The Ruthless Beta’s Forbidden Mate

RUBY “And on today’s rink, we have the rogue beta of Blackthorn Territory!” The arena announcer’s loud voice boomed over the crowd, shaking the wooden railing of the high balcony where I sat. The crowd broke into wild cheers. “It’s a complete mystery why the rogue beta from the most strongest rogue pack would want to fight here today,” the announcer shouted into the microphone. “But who are we to turn down such a request?” I sat completely stiff next to my father, the Alpha of our territory. My back pressed so hard against the wooden chair that the metal decorations dug straight into my back through my dress. The golden half-mask covering the top of my face felt heavy against my nose. My heart was beating way too fast. News traveled quickly between different pack lands, and the rumors about Blackthorn’s dangerous rogue beta had reached our border weeks ago. People said he was wild, unpredictable, and far too dangerous to be hanging around our quiet, middle-tier land. Him and his alpha are both rogues. Banished a long time ago. No one would mention what territory they were banished from. “Everyone, welcome the rogue, Beta Shane!” the announcer yelled. The crowd exploded. The noise was so loud it felt like a physical wall hitting me, shaking the ground far below us. Then he walked into the ring. The second he stepped out, all the cheering completely died down. The breath caught in my throat. The man stepping onto the dirty ground wasn't just a regular fighter. He was huge—a tall, broad shouldered man who moved with a scary kind of grace. Long dark hair fell around his strong square jaw, but his eyes were what caught everyone's attention. They were bright, cold blue, glowing like ice under the hot sun. He was breathtaking. He was so handsome it made me furious. My hands turned white as I squeezed the arms of my chair. “Are you alright, Ruby?” my father asked softly, his deep voice snapping me out of my daze. I gave him a quick, fake smile and nodded my head right away. My father shifted in his seat and leaned closer to me, pointing down toward the fighting ring. His breath smelled heavily of old tobacco. “That beta is dangerous,” he whispered. “He’s as strong as his own Alpha. They’re brothers, but Shane is trouble. Him coming here to fight today feels like he’s trying to start something. After all these years, who would have thought I’d see him alive today?” “What do you mean by ‘see him today’?” I asked. My father adjusted his coat. Deep lines appeared on his forehead as he watched the dark haired man stretch his arms in the middle of the dirt ring. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, Ruby. You wouldn’t understand,” he said. Then his voice became cold and serious. “I’ve doubled our guards. We have heavy security around the territory. If he’s planning anything bad, he’ll soon learn that his filthy rogue pack’s rules don’t apply here. But I really hope this doesn’t turn into a real fight outside the ring.” Down in the pit, as if he could hear my father talking about him, Shane turned his head. His bright blue eyes moved up past the screaming crowd in the front rows. He looked right at my father. Then his eyes moved just a little bit to the side. He locked his eyes straight onto me. A cold chill ran straight down my back, making the hair on my arms stand up. I let out a sharp gasp behind my golden mask. My father immediately grabbed my hand, squeezing my fingers so hard it hurt. “Calm down,” he muttered under his breath, even though his own palm felt sweaty against mine. “Nothing bad will happen here. Just sit still.” Before I could even take a deep breath, the iron gate on the far side of the arena creaked open with a loud groan. Heavy metal chains dragged noisily across the dirt floor. The creature they dragged out into the daylight barely looked like a human at all. It was a total monster—a massive, twisted beast of dark fur and huge muscles, standing much taller than any normal werewolf shifter. It was one of my father’s worst kept secrets, locked away in the deepest dark cells under our castle. A half human, half beast monster kept only for brutal fights. I leaned closer to my dad, unable to take my eyes off the gigantic creature snapping its sharp jaws. “Isn’t that thing going to kill Beta Shane?” I whispered quickly. My father just shrugged his shoulders, looking completely unbothered. “I hope it does. Shane is arrogant. He thinks he’s better than everyone else. It’s about time someone knocked him down into the dirt.” The metal gates slammed shut, and the fight began. The beast moved terrifyingly fast. It sprinted across the dirt pit with a loud roar that shook the floorboards under my feet. It threw its whole body straight at Shane’s neck. Shane jumped out of the way quickly, but the monster’s sharp claws managed to s***h across his side. Bright red blood splashed across his skin and dripped onto the ground. A gasp escaped my lips. I gripped the wood of my chair so tight my nails dug into the finish. My brain told me to look away from the blood, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. What happened next was over in a split second. Before the monster could turn around to attack again, Shane spun around. His speed was terrifying. He grabbed the beast’s thick neck with both hands, slammed it down toward the ground, and brought his knee up hard into its face. A loud snap echoed across the entire stadium as bone broke. The massive monster hit the dirt. It lay completely still, its chest barely moving as a weak sound came out of its mouth. The whole stadium stayed completely silent for a second before erupting into loud screams. People stood up, pounding on the railings and tossing gold coins down into the ring. Beside me, my father’s face turned bright red with anger. He cursed loudly under his breath, his words lost in the noisy crowd. He pushed his chair back violently and walked away toward the exit. I stood up slowly, my legs feeling weak under my long dress. I looked back down at the dirt ring one last time. Shane hadn't moved at all. He was standing right in the middle of all the cheering people, his chest moving up and down as he breathed heavily. His dark hair was messy and covered in sweat and dirt. He wasn't paying any attention to the crowd around him. He was staring directly up at me. His eyes were completely locked onto mine, watching me breathe. He looked at my golden mask and my neck, staring at me so intensely it made my face burn hot. I quickly looked away, turned around, and ran after my father as fast as I could, my heart pounding wild in my chest.