by Sara Snow
She moved her hair behind her ears and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn’t say anything for a while, and I started to worry. I reached out to her and touched her hand, but she felt so cold that I quickly pulled away. I hadn’t touched her the last time she had entered my mind like this. I wasn’t sure if cold skin was normal, but I noticed she looked like she was in pain.
“Sorry.” She said as she moved her hand away. “I’ve never done this from such a far distance. Finding you alone has been hard enough. I can’t stay with you long, Ruby, but I want you to play along with Axel’s game. He’ll be coming for you soon to tell you he’ll be taking you somewhere. Play along, okay? He’s told the Council about you, about what’s been happening, and now they’ll be coming for Xavier.”
“Shit.”
She exhaled and began to fade and I sat up quickly. “Wait! You’ve told Xavier, right? Warn him about Axel and the Council. Axel said he was going to use me to finally get rid of the Blackmoon pack.”
“It won’t get to that, but yes, I’m heading to Xavier now to warn him. Axel is a fool to think the Council won’t turn on him, too. You’re his mate as well, no matter how much he denies it. The Council wants total obedience and control, so anyone that steps outside of that always suffers. Mathieu and Xavier broke the law by not killing you. It won’t matter to them that you are Xavier’s mate. All they will care about is the fact that you are human.”
So, in the end, it really will be my fault. I never should have moved here.
I felt like screaming, but she reached out and placed her hand on my cheek. Her hand was freezing, but I closed my eyes and allowed the cold to seep into my skin without moving away.
“I don’t know if I’ll get to Xavier in time, so I have to go.”
By now, I was able to see through her as she faded more and more. Her hand fell away from my face. I didn’t want her to go, I didn’t want to be left alone, but I knew she had to leave. Xavier was now the one in danger.
“Axel won’t hurt you, Ruby. He’ll act like he can, but it hurts him even more.”
I rolled my eyes.
Tell that to my arm that’s still bruised.
“H-how is Xavier? Is he okay? Please tell me before you go. I-I…”
Could I say it? I wanted to tell her to tell him I miss him, but even though we had kissed and had been getting close, there was still so much left for us to say to each other.
“You’ll see him soon. You can tell him everything yourself then.”
She vanished, and I woke up with a start and took a large intake of breath. I looked around the room frantically before plopping back down.
Yes, finally some good news.
I rolled onto my side to stare out the window again as I began to smile, a genuine one. It’s been so long since I’ve felt a pinch of happiness or hope. But my smile died quickly because I was now worried for Xavier. With the way Natalie and everyone else has been speaking about this ‘Council,’ it was clear they were to be feared. Natalie seemed to be on top of it, but I just hoped she would get to him in time.
◆◆◆
Anxiety had me pacing around the room, sitting on the floor, and climbing onto the table to see through the window, which revealed nothing but endless trees. Soon I settled for sitting around the table, my hunger returning. Compared to the torture I had endured up until last night, I could ignore the growls my stomach was making.
I’ve thought about going to sleep a few times in hopes of Natalie returning, but she had mentioned how hard it was to reach out to me. She needed her strength to get to Xavier, so I resisted my impulse to nap just for the sake of talking to her again.
My fingers drummed on the stained surface of the white table as I wondered if she had warned Xavier yet.
I recalled the night I had been abducted, the bliss that had come before the chaos that is, and a heavy sadness settled on my chest. Xavier and I had laid in the woods in each other's arms. I was starting to feel the bond between us, I think. Just when I began to feel drawn to him, I was ripped away. That night he had told me about their goddess, an entity that created the very first werewolf, who decides on each and every wolf’s fate. One who had clearly decided on my fate as well.
As far as I could see, she wasn’t doing a very good job, considering she managed to link three people together that could never possibly work out.
