Chapter 18


    Over the next few days, Ryker and I developed some sort of cordial arrangement between us. My fear


    of him wouldn’t disappear in a day, that much was obvious but now I had less reason to fear him after


    seeing how he treated he omegas in his pack. I also didn’t actively try to avoid his presence anymore


    and I took that as a huge win.


    On a lighter note, my leg was almost perfectly healed and now it didn’t hurt at all as I made my way


    around the house.


    I was sitting at the dining table waiting for Eve to serve breakfast when I realized I hadn’t seen Ryker all


    day which was a surprise. He usually joined me during breakfast before disappearing for work.


    “Where is Ryker?” I asked Eve and she looked as shocked by my question as I was shocked that I


    even asked it in the first ce.


    “He should be outside training.”


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    A part of me knew that Ryker trained. He had to be doing some sort of training to be able to obtain the


    kind of body he had. He hadn’t said anything about my training and I was beginning to wonder if I


    would ever be allowed to train again after what happened.


    I left my untouched breakfast and made my way around the house until I heard the sound of flesh


    hitting something and sharp grunts. I followed the sound a little further into the woods around the house


    and saw Ryker.


    He was shirtless and his entire upper body was gleaming with sweat. His shorts hung low on his hips


    and his hands were wrapped in a bandage as he delivered swift punches to the trunk of a tree. I


    couldn’t help but wince at how painful that would be but Ryker wasn’t bothered. He kept hitting the


    trunk as if he was punching a feather- with no care in the world.


    I identally stepped on a twig and his movements ceased. He turned around and when he saw it was


    me, I saw the tension. in his shoulders dete.


    “I didn’t mean to bother you.” I said softly, “I should be going-.”


    “It is fine,” he assured me. When I didn’t move, he gestured for me toe closer, “I lost track of time. I


    should have been back by now.”


    I obliged and moved closer to him and I tried my best to keep my attention on his face and not his


    perfectly defined and chiseled chest. If he told me he was carved from stone I would have believed


    because no one should ever look this good.


    I flushed pink at the thought and chided myself. I shouldn’t be having those kind of thoughts about him


    especially not when he is right next to me.


    “Can you help me?” I didn’t realize he was talking to me until he called my name, “Cami, can you


    help me unwrap my


    hands.”


    I flushed pink again at being caught but I nodded and slowly made my way over to him. This was the


    first time I was consciously being close to him and his scent hit me full force for quite possibly the first


    time.


    He smelled manly, musky, like the woods and himself. There was something about his natural scent


    that led me to take a discreet sniff. He looked up at me and I wondered if he knew what I had done but


    if he did, he didn’t show it. He just held up his hands and I slowly unwrapped the bandage.


    “Will I ever train again?” I decided to break the tension with a question.


    “Do you want to train again?” I wasn’t expecting for him to ask my opinion on the matter. Every time I


    think I know what Ryker is going to do, he ends up surprising me.


    I stayed silent as I worked through the bandage on his other hand. When I was done, I tried to pull back


    but he grasped my hand softly but firmly in his and kept me in ce.


    “You didn’t answer my question,” he reminded me.


    “I would like to,” I admitted, “But maybe not as rigorously as before. I know it makes me soundzy but


    I would very much like to start at the beginning.”


    I tried to gauge his reaction as I spoke but he kept his features carefully nk, “Would you like me to


    train you?”


    “You,” I spluttered. “But, you’re the Alpha; you’re extremely busy.”


    “Let me worry about how busy I am. I asked if you wanted me to train you.”


    “I would like that.” I admitted.


    He let go of my arm and took a step back. “You might have to change your outfit.”


    “Did you mean now?”


    “There’s no time like the present.”


    I blinked once- twice- three times before I turned on my heels and made my way back up


    the stairs. Eve looked at me with confusion but I couldn’t even articte what had just happened so I


    made my way silently into the room.


    I dressed in the outfit I would usually use to train with Lauren- leggings and the skin tight top. I made


    my way down the stairs and out the back door to where Ryker was waiting.


    When he saw me, he did a double take and I saw him swallow deeply before clearing his throat and


    leading me back into through the woods and into the clearing. The ce was very much the same


    except for two bottles of water that he ced on the ground next to the tree he had been assaulting


    before.


