36 Ruslan
Alina:
“Has Maksim already informed you?” — I wasn’t even a bit surprised that Jasmine was already in the loop.
“Well, who else?” she laughed. “How is she?"
“She doesn’t know anything. I haven’t told her,” I sighed, remembering my conversation with the beta.
Zavir turned out to be no fool. Before leaving with the alpha, he wanted to talk to me. And, to be honest, I was shocked by the topic of our conversation.
It turned out he heard in my little sister his true mate. The news hit me like a bucket of cold water on a hot day, leaving me utterly stunned.
Although Zavir insisted that he wouldn’t hurt Tanya, that he would get to know her and court her without crossing any lines until she came of age, I felt like I was hearing it through some kind of vacuum in my ears. The information was distorted, and my protective instincts for my little sister kicked in, so the conversation didn’t really hold together, and the beta left empty-handed. But it won’t be for long — I feel like I’ll run into him again soon. After all, a wolf who has sensed his mate doesn’t just back down easily.
“And what do you think about all this?” Jasmine asked.
“I think she’s still a child, and Zavir is a grown man with his own needs!” I snapped emotionally, then quickly pulled myself together. “Jas, there’s a thirteen-year age difference! She’s fifteen, and he’s almost twice her age!”
“If they’re mates, he won’t hurt her,” my friend said sympathetically.
“But what if they’re not?!”
“Alina, not everyone is like Ruslan.”
“Yes, you’re right, but I’m not ready yet to trust just any werewolf I come across,” I sighed wearily. “Listen, today was a tough day and I’m really tired. Let’s meet up in the next few days and have a proper talk — talking on the phone just isn’t the same.”
“Alright,” my friend sighed understandingly, and we ended the call.
Ruslan is Jasmine’s cousin and the biggest mistake of my life.
It all happened during my first year at university. I was assigned a dorm room with two of my classmates — Jasmine and Mia. The girls were quite friendly and close, but I tried to keep some distance from them.
The thing is, Mia was dating a guy named Ruslan. He was a very handsome and charismatic werewolf, and I fell head over heels for him almost immediately.
I admit, I was very jealous of Mia. If nature had gifted me in some ways and deprived me in others, Mia had it all harmoniously. She had a gorgeous booty, firm breasts, long blonde hair, and a very pretty, sweet face. Tall, statuesque, curvy, kind, and cheerful, she attracted the attention of the opposite sex.
Meanwhile, I was a redhead oddball with curly antenna-like strands sticking out from my head, short in stature, freckled, but with huge breasts.
Now, I accept myself as I am and understand that there’s nothing terrible about my appearance — I’m actually quite beautiful if I take care of myself properly and pick the right clothes to highlight my assets. But back then, as a girl from a forgotten small town, I felt like a freak that no one would ever notice.
But someone did notice me. And not just anyone, but Ruslan himself! One day, he was waiting for Mia outside the dorm, and somehow, after exchanging a few words, we got acquainted and exchanged phone numbers — you know, just in case he couldn’t reach Mia and something urgent came up.
I believed with all my heart the nonsense he fed me. I hated Mia because after their dates she would come back glowing and happy, and then she and Jasmine would talk about how wonderful everything was between them.
Jasmine, by the way, had just started dating Max, who was Ruslan’s best friend.
One day, Ruslan called me and asked to meet — secretly, without Mia knowing. I agreed without hesitation.
We met in the park, and there he confessed that he could no longer hide his feelings for me. That it was very hard for him to control himself when I was near because I was his true mate!