Bought by the ruthless lycan king (Ruby and Killian) novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Ruby’s POV

That once–friendly tone slowly turned bitter. I could barely stop myself from crying. Only the resilience forged through years of necessity allowed me to keep my back straight as steel, holding back the crashing waves.

“I was surprised when two members of the Knightley family came that day.” He drew in a breath. “When they explained their intentions, I was happy. God, I can’t remember the last time I was an old man jumping for joy at the thought of having a way to bind us closer together as family.”

Karina reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She also was caught in a bind, just like me.

“I went back and forth, excitedly jotting down information. I had already pictured that sweet girl being adopted into a well–established family. And look at that until this very second, I haven’t heard a single word about the Knightleys coming to visit her,” he explained with a façade of calm.

“It wouldn’t be a problem if rejection was inevitable.” The disappointment etched into Julius’s face was so clear it broke my heart. “Not all destined pairs are meant to live together forever. At the very least, we need to establish tradition, Ruby.”

Karina looked at me with quiet sadness. “What Julius means is does Elias really have no desire at all to speak with Narcissa?”

“He does, Rin. However, can you imagine your teenage son who has only known the world as a place to chase his dreams being suddenly faced with marriage and children?” I replied, feeling a small, guilty pride at the shock on both their faces.

“Elias panicked. I’m proud to see him so composed, not easily showing his emotions. I’m his mother, Alpha.”

My hand moved to my chest. “I know my son. This is too soon for him.”

“Still, it’s impolite not to show his face, sister. Beyond being a parent, you’re a woman too, aren’t you?” she countered.

I flinched, cold sweat beginning to dampen my palms.

“Four days. Hold on to my word, we will meet your young member.”

From the very beginning, I had predicted this would become more than just a problem. On one hand, I wanted to keep my son away for as long as possible from the heavy duty of being a dominant mate. I had seen and heard it every time he came to me, confiding his dreams and ambitions. I had no doubt that Killian would willingly step down from the throne if that day were to come.

It seemed he had grown weary. Killian would much rather play in the background and devote himself to his bloody hobbies I had no desire to know about. That was his business, so long as it brought happiness to himself, his family, and his people.

And then, fate’s surprise struck Elias. I had never seen him so desperate, crying so hard in front of his father. He was even afraid he might hurt the girl if he continued to force their sacred bond.

A flicker of anger coursed through my veins. My tongue itched to say my son was not at fault here that he had the right to live his own life. They only looked at the surface, without knowing the struggles of the young.

“Growing old isn’t pleasant,” Julius said suddenly.

“Are you afraid?”

He scoffed. “Are you mocking me? You should be grateful you stay young and live long thanks to Killian’s immortality.”

“Darling, don’t ramble,” Karina tapped his arm.

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Chapter 187

“What I just said was rather harsh,” he began seriously. “I apologize for that. I’m an Alpha who wants my members to prosper as much as possible. I’ve cared for Narcissa like my own granddaughter, Ruby.”

I caught the unspoken meaning: she’s your second version. Bitterness and sourness gathered on the roof of my mouth. It stirred a flood of nostalgia threatening to drag me into an abyss.

“No one’s at fault here. We have social roles to play, Julius,” I brushed off his words as though they were nothing more than a broken kite

drifting away.

Julius looked straight at me. My breath caught, and I instinctively shifted to the corner of the sofa. Sometimes, this was what made me dislike him in the sense of true misery. He so closely resembled the brother I had once loved, to the point it felt like it could kill me. The man who once healed every cut, mended broken wings, and crafted countless ways to keep me wanting to live.

He was also the one who showed me that true love was profoundly beautiful that it was not such a bad thing to go on living in a world already in chaos.

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