I heard the door open and looked to the stairs to see the giant man from last night leading a woman down the stairs. She was wearing combat boots and had red streaks in her black hair. She nodded to the man, and he turned away to head back upstairs. He left the door open, however, and I stared at the woman expectantly while she looked me up and down with disgust. At this point, I was starting to get immune to those stares. I watched as she crossed her hands over her large bosom and walked forward.
“You don’t belong here,” she said, and I crossed my arms on the table.
Had Axel sent this woman to scare me or something? He could do a much better job with only a glance. Was she here to remind me how much I don’t belong here?
I narrowed my eyes at her, and it clicked. No, she knows exactly who I am, who I am to Axel, and it’s clearly killing her.
So, I have another Anna on my hands. Lovely.
“We can both agree on that, at least.”
A deep crease appeared between her brows as if she hadn’t expected me to answer. “It speaks.” She said with a smirk, and I blinked slowly at her, doing my best to force a look of indifference onto my face.
“Can I help you with something? As you can see, I’m quite busy.”
She hadn’t been expecting that response, either. It clearly struck a nerve, because, within the next second, her light brown eyes turned black.
“You have no idea who you’re talking to, human.”
“That’s because we don’t know each other. Trust me, you don’t want to know me, either. I have enough shit to deal with right now, so whatever issue you have with me despite us having never met before will have to be resolved at a later date.”
I sat back and crossed my arms as she uncrossed hers. She hunched her shoulders a bit and her mouth opened to reveal that her fangs had come out to play. Her nails began to descend into claws, and I quickly got up from around the table.
I had nowhere to run, but I sure as hell would defend myself as much as possible. This girl wasn’t like Anna–she was worse. Where Anna had been all bark and no bite, it was clear this girl was ready and willing to rip my throat out.
“A weak thing like you can never be a wolf’s mate.”
She charged at me. and my hand rose to protect my face. I was saved by Axel’s thundering voice as it echoed through the room.
“Stop!”
I looked up to find the girl’s claws frozen inches away from my face. There was a look of straining on her face, and she slowly lowered her hand and turned around.
Behind her, Axel was standing by the stairs with his hands clenched at his sides. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. His curly black hair, usually kept in a ponytail behind his back, was loose now, and it fell in waves over his shoulders. Even I couldn’t deny that he was a handsome man, the kind with an aura of danger that draws women in.
“She doesn’t belong here.” The girl said through clenched teeth. “This weakling can’t be your mate. A strong breeze can knock her over. She can’t be your mate. She’s not worth…”
Axel stepped forward, and the girl swallowed whatever else she was about to say. “Know your place, wolf. My business is not yours, so I’d suggest you leave before I kill you. You are not allowed in here.”
She opened her mouth to speak, and Axel’s eyes turned black. He growled at her, the sound filling the space around us, and she quickly bowed her head and backed away. She scurried from the room, and Axel’s eyes slid to me when he heard the door close behind her.
He turned his body to face me, and his head tilted to the side. “I don’t want you talking to anyone.”
&nbs
p; “You say that as if I get visitors often enough for me to even have the chance to speak to anyone. I wasn’t talking to her. She came in here to throw a tantrum.”
“So, you said nothing to her? Not one word?”
Why are we even talking about something so trivial? It’s not like I had spilled secrets to her. What we needed to talk about was when the hell he’d be getting me out of here. Natalie had said he’d be taking me somewhere maybe that’s why he was here now.
Good timing because a second later I would have been mincemeat.
“No,” I responded, and he inhaled before walking forward.
I stood my ground despite my heart hammering, and I tilted my head back to look into his black eyes as they slowly changed back to hazel. His eyes roamed over my face, and I frowned. Being so close to him was definitely something I didn’t need. He was a gorgeous man, but there was no way I’d never ever let a handsome face make me forget what an asshole he is.
I looked away, my face twisting as my heart began to race. I wasn’t attracted to this prick, I couldn’t be. Hell no!
“You need to step back,” I said with my head still turned to the side. “There is no reason for you to stand this close to me,” I added, and his hand shot out to grab my face.