    “It is important to always stay hydrated while training,” he exined when he saw my gaze, “You’re


    healing from an injury and you have never trained before so we will start with the easy things; stamina,


    core work and basic stretches.”


    I hung on to every word he said and tried my best to imitate him as he led us through a series of


    stretches. Training with him was a lot different than training with Lauren. He was patient and never


    pushed me past my limits. He also exined everything in detail so I was never confused.


    We were doing basic form work for throwing a punch when I saw the corner of his lips quirk up.


    “Your form is bad,” he moved until he was behind me and gestured to my waist, “May I?”


    I was shocked and grateful that he had asked for permission. He waited until I clearly nodded before


    cing his hand on either side of my waist and turning my hips so they were facing forward. I wobbled


    a little at the feel of his hands on my bare skin but he gripped me tightly keeping me steady.


    “Cami,” he breathed and goose bumps rose on my skin as his hot breath fanned my ear, “You are-,”


    He stopped mid statement and I felt him go rigid against my back. I opened my mouth to speak but he


    sped a hand over my lips keeping me quiet. That was when I heard what he heard- footsteps and


    shuffling. A horrid burnt smell infiltrated my nostrils and I immediately knew that we were in danger.


    “How fast can you run?” he asked and I shrugged,


    “I’m pretty decent.”


    “Good, I need you to run back to the house and tell the guards that there are rogues.”


    “But-,”


    “Now!”


    The urgency in his voice stopped every argument I had in me and I took off in the opposite direction. I


    heard the ripping of clothes and a loud growl but I didn’t turn back to inspect, I didn’t stop until I got to


    the front of the house.


    The guards were confused and shocked to see me and honestly, I didn’t me them. I was in sweaty


    training clothes and I just came in looking like I had run a marathon.


    “There are rogues,” I said, “In the forest; Ryker is there and he asked me to get you.” They shared a


    look and one of them gently grabbed onto my upper arm, “What’s going on?”


    “I have to get you to safety Luna.”


    “What are you talking about? He needs you more.”


    “The Alpha gave clear orders that should there ever be a threat then you should be taken to safety.”


    I tried to argue but he firmly guided me into the house. Eve saw me and the guard ryed the situation


    to her and she took off without another word. I was guided up to my room and that was when the guard


    finally stopped pulling me around like a rag doll.


    “I will keep watch out here,” he said, “Rogue attacks can take a while so I suggest you get changed or


    something. Eve will be up as soon as she is done rounding up the other omegas.”


    I wanted toin or fight or do something but I knew that I would be more of a hindrance


    downstairs so I forced my feet to carry me into the room. I locked the door behind me and did as the


    guard asked. I took a bath and I changed into afortable pair of leggings and a shirt then I started to


    worry.


    I paced back and forth to calm my nerves. Eve came in to check on me but I barely even nced at her


    as she ced my breakfast tray by my bed. She left when she realized I wasn’t going to start eating


    anytime soon.


    I don’t know how long I stood pacing but the door to my room opened and Ryker came through. He had


    a few stters of blood on his skin but he looked otherwise fine. I couldn’t help myself when I threw my


    arms around his neck.


    I realized what I had done and tried to pull back but he wrapped his arms around my lower back and


    held me tight against his body. He nuzzled his nose into my hair and I felt him take a long inhale.


    “Are you hurt?” I asked as he finally let me pull back and he shook his head, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of


    any help; if I knew how to train then maybe.”


    “Maybe nothing,” he cut me off, “You could be the best warrior in the entire fucking world and I would


    still ask you to be sent to safety.”


    “What?”


    “You are my mate and my responsibility Cami. There is no way in hell I was going to let you stay out


    there while rogues were attacking.”


    “But-,”


    “I don’t want to argue about this. I haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?” I shook my head, “Why don’t I


    get cleaned up and we can eat. Does that sound nice?”


    “Yes.”


    He smiled at my answer and left me standing there in the room. I just stood there staring at the door he


    had gone through and thinking about how nice it felt to have someone worry about your safety over


    theirs.