Control 

Je t’adore by Eurielle

Luke quickly put his finger to his lips and pointed to the door. He wanted Brad outside for this talk.

“Don’t you dare tell him, Luke!” They both jumped as she raised her voice, a glare pointed in the ginger’s direction.

“What's going on? Ruby?” Jumping at her name, she looked in his direction, a fleeting panic coming across her face, before sprinting out of his room and to her own where she locked her door securely.

“It's not that bad. I think she’s just a bit embarrassed.” Without wasting a second, Luke jumped right into the event that just took place. Closing the door as he continued the tale, Luke quietly discussed his private conversation with the alphas.

“She did all that?” It sounded a bit exaggerated for the Ruby he’s come to know.

“Yeah, surprised me too. She knows how to hold her own, Brad. Impressed them quite a bit plus, her eyes give her an edge. Kind of weird to see wolf eyes on a human but, hell, it gives her an advantage.” Luke sat on the couch taking the soda that Brad offered.

“Then I have lunch with them tomorrow?”

“Yep.” Luke popped the ‘p’ just as he opened the can. “Might want to talk to her. Probably embarrassed and worried she messed up.”

“Luke,” Brad’s arm snaked around his neck, squeezing tight, “it's awesome she defended me and you protected her in the meeting, but ever force her to do that again.” He paused for dramatic effect before speaking each word carefully. “I. Will. Skin. You. Alive. Understood?”

“Of course, Alpha.” Luke winced as he was finally released and left alone on Brad’s couch.

Racing down the hallway, Brad knocked on Ruby’s door with no response. Not wanting to waste precious time, though fully knowing he’d lose her trust, he grabbed the spare key from above the door frame.

Unlocking the door, he rushed in and slammed it shut behind him. Ruby paced in a corner, tense. She refused to acknowledge him as she mumbled to herself. He caught some words out of the jumble like how she liked it here, didn’t want something to happen and something about trouble.

Brad felt hopeless at her and the way her fingers scraped across her sweats in nervousness. Something she must have done when with the cult. A way to cope.

“Ruby.” Lovingly, he pulled her to his chest, cradling her there. His hold was light enough for her to break it easily, but strong enough to actually hold her.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my place to talk to them and I shouldn’t have yelled at Luke and… and… and-”

“Calm down, Ruby.”

“Now, you're mad and-”

“I’m very far from being angry, love.”

“But you slammed the door so loud-”

“Out of worry, not anger.” Brad chuckled at her, forcing her chin up to look at him with his finger.

“You're not mad?” She bit her lip to stop herself from asking if she was in trouble. If she'd be punished in some way.

“No, Ruby, never. I’m not mad at you. Don’t be scared. I told you before, I would never hurt you.” Ruby grabbed him in a fierce hug, confusing him all the more.

“I just didn't really think, just do. That hardly ever works in my favor but...” He felt like he had just been kicked in the gut at a small reference to her past experiences, some of which he's come to known, but hardly ever had she spoken of the cult.

“If what Luke told me was accurate, they weren’t offended in the least. You were not rude or else they wouldn’t be so impressed with you.” He patted down her hair, kissing her head several times.

“No one’s mad or offended?” Ruby peeked back up at him with caution.

No tears had run down her cheeks, but Brad wiped at them nonetheless, swiping at some moisture just beneath her eyelid.

“Ow…” Her weak response was followed by a weak push of his hand as she rubbed her offended eye.

“Sorry.” Brad cupped her face in his hand, inspecting to make sure he hadn’t poked her eye out.

After a moment of silence, he continued, “no one’s mad or offended. You have every right to speak your mind to anything or anyone whether it be in my house or not. I’d never be mad at you for that. This isn’t the cult or foster care, you can always do as you please, with the exception of murdering Luke. I want that job.” She laughed, her anxiety fleeing at his poorly made joke. Sobering, he continued, “next time Luke tries to force you into something like this, just wake me up. I can deal with them.”

“But you needed sleep…” Ruby rubbed at the moisture sticking to her lashes, a blush still staining her cheeks from her embarrassment.

