Ruby
Mom helped me as I pulled myself up from the wheelchair, using the bathroom sink for support.
"Mom, I can manage ... sort of." I gripped the edge of the basin while balancing on one shaky leg, hardly mustering the strength to bear my body weight.
Mom hovered behind me protectively. She placed her hands on either side of my waist, ready to catch me if I fell.
My eyes drifted up to the bathroom mirror, wincing at the sight of the dark jagged scar that ran from my left cheekbone, all the way down to my left shoulder blade. The scab and stitching reminded me of a thorny vine, except there wasn't beautiful flower to deter my eyes from the ugliness. It was by no means pretty, but I was fully prepared for that.
The reflection staring back a
Ruby "Steady," Dad warned as he watched me maneuver myself in the self-propelled wheelchair. "Watch the doorframes ... jeez!" His voice hit a higher pitch than usual, then he winced, bringing his hands up to hold the sides of his face as I scraped past with a millimeter gap to spare. He blew out a relieved breath through puckered lips, then let out a strained chuckle. "Dylan, remind me to pick up some learner stickers, will you? I'm getting flashbacks from her very first driving lesson." I rolled my eyes at Dad's dramatic ramblings. "You almost caused that accident, yelling that there was an injured rabbit in the middle of the road. I made an emergency stop, only to find out it was a stuffed toy that had fallen out of some kid’s pushchair."
Ruby We rounded the corner and entered a stylish coffee shop. Dylan maneuvered my wheelchair through the myriad of tables and chairs, stopping momentarily as if he was searching for someone. Someone waved and it caught my attention; I almost choked on my gasp as I saw who it was. Sarah, Mia, and Tegan were sitting in a booth. Their beaming smiles greeted me as I approached them. Dylan parked my chair at the front of the table and my friends took turns to hug me. "I've missed you," Sarah gushed, burying her face into my hair. "You're the only person in the entire world that I've cried over, I hope you know that?" We both chuckled. "Your tear ducts work then?" I poked fun, all in good faith. "I don't know because you broke them," she joked back.
RubyMom was dressed in an expensive black cocktail dress and stilettos. She curled her hair and pinned it into an elegant style with smaller curls framing her face.There was a long pause as I sat there looking back at her, partly baffled by her question and also awestruck by how beautiful she looked. Mom knew I hated having to guess anything. She slumped, placing her hand on her hip."Your grandma ... she's agreed to come here." She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. "Honey, are you feeling alright? You look a bit peaky."My jaw was beginning to lock as I bore the brunt of the pain. "I need my meds," I told her.Mom yelled over her shoulder for Dad, and asked Dylan to show the girls to the guest rooms. "Two can bunk in together. One w
Caleb "Thanks for your warm hospitality." Aaron flashed a dazzling smile at the barmaid. He turned to me with a look of innocence. We were inside the Wolf Den saloon at Alpha Beau's pack. "What?" He shrugged. "You know damn well, what," I chastised, "Your mouth runs loose when you're drunk." I rolled my eyes. "Look, do what you want, just don't embarrass us, okay?" I crossed my arms, casting him a reproachful frown. Aaron's eyes bulged. "I'm not flirting or anything," he dismissed quickly. "I'm just being friendly." I knew better than to think he was flirting. Aaron liked to think that he could charm people with his charisma. Sometimes it worked, and other times, well, let's just say he'
Caleb "Yes, they're all Alphas like me and your dad. Oh, and Aaron says hi," I added, passing on his good wishes. "Look, Ruby, I just wanted a chance to explain everything," I began, mustering the courage that I'd been plucking up for the past couple of days. "You don't have to, Caleb, I accept you for who you are," Ruby blurted out, stealing the air from my lungs. "I guess in a way I've always loved you," she revealed. I could still hear the smile in her voice and I couldn't help but feel that it was undeserved. Not until she listened to what I had to say first. I continued, needing to get it all off my chest, "That night, when we first met, I didn't plan how it all turned out." I paused, hearing her exhale softly as she listened. "
Caleb Aaron stood beside the window, keeping a watchful eye on who entered the building. Beau had placed the pack under amber alert, which meant that everyone had to remain in their homes and await further instructions. The Alpha's office was situated on the top floor of the town hall; it had an ample view of both sides of the road. From the ceiling to floor wooden paneling that adorned the walls, the warped distorted window panes, the old western style furniture, and the mounted horns behind Beau's high-backed leather chair, it was an archetype of all thing’s country. Mal blew out a forced breath through puckered lips. "Man, I hate waiting," he grumbled to himself. Zach scrunched his lips, nodding in agreement. He mirrored the same agitated
