Mated by the Moon, Betrayed by the Heart

His face turned red with anger, his fist slamming against the table between us. "There is no mistress here! I am making things easy for you, Ruby.

“I know we are mates, and I do not want to break our bond for the sake of our wolves. But you cannot be greedy. You know where my heart truly lies."

His voice softened, and I saw the conviction in his eyes. "That promise I made to Ashlee, I will fulfill it. No matter how you act, I will always return to her."

I crossed my arms, staring him down, refusing to let him intimidate me. "From the start, our relationship was too crowded since there were three of us. So why do not you just choose, Alex? It’s either me or Ashlee."

His face hardened; the softness replaced with cold detachment. "You are still not calm, Ruby. I will come back when you have had time to think."

With that, he left the pavilion, his exit as cold as his entrance.

The room suddenly felt emptier than ever, with only the faint echo of our argument left behind.

*

That night, Richard came to visit, but he was not allowed inside. He could only speak to me through the small window that was prepared to give me food.

His voice was filled with regret, but he was powerless to help.

"Luna, I am so sorry. There is nothing I can do. Please… just eat regularly and take your medication so you can recover quickly."

He handed me a tray through a small opening in the door. My favorite food.

I could not help but feel a pang of gratitude for Richard. He was the only one who had ever shown me genuine kindness.

"Thank you, Richard," I said quietly, my voice trembling. "For everything."

But the next morning, Ashlee took advantage of Richard’s visit last night.

I had barely opened my eyes when the door to the pavilion creaked open, and there she was, her eyes red with crocodile tears, her voice trembling with manufactured sorrow.

"Ruby, please," she sobbed, rushing into the room with a whirlwind of emotion. "I beg you. I am about to marry Alexander, please just give me back my ring. It is the engagement ring he had custom made for me."

Her tears did not move me. I knew her games, her endless tricks.

But being woken up to this melodrama so early in the morning irritated me to no end. I sat up slowly, my exhaustion evident, and stared at her lazily.

"I did not take your ring," I muttered, trying to stifle a yawn. I just wanted her out.

But Ashlee was not about to let it go. Her voice rose, loud enough for the guards outside to hear. "Do not lie to me! Last night, you must have asked the butler to hide it, didn't you? Admit it, Ruby!"

I admitted she was too good. Deliberately raising her voice, playing the victim, all to make it seem like I had wronged her.

Her theatrics were becoming predictable, boring even. I could feel Poppy stirring inside me, her irritation rising as Ashlee’s accusations echoed through the room.

I slowly stood, staring her down with icy resolve. "I did not take it, and I do not want it," I said coldly. "Now, get out."

Ashlee’s eyes flashed with something darker as she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You think you can just kick me out like this? You will see, Ruby. You will regret this."

With that, she turned on her heel, her expression quickly shifting back to one of sadness and victimhood as the guards opened the door for her.

I knew her words were a promise. Ashlee was planning something, and it would not be long before she followed through.

Sure enough, Ashlee returned on her next visit with Alexander by her side. The game had escalated, and she had him involved.

All of Alexander’s subordinates filed into the room, their faces stern as they prepared to search every corner.

It was almost laughable. Alexander himself had prepared the pavilion, but then he was acting as if I could do anything as I wished there.

"There is nothing here, Sir," one of his subordinates finally reported after thoroughly searching the room.

But Alexander was not satisfied. He turned to me, his eyes narrowed, Ashlee hovering just behind him, playing the role of the wounded fiancée.

"Where did you hide it, Ruby?" he asked, his voice sharp. "This is not funny."

I said nothing. I refused to even look at him.

But what happened next was something I did not expect.

Without warning, Alexander advanced on me, his hands rough and unfeeling as they searched me, but it felt more like an assault.

His fingers moved over my body with cold detachment, touching every inch, his touch full of anger and coercion.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I forced myself to hold them back. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

But as Poppy stirred within me, I felt her sudden alert. "Ruby, he is in heat," she warned.

I stiffened, feeling a chill run down my spine. Alexander was in heat. His rough handling, his impatience, it all made sense then.

He was not just angry, but he was fighting his own urges.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Alexander stepped back, his expression unreadable.

"Fine," he said, his voice tight with frustration. "From now on, no one visits Ruby except for me, Ashlee, or Roger. Report anything suspicious immediately."

Without waiting for a reply, he quickly grabbed Ashlee’s hand, his focus clearly elsewhere.

"I will buy you another ring," he muttered, barely glancing back at me.

But Ashlee was not satisfied. I could see the frustration in her eyes, her plan having failed to deliver the desired result.

She still wanted Alexander to punish me, to humiliate me further. But he had no time for her games now. He was in heat, and his mind was only on one thing, it was to vent his urges.

As the door closed behind them, I felt my knees give out, and I collapsed onto the floor, hugging my body tightly.

Tears streamed down my face, since I felt trapped, completely helpless, a prisoner in a game I never asked to be part of.

Ashlee also did not stop there.

As if she could not stand that her earlier trick with the ring had failed, Ashlee came to me at night while I was fast asleep.

Her cold hands suddenly wrap around my neck. By gritting her teeth, she hissed in rage, her voice laced with venom, "Why didn't you die?"

Panic surged through me as I struggled for air and her nails digging into my skin.

Swiftly, I grabbed her wrist, forcing her to loosen her grip, but the look in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

"Have you noticed?" she spat, her voice low and seething with jealousy. "Since Alexander found you being treated at the clinic, he has changed.

“He was supposed to be happy about divorcing you and marrying me, but he is not. He is hesitant, Ruby. He asked me if we could postpone the wedding. Do you know how much he wanted to marry me before?"

Her words dripped with bitterness as she leaned closer, her face twisted in fury. "He wanted it so badly that he was willing to break ties with you. But everything changed!"

"Do you think you can hinder my happiness? I will kill you now!"

I felt her grip tightening again, I could hardly breathe...