Se connecterRue's POVThe next day, I returned to my own pack first. I went straight to the medical wing to check on Amelia. The healer told me Amelia had slept badly and her body was weaker. The worry on her face was clear.Amelia lay asleep with one hand on top of the blanket. I looked at the treatment chart again and Vanessa’s blood type was still the closest match.I hated that a woman who had targeted me now held such an important place in Amelia’s treatment. But Cole had given too much, and Amelia was his mate. I could not let anger decide whether she lived or died.After leaving the medical wing, I changed and went to Percy’s pack. The drive was quiet. Percy could refuse me. Still, I had to try.When I reached the main gate, two guards stopped me. “I need to see Alpha Percy,” I said.One guard looked at the list in his hand. “Do you have an appointment?” I responded “No.”“Then we can’t let you in.”“Please tell him Rue is here. It’s urgent.” The guard did not move. “Alpha Percy is not rec
Rue’s POVFlash one day agoThe fifth-floor screening room was packed so tightly that it became difficult to breathe. Dozens of guests crowded near the massive projection screen while whispers spread restlessly through the room. Some people stood on their toes to get a better view. Others openly held up their tablets, already preparing to record whatever happened next.No one cared about dignity anymore, especially not when Percy’s name was involved.Vanessa stood near the entrance, her face pale, while Percy remained beside me like an immovable wall. Even though we had already broken up, he still positioned himself protectively at my side as if it were instinct.The surveillance technician finally pulled up the footage and the room instantly fell silent.The screen flickered once then the banquet footage appeared clearly before everyone’s eyes.I watched myself standing near the champagne tower, speaking calmly with Percy while guests mingled nearby. Vanessa entered the frame severa
Rue’s POV“I understand,” Brandon said. “Then let me act as a proper partner. As your partner, I should help you prepare for an important pack event. As your partner, I should stop you from choosing a gift that looks too formal or too plain. And as your partner, I should make sure you don’t spend the whole afternoon reading reports.”I stared at him. “You always have a reason ready.” Brandon looked serious on purpose and said, “That is also part of being a good partner.”I almost laughed, but I held it back. Brandon was clearly interested in me, but he did not pressure me. His tone was calm, and he gave me enough room to refuse.“You won’t stop unless I say yes, will you?” I asked. He shook his head and said, “I will stop if you truly dislike it. But if you only feel awkward, I think I can still try.”I looked at the files on my desk, then at the clock. The party was in the evening, and I did need to choose a gift. “All right,” I said at last. “But this is still a work-related outing.
Rue’s POVThe next day, Percy’s mother came to see me. I was in the council office when a guard said she was waiting outside. Percy had tried to take me to meet her yesterday, but because of his condition, we had never entered her house.I asked the guard to bring her in. When she walked into the office, she looked calm, but she kept studying my face. “Miss Rue,” she said gently. “Thank you for seeing me.”I gave her a polite nod and asked her to sit. She sat across from me with a thin file in her hand. I knew she had not come only to greet me, so I waited.After a short silence, she said, “I know this may feel sudden, but I came because of Percy. He has not been well.” My fingers tightened on the edge of my desk as I replied, “The doctor told me about his condition.”“He cares about you,” she said. “Percy is not perfect, but he is serious with his feelings. If he chose you, then he truly meant it.”I lowered my eyes for a moment. “I know Percy is not a bad person.” She looked at me a
Rue’s POVThe wine dripped slowly down the front of my gown, staining the fabric red like fresh blood. The chilled wetness clung to my skin, soaking through the material I had once personally selected for myself during my last shopping trip with Bella.Then came the whispers.“They’re fighting…”“Did you see that?”“Vanessa looked terrified…”“No, Rue looked angry first…”Vanessa stood in front of me with widened eyes, one trembling hand covering her lips while the empty wineglass lay near her heels.For a brief moment, she looked exactly like a victim. If I had not seen the deliberate satisfaction hidden in her gaze a second earlier, perhaps even I might have believed her act.“I…I’m sorry…” Vanessa whispered shakily. Then her voice suddenly cracked louder. “But Rue shoved me first, everyone saw that…she wasn't looking.”The surrounding crowd instantly erupted into murmurs.I stared at her, disbelief burning through me fiercely. She had intentionally rammed into me and deliberately s
Rue’s POVTHis was ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. After everything that had happened between us… after the heartbreak, the betrayal, the endless nights I had spent forcing myself to move forward…My body still reacted to him instinctively.The lights reflected against his black suit, outlining his tall figure sharply against the crowd behind him. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent at first glance, but I knew Percy too well.The second our eyes met, I saw the possessiveness and the longing.Beside me, Brandon followed my gaze toward the entrance. His expression shifted slightly.“Someone knows how to make an entrance,” he said quietly.I tried to answer casually, but before I could respond, Percy was already walking toward us. People moved aside instinctively as he crossed the ballroom floor.He stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I caught the familiar scent of his aftershave and perfume.“Rue.” His voice was low and calm.I forced myself to remain comp
Rue’s POVI fastened a thin silk ribbon of mask around my head, adjusting it until it fit perfectly over my face. The mirror reflected a woman I barely recognized—her hair pinned up in soft curls, her dress a pale silver that shimmered when I moved, her lips tinted coral. For once, I looked like s
Rue’s POVBy the time I returned home that afternoon, I was so tired I wanted to sleep. I’d barely stepped past the threshold when I heard the faint clatter of cleaning tools from the corridor.I frowned.I took a few steps cautiously, wondering who would be at my house. Because except for my frien
Aiden’s POVThe week after the engagement party dragged on like a punishment I couldn’t escape. Even in the early morning, I felt sluggish . I’d been through brutal fights, insane politics, but nothing unsettled me like Rue did.I couldn’t stop thinking about her that night—the way she turned to le
Haven’s POVThe moment Aiden disappeared behind the bathroom door, steam already beginning to hiss from the shower, I sighed.All that trembling, that pitiful sobbing, the soft quiver in my voice—gone. In its place came a quiet meditation of the previous events.He had looked at me with confusion t







