#ruhnweek24

with you above him so much your hands need something to do so naturally they find home in his hair

you've started pulling at his long locks. at first it was light pulling but Ruhn likes it rough so it's built up to you basically controlling the movement of his head as he's under you

Ruhn loves pulling your hair too, especially when he's taking you from behind and when you're on your knees for him

he loves controling the pace and watching you look up at him with those doe eyes, all needy and stuff

his piercings are a huge turn on

(that lip ring will be the death of me)

he uses it to his advantage whether it be kissing you or rubbing it against your clit

the feeling of the metal ring always has you shuddering with pleasure

Ruhn is 100% a pleasure dom! when it comes to sex, making you cum gives him such an ego boost

that man lives to pleasure you in any way he can

I know I've mentioned this before but Ruhn loves cock warming. he loves how close the two of you get when you're sitting on him

sometimes when you really want each other but are exhausted Ruhn will just pull you into his lap so you can sit on his cock and have a sloppy make out session

Ruhn has a list of pet names for you and each are reserved for different moods ya know. my princess, lovely, bunny, my little slut, he gets creative in the moment sometimes too

the bedroom isn't the only place Ruhn will have sex with you. that man is insatiable and can not keep his hands to himself

to name a few places where Ruhn couldn't wait; the White Raven, the living room (even with Flynn and Dec present), the Comittium, his father's villa (becuase it would piss his father off)

The two of you have definitely done it in his office at Aux HQ before

you love showing up to tease him at work (especially if you had begged him to stay home with you). you get Ruhn so riled up he bends you over his desk, warning you to stay quiet or he'll punish you when you do get home

Ruhn has had to shove you under his desk because he forgot to lock the office door

That didn’t stop you from sucking his dick though (which he punished you for after)

sex with Ruhn isn't always rough, there are days where you both need to take it slow and just feel each other

those are some of your favorite moments with him

the intamicy you feel at being wrapped up in each other and just feeling him is euphoric

the light touches and kisses and taking care of each other after is even better

His other hand pulled the joint from his lips, the sweet smoke of mirthroot blowing into the air with his exhale. Violet eyes flicked down to you, a satisfied smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. 

“I’m getting there,” he hummed, hand splaying at your back as it slid down to your ass, bare skin left uncovered by the lacy underwear you donned to bed along with one of Ruhn’s shirts. 

Settling further into the sheets, Ruhn took another long drag, blowing smoke rings above your heads. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” you questioned, pressing a kiss to his chest. It had been a long, brutal week for him, and seeing your mate in pain was painful for you as well.

Ruhn hummed thoughtfully at the question, squeezing your hips playfully before lifting the joint to your lips. Opening your mouth, you sucked in the sweet, smoky flavor while he held it for you. 

A light smack landed on your ass, eliciting a small squeal from you. Ruhn chuckled, eyes glassy when he let go of the mirthroot between your lips. “You hold that there for me,” he murmured, shifting down slightly on the bed.

“Up, now,” Ruhn spoke louder this time, hands guiding your waist so that you were straddling his stomach. You sat still for a moment, smirking down at Ruhn as you took a deep inhale, basking in the pleasant lightheadedness from the drug. 

“What are you thinking, love?” you purred, sliding your hips down his body to roll against his hardening length. Tugging his lip between his teeth, Ruhn muffled his grunt at your teasing touch before refocusing his darkened gaze on you.

Pulling the joint from your lips, he took one last puff before snuffing it out on the nightstand, hands winding beneath the fabric of your shirt to settle on your hips once again. “I’m thinking how unpredictable life is. So much has happened... It seems like nothing is certain anymore.”

Saddened by his words, you found yourself frowning as you searched for a response. Ruhn continued, though, not giving you time to say anything. 

“But I am certain of these things: I will never stop loving you,” he promised, voice slightly breaking. You leaned down pressing your body against his and kissed him slowly, deeply. You let him slide his hands up your shirt, pulling away from the kiss to pull it off of you. 

“And I am certain that I need to taste this pussy, right now,” he practically growled, snapping the band of your panties as you blushed at his crude words.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he mumbled, pulling you up so that you hovered over his face. He wasted no time pulling you down, lip ring dragging along your clit through the lace fabric at a torturously slow pace. 

“Fuck,” you breathed, mind hazy to everything except his electric touch. “Ruhn, please.” Moaning against your pussy, he obeyed and pulled your panties to the slide. Tongue flicked out along your core, tasting and spreading the slick there. 

He worked you with precise movements, lips wrapping around your clit as he sucked harshly, only to let go and drag his lip ring over the swollen bud. The overstimulation made you jerk, unable to stand the pleasure he wrought on you. 

Smirking, Ruhn’s hands held you firmly against him, unrelenting in his assault when you crashed into your high. Your weak legs shook body going lax with exhaustion as you leaned against the headboard, but Ruhn only doubled his efforts, laughing as you squealed and moaned and writhed above him.

