Ruby
“Everyone, take a moment to appreciate the moon tattoo on the girl’s back,” remarked the rude man, whose foot I accidentally stepped on, shattering the beautiful moment I was sharing with her.
In the midst of the interruption, I never got the chance to inquire about her name.
With a hint of annoyance, I dragged my eyes lazily to the man, observing the smirk on his face and feeling a sense of exasperation at his immature behaviour.
“The girl is a member of the Pearl Moon Pack,” another person chimed in, causing the crowd to gasp in shock. They drew closer to the girl, and they began treating her like some kind of experiment.
“Let her go!” I yelled, pulling her protectively behind my back.
Pearl Moon? My knowledge of them was limited, but during my time as Luna, the Diamond Pack held a reputation for strength and wealth, so why was there such a stir now about the wealth of the Pearl Moon Pack?
What changed in the span of seven years?
“Her tattoo carries a hint of red, symbolising power.” Someone with heightened werewolf vision yelled from the crowd.
“It seems like she’s the daughter of a high-ranking member. I bet her father holds the position of beta or gamma, probably loaded with cash,” sneered the rude man, absentmindedly scratching his beard. It was evident that he was already fantasising about what he could do with the money.
His actions were both pathetic and repulsive. He had obstructed my attempt to intervene when I tried to save her life and now sought to exploit her for personal gain, displaying a complete lack of shame.
“This is our chance,” affirmed a woman in a black dress, nodding in agreement. The opportunistic tone in her statement only added to the unsettling atmosphere, making it clear that personal motives were at play in this unexpected turn of events.
“Absolutely, you’ve got a point. Let’s turn saving her into a money-making opportunity. We’ll craft a convincing story for her, and how about I take the credit?” proposed the rude man, and a unanimous agreement resonated among the crowd. The selfishness exhibited by the members of the Diamond Pack left me astonished.
Did he just declare he would take the glory? Not that I sought to be the hero or anything, but his selfish and repulsive behaviour was truly disheartening.
“What about the omega? Won’t she tell the truth that she was the one who actually saved the girl just to take the money?” A rough voice in the crowd asked.
“Yeah, he is right. She might want to use this as an opportunity to climb the ladder of wealth and increase her social status since she has been nothing but a pathetic omega all her life. We need to find a way to shut her up,” the woman wearing a black dress added.
“That’s why we need to frame her. We need to cook something up and put the blame on her. We will be fucking rich after this, guys,” he said, and the crowd nodded in agreement.
Ignoring the selfish conversations, I focused on the little girl who clung to me, closing her ears to the harsh words. It was obvious she was hurt by this, causing me to feel pity for her. It was hard for me to feel pity for someone other than myself, but here I was trying to provide comfort to the little child.
The news of her belonging to the Pearl Moon Pack seemed to have sparked some twisted ideas among the Diamond Pack members, and now she would be paying the price for their sickness.
This wasn’t the pack members I knew seven years ago; although I didn’t have much interaction with them, I remembered they were all filled with love. What went wrong?
I couldn’t believe how people could exploit a moment of kindness for their own gain. The crowd’s greed and indifference to a life they considered an opportunity for profit left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The realisation that not everyone shared the values of compassion and humanity hit me hard, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment in the place I had hoped would provide a fresh start for Alex and me.
When did they all become so selfish?
They kept on arguing over the faith of the little girl, and I seized the opportunity to escape with the little girl, giving her a subtle signal to remain silent, and she nodded in agreement.
Just as I was about to tiptoe out, a toy I didn’t know the girl was holding fell to the ground, creating a loud noise that caused the crowd’s attention to shift back to us.
“What are you trying to do, disgusting omega?” The rude man, whose mouth seemed to have no filter, yelled.
“Stop right there! You selfish brat. Were you planning to get the reward before us, huh?” The woman in the black dress asked, and as the tension escalated, I knew that navigating through this crowd with the girl in my arms was going to be a challenge.
My wolf wasn’t as strong as before to protect the two of us. She could barely protect me.
I could only hope and pray that we could escape unscathed because the atmosphere among the crowd was charged with conflicting emotions-desperation and hunger for wealth. Their selfish intentions were now glaringly apparent, and I couldn’t fathom how callous some individuals could be.
I ignored them by acting strong and trying to weave through the crowd with the little girl in my arms. Fear gripped my heart, and I couldn’t help but feel the weight of disappointment as I felt a large arm from the crowd hold me back harshly, causing me to stumble.
My body collided with the ground, a shock of pain radiating through me as the man callously seized the little girl from my arms, not caring that he could hurt her in the process.
Her terrified screams pierced the air, tugging at my heartstrings. Helplessness and rage surged within me as I struggled to rise, intent on protecting the innocent child from this heartless assault.
“Stop! You can’t just take her like this!” I yelled, my voice strained with a mixture of fear and determination. The man carrying the little girl sneered, “Mind your own business, Omega. This is pack business now. This isn’t your concern,” he spat, an air of superiority emanating from him.
I was, seething with suppressed anger, retorted, “No one deserves such cruelty, regardless of their status. Your lack of empathy is disgraceful.” I yelled, and the man sauntered away. His mocking laughter lingered in the air, leaving me torn between the instinct to fight against him or just continuing to leave my life.
“She’s just a child! What kind of pack takes advantage of a little girl like this?” I retorted, desperation evident in my voice, and I searched around the crowd, hoping for some miracle for them to have a change of heart.
But it was pointless; they seemed to have made their decision by supporting the blatant injustice unfolding before them. I heard the voice of the little girl cry, her pleas for help echoing in the tense atmosphere.
I, on the other hand, felt a surge of frustration and helplessness. The injustice of the situation gnawed at me, reminding me of the same injustice I had faced seven years ago.
As the crowd started to walk away, my mind raced, contemplating whether there was another way to save the little girl from the cruel fate that awaited her.
“Take me with you. You are going to see her father, right? Then take me with you; I will take the blame for everything, but please don’t hurt her.” I yelled, following behind them. There’s no way I could let her into their harmful clutches.
The crowd stopped walking almost in union and turned to look at me. Some had a look of irritation, while others were disgusted, but I could care less; all I knew was that I couldn’t let them take her away. They were too evil to be trusted.
“She is right; we should take her along, or else she would snitch on us. We can’t let her go free,” the woman wearing the black dress said, and soon she signalled two men in the crowd towards me.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, stepping backwards slowly in fear.
“You begged us to take your filthy self with us, so we are taking you to our alpha, and that’s where we will get our money,” she grinned, and soon I was being dragged away.
The alpha, as in Liam? Damn.
I mistakenly believed they were escorting her to her father. How could I momentarily forget that Liam held the alpha position in this pack? I had planned to steer clear of him during my time here, contemplating revenge in the shadows.
This wasn’t how I pictured meeting him. I should have minded my own damn business.
Now, the question lingered: Did I possess the strength to unexpectedly confront Liam after seven long years? If I could turn back time, would I mind my business by not saving the little girl just so I don’t meet my ex-mate?
The uncertainty gnawed at me, mingled with a sense of regret and apprehension about the inevitable confrontation.