CAMILLA''S POV


    Ryker had been distant ever since that conversation. He was hiding from me and that alone was reason for concern


    because Ryker never hid. It was not in his nature to run from his problems. I knew I wasn''t going to get any answers


    out of him when he didnt show up for dinner despite me knocking on his office door to remind him.


    Juan avoided my eyes during the entire meal and I knew he knew something. The moment everyone was done eating


    I begged Christine to help me put the girls in bed and I rushed after Juan. He was walking fast, as if he were trying to


    avoid talking to him but I managed to catch up to him.


    “Stop, please,” I called out and he stilled in his tracks. “Something happened when you went out and I am not gettin


    any answers out of Ryker.”


    “Maybe he just doesn’t want to talk about it yet” he shrugged and I narrowed my eyes. “If there is one thing I know, i


    is never to get between a mated couple. I have my own mating ceremony to n.” I tried to feign shock but he rolled


    his eyes. “I know Christine told you, you don’t have to pretend. I told Ryker as well on our way back.”


    “It''s tomorrow, right?” I asked and a small smile grew on his face as he nodded. “I am happy for you two, you


    honestly deserve it. Will you be inviting Riley and Damien?”


    “If she fixes her attitude then sure, Christine told me about what happened earlier. I don’t really give a shit who is


    there. I just want to get mated to her but I don’t want any trouble as well.”


    “I''m sure she will be fine,” he started to leave when I realized that he had changed the subject and I wasn''t able to


    get the answers that I wanted. I rushed after him and managed to cut him off. “Nice try, you cannot just change the


    subject”


    “l actually did,” he shot back and I rolled my eyes. “Look, if Ryker wants to talk to you about it, then he will. I am not


    going to betray his trust bying in between the both of you.”Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “You aren''t betraying his trust, you are calming the heart of a very worried mate,” he still didn’t answer so I decided


    to try a different tactic. “If something was wrong with Christine and I kenw but didn’t tell you, wouldn''t you hate me?


    “Those are twopletely different scenarios.”


    “Are they?” I asked in a slow and soft voice. “Something is wrong with my mate and you are not telling me. How


    would you feel if you were in my shoes? Look, we just got rid of Reina and something happened to him out there. I


    just need to know that my mate is safe.”


    He was quiet for a full minute. I could see the battle going on in his eyes. On one hand, he was loyal to Ryker as his


    friend but on the other hand, he could understand my stance as a concerned mate. He sighed after a long


    deliberation and pulled me towards a corner of the hallway. He first looked around to make sure that no one was


    listening before finally speaking.


    “I don''t know what''s wrong with him,” he began and I opened my mouth to protest. “Let me speak first before you


    jump to conclusions. He didn''t tell me why he wanted to leave, all he said was that he wanted to check things out


    and he wanted me to go with him. We got there and he just told me to look around. I found one of those dolls that


    she had hidden behind some bushes. He picked it up and there was this look on his face-"


    “What look?” he looked a little annoyed that I had interrupted him but didn’t say anything.


    “I don''t know how to exin it. His eyes went very dark, darker than I had ever seen them before and I swear I felt


    chills on my spine. After that, he acted like nothing happened and slipped it into his pocket. I don''t know where he


    kept it when he came back but that is all I know. If I knew more, I would tell you or at least try to help him.”


    “Thank you,” I whispered and started to leave when he grabbed my arm.


    “I know that you are worried about him but you can''t just jump to conclusions or try to force answers out of him. I


    told you this in confidence and if you misuse this information then he will not trust either of us again.”


    I frowned. “What would you like me to do then?’


    “Wait it out,” he shrugged. It was like asking me to sit still while someone set a fire to the pce. Waiting things out


    was not my strong suit and he knew it. “Ryker wille to you when he feelsfortable to. As of right now, nothin


    is happening, no one is getting hurt, allow him his secrets for as long as he needs to feel safe.”


