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047. Departure...

Penulis: sammie
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-12-16 22:34:44

“Stay where you are. Watch them, but don’t let her see you. Text me the flight details as soon as you can.”

“Alright,” Kai said before the line went dead.

I set the phone down, my hand shaking a bit from trying to control my feelings.

I slammed my hand against the desk, the sound echoing in the quiet room. Ruby wasn’t going to do this. She wasn’t going to take my children and disappear.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Ruby had made her decision, and realizing that she was leaving with the children filled me with an unexpected sense of urgency.

I pushed my chair back and stood up, pacing to and fro. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and I needed to breathe. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was nearly 7 PM. If they had already checked in, they could be boarding any minute.

I had no time to waste… PING!

The sound of my phone drew my attention back to the device laying on the desk. It was a text from Kai, short and to the point: “Flight 237 to Howling Heights
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  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   048. If I have to...

    ROMAN’S POV I stepped into my apartment, the city lights bleeding in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the last thing I expected was Kai lounging on the couch. ]He had his feet kicked up on my coffee table, a glass of whiskey in hand, looking entirely too comfortable for someone about to deliver bad news.“Kai,” I said flatly, tossing my keys onto the counter.“You’re late,” he replied, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. His tone was light, but the tight set of his jaw betrayed his usual bravado.“What is it?” I asked, already sensing something was off.“You asked me to be here in an hour… remember?”Kai reached for a tablet sitting on the table and handed it to me without a word. The screen came to life under my touch, displaying grainy security footage from the airport. My stomach twisted the moment I saw her—Ruby—walking through the terminal. She was holding Rhett’s hand while Little Ruby clutched Helen’s. They were laughing, bags and boxes trailing behind them

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-16
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   049. Back in Howling Heights...

    RUBY'S POV The cab pulled into the city, and as the familiar skyline came into view, a tightness crept into my chest. I clutched my bag a little closer, staring out the window as the streets passed by in a blur of muted colors and ghosted memories.I was back.The place where everything began, where everything fell apart. The city that held every piece of me—the good, the bad, the broken. Each corner seemed to echo with memories of smiles, laughter, and heartbreak. It felt as though the air itself weighed heavier here, thick with the past.I blinked away the feeling and reached for my phone, dialing Liam’s number.“Ruby,” he answered almost immediately. His voice was warm, like a balm to my frayed nerves.“Hey. I’m here,” I said in a steady voice despite the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “Is it still the hotel I told you about?”“Yeah, same place,” he confirmed. “I’m already here waiting for you.”I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Alright. I’ll be there

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-17
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   050. The Visit...

    RUBY'S POVLiam and I stood outside the hotel, waiting for the car we had ordered. The morning air was both clear and heavy. I tried to focus on the simplicity of the moment—the soft breeze brushing against my skin, the faint hum of traffic in the distance—but it was impossible. My thoughts were racing, my stomach in knots.“She’s going to be fine,” Liam said beside me.I looked at him, trying to take comfort in his calm demeanor. “I hope so,” I murmured.The ride to the hospital was quiet, almost painfully so. I watched the buildings blur past the window, every street corner bringing me closer to memories I’d buried for years. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my coat, a nervous habit I’d picked up as a child. Liam sat next to me. His steady presence helped me stay grounded when my thoughts felt like they were going crazy.When we got to the hospital, the tall, white building stood in front of us. It looked cold and clinical. My heart sank as we entered the lobby, the antiseptic

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-18
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   051. Reunion...

    Liam turned toward me with that reassuring smile of his, the one that always managed to make things feel lighter, even when they weren’t. “I’ll just be outside, alright?”I gave him a small nod. “I’ll see you in a bit.”He turned around and walked away. The door clicked shut behind him, sealing us in calm silence. For a brief moment, I let myself breathe, only to turn back and find Aunt Jean watching me. Her gaze—steady and probing—held something I couldn’t quite decipher.“He’s…” Jean began but trailed off as if searching for the right words.“Straightforward,” I supplied, offering her a faint smile.Jean nodded slightly, a knowing look flickering in her eyes. “Disciplined. Open. He has every good quality you could ask for in a person.”“He sure does,” I admitted softly, unable to hide the small smile tugging at my lips. I could still feel the lingering warmth of his presence in the room.“You two seem very close.” Jean's voice was careful, but there was a question in it that she di

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-18
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   052. The Return...