Caleb "Alpha and Luna Garcia," I addressed them formally, standing to my feet out of a mark of respect. "We are not here to hurt you, or anyone else in your community. What we're offering is a sanctuary for your people." It was now or never. They were hanging onto every word I said. "We're not here to seek retribution for what happened in the Northern packs, past or present. That's not what this is about," I explained, witnessing their surprised exchange as they glanced at each other with a newfound hope in their eyes. "We're answering your plea face-to-face. The solution is not to rip families apart by taking pups away from their parents. That's not going to solve anything in the long term. However, we have something better in mind. What we're offering is a place in our communit
Ruby The morning sun illuminated the room with a subtle warm glow. I cracked an eye open, forgetting for a moment where I was, then realized that I was in bed. Confusion fogged my mind, having had no recollection of how I got here. I then quickly checked under the comforter in a state of blind panic as to whether I was wearing any pajamas, or whether I was still fully clothed. Embarrassment consumed me as I was greeted with pastel pink tartan.That could only have meant that someone had carried me to bed after falling asleep. Oh, God! Would I ever retain a shred of freaking dignity? "Relax," Sarah grumbled from where she was sprawled out on the pullout trundle bed at the side of me. "Your dad carried you to bed and your mom dr
Ruby The cold, wet sensation from the ultrasound gel made me tense for a moment, watching the small screen with eagle eyes. As the black and white image appeared before us, it was clear to see that there was not one, but two babies nestled together, side by side. Caleb scrubbed a hand over his shocked face, edging closer to the screen. "Well, I'll be damned," the doctor breathed out with surprise. "There is no doubt about it, you're having twins. Do you want to know the sex?" she asked, invoking mixed feelings within me. Part of me wanted to keep it a surprise but the terrified part of me needed to know for sure. Caleb gave me a look which suggested that he was fine either way. God love him, his eyes were glossing over with proud tears of joy
Ruby "I still remember the first night that we laid like this while watching over Alex. It was the same when Raine was born," Caleb reminisced. Something somewhere caused the room around me to distort, like ripples spreading wide across a calm lake. "Ruby," Caleb's youthful voice called out to me from somewhere beyond a dream. "Babe, you better wake up or else we're going to be late for the obstetrician appointment," I heard him say. Temporary confusion fogged my brain until I realized that I had been dreaming again. Part of me felt the loss of what I hoped our future could be as it slipped away, and the other part of me was relieved that I woke up at that point before the beautiful vision altered into something that could only be de
Ruby As the years rolled by, Caleb and I looked back on our lives with no regrets. When that time eventually comes when we have to leave this world behind, we would be taking a lifetime full of beautiful memories with us. My heart was full, my life was fulfilled. There was nothing that I would change or do differently. Everything was as it should be. With each lumbered step, my slippers brushed over the soft-pile carpet of the stair landing until I stopped to pause outside the old nursery that once belonged to my children. I thought that we had been bestowed a gift from the heavens the day I found out that we were having twins, but little did I know how much more my heart could contain the moment I discovered that I was to become a grandmother. The Goddess had blessed our family many times, and now my son, Alex, was the proud
Caleb Ruby turned on the steps of the town hall, facing away from the jubilant crowd. Snowflakes clung to the tips of her lashes, melting as they kissed her rosy cheeks. She tossed the bouquet of white and blue flowers behind her, and as she did so, the women rushed forward, shrieking deliriously, all snatching at the spinning object as it burst apart like a fragrant petal bomb. It was Grandma Lizzie who unwittingly made the save. She walked straight past the jostling females and caught the flowers against her chest. Her face blanched as she realized what had happened and tossed the bouquet away as if it was a hot potato. “Once was more than enough for me,” she joked. “Although, I wouldn’t mind a good old roll in the hay with one of those wolf boys. They've got abs that I could scrub my laundry on and then some.” She winked a
Ruby The emotion blazed in Caleb's eyes as I walked down the aisle; his mouth hung agape and his brows started to bunch in the middle, giving me the reaction that any bride longed to see. Caleb swallowed hard, causing his Adam’s apple to bob nervously in his throat. There was no sign of humor on Aaron’s face as he observed his friend's special moment. Instead, his expression was one of relieved happiness. Now that his best friend since childhood had found his soulmate, he adopted an air of accomplishment as if all was now right in the world. As the strong notes of the traditional wedding march came to an end, I released Dad’s arm and came to stand beside the love of my life. Caleb mouthed the word “Wow” as he lifted my chin with his fingers, and breathed, “You look breath-taking, love.”