He wasn’t squeezing me tightly, but merely holding my face to turn it back towards him. I grabbed his wrist and tried to move away, but he casually slapped my hand away with his other hand.
“I don’t like being lied to.” He said the words slowly, his minty breath fanning my face. “Do not lie to me, Ruby. Ever, about anything. Now I don’t want you to speak to anyone unless I say so. Do you understand me?” I kept my mouth shut, and let the hatred in my eyes speak for me. “Good girl. We’ll be going somewhere soon, and I suggest you be on your best behavior.”
I had a million things to say in response, but Natalie’s words echoed in my mind. I reminded myself that it was my job to play along with Axel’s plan. I settled for pulling my face away, and his hand fell to his side. He didn’t move away, and neither did I. He didn’t look away, and neither did I. I might be weak in strength, but I would not be cowed by any man, wolf or no wolf. Strength isn’t only physical.
I frowned when the corner of his mouth began to lift into a smirk, and he shook his head and stepped back. What the hell was he smirking at? Was this fun for him? I narrowed my eyes at him and realized it was. The punk was messing with me.
“Your fire is cute, Ruby, but you will end up getting hurt because of it. Werewolves like obedience. Disrespect and disobedience aren’t tolerated, so remember what I just told you. Speak to no one, and you’ll continue breathing.”
He turned to leave, and I stared daggers at his back, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. What he didn’t know was that I hated being told what to do and being given orders, and it didn’t matter who was doing the ordering. That wasn’t going to change even if the orders were coming from someone who could rip me to shreds if I were a mere sheet of paper. Trust me, I’d had more than my fair share of consequences as a result of my inability to shut the hell up, even when it was probably in my best interest to do so.
Maybe one day my mouth will get me killed, but at least I’ll die standing up for myself.
Chapter Three
Xavier
I could hear a bird chirping in a tree a few meters away, but it sounded like it was resting on my shoulder. My ears twitched as another bird answered the first one's call, and I tried my best to tune them out. I focused on the wind in the trees instead as I continued to walk along the path in the forest. I was heading to the cliff where Ruby and I had sat and talked so long ago.
No, it wasn’t so long ago, I thought as I shook my head. Only a week has passed with her being missing. While it was only a week, it was far too long for comfort. It felt like an eternity.
Natalie has been missing for just as long, and I’m not sure how much longer I can survive not knowing what has happened to either of them. My hands clenched at my sides as my rage began to consume me yet again.
Being without Ruby and not knowing if she was hurt or not was taking its toll. My wolf has been clawing under my skin to the point that I’ve woken up with my sheets and clothes ripped by my claws and fangs out without my conscious command.
There have been no leads on finding Ruby, and no one has called for ransom or to make any demands. She is just gone, vanished into thin air.
Gone.
I turned off the path and headed into the thicker forest, but I didn’t get far. I closed my eyes as the haunting sound of Ruby’s scream entered my mind. She had screamed when that wolf had attacked her, and that was the moment when I had realized my mistake. They were after her and her alone. The attack on me was just a diversion carefully designed to separate us, and I had played right into their evil hands.
Now Ruby was God-Knows-Where experiencing God-Knows-What while I waited for some sign, any sign, of where I might find her. I growled low as I unclenched my right hand, and I winced a little as my hand began to shift. My bones broke and shifted, and my fingers elongated while my claws extended. I gritted my teeth as I swung around and swiped my claws at a nearby tree.
The mangled tree tilted to the side as if to fall, but stopped, the trunk in shreds. I closed my eyes as I started to lose control of my shift. My fangs began to elongate and graze against my bottom lip, and I clenched my left fist that hadn’t shifted and hunched forward. I exposed my right arm and it began to return to normal, my fingers bending in odd directions as my bones broke and reset.
