《The Rejected Werewolf Princess》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 I always thought that turning eighteen would be this monumental point in my life. I thought I would wake up and finally get my wolf like everyone else. But when I woke up this morning, it all felt the same.As a stripper, they already have enough to despise me for, but as a runt, I am the bane of their existence, the worst thing that could ever happen to a werewolf. It was alreadyte, so I rushed over to the club that I usually work. It is situated at the other side of town. It is strictly a werewolf bar, but the asional human stumbles across it once in a while. It screams money and sophistication and most of the people whoe here are higher ranking wolves who are tired of work and want to unwind by watching a woman dance all over them. I was lucky to even get a job here; they wouldn¡¯t hire omegas like me but the owner- Rick took a firm liking to me. He said I had the body of a stripper; slim waist, perky boobs and a round ass. He hired me on the spot, on the only condition that ny percent of my profits go back to him. ¡°Someone has personally requested you for a private dance,¡± he said as he sat next to me, ¡°It¡¯s a party with some kids and they want you to dance.¡± ¡°Do I know them?¡± I asked but he waved off my question. ¡°That¡¯s not important,¡± he assured me with a hand on my shoulder, ¡°If you do this; you will be walking home tonight with two hundred dors from that private dance alone; and I¡¯ll even let you take home twenty percent of your profits today.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I bit my lips as I thought about it. This is the best offer I can get right now. With that amount, I can finally get new shoes because my old ones are ripping apart seam by seam. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I agreed and his smile widened. ¡°They¡¯re in room ten,¡± I started to rise but he grabbed my arm, ¡°These are powerful people Cami; you will do whatever it takes to make sure that they are happy.¡± I nodded and he let go of me. I took steady breaths to calm myself and made my way into the rooms My excitement dulled the feeling of anxiety bubbling in me. I thought nothing could possibly make me rethink my decision until I opened the door and saw the people in there- Lisa, Peter and Chris. They are the best friends or should is ay, squad of the future Alpha, Tyson Woods. They are also my biggest bullies in the pack. Speaking of Tyson, I can¡¯t see him here. I had half a mind to run out of the room but they had already seen me. ¡°Do you think Tyson will love his present?¡± Peter asked with a sadistic grin on his face. ¡°I think he¡¯ll like it better if she was naked.¡± Chris threw out, ¡°Go on runt, strip.¡± I forced back the bile in my throat and did as he asked. I tried to remind myself that this was a good deal and I couldn¡¯t ruin it or Rick would fire me. By the time I was naked; all guys were staring at me with list in their eyes. ¡°For a runt you sure do have a great body,¡± Chris mused ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to fuck them, Chris,¡± Lisa said with an eye roll, ¡°Go dance on the pole or something.¡± I mechanically moved my legs over to the pole. I had just climbed the tform when the door opened and a scent I had never smelled before filled my nose. It was something I couldn¡¯t exin but it had an undertone of familiarity to it. It hit me like a freight train just as I heard someone say, ¡°Mate.¡± There was a collection of gasps, followed by a loud squeal as Lisa rushed to her feet and ran towards the door. ¡°I knew it Tyson,¡± she threw herself into his arms; ¡°I knew we were mates.¡± ¡°Not you,¡± he said as he threw her off. A frown marred her beautiful features and that was when everyone seemed to remember I was in the room because all eyes turned to me. Their expressions wereical at best because each person had a different expression on their face. Chris looked downright amused, Peter looked confused, Lisa was furious and embarrassed and Tyson, I forced my eyes to meet my mate¡¯s and I wasn¡¯t prepared for the hate and disgust that I saw swirling in his pupils I stayed frozen, I didn¡¯t even dare breathe. The atmosphere was so tense that you could cut it with a knife and it felt like a ticking bomb that could detonate at the slightest provocation. After a beat of silence, Lisa spoke, ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± she all but screamed, ¡°This runt is your mate and I¡¯m not.¡± That seemed to snap everyone out of their stunned state because Chris burst outughing. Heughed like someone who was drunk on happiness or wine. His shoulders shook and tears escaped his eyes. ¡°So what happens now, Tyson?¡± he teased, ¡°Are you going to take her to daddy dearest?¡± ¡°Fuck no,¡± Tyson spat, ¡°Why would I want a useless runt as a mate?¡± I took that as my cue to leave and I started to get down from the tform but I was stopped, ¡°Where are you going?? ¡°I was,¡± I stuttered as I faced my mate, ¡°I thought I should leave.¡± Tysonughed this time, a mocking sound of amusement, ¡°Someone paid for your time; do you really think I¡¯ll let you walk away without enjoying it first?¡± ¡°Tyson,¡± Lisa began. There was an undercurrent of fear in her voice and I realized what her problem is. Lisa and Tyson have been friends with benefits for a long time and she thinks that if he is in my presence for too long, then he will leave her for me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry babe, I wouldn¡¯t touch her with a ten inch pole,¡± he pulled her to his side, ¡°If I¡¯m correct, Chris paid for her time. So he gets to have his fun with her.¡± My cheeks burned as embarrassment crawled up my spine. There is nothing more disgraceful than your saying he wouldn¡¯t touch you and practically throwing you into the arms of someone else. ¡°What are you waiting for Cami?¡± Chris asked as he spread his legs, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my private dance.¡± I fought tears the entire time I was in that room. I didn¡¯t dance for just Chris, I also had to dance for Peter and it felt disgusting to have them freely touch me while Tyson sat in the corner of the room making out with Lisa. As soon as the two hours were over, I rushed to pull my clothes on. The way I hurried to put them on, you would think I was being chased. I had gotten to the door when I was stopped by Chris¡® voice. ¡°You¡¯re a great dancer,¡± he said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll be visiting here more often.¡± He turned to Tyson, ¡°You don¡¯t mind that, do you? She is your mate after all.¡± I saw his actions for what they were; he was trying to goad Tyson. Tyson realized it too the moment I did. His friends would never let it go that his mate is a lowly omega. Knowing Tyson, his pride and ego was bruised today, and Chris isn¡¯t letting it slide. ¡°I, Tyson Woods of the Two Moons pack, rejects you Cami as my mate.¡± He practically spat the words at me, ¡°ept it or reject it, I don¡¯t give a fuck.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The pain hit me square in my chest. It felt like my chest was being peeled open by a ming hot knife and the tears I had fought to hide fell down my cheeks slowly. Lisaughed as she saw my face and I hurried to wipe them away but they didn¡¯t seem to want to stop. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I-,¡± my voice was hoarse; ¡°I ept your rejection.