The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Everything went silent.

Seven’s fingers twitched once, then twitched again. He stood rooted to the ground, staring at Ruri as though his muscles had completely forgotten how to function.

Her round eyes curved into innocent crescents. She looked at him expectantly, holding her position without a trace of hesitation as she waited for an answer.

Slowly, Seven’s hands curled into fists until the leather around his palms creaked under the tension. Her smile wavered, a brief flicker of uncertainty crossing her features when the silence stretched too long.

“What do you say?” she asked, her voice dropping into a tender, hesitant pitch as she searched his face.

Seven held her gaze. A swarm of answers pressed against the back of his teeth, but he pressed his lips tightly together and swallowed them all.

He could not bring himself to say a word.

He watched her stare at him oblivious to the anguish tearing in his heart.

How could she be so blind?

How could she not know how much he loved her?

Or did she know, and she did not care?

The thought of it tightened Seven’s chest so much it was hard to take in air.

Without a word, he dragged his eyes away and turned toward the barracks.

“…Seven?” Ruri’s voice cracked behind him.

Seven didn’t slow. A second later, the rapid patter of her boots echoed against the stone as she scrambled to match his strides. “Seven, what? You promised you’d do whatever I asked!”

“Yes,” he said, keeping his eyes locked straight ahead. “That was before I found out you’ve run mad.”

She stumbled over her feet, the rhythm of her boots breaking before she sprinted to catch up to his shoulder. “No, listen.” Her hand reached toward his sleeve, hovering for a fraction of a second before pulling back. “Listen to my plan before you reject it outright. …Please?”

She darted past him and cut straight into his path, her hands stretched out wide to stop him in his tracks before he ran her down. “Listen to me, please!”

Seven closed his eyes, drawing in a sharp, steadying breath. When he opened them, he dragged his gaze up to the gray sky before dropping it back onto her. “You have five minutes.”

The lingering playfulness vanished from her face. She dropped her eyes, her fingers lacing together into a tight knot. “I don’t want to marry Hades.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “But the man I like… I don’t know if he likes me back.”

Seven’s fingers dug deeper into his palms. The bite of his nails barely registered against the sudden, hollow cold spreading behind his ribs, and the noise of the courtyard drowned under a sharp, high-pitched ringing in his ears.

His throat felt dry and tight. He forced a breath down into his lungs and rasped out, “Who is the man you like?”

Ruri bit her lip, her eyes shifting nervously from side to side.

“…Ethan?” The name left his mouth before he could catch it.

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening. “…How did you know?” She let out a small, breathless sigh and dragged a hand through her hair. “It seems it’s really written all over my face.” She muttered something under her breath before looking back up. “Everyone knows I like him, so why doesn’t he see it?”

The words landed like blunt impacts against his chest. Seven kept his face rigid, forcing everything within him to stay calm.

“Seven…” Ruri took a step closer, her tone dropping into a plea. “Help me. I want to know if he likes me. I want to make him jealous.”

Seven’s jaw locked. Standing before him was the woman he would do anything for, begging him to help her yearn for another man. He tried to breathe, but his lungs refused to cooperate. He looked away for a fraction of a second, swallowed the hard lump in his throat, and looked back.

“If he does,” Seven asked, forcing his voice to remain level, “what is your plan? Will you run away with him to avoid marrying Hades?”

Ruri blinked. Her lips parted, then closed again. She looked down at her feet, biting her lower lip before meeting his eyes. “Yes… I would. It’s better than getting married to Hades anyway.”

Seven couldn’t believe his ears. He had asked expecting a different answer, but nothing prepared him for her quiet confession.

A sharp, humorless sound scraped out of his throat. Without another word, he stepped around her in a flash, resuming his stride down the pathway.

“Seven, please!” Ruri ran after him immediately. “I think he likes me! But I think…” Her voice trailed off at the edges, a strained sigh leaving her lips. “I think he feels it’s impossible for us to be together because of our status. I really, really love him, Seven. Help me?”

I really love him.

Her words felt like scalding water poured over raw skin. Seven clenched his teeth, wishing he could stop her from speaking another word.

Then, suddenly, he stopped. Ruri pulled up right behind him, staring at his back. Seven stood quietly for a long moment before turning around to face her.

“If you’re confused about whether a man loves you… then he doesn’t love you at all, Ruri.”

Her expression went completely blank.

“I’m not going to indulge this madness,” he said, cutting his eyes away from hers. “Go back to your room.” His tone sharpened into a cold command. “And restrain yourself with a leash so you don’t hurt humans tonight.”

With that, he turned away and headed toward the barracks without looking back.

“Seven!” she yelled, stomping her foot into the dirt.

He did not slow once.

Ruri stared at his retreating back until he disappeared down the curve of the road. She groaned in frustration, stomping her feet again before pressing her fingers hard against the bridge of her nose.

“How am I supposed to bribe him now?” she muttered to the empty path. Turning angrily toward the Pack House, she growled under her breath, “And why the hell is every man in my life playing hard to get?”