Ruby's POV
He leaned in close so close that I could feel his breath ghosting across my skin and began to nuzzle my neck with his nose. The soft drag of it tickled, making me squirm slightly beneath him. My fingers itched with the urge to touch him, to feel the smoothness of that bare chest pressing against mine, but I held back, tense as his arms tightened around me.
"You were going to reject me, weren't you?" His voice dropped into a slow, wicked purr. "Even after I told you that you're mine? Such a naughty little wolf… girls like you need to be punished."
I stiffened. My eyes flew open, my breath catching as the meaning of his words hit me. My heart started hammering against my ribs.
"N-No! I wasn't " I shook my head quickly, panic sliding into my throat. "I didn't mean it. I was angry, that's all. I swear I didn't mean it!"
And I hadn't. Goddess, I'd said it out of sheer frustration and fear and fury. It wasn't the truth. Not really.
Zaliver hummed low against my throat, the sound vibrating against my skin. He inhaled deeply.
"You smell incredible," he murmured. "Maybe I should just mark you… Might be the only way to remind you of your place."
I froze, every muscle in my body locking up at once.
A part of me deep, hidden, primal screamed yes. But not like this. Not when I didn't know where I stood, not when anger still burned in my chest, not when I hadn't even begun to understand him.
"Let's not push things," I said quickly, voice rising with my temper. "We don't even know each other actually, I don't know you, you arrogant, power-hungry ass."
The words came tumbling out before I could stop them, fury bubbling up from everything he'd done. "You invaded my mind. My memories. Things you had no right to see. You could've just asked me. But no you chose to rip through my head like I was some criminal. Get the hell off me!"
I thrashed beneath him, my pulse racing, my skin burning with the betrayal. Zaliver's face shifted, his expression darkening as he pulled back. His teeth were bared, canines gleaming. His eyes shifted from blue to jet-black, the storm rolling in fast.
I met his snarl with one of my own, letting my wolf rise. I wasn't going to flinch this time. Not when I knew I was right.
His messy hair fell over his eyes, shadows licking at the sharp angles of his face. He opened his mouth, then paused. A breath left him slow and heavy and he pulled back, lifting himself off the bed without another word.
He reached for his shirt and yanked it back over his head, his eyes gradually shifting back to their icy blue. The moment was broken. Tension still crackled in the air, but the fire had dulled to simmering coals.
Then the door swung open.
Algebra stood in the hall, hand mid-air as if he'd been about to knock. Zaliver hadn't even turned, but he'd clearly known he was there. I blinked. How had he sensed him?
"Sorry, man. There's a situation we need to handle," Algebra said without looking past Zaliver.
Zaliver gave a curt nod before glancing over his shoulder straight at me. His eyes burned into mine again, unreadable and intense.
"Use the room however you want," he said, his voice dropping to a low, rich promise. "I'll be back later… to finish what I started."
And just like that, he turned and left, taking the air with him.
I sat there on the bed, still breathing hard, my cheeks flushed and my limbs trembling. My mind reeled from everything that had just happened.
But then… something clicked.
He hadn't ordered me to stay.
He didn't command me not to leave.
I was free.
Hope surged up in my chest. I leapt off the bed and made a beeline for the door. But I hesitated, hand hovering over the knob. What if he was still nearby? What if I ran into him again? The man had speed I couldn't even process. It was like trying to outrun lightning.
Whatever that "situation" was, hopefully it would take a while. He seemed serious about it, and I didn't want to push my luck.
My gaze flicked around the room. For the first time, I took it all in properly. The curtains were drawn, casting most of the room in dusky shadows. Everything here… felt lived in. Personal.
I stepped over to a nearby drawer and pulled it open.
Clothes. Black ones. All of them.
They smelled like him.
It hit me then this wasn't just a room. This was his room. His real one. Not that empty space I first woke up in. This was Zaliver's domain, and I'd been thrown straight into the heart of it.
There were more signs casual things scattered around, like he'd just been living here seconds ago. The sheets on the bed were dark blue and rumpled. There were socks, discarded shirts, and the faintest trace of cologne in the air.
I wandered over to the bathroom, cracking the door open. Fresh towels. Clean space. I could work with this.
Back at the dresser, I rummaged through until I found the smallest black T-shirt and a pair of sweats that looked like they might not swallow me whole. Then I paused.
