Chapter 25

25

Ruby

" O h hell no," I whispered out loud, watching in horror as he lifted the ring from the box and held it out towards me as if waiting for me to present my hand. I kept my hands glued to my sides. There was no way I was going to accept his ring in my first-ever proposal.

"What are you doing, my love?" he asked, looking confused. "Don't you like the ring I bought for you?"

Didn't he realize that this wasn't normal? Like at all?

"It's a beautiful ring, Marrok," I said slowly, trying to be delicate so that he didn't hurt me or, even worse- mark me as his. "But I'm not ready to get married."

His face fell as if he was really expecting me to agree to this delusional engagement. But his frown turned into a smile when he decided to reach for my hand.

"You just haven't met the right alpha," he grunted as I fought his grip, but I didn't want my finger to break. I was an omega and much smaller than him, so he naturally won. "Doesn't that ring look so beautiful on your finger?"

I sighed as hot tears pricked my eyes.

This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real .

"Please just let me go," I begged, looking for any sort of emotion or softness within his disturbed soul. "I will never truly be yours, and you know that."

"The thought of letting you go breaks my heart, sweet one," he said, kissing me on the cheek, and I shivered. "Why don't you remove your clothes? And then we can get some sleep."

He was acting like we'd been married for years, and I had no idea what to think right now as I sat there frozen and wearing a giant rock on my finger.

"I'd rather sleep in my clothes," I said, slowly leaning back against the filthy mattress. I was exhausted, and his antics terrified me to no end. Not knowing what he planned to do with me scared me.

"That's not an option. Take off your clothes," Marrok ordered, his voice low and dangerous.

Oh shit.

My hands started shaking as I began to lift my dress over my head automatically under his watchful gaze. He actually started to help me remove the dress faster until I was sitting there naked before him.

His eyes roamed over my body, and a twisted smile appeared on his face.

"Wayne and his pack are fools for letting you go," he said, reaching out to caress my skin with cold fingers. The touch sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel repulsed. Alpha wolves were usually very warm, and I was baffled.

"Wayne didn't let me go. He loves me," I spat back. But did I really believe that? It was true that he hadn't marked me at all, and maybe he just didn't want to.

Marrok's golden eyes fell upon my unmarked skin, and pity crossed his features. He laid down, and then he cuddled up behind me, pulling me close until we were spooning in the dark. My heart raced with fear as his arms wrapped around me, trapping me against his chest.

"I will always love you," he whispered into my ear. "And I'll never let you go. "

His shorts were still on, but the smell of unwashed hair and body clung to him.

"Why do you love me?"

"Because you saved my life," he said.

"How?"

"One night, when I was nineteen- I was in a deep state of depression," he started, and I held my breath as I listened. "I drank until I passed out for many nights. My father saw me and then told me about you. It gave me hope, but…"

"But what?"

"I was terrified you would reject me, so I wanted to learn everything about you first," he said softly. "Your needs and wants. I know you more than you know yourself. You love adventure and sex. Isn't that right, my love? Isn't life at home much too boring for you?"

"No," I said, breathing hard. I loved my pack, and I wanted to go home. If I delved too deep into my unhappiness about Jasper and losing my temper with my pack, it would prove him correct. "Fuck you."

He laughed softly in the dark and kissed my bare shoulder. "With me, you will get everything you desire. Dream about me, baby- the way I've dreamt of you for years and years."

Closing my eyes, I tried to block him out and sleep, wondering if Wayne was looking for me. I desperately wished I was at home and never left the house. I wished I was at home sleeping safely between my alphas. I didn't realize I was crying until I noticed the damp pillow underneath my ear.

I couldn't sleep as my mind raced with thoughts on how I was going to get out of this cabin without Marrok knowing. My gaze roamed the room, looking for a weapon to kill him in his sleep. I've never hurt anyone before and wondered if I could ever bring myself to do it.

The next morning, I woke with a start to the bright sunlight.

Completely disoriented, panic surged through me as the memories of my kidnapping crashed down. I realized I hadn't moved all night, sleeping like a statue in Marrok's arms. He wasn't behind me anymore, and I remembered my last thought was to wait until he slept so I could run.

But I ended up sleeping before that could happen.

With slow movements due to my nine-month pregnancy, I got up and felt a kick from within. I smiled and placed a hand on my belly, but at the same time, I was so scared, hoping I could escape before giving birth.

I quickly pulled my dress back on and listened to the sound of water outside. Marrok must be showering outside.

