Chapter 87


    CAMILLA’S PO.V


    I hated being stuck in the center of things. I loved having Riley around, she was my friend and she was


    Ryker’s sister, Damein was his best friend but Christine was my cousin, she was the only person who I


    knew for a fact had my back in the pce. I didn’t want to pick a side but I knew that in a situation like


    this, I would inevitably need to. I wanted to go after her when she first ran off, but Ryker told me not to


    and after he returned, he made me promise to stay out of it but I wasn’t sure how well I could do that.


    Over thest two days, she had be a shell of herself. She barely spoke to anyone and would


    mainly just stay locked up in a room with the children. If she saw Damien, she went the other way


    which meant that she didn’t join us for any meals. I couldn’t help but be relieved when I found out that


    they were leaving in two days. If it meant bringining back a semnce of peace to the pce then I


    was willing to take it.


    I was aware that Riley and Damien came to ask Ryker’s blessing for their mating ceremony but nothing


    had been said regarding that. When Damien suggested a small intimate outing, I knew it had


    something to do with that. I was torn on how to tell Christine about it when the door to the dining room


    opened and she walked in. She had her head held high and she walked like she owned the ce. It


    was the first time I had seen her in over twenty-four hours.


    “I apologize for my absence the past few days,” she spoke aloud as she took her usual seat to my left. I


    caught her eye and I shot her a questioning look to which she replied with a smile. The smile wasn’t


    there yet but it was an improvement. “We were trying to organize a pic or some rxation time at


    the stream, you shoulde,” Riley began in a more cheerful tone than usual. She had been trying


    everything in her power to get Christine to like her. I wasn’t sure if it was guilt or fear that spurred her to


    do that but I never bothered to ask.


    “I don’t think-” Damien began but Christine cut him off.


    “If the kids will be there, I will too,” she said and I turned to her with wide eyes and a raised brow.


    Everyone in the dining room had varying levels of shock on their faces but Christine ignored us all. It


    was the first time she had initiated contact and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more at y. I


    waited until breakfast was over before I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. I allowed everyone


    file out ahead of us before I turned her to face me and crossed my arms over my chest.


    “Cami,” she began in a warning tone but I ignored her.


    “Are you going to tell me what is happening or do I have to keep guessing?” I asked and she sighed. “I


    just want to know if you’re okay, Christine. You don’t have to do this if it hurts you. No one is going to


    hold it against you.”


    “I will,” her voice was so soft that I wouldn’t have heard her if she was not standing directly in front of


    me. “I cannot spend the rest of my life avoiding them. The truth is that they will be here. Come hell or


    high water, they will be involved in your life and Ryker’s. if I don’t get used to seeing them together now


    then I never will and I will not spend the rest of my life hiding whenever theye around.” “You have


    the rest of your life to figure that out,” I whispered taking a hold of her hands. “Don’t force yourself into


    healing when you’re not ready. I’m worried about you.”


    She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll be fine. Call me when you’re about to leave.”


    She walked out of the room without a second thought leaving me to wonder what exactly happened


    overnight to change her mind. I wasn’t the only one wondering because as soon as I walked into our


    room to change, Ryker was on me with questions. I hated the fact that we were both in the blind and I


    couldn’t help but feel like this was a recipe for disaster.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    When it was time to leave, I didn’t want to call Christine, I was content with leaving her and dealing with


    her angerter. She must have known that because she was already downstairs when I got there. We


    split ourselves into two carriages and I panicked when I realized that Christine had to get into the same


    carriage as them because we were with the children. I saw her fa?ade cr ack for a second before she


    suddenly shrugged and just walked inside like it was no big deal. I hated her nonchnt attitude.


    We arrived after them due to having to move slower because Aurora was sleeping and I was shocked


    when I saw Riley and Christine conversing between themselves as they set up the little chairs in front


    of the stream. Damien was on the other side setting up the food table. For a second, I was convinced


    that everything could be fine between them but I didn’t know that things were about to go downhill.