    I knew he was right. I didn''t want to push Ryker away, neither did I want to force him to remain closed off. It was at


    this moment I realized just how he felt whenever I kept secrets from him. It was maddening wanting to help someon


    but not being able to.


    “Okay, I''ll wait, thank you, Juan.”


    He gave me a small smile. “I have to prepare for my ceremony tomorrow. I''ll see you there.”


    I returned to the room and waited for Ryker to show up. I waited what felt like hours in bed before the door finally


    creaked open. It had to have been at least two hours since we had finished dinner. I heard shuffling as he stripped


    off and climbed into bed next to me. I waited until he had wrapped his arms around me before I spoke.


    “Lots of work?” I asked and he stilled.


    “Cami-"


    “I''m not pissed, I just want to know that you''re fine,” he didn’t respond, he just kissed my temple and I appreciated


    the fact that he didn’t lie to me. I turned to face him, trailing my fingers down his cheeks. “Tell me what''s wrong so


    that I can help.”


    “Nothing is wrong,” he whispered into the darkness. “I just need some time to figure out something and until I am


    sure, I don’t want to say anything and risk scaring anyone.”


    “Is it about Audrey?”


    “No,” he answered immediately. “I don’t think Audrey''s dreams are a cause for concern yet. Don''t worry about that


    until we have a reason to.”


    He kissed me softly and I sighed basking in the feel of him before speaking. “We have a mating ceremony tomorrow.


    Hopefully that is enough to take everyone''s minds off things.”


    He hummed in response. “I''m happy for them. They both deserve it”


    “Will Riley and Damien be in attendance?”


    “I don’t know, I told Riley about it but she didn’t seem happy. Damien told me that you both had an encounter. Do


    you want to tell me what that was about?”


    “Reina got into her head and fed her some lies, that''s all. Hopefully, she is fine before tomorrow. I don’t want


    anything ruining their day.”


    “I can talk to her if you want-"


    “Tomorrow,” I cut him off as I snuggled closer into him. “For now, I just want to lie here for as long as possible.”


    I felt him smile against my hair. He pulled me closer and trailed his fingers down my spine in aforting manner. It


    didn’t take long before the lull of sleep pulled me away.


    I woke up to something being thrown on my face. It took me a second to realize that it was a cloth. Christine was


    standing at the foot of my bed with her hands crossed over her chest. She was still in her night gown and she didn''t


    seem at all bothered that the fact that Ryker was asleep half naked in bed.


    “I need you right now,” she whispered and I sat up instantly. My movements roused Ryker who looked between us


    with sleepy eyes and a confused expression.


    “Is everything alright?” he asked and she nodded. “Why are you in our room at an ungodly hour? The sun is barely


    up”


    “You need to get out,” he was genuinely taken aback by her words. If it was anyone but Christine, the conversation


    would have ended differently. “I hope for my sanity that you are both dressed.”


    She looked away as she pulled the nket off and thankfully, Ryker was clothed. He muttered some expletives unde


    his breath before standing to his feet and picking up one of his shirts.


    “You are insane,” he whispered and she just shrugged. Once his shirt was on, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I''m


    decent now. Would you mind telling me why the f**k you''re in our room by this time?”


    She ignored him and climbed into bed next to me, taking up the spot he had just vacated. She sat cross legged and


    wrapped the covers over her shoulders and around her entire body. She was acting very weird and very different. I


    nced over at Ryker who seemed to realize the very same thing because the next time he spoke, he dropped his


    voice to a soft whisper.


    “Are you alright?” he asked and she nodded. “Is there anything you need right now?”


    “Right now, I need you to please go run with Juan so that I can talk to Cami,” Ryker nodded and without another


    word, he made his way out of the room. He had almost shut the door when she spoke again. “Also can you tell him


    that I''m fine, he was worried when I rushed out of bed like a crazy person.”


    Ryker smiled. “I''ll be sure to tell him.”


    Once the door was shut, I turned to her. “What the hell happened?”