Chapter 47 Chapter 47

Chapter 47 Chapter 47
SEBASTIAN

My heart skipped and my hand, which had been moving gently up and down Ruby's arm, froze when her eyes suddenly snapped open with fear—just as I whispered, Who did you kill? My voice had been barely more than a whisper. I wasn’t accusing her. I had only been wondering what kind of past haunted her so deeply.

"Sebastian?" Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper, but filled with surprise.

She jerked away from me, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she sat up in bed, leaving a large gap between us.

Her gaze flicked around the room before landing on me, as if trying to piece together how I had gotten here.

I sighed, sitting up as well and raising my hands slightly, hoping not to startle her further. "Hey, it’s okay. I just—"

"What are you—what are you doing here? When did you come in?" she interrupted, her voice trembling. She glanced toward the clock. It was past nine.

"Did you sleep here?"

I shook my head. "No, I only came to check on you."

A few hours after Ruby had left me at the dining table, I had been ready to return to my quarters but my wolf urged me to check on her. I hadn't even reached her door when I heard her muffled cries through the walls.

"You were crying in your sleep when I came in," I explained gently. "And when I was comforting you, you... you asked me to stay with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise, as if she couldn't remember saying that.

What kind of nightmares was she having? I had wanted to ask, but before I could, she whispered, "Thank you, Seb. You... You can go back to your room now."

I narrowed my eyes, frowning.

"I'm fine now," she added quickly. But we both knew that was a lie. The haunted look lingering in her eyes said otherwise. I heard her saying things in her sleep while crying then.

Had Ruby really killed someone? Or was it her Mom that killed? Who did she kill?

"I don't believe you," I said quietly. "Ruby… I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on. What were you dreaming about?"

Her lips pressed into a tight line. "It doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t be here, Sebastian. This—this is crossing the line of whatever deal we have. It’s not your problem."

"Maybe not. But I’m making it mine," I replied firmly.

For a moment, she just stared at me, her breathing uneven.

"Ruby…" I reached out, gently placing my hand over hers. She flinched but didn't pull away. "You know my secret. You know what I'm hiding. Don't you think you can trust me too?"

She swallowed hard. "It's not the same."

"Isn't it? I've never told anyone about my wolf being blocked. Not even my parents. But you—you're the only one who knows."

Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but instead, she whispered, "It's different, Sebastian. I—"

"Please," I pressed, my thumb tracing small circles on the back of her hand. "Let me be there for you. Like you've been there for me."

Her gaze dropped to our hands, her breathing shaky.

"Ruby..." I said gently, searching her face as she finally looked up, blinking back tears.

"You can trust me. You know that, right? You know your secret is safe with me, just like mine is safe with you."

Her lips trembled, and finally, the walls she’d been holding up cracked. Tears spilled down her cheeks as a broken sob escaped her lips.

"It happened on my thirteenth birthday," she began, her voice shaking as she squeezed her eyes shut. "It was my first shift. There was this old man... I didn’t even know him. He was running toward me when I just shifted, and I—" Her breath hitched. "I didn't even realize when my wolf lashed out at him. All I remember is seeing him on the ground… bleeding… his blood was all over me."

Pain rippled through her voice, and my wolf whimpered, sharing her pain.

"My mom... she buried him in the woods. She covered it up. No one knew. They searched for him for weeks. His face was all over the news." She bit her lip, the sobs shaking her fragile frame. "And I just—"

I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved closer, wrapping my arms around her. Ruby melted into me, her face pressing into my chest as the sobs wracked her body.

"I killed an innocent man, Seb," she choked out. "My wolf made me a murderer."

I held her tighter, resting my chin atop her head, feeling the tremble of her pain echoing in my chest.

"It was an accident. It wasn’t your fault, Ruby."

"But it was! I—"

"No." I tilted her face up gently, brushing away her tears with my thumb. "Your wolf lost control. That doesn’t make you a murderer, Ruby. It makes you... what we are. We’re not perfect. Our wolves aren’t perfect either."

"You don’t understand, Sebastian. If anyone finds out—"

"They won’t. You’re not alone anymore. I’ll protect you, Ruby. Always."

I cupped her face, making her look at me.

"I don’t care what happened. You’re not a killer. Neither is your wolf. I promise you, I will never let anyone hurt you for this."

Her wide eyes met mine. "You can't promise that—"

"I can," I interrupted. "I will. Do you trust me?"

She hesitated, her gaze searching mine for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you Seb" She wrapped her arms around me, and I held her even tighter, as though I could shield her from the whole damn world.

We remained like that on the bed for several seconds until I suddenly caught the scent of her arousal. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt her body tense in my arms.

"Ruby," I whispered, holding her tighter when she tried to pull away.

Dipping my head, I brushed my nose along the curve of her neck, her arousal overwhelming my senses.

"Am I the cause of this?" I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. She gasped, a soft moan escaping her lips as if I was already buried between her thighs.

"I... I'm sorry..." She whispered.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Ruby. If you want me, you can have all of me.

I pulled back just enough to see her face. Damn. Her eyes were clouded with desire, making my cock hardened in my sweatpants, swelling to the point of pain in a matter of seconds.

"I know this isn't part of our contract, but you can't keep denying your body..."

Before I could finish, she pressed her lips to mine, cutting off my words.

A low growl rumbled in my throat as I kissed er back, raw urgency flooding my veins, setting every nerve on fire. The kiss was heated, desperate, as I shifted, positioning myself between her legs.