Red:The Alpha's Queen

Chapter Ten. 2

Part 2

~Jared~

It had taken her a while, but she was definitely drunk now. It was funny seeing her all stiff, and as a result, her glass was never empty. Gradually, the alcohol had gotten to her body, and she had eventually relaxed with each sip she took, eventually letting her guard down.

She was really chatty too, and I refrained from speaking unnecessarily just incase she let her guard up and went back to being all stiff again.

It was three hours since the time we had arrived at the inn and more people had filled the place with each passing hour. Thankfully, no one had dared to bother us, although a few curious glances had been thrown our way.

Raymond and Ciara , her friend as I had earlier learned, had literally disappeared out of sight from the moment we excused them. That though was two and a half hours ago.

At the moment though, Ruby and I were currently at a rooftop, five blocks away from the inn.( I knew because I counted as we made our way here.) There was no moon tonight, but the stars shone enough light for us to see, but not that we exactly needed it. Our vision was perfect. Unexpectedly, she had brought me here.w

She dropped my arm the moment we arrived, and paraded herself a few steps from where I stood. I watched as she twirled, her skirts lifting slightly at the knees.

"Ahhhhh," she sighed, the little act quickly followed with a deep breath. "It's so peaceful out here."

"It is. Isn't it?" And it sure was. A warm light breeze filled the air and the place was much more quiet than where we had been earlier.

I watched as she took in much needed gulps of fresh air, not wanting to disturb her peace. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax for moment. Her voice was a soft whisper on the wind, but it was still audible and clear.

"If you didn't actually come to drag me back to your pack, why are you here then? Why did you follow me all the way to the city?"

I stayed silent, trying to find the best way to respond. She turned, lookng in my direction. "Aren't going to answer me?"

"I will. But first, you'll have to have a dance with me."

"What?" Are you playing games with me right now? I'm in no mood for that. "

"I'm being serious." I offered my hand to her. Surprisingly she took it without quarrel but still narrowed her eyes at me. I led her in a slow waltz, watching as her skirts lifted up whenever I sped up. She was still a bit wobbly from the alcohol, but all she did was laugh whenever she tripped or stepped on my toes.

I came to a sudden halt, making her bump into me forcefully. My arms came up immediately, wrapping around her waist to provide support. Our gazes met, and i took in the little details on her. Her flushed cheeks, the lipgloss on her lips, and that hair pin that held her hair in place.

I acted on impulse, tugging the pin from her hair, which resulted into her thick black locs falling into masses around her face and shoulders.

She looked up, flashing her pearly white teeth at me in a smile I could only describe as provocative, charming and innocent. I gasped as the moment registered, colliding with my memories as I suddenly recalled the dream I had in the past. The woman, with dark hair and beautiful clear blue eyes. It was definitely her, no doubt. The blurred vision in my memories had cleared up,and there was no mistaking what was before my eyes.

And just like that, at 3:00 o'clock in the night, my mind was made up.

****

I cradled Ruby much more firmly in my arms aiming for a former grip. Unexpectedly, she turned, wrapping her arms around my neck this time. "Well, how the hell am I open the door if you hold onto me like that? "

Guess I had to fix the problem on my own.

Before I could attempt anything, the door came flying open and I came face to face with a small frail old woman in a pale white night gown, and standing only a head shorter than Ruby. Her brown hair had strarks of grey in it but her eyes were blue, reminding me of somewhere I had seen them. There was no doubt this was clearly her grandmother. She held a lantern in had, the light glow illuminating the darkness outside.

She stared at her passed out granddaughter in my arms, before looking back up at me. "I've been expecting you, Alpha Jared. " She wore a passive expression, not giving away any thoughts. I had questions at the tip of my tongue, but the old woman was already walking away.

"Don't just stand there. Come on inside. "

I had no option but to follow. The cottage had seemed small outside, but once inside, it was spacious than I had expected. I looked around briefly, before coming to a halt, nearly stumbling into the old woman. I hadn't realized she had stopped walking.

"Ruby's room is on the left. " She pointed in the direction. "Just take a right and you'll see it clearly. Stay the night, we'll talk in the morning. "

I don't think that's necessary.

I wanted to say, but the old woman was already disappearing above the stairs. I sighed. I had no choice in the matter. True to her words, Ruby's room was much easier to find.

There was no coach or chair in sight, only a double bed that had about a dozen of pillows and stuffed toys in it. There was another door in a corner, which I could only guess was her bathroom. I placed Ruby on the bed, untied her shoes and before placing her under the covers.

Now came the dilemma of where next I had to lay my head. Perhaps I would sleep in the living room, but I couldn't help but consider the action quite rude. Now that Iwas in a somewhat comfortable place, my weariness was beginning to set in.

