Unaware of the current unrest within the pack, Zane was busy having sex with Ruby. He fucked her on the bed, the couch, the wall, and in the shower. He couldn't keep himself from touching her. The pack, the rogue issues, his responsibilities... nothing seemed to matter to him except Ruby. The only thing he wanted was her and only her. It seemed like he was addicted to her.
He didn't leave his room except to eat. He didn't even work out.
Ruby was ecstatic. She had always desired Zane's undivided attention. She was now sure that he would never look at another woman. However, she didn't stop using the spell-bound liquid on him. Sometimes she sprayed it on him, while other times, she applied it on herself and let him sniff it.
She sprayed the potion on her neck again this morning. She then motioned for him to come over to her with a provocative smile on her lips.
Zane, who had just gotten dressed to go to breakfast, couldn't stop himself from walking toward her. The revealing white gown she wore was enough to twist his cock.
"Aren't you sore already?" He smirked.
Ruby grabbed his collar and pulled him in closer. She placed her cheek against his and whispered, "I can never get enough of you." She nipped at his ear.
"Is that so?" Zane wrapped his arms around her and bowed to kiss her shoulder.
Knock-Knock…
His eyes switched from black to hazel, annoyed with the disturbance.
"Who is that?" he growled, turning to the door.
"Alpha is expecting you." A male voice came from the other side of the closed door.
Zane released her from his embrace, his jaws tense. He was not at all happy with the disturbance. However, he couldn't ignore his father's call.
"Alright. I will be there after a while." Zane returned his focus to Ruby.
"Alpha wants to see you right away," the voice rang out again.
Zane wrinkled his nose, a rumbling growl escaping from his throat. He swung around and dashed to the door, ready to murder whoever was outside.
"Hang on…" Ruby held his wrist and pulled him back. "Calm down," she said, rubbing his arm up and down. "You can't kill a guard. It will enrage the entire pack. He is only doing his duty. Go and talk to your father first. The Alpha might have something important to say." She smiled, feigning selflessness.
Zane returned her smile, his eyes switching back to black. His rage had also faded. "As you wish, baby. I will be right back. Wait for me." He pulled open the door and went out. As he walked past the guard, he gave him a scathing glare.
Ruby draped a robe over herself and hurried out. She saw Zane walking down the stairs, a guard following him from a little distance. She rushed over to the guard and tapped him on the shoulder.
The guard ceased his steps and turned to her. He bowed and asked, "How can I help you, Miss?"
Ruby glanced at Zane. When she saw him going further away, she returned her focus to the guard. "What is going on? Why is Alpha calling him so urgently? Is everything okay?"
"The rogues are planning an attack on us," said the guard. "Alpha has already sent troops to ambush."
"Already dispatched troops!" She repeated it with disbelief. "But Zane is still here."
"Connor is in command of the ambush. Lucas has accompanied him. Excuse me." He bowed and walked away.
Ruby stared at his back, her face solemn. She remembered Lucas showing up last night to speak with Zane. She thought he had come to take him away from her. But she never expected it to be this serious.
What worried her the most was Connor leading the troops. Ruby was aware of Connor's aspiration to be the alpha. She was afraid that the pack would begin to regard him as more deserving of being the next Alpha than Zane. It was not something she wanted.
Ruby grew agitated. She undoubtedly liked Zane. At the same time, she desired to be in power. She trapped Zane because she dreamed to be the Luna of the Moon Keepers. Her plans would fail if Connor became the Alpha.
She regretted overusing the potion. She only intended to keep him away from Eleanor. But the effect of the potion distracted Zane from his duty. Her reckless action backfired and favored Connor.
"No… Connor can't be the alpha. I won't let him ruin my dreams." She dug her nails into her palm, her mouth twisting.
Zane came to the office and saw Dimitri sitting on his seat. He bowed a little. "You called me, Father."
"Close the door." A cold command came from Dimitri.
Zane frowned, displeased at his tone. He obediently closed the door. He looked at him, waiting for his permission to sit.
Dimitri continued to glare at him, his fingers interlaced, elbows on the armrests. The disappointment and anger were evident in his glum face.
The growing silence made Zane uneasy. It infuriated him as well.
"You summoned me just so you could stare at me!" He growled, unable to stay quiet anymore. "If you don't have anything to say, I will leave." He turned to go out.
"Do you have any idea what is happening in the pack?" Dimitri roared, slamming his fist on the table. "Are you aware that the rogues are plotting an attack against us? Humph… How will you find out? You don't remember anything else other than Ruby."
His words added to Zane's fury.
"Why are you bringing up Ruby?" Zane grumbled, approaching him. "Don't show your dissatisfaction with her. I will not tolerate it."
"You are having fun with her when the pack is in danger," Dimitri snapped, leaping to his feet. Rage overtook him. The veins in his neck and face bulged. "Do you value her more than the safety of the pack?"
"What is the harm in spending some time with her? I am not the only one to deal with the rogues. You can send the others too."
Dimitri was taken aback by his response. His son, who never showed laziness in his duty, asked to send others to deal with the rogues. He even forgot about his vow to wipe out the rogue gangs of the valley.
Dimitri felt as if he was looking at a completely different person. It was not the Zane he used to know.
He squared his shoulders, breathing out a sigh. "Since you value her more than the pack, I have to reconsider your eligibility for the next Alpha. Anyway, I have already dispatched soldiers to stop the rogues, and Connor is in command. You are free to leave." He signaled him to leave with a wave of his hand.
Zane clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. Rage coursed through his veins, leaving him short of breath. It clouded his thoughts.
"I hate you because of it," he snarled. "You always consider the pack over your family. My mother died because of you. Those rogues didn't kill her. You killed her." He directed his index finger at him, his face crimson. Tears pricked at the back of his eyes.
"She wouldn't have died if you had come to save her. But you were busy dealing with the pack issues." He shook his head slowly. "I am nothing like you. I am devoted to the pack as well as to my loved ones."
He pivoted to leave but turned back to him. "The alpha position is mine," he said in a challenging tone. "I won't hesitate to challenge you if you think of giving it to Connor." He swung open the door and dashed out.
Dimitri stared at the door swing in and out, his heart heavy with anguish. The hostility in Zane's eyes was unbearable to him. His venomous words aggravated his pain.
He had no idea how he would convince him that he adored him. He also wanted to tell him how sorry he was for not being able to save his wife.
His mate's pretty face crossed his mind. It made him even more restless. "Melissa…" he murmured her name. "Our son despises me. Tell me how to convince him that I tried to reach you. I tried…" His throat tightened as emotion overtook him. His voice died in the end.