Fueled by a sudden panic, I looked around the bedroom and rummaged through his dressers. I noticed a stack of photos sitting inside, and curiosity came over me.

Picking up the stack of photos, my blood ran cold when I saw what it was.

There were photos of me shopping with Wayne at the store, me at the bar with Jasper, and even me getting into my car years ago.

No way, this was nuts .

Marrok had been stalking me long before he finally kidnapped me. Why the hell was he doing this? How did he even know who I was? Anger bubbled up inside me, and I gripped the pictures tightly in my hand as I stormed outside to confront him.

But the sight that met me stopped me in my tracks. He was standing under the outdoor shower, completely naked. My eyes were drawn to his deformed and twisted penis; it was flat and abnormal.

A mixture of horror and disgust washed over me. I stood there staring until his gaze landed on me, his eyes blazing with rage that I'd never seen before.

"Get back inside!" Marrok roared.

I hurried back into the cabin, my heart pounding in my chest. I wouldn't dare try to run away because if he shifted into wolf form, he'd easily sniff me out and chase me down. Lingering horror and fear went through me as I remembered what I saw.

Hands shaking, I tossed the photos back into the drawers and pressed my back against the wall.

My heart pounded hard, and I heard his footsteps enter the room. I looked towards him, seeing that he had a gray towel wrapped around his waist. His scent of dark spices and smoldering embers filled the air as he moved closer, sniffing my neck menacingly until my body trembled with fear.

"Why were you snooping around?" he growled, his voice dangerously low.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked, averting my gaze from him.

He stared at me for a moment before saying, "Our marriage will still be normal despite my condition." Nodding silently, I swallowed hard and gripped the sides of my dress.

"What happened to you?" I asked hesitantly. Maybe if I got him to open up, then he would feel closer to me and not end up killing my baby.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he questioned, the sincerity in his tone catching me off guard. I nodded, too terrified to talk.

With a sigh, he placed both hands on the wall on either side of me, effectively caging me in. My gaze remained fixed on his chest, afraid to look down in case his towel fell away.

My breath came in shallow gasps, and I tried to calm down as he talked.

"I was seven," he began. "For some reason, I was playing in the kitchen. A pot was sitting on the stove, and curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see what was inside, but when I reached up, the pot tipped over, spilling scalding water all over me."

I could already see where this was going, and my stomach churned.

"Oh, that's horrible."

"I never felt that kind of pain before. My stepmother heard me screaming, and she walked in with a look of disgust on her face. She refused to get help quickly, saying I needed to ‘man up' and be a true alpha."

"Oh no," I said quietly as I listened.

As he recounted the story, his eyes took on a faraway look, lost in the traumatic memories. He closed his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks. "She just stood there. Just stood there ! I was in so much fucking pain."

Hearing his painful past made me feel sorry for him, and an unexpected sadness filled me.

Despite everything he had done, Marrok was still a victim of his own family. But I still didn't want to be around him, no matter what.

The sun began to set, casting a warm glow through the cabin windows. I watched as Marrok's chest rose and fell with each steady breath, his snores filling the room. He had fallen asleep on the couch after breakfast, exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the morning, confessing his past.

This was my chance.

My heart pounded in my chest as I slowly rose from the chair, carefully avoiding any creaky floorboards. Eyes darting between Marrok and the door, I calculated the distance and the time it would take for me to escape.

I took a deep breath and tiptoed towards the door with one hand over my swollen belly.

As I approached the threshold, the floorboard beneath me let out a long squeak. I froze, my blood running cold as I looked back at Marrok. The snores had stopped, replaced by an unsettling silence. My hands started to shake, but I had to keep going.

Please don't wake up .

I gently pushed the door open, revealing the woods outside. Once outside, I took off running, my dress billowing behind me as I sprinted through the underbrush as fast as I could with my belly. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as the cold air stung my cheeks, the fear of being caught propelling me forward. But my desperate attempt only lasted for a minute before I felt Marrok's strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back into his grasp.

"Let me go!" I screamed, kicking and flailing in his arms. His grip only tightened, his breath hot against my neck as he whispered into my ear.

"Ruby, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," he said. His hand slid between my legs, hiking my dress up as I trembled in fear. "I still love you despite how nosy you are. But I'll make sure you never feel the need to go to another alpha again."

"I wouldn't do that," I said.

"Yet you did. You did it to Jasper, and that won't be happening with me," he growled. "I know you very well, my love. My flighty little omega, but don't worry."

His words made me shudder, and my mind raced with thoughts of escape, of finding my way back to my actual pack. Dread settled within me at the uncertainty of my fate.