21

RUBY

My heart skipped a beat. Not only that but it lurched in my throat, threatening to force its way out of my mouth.

Alana.

I'd wondered where she was and why she wasn't at the pack. Why Troy hadn't married her yet. Over the years I'd think about them and assumed they were happily married and had a spread of pups.

Until he showed up claiming they never tied the knot.

And now, I wanted to know why.

But if she was here, why was she asking to meet with him when she could walk right in.

It's not because of the barrier is it?

That was possible but only for an outsider who didn't belong in Ironclaw. Pack members could easily access the environs if they wanted to. In and out.

Troy turned to me, looking pale. A hint of something dark following his paleness. What was going on?

"Alpha?" His Beta called after him. He didn't look back nor did an answer come from him.

The way he looked at me, I gasped a little, he couldn't possibly be seeking permission could he?

"My Luna…"

"Just go…" I breathed, taking a step back on the stairs so that I could head back upstairs. I didn't even know why I followed after him.

I shouldn't have let curiosity get the best of me. And I for sure needed to learn to mind my business.

"Anything pack business is not my concern." I'd told myself in a tone so that even with their wolf hearing, they couldn't hear me.

I shouldn't have thought about it. It wasn't even my place to care so why did it hurt to hear her name?

I went two steps up, holding the rail to keep my now weak legs steady. I'd sworn that I'd moved on. But even the thought that she was at the border haunted me. The memories followed her haunting presence in my mind.

The rejection.

Troy's cruel words.

My parents disowning me.

And the worst of all, losing my baby. He should have been 5 years and some months old by now.

But she took that from me. And he let her.

I gripped the banister hard until my knuckles turned white and my palm started to bleed again. The pain stung, but it should have been a stronger hit. I needed something to numb the tight feeling in my chest.

But I tripped, almost falling until strong hands held me steady.

"Easy there, baby.."

I'm not your baby.

"Hands off, Troy. I'm fine." Steady but low voice. I pushed him off, the blood in my palm staining his shirt a little.

"Your hand is bleeding again." I need it to bleed. I need to feel something. "Also about Alana…"

I shook my head, forcing my legs to walk just so that I didn't have to hear it.

"I'm not interested. Do what you have to do. This is just a contract, remember?"

He paused, his jaw clenching before something flashes his eyes. His expression shifted from worry to something that looked a lot like anger.

He turned to Chris and gave an order that sent chills down my spine.

"Have your men tell her to wait, your Luna and I will be there when we can…" I almost winced at the title.

Years ago, I'd have been delighted at the mention of the name. I'd spent our year together preparing myself to be the idle Luna. Before he crashed all my efforts, and made it all worthless.

And now when I didn't want any part of his title or the one he'd call me, he forced it down my throat.

Chris was taken aback by the response. "But Alpha, Alana is injured and could pass out…"

Yes, Alpha, go to your precious fiancé.

Troy's expression darkened, and I found myself swallowing a lump that formed in my throat. "I don't care…" he then faced me. "When Austin comes, we'll go to the border together to retrieve it and hear what that bitch has to say…"

He gritted the last bit out. I frowned, my brows creasing deeply. Bitch? Okay now I want to know what happened.

"It's shocking you'd refer to your fiancé as that, Alpha Troy." His eyes had been lowered to my hand. I could tell he wanted to bandage it again but I hid it behind me. The pain was the only thing keeping me from breaking down. Let it bleed.

In the blink of an eye, Troy picked me up like I weighed nothing to him then strode up the stairs back to the bedroom.

"Let's get that bleeding stopped…"

"No, I'm fine. I just need the antidote and my wolf will heal me."

"Stop being so stubborn, my Luna. I hate seeing you bleed." His voice was gentle I almost believed he could be.

"Too bad then, you should get used to it. What I want to know is why you didn't marry Alana and why she's such a bitch." Troy had my full attention since he called her that. I pushed every distraction that was not the throbbing pain in my palm away and sat upright on the bed, staring at him for anything his body and face could tell me.

He froze, muscles so tense I thought they would burst. I didn't back away. Even though he looked super scary, a part of me was certain he wouldn't hurt me over these questions.