“Ruhn,” you attempted through broken breaths, throat dry from screams of pleasure. “Please, I can’t.”

His tongue stilled on your clit just long enough to command, “yes, you can. Just one more for me.” The vibrations from his voice sent a jolt through you, and when Ruhn,’s tongue thrust inside of you, curling up at your walls as his nose brushed your clit, you hit your second orgasm.

Your entire body shook, collapsing against Ruhn the moment he released you from his grasp. Chest heaving, you felt his hand run through your hair while you caught your breath. 

“I love you,” he murmured, lips warm against the top of your head as he attempted to roll you to his side for sleep. 

“I love you, too,” you whispered back, tasting yourself on his lips as you pulled him in for a kiss. Trailing a hand down his torso, you slipped your hand beneath the waistband of his pants, confirming his hard length seeping with need there. Smiling at the sound that left his lips, you began kissing your way down his stomach. “But you didn’t think we were done, did you?”

Y/N didn’t understand why everything had to be so hard. She usually excelled in her classes and from all the hard work she’d been doing, she thought it would pay off. It didn’t help that she had been doing things for her parents for three days straight and not being able to sleep. 

She was so exhausted. 

Her shared bed with her boyfriend, Ruhn, had been calling her name for the past three hours and yet she still sat at the desk, working on her paper. Ruhn had been busy with things at the Aux headquarters so he hadn’t been home but only to sleep. She missed his presence and his humor that always made her smile. With a sigh, she goes back to focusing on her paper that is due next week. She had plenty of time to do it but she wanted to get it over with. Plus it wasn’t even that late, only eight p.m..

So for the next few hours she wrote and wrote until her fingers cramped. But she noticed Ruhn hadn’t come home yet. She checked the time and saw that it was two in the morning. Her hand immediately grabbed her phone and began to dial his number. He was never out that late before and she hadn’t got a call from him. 

As the phone rang, she bounced her leg. She couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong. But as soon as she heard the front door open, she poked her head out and saw someone who most definitely was not Ruhn nor was it any of their friends. Her brain sprung into action and grabbed the gun from under his pillow. Her hands shook and so did her knees. She’s never had to arm herself with a gun before but she headed toward the window, hoping that she could escape onto the balcony but when she tried to open the doors they were locked. 

Shit. 

Y/N aimed at the door and waited as the footsteps got closer and closer. Once they reached the door and the person showed themselves, her heart dropped. It was Pollux.

“So, Danaan does have a bitch he fucks every night. Well, except tonight. He’s a little preoccupied at the moment,” a mischievous smirk spread across his lips and she knew right then and there that Pollux and his friends were going to hurt her, maybe even rape her. She blinked away the tears that were forming in her eyes and kept her gun pointed at him. 

His smirk dropped as he lunged for her. She pulled the trigger when he got close enough to her but it missed and hit his pearly white wing. He hissed and grabbed her by the hair, pinning her to the wall. 

Pollux pushed his front into her backside and whispered against the shell of her ear, “You’re mine tonight, sweetheart.” 

“I don’t fucking think so.” Y/N had never been more relieved in her life to hear her boyfriend’s voice along with his two friends, Tristan and Declan. When she looked over her shoulder to look at Ruhn, Pollux’s wing was in the way. So, she pushed back and squirmed against his hold. Pollux tightened the grip on her hair but pulled her away from the wall and threw her to the floor. 

“Why are you here, Pollux?” Ruhn said, his voice was dark and borderline murderous. Tristan and Declan looked like they were right there with him in committing homicide. She began to inch her way to her friends and boyfriend but Pollux aimed his gun at her. She stilled and stared directly at the gun. 

How could this night turn out like this? She was just studying and now she’s being held at gunpoint. The only thought she had in her mind was to get to Ruhn, the safest person she knew of. 

“I’m here because of something you took and Rigelus wants it back.”

Ruhn pulls out a stone and holds it up, “This? Take it. You didn’t have to send monsters after me to get it.” He tossed it to Pollux and the angel looked at it in one of the lamps, checking to see if it was real. “All you had to do was ask.” Ruhn said with a hint of irritation laced in his voice. 

“Wanted to make sure I got my message across. Good night or morning now.” Pollux tossed the stone up and down as he walked out of the house. Ruhn dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms. He held her so close that she could barely breathe but she didn’t mind. She wanted to be as close to him as possible. 

“How did you know to come home?” Y/N looked up at her boyfriend with curious eyes. He had been getting very attentive to her needs and her wants as of late but she couldn’t figure out how he knew what she needed. 

“I just knew. I felt it in my chest.” In Y/N’s mind, that was the best answer he could have given her. She leaned up and kissed him. 

“Thank you, prince charming.” A choked laugh came from Tristan and Declan soon joined in. Ruhn rolled his eyes but placed another kiss on her lips. 

