RYKER''S POV


    We were thankfully able to get out of the room before Marie and Peggy returned but we took the dolls with us. I held


    onto them because Cami wanted nothing to do with it. There were four dolls in total and I was more annoyed by


    the fact that they were not easily identifiable. They all looked the same, there was no hair or any defining features to


    figure out who the dolls controlled. Whoever had taken their time to create them had done so in a way that even


    now, we couldnt pin them to it.


    “Is it possible that they were nted?” Christine asked. She was out of the physician''s quarters but her movements


    had been very limited.


    Even now, it took a lot of convincing on her part to even let Juan consider letting here to the council room. He


    wanted to always have a close eye on her. He was still worried that something was going to her and I couldn''t help


    but wonder if one of the dolls was for her. I didn''t want to jump to conclusions which was why I had said nothing.


    “I don''t think so,” it was Cami who answered. She was seated next to me with her hands crossed over her chest.


    “They were hidden very well and we would never have found them if the entire room wasn''t searched. Something


    very weird is going on and I have no idea what it is.”


    “Any luck with Marie and Peggy?” Christine asked but she shook her head.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “Their stories still don''t align and neither of them is willing to talk about it anymore. I can try but I don’t want to


    come on as pushy or they might suspect that something is up. I already told them that I was getting part of my


    memory back-"


    There was silence all around the room and it felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one who thought it was


    absolutely absurd for her to tell them that without first weighing the pros and cons. No one spoke and I saw Cami


    shift anxiously in her seat. It took a full minute of silence before Juan finally broke the silence.


    “Did you just say that you told them you had gotten your memory back?” he sounded exasperated and slightly


    annoyed.


    “I told them I was having shes of memory,” she corrected. “I thought if I told them that, it would give me some


    insight and I would be able to figure something out. I thought it would put whoever is responsible on the spot and


    they would make a stupid mistake.”


    “How is that working out for you?” Christine sassed. “You asked us to keep this as a secret and we did. Why would


    you suddenly go behind our backs and damn it all to hell? It doesn’t make any semse to me right now.”


    “It might work in our favor,” I cut in. I didn’t agree with what she did but she was my mate and at the end of the day,


    was always going to defend her. “We have the dolls and they think her memory ising back. This might be a good


    way to catch them in the act. They will be panicking and Marie will make a mistake. It was a spur of the moment


    decision but it was a brilliant one.”


    No one said anything. I wasn''t sure if they knew I was just defending her or if they truly believed me but no one


    questioned it. Christine just sighed and nodded. There was nothing more to be said after that.


    “Everyone just keep an eye open,” Cami said softly. “A cornered animal is bound to strike. We don''t know who or


    what we are dealing with. We have to be careful. I don’t want anyone getting unnecessarily hurt”


    With that warning, everyone stood to their feet and left to handle their own issues. Just because we had a dead


    woman on the loose did not mean that we were exempt from our duties at the pce. It was exhausting to say the


    least and there were days I couldn''t help but crave the less hectic life I had as a simple Alpha. I didn’t have a lot of


    responsibilities, it was just me, my family and my pack. I didn’t have an entire kingdom to care for.


    “I''m really sorry about that,” Cami whispered making me turn to her. “I put you in a position where you had to


    defend me.”


    “I defended you because I wanted to. You made a choice, you thought about it and you thought it was the right one.


    might not agree with it but I trust you and I trust that you will not do anything with the intention to hurt us. That is


    why I defended you.”


    She sighed. “I think we are in way over our heads with this one. I don’t even know what to do next. How do we defeat


    someone who is already dead?”


    “I don''t know,” I admitted. “What we can do is focus on what we do know and take it from there.”


    I reached out for her when I heard footsteps and we both stilled. I turned just in time to see Riley rounding the


    corner. I loved my sister but this was the worst time she could have picked for a visit. There was far too much going


    on at this point and what was worse was that she couldn''t know about any of it. I nned to make a quick escape


    but she already saw me and I couldn''t just leave knowing that she was headed straight for me.


    “I''m sorry to interrupt,” she mumbled as soon as she got close to us. “Ryker, can I talk to you for a moment.”


    My brows furrowed. “Is it important because-"


    “Please,” she cut me off and there was a sense of urgency that led me to realize that she wasn’t joking. Cami gave


    me a small squeeze on the shoulder before walking off leaving Riley and I alone. “I wanted to-"


    “I think we should have this somewhere private,” I grabbed her by the hand and led her towards the private living


    room. It was the closest to us and there were guards permanently stationed outside to prevent eavesdroppers and


    people spying. “What is going on? Is everything okay?”


    “I should be asking you that,” she snapped back. “Is Christine alright? I haven''t heard anything about what happenec


    to her. No one tells me anything around here.”


    “She is fine, she is still resting. You could have just asked.”


    “Would you have told me if I did?”


    It was at that moment I realized this wasn''t about Christine. There was an using edge in her tone that led me to


    realize that this was more than I thought. I leaned back in the chair and watched her carefully. She had her hands


    crossed against her chest and she was too tense, too stoic. She didn’te for a conversation, she came prepared


    for a potential argument and the honest truth was that I was far too tired to engage in an argument with anyone.


    “Tell me what the problem is, Riley,” I sighed. “I cannot read your mind. I don’t know what you are thinking.


    Something is upsetting you and unless you tell me exactly what it is then I cannot help you.”


    “Do you even want me here?” she asked finally. “It feels like I have been avoided by everyone since I came here. I


    understand Christine because of everything that happened with Damien but even you and Cami barely look at me


    Did I do something wrong by choosing Damien? Is that what this is about? Do you want me to call things off?”


    “Stop,” I cut her off and she fell silent. “This isn’t about you or Damien and no one is avoiding you. You came at the


    wrong time, Riley.”


    “What does that mean?”


    “I cannot exin what that means but there is a lot going on right now that requires our attention. No one is


    avoiding you because we barely even have time to keep our own heads above the water. Look, I love having you here


    the girls love having you here and so does Cami. I apologize if it feels like we are avoiding you-"


    “Is it Christine?” she asked and I fell silent. “Is it because she is pregnant?”


    “What are you-"


    “I''m not blind, Ryker,” she snorted. “Besides, if she doesn’t want people to know, she should try hiding her scent


    because it is changing. If my presence is making her ufortable-"


    “Your presence is not making anyone ufortable,” I knew nothing I would say would have worked when she


    frowned. I knew I was going to regret my next words but I still found myself saying them anyway. “We can do


    something tomorrow, all of us. Would that make you feel better?”


    She nodded, “I just want us to put the past behind us. Damien is going to be a part of the family and I wouldn''t want


    things to be ufortable.”


    “I will talk to the others and see what I can do.”


    That seemed to be all she wanted because she smiled wide and after a bone crushing hug, she skipped out of the


    room leaving me to wonder just how I was going to tell the others that I had just signed them up for something that


    was going to potentially take our attention off the life threatening crisis that was the dead woman walking.


    I stood to my feet and prepared to leave when I heard a throat clear behind me. While leaving, Riley had left the doo


    open and Marie stood in the doorway. The guards were not letting her in but it didn''t seem like she had any


    intentions toe in at all.


    “Can I help you?” I asked and she nodded but when she opened her mouth to speak, no words woulde out.


    “Marie, are you alright?”


    She stood there for a full minute before shaking her head finally. “It is nothing, I apologize for wasting your time.


    Please, excuse me.”