Ch. 6 - Boiling Point

Sebastian POV

The 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 glad to be home, Ruby." I leaned in, almost kissing her right on the lips, when I realized how ridiculous that would be. I had to do this right, make a perfect gesture of my love for her.

Instead, my arms pulled her into my chest, hugging her tightly before parting ways. It was just a few hours, and then she would know the truth. I prayed she accepted me, and finally, we would be mates. Would could happen in a few hours anyways?

"You seem a little too attached to your big cousin, son," Chase teased, knowing how much I hated the term "cousin" for Ruby. We weren't related.

"Don't start, Papa. Not tonight," I growled, taking a deep breath to keep my wolf in check. I didn't like giving him any control, and thankfully, he didn't push for more. My so-called Alpha wolf was pretty lazy, not causing much fuss inside me like others claimed. I was usually more human than anything else.

"Oh shit! Fuck no!" Chase shouted. I clasped my hand over his mouth, and Dad strolled up to smack him upside the head.

"What trouble is this idiot causing now?" Drake scolded with a familiar smirk on his face. I couldn't help but chuckle at them. Dad loved smacking Papa any chance he got.

"Our little boy is declaring his love tonight." Chase blurted out, and my eyes widened. How the hell did he know that?

"What? Are you crazy?" I looked around nervously. This was not happening.

"How are you going to do it? I'm a bit of a romantic myself. I can give you some pointers on how to make a woman's clothes just fall off." Chase was too amused, and I needed him to shut up before anyone overheard.

I glanced around, searching for Ruby, praying she hadn't heard my loudmouth Papa declare my love for her. That was not at all how I had planned to reveal my feelings.

"Love? With who? No! You have to wait for your fated mate. We've told you how sacred the mate bond is. You cannot mark another," Drake's wolf growled, clearly irritated.

"Mark? Who's marking someone?" River strolled up. These three were inseparable.

"I'm not marking anyone. Papa thinks he knows everything and is blowing this way out of proportion. Can we just greet our guests, please?"

My three dads exchanged skeptical glances, mind-linking each other before agreeing to drop it. The next few hours, I spent smiling and laughing along with hundreds of people I barely knew. No matter where I went, though, I was loved. People spoke of my greatness to come, my strength, and my unwavering leadership.

Yet, despite their adoration, I felt like a fraud. I had done nothing extraordinary. Just an average kid with average grades, I found solace in books about past eras, but I wasn't a genius. Our lands had enjoyed nearly two decades of peace, and I had never needed to showcase any legendary strength. It felt surreal and deeply uncomfortable to be celebrated for a perceived greatness that felt so foreign to me.

As the night wore on, my gaze was constantly drawn to Ruby. I longed for the moment when my mom would announce the end of the celebration, freeing everyone to go home. Tonight, I had one goal, and nothing was getting in my way.

From across the room, I stole glances at Ruby near the dessert table, surrounded by dancers who seemed to overlook her. It baffled me how she could be so unnoticed. My focus was shattered when Sheila ran her hand over my chest, jolting me from my longing and bringing me back to the present.

"What are you doing?" I growled at Sheila, my irritation evident. I had no patience for other girls touching me when there was only one I desired.

"Sorry, Alpha. You seemed distracted. I was just trying to get your attention," she said, her voice soft but tinged with annoyance.

"You're hard to miss, Sheila, especially in bright yellow," I replied, scowling at her. Why she chose such a garish dress was beyond me. I wasn't one to fuss over fashion, but bright yellow was just too much.

Shelia pouted, clearly hurt by my rejection, but I had no interest in comforting her. My attention was already back on Ruby. My heart sank as I saw her arms wrapped around another man, far too close to her body to be just friends. And considering she had no other friends, it was more than a little troubling.

A sudden surge of anger and jealousy ignited within me. My wolf roared with rage, threatening to break free. Darkness clouded my thoughts as I watched Ruby run off with a stranger. Where the hell was she going?

"Sebastian!" I heard my parents' frantic voices calling my name, their figures blurring as they rushed toward me. My canines had elongated, and my claws were sharp and ready.

"Calm down, baby, calm down," my mom said soothingly, her hands gently caressing my arm. I felt her love wash over me, soothing the violent hunger for blood that had overtaken me.