Ruhn was wrapped around his son’s little finger. Luca, his now somewhat walking 10-month-old, now grinned with his bright violet eyes that matched his own covered in flour. Ruhn had no clue how his son had gotten into the flour that was supposed to be in the pantry three shelves up. He had only looked away to see the replay of the winning play for the Sunball game on TV. He mentally cursed himself for leaving his son to play with his blocks on the floor. He should have kept him on the couch with him. Now the Prince had to clean his son, the spilled flour, and pray his beautiful wife, y/n, did not notice they no longer had flour before he could replace it. 

“Little Luca,” He softly scolded as his son’s little chubby hands patted the flour, making clouds of flour. “How did we manage this? I thought we would watch sun ball while Mama is away with Auntie Bryce?”

His son cooed in response. Ruhn picked up his mischievious son and walked to the bathroom. With a flick of his wrist, the bath filled with water as he pulled out a towel and diaper. He placed his son in the water once at a good level, but immediately, the water became cloudy with flour. Luca looked up at Ruhn with a pout.

“What did you enjoy being covered in flour?” Ruhn challenged. His son’s lip began to shake, and his little eyes silvering, “Oh, don’t cry, Lu. I have to get you cleaned up. Although you looked adorable, your mama would not be pleased. I have to do a good job looking after you without your mom. She needed some girl time.”

His son smiled when he heard Mama. He was going to be a mama’s boy, he could already tell. His son adored Y/n so much that it broke their hearts when he cried as she left with Bryce for the day. Speaking of y/n, she texted him as if she could sense Ruhn’s little slip-up.

He finished scrubbing the flour off of Luca and pulled him out of the tub, a bat-shaped hoodie towel wrapped around him. He opened his phone to see her message.

Y/n: Everything going okay?

Ruhn knew she couldn’t read minds, but maybe he had accidentally sent his emotions down the bond.

Ruhn: All is good, my Love. Enjoy your night!

Y/n: Okay, let me know if you need anything. My ringer is on.

Ruhn: Y/n

Y/n: I’m enjoying my night, but I'm just missing my boys.

Ruhn: I miss you too, beautiful. Luca misses you too but he says he wants Mommy to go party with Auntie Bryce.

Y/n: Our ten month old wants me to party?

Her amusement flowed through the bond. Ruhn smiled and looked at his son, who watched him with curious eyes, his onyx hair messily ruffled from Ruhn’s scrubbing. 

Ruhn: Yep, that’s what he said

Y/n: Love you, you big goof.

Ruhn looked to their son again. “Alright Lu, I need to clean up the flour in the kitchen. I am going to put you in your high chair with a snack. Please don’t escape.” He placed the boy into the high chair with some yogurt puffs. His son made a noise of protest but did not knock the puffs on the floor. At least not yet.

Once he finally had the mess cleaned up, he looked over to see the puffs on the floor and his son no longer in the chair. Panic hit Ruhn. How could his little 10-month-old break out of his high chair? 

“Luca,” he called, searching the kitchen. “Luca!”

He rushed to the family room to find him playing with his blocks. 

“You are a little escape artist,” Ruhn comments as his son grins. “Is this why Mama is so stressed?”

His son let out a small laugh like his dad had said the funniest thing in the world. Ruhn sat down next to his son and stacked some blocks. Luca clapped as he built a small tower. Ruhn loved these moments with his son, maybe not the stress his little escape artist caused, but he loved these little moments of being a father. 

Many hours later and many shots later Y/n came stumbling into the house to find the broom and dustpan, spilt yogurt puffs, and a small trail of flour leading to Luca’s bathroom. She shook her head, and a lazy smile was on her face.

“Ruhn?” she called but didn’t hear a response. She padded into the family room to find the cutest sight in the world. Ruhn laid asleep on the floor, blocks scattered everywhere; their son lay on top of his chest asleep with Ruhn’s hands protectively holding him. Y/n couldn’t help but take a picture. She sent it to Bryce with a thank you message. Her phone buzzed.

Bryce: So cute! It looks like Luca wore out Ruhn.

Y/n: There was an empty flour bag on the counter and a trail to the bathroom. I think Ruhn learned his son is mischievous.

Bryce: Mischief he got from you?

Y/n: Or Ruhn.

Bryce: Ha, sure. Night, enjoy your moment of quiet.

Y/n: Night

Y/n carefully pulled Luca from Ruhn’s hands and walked to his room. As she set the sleeping boy into the crib, she heard Ruhn stir and curse.

“Luca!” Ruhn called, barrelling into the room to find his wife placing his son in his crib. “Oh, thank gods.” He sighed.

“Fun night?” Y/n asked, raising her brow,, mischief twinkling in her eyes. 

“Yeah, definitely,” Rihn sighed again and looked down at his sleeping son.