    The girls sat by the stream dipping our toes in as we took turns carrying Aurora. I sat in the middle of


    them in case something was to happen while the men chased butterflies with Audrey. It was a fun day


    and by the time the sun was beginning to set, Damien cleared his throat. If I was paying more attention


    to them, I would have noticed the look he sent in Riley’s direction or the flush that creeped up her


    cheek. I would have been able to prevent the chaos that was about to happen.


    “When we came, we said it was because we heard about what happened to Cami,” he began. “While


    that is partly true, we were already nning toe.”


    Damien instantly had everyone’s attention. I sat up straighter and Ryker picked Audrey up to make


    sure she didn’t run off. Damien looked around and nced at Christine hesitantly. It hit me what he was


    about to say and I tried to scream at him not to say anything. I couldn’t just jump in and interrupt him


    but I wanted him to stop.


    “Please stop him,” I said to Ryker via our mind link. “This will break her.”


    “I tried, he won’t listen to me. I could order him but that once again defeats the


    entire purpose. She is going to find out sooner orter.”


    “I vote forter.”


    “Cami, you cannot protect people from everything. She needs to know and when is a better time than


    after a good day? Even if I agreed that she shouldn’t find out, how do you propose I do that? Should I


    interrupt him or send her off?”


    “I don’t want her getting hurt.”


    “I know but we have to stay out of this. It is messy and we don’t have all the pieces.”


    I didn’t agree with him but I knew he was right, there was nothing I could do to stop Damien. I watched


    as he held out a hand to Riley. She was holding a sleeping Aurora and she quickly handed her off to


    me before going to stand next to Damien.


    “We wanted to officially invite you to our mating ceremony in a few months,” Riley announced and


    everyone went pin drop silent.


    I held my breath as I waited for Christine’s reaction. She had always been excellent at hiding her


    emotions so I wasn’t surprised when her face wentpletely stoic. Nobody dared to breathe for a few


    seconds until she raised her hands and began to p.


    “Congrattions, I hope you have a long and happy life together,” she said to both of them and I could


    tell she was being genuine. She offered them a small smile before standing and walking off.


    I gave Ryker a look that clearly said ‘I told you so. He put Audrey on the ground and took Aurora from


    my arms. “Go to her,” he whispered and I nodded.


    I gave Riley a hug. “I am happy for you both, truly, I just have to,” she waved me off as if she


    understood. “I just want you to know that this isn’t about you.”


    Sheughed humorlessly. “Of course it is about me, Cami, but the truth is that I don’t me her. I


    have put myself in her shoes more times than I can count, I would hate me if I were her.”


    “She doesn’t hate you.”


    Riley looked like she didn’t believe me and although I wanted to stay and reassure her, my cousin was


    more important. I dashed off in the direction she had gone and followed her scent to a clearing of trees.


    I heard sniffling and I found her seated with her back against her tree. She was staring at the setting


    sun and her nose was red but her eyes welled with unshed tears.


    “Did you know that I was supposed to marry for duty?” she asked as I sat next to her. “My mother was


    your mother’s sister. She died in childbirth and I was taken in as a ward of the pce. The pce shas


    no use for spares so I was to be in an arranged mating for the betterment of the economy.”


    Sheughed humorlessly before continuing. “Your mother fought it tooth and nail, do you know why?” I


    shook my head. “She believed in marrying for love.


    She was mated to one of the worst mates but she still believed. If she could see me


    now.”


    “She would be proud,” I cut in and Christine turned to me. “If my mother saw you, she would marvel at


    how strong you are. She loved you like a daughter and Christine, you will marry for love. It might not


    come the way you think but it will.”


    A stray tear leaked from her eyes and I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for that.”


    “You don’t have to thank me,” I smiled but my smile fell the moment I heard a twig cr ack.


    We were on our feet in an instant and I looked around. Although I couldn’t see anyone, I couldn’t shake


    off the feeling thatwe were being watched.


    “We should go,” Christine whispered and I couldn’t have agreed more.


    We immediately started back on the path towards the pce and as I looked back, I could have sworn


    that I saw a pair of red eyes staring back at me but the moment I blinked, they were gone.