The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Seven’s steps slowed the moment he saw her. The harsh line of his mouth seemed to ease, if only for a second, as he took in her shivering frame.

Ruri waved both hands high in the air, hopping on her toes to catch his eye.

“Seven!” she called, hurrying toward him. “I’ve been waiting here all morning for you!”

She stopped right in front of him, blowing a puff of warm air into her cupped hands.

Seven stared down at her without a word. He leaned toward the Lycan guards beside him, muttering something under his breath.

The men nodded respectfully and kept walking down the path.

Ruri watched them leave before turning back to him.

Before she could get a word out, Seven cut in.

“What is it?”

His tone was flat, completely cold.

Ruri’s lips parted.

“What? I can’t come see you anymore?”

Seven’s brows drew together.

“How many times have you come to see me in the past six months, Ruri?”

Ruri’s mouth fell open.

She opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out.

The realization hit her like ice water.

They had always been inseparable—Seven was the one person in the pack she could run to whenever she needed someone to talk to.

Until Ethan showed up.

She cleared her throat, looking down at her boots.

“Well… that was because I started liking Ethan.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Seven rolled his eyes, turned on his heel, and started walking away.

“Okay, wait!”

Ruri scrambled after him, her shorter legs working twice as fast to keep up with his long, sweeping strides.

“Why are you being like this? Why won’t you just help me?”

Seven stopped dead in his tracks.

Ruri slammed straight into his solid back.

“Ouch!” she gasped, her nose colliding hard with his shoulder blades.

She brought a hand up to soothe the throb, glaring at the back of his head.

Seven turned around, his eyes cold.

“Because you’re acting like a child and throwing tantrums.”

Ruri’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.

“What is that supposed to mean Seven. So if I run off and marry a brother-killer, that’s when I’m an adult to you?”

Her voice broke, the frustration she’d been holding in all morning spilling over.

Tears welled up, blurring her vision as she stared at him.

Seven’s chest rose, his expression softening as he realised he’d misspoken. He blinked once, she shouldn’t have said that.

“No, Ruri, that’s not what I—”

“Don’t touch me!”

She barked, taking a sharp step back.

Her chest heaved, her hands trembling at her sides.

“You always treat me like I’m some helpless kid! I’m not fifteen anymore, Seven. I’m a woman now. You don’t need to protect me!”

“Ruri, I’m not—”

“Instead of you to help me as your best friend, you are discouraging me. Okay, tell me, what is at the end of this tunnel? Getting married to Hades would spell hell for me, why are you trying to make me!”

Seven shook his head immediately, “No, that’s not it. The Alpha is going to end your engagement. Why would I want you to marry him?…”

“Then why don’t you want to help me?”

She asked exasperatedly, a tear sliding down her cheek.

The sight of her broke something inside him.

Seven clenched his jaw until his teeth almost cracked.

How do you want me to hand you over to someone else, Ruri?

“What is going on here?”

The deep, familiar voice cut through the corridor like a blade.

Ruri spun around, her heart leaping into her throat.

Ethan stood a few paces away, his dark brows pulled tight as his gaze flicked between them.

Then his eyes settled on her face, catching the tears tracking down her cheeks.

Something in his posture snapped.

The quiet, reserved guard vanished.

His jaw set so hard the muscle flexed beneath his skin, his eyes darkening as he turned toward Seven.

“What did you do to her?”

Seven turned slowly to face him, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“Ethan…”

Ruri’s breath hitched as she watched her guard close the distance between them.

He moved with a heavy, dangerous weight she had never seen from him before.

“Why are you crying?” Ethan asked softly, stopping just out of reach.

His dark eyes searched her face.

“What happened?”

Ruri raised her sleeve, wiping her cheeks with the back of her wrist.

“Nothing, it’s not—”

Before she could finish, Seven reached out, grabbed her wrist in a vice grip, and yanked her behind his back.

“How is that any of your concern?”

Seven asked, his voice dropping into the quiet authority of a Beta.

Ethan’s gaze dropped to Seven’s hand wrapped around her wrist.

For a long, suffocating second, he just stared at where Seven was touching her.

Then, slowly, Ethan lifted his eyes back to the Beta.

Ruri held her breath, her heart hammering against her ribs.

The look on Ethan’s face made her blood run cold.

He was glaring at Seven like he was about to tear his throat out right there on the path.

He’s going to challenge him, she realized in sheer panic.

An ordinary guard challenging the Beta… he’s going to get himself killed.

“It’s not what you think, Ethan!” Ruri panicked, pulling against Seven’s grip.

Seven didn’t budge.

His fingers dug into her skin, holding her tight while he stared Ethan down.

“You must have a death wish, guard.”

Ethan’s fists tightened so hard she heard the faint crackle of his knuckles.

He stood there, rigid as iron, looking like he was one second away from ruining his entire life for her.

Then, slowly, the rage drained from his shoulders.

Ethan unclenched his hands.

He dropped his gaze to the stone floor, stepping back and pulling the mask of a quiet, obedient guard back over his face.

Seven watched him bow his head, letting the silence settle between them.

Satisfied, he turned and started walking toward the barracks, dragging Ruri along by the wrist.

Ruri stumbled after him, her head turned over her shoulder, her eyes locked on Ethan’s silent, motionless figure until he faded into the distance.