Chapter 10
10
RUBY
T wo weeks. Fourteen days until the will's conditions expire, and every time I see Marcus, I'm reminded of the looming deadline.
His shark-like grin greets me from the bar, and something inside me snaps. Maybe it's the whole situation up in the mountains. After years of swallowing my mother's fears, of seeing her broken and bloody on our kitchen floor, of hearing my father's contempt— useless Omega, just like your mother —I'm done. Fucking done.
"I don't have time for you," I bark, marching toward the bar, where Ash shoots me a concerned look. The afternoon sun slants through the stained-glass windows, painting Marcus in sickly shades of red and purple. Fitting.
"You okay, boss?" Ash asks, already moving closer.
Marcus leans over the polished wood as I move behind the bar, his expensive cologne stinking up the place and that predatory grace irritating me. His perfectly tailored suit probably costs more than I make in a month.
"Having a tantrum? I can fix all this stress for you, Omega. Just hand over the bar now, stop worrying your pretty little head?—"
"Get the fuck out of my bar, you piece of shit!" I yell, my anger flying past my lips.
Marcus's mouth actually drops open.
"You heard me," I snap, heat rising in my chest. "I don't need to be nice to you now or ever, so leave before I have Ash toss you out. And trust me, he'll make it hurt."
Marcus's smile turns wide, reminding me so much of my father, it makes my stomach turn.
"Such language from our little Omega bartender. Though I shouldn't be surprised… you always were uncouth. Just like your mother." He places a hand over his heart, and the gesture is as fake as his concern. "I came to offer you a position when you lose this place. That's what family does."
I'm shaking now, teeth grinding so hard my jaw aches. "Shove your offer up your ass. Ash, show him the door."
He steps forward, but Marcus raises his hands, backing away. The fury in his eyes makes my skin crawl.
"I get it. You want to play big girl business owner a little longer." His voice drops to a silky whisper. "Tick tock, Ruby. Two weeks. Don't come begging when you're homeless."
The door shuts behind him with a final-sounding click. I grab a bottle of bourbon—the good stuff—and pour a double with trembling hands. "Fucking asshole," I mutter, downing it in one smooth gulp.
I glance upward, where Eve's old photo watches over the bar. She's laughing in it, holding up her first brewery award. "Did you really have to put me in this situation?"
Ash wraps me in a bear hug, his Beta woodsy scent comforting. "I am so fucking proud of you for finally telling that creep to fuck off."
A slightly hysterical laugh bubbles up. "So long overdue."
"Well, wherever you've been since yesterday has changed you. I like this version of you. And I have news that's going to make you even happier. We got a call for a party booking in our function room."
Something in his tone makes me pause. "Okay…"
"For tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow?" My voice shoots up. "As in just over twenty-four hours from now? That's insane, Ash. We can't possibly?—"
"Party of thirty." He's got that look, the one that says he's saving the best for last. "Corporate Christmas gig. Their original venue flooded or something."
I run a hand through my hair, mind already spinning through logistics. "That's so tight. The prep alone?—"
"They'll pay triple our going rate."
My mouth might have fallen open. "Triple? You're sure?"
"Cross my heart." His grin is infectious. "Said they're desperate and money's no object."
The possibilities start racing through my mind. That kind of money could help with the bar's mortgage.
"It's very short notice," I say slowly. "But Lily and Hannah can handle the baked goods – they always have extra holiday stuff this time of year. We've got plenty of decorations already up. Drinks we're well-stocked on after today's delivery."
"And I'll handle everything." Ash straightens to his full height, chest puffed out like a proud rooster. "You work the main bar, I'll run the event. Trust me, Boss – this is what I live for. Give me a crowd and some Christmas music, and I'm in my element."
"You sure you can manage alone?"
He actually looks offended. "Please. I was born for this. Besides, what's our motto?"
Despite everything, I smile. "Never turn down good money when it walks through the door." Another of Aunt Eve's lessons.
"Exactly." He's already heading toward the office. "I'll call them back and lock it in. This is going to be epic, Ruby. Things are finally looking up!"
I watch him go, his enthusiasm contagious. Maybe he's right. Maybe the universe is finally cutting me a break.
Then I look down at the number scrawled on my palm, Knox's messy handwriting slightly smudged but still readable. The ink's slightly smudged from nervous sweat but still readable. Why should I let Marcus win? Why should I let Mom's trauma become mine?
