Moon of Misfortunes

34

I feel Rubio shuffle out of bed, groaning. My eyes peel open to the warm sunlight of morning glowing around the room, causing me to squint. I put my hand in front of my eyes to shield myself from the full rays of the sun.

Rubio tugs on some pants before glancing over his shoulder. He catches my gaze as he buttons his pants, smirking at me.

"Where are you going?" I ask, my voice still heavy with sleep.

"Someone's at the door. I'm going to see who it is," he smiles, walking toward the bed.

He sinks a knee into the mattress, leaning down to kiss me. I deepen the kiss, feeling his groan vibrate through his chest. Another set of knocks rings against the door, reluctantly pulling him away.

"Stay here," he growls lowly.

I watch as he exits the room, hearing the door open. I can almost sense his frown through our bond. Groaning, I get out of bed and quickly tug on some pants and a shirt.

It's Rosia, he groans through the mindlink, his voice startling me. I think Theo is with her.

Excitement floods me as I rush out of the room, running down the stairs. I freeze at the bottom as I see Rosia with an unfamiliar man. He's taller than Rubio, his strong and masculine presence contrasting with his youthful, inexperienced demeanor.

My smile falters as I look over to Rosia, who appears annoyed. The stranger grins at me, his intense, heated gaze making me uncomfortable. I slowly approach Rubio, feeling the tension in the air.

"Get your eyes off my mate," Rubio growls, his voice a low and dangerous rumble. The stranger's eyes snap onto Rubio, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Damn, Rubio, no wonder you were hiding her. She's a sexy little thing," he says cockily, his tone dripping with arrogance.

Disgust churns in my stomach, and I frown instantly. Rubio takes a step forward, his presence looming larger as he shoves the stranger to the ground with a swift, powerful motion. The force of it catches everyone off guard, and Rosia's lips curl into a smile, clearly amused by the scene unfolding before her. He scrambles to his feet, dusting himself off, his smirk replaced by a glare. 

"That was uncalled for," he hisses, his pride clearly wounded.

"Talk about her like that again and I'll fucking kill you," he challenges. "Show some respect. You're a guest here, not a king. Behave like one."

I frown at the mention of this man being a king. He smirks before jumping to his feet, dusting his hands off on his pants. Is this Jasper? 

"What are you guys even doing here?" Rubio bites out, glaring at Rosia. She holds her hands up defensively.

"We're here to talk about the Academy and the shift into leadership. I was hoping you could give some guidance to Jasper," she motions at him lamely.

Rubio doesn't respond immediately, staring at her in disbelief. I softly touch his back, feeling the tension ease out of his muscles as he relaxes into my touch.

"And why would I do that?" Rubio says tightly, looking at Rosia as if Jasper doesn't exist. "He's nothing but disrespectful."

"I'm your King. You can't ignore me as if I'm not here," Jasper cuts in. Rubio's eyes snap over to him, narrowing dangerously. 

"Says the boy who came into my house and disrespected my mate," he grounds out. "While standing on my pack land."

Jasper glares back, his posture stiffening. I step between them, lightly pushing Rubio back. Rosia grabs Jasper's shoulder and pulls him back as well.