Moon Of Misfortunes

Chapter Eight: Broken Dreams

I opened my eyes when I began to sit up, careful not to blind myself with light. Once I adjusted to the brightness of the room, my eyes began to wander. I was still trapped in my luxury cell. I continued to scan the room, looking for anyone or anything that was out of place. I heard a soft snore bounce off of the room walls. I searched for the culprit, which was Rubio, as I expected. My eyes lingered on Rubio's sleeping body. He was shirtless next to me in the bed, the covers gracefully layered on top of him. His limbs sprawled out in a starfish-like position. He looked more like a youthful God than a Lycan. I had to pull my eyes away from him and assess my own body's condition.

I felt downright odd and hallow. My bruises were dissipating into the surrounding skin. My heart sunk as I thought about Nikolai and whoever he was now screwing. I sighed. He did say he would do something like this. I'm not sure what I should have expected. I looked back at Rubio and smiled. He was a gorgeous, strong, and kind man. Why couldn't he be my mate?

I smiled at just the thought of us being mates. I felt like Eve walking into the Garden of Eden and biting into the forbidden apple, but I couldn't help feeling a pull. I gave into temptation and laid back down in the bed. Turning to him, I ran my fingertips over the caramel colored skin of his face. Not satisfied enough, I greedily placed my palm down onto his face to connect with more skin. I wanted more - needed more.

His hand shot up and grabbed my wrist firmly, as his eyes snapped open. I stared into his brown eyes, searching for some type of reassurance or comfortable.

"Why are you gawking at me," he asked. I continued to look at is features in an attempt to memorize them.

"Because you are pretty." He scoffed.

I began fantasizing about what it would be like if Rubio was my mate. I pictured looking out of a bay window in the quaint house in the woods watching Rubio scoop up two pups, our pups. Would I be happy? Would I still be in this predicament? I quickly tried to shake the thoughts, but it was to no avail. Rubio eyed me suspiciously with his brown eyes. I wanted Rubio, now, and there was no running from that.

I whipped my lips onto him, kissing him powerfully. He froze under me, not responding. Eventually, he released his grip on my wrist and grabbed my face. Rubio deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling away. He frowned and furrowed his brows.

"Adaline, you are not thinking clearly right now."

"I know what I want, Rubio," I breathed out.

He sucked in a breath and sighed, "you were cheated on by your own mate. I cannot continue whatever this was while you two are technically mated."

I rolled my eyes and sat up in the bed. A moment of silence fell between us.

"You have been knocked out for two days," he spoke, "you need to rest and recover."

"Yeah, you are probably right," I replied, which caused him to smile, showing all of his teeth.

"I always am."

I laughed and began to stand up out of bed, looking back at Rubio. He was propped up on one elbow, staring back at me. I walked into the bathroom and paused to look in the mirror. My bump was beginning to slowly grow. I worried about my pups. Would they even survive this pregnancy? I stared at my reflections, expecting it to answer all of my questions.

"Why am I not enough for him? Why have I never been enough for him," I question out loud? I hear Rubio shuffle out of bed, but I am too transfixed on my bump to observe his approaching frame.

"He is a fool, Adaline. A joke of a man and a mate," Rubio said, standing behind me. He had his hands stuffed in his black sweatpants while leaning against the bathroom counter.

"Do you know that he told me after my fourth miscarriage that he would sleep with another if I didn't provide an heir?"

I laughed dryly reflecting on my memories.

"Now I have two heirs and he still fucked someone else."

Rubio tensed and furrowed his eyes together, but remained silent. I continued to ramble.

"He could kill my pups with this ignorant shit. He should have at least waited until I had died. What kind of mate tortures his mate while she awaits execution," I paused, "Hell, he probably loves watching me burn, sadistic bastard."

I began to cry, "Why did he throw me away like trash?"

I turned to Rubio, tears running, and held his gaze. "Why doesn't he love me?"

"Because he never deserved you and he knew that. He manipulated you and gaslighted all of his insecurities and problems onto you. The only trash here is him."

"What if he finds me here and tries to hurt me? Surely he would become curious and come looking for me."

"I will kill him," he shrugged. I chuckled.

"Come on, Rubio. Be serious. You can't kill him, he is an Alpha."

"I am being serious," he said sternly, "I could twist his head off his shoulders in mere seconds. He is scum. You and the pups are safe here with me."

I looked back at the mirror and sighed.

"The night I conceived these pups was the first time Nikolai ever forced himself onto me," I placed my hand on my neck, trying to wipe away the memory of those sickly kisses that were placed upon it months ago. That night had shaken me to my core and made me a little fearful of Nikolai. Rubio growled and clenched his fist.

"At least I have my pups. Every touch, argument, and loss I have endured could never mount to them. The only reason I have to live is for my pups."

Rubio ran a hand through his hair before speaking carefully, "when Evelynn died, we were trying to get pregnant. We had only known each other for a few months, but we were in love - madly in love."

He chuckled as he began to stare off as if he was chasing after the memories and dreams of Evelynn.

"My pack got a surprise attack one evening. Everyone got slaughtered. I remember waking up after the massacre. I couldn't feel or even hear Evelynn anymore," his voice cracked.

"Rubio, you don't need to -"

"I do," he continued, "I remember stumbling through the field, being careful not to step on any of them. We had a bunker, like most packs, that we put the pups, elderly and some females that couldn't battle. I pushed towards it, even running, to the bunker site. It had been completely destroyed. Pups, women, everyone, had been killed. The only part of my mate that I found was her head. They must have burned her body because it is the only way they could have killed a Lycan."

I gulped, trying to swallow down the vomit that was brewing in my throat.

"I stumbled out of the bunker and threw myself on the ground. I sat and watched the yellow and orange of the fire dance in the sky, until morning. By then all of the villages had been disintegrated."

He sighed, "I was the Alpha of that pack. I should have died that night with my pack and my mate."

"I never heard of that attack," I breathed, "surely, I would have heard."

He laughed dryly, "That was back in 1914. Immortality was a curse for me. The only thing I have left of my pack and Evelynn is my memory. I should have married Evelynn and had pups. I should have fought harder for my pack. I wish I would have tried harder or realized sooner. I will always carry this regret, but I guess we all die with some form of broken dreams."