Yet my mom's voice echoes in my head. " They'll destroy you, baby. That's what Alphas do. They find your weak spots and exploit them."
But what if my weakness is being too afraid to accept help? Two weeks isn't long enough to save the bar on my own. And here I am with two incredibly successful Alphas showing interest in me. Is it so wrong to explore those connections? My gut churns at the thought of using either of them that way, but survival instincts are hard to ignore.
I wipe angry tears from my eyes and pull out my phone. I message Knox.
Let's meet at 8pm the day after tomorrow.
His response is immediate as my phone beeps.
I'll swing by and pick you up.
Something in my stomach bursts with excitement at seeing him again.
"I feel like it's been too long since I've seen you," a deep voice makes me nearly choke on my breath.
I shove my phone away, looking up to find Garrett standing at the bar, wearing that smile that makes my insides flutter. His button-up shirt stretches across broad shoulders, the brewery logo crisp above his heart. Everything about him radiates sex god—from his rolled-up sleeves showing muscled forearms to the way he carries himself with quiet confidence.
"I came by yesterday, but they said you weren't in."
My gaze drops to his mouth before I can stop it, remembering our kiss, his head between my thighs in the cellar, and the flowers he'd sent after. I'm swooning over one Alpha right after agreeing to date another. But something feels different today. Like I'm finally pushing back against the cage I built around myself. Like I deserve this.
Ash smirks knowingly as he pours a draft, giving me the side sneaky stare… The bastard is dying to tease me.
"Everything okay?" Garrett reaches across the bar, his thumb gentle as he wipes away a stray tear I missed. The touch sends electricity racing down my spine. "Tell me who made you cry, and I'll make them wish they were never born." His words are dark, and I believe he means every word.
"That's dark," I say, but find myself grinning. "And sort of sexy."
"I live to serve." His smirk is hypnotic, but there's steel underneath the warmth. "Though we only ever seem to catch up in this bar. What do you say about seeing what the outside world looks like? Promise I don't transform into anything in the sun."
I laugh despite myself, eyes trailing over how his shirt pulls across his chest when he leans forward. He's stunning in that rugged way that makes my hands itch to touch; deep green eyes seem to see right through me.
"That sounds excellent," Ash chimes in, nudging me in the side with his elbow. "Bar's dead. I've got this."
"Maybe something to eat for a late lunch?" Garrett suggests, and his voice has dropped lower, more intimate. "I know a place."
I'm suddenly feeling hot, my stomach giddy.
I hesitate, guilt twisting in my gut about Knox, but I nod. "Sure." Am I really doing this? Dating two men while my world crumbles around me? Mom would be horrified. But maybe that's exactly why I should.
"Give me ten minutes to dash upstairs and change clothes, and I'm in."
His grin has me needing to please him further. I dart upstairs, ready to dive into the shower for the world's fastest wash.
Clean and dressed, I find Garrett waiting for me by the bar door, and once we're outside, I swear I spot Marcus's Mercedes idling down the street.
I freeze, but Garrett steps smoothly into my line of sight, his body angling protectively, facing me.
"Hey, I have a better idea. You know the fair's in town down by the park?"
When I peek around him, the car's gone. Still, Garrett read something in my expression because he adds, "Lots of people, good food, Christmas lights."
A warning flares in my mind—Mom's voice, telling me how they draw you in with sweetness before showing their teeth—but for once, I shove it aside. I can't let the past control me forever. I won't.
Buttoning up my coat, I answer his smile with one of my own and a nod.
Minutes later, we're parked near the park, where the winter fair sprawls toward us. A massive Christmas tree marks the entrance, twinkling lights reflecting off the frozen waterfall behind it. Carnival music plays, and the air is thick with delicious smells—popcorn, fried dough, grilling meat.
"I haven't been to the fair in years," I admit as we walk, our arms brushing.
"No? Then we're definitely doing this right." Garrett steers me toward a red-and-white striped food truck with a sign reading, Klaus's Krazy Krauts - Award-Winning Artisanal Wursts. The elderly man behind the counter greets Garrett by name.
"You haven't had one?" he asks me incredulously, and I shake my head. His hand settles on my lower back, warm and steady, then lifts his head to the food truck. "Klaus, we need to fix this tragedy immediately."
In no time, I'm holding a massive Polish sausage hot dog loaded with sauerkraut, mustard, and fried onions. The first bite makes me moan; the skin snaps, juices flooding my mouth with smoky perfection.