    ROMAN’S POVThe airport buzzed with its usual chaos—announcements blaring over speakers, the shuffle of luggage wheels on tile, and the hum of impatient travellers. As my car pulled up to the curb, I spotted Kai standing near the entrance, casually leaning against his car, arms crossed like he didn’t have a care in the world.I rolled down the window as we approached. “Driver, stop here,” I said, motioning toward Kai. Grayson nodded and pulled over.Kai noticed me and straightened up, a smug smile creeping across his face.“Finally decided to show up?” he quipped, walking toward me as Grayson unloaded my bags from the trunk.I stepped out of the car and nodded to him. “Thanks. I can take it from here. You can head back now.”He nodded, tipping his hat before driving off.As I turned to Kai, I couldn’t help but notice his car parked behind him. A thought struck me, and I smirked. “So, what’s the plan for your car, Kai?” I asked, gesturing toward it with a tilt of my head.Kai patted t

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-19
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   053. Deception Unveiled...

    The car arrived at the large apartment building, which looked sleek and modern with its glass exterior reflecting the city skyline. Several workers hurried out to greet us, their faces eager but restrained, their bows precise. I offered a curt nod in response, the weight of my thoughts leaving little room for pleasantries.Kai let out a dramatic sigh as he dragged my luggage to the entrance and flopped into the nearest chair. “Feels good to be back,” he said, kicking his feet out and leaning back.I raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t get too comfortable. My office—now,” I said, already heading for the stairs.“Damn it,” Kai muttered behind me.“I can hear you,” I called over my shoulder, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.“Of course, you can,” he shot back, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. “A little break would be appreciated, you know.”Reaching the top of the stairs, I called back without turning, “You wouldn’t know what to do with one.”Kai groaned theatrically be

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-19
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   054. Welcome back...

    Dane cleared his throat and looked at Jean briefly before focusing back on me. “Alpha Damien wants you in his presence,” his voice smooth but edged with something sharp—an order disguised as a request.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep my expression unreadable. “Is that so?” I asked coolly, folding my arms across my chest to mask the trembling in my hands.Dane’s eyes narrowed just slightly. “Yes,” he said simply. “And he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”My jaw tightened at the mention of Damien. It had been years since I’d last heard his name spoken aloud, but just like that, the memories came rushing back—his cold eyes, the weight of his commands, the impossible expectations.Aunt Jean squeezed my hand again, grounding me. I looked at her quickly, her face pale but determined. Her expression spoke volumes: Don’t do anything rash.I took a slow, steady breath before answering. “And what if I don’t want to see him?” my voice sharp but steady.The tension in the room thickened

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-20
  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   055. Why, not Where...

    “She can’t hide forever,” I said, pacing the office. My voice was calm, but beneath it was a storm brewing. “She’s good, but I’m better. Start digging—contacts, security footage, anything. She’s here, and I’m going to find her.”Kai nodded, his expression grim, his lips pressed into a thin line. “On it.”I left the room without another word, heading down the hall to my bedroom. Once inside, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, my thoughts spinning. How the hell had Ruby pulled this off?I stepped into the bathroom, the faint hum of the shower filling the silence as I turned the water on. The warm spray hit my skin, and for a moment, I let the tension in my muscles ease. But my mind wouldn’t stop racing.I had underestimated her. That much was clear. She was always sharp, but this? Leaving the kids behind meant she wasn’t running—not in the sense I thought. If she was planning to disappear, the twins would’ve been the first thing she took with her.“Then why

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21

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  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   234. Homecoming...

