“You’re acting delusional,” Killian muttered. “They’re telling us the truth. We just need to be better at reading between the lines.”
Unable to agree on the issue, the men took to arguing, but Killian remained transfixed on the dimly lit windows of the marble building. He counted over 253, but not one seemed to offer any clue as to where she was housed.
He thought about her hunting, and a smile curled on his face, bringing joy into his heart. “I miss her so much,” he admitted.
“Me, too,” Lucas sighed.
Killian ran his fingers through his unkempt beard. Every time he felt the rough strands, he was surprised at how long they had become. His hair was the same way, waving down past his vision. Despite it being no more than a warm blanket, he felt secure like he could withstand anything.
Still, when he thought of Rae’s hazel eyes, he let go and focused on the light breeze. He felt as cold as ice might, but at least ice could freeze someone to death. The coldness of his heart was something different. He knew God assured mankind that certain bitterness was to last forever.
Vash lay back against the thorny hay and traced the outline of his dense scars on his abdomen. “I think about her every single second I’m awake.”
As Killian closed his eyes to rest, the wind rustled across the land, forcing an unsettling fear into his heart. He couldn’t help but wonder what Severin was gaining by bringing them here. Perhaps, it didn’t matter. The alphas had something to dream about, but would their answer to their prayers finally come? They were so close to her, and yet, Killian felt so far away.
At last, when he laid his head back, he saw the stars above align. And just as he was about to close his tired eyes, he saw a pair of grimy feet.
His eyes widened as a blade rested against his throat. He gaped and exhaled loudly in shock.
“Sit up and shut your mouth, filth.”
Chapter Seven
Ruby sat on her knees and traced her finger around the mattress. She leaned over the back of the bed and fixed her eyes on the cornfields below her window. When she turned, she noticed a newspaper clipping on her dresser. Staring back at her were the three escaped alphas, threatening to find their way back to her sister. Severin slowly came behind her and kissed the crook of her nec
k, but this act of affection only caused her to tense up and reject him.
“The prisoners… have they been found?” she asked.
Severin’s warm breath fell alongside her shoulders and the soft skin on her back. He massaged her shoulders. She was tense. Always tense. She could barely look at him.
She turned her head to see his grotesque tongue exiting his lips to taste her flesh. This mode of affection was rare, and Ruby allowed it simply to conserve her energy.
“Mm,” he grunted and huffed loudly. “Can’t we put our stress aside for one moment and allow ourselves a little love? I mean, my God, sometimes I feel like we’re not a couple.”
Ruby sucked in a tight breath and forced herself away from the minister. “That’s because we aren’t a couple,” she muttered. “You seem to lack any understanding of the state of the Republic. I need those men, and I need them dead. Rae would very much like a funeral for her first loves, and it would be wise of me to give it to her. At the very least, it would get the bitch one thing she asked for.”
“Wise, maybe. But you’re right, my dear. I do lack some understanding. What is it you want from her, anyway? The people anticipate her, that much is clear, but she could disappear tomorrow and they’d find another martyred celebrity to worship. I simply can’t comprehend why she is so necessary.”
Ruby swallowed and sucked in her cheeks to give herself an air of intelligence. She despised seeing Severin’s gloating eyes light up with every word he spoke. Ruby was the prime minister, not him. She wasn’t as stupid as he made her out to be. Not to mention, he was the one obsessed with the planning of the rituals associated with her.
“I just need the alphas to disappear,” she said.
“Once our men find them, I will personally deliver them to the milking chambers with the rest of the criminals. You can use every drop they offer to aid in your pregnancy,” he said.
“Stop,” she said.
“You’re right. Being a parent is worse than you think. It requires careful planning. Trust me, you are better off without a child, but maybe you know this already.”
Ruby nodded solemnly and allowed herself to fall back into Severin’s arms. She knew he was persuading her with falsehoods again, but she had nobody else. She had become so used to his assiduous tricks with speech that it exhausted her. But as she clung to his thin chest and kissed his collarbone, she seemed to catch him off guard with her curiosity.
“It’s odd that you brought up the prison. I nearly forgot the place existed,” she muttered.
Severin’s heart drove faster, beat pumping so hard it hit her chest. but he forced her to let go before she could make a comment. Quickly, he removed his belt and leaned back against the wall. “Come, let’s fuck. Feel me. I’m as hard as rock.”
He lowered his pants and forced her hand against the hard shaft. For the first time in months, he was erect and ready. His meaty package rose into the air, blooming a lubricant-based crown. Ruby carefully stroked the foreskin back and felt her pussy grow warm and wet with slick. He was never this ready to penetrate, and she hated to miss her chance, but he was hiding something from her, and she hated that more than she wanted to fuck.
Lowering herself to her knees, she kept her hand firm and tight around the base of his shaft. She glanced up at him with prying eyes, and Severin looked away. “Why do you ignore me?” she asked.