Garrett watches me with heat in his eyes that reminds me of that night in the cellar, his mouth on my skin, his hands...
"Good?"
"This is heaven!" I manage.
He laughs, taking a bite of his own, then grabs the bottle of water he ordered. A drop of mustard catches at the corner of his mouth, and I have to physically stop myself from reaching up to wipe it away or from tasting it off his lips.
We end up on the arched bridge spanning the frozen river, snow-laden trees creating a winter wonderland around us. Fairy lights twine through the branches, and people wander around. It's not that busy; the temperature is dropping quickly.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why were you crying earlier?" he asks quietly.
I savor my last bite, letting the flavors ground me before reality crashes back.
"Family really sucks sometimes, and mine's the worst. They don't believe Omegas should have any rights. And I miss my aunt. She was my whole family after I got kicked out of my home at a young age." The words just flow out. I can so easily speak with Garrett.
He presses against my side, solid and warm. "It's okay to cut toxic people out of your life, even if they're family. You don't owe them anything."
"I know." I shrug, watching my breath cloud in the cold air. Part of me wants to tell him everything—about Marcus, the loan, my two weeks of freedom left—but I can't bear the thought of him offering to help, of seeming like I'm angling for rescue. I want to trust him, to let him in, but I need to do it slowly. "Sometimes, you're just tied up in things that aren't that easy."
His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining. The touch is gentle but possessive, sending warmth spiraling through my chest.
"You don't have to tell me everything," he says softly. "But I'm here when you're ready."
I look up at him, at the way the fairy lights catch in his green eyes, at how he's watching me like I'm something precious. For a moment, I let myself imagine a future where I'm not alone in this fight, where I have someone to lean on who won't use it against me.
But Mom's words whisper somewhere in the back of my mind. " That's how they get you, baby. With kindness. With understanding. Then, one day, you wake up and realize you've given them everything, and they've given you nothing but scars."
I squeeze his hand once before letting go. "We should head back. I need to check on Ash."
"Ruby." His voice stops me as I turn away. "Whatever's going on, whatever you're afraid of, you're stronger than you think."
Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them back. Two weeks. Two Alphas. And one terrified Omega trying to outrun her mother's ghosts.
I have time , I tell myself, but the lie tastes bitter on my tongue. Two weeks isn't any time at all.
The fair lights blur around us as we stroll together, my body humming with an awareness that's becoming harder to ignore. Every brush of Garrett's arm against mine has my skin covering in goosebumps. I'm burning up despite the winter chill, my Omega instincts going haywire every time he glances over at me.
Knox's forthcoming date flits through my mind, but it's getting harder to focus on anything except Garrett's mouth when he talks, the way his throat moves when he swallows, how his hands keep finding reasons to touch me on my elbow, my lower back, my shoulder.
"The haunted house is pretty impressive," he says, nodding toward a looming Victorian structure draped in fake cobwebs. There's a line to go into the fun house. "Want to check it out?"
I laugh, maybe a bit too sharply. "I have enough horror in my life." The words slip out too quickly, and I feel him tense beside me.
"Come on," I say quickly, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward a roped-off section to the far right of the fair that catches my attention. "Let's check this out instead."
A village spreads before us, a dozen tiny elf houses nestled among snow and twinkling lights. Each structure is like a tree house in size but on a small field of snow, each single home made of wood and painted in reds and greens, others like fairy tale cottages. It's whimsical and completely at odds with the darkness swimming in my head.
Garrett studies my face instead of the display, his expression intense. His thumb traces circles on my palm, and the simple touch makes my knees weak.
"If you're in danger," he says softly, "you would tell me, right? You can call me anytime, day or night. I'll be there."
I blink up at him, questions crowding my throat, but my body has other ideas. The heat that's been building all afternoon crashes over me in a wave. I'm up on my toes, pressing my mouth to his. I know I'm distracting him from peppering me with questions, but I don't stop.
Garrett responds instantly, one arm wrapping around my waist while his other hand tangles in my hair. My hands fist in his shirt, hauling him closer.
Suddenly, he breaks away, eyes wild. "Come here," he growls, ducking under the rope barrier and pulling me with him. I should protest—we definitely shouldn't be back here—but then he's leading me toward one of the larger elf houses, and all I can think about is getting my hands on him again.
