A week later.
Damain:
Watching Ruby waste away in her son’s room was breaking my heart. She refused to eat or do anything, barely moving from the bed, clutching Alex’s clothes to her chest as if they were all she had left of him. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed lost in her memories, inhaling his scent as if trying to hold onto him.
It had been a week since we lost Alex, and I was growing increasingly worried about her. I thought giving her enough time to mourn would at least heal some of her wounds, but it was not working.
Ruby’s grandmother had sent me a message, saying that due to past experience, it would take weeks, months, or even years for her to heal. She urged me to be patient and wait by Ruby’s side. She said she wished she could come and be with Ruby, but due to her old age, she couldn’t walk around for long periods of time. I made a mental note to send my warriors to bring her back to my pack so that I could take care of her myself.
It’s the least I could do for Ruby’s remaining living family.
“Matthew, tell the pack doctor to come immediately,” I said through a mindlink and closed the connection without waiting for his response.
About five minutes later, I heard a knock on the door and moved to open it. The pack doctor stood there with a wary smile on his face as he bowed down to me.
“How is the Luna?”
“She’s not eating anything. We need to do something to keep her strength up,” I said, concerned, as I watched Ruby lying motionless on the bed. The doctor nodded understandingly, his expression grave as he examined Ruby.
“I’ll set up the fluid drip right away. We need to make sure she’s getting the nutrients she needs,” he said, moving quickly to prepare the drip. I hovered by Ruby’s side, my heart aching as I watched the doctor work. I wished there was more I could do to ease her pain, but for now, all I could do was be there for her and hope that the fluid drip would help her regain some strength.
“Ruby, sweetheart, the doctor is going to set up a fluid drip for you,” I said softly, taking her hand in mine.
“You need to stay strong, for Alex.” And as usual, she didn’t respond; her eyes were distant and hollow, and my heart sank. I squeezed her hand gently, praying that the drip would help her start to heal, even if just a little bit.
As the doctor set up the fluid drip, I watched him conduct a few other tests on her body, and his expression grew increasingly serious as he studied the results.
“Alpha,” he said quietly, beckoning me over to the other end of the room. My heart clenched with worry as I approached.
“There’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?” I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat and my voice tight with anxiety. The doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“It seems that the Luna is pregnant,” he revealed, and I almost choked in shock, feeling my knees go weak with surprise.
Pregnant? How was that possible?
“Pregnant?” I repeated it because I had remembered clearly when Ruby told me during her Luna ceremony that she couldn’t conceive, and I had no problem with that. She was the only one I wanted, and I didn’t care if we didn’t have any children.
“Are you sure?”
The doctor nodded, and I ran a hand through my hair, trying to comprehend the news. It was both a shock and a glimmer of hope in the midst of our grief. Maybe this could bring her back to me.
“Yes, the tests don’t lie. She’s carrying a child.”
“This is a miracle, doctor. I don’t know how to tell her,” I admitted, feeling completely overwhelmed. The doctor laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.
Take your time, Alpha. I’ll be here if you need any medical assistance.” I nodded my thanks as I watched him pack up his equipment before leaving the room.
I moved to sit by Ruby’s side, watching her with love in my heart. I knew I had to tell her the news, no matter how lost she seemed in her grief, especially now that we were expecting a child.
I still can’t believe it’s real. Was the full moon the reason for this?
Taking a deep breath, I reached out to gently touch her hand. “Ruby,” I said softly, hoping that she could hear me.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.” I whispered into her ear, but she remained unresponsive, lost in her own world of sorrow. I sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment, but then a thought occurred to me.
Maybe her wolf could reach her when I couldn’t.
Closing my eyes, I pictured her wolf as I reached out to her, speaking softly in my mind. “Ruby’s wolf, listen to me. She needs to know something important.”
At first, there was no response, and I feared I wouldn’t be able to reach her wolf. Then, suddenly, I heard a loud howl inside my head, filled with nothing but happiness and hope. I grinned as I watched my beautiful mate slowly open her eyes and look at me, a spark of life returning to her gaze.
I missed her so much.
Without a word, she threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I held her close, feeling a rush of relief flood through me. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us.
“I ca- can’t be-believe Alex was right,” she stammered, tears filling her eyes. “He told me I was pregnant, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, Damian. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
Her words took me by surprise, and I cursed myself for not realising sooner. I had been so distracted by everything going on that I failed to notice the signs of new life growing inside her.
“It’s okay, Ruby; I understand you.” I whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
“I’m so happy we’ve both been blessed by the moon goddess with this precious gift,” she said, and I smiled at her, though sadness lingered in my heart, memories of my own pain resurfacing, pain I had tried so hard to forget.
Was Anna alright?
“Baby, I have to go to the office for a while. There are some things I need to take care of,” I said softly, brushing her cheek with my thumb. She looked at me with sad eyes.
“What about the judgement for Lilith and Liam?” She murmured, her voice trembling slightly.
“It’s happening today, but you shouldn’t come and watch,” I replied gently, taking her hand in mine.
“It’s not good for the baby’s health.”
She nodded in understanding, her grip tightening around my hand. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead before reluctantly leaving the room, closing the door behind me.
“Alpha, Selene is asking for an audience. She claims she knows where your daughter is,” my new beta, John, said, his voice echoing in my mind as I walked towards my office. He was the only person I trusted with such responsibility, as he was hardworking and, most importantly, mated.
