Ruby's POV
The moment I woke, a dull ache bloomed in my neck, throbbing with every heartbeat. I winced but didn't move. Something heavy covered me, pressing into my body like a thick quilt of warmth except it wasn't a blanket.
It radiated heat.
Like fire.
But it wasn't the painful kind of fire it didn't scorch. Instead, it wrapped around me like a second skin, soaking into every inch of me and coaxing my heart into a slow, steady rhythm. I felt it across my arms, my chest… even the soft skin of my cheek. A strange trail of warmth traced its way from beneath my right eye to the corner of my lips.
Wait what was that?
My eyes narrowed as my brain tried to make sense of the pattern. It felt oddly familiar… too familiar. And then everything hit me at once.
The forest. Clara. The bunker alarm. That giant reddish wolf. The green-eyed man.
The attack.
The fall.
And then nothing.
I gasped and jolted, eyes snapping open.
And the first thing I saw… was him.
Blue eyes. Piercing, impossibly vivid blue eyes, staring straight into mine.
His face hovered just inches above me, close enough that I could count each lash shadowing those eyes. He didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Just watched me.
And God, he was beautiful.
Not in the "cute guy from the coffee shop" way. No, this was unreal like something carved by ancient hands and brought to life under a blood moon. His thick raven hair was swept back, though a few rebellious strands had fallen across his forehead. Dark brows arched over those sea-storm eyes, and his lashes were so long and dark they cast shadows on his cheekbones.
His cheekbones sharp, defined, regal.
His jaw strong, angular, unforgiving.
His lips full, precise, the kind that made it hard to remember your name.
My breath caught in my throat.
Who are you?
Where did you come from?
The scent hit me next. Rich and earthy with a trace of something wild pine, smoke, rain… him. It was the kind of scent that turned your head without warning, the kind that stayed on your skin long after the person was gone.
And that's when I realized
He wasn't just hovering.
He was on top of me.
His arms caged me in, one elbow planted beside my head, the other hand gods help me was buried gently in my hair, his fingers twining through the strands like he had every right to touch me. His chest pressed against mine, his legs entwined with mine beneath silky sheets.
I froze.
My hands clenched the fabric under me. My brain screamed. My wolf… purred?
Seriously?!
Why are you purring, you useless mutt? He could be a killer! A rogue. A pervert!
Do something!
But she stayed silent, coiled and watching behind my eyes.
I tried to keep my breathing steady, but it was hopeless. I sounded like a trapped animal. I wasn't naked thank goddess but I wasn't exactly prepared to be wrapped up with a stranger either. My body was too aware of him, the warmth, the weight, the way his scent filled my lungs.
Then he moved.
He lowered his head, resting it on my shoulder, his skin brushing mine. A tremble passed through me. His chest expanded as he inhaled deeply against my neck… and then he growled.
Loud. Low. Possessive.
I jolted, heart racing so fast I thought it would burst. He pulled back and looked at me again, and I couldn't take it anymore.
"W-What are you doing? Who are you?! Get off me!" I shouted, voice shaking.
Yeah, I liked hot guys. I wasn't blind. But being pinned under a brooding stranger in the middle of nowhere? That wasn't exactly on my bucket list.
Still, he said nothing. Just stared down at me like he was trying to read the shape of my soul.
Power. That's what radiated from him.
Not anger.
Not lust.
Not kindness, either.
Just power.
Mate.
The word hit me like a whisper and a thunderclap at once.
My head dropped back into the pillow as my thoughts scrambled to catch up. No… no. My wolf should've spoken first. That's how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to know.
I looked back up at him, heart stuck somewhere in my throat. Could this man really be… mine?
No. No freaking way.
He was too perfect. Too intense. Too dangerous-looking.
"There's no way," I muttered under my breath.
His eyes darkened the instant the words left my mouth.
I tried to wriggle out from under him, but he didn't budge. My hands pushed at his chest solid, unmoving. His skin was warm through the fabric of his shirt, and the moment my palms touched him, a soft pulse of heat jolted through me.
I ignored it.
I lifted my hips, trying to buck him off. Nothing.
He didn't even blink.
I called on my wolf's strength, hoping for a burst of power.
Still nothing.
It was like trying to move a mountain.
