Chapter 22
Willow
Seven Years Ago
“Willow, you’re taking forever to choose a gift,” E sighed, slouching against the jewelry shop’s wall. I’d dragged her here after school.
“I want to get something special for Reuben. Something made just for him,” I replied, my focus on the disy of beautiful gold rings on the counter.
“You’re too pure, Willow,” E chuckled. “It’s Reuben’s twentieth birthday. Trust me, he’s a young billionaire. He doesn’tck for anything. Just get him wh
I shook my head in amusement. Since her breakup a week ago, E had dove headfirst into partying, dancing, and wine. Bix often tagged along, skippin
As I perused the rings, my attention was captivated by a stunning man’s earring. It was a small gold piece with intricate designs etched onto it. Admiring
“Could you please pack this one up for me?” I asked the shopkeeper, holding up the earring.
With three years‘ worth of savings, I could finally afford a gift for Reuben at the age of eighteen–
or at least, I believed I was eighteen. I did not remember my birth date, but I knew it fell somewhere in October, coincidentally the same month as Reube
wolves in the pack, I had yet to get my wolf. While werewolves typically shifted into their wolves in our pack at sixteen, at seventeen I was still waiting for
Leaving the shop after making the payment, I walked out happily, holding the small box tightly against my
chest. Reuben’s birthday party was only a few hours away, and I couldn’t wait to present this gift to him.
Evening had settled in, shortening the wait. As I stepped out of the store, I noticed E engaged in an intense phone conversation.
Drawing nearer, her growling voice became audible, tinged with anger.
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“Oran, where the hell are
you guys? Are you boys having a party? Just now I saw one of my friend’s posts. Is Be really with Reuben…” E’s voice halted abruptly as she notice
“What’s going on?” I asked, sensing something was amiss.
“It’s nothing, she hurriedly ended the call.
“Don’t lie, I heard you mention Reuben’s name,” I pressed, skeptical. “What post were you talking about, E?” I inquired further.
E met my gaze with a helpless expression. “Willow…”
“E…” I prompted, my expression serious.
Finally, with a defeated sigh E confessed, “It seems that Reuben’s college friends have thrown a party for him at the club.”
“So why were you acting strange earlier? Are you upset that they’re partying without you? Don’t worry, we’ll join the party
tonight. Plus I’m fine with Reuben having a private party with his friends,” I chuckled, making my way towards E’s car.
“Actually, the issue isn’t the party, it’s this…” E handed me her phone. I paused before continuing to open the car door. On the screen was a post from
My grip tightened on the phone, unsettled by their intimacy. “Who is she?” I asked E, my voice tense.
“That’s Be. I’ve seen her once with Bix and Oran when they were hanging out with their college friends,” E exined.
“Ohh…” I nodded, forcing a smile. In truth, I was trying to rationalize the situation to case my concerns. Maybe they were old friends or close pals who ha
It’s already past six in the evening,” I diverted, attempting to shift my focus. Yet, as I tried to return E’s phone, another post shed on the screen, draw
attention.
I couldn’t resist checking it. The new video showed Be dragging Reuben onto the dance floor, despite his initial refusal, both wereughing. The boys
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while blushing and touching Reuben’s chest as they assumed a dance position.
I felt incredibly ufortable witnessing their close dance, their bodies pressed together with each movement. Seeing Reuben smile
at her and reciprocate on the dance floor made my mind go nk. A mix of strange sensations, anger, and an unfamiliar emotion stirred within me. Clutc
“Do you know which club this is?”
She hesitantly nodded, sharing the name. Without a moment’s dy, I hailed a taxi and went straight to the club. An hourter, I arrived. The sky mirrore
“Isn’t that Willow?” Oran noticed me approaching them quickly.
Reuben’s surprise was evident as he turned to look at me, before he could react I leaped toward Be,nding a punch. “How dare you…”
“Oh, crap!” Bix and Oran eximed in shock.
“AHHH…” Be cried out, clutching her injured nose.
“Willow… what are you
This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.
“Did
Reuben stood to the side bewildered and stunned.
you enjoy dancing with her?” I red at Reuben, then delivered a hard kick to the woman as she struggled to stand.
“Damn!” Oran was taken aback as Be staggered and fell toward him. He hesitated to assist her as he watched me charge toward her. Just as I reache
“Oran, get Be out of here!” Reuben’s voice pierced through the chaos as he held me tightly, swiftly pulling me away.
“No! Let me go!” I screamed, struggling against his hold, but his grip remained tight. Bix and Oran managed to escort Be away.
