Chapter 22
KING GAVIN ACKERMAN
“Is it a date tonight?”
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Ruby hovered around me in my home office that evening when we returned from the Pack’s control room. Her green eyes gleamed with a thought I couldn’t process.
“What do you want, Ruby?” My voice came out harsher than I intended.
“You’re not being faithful to your girlfriend. You kissed me.”
Her flushed face didn’t match her crimped lips.
“I don’t want you in here. I have a few works to finish before seven p.m.,”
“Is your date at seven?”
She went quiet when Drew strode into the office with a few reports from the borders in different files. Dropped them on the desk and with that, he was off for the day.
“Coffee?” He offered.
“No thanks. Show Ruby the door on your way out.”
Drew nodded, walked to the door, and waited, his gaze on Ruby waiting for her to get the memo.
“I’m not done reporting my observations. I’ll leave in no time.”
I nodded for Drew to leave and he didn’t hesitate closing the door behind him.
“I don’t appreciate this attitude.”
“You don’t appreciate so many things.” She scorned, “I want us to talk.”
“Spill whatever you have there and just leave.”
She came closer to the desk, head hung, her face a distinct shade of red. “Did I do something wrong?”
I peered my gaze her way. She bit down on her lower lips, a bit nervous, and willed her gaze on the sheets before me.
“You did an amazing job with Drew today, can you leave now?”
She shook her head and reached for the medieval ring in a plastic transparent casing on my desk. I slammed my hand above it to suggest she wasn’t allowed to touch it.
“I’m not going to steal it.”
“I can’t trust that.”
A smile lit on her face, “I’ve been on my best behavior lately.” Her smile faded, “Do you like me?”
I dropped the pen in my hand on the papers I was signing and incredulously regarded her longer than necessary. This seemed to unnerve her but why was she not scurrying for the door from embarrassment?
“I already know the answer.” A bitter smile twitched on her lips. “If you’re afraid I’d get pregnant then you’re wrong, Evelyn says girls don’t get pregnant the first time.”
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Chapter 22
My jaws sagged. Stunned to my marrow. It wasn’t what she said that had this eerie effect on me but the tweller at the céges of her eyes. She was extremely naive.
“I didn’t expect you to be this desperate.”
She was nothing close to being desperate.
“You ignore me. I don’t know what else to be.” She brushed back her hair from her face, “You’re the first man that’s picked interest in me so it’s hard to act like I don’t care if you ignore me or not.”
“Did you drink?” Only alcohol could give anyone this innocent such confidence.
Yet, she shook her head. “I’m just tired of cowardly dying in silence. Just say if I was horrible or not”
All the time she spoke, her gaze didn’t wander from the medieval ring, afraid to look my way.
“You’re here because you have a part to play if we must outsmart the Outlanders. There’s nothing romantically attached to you being here.”
I lied. Big time. Only because I couldn’t keep leading her on.
“Is Denise your mate?” She digressed.
I shook my head.
“Where’s your mate?”
If only she knew.
It dawned on me her confidence came from our mate bond. The bond she was yet to realize.
Fuck. I hated to do this. I got up to stand before her, my eyes firm on her face while hers dwelt on my desk. Her heart thumped wildly in my ears.
“I’ll be honest with you Ruby.” I dragged in a long breath thinking of the possible ways to say the words in my head without hurting her.
My silence stretched, and this made her shift her gaze from the desk to my face, quickly dropping back her gaze to the desk when she met my eyes. Something in there that must’ve scared her.
“I already know. I’m a runt and you’re a king.”
That was like putting it mildly. Yeah, but that was just one of the reasons.
“I don’t want to disappoint you when things end.” I tactfully added, “Maybe things would’ve been different if you weren’t a virgin.” A horrible thing to say but it was true.
Her eyes snapped at me. Mind working palpably. “If I changed that would things change?”
My wolf growled inside me from just the thoughts of Ruby with another man. I instinctively reached out to grab her arm, as though restraining her from wanting to take this far.
“You’re going to do no such things!”
The way I reacted would’ve let her know there was more to her living here with me if she wasn’t too occupied with her mind. I left her arm to cup her chin pulling her close to me. Having her this close to me soothed my heart in inexplicable ways.
“I don’t want you messing around…”
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Chapter 22
The door went open and Norman paused by the door, his eyes searching us by the desk forcing me to pull from her.
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She didn’t wait, she doubled towards the door with her head tipped and shoulders slumped forward, pushed past Norman by the door, and exited the office.
“I see why you let her stay here.” Norman quipped, “A fucking nice time call, huh?”
“You’re not going to disrespect Ruby. You know nothing about her. I muttered darkly.
“With a body like that, yeah, sure, I’m looking forward to knowing every inch of her.”
“Back the fuck off, Ruby’s my mate. You keep your dirty hands and filthy thoughts to yourself or I’m gonna forget it all and rip your balls off.”
Norman’s incredulous gaze made me realize I just shared too much. Way too much.
“She’s an Omega.” He whispered, as though afraid someone might hear us.
“What can I say, man? The goddess tells the best jokes.”
AD
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