"What the fuck was that?" River demanded as my eyes finally shifted back to their normal color.

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head as I tried to catch my breath. I had never felt such overwhelming power within me before.

"You damn well know what that was," my grandpa yelled at my fathers.

"No, Dad! He's a strong Alpha and now an adult. A little rage isn't abnormal for someone like him," my mom interjected, defending me with a firm tone.

"You're all a bunch of idiots," my grandpa snapped at my parents. Turning to me, he said, "You better get your wolf in check. Release these people and go home." He waved his hand dismissively over the hundreds of pack members who were kneeling before me in submission.

Shame washed over me as I looked around. I had done this. I had forced them to bow to me, losing control for no reason. Ruby's interaction with a stranger meant nothing; I couldn't let myself be driven by such jealousy.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice laden with regret. "It's been overwhelming since coming home, and I got a bit carried away with all the attention." I glanced at the pack members as they slowly rose to their feet. "Please, enjoy the party and our time together as a united pack. I'll be heading to bed. I need some rest."

The weight of my outburst hung heavy as I left the party. I wandered through the streets, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, casting long shadows over the cobblestone paths. My steps were unsteady as I wandered aimlessly, my senses still heightened from the surge of power I had felt.

The night air was crisp, and I let it wash over me, trying to clear my head of tumultuous thoughts. My mind was consumed with thoughts of Ruby. I needed to see her to understand what had triggered my furious outburst.

The image of her in the arms of another man, so close yet so distant, haunted me. Why had it unsettled me so profoundly? I knew I loved her and wanted her as mine, but to react the way I did because she hugged another man was absurd. I was losing my mind.

A soft cry hit my ears, and instantly, I ran toward it. I had no idea where it came from, but the closer I got, the more I realized it was not just any cry; it was grunts and moans of passion. I wasn't some perv who spied on people's intimate moments, but my feet wouldn't stop pushing me toward them.

There, in a dark alley, my heart shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces. It wasn't merely the sight of Ruby with another man; it was the brutal reality of it. She was propped up against the wall, utterly consumed by someone else, being fucked like some worthless whore in the middle of the night. Her cries of ecstasy echoed through the alley, mingling with the rough, impersonal thrusts of the man who held her.

I stood frozen, paralyzed by the sight of her being used so callously. Then I watched hopelessly as he sank his teeth deep into her neck, marking her as his. Bile rose in my chest, and a profound emptiness engulfed me, making it feel like the ground had disappeared beneath my feet.

My world, which had seemed so solid moments ago, now felt like a fractured dream. I had envisioned a future with Ruby, one built on trust and love, but here she was, reduced to something I couldn't even recognize and claimed by another.

Fueled by blind rage, I stormed away, barely restraining myself from tearing into anyone who crossed my path. My anger reached a boiling point when a drunk man staggered into my path, his voice slurring as he began shouting praises.

"Prince Sebastian! The strongest of Alphas! You're going to lead us to greatness!" he bellowed, his arms flailing as if he were trying to reach out to me.

I barely registered his words through the haze of fury. The more he praised me, the more I felt my control slipping. His loud, drunken admiration felt like a mocking insult, a cruel reminder of the respect I had failed to earn.

Without warning, I grabbed him by the collar, my grip tight enough to cut off his air. His eyes widened in fear as I pulled him closer, my voice a low, dangerous growl. "Shut up," I spat, my face inches from his. "I don't want to hear another word of your damn praise."

His hands flailed uselessly as he tried to wriggle free, but I held him with an iron grip. "I'm something much greater than a useless Alpha! I am a god!" My wolf surged forward, darkness swirling through every fiber of my being, and I loved it. I felt renewed and powerful, capable of owning this world as I pleased.

I could see the terror in his eyes as he realized the full extent of my rage. The drunken bravado drained from his face, replaced by a palpable fear. My fist collided with his face, knocking him to the ground with a thud.

A menacing laughter filled the air as I climbed on top of him, my fist connecting to his face again and again. Blood covered my knuckles, and my eyes widened in delight.

'That's it, my son, take what is ours. Bathe in their worthless blood, purify this world, and bring it back to its glory.' A dark and eerie voice rang around me. I had never heard this man before, but his praise filled me with such pride. This world would be mine!