Once they were gone, Reuben released his hold on my waist. “Willow… what are you doing…”
Now that I was free from his grasp, I stood tall, and turned to face him. “Cheater!!” I screamed, hurling the small box at his chest.
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“Cheater?” Reuben raised a brow, observing the earring as it came tumbling out of the box tond at his feet.
“You were smiling, dancing, and even holding hands with another woman! You’re cheating on me!!” I shouted, my face flushed red with anger.
Reuben’s expression suddenly shifted. He picked the earring up from the ground and approached me. ‘If helping a friend in gaining her lover’s attention
My eyes widened at his revtion. “You… you were helping her to gain her lover’s attention?” It dawned on me that he had been dancing, holding hands
all as part of an act.
Reuben nodded, “Be has unrequited feelings for her young stepfather. She deliberately dressed and behaved provocatively to catch his attention by se
My heart raced in my chest. I hadpletely misinterpreted everything, causing jealousy stir within me despite never having mustered the courage to re
ears burned red. “Who was jealous?” I turned my face away in embarrassment.
Reuben softly chuckled and gently urged me to meet his gaze again. “You looked so beautiful fighting for me, Willow…” His whisper brushed against my
your love…”
A faint smile yed on my lips as I shyly lowered my gaze. “I was afraid of losing you, Reuben,” I confessed in a whisper, lifting my
gaze to meet his. “I can’t live without you, Reuben,” with that, I raised myself on my toes, pressed my lips against his, and poured out my feelings. “I love
Time seemed to stand still for Reuben as he did not react for a couple of seconds. When he finally realized that he was not dreaming that this was reality
“I love
you too,” he pulled me into a deep passionate kiss. “I love you, Willow. I fucking love you more than you can ever know,” he repeated those words ferven
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I smiled, parting my lips to grant him full ess. Our tongues danced in sync as I wrapped my arms around his neck, losing myself in the moment.
“Fuck!” Reuben groaned, his desire overwhelming him as he pressed his hardness. against me. “Willow, I can’t wait any longer. I want you to be mine to
As heid me down on the car seat, my heart raced wildly. He leaned in, his lips meeting mine in a series of kisses, his fingers deftly sliding my top from
However, when I saw him removing his shirt and positioning himself between my legs, a sudden surge of fear gripped me.
“Willow…” he touched my inner thighs, sliding his fingers between my legs. I saw his bulging cock, ready to work its way inside me.
“Reuben… wait,” I ced a trembling hand on his chest.
“Why…” he looked at me, desire clouding his eyes.
“I’m scared,” I whispered, clutching at his chest.
Reuben looked at me for a moment before asking, “Don’t you trust me?”
“I do, but…” My voice trembled as I met his gaze, a tear escaping. “What if we’re not meant to be together?”
“What do you mean?” he frowned.
My throat went dry when I said what I had never wanted to even think, “What if we are not soulmates?” I bottled up my feelings as my heart broke into a
“That’s it?” A faint smile tugged at his lips as he leaned closer to me.
“That’s it? If we do not turn out to be soulmates then we can’t be together Reuben. It will be the end for us,” a tear raced down my cheek. The mere thou
him.
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He gently brushed away the tears at the corners of my eyes and murmured, “Look deep into my eyes…
“What?” I blinked with wetshes.
“Do what I say,” he rubbed my lower lip.
I followed his instructions and locked eyes with him.
“Keep looking until you see it.” he whispered.
“See what?” I asked, listening to him. At that moment, I saw a green–
eyed ck Alpha wolf gazing back at me through Reuben’s eyes. When our eyes met in my mind Reuben and my wolf echoed the word, “Mate….”
I gasped at the resounding words reverberating in my mind, realizing it was my wolves. emerging from within me. My wolf was acknowledging the Alpha
its mate. Reuben… was my soulmate…
“How is this…” I choked on my words.
A faint smile graced Reuben’s lips, “I recognized you the day our eyes first met, Willow.”
My eyes widened. “What?” My voice barely rose above a whisper. So he’d been waiting for me during
the past four years, restraining himself? “Why did you do that? Why didn’t
you tell me?”
“Is there anything sweeter than earning the love of your soulmate before
the revtion of a mate bond?” He gently lifted my chin and tenderly brushed his lips against mine. “I had to win your love, Willow. Not just through a ma
ear ring. When he moved it closer to his ear my eyes widened sensing his intention. As I tried to take my hand back, he held my hand tightly so that I wo
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