~Ruby's POV~I was still leaning against the bathroom door when my stomach let out a loud, traitorous rumble.I immediately looked down at it, as if I could glare it into silence. Ishhhhhhh. I bit my lip, hoping Roman didn’t hear—"Someone's hungry," Roman teased from the bedroom.I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me. "No, I'm not.""Oh, Ruby, you don't have to deny it every time." I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.I pressed my back against the cool bathroom wall, letting out a small breath. "I'm actually not."Roman chuckled. "Then what was that noise?""Umm… it was—"Before I could even finish, my stomach growled again—louder this time.I squeezed my eyes shut. Traitor."Oooops," Roman said, clearly enjoying himself.I cracked open the bathroom door and peeked out, narrowing my eyes at him.Roman was sprawled on the bed, propped up on one elbow, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. "You were saying?"I huffed, stepping out fully. "Fine. Maybe I’m a little
~Ruby’s POV~I couldn’t wipe the smirk off my face as I stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with a satisfying click. That had been fun.Roman had played his little teasing games long enough, always pushing just far enough to make me squirm, to leave me breathless. But this time? This time, I had won.And the look on his face? Priceless.Still, I leaned back against the cool wood of the door for a moment, pressing a hand to my chest as I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. Because holy hell, that kiss.It had started as a joke, a way to turn the tables on him, to make him suffer just a little for all the times he had left me flustered. But the moment his lips met mine, the game blurred into something else entirely. Something dangerous.Roman kissed like he had all the time in the world, like he was savoring a meal he’d been craving for years. And the way his hand had moved—firm, warm, possessive—I had almost forgotten my own plan.Almost.I shook my head, biting my li
Ruby’s POVI swallowed a bite of my food, chewing slowly as I pretended to think over Roman’s words."We’ve never really sat down and talked. Like, you know? What this is… between us."Oh, I knew exactly what he meant.But I wasn’t going to make this easy for him.I tilted my head slightly, feigning innocence. "What do you mean?"Roman’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, but his smirk remained. "Don’t do that, Ruby.""Do what?" I asked, stabbing my fork into a piece of steak.He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, his gaze locking onto mine. "Pretend like you don’t get what I’m saying."I exhaled slowly, setting my fork down. "Fair enough… but we haven’t really gotten the chance to talk about this with everything that’s been happening."Roman arched a brow. "We definitely had the chance, Ruby. Before all of this started. You just… never gave me one."I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Here we go again."His voice softened, but his intensity remained. "Trying wouldn’t hav
~Esperanza's POV~A few moments back…I grabbed my purse, giving myself one last glance in the mirror as I finished applying my lipstick. Keely, however, had her arms crossed, leaning against the dresser with a suspicious look.“Are you sure that’s exactly where you’re going, Esperanza?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.I sighed, putting the makeup brush down. “Sure, Keely. Where else could I be going?”“You could be sneaking off to Ruby’s without telling me,” she accused.I turned to face her fully. “Why would I do that?”Keely raised an eyebrow. “Probably to be the first to give her an update on what we discovered.”I gasped dramatically, clutching my chest. “Oh no, no, no! Come on, Keely. I’d never do that.” I paused, dabbing my lips together to set the colour. “We both agreed to tell her together, remember? No two ways about it.”Keely didn’t look convinced. She studied me for a moment before placing her hands on my shoulders. “You sure?”“Absolutely,” I said, giving her my b
~Ruby's POV~“Actually, what are you two doing here?” she asked, her gaze flicking between us.I froze. Shit.For half a second, my brain refused to function. I was totally caught off guard, words dying on my tongue as I scrambled for something—anything—to say.“Umm…” I started, stalling. I could feel Roman’s eyes on me, and I knew he wasn’t going to help me out of this. “It was actually unplanned. We, uh—” I forced a laugh, waving a hand vaguely. “We coincidentally bumped into each other here.”Esperanza’s brow lifted slightly, but she nodded. “Oooo… coincidence day, I guess.” She looked between us, studying our expressions. “So, you both are just meeting for the first time in a while, or…?”Her words trailed off as her gaze settled on Roman.“Not at all,” Roman said smoothly, his voice carrying that effortless confidence that made my stomach tighten. He turned his head slightly, looking at me. “This isn’t the first time.”I stiffened. Oh, for the love of—Esperanza’s eyes snapped to
~Ruby's POV~The restaurant had settled into a quieter rhythm as the lunch rush died down. Just as I was considering how soon I could escape this awkward gathering, Esperanza’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen, frowning slightly before picking up the call.“Hello, am I speaking with Esperanza Blackwood?” a voice asked from the other end.Esperanza leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes playfully. “Yeah… depends on who’s asking.”There was a brief pause before the woman replied, “The lady from the store. Just wanted to inform you that your package is here.”Esperanza let out a breath. “Okay… alright. Be right there.”She ended the call and turned to us, already rising to her feet. “Now, of all times. Let me just quickly get it.”Then, as if realising something, she glanced between me and Roman. “Umm… will you two still be here?”Absolutely not.I didn’t even hesitate. “We were just about to leave,” I said quickly, eager to put some distance between myself and t