“Did he play in the flour, or did you?” 

Ruhn mentally palmed as he realized he had forgotten to hide the evidence before falling asleep. “He moves so fast. I didn’t even see him run off, and next thing I knew, he was in the pantry playing in the spilt flour.” 

She laughed, and Ruhn was stunned. He thought she would scold him for not keeping an eye on their son. “Your not mad?” he asked.

“Gods no,” she laughed, “our son has been causing me stress with his little escapes since he could crawl.”

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His wife wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly, “you did a good job. I had fun tonight with your sister.”

Ruhn leaned his head on the top of hers. “I’m glad. Can we have Bryce babysit next so we can have some time together next?” A wicked glint in his eyes.

“Time together?” she arched a brow. In response his hands slid down her body and squeezed her butt. She let out a quiet yelp and smacked Ruhn on the chest. “That’s what got us Luca. Time together.” she smirked at her husband.

“Maybe a sibling would help slow down his mischief.” He proposed shrugging. He pulled her out of their sons room and into the hallway toward their own room. 

“Or his sibling could be just as mischievous and give us gray hairs.” She argued as Ruhn closed the door with his foot. 

“We’re fae baby. We don’t get gray hairs until we are centuries older.”

She laughed. “Fine set it up with Bryce.” She agreed as Ruhn kissed her again. 

"I know, but…" He hesitated. I want to be with you. "I just hate the thought of you out there without me."

"I know," you whispered, showing your heart. "And I love that about you. But you have to trust me. I can handle myself."

"I do trust you, witchling. It’s just…” It’s dangerous. “I miss you."

Your breath hitched, the weight of your secret pressing down on you. "I miss you too, Ruhn. More than you know."

The silence between the two of you was thick, filled with half-spoken lies. You broke it first, your playful tone meant to mask the ache in your chest. "I’ll make it worth your wait."

Ruhn’s chuckle was warm as he joined in on your joke. "I’m gonna hold you to that.”

But the warmth fell flat even for himself. He knew these hunts were part of your culture, and because they were, he would never be invited to come along, but he didn't like you spending an overnight outside the city. Even if your coven was with you. “Be safe, okay?"

"Always," she replied. "I love you, Ruhn."

"I love you too, Y/N. Call me when you get back, please?"

You didn’t respond, but he heard your breathing change. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”

Ruhn heard the phone clatter to the ground, and other voices over the line. He called to you, but no one responded. Only the sound of shuffling and yelps of pain.

Your heart raced as you crouched low, shadows coiling around you like dark tendrils enveloping an egg. Your phone lay on the ground, Ruhn’s frantic voice faint in the stillness of the standoff. The creature that had knocked your phone out of your hand breathed heavily just out of sight. It stepped into the moonbeam, his eyes gleaming. It was a… human?

"Who are you?" you demanded. "What do you want?"

A hulking wolf-shifter stepped forward with a sneer. No, he was the one whose breathing you’d heard. "You’re trespassing, witch. This is our territory."

Your eyes narrowed. The Auxiliary had strict patrol zones, and you had been careful to avoid them. Sometimes that meant betraying other borders. "I'm not here for trouble. Just passing through."

"Passing through?" said another voice, dripping. An angel stepped into the dim light, his wings casting eerie shadows on the alley walls. "Looks like you’re doing more than just passing through."

Your hand closed on the empty blood bag in your pocket. “I don’t want any trouble,” you said.

But you were already in trouble. The shadows beyond these men rippled and half a dozen more of their pack stepped forward. It was a mixed pack, one developed by those exiled from their own; it was exactly the kind of unholy union your kind was meant to manage.

These packs always had something to prove. And you were their new target.

One of the shifters lunged at you, claws extended. You dodged, your body moving with heightened speed. It was fast enough to get away, but not as fast as you were capable of. Hunger gnawed at your insides, weakening you. You retaliated with a swift kick that sent the shifter sprawling back. His pack growled. They weren’t done.

"Come on, then," you said, summoning your shadow magic to envelop your attackers. Tendrils of darkness wrapped around their limbs. In your weakened state, though, the shadows couldn’t hold tight, and one by one, they broke free.

You didn’t have time to think about it. Another beast charged, jaws snapping. You sidestepped, slashing with a blade concealed in your sleeve, drawing blood. He howled, and you took a step back, your breath coming in ragged gasps. The angel watched, a cruel smile on his lips.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked in a genuine voice, then launched himself at you. You blocked and countered, but each movement was draining. The depleted blood in your veins was already a concern; without it, your strength would continue to wane.

A sharp pain exploded in your side as a shifter’s claws raked across your ribs. You staggered, barely avoiding a second blow. Your mind raced. You needed to escape. You couldn't die here, not like this. Not without seeing Ruhn again.

The angel laughed, his blade glinting as it slashed at you. You managed to land a punch that sent him reeling.

