Page 7 of The Wolf’s Bullied Mate (Moondust Hollow Wolves #2)

“You’re smiling more those days,” Ryder gave me a puzzled look. “Anything good happening?”

My smile widened when I thought about the reason for my joy. RedRuby. I didn’t know her name or the pack she came from. Yet, with every conversation we shared, I learned more and more about what kind of person she was.

She seemed shy at first, easily spooked when I tried to flirt with her, but gradually, she opened up to me. She told me more and more about herself and her life with her pack. From her words, I could tell she wasn’t happy there. She wanted to get away.

I didn’t want to just be a means of escape for her from whatever misery she suffered, but at the same time, I wanted to help her, protect her, support her.

I was starting to have a lot of serious feelings for someone I hadn’t even met in person yet.

Nonetheless, they were my true emotions towards RedRuby.

“You could say that something good happened,” I shot Ryder a toothy grin. “But it’s too early to talk about it.”

Ryder shrugged. “You’ll tell me when you’ll tell me.”

I appreciated him not pressing me for answers. I hadn’t told anybody yet that I had matched with someone on the Twin Tails app. I didn’t want to put what I was experiencing with RedRuby into words just yet.

I wanted to meet her in person but refused to rush anything.

I didn’t want to spook her with my eagerness to mate.

I had a good feeling about her, though. With her, I felt a sort of kinship I now knew I was missing in my life.

I wanted to say I was content just chatting on the app, but the reality was that I wanted to see her, even just once.

I wanted to make her smile and see happiness on her face.

“This is the data for last month’s expenses,” I tapped my fountain pen on the big number at the bottom of the sheet I had printed out to look over together with Ryder. “And this one is the income.”

“We’re in the green again this month,” the alpha murmured.

I nodded. “With how much the pack has saved up over the years, we’re ready to reinvest the money into reopening the canning factory.”

“Right,” Ryder said. “That should strengthen our economy.”

“I’m almost done with the report on our prospects in that area,” I said. “I should be able to present it to you in a week.”

“Great,” he nodded. “Now, let me see the rest of the numbers.”

Together with Ryder we went through the sheet, making note of the pack’s biggest expenses and discussing how we could reduce them if possible.

After half an hour we were done reviewing the data, and I made my way back to my office. When I sunk into my comfortable office chair, I put my hand into my pocket.

As I was pulling out my phone, I found myself already anticipating getting a message from my new favorite conversation partner.

Indeed, the notification on my screen told me I already had a new message from RedRuby.

A big smile appeared on my lips. Happiness bloomed in my heart.

I unlocked the phone and read what she had written.

Busy?

The short message had arrived ten minutes ago. RedRuby wasn’t active during the same hours as I was, since she worked in shifts. She was a waitress at a diner, an occupation that didn’t exactly make her happy, but it paid her bills.

Not anymore.

I thought about sharing more with her about myself.

So far I had omitted telling RedRuby I was the beta of my pack.

Too often, women approached me only because of my high status.

I was Ryder’s second-in-command. Though I mostly handled accounting matters and conflict mediation, I was far from being a physically weak wolf.

I could stand up to anybody but Ryder in a fight.

Maybe it was time to come clean to her? I certainly wanted her to trust me more, but first, she needed to know more about me. Maybe she would open up even more to me once I became less of a mystery to her.

Got something to tell you, I wrote to her.

Hm? Is it a big secret?

Yeah, kind of. I told you I was in charge of accounting for a company in my pack, right?

...Yeah? So… you’re not?

I kind of am, kind of not. I’m actually the beta of my pack, so I’m in charge of accounting for the whole community as well as resolving packmates' problems with each other and helping the alpha.

She didn’t reply for a moment. My heartbeat quickened as I waited for the sight of the three dots that would indicate she was typing a message back to me. Had I messed things up between us? Was she no longer interested in me now that she knew my role in my pack?

That’s a big reveal , she finally wrote.

My hand tapped a nervous rhythm on my knee.

Have I disappointed you?

This time, her answer was quick. No… why would you say that?

You didn’t reply immediately.

It was just… a big surprise.

I hated not being able to see her reaction in person. What was she thinking?