Keely’s POVAbout an hour ago…Esperanza shot me one last mischievous grin as she stepped outside. “Have fun doing absolutely nothing while I’m gone.”I rolled my eyes. “Just leave already.”She laughed, throwing up a wave before disappearing through the front doors.The estate was finally quiet again.I exhaled, stretching my arms above my head, already planning how I was going to sneak off to see Isaac when my phone vibrated in my pocket.I pulled it out and frowned at the screen.Dad.I quickly answered. “Hey, Dad.”“Keely,” my father’s deep voice came through the line. “I’m heading out with Damien.”I straightened. “Oh? Where to?”“Business,” he said simply, his tone giving nothing away.I frowned. “Business? What kind of business?”There was a pause before he responded, “Nothing you need to worry about.”That only made my curiosity spike. “Alright, so when will you be back?”“No idea.”I bit my lip, suppressing a sigh. Of course. That was always the answer.Instead of pushing fur
"Shut up and kiss me, Isaac."His answering smirk was brief before his lips captured mine again.This time, it was different—there was a hunger to it, an urgency, like he needed me to breathe.Our hands moved faster, our kisses became more heated, until all we could feel was each other.His skin against mine, his heart beating in time with mine.He pulled back, panting, his dark eyes searching mine before going down to stare at my breast."You're so fucking beautiful, Keely," he whispered, almost like a prayer.I flushed, the words washing over me, warming me to my core.Then his mouth was on me again, trailing a path down the curve of my neck, the dip of my collarbone, the swell of my breast.His lips closed around one nipple, sucking gently, eliciting a gasp from me. His hand moved up to palm the other, thumb brushing against the sensitive skin, teasing, taunting.I moaned softly, arching into him, desperate for more."Isaac, please," I breathed."So impatient," he murmured, his eye
~Kai’s POV~I crossed the living room, heading toward the counter where I had last dropped my tablet. I was still trying to go over the document but right now, I just needed something smaller and lighter.Except when I reached the table, something felt… off.“Good afternoon, Kai,” two familiar voices chirped in unison.I looked up—and there they were. Little Ruby and Rhett, seated like innocent cherubs on the chair, surrounded by toys and wide-eyed expressions that were just a little too wide.“Afternoon to you, too,” I said, trying not to sound suspicious. “What are you two up to?”“Nothing,” Little Ruby said, fiddling with a small plush bunny.“Just playing with our toys,” Rhett added, stacking blocks as if he were being filmed for a commercial.I nodded slowly, eyes drifting to the table.“Where’s my tablet?”Rhett glanced at his sister.“We have no idea,” Little Ruby said quickly, far too quickly.“Really?” I asked, arching a brow. “Because I left it right here. “Are you sure you
~Roman’s POV~I wasn’t even fully out the front door when I caught sight of Kai’s car pulling into the driveway. I stopped, watching as he parked with none of his usual chill. That was my first red flag.Kai wasn’t just my Beta or my best friend or just a tech genius—he was my anchor in chaos, always playful, always steps ahead. But right now? The way he slammed the car door and stalked toward me… something was off.I didn’t even need to ask. “What’s going on, Kai?”He glanced around briefly, eyes sharp, voice low. “We need to talk. Like, right now.”I nodded and gestured toward the house. “Alright. Let’s go inside.”“No. Somewhere private.”That made my stomach twist a little. Kai never needed “private” unless it was something massive—something ugly.As we made it into the house, he scanned the hallway like a detective on edge. “Where’s Ruby?”“Probably upstairs or around. Why?”Kai didn’t stop walking, just muttered, “She should be here too.”I frowned. “You can just tell me. I’ll p
~Roman's POV~I woke up suddenly, heart racing and sweat dripping down my forehead. I was breathing heavily, as if I’d been running in my sleep. Abel's smirk was all I could see behind my closed eyes, clear as day. Even though he was behind bars in my dream, I felt the real sense of being trapped. I could still hear his voice echoing in my mind.“You’re building a kingdom you can’t control, little brother.”I ran a hand down my face, shaking off the memory. Just a dream. Just a dream. I glanced at the digital clock blinking on the nightstand: 9:42 a.m. Damn early for this much mental chaos.Beside me, Ruby stirred softly, her arm slipping over my chest. Her fingers brushed my skin absentmindedly, warm and grounding. I turned to her, letting the sight calm me—dark lashes resting on her cheeks, that faint line between her brows when she dreamed. She looked peaceful, untouched by the nightmare that had clawed through my head. I let out a long breath and tucked a strand of hair behi
