SEBASTIAN I shoved open the locker room door, slamming my stick against the wall so hard the sound echoed through the tiles. My gloves hit the floor next, then my helmet. I dragged my hands through my hair, chest heaving, trying to breathe through the anger choking me.I cursed under my breath, forcing my wolf to the front of my mind.'This is your fault,' I snapped through the link, slamming my fist into the locker. 'You keep pushing me...' 'My fault? No, Sebastian. It’s yours. If you’d just finished what you started, her scent wouldn’t still be driving us insane.''Shut up,' I hissed, pacing. 'She’s not our mate.''And the others we have had before were they?'The question hit me square in the chest. “I don’t want to hurt her,” I bit out.'You already are,' he shot back.Before I could say anything, the door burst open and Brady storm in, clipboard still in hand, face flushed red from shouting. His voice echoed off the tile. “What the hell was that out there?”I didn’t answer.
SEBASTIAN The echo of blades cutting across the ice was the only sound that could quiet my mind—if only for a few seconds. Every turn, every strike of the puck was mechanical, my body moving on instinct while my head was a mess of thoughts that all led back to Ruby.I couldn’t get her out of my head. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the game, she was there—everywhere. Her scent. Her voice. The way she’d looked at me last night before walking away, the pain in her eyes after I’d said those stupid words.“This isn’t part of our arrangement.”Damn it. I hadn’t meant them the way they sounded. I’d been trying to protect her—from myself. But instead, I ended up being the one to hurt her.I wanted her. Goddess, I wanted her so fucking bad. Every inch of her. I wanted to lose myself in her. But I couldn’t. Not at the risk of hurting her the way I had with Annalisa.I risked a glance toward the stands, and my eyes found her instantly. Her face lit up in a smile that felt forced at some
RUBYThe moment we pulled into the school parking lot, I didn’t wait for Sebastian to say a single word. I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbed my bag and Warren’s jacket, and stepped out of the car.When I heard the sound of the car door shutting, I thought Sebastian would call me or try to stop me—but he didn’t. Good. That way.I didn’t even bother looking back, even though I could feel Sebastian’s gaze burning into my back like a silent plea.Even though everything in me screamed to glance over my shoulder.But I couldn’t let myself.I swallowed hard, trying to keep my tears in as I made my way across the courtyard toward my department. I passed students laughing and talking. Some greeted me, some waved and smiled—just as they had since they knew I was Sebastian's mate.And I reciprocated, smiling at them, despite the war going on inside me.I couldn’t understand anything anymore.Sebastian. Me. Us.I wasn’t even sure what we were anymore. Was it real? Were we fated? Or were we just what
RUBY I got dressed for school, leaving my hair down as I made my way downstairs to the dining table Noelle had set. I half-expected Sebastian to already be there, but to my relief, he wasn’t.I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I wished I could avoid him entirely, but that was impossible. We had to go to school together—pretending to be mates, pretending nothing was wrong. Pretending he hadn’t humiliated me last night...“Good morning, Luna,” Noelle’s voice broke through my thoughts.“Morning,” I replied, pushing my sour emotion aside and plastered smile on my face.As I settled into my seat, I dropped my bag onto the chair beside me, eyeing the food she had laid out. “You did great again,” I told her.I had always appreciated her work, knowing it meant something to her.“Thank you, Luna. I hope you enjoy” she said with a bright smile.“I always do,” I replied softly, smiling up at her.She gave a small smile before walking into the kitchen, leaving me alone a
LIZZYThe moment my phone buzzed, I hesitated before walking to the bed and checking the message. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face the consequences of what I had done. But when I read the texts on my screen, a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding escaped my lips."Alpha Maximus has ordered that you should stay in school. Thanks to Dr. Sam, you will not be expelled. But the school head wants to see you in his office tomorrow morning."I reread the message Mrs. Whitewoods had just sent to me again, my fingers gripping my phone tightly. I should have felt grateful that I wasn’t going back to my pack.That I wasn’t going to face my parents’ disappointment. Sure, two of them would look at me like another problem added to their already miserable lives.I wasn’t ready to see them, or hear whatever lecture my father had prepared about what it meant to be the daughter of an Alpha, the expectations I had failed to meet.Maybe a part of me was grateful for all that, but it was buried beneat
ANNALISA "Why did you save her?" My voice was thick with anger as I stepped into the dimly lit room, the air heavy with the stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke.Even though my skin burned with rage, a cold sweat ran down my back the moment the door closed behind me.Warren sat on a stool, his back to me, lazily exhaling a cloud of smoke as he stared at his reflection in the grimy mirror. The wall beside it was covered in brutal red notes and pinned-up pictures of people, the knives securing them gleaming under the flickering light.A chill ran down my spine.I didn't coming here to meet Warren but after I tried calling him countless times and he ignored every call. I had no choice. My body boiled with anger at the memory of that damn video I watched earlier. The way Warren had jumped in to save Ruby from the pool. Warren didn't respond, but I heard the sound of his throat as he swallowed his drink, the glass settling onto the table with a dull thud.I growled, stepping forward, d