Semua Bab Her Double Trouble: My Alpha and My Mate: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Ruby POVThe wasteland stretched endlessly before us, a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged rocks, where the sky bled in perpetual twilight, neither fully day nor night. The air was thick with dust, swirling in lazy spirals as the wind whispered through the skeletal remains of trees that had long forgotten what it was to bloom. This land mirrored the emptiness inside me, both twisted by a past that could never be undone.But as we walked, something strange began to happen. The ground beneath our feet, once dry and lifeless, began to soften. Patches of thick, dark grass pushed through the cracks like stubborn survivors. Delicate white flowers dotted the landscape, their petals unfurling to greet the rare shafts of light that pierced the gloom. It felt like stepping into a forgotten dream, a memory of a world that had once known life."It's the gold," Sebastian murmured. "It's bringing this place back to life."I looked around, and despite the weight of despair clinging to me, I

Gabe POVI rolled off the flimsy bed, my body aching as if the weight of the entire world had pressed down on me. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't tell how much time had passed. The need to find Ruby gnawed at me, an instinct, a compulsion. I had to make sure she was safe. But deep down, I knew. Ruby would always be safest when far away from me.She was always slipping from my grasp, like smoke in the wind, no matter how hard I tried to hold on. And this time, I needed to let her go.I stumbled into the small bathroom, gripping the edges of the sink to keep myself upright. The cracked mirror reflected a man I barely recognized. Splashing cold water on my face, I tried to shake the lingering haze from the dream. Her image, that version of Ruby, her long black hair, those innocent eyes, still haunted me. There was something so perfect about her, something I wanted to know, understand... possess.Ragnar, my wolf, stirred inside me, his voice dripping with resentment. "You let her go,

Sebastian POVI trudge up the stairs, grocery in hand and a weight of despair hung heavy over my shoulders. Everything I've done this last week did nothing to help Ruby or this town. 'Claim her!' Kane whispered repeatedly in my soul. I growled, the dark anger inside me echoing through the corridor. I should claim her! She is mine, always has been! I closed my eyes as I walked up the last few steps. The power inside me swirling, banging at my chest, persisting I release it all. I had to check on Ruby then let Kane go for a run. He was too restless inside me, a burn that itched to be free. I was afraid to give him too much control but locking him away was doing more harm than good. I almost slept with Sylvia three times this past week too. She was constantly throwing herself at me, offering to help her Alpha anyway I needed. She didn't know the bond I had to Ruby though. I was an Alpha in love with someone else's mate. I wasn't an Alpha at all.Just as reached for the door knob somet

Gabe POVLeaving the ruins of my homeland, I felt an odd sense of ease. The betrayal, the ashes of everything I once knew, it was all behind me now. My mother's dark plans were crumbling, and with the bag of gold crystal dust strapped to my back, I had the means to end this once and for all. It wasn't a flawless plan, but it didn't have to be. I'd make it work.I accepted that I'd probably never be with Ruby again. She was lost to me. I knew that. Our bond severed the moment I let her go. But that didn't mean I'd give up on saving her. I couldn't.The wasteland stretched before me like a graveyard. The earth cracked, dying patches of green fighting to survive. My pack trailed behind, moving like shadows. Lost. Silent. Finally, I stopped and turned. "Why are you still following me?"One of them, his face as empty as the land, answered, "To protect our Alpha. We're at your service."My service, I thought bitterly. As if I wasn't unraveling myself, bit by bit."Did Hailey order you to f

Ruby POVI paced the floor of the small bedroom we had been staying in the last week. The room felt suffocating, every inch of it weighed down by the heavy silence that had crept in over the last week. I paced back and forth, the floorboards beneath my feet groaning like they were mocking my frustration. This place, it reeked of torment. Even the air seemed haunted by the memories of everything that had happened here. And yet, somehow, that wasn't even our biggest problem.Two days ago, when I finally came to after Gabe's rejection, Sebastian had shown me what this town had become. The dark fog that lingered at the edges of the streets wasn't just some natural phenomenon, it was alive, pulsing with an energy I could feel under my skin. A part of me craved it, like it could fill the hollow spaces inside me, but I couldn't take it in. My magic was weak, severed along with my eye. Whether it was Gabe's rejection or losing a part of myself, I couldn't say, but the weakness left me despera