His eyes once blue darkened, then flashed again with that eerie flicker, but the cold intensity never left his expression. I squirmed, desperate, attempting to slither out from under him. I was done being his prisoner.
And yet...
Part of me didn't want to leave.
Not really.
Not entirely.
But I wouldn't admit that. Not even to myself.
Not yet.
His lips parted, revealing unnervingly perfect teeth sharp canines gleaming like something out of a horror fantasy. I stared, dumbly wondering if they used Crescent Crisp and Clear toothpaste in the underworld. Gods, I was going to die and my last thought would be about dental hygiene.
"Stop," he growled, voice low and thick with a strange accent I couldn't place.
And I did. Just like that, my body froze beneath him.
I wasn't even sure why. His words didn't sound like English or Spanish my only brush with another language had been high school Spanish, and I barely passed that. But I understood him. Not with my ears. With something deeper. My wolf stilled with me, watching him through my eyes, quietly alert. She wasn't scared. If anything, she was curious. Excited, even. Goddess, she had the nerve to feel thrilled.
Who was this man?
His piercing blue eyes didn't waver as he muttered under his breath, "Why would the gods send me a mate? Is this lunar card a peace offering? Well played, Fate."
The way he said it was bitter, like the taste of old betrayal on his tongue. But he wasn't speaking to me. He was talking to the stars or the gods or maybe to himself. Still, his words pricked something deep inside me.
Mate.
That word hit like a thunderclap. The way he said it, though, like it was a curse rather than a gift.
Was this some kind of offering to him? Me? Was that what he thought? Hell no. I wasn't a damn sacrifice.
I felt the panic rise up my throat. Who was this guy? Some cult leader? Did they offer up random she-wolves to him like some sick tradition? Why was I here? Where even was here?
And why did he have to have eyes that made me forget my name and hair that begged for my fingers?
Focus, I warned myself. I needed to focus.
Of course. I finally meet my mate my fated, destined, soul-deep mate and he turns out to be a beautiful, deadly psychopath possibly leading a death-worshipping cult. Just my luck.
He leaned in closer, and my breath caught. His face hovered over mine, close enough to steal the air from my lungs. I froze, heart drumming against my ribs as his nose brushed against mine. He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek lightly against mine, breathing me in.
My whole body trembled under his slow, deliberate inhale. If I hadn't been terrified out of my mind, I might've melted.
"You're fascinating," he said finally, voice cold, even. "But I don't buy their bullshit. I don't trust you. You're… cute. It's pathetic."
His words sliced through the air like a knife, flat and emotionless. The second he said it, whatever invisible leash held me in place snapped. I felt my limbs again. My wolf growled in protest at the rejection, but the human part of me? She was screaming run.
He was going to kill me. I could see it in his eyes, the way they narrowed like a predator preparing to strike. His lips curled in that cruel little smirk, flashing those inhuman teeth again.
And then… he spoke in English.
"Now, what shall I do with you?"
His voice was soft, almost thoughtful, but it sent chills down my spine. Hearing him speak my language made everything real in a way it hadn't been before. He wasn't just some dream demon with a lovely voice and a predator's stare. He was real.
I blurted out the only thing I could think of.
"Let me go," I said, surprised by how steady my voice sounded, considering how I felt like I was unraveling inside. I didn't beg. I didn't plead. Just three words. I saw the flicker of surprise on his face. Maybe he expected me to cry or plead for mercy. I would've, honestly, if I thought it would work.
But he shook his head. "No."
"No?" I repeated, my voice cracking a little as the panic bled through. "What do you mean, no?"
He didn't answer. Just kept staring at me like I was some puzzle he hadn't quite solved yet.
"Okay, okay," I started babbling. "Look, I don't even know your name, and that's fine. Let's just keep it that way, alright? You've got the wrong girl. Totally wrong girl. I won't tell anyone, I promise. This is just a weird mix-up, okay? Maybe someone meant to bring someone else and boom, surprise! Wrong she-wolf. Happens all the time, I'm sure."
I was rambling. I knew I was. My wolf groaned inside my head, absolutely mortified. She wanted to tackle him and sniff him from head to toe. I wanted to run in the opposite direction and file a supernatural kidnapping report.
He blinked.
And just like that, I knew I'd messed up.