Chapter 2 : Ruth

Ruth 

"Virus detected"

"Virus detected"

The monitor enunciates as the twenty years old omega female quavers inside the chamber, wired and monitored.

"Stabilize her. Stabilize her", I announce, decoding the points on the monitor and watching her condition closely. 

Two of my subordinates rush to get her out of the system and set her back on the bed as she passes out. 

A sigh of solace escapes my mouth and I come out of the chamber, exhausted after a long session of ten hours.

"What's the news?" Emma asks as I make my way to the cabin. 

"She's gonna make it"

"Oh, my goddess!" Emma exclaims. "It means another success in a row? You're a genius, Ruth!"

I casually smile at the compliments that I receive every single second. 

"You got another huge success and you're just gonna pass that with a smile?" she exclaims, following me to my cabin.

"We gotta keep her under observation until the anti-virus starts doing its job. And her body needs to adapt to it. I need you to team up with Cal and monitor the slightest changes in her body", I ramble, going through the sheets.

"I know the procedure too well, Ruth. Now, shut this down for a while", Emma snaps, sliding the sheets away from my desk. "You have been inside the chamber, standing for like ten hours and you barely ate something sixteen hours ago"

I know I can't fight Emma at this. So, accepting my defeat, I recline on the chair, leaning back.

"You really need to give some rest to your body", she says, grabbing the remote to the system which works just like a modern mobile phone. "I'm ordering something for you to eat"

Emma is my assistant, and more like a family. Seven years ago, when I landed on this pack, Emma's mom, Shyla, found me and sheltered me at her place when the soldiers of my pack were prowling around to find me. 

It wasn't only Shyla who accepted me wholeheartedly, but the entire pack. 

Canis Anatomica Research Pack is the only pack in this world which functions with everything out of the box. The traditional rules followed by other packs are barely accepted and followed here. The Alpha king of this pack is one of the renowned physicians of the werewolf community whose ancestors were also from the same field. 

More than wars, power and competition, they focused on a larger vision which could save the world of werewolves in the very future. 

It's also the safest pack which was never attacked by enemies and had no conflict with any influential packs. Canis Anatomica is a place of its own which gave me the reason to survive and find out who I truly am. 

I'm much more than just a wolfless deviant.

I have been a science geek since my childhood and used to top in the school every single year. 

To earn a livelihood, I took up a job under Rozina, the pack alchemist who was working on the issue of extinction back then. I worked my ass off to learn more and more and devoted myself to this occupation. Rozina and other genius members were so impressed by my work that they decided to keep me in their most significant team. 

They all knew about my coalition but I wasn't treated any differently than others. I was accepted and treated the way I deserved and I wished my friends would also be that lucky. 

I had nothing left in my life other than the work I was devoted to. 

Rozina died due to an infection four years ago and her partner took over her research centre. She wanted me to stay but till then, I had more goals to achieve. 

My own. 

Over the years, I became an important member of the pack council, constantly working with them on the werewolf genome. They didn't care much about the deviants. Their main focus was on extinction and the cure. They didn't show any interest in the side project I was doing but they never stopped me either.

Now, I own a whole office and research house of my own on the fourteenth floor of the council building. 

"Tell me about my appointments", I tell Emma while having food together.

"Ruth, please breathe"

"I don't have time for that, Emma. You know that pretty well"

"Are you going to die tomorrow?" she shrugs, making me laugh.

"No. But before I die, I want to do as much as I can for those people who need me"

"You know you can't help everyone who needs you", she says.

I chuckle, recalling the promise I made to myself years ago. Never thought that it would come out to be true. Today, the entire community needs me, relies on me and seeks my assistance. I should have been happy that I got my revenge on destiny and nature.

But I couldn't. I couldn't take it as revenge. I couldn't be evilly happy. I was feeling blessed to be able to help the community and people who truly need me, especially unfortunate people like me. 

I keep staring at Emma for the job I have assigned her to.

"You're not gonna listen to me. Are you?"

"Who's the boss, Emma?" I smirk.

She rolls her eyes in annoyance and taps near her temple to turn on the chip she possesses. This chip is the most advanced technology in the alternative for devices to store information which we can see in the invisible screen in front of our eyes. 

Emma takes a look. "There's a lot of submissions for this week. But I have shortlisted a few that I thought could be urgent. Dark Shadow pack's Alpha Mayer, chief councillor Robert and then the Alpha king of Nightflang pack, Alpha Archer''

My entire body ices on the spot, my breath catching in my throat. A knot forms inside my stomach as I hear the name. 

Archer.

Archer.

Archer. 

"What did you say?" my voice barely comes out.

"Alpha Ar—" Emma's voice dissolves with a smack of realization. 

She gawks at me. "I'm really sorry, Ruth. I didn't realize—"

"That's fine", I shrug. "It wasn't that important to remember. And I'm glad you forgot about it. Just like I did. I was just shocked"

"Are you sure, Ruth? You okay?" she touches my hand.

"Of course. I am", I give her a stern look. "It's been years since I escaped the place. The rejection, the person. Nothing matters to me anymore", I keep my words confident even though Archer's name itself sends a chill down my spine. 

"That's good. So, coming back to the appointment—"

"Cancel it", I cut her off.

"What?"

"Cancel the appointment. I would like to deal with the important stuff first", I tell her, turning the monitor on to get some work done.

"You doubt my work, Ruth? Because if I have shortlisted Alpha Archer, there must be a good reason behind it. You may not know but right now, his pack is going through the roughest patch and he sincerely requested you to spare some time for him", Emma says.

My heart is still throbbing faster. Does he know who I really am? I can say he didn't even know my full name. He doesn't know Ruth, the woman I have become now. 

