Ruby POVThe clamor of a battle rang out around me, claws slashing through the air, bodies crashing against the walls, and the guttural growls of beasts. I couldn't see anything, but the sounds painted a vivid picture of chaos. Katherine was fast, too fast for any normal opponent. The sharp crack of her silver blade slicing through the air reached my ears, followed by Sebastian's deep, enraged snarls.A loud crash echoed from my left, the sound of something heavy slamming into a wall, and I instinctively flinched. Katherine must have struck him hard, but there was no hesitation in Sebastian's response. I heard his feet skid across the floor, followed by the sickening sound of flesh meeting bone, a punch, so forceful it sent a tremor through the ground beneath me. Katherine grunted, but the sound wasn't one of defeat. No, she was fighting back, her movements swift and deliberate as she slashed at him, trying to end him in one clean strike.I strained to listen, my heart pounding in my
Sebastian POVThe moment I saw Katherine, a rage unlike any I'd ever felt took over. Ruby's screams of pain ripped through me, fueling the darkness inside. There was no turning back. I needed blood, needed to destroy. In that moment, I wanted to kill everyone, even Ruby, maybe.After I ripped Katherine's heart from her chest, I stood over Ruby, watching her squirm in agony. For a brief, twisted moment, it felt euphoric. The amulet around my neck had burned out, no longer able to keep the darkness at bay. I'd hoped Ruby weakening it last night would had lessen its hold on me, but it only seemed to make the darkness stronger.It took everything I had to wrestle back control, forcing Kane to heel and not take what we both desired. I yanked the blade from Ruby's eye and broke the chains that bound her with ease.Holding her in my lap, I made a decision. I wouldn't be a coward, I wouldn't kneel down and die. I wouldn't leave her alone.As we stepped out of the small shack Katherine had use
Ruby POVThe moment we stepped out of the shack, a shiver cut through me, like the world itself was shifting. It wasn't just the aftermath of battle; it was something deeper, more insidious. The land seemed to hum with a low, malevolent energy, as if Katherine's death had stirred something ancient, something angry.Then Gabe appeared, his presence heavy with sorrow and despair. I could feel it all through our bond; his guilt, his shame, his regret. Despite knowing he never wanted to hurt me, I couldn't accept it. My one eye was proof enough of how dangerous letting him in could be. I was better off without him, and I needed to do this for myself.I fought to reject him, but Scarlet howled inside me, begging not to let him go. She understood his true nature, the love and protection he offered, but it was too late. The damage was done, the lies too deep. He was the son of our greatest enemy, a woman who wormed her way into innocent lives and crushed them. Trusting him now would be fooli
Sebastian POVThe second the explosion echoed through the trees, every instinct screamed at me to find Gabe, to confirm he was alive. But I couldn't go back. Ruby lunged forward, ready to run to him, but it wasn't safe for her to be around him. Without a second thought, I grabbed her, hoisting her small frame over my shoulder. The only thing that mattered was keeping her safe. Everything else had to come second, or I'd risk losing her forever.I'd never feared death. It wasn't something that hung over us like it did for humans. We lived long, strong lives, untouched by sickness. But I hadn't known true fear until I saw Ruby strapped to that table, a blade driven through her eye. That fear, the fear of losing her, had given me the strength to push through the darkness inside me and save her.I ran for hours, two bags over one shoulder and Ruby over the other. We didn't speak, just breathed heavily, silently mourning what we might have lost. Katherine's death had unleashed something unk
Gabe POVI stood frozen in my house, my body stiff as stone and muscles painfully tight. My chest rumbled with a deep growl as I stared at Hailey, both of us immobilized by Sebastian's command."What did you do?" I snarled, struggling to regain control."What was needed." She cackled, her eyes gleaming. "Katherine was once a Delta, like me. She rose to power because she did what she had to, killed without regret, and took what she deserved. Now, it's my time.""I don't care about your delusions. What did you do to Ruby?" I growled, my fingers twitching slightly. I was close to breaking through Sebastian's compulsion."You should care, Gabe. I'm the one you need to fear, not your mother. She always planned to take all the power for herself." Hailey laughed again, a wicked sound that grated on me. "Katherine was the delusional one. That old hag thought she could use you, feed Sebastian your darkness to release Dietus for herself. She thought she would marry a god.""She planned to sacri
Ruby POVThe emptiness gnawed at me, an ache so deep it felt like it could swallow me whole. My body swung between burning heat and icy chills, my thoughts racing in endless circles until exhaustion wrapped itself around my bones. Hours of sleep offered no relief; I woke more drained than before, my heart screaming for Gabe while my mind scolded me for my weakness. This battle inside me had to end before it drove me to do something I'd regret."You awake?" Sebastian's breath was warm against the back of my neck, his voice a soft murmur. He'd held me all night, whispering reassurances I barely heard through the haze of my despair."Barely," I mumbled. "Feels like a mountain was dropped on me." I forced my eye open, the one that was left, anyway. The other was just a memory, a gaping wound hidden beneath a makeshift bandage, too real to be forgotten. My life couldn't possibly get any worse."The land has changed," Sebastian said, a hint of wonder in his voice. My hand reached out to tou
