Bonded to the Twin Alphas

~~Ruby~~

The sun blazed overhead, casting a blinding white light that made my vision swim. I shook my head and dodged the kick aimed straight at my face.

During the break, I leaned under the shade of a tree, gasping for breath. It had been ten years—yet somehow, I still hadn’t gotten used to the weather here.

I pushed myself upright, squinting into the distance as I tried to shake off the haze. Training used to be the one thing that always grounded me, soothed the storm inside. But today… something felt off.

“Hey, Ruby, didn’t sleep well?” Leo, our team’s coach, called out as he strolled over. I forced a smile, but the nightmare that had haunted me for years flickered through my mind like a phantom.

“Maybe it’s just the heat,” I said, brushing off the unease. “Get me some ice water and I’ll be good as new.”

Leo gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. “Don’t push yourself so hard. You’re already doing great.”

I took a sip from my water bottle. Just as I lowered my gaze, my brother Luca’s voice echoed in my mind—clear, urgent, shattering.

“Ruby, you need to come back. Mom and Dad… they’re gone.”

“A few days ago, there was an attack—some rogues broke in. Mom and Dad… they died protecting an alpha…”

His voice kept going, but all I could hear was the static buzzing in my head, like a broken signal.

“I have to go back.”

I turned to Leo, standing up with sudden resolve.

“Back?” He frowned, confused. “Back to the pack? That’s the wrong direction.”

No, it wasn’t.

I was going back to the pack.

Back to the place I could never stay, and never truly leave.

He moved in front of me, his expression clouded with worry. “What happened? Where are you rushing away to?”

I swallowed hard.

My parents…” The words lodged in my throat. Saying them out loud made it real. I shook my head, forcing myself to push forward. “I… I just.. Have to go.”

His hand reached for mine, fingers wrapping around my wrist. “Then I’m coming with you.”

I pulled away, shaking my head. “No, Leo. This is something I have to do alone.”

Pain flickered across his face, but he nodded. He understood, even if he hated it. “Promise me you’ll come back.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

I hesitated. I wanted to promise, to tell him I’d return, that I’d be safe. But the truth was, I didn’t know what awaited me back home. I had so many dark trauma from home, I didn't know if it would be anything like my past experience.

Still, I forced a small smile. “I’ll come back.”

It was an obvious lie. Or maybe it was a prayer.

I turned and walked away, not trusting myself to look back.

That night, sleep didn’t come easily. When it finally did, it brought with it nightmares… Painful memories wrapped in trauma.

The nightmare started at the very beginning of it all. I was younger, standing on the outskirts of a crowded room, watching as he leaned in close to another woman, his lips brushing against hers. My mate. The one who was supposed to be mine.

The dream shifted, dragging me through time, and suddenly, I was in high school again. The taunts echoed in my ears. “Look at her.. She's too tall. Look at her skin.. It's too dark. Who'd want such tainted person?” The words clung to my skin like poison, each syllable echoing into a scary, clear reminder that I was not good enough,and perhaps would never be

Then came the rejection… the final, brutal blow.

"I don’t want you, Ruby. How did you think for a second that someone like us would ever want someone like you?"

In a quick start, I shot up from the bed, gasping, my heart hammering against my ribs. My chest ached in uncontrollably, but it wasn’t just from grief.. it was old wounds that never fully healed. And I was going to a place where the memories abounded

I wiped my face, surprised to find it wet. It had been years, but the scars of the past still burned as if they were fresh.

I couldn’t afford to dwell on them. I had a mission.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, forcing the emotions down as I got dressed. There was no room for weakness. My pack needed me.

Those damned rogues would pay for what they did to my parents and. I will make sure of that.

And this time, I would make sure no one ever doubted my worth again.