The fear that had once clouded her, that feeling of stepping out of bounds, the one thing that had actually allowed her to escape, left her. There were no games here, no playing inside the court, just to keep the nice bed she slept on at night or the comfort of someone just a split second away from her if she needed them.

“Thank you for your concern, but I can handle it, sleep deprived or not.”

You're my mate. I will take care of you. I swore it then and I’m swearing it now.

He couldn’t deny it. She had to be his Last Purpose. In some shape or form, his life led to her and he’d be damned if anyone was going to tell him otherwise. He had a long way to go still, not knowing nearly as much as he wanted to, but he liked the way she snuggled into his side at night, how her eyes showed such emotion, her smile accented by a small color to her cheeks.

He adored her.

“Okay. Next time, I’ll tell you.” Brad smiled at that, patting down her hair and kissing her forehead.

“Come on, I’m still tired and I want to hold you. I didn’t get to do that last night.” He pulled her over to the bed where he covered them with the bedsheets. Ruby bunkered down, not bothered in the way he held her close or showered her face with kisses, never reaching her lips.

“Why do you treat me this way?”

“What way?” His wolf growled low in warning, he may not have lied, but avoiding the truth, playing dumb, was not in his nature, and the man in him kicked himself.

Around her, his other half was constantly active, but despite all the information that flowed around him, his human self couldn’t make sense of it. Turning into a wolf in the middle of a conversation didn’t seem wise either.

Brad knew what she meant but it wasn’t time. Not yet, but his gut told him, the longer he waited, the worse it’d be later on.

“Like this.” Ruby made no move to remove herself from his side, not disliking it per se. She had come to enjoy it when she could felt like she could handle it. Some days, she just wasn’t normal and those were the days she didn’t want anyone near her.

“‘Cause I like you.”

“I thought you guys had mates or something…” Brad exhaled, she’d put the pieces together very soon. Too soon.

“We do.”

“Then why are you here, Brad?” Her back tensed up.

Brad bit his tongue, stopping himself from telling the truth. She’d run, she’d reject him for it.

“Because I like you. Just because we have mates that we will one day find, it does not mean I cannot like you.” Brad squeezed her shoulder with his hand. It was a partial truth. Their free will dictated that, not anyone else.

“That's not fair and you know it.”

Brad didn’t respond to her and they laid in silence. Ruby soon left him to get lunch downstairs, feeling faint from hunger or so she claimed.

“Gotta rip off the band-aid. Gotta rip off the band-aid.” Getting up from the bed, he headed downstairs. As soon as he reached the bottom step, his hair on his neck stood up. The wolf in him growled.

Brad entered the living room where Lilac stood with a few of the other high school girls around her. Ruby came from behind him, also hearing them from her spot in the kitchen. She brushed by him, not wasting any time, reaching for Lilac’s hand.

When the girls tried to block her path, Brad growled, sending them three steps back.

“That’s not tolerated in this house and you know it.” His words had them stumbling back and out of the room.

As soon as Ruby had a hold of Lilac, she led her back to the kitchen where she split her sandwich and filled the teen’s plate with fruits. Brad watched as Ruby was about to continue eating when she stopped and headed back to the fridge. She grabbed a Fanta, Lilac’s favorite soda, and gave it to her.

Lilac was just as surprised as Brad at Ruby’s either lucky guess or precise observation. His wolf had calmed down, not irritated now that Ruby and Lilac sat in front of him, perfectly in view, eating lunch.

“Thank you.” Lilac took her dishes to the sink and excused herself. Brad nodded in her direction but kept his eyes on Ruby.

“Let’s talk. Outside.” They grabbed their shoes and coats without a word to one another.

Brad led her deep into the woods, far enough from the house but equally far from the patrols. Complete privacy.

Once they were clear of any possible onlookers, Brad wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. She didn’t return it and left her arms to dangle by her side.

“You already know, don’t you?” His voice was muffled by the way he had planted his face directly in her hair. Ruby only nodded to his question, hearing him clear as day.