"Ruth, is that because you don't face him? I know it's hard to move on from the people we once loved—"

I strike my fist down onto the flat surface out of frustration that her choice of words caused me, startling her.

"Emma, I believe I told you everything about me. And I never said I loved him. It was just a bond that was destined and natural. I was hurt and humiliated. I was never in love with him. And I just don't want to face the man anymore who disrespected our bond and left me when I needed him the most. It has nothing to do with love or anything"

She nods. "I'm sorry. If you want this, I'll reject his request. But I would still want you to think about this. It's not about Alpha Archer but the entire pack and innocent people who need you. And you want to help those people"

Emma exits and I take some alone time in my office, leaning against the chair. My body is exhausted but my mind is still battling with the thought of meeting Archer again. I don't know why it makes me feel anxious. I shouldn't give him that importance. I have moved on and it shouldn't matter to me. I think I need a good sleep before making any decision. 

* 

"Oh, Ruth. You look miserable", Rowan says with his concerned eyes scanning me as we catch up in the elevator.

Rowan is the director of the council and a good companion to me. I won't say he's the closest to me and we're best friends because I always kept a boundary between us after knowing he has some sort of feelings for me. 

"I'm just normal. If you ever find me in a good condition, looking all beautiful, you should know something is wrong. I love pressure", I laugh.

"Bullshit. You're beautiful anyway", he says, building the awkward silence between us again.

"Thanks", I pass him a tight-lipped smile.

Rowan is the son of the Alpha king of the neighbouring pack. As far as I know, he left his pack due to some differences with his father and chased his dreams in tech. I admire people who have their own stand and chase their goals which made me friends with him. He's all every woman would want, according to Emma. Handsome, dark and broad. I don't notice more details. 

"I heard you got good results on the sixth female omega. That's great", Rowan says. "There were high chances of death during the procedure but you proved the council wrong"

"It's not my credit. Those people were strong-willed. Their willpower made them fight it. Nothing else", I say.

"That's what popular people do to avoid awkwardness", Rowan sarcastically laughs and I go along with him. 

"Probably", I chuckle.

The door of the elevator clicks open.

"Okay then— see you", I say.

"Ruth!" Rowan's voice screams the hint of a request. "So, you got some free time in your schedule for the dinner I ask you about?"

"Rowan!" I hesitate. "I'm really busy this week"

He smiles. "You have been busy for like two whole months since I asked you out. It's just a dinner. I swear"

"I know that. But we can catch up anytime in the bureau cafeteria", I suggest with a big smile.

Rowan lets out a sigh. "I think I have to be satisfied with that one. Sure"

We bid each other and I made my way back home. 

* 

"Echo! Save us, Echo!" I heard Ivory's voice trailing away in the middle of the woods. Darkness is sucking her off. 

"They're killing us", Hannah screams from a few feet of distance. "Help me, Echo!"

Despite my will to run towards them, my body felt like it was encased in the ice, with no control over my physical movement. As their painful cries were unbearable to carry, I pushed myself through the darkness to catch them.

"I'm coming", I yelled but the distance wasn't decreasing. It felt like I was going backwards despite running towards them and they were taken away by an invisible monster.

I fell onto the ground, screaming their names. Then it was all darkness. They had disappeared.

I wake up gasping for air, disoriented and shaken from the nightmare, cold sweat covering me.

Again!

"You started getting those nightmares again, sweetie?" Shyla says, mopping the floors of my room.

"After years", I sigh. "Why are you mopping? There are servants to do that?"

"I like to make sure your room is perfect", she says, making me smile after that horrific nightmare.

I moved from Shyla's hut to my flat a few years ago and I couldn't leave her and Emma over there. Even though Shyla didn't give birth to me, I believed Shyla gave birth to the woman I am today. She's my mother. My family. My whole world.

"Were your friends again calling you for help?" she puts the mop aside, casting her gaze at me.

I nod. 

"Didn't you say you stopped having those nightmares?"

I emit a soft sigh. "Yeah. It's been a couple of years"

"I told you why you got them, right?"

"Because I was holding myself accountable for not helping them?" I gaze up at her.

"Hmm", she leans against the stool, her wrinkled skin curling up with a smile. "And then you started the mission to give a new identity to the people like you and your lost friends. You had started to forgive yourself. That's why you didn't have those nightmares anymore", her eyebrows come together, forming a frown. "Did something happen that made you feel guilty again?"

"She refused to help the Alpha of Nightflang pack", Emma walks into the bedroom with beverages. 

"I don't believe it. Ruth never refuses to help anyone in trouble", Shyla exclaims.

"This time she did. Of course, she feels guilty about it. It's just her head playing mind games", Emma slumps onto the bed beside me. "Here you go. You deserve a good hot beverage after the long session"

"Thanks", I mutter, receiving the cup.

"Ruth, why aren't you helping the Alpha?" Shyla asks.

I don't want to discuss anything about Archer with Shyla. She cares for me so much and it'll worry her.

"Just some reasons, Mom", Emma says.

"No matter whatever the reason is, if you're not confident about the decision, it's gonna hurt you. You have always worked for people who need you. Make sure you're not keeping anything over those helpless ones", Shyla passes me a smile and walks out of the room.

The knots inside my stomach keep tangling into each other. 

I know my ethics and principles. And I'm not really looking for any kind of revenge on Archer. The moment I found a true purpose in my life, the rejection, and the mate bond never made any sense to me. I would rather spend that energy on my goals than take revenge on him. It's just that I don't wanna face him at all. 

"So, your expressions say we might need to fix an appointment", Emma chuckles at me. 

I take a long sip from the coffee. "Please, do"

"You wanna think again?"

"Turning him down will mean he still matters to me and I'm keeping him over my duty. I'm not gonna make this mistake. But make sure he has to work for this appointment", I reply.