CHAPTER 6

SEBASTIAN

The next morning, the house was quieter than usual. I wasn’t sure if it was the weight of the previous night’s unspoken tension or just the calm before the storm that was sure to come. Either way, it left me on edge. Since I had no classes today, I moved through my usual morning routine—shower, breakfast, and a quick workout in the gym downstairs—trying to distract myself from the growing knot in my stomach.

The mating ball was tonight. My mother’s excitement was palpable, even though she wasn’t hovering over me like she usually did.

She had this way of being silently hopeful, her gaze following me around the room as if she could will everything to fall into place by sheer force of maternal love.But even that couldn’t change reality. I knew what was coming.

As I sat down at the kitchen table, Kiara bounced over, full of energy as always.

“Are you excited about tonight?” she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Excited?” I glanced at her, a wry smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“Not exactly the word I’d use.”

“Why not? You’ll find your mate! Everyone always does at the ball.”I bit back a sigh, not wanting to crush her enthusiasm.

“We’ll see, squirt.”Mom glanced over from the stove, where she was making sandwiches.

“Your sister’s right, you know. This could be the night you meet her.”

“Maybe,” I replied, my voice noncommittal as I stabbed at the sandwich. The truth was, I didn’t believe it for a second. I couldn’t afford to. Tonight was going to be nothing more than an elaborate charade to buy me time. Ruby was my only hope of keeping things together.

As if the thought of her summoned a fresh wave of anxiety, I checked my phone again, scanning through our brief conversation from last night. Her agreeing to help was still a relief, but the weight of what we were about to do had finally settled in. This wasn’t just some small lie; we were about to trick my entire pack into believing Ruby was my fated mate. If we pulled it off, I’d have the time I needed to fix things. If we didn’t, I couldn’t even imagine what the consequences would be.

The clinking of silverware against plates brought me back to the present, and I pushed my half-eaten sandwich aside.

“I’m heading out for a bit,” I said, standing up from the table. Mom turned, a worried look crossing her face.

“Where to? The ball is tonight. You should rest up.”

“I’ll be back in time, don’t worry,” I assured her, grabbing my keys.

“Just need to clear my head.”

She watched me with those motherly eyes, full of concern and love, but she didn’t stop me. I needed space, and she understood that.

I stepped outside, the crisp morning air doing little to shake the tension in my chest. I drove aimlessly for a while, not really paying attention to where I was going, just letting the familiar roads of our territory guide me. My mind kept circling back to the same thoughts, the same frustrations. My father. The pack. The pressure.

I wanted to believe that I could be both—the Alpha my father wanted and the hockey player I’d always dreamed of being.

But the more I thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. My father had made it clear: if I didn’t find my fated mate in two weeks, hockey was over.

The familiar vibration of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen—Ruby.Ruby: Are we meeting before the ball to plan this out?

I smirked at her directness. She didn’t waste time, that’s for sure. I typed a quick reply.

Me: Yeah. Let’s meet at the private café near your house in an hour.

When I arrived, I parked the car and made my way to the café. Ruby was already sitting at a corner table, a cup of coffee in front of her.

Her brow was furrowed as she looked up when the bell above the door chimed.

Our eyes met, and I felt a twinge of something I couldn’t place. Selfishness? Maybe. But this wasn’t the time for feelings. I couldn't be more convinced that the idea that crossed my mind and I had to prepare in the short time on the way here was the right thing to do.

I slid into the seat across from her, my body tense with the weight of what I was about to propose.

Ruby sat up straighter, her face guarded, but she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t the type to back down, which was one of the reasons I’d chosen her, apart from the fact that she's the only one who knows about my wolf.

“You made it,” I said, trying to sound casual, but the tension in my voice betrayed me.

“Of course,” she replied sharply.

“You said it’s important.”I exhaled slowly, leaning forward.

“It is. I need this to be done right.” She arched an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. Her silence was unnerving, but I pushed past it.

“So, here’s the deal.” I pulled out a folded piece of paper from my jacket, placing it on the table between us. Ruby stared at it, her expression shifting from curiosity to wariness.

“We’re going to sign a contract.”

Her eyes flicked back to mine, narrowing slightly. “A contract? You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” I said, my voice firm.

“Look, if we’re going to do this—pretend that we’re fated mates—we need to make sure it’s airtight. This isn’t just about walking into that mating ball tonight and holding hands. This is going to last for a while.” She glanced at the paper again but didn’t reach for it.

“How long are we talking?” I hesitated, knowing this next part wasn’t going to sit well with her.

“One year.”Her eyes widened, and she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

“A year? Are you kidding me, Sebastian? You said this was temporary, just to buy you some time.”

“It is,” I insisted. “But I don’t know how long it’s going to take to figure out what’s wrong with my wolf. It could take months… or longer. I need this to be foolproof. No one can question it.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and I could see the gears turning in her head as she weighed the offer.

“A year is a long time.”

“I know,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair.

“But think about it, Ruby. We’ll both benefit. I’ll get the time I need to figure out why my wolf’s blocked, and you’ll get what you need, too. You’ll be free of your debt—no more worrying about your school fees. You’ll have the status that comes with being with me, and no one will look down on you anymore. No more mocking from those kids at school. No more Graham treating you like dirt.”

Her jaw clenched at the mention of Graham, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. She stared down at the contract, her fingers twitching as though she was resisting the urge to grab it and tear it apart.

“And what happens after a year?” she asked, her voice low, almost like she was talking more to herself than me.

“After a year, I’ll find a way out. Either I’ll figure out why my wolf’s blocked, or we’ll fake a breakup. By then, it won’t matter. People will have moved on.” Ruby’s eyes locked with mine again, the determination in them clear.

She wasn’t someone who would enter this lightly, and I knew she was already thinking through every possible angle.

“And you really think this will work?” she asked, her tone laced with doubt.“I do,” I said, more confidently than I felt.

“As long as we stick to the plan. Keep up appearances. Make people believe we’re the real deal.”

“And what’s in this contract?” she asked, finally reaching for the document.I handed her a pen, and she unfolded the paper.

“It’s straightforward. It outlines what we both get out of this and what’s expected. We’ll act like we’re mates in public, attend events together, keep up appearances. But there’s no romantic obligation. This is purely a partnership. You’ll be protected as my ‘mate,’ and in return, I get time.”

Ruby scanned the contract, her expression hardening as she reached certain clauses.

“And this line here—about confidentiality?”“I can’t risk anyone finding out this is fake,” I explained.

“Not my father, not the pack, not anyone. If this blows up, it’ll ruin both of us.”She nodded slowly, then let out a humorless laugh.

“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”

“I have to. This is my future, Ruby. And it’s yours too, whether you want to admit it or not. You need this as much as I do.

”She was silent for a moment, staring at the paper in front of her. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she was battling with herself.

Finally, she took the pen from my hand and signed her name at the bottom.“One year,” she said, her voice steady.

“That’s all you get.”“One year. And we both walk away with what we want.” I said, signing my name beside hers.

I folded the contract, tucking it back into my jacket. “I’ll pick you up tonight for the ball. Be ready by seven.”

Ruby nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

As I left the café and got into my car, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just crossed a line I couldn’t uncross. Ruby and I were playing a dangerous game—one that could very easily blow up in our faces. But for now, it was the only move we had.