Ruby POV
The grand celebration in the North was, as always, a spectacular affair under Luna Kiera's meticulous care. She spared no expense and had a knack for keeping the crowd entertained. Light flurries of snow added a magical touch to the fading sun, music floated through the air, kids raced across the frozen lake, and families reveled in the many games and booths. It was like a carnival, complete with an ice rink, food trucks, hot chocolate, and laughter echoing everywhere. For the first hour, Sebastian and I raced around the grounds, competing fiercely in everything from milk jug toss to cornhole. He looked dashing in his black suit, with a dark purple handkerchief that matched my dress. He always made these small gesture to remind me I wasn't alone. Sebastian was the best friend anyone could ask for, but he was also the future King, and duty inevitably called. As the evening wore on, he made his way around the grounds, greeting and chatting with families. Meanwhile, I spent the next few hours indulging in snacks, trying to ignore the whispered comments that followed me. In the North, I was mostly just pitied, while in the South, I faced abuse and bullying, which was understandable since I caused the most trouble there. But in both regions, I was equally feared. Northerners were also more superstitious, spinning tales of a dark, ominous forest they believed I was born from. It was ridiculous, yet they clung to every word. I found myself by the table of cupcakes near the dance floor, watching Sebastian with a quiet smile. He looked like a confident player surrounded by women vying for his attention, but I knew better. He had confessed to me how uncomfortable girls made him, how I was the only one he felt at ease around, which made sense since we'd known each other since birth. Growing up, everyone wanted to be his friend; as teenagers, every girl wanted a piece of him. But we both knew that no one ever looked past our social status. Sebastian was destined to be King, while I was the freak who could kill with a touch. People held their tongues around him but lashed out at me. I was grateful to have him by my side; I don't think I could've endured the torment without him as my one constant source of goodness. Suddenly, my body began to heat up, and my breaths grew short. A dark and forbidding presence enveloped me. "You said you knew the Queen," a stranger's voice whispered in my ear, his hand sliding over my belly as his tall frame pressed against my back. "But you didn't mention you were in love with her son." His words brushed against my skin, sending delicious sparks throughout my body. "Who? What?" I practically moaned, melting into the arms that held me so tightly. "You've been staring at the prince for twenty minutes. Are you jealous of all the girls fawning over him?" Gabe's gaze was sharp, his wolfish side barely contained, his annoyance clear. But it was he who was jealous, and that realization made me very happy. I had been hoping to see him again. "Jealous? Of Sebastian? He's like a brother to me. I think you're the jealous one." I teased, my finger tracing the hard line of his jaw, tense with anger. "I don't get jealous, honey. I get what I want." His voice was a low threat as his hand slid down my waist, dangerously close to my core, completely inappropriate in the middle of a crowd. "I bet," I bit my bottom lip, a playful smile tugging at the corners. "So, what is it that you want?" I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. His hand immediately found its way to my ass, and my eyelids fluttered as a wave of heat surged through me. The air between us crackled with tension, everything around us fading into the background. All that remained were his ice-blue eyes, staring at me like I was his next meal. "I think you know exactly what I want, little wolf." His voice was low and husky, dripping with desire and lust. I relished the sight of a man desperate for my body. It fueled something inside me: a need for acceptance and a misguided sense of affection. But I didn't care; I craved to be wanted. "I think I do," I whispered, a seductive edge to my tone. "Want to get out of here?" "Are you trying to take me home?" He chuckled, his eyes lingering on my chest, where my cleavage was enticingly displayed for him. "I'm staying at the pack house. Not exactly the best place to bring a lover." "What, are you some kid who's not supposed to be picking up strangers?" he teased. "No, I'm a grown woman, and I can do whatever I want. It's just that my aunts and uncles are a bit overprotective. They might kill you on sight." "Kill me?" His eyes widened in surprise. "You're serious?" "Dead serious," I replied, lifting onto my tiptoes as he leaned down, our height difference making it necessary. "The three kings are my uncles, and they don't take kindly to men trying to take advantage of their innocent niece." "Innocent? I doubt that," he smirked. "Let's go." He grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the crowd and into the shadowed side of a few shops. "A dark alley? Is that the best you can do?" I teased, leaning