The longer I gazed at the bed, the harder it became to resist the temptation. But then again, I had a valid reason to think that way. It was a double bed. If we both stayed on our respective sides of the bed, then neither of us would have any problems.

"Holy Creator. " I muttered, giving in. My weariness had definitely won over. I took off my shirt and got under the covers. I didn't need much sleep, but I had a feeling I wouldn't get much of it in the future. With that, I closed my eyes, giving into the deep slumber that awaited.

It was morning faster than I could comprehend, but that wasn't what had woken me up at the break of dawn. I had laid still for the past one hour, still contemplating how best to get myself out of this situation. Ruby still slept, her hair fanning across my chest and arms, half her body covering mine.

The bed covers had been long kicked off and I could only guess they were lying somewhere on the floor. She had probably crossed over to my side of the bed, in search of warmth and ended up using me as her source.

Well, now, I couldn't move or else I risked waking her up. So, waiting it was.

By the time she began to stir in her sleep, dawn was long over due. The sun was already blazing high in the sky, and I was guessing it was already 10 o'clock in the morning. Her eyes fluttered behind her eyelids and then she was fluttering them open.

1 2 3...

That's all it had taken and she was off me so fast I couldn't help but find her speed impressive. Once she had put quite a safe distance between us, she glared my way. I didn't miss how red she was in the face. I hardly held back a smirk, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to tease her.

"Good morning, star shine. The earth says hello."

"What the hell are you doing in here and in my room?" She practically growled out the question, her defenses already going up.

"Wow. So cheerful. After all the trouble I put up with bringing you home, I expected a little gratitude. "

"What are you talking about? " Her little brows were furrowed in confusion and just as I had suspected, she didn't remember much. I also realizing her little habit. She seemed to do that a lot.

"Well, allow me to jog your memory a little. "

As soon as she had connected the dots, she was bolting out the door, red as a tomato. I guess waking up and finding herself tangled all around me was something she had found pleasant to wake up to. Of course it hadn't helped that I had been shirtless too.

I finally got out of her bed and then proceeded to borrow her bathroom, taking my sweet time to clean up. I put back my clothes on and then headed down stairs.

I chuckled to myself as I took the stairs one at a time. The living room was as I had recalled it. Simple minimalistic furniture and a few overgrown plants hanging in the corners of the house. An aroma filled the room, and I didn't hold back searching for the source. It didn't take too long for me to find the kitchen.

Ruby stood by her grandmother's side setting the table. She looked up as I approached the dining table.

I smirked the moment we made eye contact, and she immediately looked away, her cheeks flushing with color. This had been a very interesting morning and I was about to make it even more exciting.

Her grandma led me to the dining table as soon as she noticed me, and the two wasted no time serving me breakfast. 6 slices of bacon, 3 waffle pancakes, an omelet and a whole steak, with a mug of black coffee on the side. I was impressed. It seemed the old woman knew how to feed a werewolf.

The ladies' portions were obviously in much smaller sizes, and we ate our breakfast quietly. I didn't mind the silence. It was comfortable but I couldn't speak for the other two parties at the table, especially Ruby. She avoided eye contact as much as she could. Though her grandmother seemed placent , a tense air lurked around her.

As soon as the breakfast was complete and the table was cleared, Ruby's grandmother wasted no time questioning me. Once the table was cleared, she began her interrogation.

" I'm glad you have come over, and it's a great honor having you for breakfast this morning, Alpha Jared."

" Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it here. Thank you for your hospitality."

" You are welcome. I understand you're a person of great importance, but so is my granddaughter. She's much more precious to me more than anything. So, I'll waste no time and get to the point.I understand you're already mated to her, but what are your intentions for her? What kind of relationship do you want to have with her?"

"I intend to have a serious relationship with your granddaughter. I respect the Creator's decision of mating her to me and therefore, I have already accepted her as my Luna. Ours will be a relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and open communication."

"I promise to put her safety first, and I'll do my best to make sure all her needs are met until she's satisfied. Although..."

I hesitated, but the old woman had no sympathy for me. She fully intended to listen to all my opinions. "Go on." She demanded. " Let me hear what else you have to say."

"Ruby and I are not in love and our start may have been rocky. But our marriage is not one I intend to leave free of love, that is if that's what fate has intended for us.

"So you mean you're willing to fall in love with my granddaughter, if fate, as you said, oes allow it."

"Absolutely."

"You really came prepared young man. Those are really some good points you put up. I believe I can't object to any of those." Her gaze was solely focused on me and a small smile played on her lips, as if she found something amusing.

"And that brings me to my final point. With your permission Mrs. Winter, may I please court your granddaughter?"