AUSTIN
My bride was gone.
No, taken. Today should have been the best fucking day of my life, finally getting married to my girl. I'd loved Ruby for five years, endured being her brother and friend for all these years and now she was taken from me.
I didn't believe it at first. I had been in my room, getting dressed, a smile playing across my lips. I was a nervous wreck, my hands shook as I pulled my shirt on. I'd just gotten to the part where my tie was the only thing left for the rest of the outfit when my bedroom door was barged open with so much force, it shook the hinges.
My father stood in the threshold, breathing hard.
"There's been a breach…Ruby is gone." My ears rang when he said the second part. The fabric in my hands fell to the floor along with my heart.
"What do you mean she's gone?" I asked the obvious question. My mouth moved before my brain could stop it.
My father gestured for me to follow. And I did without hesitation. My mind reeled with thoughts. A breach. Was it really? Or she just decided she was going back to her ex? Was it the mate bond?
My hands started to sweat. And no amount of rubbing them against the side of my pants dried them. I could feel my heart breaking with each step.
"I don't know how they did it…" Father started, his words matching his long strides. "...we didn't notice until now."
We reached her room, and it was a fucking mess. Imagine a fight broke out in a room between two fucking bears. That was how trashed the room was. My girl put up a fight for sure.
It was the wrong situation for it, but my chest swelled with pride. She didn't leave me. She was taken.
And I for sure knew who the fucker was.
I snapped a few buttons from my shirt and spun on my heels. There was nothing to investigate here. Ironclaw was responsible for this.
"I'm going to rip his heart out and feed it to the fucking rogues he's running away from." Bitterness covered the taste in my mouth. My veins pulsated with fire, one ready to burn the motherfucker.
I grabbed my keys, my father hot on my trail. He looked equally pissed. But this was my fight. "I'm going to need the squad. All of them."
"You have them at your disposal son. Bring her back home. Don't fail me again." His eyes spoke more words than his mouth did.
Don't fail again Austin.
Last time was enough lesson. I'd lost her once. I wouldn't lose my mate again.
I gave a curt nod, and exited the apartment "Every man with me…" I roared through the link.
It was already a mistake not waiting until we were at father's pack to have the wedding. Ruby wanted it here, close to the company where she could continue to work right after the ceremony. But she'd been too close to Ironclaw for them to come for her. "We will talk about how Ruby was taken from this house without any of you noticing when we come back. And you fucking tell me that you're the best hired by my father?" My blood was boiling. My heart was barely holding on, it felt like it would explode any moment if I didn't calm down. So I did.
Or tried to.
Think about her.
I did. But instead of calm, a storm restarted.
I was about to lose her. And I couldn't afford to. We still needed her. And very much so.
I marched to the car, and the men to theirs, weapon in hands. Good thing father alerted them before coming to me.
The drive however was the longest hours of my life. Time and time again I opened my mind to reach her. And each time, I met with radio silence. Not complete silence though. Like she was there but I couldn't reach her. Or was it that she couldn't feel me trying to find her.
And I concluded that it was the distance. But the closer we got to Ironclaw, the more I could feel her but not communicate with her. It was frustrating to say the least.
I had to sit there, trying not to run this car over. My breaths were harsh like the thrusting of the engine. Loud, and unsettling.
Anymore and I would draw myself to death before I could even reach her.
So I clenched my fist instead, so tightly my fingers dug into the palm. The pain that followed was mild and it subsided too fast. I needed something to distract myself from my feelings. I needed pain. Not the one my heart was experiencing at the moment but something sharp and physical.
I let my claws grow to their full length and curled my hand in a fist against, the pointy edge dug in like a knife, cutting into my skin and bringing the pain I was seeking.
I hadn't lost control like this since the last time. Since her.
That was to tell you how bad the situation was.
And now, here I am. Fighting for the control I swore to myself I finally had.
Think about her. My mind said to me but in a second I forgot which her he was referring to.
You know which one, asshole. Think. About. Her.
I tried to. But all that followed were the things I hoped he wouldn't do to her. Things only I wanted to do to her.
And that only made my leg step on the accelerator, pressing and pushing the car faster.
It raved loudly. Fucking hell.
When we got to Ironclaw, the barrier was still up.
