"I don't need pink roses in the gardens that face my room."I utter loudly as I step outside, my heavy breath condensing in the air’s cold.I should have grabbed a coat, but the sun’s rays shone too deceitfully for that to cross my mind."And good morning to you too, Princess."Beta Leon utters as he shuts the door to his truck after pulling out a few documents.Despite the shuddering breath that leaves me, he seems fine, dressed only in a plain grey t-shirt that rests straining against his muscles and some old brown pants."Couldn’t you find something better to wear?"Ah shit...I didn't mean to say that out loud."For gardening?"He asks, genuine confusion creasing his brows."You ask that as if you plan on doing the digging alone.""Not alone, but I do plan on doing some digging.""Why? Don't you have other responsibilities to tend to as a Beta, as opposed to playing gardener?"A smile creeps up his face."My word, Princess, it's almost as if you are trying to figure me out.""You v
Adrian M Knox"What?"His hand on hers tightened; even he could tell that his hold would bruise her, but he didn't care. The beat of his heart, the blood humming in his veins and the dizziness that claimed him all wanted to wipe the smile off her face.Her wince was slight, but her crimson-stained lips held its annoying smile."Looking for a pity fuck from my beta? After I specifically asked you-"He was so furious that his words came off with a tremble, so he stopped and reconfigured his words so that they did not sound like an angered plea."Ruby...have you forgotten who I am?"He could feel his wolf magnify his sense of betrayal such that even though the Beta's scent was not on her, he believed her filthy words."Is everything okay?"The Beta's concern sounded, and his eyes whirled to the man standing next to his truck; when did he even leave his seat?"What the hell were you doing with my wife?""Oh...we just went to get flowers from the outskirts of Dermont. She didn't like the p
The small green-eyed lump ran straight into my arms from the brown-haired woman holding her as if she were baggage.“Uby!”Elle raises her hands in an ‘up’ motion; it's hard to say no to her, especially when her innocence is plastered on her face."Sally, I presume."I utter as I lift the warm bundle that immediately begins to play with my hair."Ruby?""Yes, I am the one you spoke to on the phone. I’d welcome you in for some tea, but your engine is still running.”She offers a sheepish smile to my statement, and as if that’s not bad enough, I can see luggage in the door she left open."Yes, I am in a bit of a hurry, but you did say I could still see her?"She asks.For all her crying, I never expected that she would try to skip town immediately after signing over her custody of Elle to me."For now, she will be in a boarding school for less than a year, at most ten months. But once everything settles down, then, yes, you can still see her."I answer humouredly.I will not see her aga
"Welcome."I utter again, for the nth time, with a smile. My jaw is tired.I'm used to this, but I must have overdone it when Rebecca's attempts at flirting with the Alpha took longer than ten minutes.The reason why I didn't put her in her place like last time is simple: I have learned my lesson.Her relationship with mother is complicated; she adores Rebecca in the envious sense.If I beat Rebecca at something, she loves me and gossips about her. If Rebecca excels at something more than me, Mother all but throws her a parade, forgetting, if only for a moment, my existence.That is why I loved to keep her close and help her secure more accomplishments pre-Magnolia scandal—it was liberating not having mother hovering over my shoulders.Well...that ship has sailed.Good God, I can't believe I am still sober."Ruby, hi, good to see you."My smile finds its place as I take in the Golden bouffant dress the Queen has on, tying perfectly to the Lycan’s black and gold suit; as always, his ha
She had him.Or she would have, had the woman they met earlier not mentioned her mother."Little to lose...?"He repeated, again fumbling his steps in the dance number that...perhaps five days were not enough to master."I could tell your mother."A part of him readied himself for her reaction; he would hold her in place in case she tried to leave him dancing alone.There were a few times when she reacted strongly, and from what he noticed, most of those times had to do with the mention of her mother or parental responsibility. The first was when Elle’s caregiver hurled insults at the child. She froze, and after a while, her expression turned panicky. The second time was a few minutes ago when she interrupted the woman she introduced as her friend. He typically would have forgotten that, but...he wanted to know more about her.She robbed him of that.He spun her, and the softness of her hair brushed his cheek, leaving a trace of her scent on his skin; he almost shut his eyes to experi
"And your husband, the Alpha? I heard that he is a good person-""The best."I add quickly, whatever game this is, let's end it.His hand rakes his hair before he sighs."I don't mean to do this.""Do what? Insist on my being fine, and were I to give you a different answer, accuse me of my inability to choose happiness? Rhett, if you want to run without looking back, run. I do not plan to hold you captive."Again, he remains silent."I don't want to go back to who I was, Ruby. I can't take the pressures anymore. I'm sorry if-""If you are sorry, how about taking temporary custody of Elle?""What?""She is...my plan was to send her to boarding school, but I think she is too anxious for-""Ruby, she is four. You can't send her to boarding school.""I know that. I know....do you know that earlier today, she apologised for crying? I feel like such a garbage human being for not being emotionally able to tell her, 'You know what, let's stay in and eat cake together'. ""Well, garbage human
The softness of fabric softener has never felt so soothing in my life.I am used to clothes doused in cologne from the men around me; to say Beta Leon feels refreshing would be an understatement.My arms wrap around his big and burly body, pressing myself deeper into him until he is all I can smell.I wasn't crying. At least not anymore.His shirt holds evidence of my existence in the tear stain shape, the smeared makeup and... well, my snot."I'm sorry."I offer."I don't think you should apologise for being sad."He responds, and I almost laugh; I should have said that to Elle."What in God's name do you think you are doing?"My heart’s race from my chest causes my hand to fly between my breasts; for a moment, I thought my heart had left my skin.I hadn't sensed him, I didn't smell the ocean, and there was no sign that the Alpha was close or-"Get your hands off my wife."Upset.Then again, still, oceans are more dangerous than rowdy ones.**Adrian M. Knox"Like the one in Central
After the outfit change, the Alpha and I did not speak to each other, merely maintained friendly conversations with anyone else."Are you okay?"Alba asks as I place my water on the table; I am tired of feeling depressed yet surprisingly hydrated.“Why do I feel like that is a trick question?”“Trick, how?”She retorts."My answer always borders on ‘of course’, but since you witnessed what happened before, you will not believe my answer.” “And will you blame me for your lack of believability?”She asks, and I smile tiredly.“Of course not. But my next question will be, what do you want from me, Alba.”“A reaction.”“To what?”I ask with a dry laugh.“What am I reacting to?”“Ruby, your husband left you when you were vulnerable at the ball to save another woman, and now you try to save him from the retribution he would have gotten from fighting his Beta? Don’t you want revenge, don’t you want… I mean, and what about what you said during my wedding? Isn’t it obvious that-”“That what,