The Ruins By Scott Smith Novels & Stories

POV ESMERAY The ruins of The Vault were still smoldering, a blackened ribcage of steel and concrete rising from the industrial dirt of Blackridge. But Ruan Montague wasn't looking at the wreckage of his home. He was standing on the edge of the pier, his back to the flames, watching the fog roll off the Pacific. He wasn't running. He wasn't hiding.

The fact that my body was burning with excitement from his promise, the fact that my core throbbed when he promised to fuck me terrified me more than anything else. " I intend to ruin you, Lara, silently. " He added, as he squeezed my breasts, harder, and jolts of pleasure and excitement shot through me in currents. " Because after four years, I am back in your life, Lara." " And I plan to ruin you quietly, right under his nose." " You have to promise me something, though " It was almost like a request, and before my mind could register, I was already nodding my head. " You have to promise me that you won't make any noise. "

"You're doing this just to get me back, aren't you? That's not going to happen, but I'm still willing to give you a chance. Let's have dinner tonight, and you let Lydia join the audition." I chuckled at this. "What makes you think I'm doing this to get your attention?" "Then why are you making such a big deal out of this? It won't work—" "Shut up!" I could not hold back my anger, not anymore. "Your resources are worthless without me, Allen. You should take a good look at yourself! "Let me remind you: your girlfriend isn't as innocent as you think!" I was trying to warn him so the Walters would not go bankrupt, but he took it the wrong way and shouted, "You're disgusting, Rosie!"

"You're not the only one who came back. I remember everything from our last life. Especially the part where you poisoned my tea... and watched me die." His eyes blew wide with horror. "So, do you really think there's a chance for us? Besides," I paused, my eyes raking over his ruined body before a slow, cruel smile touched my lips. "You have no legs. Your wolf is broken. Who would possibly want you now?" All the color drained from Damien's face. He looked like his soul had just been ripped from his body. "So all of this," I said, straightening up and signing the dissolution papers, "is something you brought upon yourself. Goodbye, Damien. This time, it's forever."

She was rushing straight at me. Bang! The bottle smashed brutally against my head. The sickening crunch of exploding glass erupted in my ears, followed instantly by the hot, sticky sensation of blood trickling down my temple. “Sylvia!” Maggie’s piercing scream tore through the club. I stumbled backward, my vision swimming, only to see Silvia raising another bottle high above my head, her face twisted in pure madness. “Go to hell!” When the second blow came down, the world went completely black. I collapsed into a growing pool of my own blood, my consciousness fading as nothing but chaotic, distant screams echoed in my ears.

Caitlyn’s POV The Moonborn Ruins were not what I expected. I had imagined crumbling stone walls, vines reclaiming ancient structures, a place long forgotten by time. But what lay before me was something else entirely. The ruins still stood, eerily intact, their stone foundations gleaming under the silver moonlight. The air hummed with power, charged with something ancient and restless, as if the past itself had been preserved here, waiting for someone to unravel its secrets.

Now, the ruins were abandoned, forgotten by the world Pink slabs of stone mixed with grey blocks and black charred beams. A small graveyard visible just to the right hand side where the victims had been buried. Including Reu’s mate. If he had been healed by the Moon Goddess I wonder if she took away the striped scars down his arms, or his constant guilt for surviving. Descending the hill, slinking through the trees we stuck together as we weaved around the wreckage. The black beams towered above us, one wall standing high, where the other had collapsed down, dragging the roof with it. “We need to find somewhere to hide, he’ll be here.”

“She’s just as bad as I am.” The fog shrank back, recoiling as if struck. A scream—high and unnatural—ripped through the ruins, and for a brief, gut-wrenching moment, I felt the mist pull at me, like icy hands clutching at my ribs. And then— It shattered. The fog thinned, curling away like dying smoke. The ruins came back into focus—broken stone, twisted vines, the faint glow of the moon peeking through the cracks in the canopy. Hunter stumbled into view, coughing violently. His face was pale, his hands trembling as he braced himself against a fallen pillar.

AILANI’S POV) And at the corner of those glass walls stood Enzo Romano … Shirtless!!!. Warmth coated me, flushing my skin bright red. I had to wrestle a gasp back down before it was able to make an ugly appearance. His broad shoulders were drenched in the golden rays from the sun. His torso was marked with scars, spanning across his back in cruel slashes. The image itself should be appalling but it only heightens his masculinity. A suit jacket hung lazily from his desk chair, discarded while his dress shirt laid unbuttoned in the seat, both fabrics as if they never existed, totally forgotten.

"Couldn't let you break alone." Margaret cuffed shadows, but Marcus slipped away. Rain hammered harder. This wasn't over. Accusations lingered like ash. Blood called for more blood. In the ruins, Damon pulled Kai close. "I almost lost you." "We're still here." But Kai knew: Marcus watched. Waiting to strike again. The city drowned in storm and secrets.