RubyAs I glumly enter the front doors of the school the next morning, all of the students in the entryway lift their heads to stare; but they’re not staring at me.They’re staring at Edith.Perfect Edith, in her perfect uniform, with her perfect hair and perfect smile. Within minutes, Miss Perfect is surrounded by curious students who are complimenting her hair, asking what her perfume scent is, and asking where she’s from. Aside from Nancy, I never had such treatment on my day of transfer. And now, even Nancy won’t talk to me.With my head hanging low, I leave Edith with her new gaggle of friends and walk over to my locker. Nancy is already at her locker, but when she sees me coming she slams it with a “Hmph” and struts off.“Hey Ruby,” Edith says, walking up to me while I rifle through my locker for my textbooks.I stop what I’m doing, pause for a moment as I try to collect myself before I have another blow up, and turn toward her with a fake smile on my face.“Yes, Edith?”She hol
RubyI shut the door to Atwood’s study as quietly and calmly as possible before taking off down the corridor at a breakneck speed. Now, more than ever, I want nothing more than to run away and never come back to this godforsaken castle.But, as I lock myself in my room and pull out my phone to call Cayden, I stop.It’s not time yet. I can’t just run off with no plans, no money, and without warning Tamara that we’ll be running away -- because I’m certainly not leaving her.If I was able to fool my way out of the castle once, I can do it again, especially now that I know the surrounding area better and won’t be escaping in a heavy wedding gown. The main issue is money…Cayden, Tamara and I will have to get far away from here if we’re going to pull this off, otherwise Atwood will certainly find us and drag me back to the castle. We’re going to need to purchase train tickets to get away, but I don’t have a cent to my name and Cayden certainly doesn’t have enough money for the three of us.
RubyThe Queen finishes her lecture on the curse and Alice escorts me back to my room. Alice seems to be very pleased with herself as we walk back, and I think that I can hear the lock click when she closes the door, but I’m too preoccupied with this newfound information to care.I have to find a way out of here. Regardless of whatever feelings for Atwood that may have arisen over the past couple of months, I have no desire to stay now that I know about the curse. Why didn’t he tell me sooner? Why would he be so desperate to have a mate that he wouldn’t warn me about a curse that will plague any of his mates?I think back to Edith sitting on Atwood’s desk, flirting with him.She can have him.Taking out my phone, I open my contacts. My thumb hovers over Cayden’s name for a moment as I bite my lip, but then I press it and hold the phone to my ear.He picks up on the first ring.“Ruby? Is that you?”I can’t seem to find the words right away. They get caught in my throat when I hear Cayd
AtwoodAfter the events from the past few days, I’ll admit that I’m utterly exhausted. I never wanted to pull Ruby out of school, but it seems as though that was the only viable option after her behavior. I mean, who gives a thong to a new transfer, let alone someone that is living with them?Admittedly, I never wanted Edith here. After the way that my mother tried to force me to marry Edith when we were younger, I honestly want to be as far away from the both of them as possible. Can I not just marry my fated mate and run my kingdom in peace?Still, Edith and my mother being here, as well as Ruby’s misbehavior, are the least of my worries right now. My beta is dead and my kingdom is at risk. If I don’t keep up with my work, the Bears will have their way and take over the Lycan kingdom. After that, they’ll likely go for the Swan kingdom, too.When the three kingdoms were first formed hundreds of years ago, the original leaders of the Lycans, Bears, and the Swans lived in peace. Each m
RubyEven though I promised Atwood when I first came here that I wouldn’t use my dazing ability anymore, I don’t have a choice now. There’s no other way for me to get to Greenwood, where I’ll be able to pawn off the brooch at a local pawn shop, unless someone drives me.Using my ability on one of the guards doesn’t count though, right?The day after my meeting with the Queen, I wake up and change into plain clothes: a pair of black jeans, a black hoodie, and sneakers. I make sure to wear my beanie and sunglasses as well to help hide my identity when I get to Greenwood, then slip out of my room to find a guard to daze.Thankfully, it’s still early and Atwood, the Queen, and Alice are nowhere to be found. I suspect that Atwood is probably in his study, and Alice is probably preparing breakfast. I’m not sure what the Queen does in the early mornings; maybe she’s still asleep. I know for a fact that Edith is at school, since she didn’t get kicked out.I quietly walk around the hallways un
RubyWhen I return to the castle, I lift the daze from the guard, who instantly falls asleep at his post by the back door; when he wakes, if he even remembers anything, he’ll just think that he had a vivid dream. It seems as though no one noticed my absence, so I’m able to quietly sneak back to my room and stash the protection charm and my money where I know Alice won’t find it.The next couple of days are solemn and quiet. I don’t see Atwood at all, and I don’t see Edith and the Queen for more than a few moments in passing. They seem too preoccupied to bother me, as though they’re planning something.Whatever they have planned, however, is none of my concern. I’ll be gone soon, leaving them to do as they please. If Edith wants Atwood so badly, she’s more than welcome to have him. I refuse to mate with Atwood if it’s only going to result in my death. I can’t leave Tamara alone like that.Maybe Atwood will listen to Edith, too. Maybe he won’t always assume that she’s up to no good, and
RubyAs I leave the library with Hybrid History & Other Stories tucked under my arm, I bump into Noah. He looks somewhat distracted, and simply acknowledges me with a quiet “Sorry, Princess,” before continuing down the corridor.My curiosity gets the better of me, however, and without thinking I reach out and grab his wrist. He stops and looks at me with a confused look on his face.“Everything alright, Princess?” he says.I quickly drop his wrist and bite my lip, nodding. “Yes,” I answer, “but I was just wondering… Have you seen Atwood? I haven’t seen him in a couple of days.”Noah looks around, then shrugs. “He’s just been working, that’s all.” He starts to walk away again, but this time I call out to stop him.“Noah.”He turns to look at me, and as soon as our eyes meet, I use my dazing ability in the same way that I used it on the guard the day I went to Greenwood. Ever since my eyes changed color, it seems as though my ability has become stronger.“What is Atwood working on?” I a
AtwoodRuby is nowhere to be found. When I go to her room, the place where the bed used to be is replaced with a black hole leading to nowhere. The library is a black void as well, and when I step inside, I feel weightless.All around me, claw-like hands reach out of the darkness. They grab my clothes, my limbs, my flesh, and pull me down, down, deep into the abyss. I’ve accepted it. No one is coming for me.When I wake up on the morning of Kayne’s funeral, my back is once again coated with sweat from the nightmares.It comes as a surprise to me that the day of Kayne’s funeral has arrived. It feels as though the night my beta was killed was an eternity ago, but it’s only been a week. Perhaps time has been moving in slow motion.The nightmares have only been getting worse, and so has my condition. With each sleepless night, my mind becomes more and more foggy. Soon, I feel as though I won’t be able to do my work at all.Ruby has to mark me soon. I know her wolf is beginning to emerge;