¡± I felt the exact moment the bond snapped. I saw pain sh across Tyson¡¯s features and he flinched slightly but he hid it well. It made me feel good to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the effects. I didn¡¯t wait to see if he would show any other emotions; I turned on my heels and rushed out of the door. I didn¡¯t stop running until I got to the pack house and I was in thefort of the old storage closet I call my room. It¡¯s so small that three people can¡¯t standfortably side by side but I¡¯m grateful for it. I use an old bed that one of the pack members threw out. I took it from the trash, cleaned it and made it my own. I flopped on the bed and the tears I had managed to hold back finally fell. The emotions were finally catching up to me and I felt like I was going to break. I had always thought that finding my mate would be the only escape that I would have from this terrible life but it turned out that I was wrong. Finding my mate was a torture that I didn¡¯t expect. **** ********************** ******** I didn¡¯t leave my room again until afternoon so I could buy something to eat. I¡¯m not allowed to use the cooker and I can¡¯t keep one in my room, so I either buy my food or pray that there are leftover scraps for them to give me. On my way back, I saw Chris and he winked at me as if sharing a deep secret. I rushed back to my room after that. Chris¡® presence brings nothing but trouble and pranks, and his version of a prank is never fun. By night, the severity of my situation started to bear down on me. I am Tyson¡¯s mate- I was Tyson¡¯s mate, and he rejected me. News will travel soon and it will give people even more reason to hate me. While I was thinking about that, I heard the knob on my door jiggle. My spine straightened because it is late, no one should be in my room thiste. No one evenes this far into the basements on a normal day. The door flew open and I let out a small scream. I recognized the scent as Tyson¡¯s and my heart clenched. Even though our bond is broken, there will still be lingering feelings until one of us takes another mate. He walked into the room and stared at it in disdain. The moment his eyes met mine, I was hit by his intense hatred, but there was something else there, something I couldn¡¯t put my finger on. ¡°All day,¡± he began, ¡°My friends have not stopped teasing me about the fact that you are my mate.¡± He spat the word ¡®you¡® as if it was a curse word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I offered and heughed humorlessly. ¡°All day; I¡¯ve been thinking of how I could have been given a slut for a mate.¡± I felt his words like a p and I took an involuntary step backwards. ¡°But then I rememberedst night in the club, and I realized that sluts are good for one thing.¡± I realized his intention and I tried to run but his hand wrapped around the back of my shirt and he pushed me against the wall. ¡°Please, you don¡¯t want to do this.¡± I begged and he pinned me with his body; that was when I smelled the alcohol and wolf¡¯s bane on his breath. It takes a lot to get a werewolf drunk; they usually have to drink a lot and mix it with wolf¡¯s bane for their inhibitions to be lowered even a little bit. I tried to fight him but even in his state, he was still a lot stronger than me. Even though I screamed and cried, he still pushed his way into me. I hoped that people would hear my screams ande to save me but it was in vain. I screamed until my voice was hoarse and until the tears stained my skin but no one came. If they hard, they did not care. If someone had asked me how I expected to lose my innocence, I would have said on a bed by a mate who loved me. I got the mate part right, but not the others. I lost it to my mate who rejected me twenty four hours ago, against the wall. As he emptied himself into me, he pushed me to the floor like I was nothing but trash beneath his feet. I couldn¡¯t stop the tears that were freely flowing from my face. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the pain. between my thighs or if it was because of the pain in my heart. ¡°How could you?¡± I croaked from my position on the floor. ¡°You rejected me, why wasn¡¯t that enough for you?¡± My legs had given out and I fell to the ground in a heap. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move. He was at the door but he paused and turned to me. The hatred in his eyes hit me like a freight train and I tried my best to look away but his eyes kept me captured. ¡°You¡¯re still my mate and you¡¯re a whore. Your body is mine whether you like it or not.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 I didn¡¯t move from my spot on the floor until the early hours of the morning. Iy on the floor and stained the cement floor with my tears. I didn¡¯t know when I slept off, I just opened my eyes when sunlight shone directly into them and I realized that it was already morning. I forced myself to my feet and my knees wobbled as I forced myself to take steps. I was sore and in pain all over. I wanted nothing more than to lock myself in my room for the next week but I don¡¯t have the luxury of that. I need to work because I need the money. And even if I could get those days off, I need an excuse, I can¡¯t tell them that- I can¡¯t tell them what happened. I went to the bathroom first to get a bucket and rag to clean up the floor and the wall that was stained with traces of my blood. My hands shook as I cleaned it up because all I could picture and feel was Tyson pounding into me over and over again despite my pleas. When I was done, I went round to do my chores. I was mopping the dining room when I saw Lisa walk in with some of her girl friends. She saw me and a sadistic smile grew on her face. She stepped over the ces I had just cleaned with her muddy shoes andughed as I picked up the mop to clean it again. As I Walked past her, her spine stiffened and she pushed me hard. I fell to the floor with the bucket and water spilled all over the floor. ¡°You fucking whore,¡± she spat, ¡°You just couldn¡¯t take his rejection; you had to find him and fuck him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¨C,¡± I began but she picked up a vase and threw it in my direction. Thankfully it shattered next to me and not on my face. ¡°I can smell him on you, you bitch.¡± She screamed, ¡°How dare you?¡± I wanted to exin and I wanted to tell her that I didn¡¯t want it and that he forced me but I didn¡¯t bother trying to defend myself to her. Lisa will hear and believe what she wants to hear regardless of what I say. I only ¦° wish she wasn¡¯t doing it in front of her friends who are snickering to themselves. I knew that they were going to spread the rumors around and it was only going to make things worse for me. My silence seemed to anger Lisa, because she pulled me up by my hair and pped me across the cheek. I staggered back from the impact of her hit and tripped over the bucket again and fell hard on my ass. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°She isn¡¯t worth it, Lisa,¡± one of them said, ¡°You¡¯re going to meet Tyson remember.¡± ¡°I have to put this whore in her ce,¡± Lisa said, ¡°And I have to let her know that she doesn¡¯t go fucking other people¡¯s men.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be Luna, not her, never her.¡± The girl argued, ¡°The knowledge that her own mate doesn¡¯t want her is enough.¡± Lisa finally relented, but not before shooting me onest look, ¡°Watch your back.¡± Because of Lisa¡¯s stint, I had to spend another half hour cleaning and got to work an hourte. The girls were whispering amongst themselves. when I got there but I ignored them and made my way to the manager¡¯s office. As I walked in, she gave me a once over, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here. You didn¡¯t deem work so important yesterday.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was-,¡± ¡°Save your lies,¡± she cut me off, ¡°Just because you were mated to Tyson doesn¡¯t give you any new privileges. If I heard correctly, he rejected you.¡± I inhaled deeply; I didn¡¯t expect news to travel this fast. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I begged, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again; I swear it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t trust you on that.¡± The first tear dropped and I fell to my knees, ¡°Please; I need this job.¡± She watched me through her sses and I saw the hidden excitement behind her eyes. She likes the idea of me begging her. After a while, she nodded and gestured for me to stand up.¡± ¡°If you arete again; you are fired.¡± I was embarrassed and I was ashamed that I had to go on my knees to beg to keep a job but I didn¡¯t have any other choice so I nodded and rushed out to start work. Throughout the day, the girls would make passingments about me being a rejected mate. One of them even outright refused to stand next to me because ¡®she doesn¡¯t want my rejection to be contagious to her. It hurt to see and hear them say all these things but there was little I could do about it. By the time the day was over, I all but rushed to take off my apron. I had just hung it up and was about to leave when one of them stopped 1. me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked, ¡°Your hooker job?