Sebastian POVAs we trudged through the barren fields, the silence between us felt like a heavy weight. Ruby's head rested against my shoulder, her body light in my arms, but the burden I carried was a mountain pressing down on my chest. Each step, each breath, tested my resolve.Kane was restless, gnawing at the edges of my mind. His dark, insistent voice echoed through my thoughts, urging me to do what I knew I couldn't."Mark her, Sebastian. She's ours. You can end her pain with a single bite. What are you waiting for?"I clenched my jaw, trying to block him out, but his words seeped into my thoughts like poison. He wasn't wrong. Marking Ruby would bind us together, might even heal the agony tearing her apart. But it would also seal her fate, taking away her choice. And I couldn't live with that. I wouldn't force my will on her, not like this."She needs us," Kane growled. "Gabe's gone. We're the only ones who can protect her now. If you don't act, she'll break, and when she does,
Ruby POVThe wasteland stretched endlessly before us, a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged rocks, where the sky bled in perpetual twilight, neither fully day nor night. The air was thick with dust, swirling in lazy spirals as the wind whispered through the skeletal remains of trees that had long forgotten what it was to bloom. This land mirrored the emptiness inside me, both twisted by a past that could never be undone.But as we walked, something strange began to happen. The ground beneath our feet, once dry and lifeless, began to soften. Patches of thick, dark grass pushed through the cracks like stubborn survivors. Delicate white flowers dotted the landscape, their petals unfurling to greet the rare shafts of light that pierced the gloom. It felt like stepping into a forgotten dream, a memory of a world that had once known life."It's the gold," Sebastian murmured. "It's bringing this place back to life."I looked around, and despite the weight of despair clinging to me, I
Gabe POVSebastian was ridiculous.We'd been stuck on that boat together for almost two weeks, and he was acting like it meant nothing. He barely acknowledged what happened, sweeping it under the rug as if those hot, tangled nights didn't shift something deep between us. I was pissed at him, but Ruby was back, and I couldn't stop smiling.Except it didn't feel like the three of us anymore. There was a cloud of doubt and anger Sebastian was driving between us, and it was unnerving. He was so arrogant, so righteous.The tension was thick as we traveled overland, pressing in on us until it felt like it would snap. We bickered about everything: whether my shortcut through the trees was actually a shortcut, or why Sebastian couldn't just follow my lead without a snide comment."You don't even know where you're going," Sebastian snapped, shouldering past me to take the front. His voice was sharp, but I caught the exhaustion under it."I don't have to know where I'm going. I'm trusting my gu
Gabe POVSebastian was ridiculous.We'd been stuck on that boat together for almost two weeks, and he was acting like it meant nothing. He barely acknowledged what happened, sweeping it under the rug as if those hot, tangled nights didn't shift something deep between us. I was pissed at him, but Ruby was back, and I couldn't stop smiling.Except it didn't feel like the three of us anymore. There was a cloud of doubt and anger Sebastian was driving between us, and it was unnerving. He was so arrogant, so righteous.The tension was thick as we traveled overland, pressing in on us until it felt like it would snap. We bickered about everything: whether my shortcut through the trees was actually a shortcut, or why Sebastian couldn't just follow my lead without a snide comment."You don't even know where you're going," Sebastian snapped, shouldering past me to take the front. His voice was sharp, but I caught the exhaustion under it."I don't have to know where I'm going. I'm trusting my gu
Sebastian POVThe sand crunched under our boots as we stepped onto the shore. The island was almost too perfect, like something out of a dream, with golden mountains in the distance and a faint glow in the air that made everything shimmer. The wind carried a strange, intoxicating scent, like flowers mixed with something ancient and magical.I was still on edge, pacing the beach while Gabe rummaged through the supplies we found in a small, abandoned shack near the edge of the jungle. I couldn't stop thinking about Ruby, the need to find her clawing at me."You're pacing again," Gabe's voice called out from behind me. "You're gonna wear a hole in the sand.""Shut up," I snapped, spinning around to face him. He was grinning, of course, like this was all a game. "We shouldn't even be here. You know damn well we don't have time for this."Gabe stood up, brushing sand off his pants, his teasing expression faltering for a second. "Sebastian, we're doing everything we can. You need to take a