A quick glance around and there's hardly anyone around this area, let alone anyone spotting us.
The door barely closes behind us before he has me pressed against it, his mouth hot on mine. He has to duck to avoid the ceiling, and the absurdity of this massive Alpha in a tiny elf room should be funny, but there's nothing humorous about the way he's kissing me. It's all lips and tongue and desperate hunger.
Fabric curtains cover the windows, but enough light filters through to illuminate his face when he pulls back to look at me. The small space feels electric.
"We shouldn't be here," I manage, but my hands are already sliding under his shirt, tracing the hard planes of his stomach, the thin line of hair traveling down those ridiculous abs.
"We shouldn't be doing a lot of things." His voice is rough as he nips at my neck. "Tell me to stop."
"I can't." The admission tears from my throat. "God, I'm burning up. What's happening to me?"
"It's your heat, gorgeous." His hands slide down to grip my hips, pulling me against him. The hardness pressing against my stomach makes me whimper.
That's the last thing I want to hear, yet I feel like I can't pull myself away from him if I tried. Yet part of me wants to try.
"Tell me you don't want this." His thumb traces my bottom lip, his eyes dark with want. "Tell me to walk away."
Instead, I bite his thumb lightly, drawing a growl from deep in his chest.
"I want you to make me forget everything except your name."
He kisses me again, harder this time, more demanding. His tongue is long and smooth as he licks against my lips, then he invades my mouth, his body hard against my body, his hips grinding hard against me. My back hits the wall, and I wrap one leg around his waist, trying to get closer, needing more friction. His hand slides under my thigh, hitching me higher.
We kiss like feral things, so sexual, so wet, a moan in my throat. I claw at him, needing more.
"You're going to destroy me," he growls against my mouth. "Do you have any idea what you fucking do to me? How much I want to ram into you right here?"
His words burn me up, making me rock against him with desperate need. "Please," I whimper, not even sure what I'm begging for as I try to make sense of everything through my sex-starved, fogged brain.
Through the haze of desire, I hear distant voices, fair workers or security making their rounds, but right now, I don't care if we get caught. Don't care about anything except Garrett's hands on my skin and the way he makes every warning voice in my head go blissfully silent.
For the first time in my life, I understand why Mom kept going back to Dad, even after the worst fights. This pull, this need… it's like gravity. Like drowning. Like flying.
Garrett's hand presses into the wall behind me, his other hand sliding over my breast, kneading, pinching my nipple. I moan, and my whole body thrums with desire, desperation, and fire. The growl in his voice sends shivers down my spine, awakening something primal I didn't know lived inside me. I can't stop the whimper that escapes when he pulls back, my fingers twisting desperately in his shirt to keep him close.
"Just kiss me again," I plead, hating the neediness in my voice but past caring. His laugh is rough, almost pained, and the sound shoots straight through me.
"If I kiss you right now, I won't stop." The raw hunger in his words makes me weak. "And sweetheart, when I finally make you mine, it won't be against some elf house where anyone could interrupt." But he's leaning closer even as he says it until we're breathing the same heated air, and my body arches toward him of its own accord, seeking more. My nipples are so taut, they hurt, desperate for his touch.
"I don't ca—" I start to say, but he cuts me off with a sound that's almost feral. The strain in that sound, the savagery, only feeds the flame burning under my skin.
"Right now, I'm hanging onto my control by a thread."
It feels like he's taking all the oxygen with him when he's not kissing me. My body aches with an emptiness I never knew existed before him, and I hate how much I need him to fill it. Hate how much sense it suddenly makes why people risk everything for this feeling. Why they burn their whole worlds down just to feel it again.
Yet, here I am, on my knees in moments in front of him, my breaths coming too fast, and I have no control of myself. I know what I want, and he's standing in front of me.
"Dammit," he grinds out as I pull at his belt, then at the buttons on his jeans. "Seeing you on your knees is going to kill me."
I grin up at him, nibbling on the corner of my lower lip as I tug down on his jeans and boxers, his huge cock bouncing out. A purr strokes my throat at the sight. I wasn't prepared for his size, that thick vein running down his length, or the beads on the tip of his cock. And my sights set on the thick knot at the base of his erection, the one that swells once inside of me, keeping us locked. I’ve never been with an Alpha before, but my initial thoughts are… how am I supposed to fit that inside my pussy?
"Kiss me on the tip,” he asks with almost a command, distracting my thoughts.