¡± I didn¡¯t rise to her bait, instead I just nodded. ¡°In case you didn¡¯t hear; the Alpha just ordered an emergency pack meeting.¡± ¡°How would she hear?¡± another girl mused, ¡°She isn¡¯t a part of this pack so she doesn¡¯t have the pack link.¡± It used to hurt at first knowing I wasn¡¯t a part of the pack. It still does, but not as much as it used to. Instead of debating with them, I just followed behind them as they walked to where the meeting was being held. I followed them to thewn of the council hall. Alpha Jackson was already standing there with Tyson next to him. I saw Lisa standing at the far left with her own father, the Gamma, and to the right was Alpha Jackson¡¯s Beta and his son, Chris. Everyone was gathered here and they were whispering to themselves. We all wanted to know what this meeting was organized for. It is very unlike Alpha Jackson to schedule these. In my life, there has only been one and that was to publicly grieve the loss of his mate. Alpha Jackson stepped up and held up a hand to silence everyone, ¡°I was not the one who gathered you all here today.¡± Everyone started murmuring amongst themselves, ¡°It was my son; your future Alpha.¡± He took a step back and Tyson walked up to the front. Everyone went silent as he approached, wondering what he was going to say. ¡°It hase to my attention that a certain rumor about my mating has been going around.¡± People started to stare at me, and it took all my strength not to take off or dig a hole in the ground and bury myself, ¡°I havee to tell you all, that it is nothing but a lie.¡± The words stunned me. The entire council hall went silent and people stared at me with using and amused eyes. ¡°The rumor was started by an omega who has been obsessed with me for years,¡± what the hell is he saying? ¡°My mate has and remains Lisa Anderson; the daughter of our wonderful Gamma. She is to be my Luna; not some omega runt.¡± The packughed at his words but embarrassment crawled up my skin. I fought back the tears because people were staring at me. I will not give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. ems me cry. ¡°The rumors are disrespectful to my mate and I, and I felt the need to publicly put them to rest.¡± He continued, ¡°The instigator will be punished ordingly. Have a nice day.¡± After he said that, people started to disperse and I held back a scoff. After all of this, he still wants to punish me. This is punishment enough; the looks and the whispers. I forced my legs to carry me in the direction of the pack house and ignored everyone¡¯s words. It was hard because they weren¡¯t even trying to hide the fact that they were talking about me. They called me every word in the dictionary, from ¡°Disgusting¡± to ¡°Desperate¡± to ¡°Whore¡± and ¡°Home wrecker¡°. As I took in the room and thought about how I would have to deal with. this for the rest of my life, I decided I was done. I grabbed the small duffel bag and cast onest nce at the pack house that had been my home for eighteen years and took off into the woods. I don¡¯t know how long I ran or how far I ran, but I didn¡¯t stop until. the sounds of weapons and different voices yelling over each other. I sat up quickly and tried my best to listen to what direction they were coming from. If I can hear them then it means they aren¡¯t too far away. ¡°Find her,¡± I heard Tyson growl, ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone too far. I can still smell her.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 I ran as far and as fast as my legs could carry me. I could feel blisters begin to form on the soles of my feet but I didn¡¯t stop; not even when tripped over some roots and scratched up my entire arm and face. The pain I felt was only a dull thump at the back of my mind. All that mattered to me was getting as far away from the pack as I could get. I can only imagine what Tyson would do to me if he found me. His ego would be bruised that someone ran from him- his favorite punching bad no less. If I¡¯m found, he will make my life a living hell. And it¡¯s not just him; the rest of the pack will think I ran because I have something to hide. I will never get another second of peace again. The thought was enough motivation for me to push my legs harder. My chest burned, my feet hurt and my muscles were sore but I pushed on until I was forced toe to a stop. I stopped in front of a tree that had the markings of the pack crest and I knew where I was- at the pack border. I looked around to make sure there were no members of the border patrol around. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate before handing me over to Tyson. I exhaled deeply and took a step over the pack line. It felt like both a knife to my heart and a breath of fresh air. What if life outside the pack is worse than life inside? I have never been anywhere but this pack and I can¡¯t imagine what my life will be like outside of it. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I knew that Tyson would feel the bond breaking and woulde searching for me so I kept running. The bottom of my soles tore as I pushed them past their limits but I didnt dare stop. I needed to put as much distance between myself and Tyson as I could and that meant running as much as I could. It was nightfall when I finally brought myself to stop. My feet were bleeding and the smell of blood permeated the air. I leaned against a tree to catch my breath and/I was so concerned with resting that I did not notice the insignia of a pack crest on the tree until I came face to face with two border patrol wolves. My first instinct was to flee and I had begun gearing up to do so when one of them let out a growl that had me freezing in my tracks. ¡°Stop,¡± I froze on instinct and turned slowly until I was staring right in their emotionless eyes. I raised my hands to show them I meant no harm but my sudden movement had them pointing their spears at me. They had a different pack insignia on their armor so I knew they weren¡¯t Tyson¡¯s men but I still can¡¯t trust them. They¡¯ll send me back to Tyson the moment they know who I am. ¡°Who are you?¡± one of them asked but I stayed silent. I did not want to risk putting myself in harm¡¯s way by giving up my true identity. ¡°Is she deaf?¡± the other one asked. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s a rogue or a spy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just take her back to the Alpha.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± I raised my hands higher as a pleading note crept into my voice, ¡°Just let me pack my bags and I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that; you¡¯re on our territory.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. It was an honest mistake, just let me leave and we can forget that this happened.¡± ¡°We cannot do that.¡± I made a split second decision and tried to run out from between them but they anticipated my move because one of them grab my arm in a bruising grip and flung me back against the tree so hard that I cracked my head against the wall and I feared I had a concussion. I tried to fight my way out of the hold but he told me that if I fought he would only make my suffering worse. It took both of them to keep me stable and drag me to the pack before finally throwing me into a cell. As soon as the door mmed shut I screamed as loud as I could. ¡°Shut the bitch up before Alpha has our heads.¡± I heard one of them say but that didn¡¯t stop me; I screamed louder. One of them moved towards my cell but suddenly froze and I saw both of them stand at attention to respond to someone who walked in. From the aura and raw power that filled the room, I knew that it was their Alpha. I waited with bated breath as I felt him make his way towards my cell. I kept my head down because I didn¡¯t want to anger him but an unknown force had me lifting my head the moment his feet reached the front of my cell and I let out a gasp. He was tall, so tall that he blocked out every beam of light that I couldn¡¯t properly make out the features of his face but I knew he had dark hair and he was well built. I couldn¡¯t even spend a lot of time taking in his features; all I could think was ¡®it can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be- I have never heard of it happening to someone so quickly. It has barely been three days since Tyson rejected me. ¡°Get her out of there,¡± his voice was all gravel edges. ¡°Alpha we found her on the territory.