CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Mate.” His deep voice, laced with an undertone of another, rang through the room. The sound from him sent shivers down her spine, exciting her in the process. All the blood circulating inside her got impossibly hotter as he held her gaze. His mere presence sent shock waves coursing through her. How could this happen? It wasn’t possible! The thoughts bombarded her, making her lightheaded. She already had a mate. He had rejected her, but it couldn’t be. Panic joined the many emotions swirling within her. Ruby tried, but she couldn’t find an explanation for what was happening. Ruby heard a gasp from beside her, and she turned to find Linda, whose wide eyes moved from Noah and back to her. The shock that marred her face disappeared in seconds, replaced with a look of contentment. Giving the Alpha a respectful bow, although his full attention remained on Ruby, she stepped back and out of the room, leaving her alone with Noah. Her gaze found its way back to Noah. Ruby swallowed hard when she noticed he was no longer behind the desk but a few feet away from her, still covering the distance between them. With every step he took, his muscles moved in the most tantalizing way, and the heat kept flowing to her face and down below. Ruby was self-conscious as she was sure she looked like a tomato, but that didn’t stop her from looking into his eyes. As he approached, she could see his face more clearly. His alluring, luscious raven-like hair was tousled as if he ran his hand through it all day with few strands dangling over his eyes. Her hand itched to touch it, but Ruby willed herself not to go through with the idea. His jaw was strong and clean-shaven, and his cheekbones were high. His eyes, by the Goddess, were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. They were like the sea during a storm. The color of the ocean when hit with the golden glow of the sun. It looked like a cloudless sky ready to surrender its color tonight. And in its depth were streaks of amber, like the passion burning in the room. Beside his eyes was a scar that ran down his cheeks, almost completely covering the side of his face, but that did nothing to alter his handsome face. It looked perfect, as if it was made to be there, and he wore it proudly. A gift of war, Ruby guessed. Noah stood a few feet from her, still pinning her with his gaze. It was intense as if he was looking deep within her. She wanted to look away to break the suffocating hold his eyes had on her, but at the same time, she wanted to be drowned, consumed in the storm raging in them. “Alpha.” Ruby’s voice was low, barely a whisper. But she knew he had heard her because he closed the distance between them with just a few steps. He overflowed with dominance and a pure instinct of authority. His sudden movement shocked Ruby, and a gasp trailed past her lip as she moved back, colliding with the door. His scent invaded her nose, and she could finally make out what he smelt of- musk with a mix of rosewood. Her insides begged her to reach up to him, to touch him. “Noah,” He said. His voice was so deep and low it almost sounded like a vibration. “Call me Noah.” “Noah,” Ruby breathed out, earning a growl from him. She liked his name. She liked how it rolled off her tongue like she was meant to say it, scream it even. Her risqué thought caused her cheek to flush pink. A groan resonated from Noah as he brought his face closer to hers. His minty breath fanned her face, and her eyes closed. His cheek grazed hers. The mere touch sent waves of electricity through her. His face moved to her neck, and he placed a single kiss at its crook. A contented sigh escaped her lip. The kiss was feathery, but the current that flowed through her increased tenfold. Noah placed another kiss on the scar on her neck. A growl escaped his throat at the sight of it. The scar tingled at Noah’s touch. The scar was created by Aiden, her mate. And as if a bucket of water had been emptied on her, Ruby snapped out of her dazed state. Her head still swooned, but she pushed him away slightly. His eyebrow kneaded, perplexed by the sudden switch in her demeanor. Taking a step back, he stared down at her as Ruby tried to gain back her composure. What was she thinking? Enjoying his touch and letting him touch her. It was all a mistake, and Ruby couldn’t think of anyone who would understand what was happening. Ruby peered up at him after a short pause to find him still looking at her. Love, content, and joy swirled in his eyes, making them sparkle even more. Confusion and anxiety joined the many emotions that also swirled inside her. Ruby didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to say. Without thinking or saying anything, she turned the doorknob and ran out of the room. ***** Ruby sat on her sofa in her apartment. Her legs were up, and her head rested on her knees. ‘Stupid,’ she repeated the word in her mind as she remembered how she had fled from Noah’s office. She cringed as she imagined all the things that must have been running through his head when she ran. He must think she was a psycho. But at the same time, Ruby was glad that she left. His aura was too thick in the room, and she couldn’t process her thoughts and didn’t know what to do. Immediately she ran out, she searched for Linda who she found waiting in a lounge room. As soon as Linda’s eyes landed on her disconcerted state, she rushed to her, and together they left the building. “Here, have this,” Linda appeared from the kitchen with a glass of water. “Take slow sips and calm down.” Ruby accepted the glass and whispered a thank you. Taking a few sips, she placed it on the coffee table. “Tell me what happened,” Linda inquired, sitting beside her. Ruby didn’t know where to start. When she arrived, she told Linda that she ran away from her pack because she was to be killed. She had told her that the verdict was passed by the Alpha of her pack, but she failed to include that the Alpha was her mate. Ruby didn’t know why she omitted that detail then, but as time passed, she realized she didn’t tell because she was ashamed. Ashamed that her mate hated her the moment he saw her. “When I entered the room, I felt something…” Ruby peered up at Linda as she spoke. The older woman’s eyes glittered as she listened attentively. “I felt the alpha.” “You realized he is your mate,” Linda added with a smile when Ruby refused to say the word that had hunted her to that day. “That’s the thing, it can’t be,” Ruby interjected. “Why would you say that? Finding your mate is a beautiful thing, a gift given to us by the Goddess.” “Well, I guess the Goddess is playing some trick with me. She has never been on my side anyway,” Ruby added bitterly as the weight of the memories she kept hidden threatened to invade her mind. “Ruby child, talk to me.” “I was scared and confused when it happened because I have a mate already, well I mean, had.” The smile on Linda’s face faltered. Ruby took a deep breath before telling Linda everything all over again. This time, not leaving any detail out.