RYKER’S PO.V


    Cami was hiding something and I knew my mate well enough to know when she was being secretive.


    Something had made her stop at theke. She had fully given in to me and she just randomly came to


    a halt, just like that. I knew there was something suspicious about it. Also, when we got back to the


    pce, it looked like she wanted to tell me something but Marie had interrupted.


    I was determined to get to the bottom of it no matter what but it seemed like Cami wanted the exact


    opposite. She wasn’t doing anything to outrightly show that she was avoiding me but it was all over her


    mannerisms. I was already in the dining room when she finally came down for dinner. There were two


    avable seats, one by my side and one on the other end of the table. She took the one by my side but


    pointedly ignored me. It was more amusing than anything if I was being honest.


    I raised a brow in her direction willing her to look at me but she focused all her attention on the girls.


    She was good with them without trying just like I knew she would. She effortlessly made them smile


    and when she was with them, you would never have guessed that she couldn’t remember them.


    Watching her with them had slowly be the highlights of my day.


    “Ryker,” Peggy’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. “I don’t feel like we have


    ever had a decent conversation, wouldn’t you agree?”


    I wasn’t sure where she was going with it but I decided to y along. “I would, we could rectify that if


    you want.”


    “I just- I see Cami as a daughter especially after she saved me from almost drowning. I just want to


    make sure that we are doing the right thing by allowing whatever this is y out.”


    “Peggy,” Cami whispered in a warning tone but Peggy waved her off. “You don’t have to do this, I am


    an adult and apparently I am twenty four years old. This is embarrassing.”


    “I don’t mind,” I told Cami as I discreetly dropped my hand on her thigh underneath the table. She


    stilled but made no move to brush my hand off. She narrowed her eyes at me but I pretended not to


    see her and turned to Peggy. “Ask whatever it is that you want to know and I will answer to the best of


    my abilities. There is nothing you would ask that the people in this room wouldn’t already know the


    answer to.”


    She smiled before turning to Cami with a smile on her face. She mouthed the words ‘he is fun, I like


    him‘ and I saw Cami roll her eyes. My hand was still on her thigh and seeing as she hadn’t done


    anything to push it off yet, I decided to let my hand go a tad bit higher. She inhaled sharply but


    thankfully, no one else caught the sound. I could have sworn that would have been the moment she


    would push my


    my hand off but her pride and need for the silent treatment seemed to be greater because she focused


    on the girls.


    “How did you and Cami end up here? How did you manage to meet the Queen? Was she Queen at


    the time?”


    “Cami and I’s story is veryplicated. She was not Queen when we met.”


    “Mummy was a princess and she was mad at daddy so he didn’te for a while,” Audrey announced


    making us all turn to her. I hadn’t even realized she was listening to the conversation. “Mummy said


    that daddy was mean but I don’t think he’s mean. He is the best daddy in the world and he loves


    mummy so much. They’re always kissing and my friend says it gives you germs.”


    “Why are you talking about kissing with your friend?” I asked and her eyes widened as she realized


    exactly what she had said. She buried her face back into her food but I wasn’t going to drop it yet.


    “Audrey Valentina, you are not going to be kissing anyone until you’re fifty.”


    She crinkled her nose. “Kissing brings germs. I won’t do it ever.”


    Good girl,” I whispered and she beamed. Once she was back with her food, I turned back to Peggy


    who was watching the scene with amusement. It is a lot moreplicated than what Audrey said but I


    think that sums it up perfectly.”


    I slid my hand higher up on Cami’s leg and she seemed to have had enough because she stood up


    abruptly. The chair scraped behind her ad all eyes turned to her. She opened her mouth to speak and I


    knew if she did, she was going to lose her shit. She seemed to realize that too because at thest


    minute, she exhaled deeply before turning to Christine.


    “Do you think that you can watch the kids for a while? I just need to take a breath.”