I waited. For a few heartbeats until a full minute passed. "I didn't want to marry her, Ruby. I hate myself for rejecting you for her. I swear I…"

I shook my head, moving my body so that I created more distance between us. "That's not what I want to hear, Troy. I don't care about your excuses…"

"But they're not. I'm trying to explain what happened, I just need you to understand." He sounded broken. And if I didn't experience the hurt first hand, I would have believed him. Believed every cooked up lie.

He didn't want to marry her.

I rolled at the words. That day, he held her so close to him, brushing her cheek and even kissing her after she said yes to his proposal, in the hall that I fucking decorated while he sent me away.

And he didn't want to marry her?

I mean, that was possible but only if he was such a good actor right? Because if that were the case, his performance that day deserved the crown the werewolf king had on his head.

He looked at me, not saying anything for a second before he spoke again. "Like I told you before, Ruby. The council wanted me to take her as my mate, believing that the marriage alliance between our pack and Alpha Leo's would be beneficial. But, Alpha Leo had other plans. Alana swore she didn't know but I didn't care. I tossed her out of the pack after you left and Alpha Leo attacked the pack. He wanted control over us." Chills ran down my spine accompanied by pity. Not for him but the pack. Whether I liked it or not, there were people who were actually innocent in all of this. Not that Troy was.

"So yeah, imagine my shock hearing that she's here and wants to speak with me."

I bit the inside of my mouth to prevent myself from talking, knowing fully that I could say something I would regret.

We sat in silence for a while and I let him hold my hand, surprising myself that I hadn't yanked my arm away or pushed him off.

His touch was calming to a fault, even without my wolf. I hated that I liked it. Hated that it had the power to make me feel something despite.

Before long, I managed to back away from him, my body hating me for doing that but I had to.

My mind drifted to Alana and a million questions rushed through my mind. What if she was here for him again? What if she knew about the stupid wedding and wanted to break us apart again? Not that we were together like that.

I sighed out loud, not realizing I had done so until he spoke, breaking the silence that was comfortable.

"I won't pick her over you again." He voiced in such convincing tone. But I knew better than to believe him. I mean, I'd believe him if I saw his actions. Right?

Chris returned after about two hours, just as I was pulling Troy's shirt over my head. Yeah, I need my own clothes.

I thought with a frown.

"You look good in my shirt…" thanks? "But I guess you look good in anything." His eyes were dreamy for a split second before he forced them back to normal. And then he did that clenching of his jaw again like he was suddenly pissed at something.

I swear he was starting to act like a pregnant woman whose hormones were getting the best of her.

I didn't care to ask why. It wasn't my business. Just like where we were going to wasn't.

I'm just going there to get the antidote.

Lies.

That was a lie. I wanted to see her too. But only because I needed to see her expression. Being forced to marry Troy financially had an advantage. And I was going to use. I would so rub it on her face she'd swear it was spice on an open wound.

"As much as I love seeing you in my shirt and rubbing my scent on you, I don't want anyone else looking at you in this. Only my eyes can look at you." Walked over to me, as if in a daze, his eyes traveling up and down my body. My stomach churned, butterflies took flight. And between my legs was moisture that shouldn't be.

"We're definitely buying you some clothes after this. And today. Because I can't promise that I won't kill every man that gawks at you." I shuddered under his words. Stop acting like a bitch in heat dammit!

I straightened, not caring that I could see the want in his eyes and the need in his pants.

I gulped, my throat dry and itchy all of a sudden. I didn't say a word. I didn't trust myself to say the right thing.

When we headed downstairs, Chris was pacing around restlessness hugging him like a second skin. "About fucking time, Alpha. She's been asking of you."

"Again, you could have mindlinked me."

"And listen to your dirty thoughts about the things you want to do to our Luna? No thank you."

Troy had the nerve to smile. "Well, we're here aren't we? What's the fucking hurry?"

Chris sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair. "Other than the fact that she looks like she's going to die."

"I'm sure she can wait…" that bitterness was loud again.

Troy took my hand and intertwined our fingers.

When we got to the border, I was a nervous wreck. I would be seeing Austin again, and then her.

And that was exactly what I came to. Except worse.