¡± One of them began but he cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t care where you found her; get my mate out of that cell.¡± The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 5 Chapter 5 As if possessed, the guards rushed over to open the cell doors. One of them hooked his hand under my pits to lift me up. I didn¡¯t have enough time to bnce myself right or even fix my shoe so when I was ced on my feet, I was ced directly on the bruised and peeled skin which made me wince slightly. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to notice but my mate did because he let out a growl of warning in the direction of the guard. ¡°Did you hurt her?¡± he asked and the guard shook his head fervently. ¡°We didn¡¯t touch her Alpha; I swear it.¡± My mate- it still feels weird to say- shot him a dark re, walked into the cell and lifted me into his arms in one quick move. I was so shocked by the action that I froze up and my body wentpletely rigid. He took note of my bodynguage and I could feel his eyes boring into my skin but we were too close and I was too nervous to look him in the eyes so I kept my eyes trained on my palms that were fisted together in myp. He carried me out of the cell but instead of taking me back to the direction of the pack house; he took me to a beautiful cream carriage. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The seats were made of the softest ck suede and it was pulled by two extremelyrge horses. It was when he put me down that I finally gathered the courage to look up at him. He had most luscious darkshes that framed his electric grey eyes. His hair was as dark as the night and his features were like one carved from stone- high cheekbones, a defined jaw line and a scruff of facial hair that covered the top of his lip and his chin. He got in beside me and a guard came over and shut us inside. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak and he didn¡¯t bother speaking. Instead, he leaned forward and lifted my bruised foot. I tried to jerk it away from his hold but he had it in a tight grip. He inspected my torn and worn out shoes with a nk expression and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt shame at the fact that I was an omega. What was the moon goddess thinking by pairing me with an Alpha each time? He is probably going to reject me like Tyson did and I honestly won¡¯t be surprised. He slowly loosened the knot I made with the fabric and peeled the worn out shoe off my leg. When he saw the state of my foot, his eyes darkened. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting his question so I jumped slightly. I saw his frown deepen when I jumped and I knew he would ask about it so I hurried to respond to his first question. ¡°I was running.¡± ¡°How long were you running?¡± this time I responded with a shrug, ¡°Who were you running from?¡± ¡°My pack,¡± I kept the answer short and clipped because I didn¡¯t know whether or not I could trust him with the truth. If there is one thing I learnt while I was in Tyson¡¯s pack; it is that the elites are loyal to each other. One wrong word and he could have me shipped back to Tyson with a bow around my back. I think he wanted to ask another question but the carriage lurched to a stop. He got out and instead of letting me walk by myself; he lifted me again and led me in the direction of what I would call the biggest cottage I have ever seen. It was three stories high with stone walls and normally the size would take away from the cottage vibes but it didn¡¯t. There was ivy crawling up the stone walls and the garden at the front of the house was a sight to behold. As he walked us to the front door, I saw the hint of ake at the back of the house. It was like the house was plucked fresh out of my favorite story book and ced in reality. The inside was more minimalistic with polished wooden and ss furniture, white couches and the spotless cre My mate carried me into a room and deposited me on the bed. ¡°The bathroom is right there, freshen up and be out in half an hour for someone to look you over¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, my feet will heal¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking. If you don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Without another word, he turned on his heels and left the room. I was left staring at him in shock for a few minutes before I finally gathered myself together long enough to limp towards the bathroom. The tub was carved from the finest wood and shone spotlessly as sunlight hit it from the open window. I sat in the tub because the under of my feet were starting to burn badly and I washed myself while sitting I admit I couldn¡¯t clean up as well as I wanted but I have gone days where I haven¡¯t bathed at all and right now, I will take every luxury I can get. It was after I got out of the bathtub that I realized I didn¡¯t have my bag with me so I didn¡¯t have any clothes to change into. I left my dirty clothes in the room but when I went to retrieve them, they were gone and reced with a simple grey button up shirt and ck dress pants. The shirt fell to my knees and the sweat pants were too big for me. Thankfully it came with a rope but even after pulling it as tightly as I could; it was still a little big. I rolled up the ankles because it dwarfed mepletely and judging by the smell. it belonged to my mate. There was a soft knock on the door. I waited for whoever it was to walk in but instead they knocked again. I realized at that point that they were waiting for my response so I said a quicke in. My mate appeared with a nice looking woman next to him. She was a bit older than me with beautiful blond hair and warm blue eyes. She was wearing a white coat and holding a small duffel bag that I assume has some doctor¡¯s equipments inside. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Lucy,¡± she began, ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to check you out.¡± She waited for my response so I shrugged, ¡°Can you tell me your name?¡± ¡°Cami,¡± ¡°Well Cami, are you hurt anywhere?¡± I shrugged again and gestured to my feet. She asked me to lie on the bed and then she took a seat at the edge. I watched her expression and saw her wince when she took in the state of my feet. I tried my best not to look at it too much while I was bathing but from the little I saw, the sole waspletely torn up. She didn¡¯t recoil in disgust or even chide me. Instead, she took out some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol and took her time cleaning it. Whenever I winced or pulled back, she would utter soft words of encouragement, leave me to rest for a minute or so then continue cleaning it up. When she was done, she wrapped my feet in bandage and gave me a warm smile. ¡°With normal werewolf healing you should be as good as new within a day.¡± The moment she said that I felt my insidespletely dete; I should have known I wouldn¡¯t be able to run from it. ¡°I¡¯ll be back around that time to check on you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a wolf,¡± I said softly but I knew she heard me because she froze. She cast a worried nce at my mate who was still standing by the door but I didn¡¯t lift my eyes to see his expression- 1 already know what I will find there. ¡°No problems,¡± Lucy said after a beat of silence, ¡°I will get some supplements that you should help you heal and I¡¯ll give them to have them brought to you. Hopefully within a week you should be brand new.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°I also rmend you eat better. You seem vastly malnourished and in need of a better diet n.¡± After dropping that final bomb, she bowed slightly to my mate and left the room. He waited a second before making his way further into the room but I kept my gaze down on the floor. ¡°Why won¡¯t you look at me?¡± that wasn¡¯t the question I was expecting him to ask. You re the Alpha.¡± ¡°My name is Ryker, not Alpha.¡± he corrected and my breath hitched. I¡¯ve heard about him before. I once overheard the pack guards talking about an Alpha Ryker Caine. They called him the man that monsters fear because of his ruthlessness and brutality. They said he tortures his pack members for fun and hosts. a public and random execution every month. Fear gripped my insides like a wed hand and I pushed myself as far into the bed as I could. He froze mid step and a bitter smile grew on his lips. ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard of me,¡± it wasn¡¯t a question so I didn¡¯t bother with a response, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No,¡± ¡°Do you like the clothes?¡± ¡°Everything is fine; thank you.¡± ¡°Help me out here,¡± he threw his hands up in exasperation, ¡°I didn¡¯t want a mate and I definitely didn¡¯t expect you to stumble across my pack territory. But you can¡¯t just sit there cowering like a wounded puppy.¡± As much as I hated to admit it, his words stung and I pulled up my knees so I could hold them close to my chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± He began, ¡°If I can have my bag that your men took, I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡± I assured him, ¡°You can reject me and I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting you,¡± I was stunned by his words. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want a mate.¡± ¡°I did, but you didn¡¯t stumble on my pack by ident and there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m letting you go out in this condition.¡± ¡°So, what are you saying?¡± ¡°Wee to the Blood Stone pack; it¡¯s your new home.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 I stared at Ryker for longer than would normally be deemed appropriate because his words took me off guard. He didn¡¯t say anything as I tried to process everything that had just transpired. In the span of two minutes, he told me he didn¡¯t want me but he was going to keep me either way. Trying to think about what his reason was gave me a headache and I desperately wanted to beg him to do us both a favor and reject me. ¡°Why?¡± was what I ended up blurting out when I finally found my voice. I regretted it instantly because it brought his sharp eyes back to mine and the intensity of his gaze had me directing my line of sight to the tiles in front of me. I started counting them absentmindedly as I waited for him to respond. ¡°You stumbled on my pack looking like you had been in a fight and lost, and like you said; you don¡¯t have a wolf so you can¡¯t heal yourself.¡± He said slowly, ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t my mate; it would be cruel of me to let you leave.¡± ¡°I meant, why won¡¯t you reject me?¡± ¡°I- he opened his mouth to speak then closed it, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡± That was a bullshit answer and we both knew it but I decided to let it slide. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you that I don¡¯t have a wolf?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep my insecurities from bleeding into my question and I hated myself for that. ¡°Come,¡± he ended up saying after a beat, ¡°Dinner should be ready by now.¡± I knew he had avoided my question and he knew that I realized. I also knew what he would have said if he had answered- so did he. Whether he said it or not; it¡¯s obvious that myck of a wolf bothers him. I started to get up from the bed but he stopped me. I don¡¯t know what I expected him to do, but it wasn¡¯t for him to walk over to me and pick me up. I let out a noise that was a mix between a squeal and a protest. He didn¡¯t acknowledge my obvious difort but I tried to channel it louder by squirming so he would notice. He must have noticed because he spoke clearly and with no hesitation, ¡°Lucy said to stay off your legs as much as possible; its either I do it or you sit in bed all day. Those are your only two options.¡± I reluctantly rxed long enough for him to reach the living room. He ced me on a chair in the dining room and left. I thought he woulde back; even when the servants ced my food in front of me, I waited. One of the servants returned and took a look at my empty te, ¡°Is it not to your liking? If there is something else you would like then please let me know.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s perfect,¡± she seemed to rx when I said that, ¡°Where did Ryker go?¡± ¡°Alpha Caine left a while ago. He probably won¡¯t be back until muchter.¡± When she said that I felt stupid; of course he wouldn¡¯t eat with me. He literally told me he didn¡¯t want me. It was incredibly foolish of me to think that he would be any different than Tyson. I tried my best to eat but my appetite was lost and I couldn¡¯t eat more than a few bites without feeling sick. I went looking for the servant but the house was too big and there were too many rooms- I ended up getting lost. My soles had started to hurt so I resigned and tried navigating my way back to the room. I finally found it after almost twenty minutes of walking. I decided to use this time to admire the interior of the room. It was a typical male designed room with ck walls and massive four poster bed against one wall. There was a table and chair overlooking the balcony on my right. To the left were two doors, one that I know leads to the bathroom and the second that I assume leads to a closet. ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha.¡± ¡°My name is Ryker, not Alpha.¡± he corrected and my breath hitched. I¡¯ve heard about him before. I once overheard the pack guards talking about an Alpha Ryker Caine. They called him the man that monsters fear because of his ruthlessness and brutality. They said he tortures his pack members for fun and host a public and random execution every month. Fear gripped my insides like a wed hand and I pushed myself as far into the bed as I could. He froze mid step and a bitte smile grew on his lips. ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard of me,¡± it wasn¡¯t a question so I didn¡¯t bother with a response, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you like the clothes?¡± ¡°Everything is fine; thank you.¡± ¡°Help me out here,¡± he threw his hands up in exasperation, ¡°I didn¡¯t want a mate and I definitely didn¡¯t expect you to stumble across my pack territory. But you can¡¯t just sit there cowering like a wounded puppy.¡± As much as I hated to admit it, his words stung and I pulled up my knees so I could hold them close to my chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± He began, ¡°If I can have my bag that your men took, I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡± I assured him, ¡°You can reject me and I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting you,¡± I was stunned by his words. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want a mate.¡± ¡°I did, but you didn¡¯t stumble on my pack by ident and there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m letting you go out in this condition.¡± ¡°So, what are you saying?¡± ¡°Wee to the Blood Stone pack; it¡¯s your new home.¡± I stared at Ryker for longer than would normally be deemed appropriate because his words took me off guard. He didn¡¯t say anything as I tried to process everything that had just transpired. In the span of two minutes, he told me he didn¡¯t want me but he was going to keep me either way. Trying to think about what his reason was gave me a headache and I desperately wanted to beg him to do us both a favor and reject me. ¡°Why?¡± was what I ended up blurting out when I finally found my voice. I regretted it instantly because it brought his sharp eyes back to mine and the intensity of his gaze had me directing my line of sight to the tiles in front of me. I started counting them absentmindedly as I waited for him to respond. ¡°You stumbled on my pack looking like you had been in a fight and lost, and like you said; you don¡¯t have a wolf so you can¡¯t heal yourself.¡± He said slowly, ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t my mate; it would be cruel of me to let you leave.¡± ¡°I meant, why won¡¯t you reject me?¡± ¡°I-,¡± he opened his mouth to speak then closed it, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡± That was a bullshit answer and we both knew it but I decided to let it slide. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you that I don¡¯t have a wolf?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep my insecurities from bleeding into my question and I hated myself for that. ¡°Come,¡± he ended up saying after a beat, ¡°Dinner should be ready by now.