back against the cold brick wall. "I just got here this morning, and I don't have much money. But I can't wait another minute before tearing into you." His voice dropped to a dark growl, a wicked grin spreading across his face. The sheer intensity of his desire was electrifying, and it took everything in me not to tear off my clothes right then and there. "I'm going to enjoy this," he murmured, his tone laced with darkness as his eyes began to swirl with black, his wolf surging forward. I braced myself against the wall, a mix of fear and raw desire coursing through me. I wanted, no, I needed his wolf to take me. Scarlet urged me to mark him, uncaring of the consequences or the fact that we knew nothing about him beyond his name. All she wanted was the beast inside him. He quickly undid his belt, slightly lowering his pants and pulling out his large cock in his hands. I licked my lips, pulling the hem of my dress up to my waist. We were doing this right here and right now, or my damn throbbing pussy would burst. "At first," he said, stepping closer, his hand grabbing my underwear and shredding it to pieces. "I thought you were some innocent child, just a prude and angry girl. Mmm, but now I see you." He lifted my leg around his arm, bending his knees to align himself right at my core, his intentions clear. "Yeah? And what am I?" I moaned as his tip teased my folds, my own wetness coating him and begging for more. "A damn slut," he chuckled, thrusting into me with a force that was painfully intense. My jaw dropped in a gasp, and I cried out, overwhelmed by the raw sensation. "You're fucking tight for a little slut." He growled, pulling out and ramming hard inside me. He pounded into me, taking me dirty against the brick wall with my leg wrapped around his arm. His eyes watched me, black as night and filled with anger. "Fuck! Gabe! Don't stop!" I screamed, my nails digging into his shoulders. He felt so damn amazing. How he fucked me like some animal, devouring my pussy to make him come hard inside me, it was perfect. "I'm not stopping anytime soon." He chuckled at me, growling uncontrollably. "You have no idea what you've done." He warned me, fucking me faster and faster. The way he slammed inside me, body heated and chest rumbling, was so damn sexy. "I don't care! This feels too fucking good." I began shouting, groaning loudly, about to orgasm over his thick cock penetrating deep inside me. "Good! I wasn't letting you go either way. Now come all over me. I want to feel that pussy squeeze me tight inside you." He spoke with his wolf, an Alpha without a doubt, and it made my stomach tighten, pussy try to clamp shut, and my toes curl. "Shit! Oh fuck!" My eyes rolled back, my vision blurry, and a damn symphony of ecstasy exploded inside me. I never felt anything like that before. It was exhilarating and everything. My body hummed in bliss, releasing too many endorphins for my mind to process. Gabe continued to pound into me, his grunts and growls mingling as he chased his own release. I was half-conscious, barely able to hold myself up, but he held me in place, taking me as he desired. In that moment, I felt a dangerous obsession growing within me, a yearning for him to fuck me just like this every day. I heard him chuckle, his thrusts growing ragged. Then, with a low growl, his wolf whispered in my ear, "Mine." Before I could react, his canines sank deep into my neck, claiming me. The sharp sensation sent another wave of pleasure crashing over me, triggering an intense, unexpected orgasm that left me trembling in his grasp. My hands grabbed a fistful of hair, holding his head to my neck as his hard dick pumped deep into my womb. He fucking claimed! The entire experience was so overwhelming that I didn't even care that I was in a dark alley with a complete stranger. I had never felt so complete, so satisfied, and whole before. Scarlet wasted no time; my canines elongated as he licked my wound closed. But just as I leaned in to return the mark, he pulled back, his ice-blue eyes meeting mine with an amused glint. "Oh, little wolf," he laughed, "you don't actually think you can mark me, do you?" "What?" I stared at him, confused. He had marked me, wanted me. We were supposed to be mates now. "You're so damn fine, Ruby. I like this little body of yours, and your wolf is absolutely adorable." He pulled out, fixing his pants as he looked me over with an appraising gaze. I hurriedly adjusted my dress, a wave of embarrassment crashing over me. What the hell just happened? "Excuse me? You just marked me, you idiot," I snapped, my hand instinctively covering the bite on my neck. "We're mates now." "We were always mates, and now you are mine," he said calmly, a dark edge to his voice. "I don't have the patience to be manipulated by the fate bond, so here's how this will work. I marked you, so now I control you, and you obey." He patted my head like I was some obedient pet. "Just like a good little omega would for her Alpha." "I'm not a fucking omega, and you sure as hell aren't my Alpha!" I screamed, my embarrassment boiling into full-blown rage. My body