    Before Christine could even agree, Cami walked out of the room. Everyone was left shocked and


    confused while I was trying and failing to hide my smile. She was pissed, yes, and although that wasn’t


    the reaction I had hoped to get, it was better than nothing because it meant that she felt something.


    Annoyance was always better than nonchnce and I had sessfully gotten it out of her.


    The rest of us ate our lunch in silence and I was the first out of the room. I was going to find Cami


    when the door closed behind me and I heard Peggy calling after me. I had half a mind to ignore her but


    the more I thought about it, the more I realized how unfair that was to her. I forced my feet to a halt and


    turned to find her out of breath and trying to get to me.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    “I didn’t quite hear you when you first called,” I lied and she snorted.


    “Please, I am old but I am not stupid yet. I understand though, you wanted to get back to Cami,” she


    winked on thest part but I kept my expression carefully neutral. “I think you’re good for her, Ryker.


    You and her, you will make an extraordinary duo. She needs someone like you, someone who can


    keep her grounded and help her explore the power that she has.”


    “Power?”


    “Yes, you


    didn’t know?” she leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Cami can control water. That is how


    she stopped me from drowning. That is extreme power that people would kill to have. She needs


    someone who can protect her.”


    I let out a sigh of relief because I had already started thinking the worst. I thought her powers hade


    back. I didn’t want to take away from her, I wanted her to be the best of herself that she could be but if


    she never rediscovered her healing powers, I wouldn’t have been upset. I just wanted peace and we


    were never going to get that as long as she possessed the power of life.


    “I will keep Cami safe, you can count on that. I promise you.”


    She smiled. “Well then, I shouldn’t keep you any longer. You should find her before she plots something


    against you.” I opened my mouth to deny any involvement but she held up a hand to stop me. “Once


    again, I might be old but I am not stupid.”


    I watched her walk away with a small smile on my face. She was nothing like Leanor but she reminded


    me of her. She seemed like the kind of woman you never wanted to double cross. There was an edge


    to her, despite her smiles and warm demeanor, I could feel it. I was d that she was on Cami’s


    side.


    I made my way to our room and to my surprise, I found Cami pacing inside. I wasn’t sure why I had


    checked the room first but I hadn’t expected to find her there and she obviously wasn’t expecting to see


    me because she jumped and stared at me for a full minute without blinking.


    “I am leaving,” she announced but once she made to brush past me, I grabbed her arm and pulled her


    to a stop. She tried to wrench her hand out of my grip but I wouldn’t let go. “Please, I can’t do this game


    with you.”


    “Cannot or will not? Those are two very different things.”


    “What do I need to do for you to stop?”


    “Tell me why you pulled away at theke,” she stared at me incredulously and scoffed. “I know you


    better than you know yourself at this point. You wanted it, but something stopped you, dare I say that


    something scared you.”


    “I just didn’t want to do it,” the lie flowed easily from her lips but I could tell that it was a lie. “Why can’t


    you just ept that I didn’t want anything to do with you? It is quite sad that-”


    0


    1


    Her words died on her throat when I backed her into the wall. She opened her mouth to speak but


    suddenly no words coulde out. She looked between me and the door presumably trying to find an


    escape route but I pressed into her until there wasn’t even an inch of space between us. Her breath


    caught in her throat and that was enough of a tell for me that she wanted this.


    “You were so full of words a second ago,” I teased. “Why aren’t you saying anything now? Are you


    scared that I will see through your lies?” she still said nothing so I leaned forward and brushed my lips


    against hers. “In three seconds, I will kiss you if you do not push me off and I don’t mean feeble


    attempts, I mean actually push me. Am I clear?”


    The air crackled with electricity.


    “Three,” I began slowly but she still hadn’t made a move to leave.


    “Two,” this time she lifted her hands and ced them on my shoulders but didn’t shove.


    “One,” I whispered it slowly then waited another painful two seconds before finally iming her lips.