But it wasn’t enough.

Their pack of misfits surrounded you, eyes glowing. You felled one, then another, but they kept coming, relentless.

Each dodge you made, each strike you landed— They all stripped your energy, your weakened state making each step more and more unsteady. Your instincts were dulling, too, confirmed by the barrelling strike one of the shifters surprised you with. His big paws pinned you down as your blade skittered away across the pavement. His teeth bared down on you, inches from your face, when his nose caught a whiff. "You smell… different." He sniffed you again, and his pupils swelled with primal recognition. "Prey."

Your blood ran cold. They could scent your true nature. You were in over your head.

You didn’t have a choice. You let your true eyes show, glowing red in the dark. The wolf in him sneered, thrilled. But then, he faltered. Your eyes seared into his, and his body heated from the inside out. Panic threaded into his eyes. Then, he was crippling off of you, sharp cries falling out of him as his blood boiled.

You took the chance to scramble away. A heel landed on something with a crack. It was your phone, the cracked screen gone black. Ruhn… You’d forgotten about him. He’d heard all this?

"Interesting." The angel gleamed, sadistically delighted, as he stepped closer. "You're not just any witch, are you?"

“What gave me away?” You spat, pushing to your feet. The blood magic had faded from your eyes. But so had the energy you desperately needed.

The angel kicked your blade back across the pavement. It landed by your feet, but you didn’t dare take it. “Go on,” he said. “We’ll wait.

You eyed him, your muscles prepared to leap at any sign of movement, and kneeled to retrieve your blade. As soon as your fingers wrapped around it, the human—a Vanir, you realized—launched at you. He held two blades, and he wielded them well. You struggled to dodge, landing only one blow good enough to stun him. Your speed glitched behind him and you cracked his neck, letting the limp body fall.

You were breathing hard now, unable to catch your breath. This was it. You weren’t going to survive this fight. Now, you just needed to make your body as presentable as possible for when Ruhn inevitably found your corpse.

The angel hmph-ed in amusement. He stepped forward. “Let’s finish this.”

You launched at him, focusing your strength into your feet to stay balanced as you parried with each other. He was good, and tonight, you weren’t much better. Tonight, he was a worthy opponent for your last fight. He shoved you with his arm and you tripped, landing hard on your knees. “Stay down, witch.”

Pain and exhaustion threatened to overwhelm you. How could you fight when your own body was betraying you? You pushed to your feet. If this was your last, you were gonna make sure it was one hell of a fight.

Teeth sank deep into your shoulder and you cried out at the searing pain, the sound echoing in the narrow alley. Agony washed through your veins, frying every nerve ending in your body, and you collapsed under it. Terror struck you. A wolf bite. No…

‘Y/N!’ You heard your name on Ruhn’s voice crash in your mind, the first sign it was over. Your mental block had fractured and crumbled, and Ruhn knew it.

That only made this worse.

The angel laughed, a deep, haunting laugh. "Finish her," he ordered.

You lashed out, catching the angel off-guard. Your blade sliced the base of his wing, shaving feathers off to the quick. He stumbled back, cursing, but his pack was relentless. Claws and blades tore at you, your only defense to pull shadows around you like a shield. You could feel the venom spreading, your body—and your magic—growing weaker with each passing second.

One last desperate, crazy idea. Gathering the last drops of your strength and magic, you pulled the shadows tightly to ball at your chest. They resisted the tight compression, needing to be free, but you held tight, sweat and blood streaking down your skin. It took all your strength to hold them tight.

The angel towered over you, bright white under the moonlight. “Goodbye, witch,” he said, and daggered his blade down at you.

You released your hold and the shadows splintered from their confines, exploding in all directions. Their razor edges ripped through the last of your attackers. You saw the blurry image of angel wings fall to the ground as darkness overtook you.

The bullpen was in chaos, and it was all Ruhn’s fault. He had burst out of his office towards the boys when he heard the fighting on the other side of the line. He put it on speaker-phone and watched the men get white in the face.

Flynn and Ithan had wrestled with him, trying to calm him down, but the second the phone line went dead, Ruhn lost it. His roar of frustration and panic echoed through the building, silencing everyone. Flynn's grip on his arm tightened, and Ithan stepped in front of him, an attempt to calm him that didn’t do much.

"Dec, find her!" Ruhn snapped. Declan was already hunched over his station, fingers flying over the keyboard as he scanned security footage. "Check every damn camera near the gates!"

"She's with her coven, right?" Dec asked, but didn’t wait for an answer.

Ruhn's mind raced. He had to focus, had to think. Your mental block was up, and that was a good sign. It meant you were still conscious, still fighting. But it also meant he couldn't reach you, couldn't tell you he was coming. His chest tightened, helplessness crushing him.

Your agony sliced into Ruhn’s mind like a white-hot iron, the force of it physically knocking him to his knees. It was a raw, guttural sound like nothing he’d ever heard.