heated, and I felt magic stirring inside me, a powerful force ready to erupt. "Mmm, maybe not just an omega," Gabe murmured, watching my body shiver in disgust, white light sparking at my fingertips. His eyes widened in amusement. "A little witch, too?" He tilted his head, grabbing my hand to watch the magic unfold. "Don't!" I screamed in warning, desperately trying to pull my hand back. He didn't understand what I was capable of. I wasn't a witch, and this wasn't ordinary magic. Despite feeling like he deserved whatever came next for how he treated me, I couldn't bring myself to take a life. "Don't what?" Gabe chuckled as if my magic were of no consequence. He slid his lips over my fingers, savoring the taste of my magic and sweat, his tongue swirling in a way that made a shiver scurry down my spine. "Mm," he hummed, popping my fingers from his mouth. "You are something special, aren't you?" He scanned me up and down, a smirk playing on his lips. "I think I might enjoy having you as one of my mates." He chuckled, turning away and walking off. "You can't do this! I will..." I cut off my threat, frustration bubbling inside me. Gabe spun around, his wolf side now fully forward. "You won't do anything, little wolf. I've marked you, and now you belong to me. Every second, you'll find yourself begging to be at my feet, to please me, to satisfy me in ways only an omega can for her Alpha." His voice was filled with a twisted excitement, clearly aroused by the idea of my submission. "I will tell the Kings!" I shouted defiantly. "No, you won't." He laughed so hard he had to brace himself against his rumbling stomach. "You're too embarrassed to admit what a slut you are. Besides, they'd kill me, and you can't let your mate die. Your loyalty is mine, whether you want to give it or not. See you around, mate." He winked at me before disappearing from sight. I stood alone in the dark alley, feeling violated and claimed by an evil beast. My knees gave out, and I crumbled to the ground, sobbing into my hands. I had messed up, and I knew it. He was right; I was bound to him now. Scarlet was already instinctively leaning toward him, ready to obey and fulfill his every desire. I felt like a puppet with no control over my own life. This wasn't fair!Sebastian POVThe night started out like a dream. Ruby and I ran around the elaborate party my mom had thrown in my honor, but my focus was entirely on her. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with my soulmate.When I showed her my purple tie and handkerchief, she melted right before me. I knew how hard it was for Ruby to feel accepted and that she appreciated how I always showed her she was never alone. I just hoped that tonight, I could show how much I loved her. Eventually, my dads came to drag me away, reminding me I wasn't just some kid at a party. I had obligations to my people, people who came out to celebrate my return. I knew it was wrong to ignore them all night, so I reluctantly left Ruby's side. "Meet me at midnight by the Mirror Lake. I have to tell you something important, ok?" My eyes pleaded to her. The way her purple iris shined into mine was mesmerizing."Okay," she replied, looking at me curiously. "Everything okay?""Yeah, it's good, really good. I'm just gl
Gabe POVI cursed myself the whole journey to the North for bumping into that little minx. I knew the moment I caught her scent, she was mine, but I didn't want her. I was here for one reason: one person. I left my home and grueling days of torture and deceit to complete my true destiny. First, I needed to kill the Queen. That bitch had it coming for the scraps she threw our way while her pack bathed in glory. The houses these people lived in were ridiculously beautiful. Beds of colorful flowers, bright paint on the siding, smooth roads to play on. It was sickening comparing all this to what little we were given.Then, I needed to find my true other half, the one who would complete my soul and grant us the power to rule this world as it was meant to be ruled.But the moment I arrived in the North, her scent hit me again, sending my wolf into a frenzy. I was at some elaborate, frivolous celebration for their so-called prince. A prince in a land of werewolves? What a joke. We were Alph
Ruby POVFor hours, I sobbed alone in the shadows of a random alley, the cold seeping into my bones as despair wrapped around my heart. I felt utterly lost, terrified, more alone than I'd ever been. How could this have happened? I had been marked by a bastard Alpha, a cruel, unfeeling man who wanted nothing more than to use me. My soul was now bound to someone who had no intention of loving me, no desire to cherish the bond we were cursed to share. How could I have been so foolish?In a daze, driven by desperation, I found myself running toward Mirror Lake, the one place that still held a shred of comfort for me. Sebastian had asked me to meet him there at midnight. I was unsure of the time but held onto a sliver of hope that he would come. I needed him now more than ever. He was my best friend, the future King; he could force Gabe to reject me, couldn't he? But as I paced the snow-covered ground, the minutes felt like hours, and the hope I clung to began to crumble.Scarlet whined in