I opened my eyes as I stood upright once more, and I looked down at my hand before clenching and unclenching my fist. My nails were itching to tear through the flesh of whoever had taken Ruby.
“Send her back to me,” I said to the forest, but I was hoping the goddess was listening.
I paused for a moment, a familiar scent licking at my nostrils, and as the scent registered, I spun on my heels to find Natalie standing behind me. I blinked rapidly and took a step towards her before stopping.
Something was different about her.
Her eyes were still ice blue, but her hair was white–snow white. She was just standing there staring at me, but there was rigidness about her as if she was frozen to the spot. There was a distant look in her eyes as if she was seeing through me, and I became on edge. I looked her up and down, trying to see if this was somehow a trick. My stance widened to prepare myself for an attack. Her mouth curved with a smile, and I got a glimpse of the Natalie I had known.
What happened to her?
“Natalie?”
“Your wolf–with Ruby being gone you’re losing control,” she responded as she pointed a finger at me.
I nodded. “Yes, where have you…”
“I can help,” she interjected as she began moving towards me. She had her hands raised to show she posed no threat, no doubt having noticed my defensive stance.
I allowed her to get close to me, but my eyes watched her every move. It felt odd for me to be so cautious with her. Her scent was the same, so I knew it was her, but she looked so different. Something was definitely wrong. Why had she vanished? To get her hair done? That’s unlikely because Adolfa was found dead.
She raised her hand and pressed her thumb to my forehead. Instantly, warmth rose within me, and days of feeling on edge vanished as my wolf calmed. I sighed as she pulled away. I looked down at my hand, my claws no longer feeling as if they’d appear at any moment.
"How did you do that?" I asked her, but she merely shrugged and stepped back. "What happened to you, Natalie? What happened with Adolfa?”
At the mention of Adolfa’s name, she grimaced. “She transferred all of her power to me.”
She turned away, and my eyes widened. “How? I didn’t know Enchanteds could do that.”
Despite the fact that her back was turned to me, I could see her nod. “I didn’t know either. There was a lot I didn’t know.” She turned to face me. “She showed me where Ruby is as well
.”
That had my wolf stirring yet again and hope blossomed inside me. “A-Are you serious?” She nodded. I laughed and turned away, my legs pumping as I began to run through the forest to head back to the house. “Where is she? We need to get back to the house.”
I felt alive for the first time in days. I’ve been wandering around either on edge or dragging myself like a zombie, but just that quickly, my energy returned to me full force.
“Xavier, wait!”
I skid to a halt as Natalie’s voice echoed through the forest. “What? If you know where she is, I need to tell dad. We have to go get her.”
“No, we don’t. We can’t,” she said as she walked towards me, and I frowned in confusion. “She’s safe where she is for now. We have more immediate issues to take care of.”
I stared at her as if I was looking at someone deranged. How could she expect me to not go searching for Ruby? What else could possibly be more important? I’ve been losing my mind for days wondering where Ruby is and if she’s okay. Not to mention how worried I had been about Nathalie herself.
“Where is she?” I asked her, my face now twisted with anger. “There is nothing more important than finding her, Natalie, and you know that.”
She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing, and I blinked in surprise at the dominance that was radiating off her. All wolves radiate some level of dominance, but it gets stronger depending on your bloodline and your rank in the pack. Enchanteds can’t transform into actual wolves, so they don’t radiate as much dominance as the rest of us do.
The stronger the Enchanted, the stronger their dominance level, but Natalie hadn’t been this strong before. What else did Adolfa change?
“She is only safe for now, Xavier. The Council knows about her, so they are coming for you. You broke the law by sparing a human.”
“She’s my mate, I couldn’t kill her!”
"They won't give a fuck! She's human. They won't care that she's your mate. You broke the law, and that is all the reason they need to step in. Then they will focus on how a human can be mated to a wolf. They might even try to bury the entire Bloodmoon Pack to hide this. You know they can! Ruby is safe for the time being, but that is all.”