Thorned Rose

On the morning of Ruby Ann's eighteenth birthday, she received a gift—a pink silk nightgown. Inside the gift box was a card with a line of strong handwriting: 'Are you ready to step into the adult world, darling?' At the end of the card was an outline of a wolf's head, small as a soybean. Ruby Ann tore up the card, flushing the pieces down the toilet. She casually rinsed the tag of the nightgown, hanging it damp on the balcony, looking like a hanging corpse. She felt ominous. "Unlucky." After an early wash, she went to bed, tossing and turning all night, alert like a startled bird, every slight noise making her feel like she was facing a great enemy. The next day, she was anxious and uneasy, feeling a delusion that she wasn't afraid of him coming, but rather waiting for his arrival. In the evening, she put on the dried nightgown, feeling it fit after a bath. After drying her hair, she heard a knock on the door, knowing it was him. She put on a robe and hurried to open the door. Ruby Ann had known Evan Hunter for three years, but every time she saw him, her heart raced. His handsome appearance was one reason, his sharp expression another, but most importantly, it was his intimidating aura. He was still dressed in elegant black, white, and gray attire, known as the ascetic style. Today, he held a bouquet of bright red roses in his arms. Eighteen of them, with delicate petals and lush foliage, exuding a rich fragrance, exquisitely packaged. Ruby Ann didn't particularly like it. She believed flowers should bloom in the soil, withering into mud in the end, rather than being casually picked. "Happy birthday." Evan Hunter handed her the bouquet. "These were air-freighted from Ecuador, do you like them?" Ruby Ann took them. "I really like them, thank you, but my birthday was yesterday." "If I had come to congratulate you yesterday, you might not have been so happy." Ruby Ann pretended not to understand, smiling sweetly, "How could that be? Maybe Mr. Ho was too busy yesterday and only remembered to congratulate me today." Evan Hunter looked at her closely fitting nightgown, "Who do you think sent this?" Ruby Ann deliberately avoided his intense gaze, holding the flowers, and turned to go inside to find a vase. "Mr. Ho has always been generous, I dare not think this is the birthday gift he sent me." "Though the gift is light, the sentiment is heavy, some things cannot be measured by money." Evan Hunter followed her, throwing his suit jacket on the sofa, unbuttoning it as he watched her arrange the flowers in the evening. "There are many types of red roses, can you guess the name of this one?" Ruby Ann asked, "Any hints?" "I'll give you two options, one is 'freedom,' and the other is 'bride.'" Ruby Ann's smile stiffened, her face expressionless. For three years, she had grown up under Zane Hudson's protection like a rose in a greenhouse. Meanwhile, Evan Hunter's influence had rapidly expanded within three years, penetrating every corner of Frost Wolf Ridge. The day before her birthday, Evan Hunter took her from the Ho family's old mansion and imprisoned her here. He didn't even allow her to leave the room, so how could she be free? "Freedom" was obviously the wrong answer, but "bride"... It was a well-known fact in Frost Wolf Ridge that Evan Hunter was about to be engaged to the Miss Gao. His question was not a test but a dilemma for her. "Go ahead and guess, it's fine if you're wrong, I won't punish you." Evan Hunter looked at her leisurely, waiting for her answer. In this spacious room, she felt as if she was in his hunting range, with nowhere to escape. Ruby Ann forced a smile. "Maybe both? Mr. Ho is hinting that he's going to marry a bride, asking me to leave and give him freedom?" Evan Hunter laughed, his smile deep. This little girl was clever, but she also gave him a headache. "You don't need to worry about my affairs, you just need to choose your path. Of course, if you don't like these two options, you can ask if there's a third choice." Apart from leaving him and marrying him, what other choice was there? Besides becoming his lover by his side, becoming the third person in his marriage, what else was there? Ruby Ann was prepared when she put on the nightgown, but why was he so cruel, forcing her to speak up... She felt ashamed, turned to face him, and said firmly, "Fine, I choose your brother, is that okay?" Evan Hunter was stunned, slowly walking towards her, "Who?" "Zane Hudson." "You choose him?" Ruby Ann looked at him as he approached step by step, her face pale. "Yes, that's him." She lifted her long hair, revealing the snow-white neck and pointing to the wolf head imprint below her left ear. "I am already his woman, it's best not to have any ideas about me, or else he won't spare you!" "Is that so?" Evan Hunter restrained his smile, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his body suddenly emitted a black mist, his shirt instantly shattering, strands falling off. He was the only one in the wolf clan who could change freely. Whether in ability or ambition, he was truly the king. The floor trembled slightly, Ruby Ann's body trembling, she knew she couldn't escape tonight, closing her eyes in despair. Evan Hunter would definitely not let her go, his desire for her had been brewing for three years, finally coming to fruition. Even if she begged, he wouldn't show mercy. Not to mention the words she said, deliberately provoking him, he would naturally find an outlet to vent his emotions. Evan Hunter reached out his arm, already transformed into claws half man, half wolf, gripping her neck, forcing her to tilt her head up, revealing her fangs in her mouth. "Fool, your identity is not determined by the imprint." His voice grew lower, like a heavy hammer striking Ruby Ann's heart. His palm pressed against her leg again, lifting her skirt, causing a wave of heat, making her unable to control herself, trembling uncontrollably. "Don't..." He bowed his head, fiercely kissing her, devouring all her resistance and pleas. Evan Hunter's patience had reached its limit, the most primitive wildness surged from within, driving him to want to bite her neck, suck every drop of her blood, and then devour her mouthful by mouthful. However, he didn't want her to die easily, everything was just beginning. Evan Hunter embraced Ruby Ann horizontally, looking down at her wet red lips and mist-covered black eyes. "I hope you're ready to become a true adult, my dear."