    ~Ruby's POV~The tires barely crunched over the gravel before I saw them—Helen, the kids, Keely, Esperanza—all standing outside the house like they were waiting for something spectacular.Well… maybe they were.They held handmade signs above their heads. One in Little Ruby’s unmistakable handwriting read: Welcome Back! and another, messily painted in glitter and marker, said: TELL US EVERYTHING!Roman laughed as he stepped out of the car, squinting against the afternoon sun. “Looks like we’ve got a welcoming committee.”I didn’t even get a chance to grab my purse before the twins launched themselves toward us. Roman caught both of them in his arms with ease, lifting them off the ground and spinning them around. They squealed with delight, tiny limbs flailing mid-air.“Good to see you two,” Roman said, his voice softer than usual. The kind of tone I’d only ever heard him use with them.“Same here, Dad,” they chimed in unison.“How was your vacation?” Rhett asked, ever the polite one.

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   233. Proposal...

    ~Ruby's POV~I woke to silence.No breath against my neck. No warmth tucked behind me. No Roman.My hand instinctively reached for the other side of the bed, but the sheets were cold, untouched. I blinked, sitting up slowly and brushing strands of hair out of my face.That’s when I saw it—folded neatly and left in Roman’s unmistakable scrawl on the pillow beside me.“Wear something pretty. I’m stealing you away at 6.”I stared at it for a second too long before letting out a quiet scoff. “Roman,” I murmured with a small smile, clutching the note for a moment before setting it down on the nightstand.The evening was quiet; the cabin was quiet—too quiet. No hum from the bathroom, no clinking of cups from the kitchenette, not even the rustle of papers or faint footsteps. Just me, the distant ticking of the clock, and… my stomach rumbling like it had a score to settle.“Damn,” I mumbled, placing a hand on my belly. “Calm down.”I grabbed one of the leftover cookies I found in the fridge a

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   232. Our Own World II...

    The past three days have been wonderfully fun, and today, being the fourth, wasn't going to be any different. The moment we stepped into the cobblestone square of the old town market, I felt her energy shift.Ruby slowed down, taking in the quaint charm like it was something out of a fairytale. String lights crisscrossed overhead despite it being daytime, casting soft golden hues across the worn stones beneath our feet. Colorful stalls lined both sides of the street, selling everything from handwoven baskets to carved figurines and spices in little muslin pouches. The air smelled of roasted almonds, cinnamon, and woodsmoke.“Whoa… this is beautiful,” she murmured, eyes wide, voice soft with awe.I tried to hide the grin tugging at my lips, but failed. “Told you I had good taste.”She rolled her eyes, not even trying to fight the smile that followed. “Don’t be full of yourself, Roman. You just got lucky.”“Uh-huh. So yesterday’s waterfall was luck? And the valley before that?” I shot

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   231. Our Own World I...

    ~Roman's POV~The second day of our little escape began with nothing but sun, wildflowers, and an open valley. The scent of spring was thick in the air—crisp grass, blooming petals, and that earthy sweetness that only comes when you’re far from city noise. For once, everything felt… quiet. Still. Like the world had decided to hold its breath and just let us exist.We rode out into the valley after breakfast, the horses crunching over gravel and dry brush. Ruby looked ahead with this gleam in her eyes like she was ten again, wild and unbothered. She had insisted she was a "natural" at horseback riding.I should’ve known better.We had barely ridden into the open stretch when her horse wandered off-course, heading toward the ridge with a mind of its own. Ruby’s posture tensed, both hands gripping the reins like they were her last lifeline.“Whoa—okay. Alright, not funny,” she muttered, trying to redirect the horse, but it kept veering left.I didn’t even laugh. Not yet. I kicked my

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   230. Beginning of Everything New...

    Ruby’s POVThe next morning came faster than expected.Roman had been up early—earlier than me, which was a rare occasion, but it shouldn’t have surprised me too—and had already packed both our bags by the time I made it downstairs. He was standing near the door, arms crossed, looking smug as hell.“You ready?” he asked, that crooked little grin playing at the corners of his lips.I narrowed my eyes at the sight of the duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “What exactly are we packing for?”He raised a brow. “A break.”I folded my arms. “Roman D’Angelo, you said peace—not mystery.”He chuckled. “It’s a peaceful mystery. You’ll like it.”“You’re terrible at surprises.”He leaned in and brushed a kiss to my cheek. “And yet, I keep trying. That has to count for something.”Despite myself, I smiled.We left just before noon—Helen waving us off with a mock salute and a muttered “Godspeed” as Rhett and Little Ruby shouted goodbye from the porch. Esperanza had already set up an emergency gro

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   229. A Taste of Peace...