"Ruhn!" Flynn shouted, dropping to his side. "What's happening?"

"Y/N," Ruhn whispered, breath coming fast from the flash of your pain. You’d never spoken in his mind before. He couldn’t help the sick feeling that came with it this time. Flynn's face was a pale blur before him, eyes wide with alarm. Ithan dropped a hand on his shoulder.

"We’ll find her," Ithan said, his voice strong like he meant it. "She’ll be okay."

Ruhn nodded, swallowing hard. He forced himself to stand, unsteady on his limbs. "We need Hypaxia," he said, his voice raw. "She might know where Y/N is."

Flynn nodded, and Ithan pulled out his phone, dialing the witch-queen's number, and handed it to him. It felt like an eternity before she answered. "Where’s Aurora?" he barked. No time for pleasantries.

"Ruhn, what happened?"

"She's not with her coven, is she?"

"No," Hypaxia admitted, her voice soft. "She's alone."

Ruhn's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. "Where is she?"

"I don't know, but she would've gone to her caches.” Hypaxia said. “I know where one is."

"Give me the address," he growled. He snapped his fingers at Flynn and he bolted over.

Hypaxia rattled off the address, and Ruhn relayed it to Declan, who immediately triangulated it on his screens. "I'll meet you there," Hypaxia added. "I have the key."

"Fine," Ruhn bit out, then gave Ithan his phone back. He turned to Flynn. "You're coming with me. Ithan, keep your phone hot. I'll send you another address if she's not there."

Flynn nodded, already pulling on his coat. Declan called out from his station, "I don't see anyone on the cameras."

"She's alone," Ruhn barked, his voice echoing through the bullpen. He didn't wait for a response, didn't look back as he darted out the door.

.

“You have bewitched me, body and soul. And I love… I love… I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

Gods, that was sappy. Lidia’s cheeks turn into a bright red at the sight of the handsome actor on the screen, and she cuddles closer to Ruhn. Ruhn isn’t fond of this kind of romantic lovey-dovey movie, but he always caves in to watch it with his mate. Only to see her eyes glimmer as she swore she wasn’t crying, or see her squirm on the seat beside him when a heated scene came up. It was some kind of unspoken rule in their relationship. She watches sunball with him, and he watches her romantic movies. That’s how it works between them.

Well, watch.

He is supposed to be watching the movie right now. But sleep had rushed through him mere minutes after his long fingers had started to thread through Lidia’s silky golden hair. He had traced the length of her blond curls and his eyelids instantly grew heavy. He can’t help it. Lidia’s locks are just so soft. It is nearly impossible for him, or anyone else, to not feel relaxed and sleepy while combing her hair.

Lidia’s peers up at Ruhn in hope to get his insight on her favorite movie scene, her golden eyes still wet from how emotional this scene makes her every damn time. She pouts, a bit disappointed to find Ruhn’s eyes closed and his chest rising and falling slowly, steadily. How can someone fall asleep so quickly? She clicks her tongue, her eyes rolling and she lifts her hand to Ruhn’s face to flick his nose, in hope to wake him up. Her hand freezes, and she feels like she has just been struck by lightning. She grunts, and clutches her stomach tightly, curling into a ball between Ruhn’s legs.

Lidia mentally curses, blaming Cthona for the pulsing pain in her womb. Tears were burning her eyes. The blond-haired Fea female sinks her teeths in her lower lip to choke back her whimpers. She bites it so hard that it pierces open, and she can taste the saltiness of her own blood on her tongue. Silent as a mouse, Lidia unfolds her legs from her fetal position. She can't wake Ruhn up. Then she feels it. What she dreaded the most. That familiar stickiness pooling between her thighs. She needs to get up, to push through the pain, and hurry to the bathroom. Now.

What if… What if... What if…

Unfounded fear settles in her gut as she starts to make up the worst scenarios of Ruhn’s reaction when he would learn that she dirtied his expensive-looking couch. Her legs shake weakly as she rolls to her side, contracting her muscles to stand up. She scolds herself. She should’ve kept track of her menstrual cycle. She should’ve known it was coming. If only she hadn’t been too lost in the frenzy of hers and Ruhn’s love affair… Her stomach churns, it’s her fault, all of it. She feels gross.

You stupid bitch…

"Look at what you did," Pollux gripped Lidia's gold locks and forced her face on the couch. The little breath she was able to get was invaded by the metallic stench of blood that was stained on the couch. It was an accident. Her punishment? Being suffocated into the cushion as if she was a pup having her nose rubbed in for urinating on the furniture. Lidia's oxygen was limited, and spots appeared in her vision. This was how she would die. Before her lungs gave out, Pollux yanked her head back as she gasped for air. "You stupid bitch."