I halted, my steps faltering for a moment. My fists clenched at the mention of my sister’s name.
“I’m not seeing her. I’ve told you this time and time again. She’s a manipulative b*tch who is probably lying. Meet me in my office.”
I sighed loudly as I continued towards my office, my mind clouded with anger. Honestly, I wanted to kill Selene, but because of the blood we shared, I decided to lock her up forever in a cell and, of course, throw away the keys.
Entering my office, I tried to push away the anger and focus on the tasks at hand. However, I couldn’t shake the worry that gnawed at me.
What if she’s telling the truth? After all, she was the one who told me about Ava and James, but I didn’t believe her. What if my daughter is out there somewhere, needing my help?
When I returned from the courtroom with Ruby, I was told that James and Ava had taken Anna away, claiming that I had given them permission. So my warriors didn’t stop them since they believed I trusted James.
What a waste of trust.
“Alpha, are you okay?” my beta warrior asked, walking into my office.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, trying to sound convincing. “Just some family drama. We have more pressing matters to attend to.”
“Alpha also, I just received some bad news,” my beta warrior said, his voice grave. My heart sank as I looked up, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say.
“What is it?”
“Ava, your ex-mate, was found dead at the entrance of the pack. It seems she committed suicide.”
Ava, dead? Suicide? It was almost too much to comprehend.
“Are you sure she wasn’t killed by James after all? They both ran away together,” I asked, unsure of how to feel about her. Yes, I hated her, but I wasn’t pleased to hear this news.
“No, Alpha. After investigating and performing an autopsy, it was found that she actually committed suicide. Also, she left a note.” He handed me a letter, his expression grim. I took the letter, my hands trembling as I unfolded it with mixed emotions.
“Dear Dammy,
I always loved you, but you never loved me the way I wanted. I craved your affection and your passion, but all you ever gave me was duty and obligation. I had no choice but to go back and find solace in the arms of your beta, James, who was also my first boyfriend before I met you as my mate.
Now that you don’t want me and have found someone new, I can’t help but be jealous of her for having your heart. I thought I could start fresh with James and my daughter, far away from you, but it turns out that I couldn’t. I can’t bear the pain anymore. I don’t want to live if I can’t be with you. Please don’t try to bring me back for a second time, and let me rest in peace for good.
Ava”
I blinked away the tears that threatened to fall as I read her final words. Although she had been hurting, she didn’t deserve my pity after making me raise another man’s child.
With bitterness in my heart, I crumpled the letter in my hand and, without a word, tossed it into the fireplace. I watched as it caught fire, consuming her final words.
Turning to my beta, who gave me a sad look that I hated, I rolled my eyes at him.
“Keep searching for James. I have a feeling he’s still with Anna. I don’t trust him enough to take good care of her if he couldn’t prevent Ava from killing herself,” I said, my mind consumed with thoughts of finding my daughter and bringing her home safely. Even though she didn’t have my blood, she would always be my daughter.
As I stood up from my seat, my beta looked at me with concern. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m going to watch Lilith and Liam meet their fate at the Pearl Moon Pack. Call me immediately if my mate needs me,” I replied, and with that, I left my office, my mind set on witnessing justice being served for the atrocities they had committed.
It took me only about twenty minutes to arrive at the Pearl Moon Pack, and as I stepped onto the pack grounds, I transformed back into my human form.
A crowd had already gathered, eager to witness the punishment of both Liam and Lilith. I made my way to the front row, joining the spectators. My heart was filled with anticipation.
Approaching the front, I saw Liam’s ex-beta, Daniel, who bowed respectfully.
“Alpha Damian,” Daniel said. I had been appointed by the new council president, Mr. Sam, an old man with white hair, to govern the members of the Pearl Moon Pack until another alternative was found.
“Daniel,” I responded, acknowledging him. After the investigation, I decided to keep Daniel by my side. I discovered that he had always been against Lilith and Liam’s injustices. He had been locked away in a cell for months without food or water because of that, and when he was found, he was nearly dead.
Alpha, you came late,” Daniel said, grinning. “You missed how Liam was killed by scalding water. What should we do with his bones?”
I followed his gaze to where Liam’s bones lay, and without hesitation, I commanded, “Feed them to the vultures, and as for his skull, hang it at the entrance of the pack.
“As we spoke, some warriors dragged Lilith, her body covered in blood and sweat, to the centre of the area. She struggled against them, but they bound her hands and legs tightly to four giant bulls, who snorted and pawed at the ground angrily.
The warriors flogged the bulls, making them even more agitated. With a deafening roar, they lunged forward, tearing Lilith apart.
Her screams of agony as the bulls dragged her in different directions were like music to my ears. Her body twisted and contorted in unnatural ways as the bulls pulled her apart piece by piece. The sound of her bones snapping echoed through the air, mingling with her anguished cries until they were abruptly silenced, leaving only the horrified silence of the onlookers in their wake.
Watching Lilith being torn apart by the raging bulls gave me a sense of grim satisfaction. I felt no sympathy. All that mattered was that the people who had hurt Ruby were finally getting what they deserved.
I noticed Daniel beside me, giving me a look as if I were crazy, but I didn’t care. Justice had been served, and that was all that mattered. Without saying a word, I turned and left, feeling a sense of closure as I made my way back to my pack, my mate, and my unborn child.