Brad pulled back, his gut twisting in fear as his suspicion was confirmed. Reaching, he pulled away her coat and shirt to expose her soft skin to the harsh winter; the bite mark still engraved in her skin, bumpy flesh surrounding it. A side effect from an infection she had received.

“Do you know what this is?”

“A mating mark.” She probably knew from seeing her own file. Smith had documented it as such.

“An incomplete mating mark.” The words came out as a half growl while he traced the scar. Calming himself, he continued, “do you know what it means?”

By the way, she hesitated with her answer, Brad knew she didn’t but her guess wasn’t far from his mind.

“Control.” That's where her fear originated from.

“No, Ruby. It's never about control. He cannot control you with this. Ever.” Brad bent down, kissing the mark lightly.

Warmth spread through him at the contact of her soft, puckered flesh under his lips. It soon turned into a roaring fire as he caught her soft gaze, filled with a certainty and hope, framed by snowflake eyelashes.

“You don’t have to accept me.” Though he prayed to whatever entity who watched them now, that she would. “Just know, no wolf can have the same mate as another. You are uniquely mine as much as I am uniquely yours.”

“What is the bite for?” She covered it up, shivering in the cold.

“It's like a wedding ring… wolf style.” She blushed madly at his analogy, rubbing her hands together. He pulled her in, sharing his body heat with her. This time, her hands clutched at the fabric of his coat, accepting the embrace.

“There’s this god of time, ancient wisdom, and the mountain's echo,” it sounded a bit rehearsed, like it had been ingrained into him, “Quetztepeyoll, created an army of man-wolf soldiers. They favored neither the animal nor the man. Their only purpose in life was to serve him and the upcoming war. However, the war never came and with new peace meant the new army had to go. Instead of killing them, he set them free to wander and live life.”

“What does that have to do with the Last Purpose?”

“Darz told you about that, huh?” At her nod, he sighed and continued, “his soldiers began to die. Together, his four former generals and their most trusted men ventured back to Quetztepeyoll’s home. They needed a purpose, otherwise, they’d lose the will to live. Guilty for the grief he had caused his most loyal soldiers, he promised them that no matter what, they’d walk their life with purpose from now on.”

Ruby pulled back, confused by his story.

“I’m still confused. What is the Last Purpose?”

He pulled her back to his warm embrace, continuing his story quietly in her ear.

“Our mate. Our Last Purpose was to have a family if we so chose to. To live the rest of our life with love. In all honesty, it could be many things, like a successful business or charity or something, but once the Last Purpose was gone, our family secure and grown or business thriving, then we can die peacefully. The bite is an act of acceptance and trust by making yourself vulnerable. It's supposed to be an equal thing, but with humans and… other creatures alike, they are unable to perform it. No matter what though, the scar of the bite will disappear and form that of a unique pattern to which both mates will have. Like the identicalness of a butterfly's wings.”

“I don’t… I don’t want to be bitten again.” He shut his eyes in pain at the fright she held in her tone.

“I would never hurt you. Ever.” Brad tightened his grip on her, kissing her head to convey the feelings he couldn’t say.

“I know. It just hurt so much…” Tears pricked her eyes at the memory. Ruby hadn’t screamed and cried out in pain, she bit her lip so hard it bled, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing her in pain.

Trying to imagine Brad doing the same seemed impossible, but it hurt her heart on a level unimaginable.

“I’m sorry, baby. I really am. But, I need to know one thing.” Breaking their hug, he cupped her frosted cheeks in his hands, covering them completely. “What’s his name?”

Ruby nuzzled against his hands, holding them there with her own.

“Your hands are really warm.”

“Perks of being a wolf.” He gave a toothy grin, touching their noses together. “Please don’t avoid the question.”

“Promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”

“Ruby-”

“Promise!” She hissed the word between her teeth, her rosy cheeks molting into that of an angry red.

“I promise I won’t do anything reckless.” Brad kissed her nose as if sealing the deal.

“What are you going to do, once you know?”

“I’m going to kill him.”