Ruby's POV
"They thought they could use you against me. Fools," Zaliver said, a dark smirk tugging at his lips. "They handed me something far more valuable than they could ever comprehend. And the fact that you're still untouched by this corrupted world? That's just icing on the cake. You were made for a god, Ruby. And this god " his eyes flashed with something primal, something possessive, " will burn the world down before letting anyone take you away. Even you."
His words echoed in my head like a storm. Then, as quickly as the tension had risen, he leaned back. The heat, the tingling that had sparked along my skin under his gaze, vanished. I felt disoriented, like he'd stolen all the air from my lungs and left me floating. With or without a mark... I was his?
Before I could make sense of it, he tugged me gently by the hand and led me down a corridor. We stopped at a room that looked more like a giant den or game lounge than a living space.
The second we stepped into the brightly lit room, the chatter stopped. Silence blanketed the air. Heads turned. Eyes landed on us. There were at least a dozen people tall, fit men and sharp-eyed women dressed in all black. Different skin tones, different builds, but they all had the same poised, alert aura. As one, they stood and bowed their heads.
"Alpha Zephyros," they greeted in unison.
I instinctively wanted to shrink behind Zaliver, but I forced myself to stay where I was. My palm started to sweat in his grip, and I tried pulling away, embarrassed. He didn't let go just squeezed it tighter. Of course, they all noticed. A murmur swept through them, or maybe just a collective widening of eyes and raised brows.
Zaliver's voice rang out, steady and commanding. "This is Ruby. My mate."
I froze. My mate. He said it out loud. My heart slammed in my chest at the unexpected wave of warmth that bloomed through me. My wolf stirred, ears perked, tail wagging as if she'd been waiting to hear those words her whole life.
"She's not safe to roam the island freely just yet," he continued. "So I'm assigning her personal protection while I prepare for tonight's meeting. Johnson, Courtney, Luke, Mila. Step forward."
I blinked at him. Guards? Seriously? I bit my tongue, barely holding in my frustration. "Not safe to roam" sounded an awful lot like "not allowed to be free."
"I " I started, but yelped silently as he gave my hand another firm squeeze. Okay. Rude.
Four figures stepped forward two men and two women. They were all towering over me. One of the guys was even taller than Zaliver, which I hadn't thought possible. It was kind of funny, watching a giant man bow to someone slightly shorter, but the room's energy kept my amusement in check.
The women had their hair pulled back tightly in ponytails. One was pale with a jagged scar slashing through her right brow, her gaze hard but sharp. The other, tan-skinned with sharp cheekbones, had the kind of stern face that screamed no-nonsense. As for the men well, the tall one with curly blond hair had a glint of mischief in his ocean-blue eyes, loose strands falling over his forehead. The red-haired one, with piercing green eyes, reminded me of someone... Lana. That was it. He had her same calculating stare.
As they reached us, they dropped to one knee. Zaliver released my hand and walked forward, stopping now and then to look over each one. The room tensed, the air thick with anticipation. Then, he spoke.
"Will you protect her with your life?"
My breath hitched. Four guards. Four lives. Sworn to protect me.
"Yes, Alpha," they replied in unison, their voices firm.
I swallowed hard. No one had ever said that to me before. Not even close. The weight of those words wasn't lost on me. My chest tightened.
"Because if you fail... you'll pay with your life."
Damn. That wasn't just protection. That was war-level devotion.
And still, something in me stirred. Even beneath the threat, I could feel his intent. My wolf lifted her head, eyes gleaming. See? He cares.
Maybe she was right. Maybe I had been too hard on him.
"Yes, Alpha," they echoed again.
Zaliver turned and came back to me, grabbing my hand once more. I didn't resist this time. I let him pull me along, the sound of soft footsteps behind us telling me the guards had fallen into step. Out of curiosity or maybe politeness I peeked over my shoulder. The others kept a respectful distance, their gazes dropping as soon as I looked at them. Heat crept up my neck and I quickly turned back around.
"Why do they all bow their heads like that?" I asked, my voice small in the quiet hallway. Not the most important question I could've asked, but it was the one that escaped first.
He led me through a glass door, the cool air brushing over my skin and making me shiver.
"Because I'm a god," he said without pause. "And you are my mate. Refusing to bow would be a challenge to my authority. Other alphas answer to me, so they don't receive that kind of respect."
I nodded slowly. I couldn't say I understood it completely, but... it did make sense, in a strange werewolf-god kind of way.
"And the guards?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "You couldn't give me a heads-up? Something like, 'Hey, I'm gonna assign you some shadowy bodyguards. Cool?' That would've been nice."