~Little Ruby’s POV~It was really, really late when the ceremony ended. My eyes were so sleepy that they kept trying to close on their own. Rhett was walking like a zombie beside me. The grown-ups said goodbyes and thank-yous, but all I wanted was a pillow and a blanket.“Are we not going home?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.Mom looked at Dad—well, and they did that grown-up eye talk thing.“Not at all,” Mom said, fixing my hair gently.“It’s late already. We’ll deal with all that tomorrow. For now, you have to rest,” Dad said, and his voice sounded kind of soft like it did when he used to read us stories.They led us into the guest room together and tucked us in—one by one. Mom kissed my forehead, and Dad did the same.“Alright then, have a good night,” she whispered.“Goodnight, kiddos,” Dad added, and the light clicked off.Now we were alone. And my eyes are wide open. I tried to sleep. I really did. But my brain didn’t wanna listen.Because I saw her.That lady.The one from the party
~Little Ruby’s POV~Few hours ago…“Come on, kids, we're running late!” Aunt Helen's voice echoed from the living room.I pulled my socks on in a rush. “Coming, Aunt Helen!” Rhett shouted before I could say it first.I pouted as I looked in the mirror. “We should’ve just slept over after the wedding,” I said, brushing my hair quickly.Rhett sat on the bed, trying to fix his shoelace. “Oh yeah? And we couldn’t just because you forgot your gown.”I narrowed my eyes. “So you’re trying to put the blame on me?”He shrugged like it was nothing. “Not exactly. But we do know whose fault it was.”Before I could throw my hairbrush at him, the door swung open.“Oh you two,” Aunt Helen said, her hands already on her waist. That meant trouble. “On your feet. Now.”We both jumped up like soldiers. Rhett almost tripped over his own shoe.“Remind me again—why are we going there?” Rhett asked as he walked out behind her.“I thought the wedding was done,” I mumbled, still grumpy.Helen turned to us as
~Ruby’s POV~Sunlight streamed into the room, shining brightly through the light, flowing curtains that danced in the breeze. I blinked slowly and felt the soft silk sheets against my skin, reminding me that I wasn’t in my old home anymore. This place felt new, different, and—most importantly—safer.Being back here in the Silver Frost Pack House brought back memories—memories that I’ve tucked down deep in the abyss of my mind. But none of that mattered as much as the warmth that pulsed quietly through my heart. A warmth I hadn’t felt in years.I sat up, running a hand through my hair, exhaling deeply. The scent of sage, firewood, and freshly baked bread drifted in from somewhere down the corridor. Even with the grandeur surrounding me, it wasn’t the luxury that settled my nerves—it was the laughter I could hear in the distance. The twins. Safe. Happy.And Roman.A soft knock echoed from the door before it cracked open. “You’re awake,” came his voice, deep and calm.He stepped insid
"Want to go for another round? Slowly this time?" he asked, his voice low and husky."Sure."He slowly pulled out, his cock slipping from me. He scooped me up and brought me to sit on his lap. I straddled him, his hard cock pressed against me. He pulled me closer, our lips meeting in a passionate kiss. His hands roamed over my body, cupping my breasts, squeezing gently.He broke the kiss and looked at me, his eyes full of lust."You are so fucking sexy," he murmured, his fingers teasing my already hard and sensitive nipple."Mmm," I moaned, my hips rocking, his cock sliding along my wetness."Do you want me to make you come again?" he asked, his other hand moving between us, his fingers finding my clit."Yes," I gasped, my hips bucking as his fingers stroked over the sensitive bundle of nerves."Such a good girl," he murmured, his teeth nipping at my neck.I moaned, his touch sending jolts of pleasure through me."Are you going to be a good girl and ride my cock until we come together
"I'm yours," I breathed, giving myself over to him, letting him take control."And I'm yours," he murmured, his teeth grazing my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.I could feel his cock pressing against me, hard and throbbing. I ached to feel him inside me, filling me, stretching me.Roman released his grip on my hair, his hand moving down to cup my breast, teasing the nipple.I moaned, arching into his touch, craving more.He groaned, his fingers pinching and rolling the sensitive bud."Fuck, Ruby," he growled, his lips finding mine again, kissing me hard."Please, Roman," I breathed, kissing him back with equal ferocity, my body trembling with need.He broke the kiss and grinned down at me, his eyes glittering with desire. "Patience, Luna," he teased, his fingers ghosting over my nipple."No," I protested, my body arching, trying to get more. "Please, Roman."He chuckled and grabbed the top of my dress, tugging it down, revealing my breasts. He cupped one, squeezing firmly, his t
The door clicked shut behind us, shutting out the world. The firelight flickered on the walls of the Alpha’s Quarters, casting shadows. My mind took a trip down memory lane, our first night together.I barely remembered what happened that night, but it planted the seed that became the twins.Then it was against my will and ourtime together was a haze from being drunk.Today, it was different.Roman held me close with his strong arms, my bare feet hanging as he embraced me. His eyes locked onto mine, filled with warmth and intensity, and I could feel the air between us change—growing heavier.“Ready to rule by my side, Luna?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.“Yes,” I’d answered, the word echoing in my chest as he set me down, my toes brushing the cool wooden floor.But he didn’t step back.His hands stayed on my waist, fingers pressing just enough to anchor me, and I felt the pull of him, like gravity, like fate.My body responded in a rush, warmth tingling in