Sebastian POVI stood there, my chest still heaving, heart pounding from what had just happened with Gabe. My head was a damn mess. One minute, I was imagining Ruby, our mate, the one I craved more than air, and the next... Gabe's mouth was on me, and it wasn't just some accidental slip. It was intense, primal. It felt good. Too good.But did I really want him? I rubbed the back of my neck, the mark from Ruby tingling like it always did, reminding me of what we had to focus on. I could still taste her on my lips, still feel the rush of being with her, but my body was tangled up in something else. Gabe. What the hell was that? I wasn't into men. I wasn't into him.He was just there, right? Filling in the space, the need. That had to be it. My need for Ruby had to be leaking over to him. That's all it was.I stormed from the dinner table, showering long and hard to wash away his scent on my cock, but it didn't matter. I had the images seared in my brain, the pleasure alive in my soul. I
Sebastian POVWatching Gabe was so damn sexy. I didn't want to admit how it turned me on the same way watching Ruby did. Ruby was my mate though, she was the only one I wanted. But she wasn't here, she was lost. We had to find her, but this damn mark on my neck was sending endorphins and desires through me. I needed to mate, to empty my seed and fill a hole.I fucked Gabe's mouth with everything I had. My hand ripping at his hair, dick impaling that wide throat until I burst again, filling him completely with so much cum. He was right, I was going to rut if I didn't let this all out. "Stand," I ordered then point to the chair. "Sit right there and jerk off."I took a seat in front of him, watching his hard delicious dick. I never thought about a man in this way before, but I did want him. I wanted to taste him, feel him. I sat there for a while, my hand playing with my cock as I watched him get off."Let me help, Alpha. We need more." Gabe teased me. I wanted to cave, to bend him ove
Gabe POVI just finished dinner, setting the food on the table and arranging it in a beautiful display in hopes to sway my Alpha to eat, but I knew he needed something else."You need to learn control, Alpha." I spoke softly, carefully, stepping closer to the untamed beast. Sebastian stood in the cabin, maps scattered around him as he watched the calm seas sway below us. He was losing his mind, a need to have his mate consuming him. "Gabe, get away from me!" He warned."No! I need you, she needs you." I insisted. "She's gone!" He roared out. "No, she isn't." I moved behind him, my fingers dancing along his neck, were her marked laid. "She is our mate and we can feel her. Ruby is alive, and we will find her.""I'm going fucking crazy. We have to find her. I have to have her." He growled at me, a heavy burden clear on his shoulders."You're a tangled mess, Alpha." I sighed, grabbing his hand to follow me. "You need to eat and you need a release. Well, you need your mate, but she isn'
Gabe POVFor days, we searched. We scoured the ship, flipped through ancient books, anything that could tell us what the hell had taken her. But we found nothing. And in that time, I watched Sebastian spiral. He wasn't eating. He wasn't sleeping. The darkness inside him crept closer with every hour Ruby was missing. I'd seen him like this before, on the verge of losing control, but this time felt different. This time, there was no pulling him back without her.I tried talking to him, over and over. "We'll get her back," I said, my voice breaking the silence one afternoon as we sat in the cabin, the maps spread uselessly across the table. "We just need to keep searching."He sat there, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might snap. "What if we don't?" he muttered darkly, his eyes hollow. "What if she's already gone?""She's not," I insisted. "We'd feel it, both of us. She's alive, Sebastian.""You don't know that." His voice cracked, the first sign of weakness I'd seen in days. "Wh
Sebastian POV"Sebastian," a sweet, innocent voice called from the darkness, soft and familiar. "Sebastian," it beckoned again, and the frantic beating of my heart slowed. Warmth spread through me like a soothing balm, a brief escape from the chaos inside."Ruby! Where are you? Come to me, please," I begged, my voice breaking."I'm right here, silly." Her hand touched my face, gentle, soft, and it sent a surge of energy through me. Pure, unfiltered love coursed through my veins, and the world blurred into focus. There she was. My beautiful Ruby with long black hair, a red ribbon, and those mesmerizing brown eyes."I miss you." The words came out as a whisper, heavy with a desperation that clawed at my insides. I pulled her close, kissing her with all the longing I'd buried since she was torn from me."I've missed you too, my love," she whispered against my lips. I kept my eyes closed, not daring to open them, terrified this moment would slip away like all the others. I knew the truth,
Ruby POVThe cold water swallowed me whole, rushing over my head as the weight of the ocean dragged me deeper and deeper into its black void. My chest burned as saltwater filled my lungs, choking me with a sharp, unbearable sting. Panic flared wild and uncontrollably like a beast in my chest. The creature's tail coiled tighter around my waist, its slick, scaly skin sliding against mine, unyielding in its inhuman strength.I thrashed harder, my arms flailing in the thick, freezing water, but it was no use. The world above, the ship, the sky, my mates, they all faded into the distance, swallowed by the ocean's endless maw. Darkness pressed in from every side, the pressure increasing with every second, crushing me from all angles.This can't be happening. Not now. Not after everything.Images of Sebastian flooded my mind. His green eyes, the way they softened when he looked at me, that fierce love I finally saw within them. His touch, his kiss, the way his body felt against mine. And Gab