Page 3

Briggs

The silvery glow of the Mating Moon cast eerie shadows on the path as Ruby and I retreated to the Alpha’s private cabin, where we would live.

Never did I envision a life for myself like the one I was choosing.

The wooden structure loomed before us, a symbol of my authority and, once upon a time, my safe haven.

Now it felt more like a prison.

Ruby strutted ahead, her hips swaying provocatively, fully aware of the power she now held.

The thought of it worsened my mood.

"Isn't this just perfect, me as Luna finally?" she crooned, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction as she opened the door.

She stopped inside and turned to me. Long polished fingernails trailed down my chest.

“I mean really, can you even imagine that wallflower knowing what to do with this much power? You did the right thing, darling. I am the better choice to be your Luna.” Her dark brown eyes locked onto mine, daring me to challenge her position.

"Go upstairs," I ordered tersely. "I’ll be up later."

"Of course.” A mocking smile played on her full lips. “I'll slip into that little number I showed you yesterday.”

With one last lingering look, she sauntered away, up to the master suite, leaving me to stew in a mess of my own making. I went in the opposite direction.

The kitchen was dim and unwelcoming, but I appreciated the solitude. The heaviness of my decision bore down and pinned me beneath its oppressive force.

My wolf ached for Ivy, our true mate, the woman I had forsaken.

I snatched an unopened bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and tore off the seal, desperate to numb this pain. Tilting the bottle back, the amber liquid burned a fiery path down my throat, sending warmth radiating through my body.

As I drank, my wolf, Onyx, stirred within, knowing what I was trying to do. He snarled and railed against my actions.

"Damn it," I muttered, taking another swig. I needed to sedate the beast.

If I lost control, I could very well kill Ruby. And despite everything, I could not let that happen. She was my responsibility now and I had a duty to protect her.

Protect Ruby. The thought was laughable when she’d just accepted a death sentence.

The alcohol dulled my senses as I stared at the half-empty bottle. So this is what it's come to?

Uncontrollably, I reached for the bond I’d felt, strong and true before I rejected it. I came up against a block of ice.

Onyx howled in grief. Ivy was lost to us. For now, at least.

I had yet to figure out how I was going to manage seeing her. I would have to keep someone on her to make sure we didn’t cross paths.

Or maybe I could loan her out to a pack in need of a healer until I had everything under control and it was safe for her to return.

A gust of air rushed through the room, snapping me back to reality. Colten stood in the doorway, his broad frame filling the space, his gray eyes like steel.

"What in the ever-loving fuck were you thinking?" he barked.

"Go away," I slurred, taking another drink.

He stormed towards me, snatching the whiskey bottle from my hand and slamming it onto the counter, his face inches from mine. "This isn't the Alpha I know."

“It is now.”

“ Briggs .”

I fixed my Alpha stare on my closest friend. “Leave it alone, Colt.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

My palms scrubbed my face like I was waking up from a bad dream. Sadly, this was one nightmare I wouldn’t be escaping anytime soon.

"Why?" His tone softened, but the bite remained. “You know she's not your true mate. She’s the worst sort of female there is. You doomed this pack and now you’re here drowning yourself in liquor because you damn well know it."

I snarled at the male, baring my teeth. "I did what I had to do."

"By abandoning the one female the Goddess herself chose for you? You've lost your fucking mind, Briggs." His words stung like a whip.

"Watch your tongue, Beta," I warned.

"Or what? You'll reject me, too?" he mocked. "I'm loyal to you, but I won't stand by while you sabotage your life and this pack. You think the Goddess won’t punish you for this?"

"Shut up, Colten! You think I wanted this? I didn't have a choice!"

His eyes widened a fraction then fell into thin slits. "What do you mean you didn’t have a choice?"

"Nothing," I muttered, looking away.

"If there's something you need to tell me—" he started, but I cut him off.

"No!" I slammed my fist onto the table, the force sending an echo throughout the large cabin. "As your Alpha, I order you to support my choice and never question me about my Luna again."

He had no idea what was going on and I couldn’t tell him. The weight of it would only crush us both.

“Trust me, Colt, when I say that this decision was better than the alternative.”

He shook his head slowly but offered no retort.

