Chapter 53 Chapter 53
Chapter 53 Chapter 53
RUBY
After soaking in the warm bath for a while, I finally stepped out, wrapping myself in a thick towel. The heat had eased the ache in my muscles, but my thoughts remained tangled. I dried myself off, walked into the bedroom, and picked up the cup of tea Noelle had left on the nightstand. It was still warm, and I took slow sips, letting the herbal scent soothe me.
Dropping the cup down, I walked into the closet, and grabbed the thickest sweater I could find, along with some sweatpants. As I pulled them on, my mind drifted to Aiden and Cassie. They must have been worried sick about me.
I wanted to call and tell them I was fine when I remembered my phone was inside my bag… which was still in my locker at school.
I sighed, pulling the sweater over my head. As I tied my hair into a loose ponytail and stepped out of the closet, the door to my room swung open.
“Ruby!”
Cassie rushed in and hugged me tightly, nearly knocking the air out of my lungs.
“I’m fine, Cass,” I said, patting her back.
She pulled away slightly, gripping my shoulders and scanning my face as if making sure I wasn’t lying.
“Are you sure? You scared the hell out of me!”
“I promise, I’m fine now,” I replied, my eyes falling on my bag, which she adjusted slightly on her shoulder.
“I can’t believe she pushed you into the pool like that,” she groaned.
“Ruby, you can’t let Lizzy get away with this time. Everyone saw what she did. There’s no excuse about ‘not wanting to misuse your power’—she’s going to pay for it.”
Cassie spoke with conviction, as if telling me what I should do rather than suggesting it.
I nodded. Of course.
Lizzy had crossed the line this time, and I wasn’t going to let it slide. I didn’t care whatever punishment Sebastian gave her.
“Sebastian said he wouldn’t let it slide,” I told Cassie.
“I’d be glad if he actually got her expelled for this. But I heard some rumors that Mrs. Whitewoods is trying to bury this before it reaches Whispering Crystal Pack.”
Cassie muttered, walking toward the bed.
I frowned, turning to her. “Why?”
“Because of Lizzy’s mother… You know she’s sick. Mrs. Whitewoods thinks that if she finds out what her daughter did, it might worsen her health.”
I swallowed, unsure how to feel.
Lizzy had made my life miserable for years. She had humiliated me, tormented me, and now she had nearly drowned me. But hearing about her mother cracked something inside me.
Cassie folded her arms. “Ruby, whether the rumor is true or not, don’t let Lizzy off the hook this time. Make sure Sebastian doesn’t listen to Mrs. Whitewoods’ excuses. Honestly, Lizzy deserves whatever comes her way. After everything she’s done to you, it’s about time she faced the consequences.”
She plopped down on my bed and started ranting about how Aiden was furious when she told him what had happened to me.
When she noticed I hadn’t said anything, she sighed, watching my face closely.
“Don’t tell me you’re starting to feel bad for her now.”
I hesitated, sighing as I sat beside her.
“Cassie, her mom is sick...”
“And so what? She brought this on herself.” Cassie rolled her eyes.
I sighed. She was right. But I couldn’t help but think of my dead mom, and how Lizzy’s mother would feel if she heard that her daughter had been expelled while already struggling with her health.
Cassie frowned. “Ruby, she could’ve killed you! If Warren hadn’t pulled you out of that pool...” She stopped, shaking her head. “No. She deserves it. Don’t feel bad for her.”
I sighed again, deciding not to argue. Instead, I focused on which Cassie had placed on the bed.
Grabbing it, I unzipped it to check inside. Sure enough, my phone was there, along with my books and other things. I turned the phone on and the texts from Aiden popped up.
\[I heard what happened to you. I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you today. Prof. Zeke had me fucking buried in his damn works.\]
I read Aiden’s latest message before Cassie’s voice pulled me back.
“If Lizzy doesn’t leave our school, she won’t stop. She should just go back to her little father’s pack and do whatever she likes there. After all, she and Graham have decided to do their mate ceremony at the end of the semester.”
I paused, looking up at her. “Mate ceremony?”
Even though I knew they were fated mates, hearing it still surprised me and somehow pinched my heart.
Maybe because Graham had once promised to have a mate ceremony with me, even if we weren’t fated.
“Yes, that’s what people are saying. But Graham doesn’t seem too thrilled about it. That jerk probably regrets breaking up with you, Ruby. They’re a terrible mates I ever seen.” Cassie muttered, rolling her eyes.
I wasn’t sure if Graham regretted it, but I could tell he wasn’t happy with Lizzy. She was always shouting at him and I had seen Lizzy slapped him more than two times.
“Graham will be fine with her,” I said dismissively.
Cassie suddenly perked up. “Speaking of mate ceremonies… Robert said Sebastian refused to agree to the date Luna Scarlett picked because he thinks it’s too soon. Is that true?”
My stomach twisted, but I nodded slightly, smiling.
Alpha Maximus had mentioned the mate ceremony two weeks ago, back when we had dinner at the packhouse. Since Sebastian and I were living together, everyone expected the ceremony to happen soon. It was only natural that we would make our bond official.
Only… we weren’t truly fated mates.
The thought of standing before the entire pack and solidifying a bond that wasn’t real made scared me.