She forces air through her lungs as she tries to stand on her wobbly legs. Sweat is coating her forehead, and her gaze lands on the bathroom door. Five more steps. She can do this. She’s been through worse. Lidia doesn’t dare look behind her, too afraid to see the copper stain she might’ve left there.

You stupid bitch…

Tears blurries her vision, and she can feel them tracing patterns as they slide down her cheeks. She takes a first step, then attempts a second one. Her stomach churns from the overwhelming distress and pain in her body. She sobs, heaves, and with the remaining strength she has left, she collapses on her knees, in the bathroom doorway. She wastes no time, ang crawls to the toilet. Her peripheral vision narrows as bile falls out of her mouth. She had managed to reach for the toilet bowl, at least she didn’t make another mess. Her fingers painfully grips onto the toilet seat, her knuckles turning white. She tries to ground herself, to breathe, to calm down.

“Lidia..?”

Ruhn. Her stomach flips, and she tries to keep her nausea at bay. Her breathing is getting shallow and her heart is beating so fast, so loud, that she can herself hear it. Ruhn wastes no time, and tug on his hair tie in one swift movement, using it to tie Lidia's hair in a ponytail as fast as he can, before they fall into the toilet. He kneels right behind her, caging her between his knees, his left hand rubbing circles on her lower back in an attempt to sooth her tense muscles. His other hand strokes her white knuckles as she holds on for dear life onto the freezing toilet seat.

Oh, Ruhn.

“Look at you,” Pollux growled behind her, and she tried her best not to flinch. She closed her eyes, waiting for her lover's rage to fall onto her. Like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. “On your knees like a good little bitch, cleaning up your,” He paused, and Lidia could imagine him clearly, scrunching his nose in disgust and clenching his fists. “Mess.”

She wanted to apologize, she should've. But the words stayed tucked deep down in her throat. The smell of bleach burnt her nostrils before she could feel it scorch the soft skin of her hands. She jumped back, the towel she was holding fell from her aching hands. She stumbled back against Pollux's chest, and was quickly slammed back down on her knees. She felt her knee pads wobble from the harsh impact. The Hammer held her hair tightly, so tight that she could feel some hair detaching from her burning scalp as he pushed her back down on her aching knees. “Stop whining,” Pollux snarled, shaking the remnants of the chemical onto the couch. Everything burned, her eyes, her nostrils, her hands, her lungs… “Clean,” He spat, his voice held no mercy. And he walked out of the room before she could apologize for something she had no control over.

She should've been more careful. She would be next time. She would track her cycle properly.

What a stupid bitch…

“Fuck, why are your… feminine products so far away,” Ruhn’s hand stays still on her back, as he stretches his arm towards the sink cabinet. His rummaging makes the bottles, and different products bump against one another, some of them landing on the floor. Lidia groans, wiping her mouth as she tries, but fails to move from in front of the toilet to help Ruhn. “Ah, got em’.” Ruhn states, holding the pink envelope of a pad in his hand, smiling proudly.

“Ruhn, it's…” She tears up, and shakes her head. The hormones, she tries to convince herself that it’s the only reason for her emotional turmoil. She swallows, and stands up, wincing. She needs to clean up the couch. To get into clean clothes, and put this pad on. Ruhn stands close to her, his hands on her hips, steading her, the menstrual pad still in hand. “Don’t touch me, I'm gross,” She chokes out, tears clouding her vision. Pathetic. She was acting pathetic. Her cycle, and suffering wasn't Ruhn's problem.

And yet he still cares…

He shouldn't. She doesn't deserve that.

What a stupid bitch…

“Hey…” Ruhn’s frown deepens, and he holds her closer to him, rocking her from side to side as she sobs. Her breathing is incredibly fast. And her eyes… Her beautiful gold eyes look dark, so dark, she seems to be stuck in a bad memory, somewhere so far away… He sways her slowly from side to side, placing soft kisses on the top of her head. “Would a bath sound nice, maybe?” He murmurs against her hairline, his nose humming the delicious scent of her shampoo. She feels gross, so maybe a bath would help her to feel better in her skin, he guesses.

A bath… A bath… No, the couch. She needs to clean her mess first. Gross, she feels so grossed out of herself.

Lidia’s thoughts are reeling, her body so stiff, frozen in shock. She is still unused to such kindness in that type of situation. She snaps back into reality when she hears the water run from the faucet. Ruhn keeps his arms protectively draped around her, his concerned glance fixed on her face. Her rapidly moving chest meets his steady one with every breath she tries to take. She finally manages to copy Ruhn’s breathing, and she can now hear better, see better, and the pain was a bit more bearable too. “Bath?” Ruhn asks again, staring into the honey depths of Lidia’s eyes. She was here, safe, with him, out of these horrific thoughts.