"You'll be my first," I admit while reaching out to curl my fingers around his erection.
He hisses, his hand running through my hair.
"Fuck, you're saying I'll be the first dick to ever be in your mouth?"
I nod, and his breath speeds up. There's something wonderful about seeing such a strong man lose control over me.
Not being shy, I lean in and slip my lips over his tip, tasting his saltiness.
"That's it, slide deeper." His hand is on the back of my head now, and I sense his pressure.
Keeping my mouth tight around him, I take more of his cock into my mouth, and I'm not sure if I can fit all of it in.
As if he can sense my concern, he pushes my head closer to him, sliding himself deeper still.
"Slowly work me in. Take your time."
So, with my hand reaching to cup his balls, I work him in and out, my mouth working to take all of him. I have no idea if I'm doing this right, but he's growling, his body tensing, and I know he's enjoying it. That's all that matters.
"Look up at me," he asks.
I lift my gaze, my mouth full, and meet his eyes.
"Fuck, Ruby, I'm about to come so hard, burst into your mouth. And you're going to be a good girl and swallow it all down, aren't you?"
I make an agreeing sound.
He has my hair tighter around his fist, and he's growling, still holding my stare as his hips rock, meeting my sucking. Every inch of me is humming with arousal, and I'm completely drenched. I squeeze my thighs, heightening the sensation as it builds and builds.
Running my tongue along his shaft, I grin at him with my eyes, and he hisses again, his balls so tight. I whimper with the fire lighting me up from the inside.
"It's so fucking sexy to see my fat cock all the way in your mouth," he murmurs, then growls, his hips pushing forward, his knot pushing into my mouth too. The tip of his erection hits the back of my throat, instantly bringing tears to my eyes, but there's excitement, too, and I work to take more of him.
"FUUUUUCK!"
Warmth spills into my mouth suddenly, creamy and sticky, almost sweet, and I swallow it. There's so much of it, and it keeps coming. I work my throat, taking it all in, trying to also breathe.
"My sweet Ruby, you're working so hard, taking all of me. I'm dying to sink my cock into your pussy, to knot you, to fuck you until you pass out!"
His words are hungry, savage, and sinful. Turns out I love them because, in seconds, I'm shuddering, my own orgasm tearing through me. I'm buzzing between my thighs at having such a massive cock in my mouth, picturing him fucking me. There was no way I could have prevented what was coming. I moan against him, riding my own climax that tears through me.
"Never fucked a more beautiful mouth. Next time you are going to come on my dick because I need to see you coming on my face or dick."
Finally licking away the last drop, I pull free and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. He's grinning wildly as he tucks himself away and helps me to my feet. My face is flushing as he collects me in his arms.
"You were beautiful and so perfect."
I open my mouth to respond, leaning into him despite my face blushing, but a voice outside freezes us both mid-smile. My heart leaps into my throat as Garrett moves swiftly to the window, peering past the curtain's edge. In the panic of the moment, I can't help noticing how his shoulders tense protectively.
"Security doing cabin checks," he whispers, turning back to me with a glint in his eye. "Let's get out of here."
Before I can answer, he takes my hand, leading us to the door of the elf house. The thrill of almost getting caught sends nervous giggles bubbling up in my chest, which I try desperately to suppress. Garrett holds my hand a bit tighter, and we wait there as he peers out the ajar door. The moment the voices fade, he eases the door wider and pulls me into the crisp winter air.
We hunch low and dart around the small cabins in the opposite direction of the voices, finally reaching the rope and frantically scrambling under it. We run like teenagers, ducking behind festival stalls and weaving between carnival rides. The wind whips into me, and I can't remember the last time I smiled this hard. When we finally break free of the fairgrounds, we both burst out laughing.
"Quick, get in." He grins, opening the door to his black SUV. The warmth inside is welcoming, and I sink into the leather seat, still catching my breath.
As he pulls onto the road, where there are cars everywhere, something warm unfurls in my chest—so different from the wariness I usually feel around Alphas. Since that first meeting at the festival, every interaction with Garrett has chipped away at me, showing me something about him I never expected to find—maybe he's not a monster in hiding like my father had been.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks softly, glancing over as we stop at a red light.
I just grin, watching the way the shadows play across his face. That tiny spark of hope in my chest feels dangerous, wonderful, real. And I'm starting to believe that maybe some risks are worth taking.