Sebastian POVMy eyes teared, watching my blood-stained hands in horror. I completely lost control! My pack's blood was on my hands, my father's blood. Something primal rose inside me, fading my true self into the background. I only desired to rule them all, to watch them suffer. This couldn't be real."I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." A tear fell down my cheek, seeing my three dads standing before me with mangled faces. They were already healing, but the bones I broke would take a few hours."You're sorry!" River roared. "You're fucking sorry? We need a hell of a lot more than I'm sorry, Sebastian.""I... I don't know what to say. I lost control." I flipped my hands back and forth. All my wounds healed, and even the bones I had broken were mended back together."Relax, it's no big deal. He's just a kid." The man I beat to a pulp slowly stood, his face unrecognizable from the beating I gave him. He, too, was already healing, but I knew by the way he winced it was incredibly painful. "No big
Ruby POVI woke half frozen to the ground and covered in a blanket of snow. My hand reached to my neck, praying it was all a nightmare, but it wasn't. I felt Gabe's mark seared into my skin, a supernatural bond urging me to seek him out. I felt sick to my stomach that I actually felt anything but pure hate for that man.Walking back home, I realized I couldn't show my face like this. Not only was I dressed in the same clothes, but I was dirty, bruised, and marked. I had hoped Sebastian showed up last night, but in hindsight, I was glad he didn't. There was nothing I hid from him, but this was too much. The embarrassment and shame I felt was soul crushing.I decided to stop by the one person's house that we always trusted with our darkest secrets. He would know what to do, or at the very least, let me shower to make myself more presentable."You look like some dirty whore! What the hell were you doing last night?" Grandpa Seb opened his door before I even knocked. His normal scorned fa
Ruby POV"Why are you here?" I shouted at Gabe. I couldn't process any of this. He was best friends with Sebastian now? And Sebastian was hanging on Sheila's every word? What was happening?"You seem tense?" Gabe looked amusingly at me. Did he think ruining my life was a joke?"Tense! Tense!" Magic was swirling inside me. I wanted to burn his face off.Sebastian and Gabe both jumped to me, but Gabe was closer. His hands cupped my cheeks. "Calm down!" He ordered me, and I felt his compulsion wash over my nerves, soothing me in a dark and forbidden way. This wasn't right."We should give them some space. Want to play some hoops?" Sebastian offered Sheila, and my jaw dropped. She's never touched a ball in her life or worked up a sweat. There was no way she would play..."Love too. Uh, I should probably change first." Sheila smiled at him. His eyes raked over her body, lust building in his eyes. What the fuck!"How? What?" I stuttered, but they paid me no attention as they walked upstairs
Gabe POVI spent all morning chumming up to my soon-to-be best friend, and I was actually enjoying myself. Sebastian was so easy to manipulate that I found it quite amusing. Back home, it was everyone for themselves. There was no such thing as friends, just allies that you watched your back around.Sebastian lived in this giant castle-like home. I had never seen anything like it with my own eyes before. I remember coming across a few children's books that spoke of fairytale lands like this, but I never knew they existed. My mom refused to allow me to indulge in any kind of fantasy. She warned me about the dangers of getting too comfortable as well as this cursed fated bond. It was some magical spell a stupid goddess cast on us long ago. It weakened an Alpha to submit to his mate's desire but also gave him more power. I didn't think I would feel much different marking an omega, but Ruby proved to be much more than I expected. Her magic was something pure, coursing through my veins li
Sebastian POVWatching Sheila struggle to dribble the ball was anything but cute. I tried giving her a few pointers, and though she acted eager to learn, she clearly had zero interest in playing any sport."I should probably head inside. I need to meet my parents anyway," I said after an hour of her fumbling around the court."Oh, yeah, sure," she replied, looking away, disappointed. I didn't know what to say to her. She was just too girly."Okay, see you around." I gave her a small smile and headed inside, feeling awkward around girls like her."Oh, mom! What are you doing?" I asked suspiciously as I found her staring out the window like she'd been watching us the whole time."What are you doing with that girl?" she demanded, her wolf clearly on edge."Just playing some basketball. Well, she tried at least." I chuckled, thinking about how horrible it was, though it did keep my mind off Ruby for a while."I mean, what are you doing with her?" She emphasized each word, her anger rising