    ~Ruby's POV~“SURPRISE!!” We all shouted, popping up from every corner like confetti cannons.Helen froze, her mouth parting in surprise. Her eyes filled with something I hadn’t seen in days—real joy.Keely stepped out from behind the couch and shouted, “Welcome back, warrior!”Esperanza handed her a paper crown that read Queen of Comebacks, placing it gently on her head.Rhett and Little Ruby hugged her tightly around the waist, careful not to bump her leg.And I… I just smiled. For once, things felt light again. Not perfect. Not healed. But lighter.And that was a start.The house felt different—brighter somehow, warmer in a way that had nothing to do with the lighting. Voices echoing over each other, plates clinking in the kitchen, laughter spilling out of rooms like music. For the first time in a while, it felt like a real home again.Helen stood at the center of it all, beaming like she’d just stepped out of a miracle. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes still glassy with emotion eve

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   228. The Quiet After...

    ~Ruby's POV~It had been over a week now.The night outside was cold, quiet—too quiet for a mind like mine that hadn’t rested in what felt like years. I was curled up on the couch, the throw blanket pulled to my chin, knees pressed close to my chest. The television was on but muted, the flicker of images dancing faintly on the wall. I wasn’t watching it anyway. My eyes were wide open, but my mind was somewhere far away, running backward like an old film reel.Everything had happened so fast.Aunt Jean’s death. Bronwyn’s murder. The ambush at the cabin. The WE Project revelations. The attack on Helen in this same house. Even now, when everything was starting to settle, it still felt like a dream. A bad one. The kind that followed you into the morning, clinging to the edges of your thoughts even after the sun rose.I tucked my feet deeper under the blanket.When we moved back with Roman, it hadn’t been by choice. It was about safety. Protection. We were all targets. Me. My kids. Every

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   227. Alpha's Return...

    ~Roman’s POV~The grand hall of the Pack House was colder than I remembered. Not in temperature—but in silence, in the tension that gripped the walls like ice. I stood at the center of it all, straight-backed and unyielding, though every step inside felt like trespassing across the bones of my past. Familiar faces stared back at me—pack warriors, curious onlookers, council elders seated in their formal robes like ancient statues.They whispered. Of course they did.“What’s he doing here?”“He was banished.”“Is he insane?”“He’s going to get himself killed.”I kept my eyes ahead, ignoring the murmurs from the crowd. My hands were steady. My pulse was not.Elder Cael stood slowly from the council bench. “You violated your sentence, Roman D’Angelo. You were banished. To return is an act of rebellion punishable by death.”The words lingered in the air, serious and heavy. I didn’t react at all.“I didn’t come here to defy,” I said in a controlled voice, “I came in peace. I came to protec

  • The Alpha's Castaway Mate: Mummy, Is He Our Daddy?   226. I've Gat You...

    ~Ruby's POV~I didn’t even realise I was crying until I felt the sting of salt against the cuts on my cheek. My arms were full—one child cradled on each side—and my legs barely kept pace as I pushed forward, praying we’d make it out before something else went wrong.Rhett’s limp grew heavier with each hurried step, but he clung to me with everything he had. Little Ruby had her face buried in my neck, her tiny breaths trembling against my skin. Blood had dried beneath her nose, crusted against her upper lip. I kept brushing her curls from her face, murmuring like a chant—words meant more for me than for them.“Almost there, babies. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Just a little more.”The hallway ahead was a blur of dim light and flickering shadows, but I caught the movement before the face. Kai. He was hobbling toward us, his lip split, bruises painting one side of his face, but gods—he was smiling.“Hey!” he called out, breathless, in a hoarse but warm voice.The twins stirred in my arm

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