A pair of black briefs peeked out from the corner of the drawer.
Grinning to myself, I snatched them too.
"Might as well steal some dignity back," I muttered, chuckling as I held them up.
Even angry and trapped and tangled in a thousand confusing emotions… at least I still had my sass.
And maybe, just maybe, that would keep me alive around a wolf like Zaliver.
I slipped back into the bathroom, the one that apparently belonged to a man who liked black, silver, and looming danger. The space was dark and sleek beautiful in a cold, detached way. The shower tiles were pitch black, the rest a molten silver that shimmered when the light hit just right. Everything looked expensive. Powerful. Like him.
I stripped and stepped into the shower, fumbling for the controls until warm water hit me from all directions. Ceiling, walls everywhere. I gasped.
It was... heaven.
A low moan escaped me as the tension began to melt from my muscles. My fingers found the bottles lined up on the shelf, and I recognized the scent immediately. That minty-fresh note that always lingered on Zaliver when he passed too close. I used the shampoo and conditioner without guilt. If I was going to be held against my will, I might as well smell incredible.
The water worked wonders on my nerves, but when I stepped out and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the fogged-up mirror, I didn't bother wiping it clean. I already knew what I'd see brown eyes, short unruly hair, a round face I never quite liked. Meeting my mate hadn't changed any of that. No magical glow-up. Just the same me… only now, stuck in some twisted mating game with a possessive god-like Alpha.
I dried off and threw on the oversized clothes I'd stolen from his drawer. The shirt hung off my shoulder like a dress, and the sweats were basically drowning me. I rolled the waistband and tied it up, trying to make it work. The briefs underneath made me giggle a little, though. Wearing his underwear felt like the world's smallest act of rebellion.
Running my fingers through my hair, I shoved it out of my face and took a deep breath. Time to go.
But just as I reached the door, I heard it.
A faint ping. A notification.
I froze.
Please let it be what I think it is.
Spinning around, my eyes landed on a sleek black phone resting on the bedside table, a small green light blinking on the screen. I practically sprinted across the room.
No password.
I blinked. "What kind of idiot doesn't lock their phone in this day and age?"
Our idiot, my wolf chimed in smugly.
The call on the screen had just ended someone named "Freden." I didn't care who it was. My hands moved fast, heart pounding in my throat as I opened the keypad and typed in my dad's number. My thumb hovered over the call button.
This could be it. My one shot. Just press the button.
But I hesitated.
What if Zaliver could track it? What if calling them meant dragging my parents into this mess? I'd never forgive myself if they got hurt because of me. My throat tightened as I stared at the number, then slowly hit backspace until the screen was empty again.
I sighed and dropped the phone to my lap. "So much for that plan."
Calling 911 was a joke too. I could already imagine the conversation.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Yeah, so I've been kidnapped by my mate who also happens to be some kind of ancient god. He's got supernatural powers and refuses to let me leave. That counts as kidnapping, right?"
Yeah. That'd go over well.
But then another idea sparked.
If I couldn't call someone... maybe I could track his location. I pulled the phone back up and activated location services, fingers trembling with adrenaline. Maybe, just maybe, I could figure out where the hell I was and find a way out.
The map loaded.
I grinned.
Then I read it.
And my grin vanished.
The Bermuda Triangle.
My stomach dropped.
"What. The. Actual. Fuck?" I whispered.
The Bermuda Triangle?
Everything I knew about it flashed through my head planes disappearing, ships vanishing without a trace, freak storms, magnetic distortions, tech failures. A literal no-fly zone. My geography teacher had warned us that even commercial airlines avoided flying near it because of some mysterious storm that happened decades ago. It was supposed to be off-limits. Uninhabitable.
And this is where I was?
"How the hell am I supposed to get out of the Bermuda freaking Triangle?"
Before I could spiral further, the door creaked open.
I spun around and froze. Zaliver stood there, leaning casually against the frame like he hadn't just shattered every plan I had. Like he hadn't just confirmed my worst fear.
His gaze dropped to the phone in my hands, then rose to meet my eyes. Calm. Collected. Cold.
"That's the thing," he said softly, almost like a secret. "You're not."
The air left my lungs in a single, crushing breath.
I was trapped.
Well and truly trapped.