Chapter 77


    RYKER’S P.O.V


    The worst part about having Cami lying in her bed without moving wasn’t the fact that she was in her


    room and not ours. it wasn’t the fact that I’feared that she would never wakeup, it wasn’t even the fact


    that I was doing most of the work in the pce- I didn’t mind that. It was the kids. Audrey didn’t


    understand why her mother had been lying in bed for three days unmoving and why she wouldn’t just


    get up. She asked me if Cami was going to the same ce that Leanor did. She didn’t understand


    the concept of deathpletely, she just knew that people left and never returned.


    Aurora was apletely different ballgame. For a child who enjoyed being in my arms every second of


    every day, she wanted nothing to do with me. She wanted her mother but I couldn’t risk that so she


    screamed her head off day in and day out. It was exhausting having tobine all of that with trying to


    find Frederick and trying to keep the people from losing their minds out of fear. I felt like I was going


    crazy.


    Christine helped as best as she could but there were things that she could not do. The only thing I got


    that made me feel remotely better was when I got a letter from Damien asking if I wanted him toe


    over I didn’t want to bother him and I also didn’t want to put Christine in that position. I never asked


    about their situation because I knew whose side I would pick if it came down to it and I also knew that


    Cami wouldn’t agree with my choice. Their situation was a recipe for disaster.


    “Ryker,” Christine’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. My fingers were still


    tracing circles on Cami’s palm. “I know this isn’t the time but the elders have the list you asked for.


    What do you need the list of current pack members for?”


    I reluctantly let go of Cami’s hand. “Frederick has help in the pack. I had him in my grip and he had


    men who came out of the woods and distracted me. He has allies here and I need to know how he got


    to them. If he wasn’t raised here then they must have met elsewhere.”


    “I can help with the list,” she offered. “The goddess knows it is way too long for you to look through


    yourself.”


    I was about to refuse when I heard an ear–splitting scream. Cami and I’s room was just opposite this


    one and that was where Aurora was sleeping- or at least, supposed to be. I ran my hands down my


    face in frustration and made my way past Christine and towards her. Her little face was red and


    scrunched up as she wailed. I gently picked her up and checked her napkin first but it was clean. She


    had also eaten less than thirty minutes ago so she wasn’t hungry.


    “Hey, princess, what’s wrong?” she continued to wail and I rocked her gently over my shoulder. Her


    cries reduce but they were still loud. Christine walked into the room and I turned to her. “Get the files


    from the elders and take what you want from it. I just need to calm her down before I start on it.”


    She looked like she wanted to say more but she changed her mindst minute and turned on her


    heels. I watched her disappear and turned my attention back to my daughter who had stopped crying


    and was now sniffling. Her lower lip was wobbling and her eyes were teary. I gently wiped the tears


    from her cheeks andy her gingerly on my chest.


    “I miss her too, princess,” I whispered. “We just have to believe that she will be fine because I can’t do


    this without her.” She gazed up at me as if she understood and I ced a soft kiss on her head. “Come,


    we have work to do. You can sit in daddy’s


    office.”


    It was difficult but not impossible to work with a child in my arms. She didn’t like to sit in one ce and I


    had to stop her plenty times from grabbing the files with her tiny hands. I felt like I was going nowhere


    with my search but I had to keep going else I would have felt like I was doing nothing to help Cami.


    Frederick had somehow thrown the entire pce for a spin and we were struggling to find our bearings.


    By the time the sun was going down, I was frustrated. The only thing I had achieved was getting my


    infant to fall asleep. I hated the pace we were going at so I summoned the elders. Thankfully they were


    still in the pce and were able to assemble in the council room within minutes. I could see a few


    raised brows at Aurora on my chest but neither of them risked saying anything out loud. I knew I scared


    a few of them because of how rarely I spoke but now that Cami was hurt I was vtile and they knew


    it. They had avoided meeting with me until it was absolutely necessary.


    “You should be with your family,” one of them began and I raised a brow at him. “I am just saying that


    you don’t need to bother yourself with us. We can handle things on our end.”


    “How is that going?” I asked. “Have you weeded out the traitors yet? Have you found a way to narrow


    them out? We have some in this very pce as we speak.”


    “Yes, but, our mainfocus is on Frederick and not his followers. If you strike the shepherd then the sheep


    will scatter.”


    “The sheep are an inconvenience that I could do without. I need answers and I need them now. He has


    people helping him get in and out of the pce and I need to know who they are.”


    “We can ask our sources but our professional opinion is that you would do a lot better without finding


    them. The most important thing is Frederick and stopping him before he does anything worse.”


    “It is a good thing that I did not ask neither do I care about your professional opinion.”


    “It is our job to give it to you and we know this pce well. There is no need-” his voice began to raise


    with annoyance and I didn’t care until Aurora stirred in my arms. I let out a low grumble and he fell


    silent immediately. His words died in his throat and he swallowed deeply.


    “If you wake my child, I promise that it will be thest thing that you ever do. Am I clear?” he nodded.


    “This conversation is over. I expect answers and results by tomorrow. I don’t give a shit how you get it


    as long as you get it. Do you understand me?”


    There was a chorus of, “Yes, your majesty,” before they all disappeared.


    I waited until thest person had left before I sighed. I had no idea what I was doing. Contrary to what


    Cami thought most times, I wasn’t born to be a royal. This was her life. Ruling a pack was much


    easier and every day it was like trying to draw water from a rock. I had no idea how Leanor did it for so


    many years but I suddenly had a lot more respect for her.


    I left the council room and put Aurora in her crib. She whined a little but eventually settled down to


    sleep. Once she was down, I made my way to Audrey’s room. In the past three days, I had seen my


    daughter try to be more independent because of how much stress she noticed was on me. I tried


    my best to be at her room every morning for her lessons and every night before she slept but I could


    barely squeeze time to see her during the day.


    When I got in, she was already dressed and tucked in but she was still awake. I realized that I had


    missed her bedtime by thirty minutes but when she saw me, I saw pure joy fill her. It broke my heart to


    know that even for a second,she had doubted me. I never wanted to be that parent and I was worried


    that I was turning into exactly that. I said nothing as I sat by the edge of her bed and kissed her


    forehead.


    “I’m sorry that I’mte,” I whispered to her but she waved me off. “Do you want me to read you another


    story?” she shook her head. “What do you want?”


    “Tell me how you and mummy met.”


    I was shocked by her request. It felt like a lifetime ago that I saw her for the first time in the cells of my


    pack. I couldn’t help a small smile from growing on my face as I thought about how far we had gone


    since then.


    “Well, your mum crossed my border identally and the guards thought she was one of the rogues so


    they took her in. I saw her and knew she was my mate so I brught her home.”


    “Did you love her then?” Audrey asked with hopeful eyes and I nodded.


    “I loved your mother since the moment Iid eyes on her. It was the same way I loved you and Aurora


    the moment I saw you,” I could see how much those words meant to her. “Your mother will be fine, I


    promise.”


    I knew it was reckless to make that kind of promise to a child but I couldn’t help myself and when I saw


    how wide she smiled, I knew I did the right thing. I kissed her once more and left the room but I was


    met outside the door by Christine and she looked worried.


    “What is it?” I asked but she stayed silent. “Christine, fucking tell me. Your silence is making me


    ufortable.”


    “I am so sorry, Ryker. We tried everything we could.”


    I feared I knew what she was talking about but I refused to believe it until I heard the words.


    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Stop speaking in riddles and tell me.”


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    “It is Cami, the physician said she might not make it through the night.”