“The couch,” She swallows down, trying to lube her dry and sore throat. She tries to slip away from Run's comforting, and oh so warm arms. “You’d prefer to rest on the couch?” Ruhn asks, trying to figure out what his girlfriend needs from the little glimpse of information she mumbles to him. She bites her cheek at the thought of Ruhn’s couch, her eyes filling with tears again. Ruhn rubs his thumbs on her arms slowly, the worry for his mate is written all over his face. “No, I need to clean the couch.” She blurts out.

The couch. The couch. She made a mess. What a stupid bitch. The couch…

Ruhn stills, and his eyes narrow as he tries to figure out where all this nonsense and panic comes from. He wonders how he could have ever made her believe that he cared more for such material things than her well-being and comfort. “No, I'll just buy a cleaning spell later,” He murmurs, confused at Lidia’s panicked state. Has he done something wrong? He doesn't like it for one bit that his mate looks so terrified around him. He sighs and presses a kiss on the top of her head. “Bathe, Lidia. Or rest. Is it because you'd prefer to just change and rest? I didn't mean to force you into doing anything.”

Lidia sobs, covering her mouth with her hand. Ruhn moves one of his hands to cradle her face against his chest. Lidia feels like if it wasn't from Ruhns's love and tender hold, her heart would have shattered completely from the weight of her guilt and self-disgust.

“Please,” Ruhn pleads, his fingers brushing away her tears. “Tell me what's wrong.”

“I just… I dirtied your couch. I should've kept track of my cycle. I'm such a,” She hiccups, her throat feeling so tight, “Such a,” Such a stupid bitch, she wants to say, but the words refuse to come out. Only sobs and incoherent babbling fall from her lips.

Everything makes sense for Ruhn, then.

Fucking Pollux.

Ruhn cuts her off with a soft caress of his lips against hers. Now is not the time for him to be angry at Pollux. He needs to be calm, and reassuring, for his Lidia. He takes a deep breath. “Hey, no. Gods, Lidia no…” Ruhn holds up her chin so his eyes can dive deep in hers. He doesn't want her to feel bad around him. Especially not over something she has absolutely no control of. He hates it. Hates the one that has carved nonsense into her brain even more. Only time would undo the mental and emotional damage Pollux had caused.

“You are such a strong and beautiful female,” He smiles softly down at her, turning off the faucet, his eyes not leaving her puffy and red ones even for one second. His hands slide under her shirt, tracing her ribs slowly. He looks into her eyes, silently asking for her permission. Lidia nods, her blond curls bouncing on her shoulders as she does, and he lifts her shirt off. “My strong and beautiful mate…” He whispers, kissing away her tears as he helps her out of the rest of her clothes.

Lidia absent-mindedly watches Ruhn as he gently picks her up, and settles her nude body in the tub. Her muscles relax with the heat of the water. Her whole skin welcomed the warmth, too, making it feel like she was receiving a peaceful hug. She closes her eyes and leans back her hand in Ruhn's palms as he starts to rub shampoo through her sweat coated hair. She rubs her stomach, trying to ease the pain of her cramps and the guilt lingering there.

“You've done nothing wrong,” Ruhn's voice breaks through the silence. “It was an accident. I love you. It's not your fault," He adds.

“I'm so–” “Don't.” He says, his tone slightly harsh, and he hated himself for how Lidia flinches. He shakes his head, his fingers still massaging the shampoo on her scalp. He sighs, “Don't be sorry. Please. You have nothing to be sorry about. Not with me.” She nods, tilting her head back a little bit more so Ruhn could rinse her hair. The shampoo tickles her ears as the water falls on her head, and she sinks in the comfort and reassuring presence of her mate.

Ruhn rubs every surface of her fair skin with a cleaning glove. Lidia almost starts crying again at the look of pure love and adoration shining in the blue eyes she loved so much. He wasn't disgusted, of her, or her femininity. He loves her, and admires her as a person. The deer shifter's heart flutters at this sight.

“I love you, Lidia. Like, a lot,” Ruhn chuckles slightly to ease the atmosphere, lightening Lidia’s heavy heart. “And I want you to be comfortable with me. I know it'll take time. But let's just start with like,” He halts, his eyebrows frowning as he tries to figure out where they could start. He grins when suddenly, an idea pops up in his head. “Keeping your feminine products at easy reach in the cabinet? It would be a good start. Okay?” He winks at her, replacing the things in the cabinet, putting the box of pads and tampons in front of everything, so it’s easy for her, or him, to reach when needed.

The realization feels like a kick in Lidia’s guts. She doesn't have to hide them anymore.

Not with Ruhn.

My strong and beautiful mate.

Ruhn's words thrums in her ears, and the sight of his eyes filled with all the beautiful emotions he feels towards her dances in her mind, replacing all negative thoughts and fear that Pollux had once pushed there.

She smiles, truly smiles, and nods, the water sloshing around her as she brings her knees to her chest. “Okay.”

My strong and beautiful mate...