I killed the engine and stepped out of the car to scan the area first. Blood trickled down my palm, the pain searing. I let myself breath the pain away, feeling the way my skin pulled itself together to heal.
Then I pulled out the barrier cutter, and sliced through the glasslike frame. The new edges glowed faintly, and I stepped inside as soon as the cut was big enough to fit a man.
Huh.
One would think that a park as big as Ironclaw would have guards on patrol at all times but it didn't seem like it. The spot was void of anyone.
"Lazy pieces of shit." I muttered under my breath so that only I could hear. Troy and his men must have gotten really comfortable with the barrier and having Ruby around.
Each of my men walked through the cut, weapons in hand and a stance for battle if it came to it.
Been here once to know where the direction to the house was. On my way however, I noticed that not only was the pack looking deserted, the few roaming were in a hurry to get to the main hall.
I got there with my men, ready to fight for my Ruby before it was too late.
But I was late. And awfully so.
As soon as the door barred open, my eyes landed on her instantly. My Ruby's face wore a beautiful make up. Not too much, just perfect. Even with the tears that had already dried and were still streaming down her cheeks.
My eyes did a quick sweep of her body. Her hands were tied in front of her. And her wrists looked painful.
That darkness I had tried to press down and keep under control crept out of the box I had shoved it into. And I fucking let it.
"Austin…" My Ruby mouthed and that was all it took for my wolf to take over. I'm here baby. Here to take you home.
Troy had not only taken her from me but he also forced her here, for a fucking mating ceremony.
I didn't give a shit that the ceremony was over. I just had to get Ruby away from him and out of this pathetic pack.
So I let my wolf charge towards him. His death would happen to today. What I didn't expect was for him to sink his fangs into marking her. Making what was fucking mine, his.
No!
He smiled, dodging my charge swiftly, all the while keeping Ruby away.
From the corner of my eyes I saw her tugging at her already injured wrists in frustration that the ropes wouldn't give way.
"She's mine now, pretty boy. Leave now before I have you killed."
Leave?
Did he just fucking say to leave?
"You stole my bride." I panted hard, claws out for some blood. His lips curled to a sinister smile and nodded. The fact that he even had the nerve to smile was unnerving to me. "I'm going to rip your heart out."
"Not that you'll be able to but let's say you're able to, do you know what you'll find there? You'll find Ruby. She's my heart. My wife. My mate."
Each time he said those words, an invisible knife struck me. Slicing my body, heart and soul apart.
She wasn't his. She was mine. She had to be mine. I couldn't lose her again.
Behind me, chaos had already broke. My men and his in a brutal fight. I turned my attention back to him. Then to the bite mark on her neck where mine should have been. My mark. My identity as her mate.
"You had no right to take her…"
"Austin…" My Ruby called for me. My words caught up in my throat. "I'm sorry, I swear he forced me."
"I know baby…" I made a move at her but was blocked by the fucking wall that was Troy Ashford of Iron fucking claw. "I'm here to take you home…"
"Like hell you are…" another voice spoke, walking into the hall with an army of warriors. Shit. Where did he come from? "You're not taking our Luna anywhere fucker."
I heard a laugh, up ahead, still seated were the elders from last time and the fucking parents. His and hers.
"Today is a good day for me Austin. I'm not going to kill you if you listen to me. You and your men will die here if you don't leave. I'm generous enough to let you lots go but never come back. Try to fight and you'll all die…." He reached for Ruby, circling his arm around her waist. "Either way, Ruby is my wife now. My mate and claimed. So you have no rights to her."
Darkness, where are you?
It was gone. Emptiness remained though. I'd lost her and it wasn't even my doing or my mistake.
"You don't either. You think this is going to make her fall for you?" I wanted to hurt him as much as he'd hurt me. His eyes sharpened. "You might have marked her but she can always renounce the forced bond…" I saw what I needed to see. A flinch from him. A cross in his eyes. It hit me that he didn't think this far into his plan of owning her. And that meant that I still had a chance.
"Just let her go and save us all the heartbreak, will you? Ruby?"
He turned her to look at him. His lips moved and he said something but for the life of me I couldn't make out what it was.
Hope lingered, flickering as I waited for her to come to me. Just one touch, just her within my reach and this would be over.
Come on baby. Come to me.
But that hope was shattered when she sighed and spoke. "I'm sorry, Austin. I can't go with you. Troy is my mate now."