of us.

Since the moon goddess abandoned our world, fated mates had become nearly impossible to sense until they were marked. Occasionally, the bond would intensify during a full moon, but we all feared that without the goddess, fated mates would become nothing more than fables, stories of epic love that no longer existed.

"You look lost, little wolf," a deep, husky voice said behind me. I spun around to see him tall, dark, and so damn dreamy. My body trembled, my mind fogged, and my skin burned under his gaze.

"Me? No, I—I live here," I stammered like an idiot, my voice annoyingly squeaky.

"Here?" He glanced at my house, then back at me with crystal-clear eyes, blue and grey, as if they could see right through me. "Interesting."

"Not really." I frowned, following his gaze to my house. Just a typical neighborhood in the South, nothing special.

"I'm looking for Luna Kiera. Do you know where she lives?" he asked, dead serious. Who didn't know where our Queen lived?

"Uh, the Queen? Are you seriously asking that?"

"The Queen? That's unexpected. What about her mates? They're all alive and well, I presume, Kings?"

"Of course. Where have you been?"

"Sorry if I seem odd to you. My manners, where are they?" He extended his hand. "My name is Gabe. I grew up in a place not well known, far from here. We didn't have houses like this. It's actually quite beautiful." He looked around, genuinely awed by the flowers, sidewalks, and homes.

My hand met his, and a surge of power shot through me, setting my body on fire. My eyes widened, my pulse racing.

'Has to be our mate!' I shouted to Scarlet.

'I wish. He's damn sexy, and I bet his wolf is powerful. Don't let go of him,' Scarlet urged, practically drooling.

Gabe watched me with a curious smile as I stared at him, completely dumbstruck. He was sexy, alright.

"Do you have a name?" he chuckled.

"Oh! Yeah! My name... my name..." I trailed off, staring at the ground. What was my name again? "Shit! Sorry, uh, Ruby. My name's Ruby." I sounded like a complete idiot. Normally, I was sharp, quick with a retort, a total bitch. What was this man doing to me?

"Are you sure? You seem unsure," he teased, those blue eyes dancing with amusement.

"I'm sure," I replied, smiling up at him. I could get lost in those eyes forever.

"Well, Ruby, it's nice to meet you. Can you tell me where I can find Luna Kiera, your Queen?"

"She lives up north. We're headed that way, actually. Her son, Alpha Sebastian, is coming home, and there's a celebration." Once I started talking, I couldn't stop.

"A celebration. Looks like I arrived just in time. Could you..." He tried to pull his hand from mine, but I tightened my grip, refusing to let go.

He chuckled, realizing I was already half in love with him. "Could you give me directions?" His thumb traced circles on the back of my hand, sending shivers down my spine.

"Yes, of course," I replied, my voice dropping, eyes peeking out from under my long black lashes. The longer we stood there, the more my desires raged inside me. I wanted him, and so did Scarlet.

I gave him directions and even told him where to find a car. The journey to the North could take days, weeks on foot.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ruby." He lifted my hand to his lips, planting a lingering kiss that made my heart skip a beat. He was damn charming, and worse, he knew it.

"The pleasure was mine. When you get to the North, if you find yourself lonely, ask around for me. Just say you're looking for the girl with purple eyes, and anyone can point you in the right direction."

"Is purple uncommon?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, in our part of the world. Most people think it's unnatural, even hideous."

"I think your eyes are majestic. A beauty that no one could surpass. I'll find you in the North. I promise you of that," he said with such certainty, his voice a low, husky drawl. Then he leaned in, and my eyes fluttered shut, desperate to feel his lips on mine. Instead, he brushed my cheek with a kiss, pulling away just as quickly. "See you soon, Ruby. The girl with purple eyes." He winked and walked away.

I sighed, watching his gorgeous figure disappear down the street. I only knew his name, Gabe, but I was already crushing on him like a schoolgirl. I prayed we'd cross paths again. Scarlet was practically howling inside me, begging to be set free to chase him down. Goddess, being a werewolf was hard, especially an unmated one.

"Are you coming or what?" Sheila snapped at me. "She's such a freak, Mom. I don't know how you love her." She climbed into the car, slamming the door shut. Mom yelled at her, reminding her to watch her manners or she wouldn't be going to college far away. I prayed she would go. Sheila was the one person I hated most in the world.

"Ruby, is everything okay?" Mom asked, coming up beside me. I was still standing in the middle of the street, lost in thoughts of Gabe.

"I don't know. I just want to get home," I sighed, a strange uneasiness settling in my stomach. I missed the North, but home was where Sebastian was, my best friend, the one person who made me feel like I belonged.

"Let's go, sweetie. Try to ignore your sister. She's weak to peer pressure, but I promise she'll grow out of this childish behavior."

"I don't think Sheila will ever change, Mom, but it's okay. I don't care what she thinks. Never have." I shrugged, climbing into the car. I immediately put on my headphones, tuning them all out. Just a little longer, and I'd finally be back where I belonged.