He didn't respond immediately, just glanced at me from the corner of his eye. A small smile tugged at the edge of his mouth.
Of course, that wasn't a real answer.
Typical.
"This is no ordinary pack, Ruby. Your... existence, for lack of a better word, hasn't been explained to them yet. Which means the pack doesn't know who you are. You could easily be mistaken for an intruder," he told me, his tone serious.
I raised a brow and let out a short laugh. His expression didn't shift, which only made me chuckle more.
"Oh please," I said, waving a hand, "You make it sound like I swam across the whole damn ocean just to sneak in here. Do you have any idea what lives in those waters? Sharks. And probably other scary stuff. I'm not about to get eaten just for a dramatic entrance." I muttered the last part mostly to myself, still slightly breathless from our walk.
I didn't even realize Zaliver had turned to glance at me, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He didn't say anything, just shook his head in amusement and kept walking back toward the living room where we'd first started.
I followed, grumbling playfully, tugging my arm across my chest in a lazy stretch. "Man, that was a workout. What floor is this anyway?"
Zaliver reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. A few taps later, he looked up. "Fifth floor."
I blinked. "Fifth?! You've got to be kidding me. You better have an elevator. If I'm going to be stuck here, I'm claiming a room on the first floor. I'm not dragging myself up five flights every time I want a snack."
"We do. And no." His tone was firm, unapologetic.
I narrowed my eyes. "You do have an elevator? Then why the hell did we take the stairs? And what do you mean no?" I almost yelled, offended on a deeply spiritual level. That was just cruelty. I hoped he stubbed his toe on a wall corner. Though, knowing him, the wall would probably shatter first.
He didn't even blink. "I said no, because you're staying in my room. With me."
Before I could react, he pulled out a wallet and slid out a sleek black card. He handed it to me without ceremony.
"Wait "
"I have to go," he cut me off smoothly. "I'll see you later. Go explore. And don't leave her side," he added, speaking to someone behind me. "I expect her day to be perfect."
Before I could blink, he leaned in, wrapped me in his arms, and inhaled deeply against my neck. Then he was gone.
Like actual smoke, he vanished faster than I could process.
I was left standing there, mouth ajar, black card in hand, still feeling the ghost of his touch on my skin.
"What the hell just happened?" I muttered, spinning around in confusion.
Four guards had suddenly appeared like they'd been there all along. The tall blond one stepped forward, grinning like he'd been waiting for this moment.
"I'm Johnson resident fun guy. That redhead over there is Luke, the killjoy. The one with the scar? Courtney. Enough said. And the one glaring at me is Mila, who secretly wants to "
Before he could finish, Mila stormed over and began smacking him repeatedly with both hands.
"What is wrong with you!" she yelled, leaping to reach his face, though her height made the effort hilariously ineffective.
Johnson just laughed and swatted her hands away gently. Luke sighed and stepped in, pulling the two apart with a tight-lipped apology.
"Sorry about that, Luna. Johnson's...a bit much," Luke said, his voice smooth and oddly calming.
Courtney just stood between them, stoic, unreadable.
"Uh..." I glanced down at the black card in my hand. It was growing warm, like the money on it knew it didn't belong to me and was burning with temptation.
The four of them waited patiently. They all looked older than me experienced, steady. But there was something else too. Their presence didn't make my wolf restless. If anything, she felt... settled. Alert, but not tense. Like being around familiar scents in a place we hadn't yet understood.
I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing how quiet I'd gotten.
"Sorry," I said sheepishly, clutching the card. "Still kind of disoriented. I literally woke up just a few hours ago, and now he's gone and left me with his card like it's a normal thing. I have no idea what's happening."
Their amused looks made the heat rise to my cheeks.
"It's okay, Luna," Courtney said brightly. "Alpha Zephyros told us to take you shopping today to help you feel more at home. He said not to worry about money. Spend until you drop, basically."
I stared at the card again, lips curling into a dry smile.
"Oh, that jackass never tells me anything," I muttered without thinking.
Johnson immediately started coughing, grabbing his throat like he'd choked on air. The others stared at me like I'd just insulted the moon goddess herself. Even Luke blinked in disbelief.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"S-sorry," Mila stammered, eyes wide. "We're just... not used to hearing someone talk about the Alpha like that."
Johnson finally recovered, patting his chest dramatically. "Damn. I kinda wish he was here to hear that. Then again, I like our Luna with her head still on her shoulders."
I smirked. Strangely, I didn't feel afraid. Maybe because I already called Zaliver a jackass to his face before. Or maybe because I was starting to realize something...
I wasn't just in this world anymore.
I was part of it.