The path was set and there was no turning back. I would have to face the consequences alone, my wolf refusing to help in any way.

"Leave," I whispered, my voice cracking with a pain I could no longer bear to hide. "Please."

Colten hesitated for a moment, his expression a mix of concern and frustration, before obeying.

The front door slammed shut. I took a long pull from the bottle.

Being a shifter, the intoxicating effect would only offer a brief reprieve from the gnawing guilt that began to fester. I’d burn off the whiskey fast, so I kept drinking.

As each drop numbed my senses, I could feel my wolf's agitation ebbing away. It was my own unrest that remained.

An hour passed, maybe more. The whiskey bottle was now empty and discarded in the trash. I no longer had an excuse to delay the inevitable.

My head spun, and my limbs felt heavy as I staggered towards the staircase. Each step was a battle against gravity. When I finally reached the top, I practically fell into the master suite.

"There you are," Ruby purred, her voice sickeningly sweet as she lay sprawled across the bed, clad in nothing but tiny scraps of red silk.

"Here I am," I drunkenly strung together.

My fingers scratched at the skin over my heart, a vain attempt to lessen the pain. I deserved to feel it. I had chosen this and I would endure it.

"Come on, baby," Ruby cooed, her eyes dark with lustful intent. "Show your mate what you can do with that big cock. It’s been too long since I’ve had it."

There was no love, no warmth in her gaze. I clearly saw a shrewd calculation despite my intoxicated haze.

I was trapped by my own choices. So I approached, bracing myself against the bed's wooden frame.

"Take that off," I ordered.

Negligees were for seduction. I wanted no part in playing lover, not tonight. Tonight was just about fucking, consummating this union.

The act would be purely transactional, meant to seal the deal she and I had struck, forged in deceit and betrayal.

Ruby’s feral smile remained. Her cool gaze watched me hastily undress. That grin widened when I finally took a step to join her on our mating bed.

"Touch me," she hummed, pulling me closer until my body pressed against hers.

The warmth of our skin contrasted with the icy chill in her eyes. This wasn't love or even lust. It was a raw power game between us.

Moving downwards, my fingertips whispered over the flat plane of her stomach before disappearing into the trim curls between her thighs. She was wet, readiness seeping out from her slit.

I may not have liked my chosen mate and would likely grow to resent her more than I already did, but I wasn’t interested in hurting her.

"Oh Briggs.”

Her voice sounded more like a measured response to push me further rather than feminine satisfaction. Though, I knew she was getting off on my touch.

She always did.

My own arousal throbbed against her thigh. I adjusted, poised to push in.

"Never mistake my actions for love or affection, Ruby."

Her smile was twisted and predatory. "We both know that's not what this is about, Briggs. Now fuck your Luna like I know you can."

Unable to gaze upon her face, I flipped her over and slammed inside. My hips pistoned in and out, each thrust punctuated by the creaking bed frame.

Ruby panted and moaned, encouraging me to go harder. Faster.

Heat coursed through my body. Not the kind spurred by passion or desire, but fueled by anger and regret.

Each thrust was a punishment, a release of the frustration that had been bubbling inside me.

Ruby's voice echoed in the room, cries of pleasure intermingling with my muted growls. Soon enough, her body tightened around mine, signifying her release.

I continued my relentless pace. This wasn't about her. It was about me and the torment I needed to dispel.

Just when my climax was at the precipice, I thought of Ivy. A surge of immense sadness washed over me.

I pictured her soft brunette hair on my pillow, the smell of her skin, the way her hazel eyes would have looked up at me. Loving and warm, they would have been.

Nausea rose and I pushed it down. This was my penance for rejecting her.

With a few final jabs, I emptied myself into the female I didn’t want. Ruby moaned again as I collapsed beside her. For a moment we lay there panting heavily, our bodies slick with sweat.

She turned to face me but I rolled away from her touch, my mind reeling with disgust and self-loathing. The ordeal was over for now but tomorrow would bring another day of pretense and lies.

I’d have to mark her soon. And to continue fucking her for however long I was forced to endure.

Ivy, forgive me , I prayed, even though I knew she never would.

I closed my eyes against the darkness of the room as Ruby fell silent beside me.