Chapter 39
Killian’s
POV
visit Ruby
1
This was the third night I chose not to visit
Not because I lacked the desire–no, if anything, I relished the thought of being in her presence, hearing her sharp tongue, watching her struggle so hard to feign indifference. But absence was a far crueler game, one I played with expertise. Let her feel the weight of my missing presence. Let her realize that without me, the world felt colder, emptier.
After all, I was her anchor–whether the admitted it or not.
I poured myself a glass of my finest brandy, the rich aroma of oak and spice filling the air as I leaned back in my chair. The screens before me flickered, each displaying a different comer of the Ravenhold Pack, I barely paid attention to the insignificant movements of its members- Dominic parading around with his pathetic excuses about Camilla, Nathaniel grumbling at his men like a decrepit old munt. None of it interested
But then, something did.
One screen caught my attention–a dimly lit grand room, its architecture magnificent, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and ancient books. And in the center, seated before an elegant black grand plano, was her.
Ruby.
My fingers tightened around my glass as my gaze locked buto her. I had never seen her play before. This was something new.
“Ah, so you’re skilled at this too?”
I spoke, despite the fact that my intended audience was nowhere near. She was far beyond these walls.
It seemed the woman missed me so much that she had taken to playing the plane to chase away her loneliness.
Dominic had chosen to spend the night in his concubine’s chambers,
And his supposed vengeful mate had not come to him tonight.
“I almost feel cruel now,” I murmured before chuckling to myself. “But it’s okay. I’ll give her one more gift. Perhaps that will make up for my wickedness these past few nights.”
Her fingers glided effortlessly across the keys, each movement precise, each note seamlessly flowing into the next. The melody was familiar—a song meant to celebrate the fleeting joy of youth, the lighthearted essence of freedom.
I had a particular appreciation for the arts, music included. I enjoyed it, often spending my scarce free time attending operas or musical performances. It helped soothe my nerves when I had to deal with the endless sycophants or the royal imbeciles who possessed barely a quarter of a functioning brain cell. And that wasn’t even counting my duties as King.
So, of course, I recognized the tune this broken Luna was playing. It was meant to bring joy to its listeners, to capture the very essence of happiness and freedom. Yet, under Ruby’s touch, the song became something else entirely. The notes still danced, but they carried a weight they were never meant to bear. They spoke of longing, of sorrow carefully concealed beneath a beautiful facade.
Captivating
I exhaled slowly, the drink in my hand momentarily forgotten as I listened–truly listened.
The way she played, the way she poured unspoken emotions into every note–it stirred something unfamiliar within me, something I had long considered beyond my reach
For a brief moment, my heat, cold and lifeless for centuries, clenched. It was a foolish sensation, and I crushed it just as quickly as it surfaced Whatever it was, it was merely another layer of the intricate puzzle that was Ruby Lucienne.
“You’re watching her again”
Leonidas‘ voice shattered my thoughts. He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, an infuriating smirk playing on his lips.
I hadn’t even noticed him enter.
“If you ask me, you’ve been behaving rather unethically lately,” I replied disinterestedly.
Leonidas, my ever–trustworthy Beta, merely shrugged. “I knocked, but you were too busy with your new hobby”
1/3
10:33 АМ
Chapter 39
“And to what do I owe this visit, Beta! Wouldn’t your night be better spent with one of your chosen women?”
My biting tone only seemed to amuse him further. I sighed, unwilling to resort to violence tonight, so 1 simply ignored him.
“I’m abstaining. Your Majesty. I hear it’s good for the soul and body,” he answered with an innocence that did not suit him in the slightest.
I scoffed. “Please. Are you drink on something!”
“No, though perhaps I’ve been spending too much time with an old friend who likes to ramble about gods and sins,” he quipped.
Rubbing my face. I took another slow sip of the brandy I had just poured. I would lose my sanity if I had to listen to Leonidas preaching again. I was half–convinced he was drunk. I inhaled deeply, but there was no trace of alcohol on him.
“You should go back to your quarters. I don’t want to see you until tomorrow”
Beta Leonidas took another step closer,
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I came because I needed to confirm something he stated.
“As your cousin or your king?”
His lips curled into a faint smile. “Both
“How flattering, 1 drawled, half–mocking.
He exhaled, shaking his head. And what he said next irritated me more than it should have–more than it usually did.
“You look like a man deep in thought, Your Majesty. Dangerous Are you actually trying to understand your own feelings!”
My hand froze mid–motion as I swirled the brandy in my glass. I scoffed, finally taking another sip before responding.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Am I” Leonidas tapped the edge of my desk. “What you’re doing with her–it seems a linte too familiar, doesn’t it? Possessiveness, intrigue, dare I say… affection?”
He chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say the mighty Lycan King is feeling something dangerously close to love.”
I turned my gaze to him, my expression void of amusement.
“Love?” 1 echoed, letting the word settle on my tongue like something forbidden. “You forget who I am, Leonidas. I do not love. I do not need love.”
Leonidas merely shrugged. “You’re still watching her.”
I ignored him, my eyes drifting back to the screen where Ruby continued to play, completely unaware of my obsessive gaze.
This wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about beauty or desire. It was something else entirely
Ruby was no ordinary woman. She was sharp–exceptionally so. When I tested her in intellectual conversation, she didn’t just keep up; she challenged me. She spoke of business, war, and administration as if she had spent her entire life mastering them. She had even corrected me once -explaining the components of an antidote for Lycanthropy.
And she had been right.
That antidote had saved one of my finest soldiers after he was attacked by King Lucius’s forces. The poor Northern King still held a grudge against me for killing his wife. Not that blamed him. She had been a dangerous temptress, and I had never been interested in her–not until that final day. I smirked at the memory and shook my head. Lucius could wait.
“Seet You’re thinking about her again.”
I shot Leonidas an irritated glance. “Why do you keep bringing this up?
Leonidas hummed, unahumed.
‘I do. Even now.”
Do you
have feelings for that woman?”
His admission sent a spark of irritation through me, only to be replaced by
by mild confusion
“But I
figured this infatuation–dais admiration–would only last a season. Because, Your Majesty
2/8
10.23 AM
Chapter 391
He paused, his unreadable gate locking onto mine,
“Ruby Lucienne… suis you better as a mate.”
chuckle broke the stillness,
For a few moments, the room was so silent that one could have heard a pin drop. Then, slowly–bit by bit–a soft ch growing into the loudest laughter of the night.
I couldn’t stop myself. My shoulders shook violently, and for the first time in ages, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
Mater
I laughed again, utterly amused by what my Beta had just said Wiping the moisture from my eyes, I took a deep breath to regain control of myself.
“Heta Leonidas. Do 1 seem like someone destined for a male!”
And then, with a colder edge in my voice, I added-
“No, I don’t, do I?”
Leonidas remained unfazed, still bold enough to spout his nonsense.
“On the contrary, Your Majesty,” he said, shifting back into his composed stance–ever the dutiful Beta, his broad shoulders squared with conviction. “There’s no harm in having a loyal mate by your side. I believe you, too, deserve happiness”
1 fell silent, watching as Leonidas bid me goodnight, placed his report neatly on my desk, and disappeared behind the grand doors.
A cold, dark chuckle escaped my lips.
“What utter nonsense”
Shaking my head, I brushed off Leonidas‘ words with ease. For now, 1 had something far more intriguing to focus on.
1 let the music–still flowing from Ruby’s fingertips–pull me in once more, my gaze locked onto the screen that displayed the woman who, unknowingly had ensnared my attention in a way no one else ever had,
Dominic was a fool who had traded a diamond for filth in the gutter,
And me!
I had always been drawn to things that shined.
