10

RUBY

I fumed like a raging bull. In a matter of seconds my hands glowed, bright and furious as I stalked closer to where he was sitting.

Troy, so unbothered by my rage pushed the chair with the back of his knees and stood up. He held the napkin that had been on his thighs to his mouth, wiping the corners clean before turning to me.

"Where the fuck are they? I won't ask again!" I was ready to knock him down, anger had not only boiled in my chest but like a volcano sliding down the mountain, it coursed through my veins.

"Like I told you a few minutes ago, they're alive..." He paused, then smirked, the expression doing nothing but getting me angrier. "For now, anyway. But their safety depends on you, Ruby."

What?

I turned to Austin, and the look he had in his eyes made my stomach twist. I tried to talk to him with my eyes, since the mind link was blocked. Nothing. He wouldn't even keep my gaze.

"You do as I say, and no one dies. It's that simple..." Not anymore you fucker! I wanted to scream in his face so badly. My hands burned. "Put that away first..." He instructed, pointing to my hands. "Anything happens to me and you won't see your friends ever again. I can promise you that."

I couldn't test his bluff. I didn't want to risk it. If he was ever the Troy I still remembered, then he was still a man of his words. But only when it came down to threats.

This asshole is no man of his words in the matters of the heart. I thought bitterly before easing my fighting stance to stand straight, letting the glow simmer off from the tip of my fingers.

"What do you want?" I hated this question. It was a symbol of letting the enemy know that they had you where they wanted you. And this bastard knew that he had me. Because his smirk grew into a full grin.

"See, now that wasn't so hard was it? Mate?" He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as if to test just how far he could push me. "What I want is simple. The council wishes to have a word with you. Once the conversation ends, you and your little friends will be free to leave. This I promise you..."

I forced the air I didn't realize I was holding out in a long sigh.

The council. The Ironclaw fucking council.

There was no way to refuse him or them now. He had my friends in custody.

I turned to Austin to find him already looking at me. "Austin?" I didn't even get what I wanted to say out and he was already shaking his head.

"Let's just go, Ruby. I'm sick of this place. Like he said, talk to them. You don't have to agree to whatever shit they have to say. We leave right after."

I nodded once. And that was all it took to get us all walking. As soon as we stepped out of the pack house, I felt like I could breathe again.

My mind didn't feel foggy anymore, and I immediately reached out to Austin just to be sure.

"Can you..."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I missed your whining in my mind, Ruby..."

It was not the moment for it, but I chuckled. I missed you too.

We had just made a few steps away from the house when Troy suddenly paused in his tracks and turned to us.

I swear I heard myself groan when he did, I wondered what he wanted now. But instead he looked at me with a frown.

"You didn't have anything to eat Ruby..." He stared, concern flashing on his face.

"Keep walking Alpha. I don't want your food." Lies, I do infact want any food right now.

Thankfully my stomach didn't embarrass me. And he didn't add another word of protest.

When we got to the hall, the large doors were closed shut. Just like they were five years ago.

I had been taken back to that day. Five years ago, dressed in the dress I had spent months making by myself. A smile so big my face hurt in that moment as I reached for the doors, just like I was right now.

Troy stood a foot away, with me directly at his back. He knocked twice, and the doors opened wide.

My heart dropped, like it had that day. Except instead a crowd, there were just a small group of people in here.

It still didn't make it better. Because in there was where it all began that night.

I felt Austin's palm on the small of my back and his voice in my head. "You got this. Don't let them break you..." Right. Because they had done it once already.

No more.

I nodded and followed after Troy up until we were face to face with the little crowd here.

My friends were seated together on one side with a few of Troy's men guarding them. On another side were Troy's parents and mine. And then in a third group, the council of elders that governed Ironclaw, some of which I recognised, and the others not so much sat together, waiting.

"There she is, welcome back Ruby." Troy's father, Bolton cheered, standing on his feet. "You have no idea how excited we are to have you back..." Bullshit.

"Your son said that you want to talk. So talk..." I answered back keeping my face expressionless. My arms were folded across my chest.

He looked stunned for a moment, he must have thought that I was still that same timid girl everyone loved to push around.

In a matter of a split second, he masked his expression back to the fake cheer he had on when we walked in.

"Right, straight to the point, I see. Well, as you know, our pack would love to continue a long term relationship with you and your company. And before you say no, we all think it would be better of you and Troy got married as planned. That way, you get your pack back, your mate and your family."

He ended flashing his teeth at me. I took a step away, creating an even bigger distance between Bolton and I, and his son.

"No. And if that is all, my friends and I will be leaving now..." I turned to leave, my friends rose on their feet but a voice roared in the air.

"Take one fucking step and things will get ugly, Ruby. We are not done here...." Bolton rounded his table and stormed over to where I stood. His eyes were bloodshot, nostrils flaring. "You will listen to me..."

"Except I don't have to. And I won't..." I fired back, surprisingly calm despite the way he was speaking to me. "What gives you the right to force me to marry him? Didn't he reject me for Alana? Where is she? I don't see her anywhere..."

My question caused the room to go silent. And for the longest minute of my life, tension remained in the air.

"Ruby, that is no way to speak to your father in law." Came my father's voice. He too left his table. I let out a hearty laugh. This was just so funny to me. "Just say yes, and we can start the preparations? Your mother will even take you shopping, didn't you always want that?"

I did. For the longest time I wanted to matter to them even in the slightest.

But that was the past.

"Father in law? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't marry Troy if he was the last man on earth right now. And last time I checked, you disowned me, remember? Or did you forget that? And you..." This time facing Bolton head on I spoke, "you had me banished from the pack when he made me sign the severance document, I am no longer a member of this pack. And I am no longer your daughter."

I was shaking in anger by the time I was done speaking. Don't let them break you.

Too late.

I was a complete mess. Tears stricken, body trembling, heart breaking all over again.

It was a shock that my hands hadn't glowed.

I felt Troy beside me. The heat of his body hugged me in an embrace I wanted to hate but couldn't. It actually comforted me even without him touching me.

"Ruby, I had no idea that they..." He started to say in a broken voice. I didn't want to hear it.

I shut him out, focusing on my friends and Austin instead. "We've got to get out of here..."

"Already on it, Rubes. I spoke to Dad before they took us to the pack house, last night and he told me he'd have people nearby. He's on his way..."

Good. We need him here.