Moon Of Misfortunes

Chapter Five: Rubio

He set the food tray down and grabbed the breakfast tray. He sucked in a breath between his teeth and looked away from me, "why aren't you wearing more clothing?"

"Because I didn't think to pack a sleeping bag when they ripped me out of my home," I spoke, crossing my arms over my chest.

Rubio eyed me with a deadpanned expression and said, "you tried to kill the Queen. I'm shocked they didn't execute you where you stood. Letting you come here alive was a courtesy in of itself."

"Yeah, but I didn't even attack the Queen. I've been telling you guys that," I said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say," he mumbled.

Suddenly, he stopped all movement, his body became firm and rigid. His nose randomly scrunched up, eyelids sealed shut, and his eyebrows bunched together. He was obviously in deep thought, possibly some inner turmoil. His was only slightly buffing out breaths between his clenched jaw. Rubio's normally relaxed, yet toned, muscles were dense; even the muscle under the skin of his jaw was protruding from its normal position.

"Are you ok," I questioned, worried about his strange behavior. I reached out, gently touching his right bicep, which was tensed and as hard as stone. His eyes snapped open and began to roam my body rather feverishly. His eyes darken several shades, which caused me to involuntarily gulp.

"Where is your mate," a deeper voice erupted from Rubio's throat. My heart clenched tightly. I truly felt the most vulnerable I have ever felt, both emotionally and physically. I do tell him the truth about my mate or do I lie?

Rejecting you mate for any reason was greatly frowned upon due to it being blatantly disrespectful to the Goddess herself. Having a mate is like being a Captain on a ship, you are expected to be with the ship, no matter what, and if the sink ships, you sink with it. Some people, like Nikolai, jump out of the ship and save themselves: however, this uncommon practice is seen as cowardly to most.

"Back in Riverwood," I sighed, grabbing a pillow from the bed and holding it to my chest to shield some of my body. His wolf frowned, totally unsatisfied by my lame response.

"Why isn't Alpha Emerson here now," he questioned. I shrugged, trying to act as if I was bored with the discussion over mates. I desperately wish he would just drop the subject altogether. I really don't want to keep reliving the past when I am stuck in the bondage of the present.

"I was, uh, rejected and exiled from my pack due to the outlandish accusations made against me by the Council," I voiced. Why am I even telling him this?

"I trust him," Maiya spoke, "we need to make alliances here, not enemies."

He snored, "surely, he didn't reject you while you are with his pups."

"He didn't know about the pups," I breathed out, "We had been trying to get pregnant for about a year and a half, but have run into several complications."

I dipped my head down and placed my face inside of the palms of my hands and continued, "That day the Elders came and took me, I was coming back from our pack's medical clinic. I was so excited, I've - we've -always wanted to start a family. And now, as fate would have it, it is all gone and my dreams of motherhood disappeared with it." I flung my hands forward as if throwing my dreams onto the hardwood like common dirt.

Rubio's wolf continued to watch me intensely. "You remind me of my mate," he blurted out, "you even look a lot like her, too."

"Where is your mate," I snapped back, tired of being interrogated about Nikolai's whereabouts and my rejection.

"Dead. Has been for more than a century," he spoke, "I am a Lycan. My human and I have been together for more than three centuries."

My eyes might as well popped out of my head and rolled on the floor like a pair of marbles. No one willing disrespects a Lycan, they are powerful as they are cunning. Yet, this new information raised some questions. What is a Lycan doing at the High Council's Palace?

"I am terribly sorry to hear about your mate. Will you ever get another mate?"

It was not uncommon for wolves to get another mate if their original mate had died.

"I might get another mate, but the possibility is small. They would have to be a Lycan as well. As you know, only four Lycans are born on every decade."

There was an uncomfortable silence that fell between us. We maintained eye contact for a minute. His brown eyes were holding emotions I have never seen with Rubio. He normally tried to remain as stoic as humanly possible. I could not stand the silence, or his intense gaze, for a moment longer.

"I am curious-"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

He rolled his eyes and continued, "did you ever accept your mate's rejection?"

I shook my head frantically, "No, it could risk my pups. I have tried for too long to have these pups, I will do absolutely nothing to risk this. Even if things have become less than ideal."

"My mate, Evelynn, and I wanted pups," he walked over to a sofa and placed the old food tray from breakfast down on its bench. He returned in front of me.

"May I?"

He stuck his hands out, looking at me pleadingly. I hesitated, knowing he was asking to touch my stomach and my pups. Should I let him? My wolf shrugged.

"Uh, okay, sure," I nodded. I moved the pillow carefully, exposing my belly. He squatted down so that his head would be parallel with my shoulders. His rough hands gently touched the delicate skin of my small bump. He pressed ever so lightly and grinned. He looked up at me slightly before closing his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed once more and his eyes opened. They were back to their regular shade, meaning Rubio was back in full control.

He looked at his hands, which were still on my stomach, and removed them rather quickly. His cheeks slightly turned red.

"I am sorry, Adaline. I didn't mean to overstep. My wolf just gets so restless when he sees you. You remind him of our-"

"Mate," we said at the same time. He nodded sadly. He went to move away from me and toward the door. I reached up and grabbed his wrist. His eyes shot down at me and he froze. I stood up and hugged him. I felt his body tense under me. He was uncomfortable, to say the least, and probably questioning my alternative motive.

"Thank you," I whispered, "for listening."

He slightly relaxed and exhaled. I removed my arms from his waist and let go of him. His eyes bored into mine for a moment. Rubio turned on his heels, grabbed the tray from the sofa, and stopped in the corridor. He turned his head and peered over his shoulder.

"I don't think you stabbed the Queen," he started, "you don't have the personality type."

He walked out the door and the sound of locks rippled through the walls: just like that Rubio was gone.

I sighed, reaching for the book I had hidden in the covers. I began to read the pages while consuming my lunch, but my mind kept wandering to Rubio.

I was a caring and extrovert by nature. Being deprived of basic human contact was torturous enough for me. My mate should have been the one touching my stomach, talking about pups, not some random Lycan, I thought.

I continued to wonder, why is Rubio even here at the High Council's Palace. I shut my book and breathed out. There is no use in reading it if I can't even focus, right now.

My thoughts were consumed by the mysteries and stories hidden within Rubio. What was he hiding?