I didn’t expect… you to be so high in the hierarchy…

It doesn’t change anything between us.

Doesn’t it?

I blinked once, then twice. What did she mean?

I’m still the same person you talked to the past two weeks.

But… if you’re a beta, couldn’t you have any woman you wanted?

I frowned. Where was she getting at with that question?

I’m not interested in any woman other than you.

...Why, though? I’m not anybody important in my pack. I’m not strong or…

Or what?

I’m not particularly interesting to talk to either.

My mouth gaped open at her reply. This woman had some serious self-confidence issues. Yet the way she spoke with me, sharing her honest thoughts, didn’t turn me off at all. I wanted to prove to her that she was a wonderful person, that she lacked nothing.

Why would you say that?

It’s the truth.

It’s not, or we wouldn’t have been chatting so much over the past two weeks.

You’re going to change your mind once you get to know me better. I’m… shy, and I’m an introvert.

The opposite of me, but opposites attract, don’t they?

You’d be embarrassed to have me at your side in public.

Her issues clearly stemmed from something very some kind of real trauma. Had someone told her these cruel things about herself?

Why would I be? I’m interested in you as a person. That’s why I’m talking to you. Did anybody tell you in the past that they didn’t want to have you at their side in public?

She didn’t reply to me for half a minute. I waited patiently, hoping she trusted me enough to tell me the truth.

My ex-boyfriend did. He’s an enforcer for our pack, and enforcers are very respected around here since they are strong. He said he didn’t want me because I was a weak wolf. Useless.

Anger rose in my heart. How could anybody have told this wonderful soul that she was anything but a goddess? I wanted to rush over to where she was and kill that man.

My ex… he’s my son's father, she added when I typed nothing in reply to her last text.

I could sense that telling me these painful details of her life was difficult for her, so I decided not to interrupt her.

I waited for her texts as she was ready to send them, my heart aching for the sorrows this amazing woman carried in her heart.

I wanted to meet her and do my best to lighten her burdens.

To say I was interested in RedRuby would have been an understatement.

She continued. He abandoned my child and me when I told him I was pregnant.

My finger hovered over the keyboard on my phone, but I held myself back, seeing she was typing more. Fury burned in my chest. What a piece of shit her ex was.

I thought we were mates, but… he never wanted to mate with me. And after he abandoned me, the pack turned on me, too. Everybody said… I was worthless. That I didn’t deserve a mate.

Finally, I put my fingers on the keyboard and typed, Don’t cry.

How do you know I’m crying?

I can feel your pain, and it makes me want to kill every single one of the people who made you suffer.

You don’t have to do that.

Then what can I do for you?

I just appreciate you talking to me as if I’m an equal. Please don’t ever stop treating me like that.

I won’t. I swear.

After that conversation, RedRuby opened up to me more.

She told me about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her pack and parents.

Gradually, I got a full picture of why she had signed up for the arranged marriage agency.

I could feel that sharing the truth with me about her suffering eased her heavy heart.

Once all the bad things were done, said and laid out in the open between us, our conversations turned lighter.

You like tinkering with old electronics? She asked me later, once I was home in my garage fixing yet another broken radio someone from the pack brought to me with pleading eyes.

Yes, these radios mean a lot to the people who give them to me for fixing , I wrote. I like to see them look at those devices with love. I like the sight of their faces full of joy and relief when the memento of their grandparents plays music again.

That sounds wonderful.

And it makes me good with my hands , I joked.

That’s… a good side benefit. I could feel how shy my flirting made her.

I wanted to see the deep blush on her cheeks. Would her freckles stand out more when her skin was red? Did the redness extend to her ears and her neck? I wanted to kiss a trail down her hot skin, all the way down to her chest, then her stomach, and…

What are you thinking about?!

I chuckled when I saw the panic in her text. How it would feel to show you just how good I am with my hands. And my lips, too.

That’s… uhh…

I laughed out loud. She was so adorable when she was embarrassed. These were just simple texts between us, yet they had so much personality. I could guess her emotions perfectly, even though neither of us was using any emojis.

Do you enjoy teasing me this much? she asked after a pause.

I do , I simply replied.

Meanie , she wrote.

That’s an adorable nickname you have for me there.

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