Twenty seven

Tyler's POV

I was in the middle of a heated conversation with my lawyer when my beta burst into my office, interrupting us. "Tyler, we have a problem," he said, out of breath.

"What's the problem?" I asked, irritated at the interruption.

"It's Ruby. She got into a fight with one of the workers downstairs, and it got out of hand."

My heart sank. I knew this was bad news. "What happened?" I demanded.

"Someone exposed their wolf face to her, and she released fire on them. Lucian intervened and saved her before the others could attack her."

I felt a surge of anger at the news. How could someone be so reckless as to expose their true form to a human? It was a violation of our most basic laws. And now, because of their stupidity, Ruby's life was in danger.

I knew I had to act fast. I couldn't let the council get their hands on her. I rushed out of my office, my beta following closely behind. "Where are you going?" he asked, his tone anxious.

"To see Lucian," I replied shortly. "And to bring Ruby back."

As we made our way to Lucian's headquarters, my mind was racing. I couldn't believe that Lucian had broken one of our most sacred rules by taking a woman from my territory without my permission. It was an act of aggression, and I couldn't let it go unpunished.

Tyler nods and turns to his Beta. "Make sure that the rest of the pack is ready to move in case we have to fight," he says, his voice low and dangerous.

The Beta nods and quickly pulls out his phone to make a phone call.

Tyler had never felt such deep anger pulse within him, his fists clenched in anger. "That bastard," he muttered under his breath. "He knows the rules, yet he breaks them without a second thought. And now he's got Ruby caught up in all this mess."

Tyler's beta looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I know how much you care about Ruby."

Tyler sighed. "I do care about her. She's one of my own. And now she's in danger because of Lucian's recklessness."

He walked over to his desk and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go. We need to have a word with Lucian."

The two of them quickly made their way to Lucian's headquarters. When they arrived, they were stopped at the entrance by one of Lucian's guards.

"I need to speak with Lucian," Tyler said, his voice cold.

The guard looked at him skeptically. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but Lucian is busy at the moment. He can't be disturbed."

"I don't care how busy he is," Tyler growled. "This is important. Let us in."

The guard hesitated for a moment before stepping aside and allowing them entry.

They found Lucian in his office, pouring over some documents. He looked up when they entered, a surprised expression on his face.

"Tyler, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"You know damn well why I'm here," Tyler replied. "You broke one of the most fundamental rules of our kind by taking Ruby without my permission."

Lucian sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I had to do it to protect her. She was in danger."

"In danger because of you," Tyler shot back. "You knew that she was a witch, yet you still exposed her to our world without any warning. And now she's in even more danger because of the council."

Lucian's expression darkened. "I know what I did was wrong, but

I couldn't just stand by and watch her get hurt. I care about her, Tyler. More than you know."

Tyler shook his head. "That doesn't excuse what you did. You put her life in danger, and now she's at risk of being executed by the council."

"I know," Lucian said quietly. "And I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. But she's not just some pawn in this game, Tyler. She's a person, with thoughts and feelings and a life of her own. You need to start treating her that way."

Tyler bristled at Lucian's words. "I am treating her that way. I care about her too, you know. I just can't let you go around breaking the rules without any consequences."

Lucian stood up from his chair, his eyes blazing. "And what about your consequences, Tyler? What about the consequences of ignoring the fact that your pack is slowly falling apart? That your own people are starting to doubt your leadership?"

Tyler clenched his jaw. "That's not the same thing."

"It's exactly the same thing," Lucian said. "You're so focused on maintaining your power and control that you've lost sight of what's really important. You've lost sight of the fact that we're all in this together. That we need to work together to survive."

Tyler glared at him. "And what do you suggest we do? Just let the witches and the humans and the vampires run rampant over us?"

"No, of course not," Lucian said. "But we need to start working with them, instead of against them. We need to find a way to coexist. To live together in peace."

Tyler snorted. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Maybe we could... We could..." Lucian stammered, trying to figure out what to say.

"Oh please," I hissed, raising a hand to cut him off.

"I did it for her own good," Lucian said, looking straight into Tyler's eyes.

"That's not for you to decide," Tyler replied, his voice stern. "You had no right to take her without my permission."

"I understand, but I couldn't just leave her there. She needed my help."

"And what about the consequences? Have you thought about what this could mean for her? The council will be after her now, and they won't stop until they've executed her."

"I know that," Lucian said, his tone heavy with guilt. "But I had to do something. I couldn't just stand by and watch her suffer."

Tyler sighed, his anger subsiding slightly. He knew that Lucian had good intentions, but his actions could have serious repercussions.

"I'll take her back with me," Tyler said finally. "I'll do everything in my power to protect her."

"Why should I let you?" Lucian eyed me skeptically, as if I was expecting him to put up a fight.

"We can't be selfish," I replied, eager to get Ruby back. "This isn't about us, it's about Ruby and what's best for her." I said softly, and I must have gotten him with that part. "If she stays here, the council might not take things lightly." I just wanted him to see my point and let me take her with me.

Lucian's expression softens slightly. "I know, Tyler. I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect her." Lucian sighs heavily. "I know I messed up, Tyler. But I couldn't just stand by and watch her get hurt. She's important to me."

Tyler studies Lucian for a moment, trying to gauge the sincerity of his words. He can see the worry and fear

in Lucian's eyes, and it makes him pause.

"I understand that you care about her," Tyler says, his voice softer now. "But you have to understand that she's not just any woman. She's a witch, and that makes her a target. You can't just swoop in and try to protect her without thinking of the consequences."

"I know," Lucian says, his voice low. "But I couldn't help myself. I had to save her."

Tyler nods slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I get it. I really do. But we have to be careful now. We have to keep her safe, no matter what."

Lucian nods in agreement. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, Tyler. You have my word."

Tyler studies Lucian for a moment longer before nodding. "Okay. We'll work together on this. But we have to be smart about it. We can't let our emotions get the best of us."

Lucian nods again, his expression serious. "Agreed."

Tyler turns to Ruby, who has been silent throughout the conversation. "Ruby, you need to understand that you're in danger now. The council will be after you, and they won't rest until they find you. You have to be careful, and you have to trust us to protect you."

Ruby nods, her expression fearful. "I understand. I'm sorry for causing all of this trouble."

Tyler's expression softens slightly. "It's not your fault, Ruby. You didn't ask for this. But now that it's happened, we have to deal with the consequences. And we will. Together."

Ruby nods again, and Tyler turns back to Lucian. "We'll take her back to my territory, where she'll be safe. But we have to be careful. The council will be watching."

Lucian nods in agreement. "I'll be careful, but you should leave quickly before the council finds out she is here. At least it would be difficult for them to find her this way." He said as he ushered us out.