Chapter 38

Caleb

The crowd was thicker than I realized, and I had to restrain myself from pushing past the guests to get outside. I needed air. I needed to be away from Ruby, and all the things she put into my head.

I could see Joseph trying to approach me out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored him and pushed through the doors to the hallway. I practically felt the steam coming out of my ears, I didn’t have the patience to talk to anyone right now.

I skirted through the barriers and out into the parking lot, where I was finally alone. I groaned in frustration, punching the brick wall behind. Why did she feel the need to keep bringing up mates? Just because we had watched a mate bond solidify in front of us, didn’t mean we needed to talk about it for the rest of the night.

As soon as I had that thought I realized how stupid it sounded, and I rested my head on my forearm. It wasn’t her fault, of course she would think to chat about mates. Vic and Rachel were right there, dancing and having the time of their lives.

Ruby didn’t know about my past, and I had every intention of keeping it that way. But that didn’t mean I could blame her for asking about things she didn’t understand.

Especially after everything she did to prove to the Bears that Lucas couldn’t be trusted, I shouted at her and stormed away from the Ball? I kicked at some loose rocks around the pavement. It wasn’t the way a leader should behave, and I knew that before too long guests would notice I was gone.

I had to go back to Ruby with an apology, but I knew words alone wouldn’t be enough. It was embarrassing to admit it, even to myself, but I knew I hadn’t been easy on her. It is hard for me to open up to people, and even harder to trust them, but I had to make an exception for her.

If we were going to make our marriage arrangement work,we had to be able to trust each other. That was the first step to working together as a successful team and ultimately making sure Lucas never got anywhere near the throne.

Ruby was making an effort, I recognized that, but I had put her down so many times. It was up to me now to take the first step to reconciliation.

I looked back into the palace entrance, and headed into the inner courtyard room where Ruby had lived during her engagement to Lucas. She had been given a small apartment unit with a garden outside the windows, where she grew flowers and small herbs.

I remember watching her sometimes from the roof, when she would go out onto her balcony and water her plants in the evenings. Her hair would be let down her back, completely unguarded in that moment.

Pervert. My wolf Thor snorted, clearly thinking it was hilarious.

You’re the pervert looking in on other people’s thoughts, I retorted, ignoring him as I creaked open the door to Ruby’s old room.

Your thoughts are my thoughts. Sorry, but you don’t get a lot of privacy from me. He said, offering me another image of Ruby in her red and white pajamas.

I pushed the picture away and crossed to the balcony. The room had been completely swept clean of Ruby. Except for the bedframe, it was totally empty.

The garden, however, was still growing strong, despite the fact no one had been in here to water her plants for some time. I stepped gingerly over a twisting vine on the floor, and leapt over the railing, landing softly on the mulch bed below.

I found what I was looking for instantly, it was the biggest flower bed with the most vibrant blooms. Gardenias.

So you even know her favorite flower, Thor said.

It’s not like she keeps it a secret, she plants them everywhere she can. There’s dozens of them at the house now.

I chose a few of the largest blossoms and clipped them off their stems. It took a few minutes, but pretty soon I had a small bouquet. Bending down for one last flower, I noticed something crumpled and small under the leaves.

A dead bud? Thor asked, and I picked it up out of the mulch.

A letter. I said, confused. What was this piece of paper doing in the mud in Ruby’s garden?

I unfolded it, and immediately recognized Ruby’s handwriting.

At the top, the greeting read: To my most beloved Lucas.

“What the fuck?” I said out loud, dropping the flowers from my left hand. Beloved Lucas? Was she writing him love letters now?

It felt like an invasion of privacy, but I had to know. I picked the letter back up and read further.

To my most beloved Lucas.

Although I have barely seen you this week, I wanted to tell you I love you more now than I did yesterday.

I love going to sleep at night, since I know I’ll get to see you in my dreams.

We have so much ahead of us, and the strength of our mate bond will keep us happy.

I will never leave you, I can’t imagine a life without you in it.

All my love,

Ruby

I stood stunned, staring at the final two lines. All my love? I thought. Are they back together?

They couldn’t be. After all the terrible things Lucas had done to Ruby, after the way he treated her? He cheated on her, letting his infidelity hurt her. He threatened her parents and her family, and yet she still has gone running back to him?

I crushed the paper in my fist, confused and disoriented.

We don’t know if that’s really what she meant, Thor said quietly in the back of my mind, still trying to convince me that Ruby could be trusted.

What the fuck else could she mean? I think the whole thing is pretty damn clear, I hissed.

To think I was going to go to her with an apology? After this, there was no way she was getting that kindness from me. As far as I was concerned, she needed to apologize.

She was weaker than I thought, and couldn’t let her precious mate go even after all the horrible things he did to her. But I had learned that lesson already, and if she wanted to put herself through more pain, that was going to be her problem.

We’re going back to the Ball, Thor. I thought, tossing the paper back into the mud.

Oh. What are we going to do? He responded, and I could hear the nervousness in his tone.

I couldn’t attack her or start a fight, but I didn’t have to pretend everything was fine either. We’re not going to do anything, we’re just going to enjoy the party wherever she is not.