Ruby “Are you okay, kiddo?” Dad asked, his expression softening as he clasped hold of my trembling hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I swallowed away the dryness before answering, “I just want everything to be perfect, that’s all.” “And it will be,” Dad was quick to reassure me. “I know how much this means to you; Caleb knows it too. He’s probably memorized his wedding vows off by heart. I bet he was up all night Googling templates from the internet,” Dad remarked in an attempt to make me laugh. His best efforts worked like a charm. I gazed through the tinted windows and out onto the wintry streets. Ice glittered the scraped roads and sidewalks, and some of the maintenance guys were shoveling grit salt on the main walkways throughout town.
Ruby I turned from side to side, admiring how the full-length wedding gown swayed with my movements. The white sweetheart bodice helped to boost my humble assets, glittering as the Swarovski crystals captured the light. The long, silky skirt gracefully swished around my legs, sending a wisp of cool air around my thighs. Dad made my day when he produced a pair of custom-made Sketchers in Bride White. He paid a seamstress from Montana to sew lace into the leather and add sparkles around the soles. It meant I would be comfortable all day long, especially as my ankle still ached from standing for long periods. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” Dad asked, through the closed door. He had resisted the urge to look at me in my wedding dress, pacing the hall outside mine and Caleb’s room like a caged animal.
Caleb "Yeah, plenty of thing’s spring to mind, but there is one that is owed a confession," Dylan said as he grinned at Aiden, then edged his chair away to maintain a safer distance. "I was sixteen, and Aiden was eighteen," Dylan began to confess, much to Aiden's interest. Upon hearing his name, he folded his bare muscular arms across his chest. "He borrowed my bike without my permission and ended up buckling the front wheel. He never said anything to me, and put it back in the garage in the hope that I wouldn’t find out what he’d done. I found it the following day and smelled his scent all over it, so I knew that he had used it. I was passive-aggressive, and in an act of vengeance, I sabotaged a burrito that he’d been saving in the fridge by filling it with laxatives. I watched as he devoured it for lunch, and asked if I could hang out with him and Vanessa that day. He was rather reluctant because he wanted to fool around with her while her dorm was
Caleb Aaron tipped the empty Tequila bottle upside down to prove a point. “No way! We’ve gone through the second bottle already?” He turned to my father with an accusatory tone. “It was opened twenty minutes ago.” Aaron’s face was partially hidden beneath his Batman mask, but the whites of his bulging eyes were visible among the black face paint. He had been doing rather well, talking in a gruff tone to imitate the caped crusader's voice, but the sheer shock at how fast my father could sink his liquor caused his pitch to raise a few octaves. Dad gave a casual shrug of his green padded shoulders as he raised the shot glass to his lips and downed the contents in one large gulp. Even I had to admit that was pretty good going, considering he was wearing a pair of oversized hulk hands