Semua Bab Accidentally Claimed : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Ethan maintained a neutral expression, and didn’t take offense to what Whitney said. He had been among humans long enough to be used to their blatant disrespect and incessant gossip. But, he was getting tired of her attempts to interfere with the fragile peace he was building with Ruby. Inwardly, the calm facade was a conscious effort. His wolf wished it could simply deal with her, to remove this obstacle to his happiness.Whitney suddenly checked her watch with an exaggerated seriousness, the sparkle in her eyes signaling she had a mile-high stack of gossip. "Would you look at the time," she said brightly. "It's gotten so late." She delivered the line directly to Ruby, but her gaze slid pointedly toward Ethan, an unmistakable attempt to politely or not so politely, dismiss him.​Ethan, however, didn’t budge. He folded his arms across his chest, his stance as solid as stone. He had come here to be with his now-chosen mate, and nothing short of dragging him out would make him leave.Ru

“Why are you here?” she asked, a mix of annoyance and reluctant curiosity in her voice as she walked hesitantly toward the car.​Ethan all but rolled his eyes, feigning innocence. “Fancy seeing you here, I was just in the neighborhood.”​The unwavering skepticism in her gaze held him fast. “Okay, okay,” he conceded, offering a new story. “So, Elijah... you know Elijah, right?” he began, pointing vaguely down the street. “Maybe you know him as Mr. McCoy; he owns a store right down the street. Anyway, he invited me over for a business discussion.”He finished, but the lack of conviction in her gaze told him she didn't believe a word of that highly specific alibi, though his statement was technically not a lie.​“Hmmm, shouldn't you be waiting for him at your designated location then?” she pressed, crossing her arms.Ethan concealed a small, genuine smile at her bold confrontation. Only his few closest aides would dare to question him like that. Nobody ever dared to challenge him, no mat

RUBYI don’t know why, but a sharp wave of disappointment washed over me when he finally announced our arrival at the police station. Some foolish, traitorous part of me had hoped he’d just keep driving, maybe to his place, or just anywhere that meant I wouldn’t have to stop being near him.“We’re here,” he said cheerfully, cutting through my fog of daydreams.I blinked at the window. I’d been staring out of it for the entire drive, but not a single landmark had registered. My thoughts had been hopelessly tangled around him, the warmth of his voice, the way his hand gripped the steering wheel, and, unfortunately, several scandalous mental images that I’d rather not admit to under oath. I knew that getting in the car with him was a bad idea, but I did it anyway.“Huh?” I blurted, whipping my head toward him before realizing my mistake. His gaze was already on me, that infuriatingly knowing glint in his eyes made my stomach flip. Heat flooded my neck. He definitely knew the effects he h

ETHANI watched her retreat with a sharp, agonizing blow settling deep inside me. I could have stopped her easily, pulled her back into my arms in an instant, even forced her to stay if that’s what it took to keep her close. But if I did, I’d be the one who suffered the real, lasting damage. She might never trust me again, probably never even speak to me too. Taking her by force, and unleashing the raw power I kept hidden, would destroy the fragile bond we’d just begun to build. That kind of coercion would poison everything between us. I am not risking that to lose what I valued most. So I let her go, give her the time to face her feelings and, hopefully, come back to me on her own terms. If she didn’t return, I’d have no choice but to force her to face the painful truth, everything I’d been shielding her from in the dark. She would finally see that the attack on her diner wasn’t some random act of violence, but a calculated move by dangerous people. Only then would she understand why

The air inside the warehouse was thick with dust and dread, each breath scraping down Ruby’s throat like sandpaper. Her pulse thundered as the two massive figures stepped out from the shadows, silent, broad-shouldered, radiating menace.Mr. Stevenson’s pleasant façade melted away, his smile twisting into something cruel and mocking. “Turns out,” he said, his tone dripping with satisfaction, “we never needed your expertise after all.”Terror clawed at her chest, threatening to swallow her whole, but she forced herself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t save her now. She straightened slightly, every instinct screaming for her to run, even as she realized there was nowhere left to go.​And as the cold realization of the situation settled over Ruby, she became consumed with worry that no one would even notice her absence. In all her life, Ruby had only one consistent friend: Whitney. They had been through so much together. Every tear, every burst of laughter, every small achievement was a m