¡± I knew he had avoided my question and he knew that I realized. I also knew what he would have said if he had answered- so did he. Whether he said it or not; it¡¯s obvious that myck of a wolf bothers him. I started to get up from the bed but he stopped me. I don¡¯t know what I expected him to do, but it wasn¡¯t for him to walk over to me and pick me up. I let out a noise that was a mix between a squeal and a protest. He didn¡¯t acknowledge my obvious difort but I tried to channel it louder by squirming so he would notice. He must have noticed because he spoke clearly and with no hesitation, ¡°Lucy said to stay off your legs as much as possible; its either I do it or you sit in bed all day. Those are your only two options.¡± I reluctantly rxed long enough for him to reach the living room. He ced me on a chair in the dining room and left. 1 thought he woulde back; even when the servants ced my food in front of me, I waited. One of the servants returned and took a look at my empty te, ¡°Is it not to your liking? If there is something else you would like then please let me know.¡± ¡°No; it¡¯s perfect,¡± she seemed to rx when I said that, ¡°Where did Ryker go?¡± ¡°Alpha Caine left a while ago. He probably won¡¯t be back until muchter.¡± When she said that I felt stupid; of course he wouldn¡¯t eat with me. He literally told me he didn¡¯t want me. It was incredibly foolish of me to think that he would be any different than Tyson. I tried my best to eat but my appetite was lost and I couldn¡¯t eat more than a few bites without feeling sick. I went looking for the servant but the house was too big and there were too many rooms- I ended up getting lost. My soles had started to hurt so I resigned and tried navigating my way back to the room. I finally found it after almost twenty minutes of walking. I decided to use this time to admire the interior of the room. It was a typical male designed room with ck walls and a massive four poster bed against one wall. There was a table and chair overlooking the balcony on my right. To the left were two doors, one that I know leads to the bathroom and the second that I assume leads to a closet. The room was bare of decorations, pictures or even art- It was a spare room I took a seat on the fluffy mattress and that was when I noticed smeared blood on the floor. I looked at my feet and realized I had bled through the bandages. I muttered a small curse and rummaged through the drawers next to me for some bandages but I came up empty. I looked in the bathroom hoping to find something but I came up empty. My feet had started to sting badly and I was leaving bigger bloody footprints which meant more work for me, I decided to look out the door silently praying I would find a servant, I wasn¡¯t so lucky, but I saw a guard. I had to calm myself before I approached him. He took one look at the trail of bloody footprints behind me and stood at attention, ¡°Are you hurt? Should I call the Alpha?¡± ¡°No: I just need some bandages if that¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to call him.¡± He didn¡¯t look convinced but he nodded and left. He returned after a few minutes with a bowl of warm water, a rag, a maid and some bandages. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I assured the maid as she waited by the door, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced but she nodded and left. 1 carried the things into the bathroom and sat on the floor while I unwrapped the bandages the nurse had done. I cringed when I looked at the shredded remains of my feet. I carefully cleaned the bottom and dried it off with the rag before wrapping it again. I was doing the second foot when the bathroom door flew open and Ryker burst in. my heart caught in my chest at the raw emotions that seemed to be emitting from him. ¡°What the fuck happened in there?¡± I realized he was pissed because of the stains I left ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up once I¡¯m done, I swear,¡± I assured him but his expression didn¡¯t change, ¡°On second though; I could clean it right n-,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the stupid stains,¡± he cut me off, ¡°What happened to your leg? I thought Lucy wrapped it.¡± ¡°She did; I got lost and I think I walked too far without shoes. It¡¯s my fault; I¡¯m sorry.¡± He ran his hand through his hair in frustration and I saw the way the corner of his mouth tightened and I figured this would be the moment where he grabs me by the back of my neck and throws me out of his pack for being so destructive. He took a deep breath before taking the bowl and bandages from me and sitting on the floor in front of me. I stared at him in confusion and shock as he cleaned up my second leg and wrapped it. When he was done, he picked me up and carried me to the bed. I tried to protest but he shot me a dark look that had me sitting in ce quietly. He took the rag and bowl and went on his knees. I watched in shock as he cleaned up the bloody footprints in silence. When he was done, he rang a bell that I assume alerts the servants because within two minutes, there was a knock on the door. He handed the dirty things to the maid and she handed something to him. When he turned back to me, I saw that it was a tray of food. ¡°I was gone for less than two hours and you got blood everywhere.¡± His tone wasn¡¯t mean or using, but I still found myself saying sorry, ¡°Stop apologizing for everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± it slipped out before I could stop it, ¡°I¡¯ll just be quiet right now.¡± ¡°I was told you barely ate; did you not like it?¡± ¡°I did- I just can¡¯t eat a lot.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± the word left my lips softly and he froze in ce. He slowly made his way over to me and ced the tray at the foot of the bed. In it was oatmeal and sliced fruits along with a ss of milk and another of water. ¡°Where were you running from?¡± he asked and I shrugged, ¡°I won¡¯t ask again Cami.¡± ¡°I was running from my mate.¡± The words hovered over us like a gue and I saw several unreadable emotions sh across his features before he finally settled on a mask of indifference and coldness. ¡°Exin,¡± his voice was cold and detached when he spoke and a part of me wanted to refuse to speak but another part knew that this was the wrong time to try to test my boundaries. I am still an omega and he is the Alpha of this pack- mate or not, he can have me thrown out in a second. ¡°He rejected me and I ran away.¡± I kept it short and concise but it was enough for him because he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I can¡¯t say any more; I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ryker nodded as if he understood, ¡°Eat,¡± he said, ¡°I won¡¯t leave until you do.¡± Somehow, I found myself reaching for the bowl of fruits. Fruits are something I have never had the luxury of eating- they were left for the actual pack members. I picked up a slice of mango and slid it through my lips. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I couldn¡¯t help the small smile as the vors burst over my tongue. I took another slice and ate it. I savored each taste and each fruit and was shocked to see that I had finished it. I looked up and noticed Ryker staring at me in understanding. I flushed pink when I realized I had eaten all that in front of him. He didn¡¯t make it ufortable, instead he cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring another bowl for you,¡± he took a step back, ¡°Goodnight Cami; I¡¯ll be back in the morning and so will your bag.¡± Without another word, he walked out of the room leaving me to stare at his retreating back wondering what my confession would mean for the next day. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I couldn¡¯t fall asleep the entire night. I tossed and turned but couldn¡¯t find rest because I was concerned about what the day. would bring. The bed was too big and too soft that I ended up pulling the nkets to the floor and wrapping myself there. The floor felt more simr to my old bed than the actual bed but I still couldn¡¯t find rest. It was like I was engaging in a race with sleep and it had over an hour¡¯s head start. Somehow the night felt too long and too short at the same time. It was like the sun was taking its precious time to rise and when it finally did, it felt like it came too soon. I didn¡¯t dare breathe as I saw the sun begin to rise because I knew it was a new day and my fate would finally be decided. In the early hours of the morning, I heard footsteps stop just outside my door. I held my breath and didn¡¯t even blink. After a few seconds, the steps retreated and it wasn¡¯t until I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore that I let out the breath I was holding and rushed into the bed. Thest thing I would want is for Ryker toe in and see that Iy his sheets on the floor and get insulted by it. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I figured that since someone else was already awake; it was a good enough time to get up. I dressed the bed and found a rag in the bathroom closet that I used to dust down the wooden tops and every inch of the room. I was washing the bathroom when I heard a knock on my door. I barely had time to wonder who it was before I heard footsteps and saw Ryker making his way towards the bathroom. When my eyes met his, I saw frustration and annoyance swirling in them. I started to wonder if maybe I didn¡¯t clean the room well enough. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± the words were barely out of his mouth when he pulled the rag out of my hand. ¡°I was cleaning,¡± I thought it was obvious, ¡°If I didn¡¯t clean it well then I¡¯d be happy to do it all again.¡± ¡°Do you not know how to speak English or do I have to spell it out for you slowly?¡± he ran his hand down his face in frustration, ¡°I told you to stay off your leg.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± my voice was barely over a whisper, ¡°I figured you would want me to clean since I¡¯m staying here. Why else would I be here?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my mate,¡± he all but screamed the words, ¡°There are maids to clean the room if you think it is so dirty. You have one job; and it is to sit in bed and heal. So help me, if I see you on your feet again I will strap you to the fucking bed.¡± My eyes widened at his threat and my breath hitched in my throat. I subconsciously took a step back and bowed my head in apology. Thest thing I wanted to do was upset him and it seems like I did just that. He raised his hand and I instinctively flinched and pushed myself as far back as I could but I was already at the wall so I ended up curling up against it. His hand froze mid air and he put it down slowly, ¡°I-,¡± for the first time I saw him lost for words, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t- I should go. You should freshen up.¡± He turned on his heels and was out of the room within seconds. I was so confused as to what had just transpired. One moment, he was pissed off at me and the next he was leaving the room so fast one would think he saw a ghost. I stared at the door for a while, thinking he would return but he didn¡¯t. When I was convinced he wouldn¡¯t be returning, I decided to do as he asked and freshen up. Thest thing I want is to piss him off more in case he returns. I took a little longer than I normally should have because the under of my feet stung more than usual and I decided to soak it in a bowl of hot water. When I returned to the room, there was a maidying out clothes for me on the bed. As soon as she saw me, she squeaked and bowed low. I was confused as to who she was directing the gesture at and even had to look around the room before 1 realized she was bowing to me. sked me toy these out for you¡± she said. ¡°I hope you like them this is the height of women¡¯s fashion here.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± was all I could say and she gave me a curt nod If you need some help with your corset-,¡± ¡°Corset,¡± I didn¡¯t realize I had cut her off until she nodded. ¡°What is that and why would I need one?¡± A look of shock took over her features before she schooled it, ¡°It¡¯s meant to support your breasts,¡± she picked up a cream material with ropes, ¡°This is a corset and you wear it as an undergarment. Please; let me show you.¡± I reluctantly allowed here close and she cinched the material around me. It was tight- not so tight that I couldn¡¯t breathe but tight nheless and it felt strangely ufortable. I¡¯ve never used one before; I probably would never have. been able to afford it. I always wondered how the other women in the pack prevented theirdy bits from pping around when moving: I guess 1 understand now. She helped me into the other outfit which consisted of weirdfortable pants that stuck to my skin- the maid referred to them as leggings- and a silk top that fell to my mid thighs. It felt weird on me and looked like nothing I had ever seen. In Tyson¡¯s pack; the women usually wore extravagant dresses. The only women who wore trousers were we the lower women and the servants. It is a huge change from what I¡¯m used to but I chose to trust that the maid knew what she was talking about. Just as we finished getting dressed; there was another knock on my door and Ryker walked in with a tray of food in his hands and the nurse- Lucy behind him. The maid bowed to me and then him before quickly exiting the room. I saw Ryker¡¯s eyes subtly rake over my body in appreciation but he made no attempts toe close to me. Instead, he settled for dropping the tray which I realized was filled with fruits and porridge on the table by my bed. Lucy gave me a small smile, ¡°Is it okay if I check on your feet?¡± I sat up on the bed and watched as she took her seat at the foot of the bed, ¡°Feel free to eat while I work.¡± I thought it was a weird request but I took a slice of mango into my mouth and watched her quietly. ¡°The Alpha tells me that you like to be on your feet a lot,¡± she offered up casually, ¡°I know it¡¯s practically impossible to stay off your feet but if you want to heal then you have to stay off your feet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± She cleaned my feet with rubbing alcohol again and wrapped it up. When she was done, she opened up her bag and took out two prescription bottles and set them on the table right next to my food. I tried to read the words on it but I couldn¡¯t make out the writing. ¡°These are supplements,¡± she exined, ¡°Made and produced right here in the pack. They should help supply your body with the nutrients it needs to heal you right.¡± 1 I eyed it carefully, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Just take one pill three times a day from each bottle and you should be fine.¡± She offered me a warm smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in another week to see how well you¡¯re doing. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡± She left right after that and it was just Ryker and I in the room. I kept my eyes on the bed sheets and ate my fruits in silence. It was ufortable eating while he was watching but I knew he did it to make sure that I was actually going to eat it all. When I ate what I could, I took the two bottles and popped the pills. I set them back on the table and gathered the courage to cast a small nce at him. I was surprised to see that he was staring at the tray and not me, but his eyes held sadness and disappointment. He must have felt my eyes on him because in an instant, his eyes snapped up to mine. I quickly looked away but it was ¡°I¡¯m sorry for eather today¡± my eyes snapped up to his immediately. His eyes were sincere but that wasn¡¯t what shocked me. In all my life. I have never heard anyone apologize to me and the first person to do so happens to be an Alpha. He picked up a small bag beside his feet and I was surprised I didn¡¯t notice it earlier. He took something out of it and I had to analyze it for a few seconds before I realized what it actually was. It was some sort of slippers but it waspletely made of fur except for the soles which were made of some other material. ¡°I had it made for you,¡± he began. ¡°It is made of pure cotton and although it will notpletely take away the pain when you are walking around; I am assured that it will help ease it and make walking around easier.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to his gesture. It was quite possibly the only nice thing that anyone has ever done for me in my life. All I could do was stare at him in silence as he put the slippers by my bed and left the room. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 I avoided Ryker for the rest of the week. Well, I avoided him as much as I could, considering the fact that I was living in his house and passed him on ever corridor. He also made sure to sit with me whenever I had to eat and to keep a close eye on me because he didn¡¯t trust that I wouldn¡¯t hurt myself. I have been here for a week now and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m more or less terrified than I was when I arrived. He hasn¡¯t said anything about us being mates and 1 am scared to bring it up. I don¡¯t know what exactly his ns are for me and I am terrified to find out. His silence could be a good or a bad thing but I don¡¯t know him well enough toe up with an answer. A part of me wishes I stayed with Tyson because at least I knew him and I could predict his moods and responses. With Ryker: I¡¯m in uncharted territory. When he arrived with my breakfast, I was contemting whether or not to talk to him about it and it must have been obvious on my face because all of a sudden, he sent the maid out of the room. As soon as she left he turned to me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I was wrecked with confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You have been biting at your fingernails and picking at your food for the past ten minutes. It is either something is wrong or you aren¡¯t happy with the meal.¡± ¡°Nothing is wrong with the meal.¡± ¡°So something is wrong with you,¡± I stayed silent, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Why am I here?¡± the words flew from my mouth before I could stop them, ¡°You¡¯ve kept me indoors and I understand why; I just don¡¯t understand why you won¡¯t just reject me. I wouldn¡¯t be hurt by it, I swear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting you Cami,¡± his voice was curt but somehow warm at the same time, ¡°And I have not kept you indoors. because I am hiding you; I have kept you indoors because I wanted to give you time to heal and get used to the environment before you had to start meeting people.¡± ¡°My feet are healed now,¡± my voice was a whisper as I pulled up my feet to show him. There were still little scratches there but the major bruising was gone and I could stand and move around it for a while without feeling pain and without it bleeding. That didn¡¯t mean I stopped using the fluffy slippers though. Quite the contrary actually; they were veryfortable and they looked really good.. ¡°If you¡¯re ready; we could go out today.¡± I was taken aback by his kindness and the soft manner in which he spoke to me. In all my life, no one has ever spoken to me that way: like I was worthy of their words, like I was their equal and it warmed something in me but at the same time put me on edge because I didn¡¯t know how to react to it. I didn¡¯t know if he was doing it because he truly believed me worthy or because he simply wanted something from me. Whichever it was; I wasn¡¯t ready for it. So instead of using my words, I just nodded. He understood what I was trying to convey because he gave me a curt nod and walked out of the room. Shortly after, the maid returned to get me ready. When the maid was done dressing me, she led me downstairs to where Ryker was waiting in the living room. He led me outside to where the carriage was waiting and he opened the door for me to get in. I had forgotten what it felt like to be confined in such a small space with him. Our knees knocked against each other with each bump of the carriage. I could feel his domineering presence as it filled up the entire space. It was overwhelming and exhrating at the same time. Throughout the ride, I could feel the weight of his stares on me but I kept my eyes trained on the outside window and wied taken up every ounce and inch of my attention and I hated it. The carriage moved slowly until we arrived at a huge building. If I were to assume, I would say it was the pack house judging by the sheer number of people who were walking in and out of the building. A man opened the carriage door and Ryker helped me out. As my feet hit the floor, all eyes were on us. I tried my best to focus on the building and not on the people. It was a four floor building with stone walls that were painted a mute cream color. All the windows were made of tinted ss. so I couldn¡¯t see inside but I could bet my soul that they could see me. Ryker gestured for me to walk with him and I made sure to follow a few feet behind him. He noticed what I was doing because he slowed his steps and came to stand right next to me. I was confused and unsure by his actions and tried to fall back but he quickly anchored his hand at my lower back. The movements made my spine straighten and my breath hitched in my throat. I saw an unfamiliar expression cross his face but before I could decipher it, he had schooled his expression back to cold and unfeeling. People stared as we walked and the moment we moved past them, whispers followed. It reminded me of being back at the Two Moons pack and I was grateful for Ryker¡¯s hand that kept me from running out of the pack house and never looking back. When we approached the staircase I thought we were going upstairs but instead he led me down. By the time we reached the bottom, my mouth fell open. It was some sort of lounge for the guards. Most of them were still in their uniforms but a few had changed into casual clothes. As soon as they sighted us, they stood to their feet and there was a chorus of Alpha¡¯ I knew most of them were unsure of how to address me because they all stared at me with curious expressions. ¡°Where is Lauren?¡± Ryker asked. ¡°She went to take a shower; she should be out in a few minutes Alpha.¡± One of the guards replied, never taking his eyes off 1. ¡°Tell her to meet me in my office.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response from any of them; he led me back up the stairs. As soon as we left, I heard the whispers start. If Ryker was bothered by it; he didn¡¯t let it show. Instead, he kept a nk expression on his face and led me up the stairs to the fourth floor. There was one door at the far end of the corridor and that was where he led me too. He took out a key from his pocket and opened it and my eyes widened as I took in therge room. I have never seen a room this big in my life. There were tworge bookshelves that lined the wall behind the huge wooden table and leather chair. A couch sat just to the right of the door we came in through and further to the right was arge balcony that overlooked the entire pack house. To the left was a huge filing cab and a door that I can¡¯t help but wonder what exactly it leads to. He shut the door behind us and let go of my body. Somehow I felt both relieved and disappointed and I hated myself for thetter feeling because thest thing I should be doing is getting attached to someone like Ryker Caine. He might just be as worse if not worse than Tyson. ¡°This is where I am most of the time,¡± he began, ¡°I¡¯ve been working from home for the past few days but from tomorrow I will be doing most of my work here.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond so I settled for a simple response. ¡°Before Laurenes; there¡¯s something you should know.¡± He cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°Please sit.¡± I settled for the couch but when I looked up. I hated the way he towered over me. It made me feel helpless and powerless and I felt like he had the upper hand. I felt like at any moment, he could hurt me and it made my heart race. I took a deep breath before I spoke, ¡°Can you please sit down?¡± I waited for him tosh out or hit me for speaking out of turn but instead he gave me a curious expression and took the chair on the opposite end of his table but turned it to face me. ¡°Can I ask why you did not want me to stand?¡± he asked after sitting. I wanted to stay quiet but I realized that he deserved some sort of exnation after doing what I asked without any hesitations. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people tower over me,¡± my voice was barely over a whisper, ¡°I don¡¯t know why or how to exin it but 1 don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± From the fierceness and ferocity of his voice; I knew it was a promise and somehow I knew he would do everything possible to make sure he kept that promise. ¡°Thank you.¡± He gave me a small nod, ¡°As I was saying earlier; I need to tell you something before Lauren arrives.¡± I braced myself to hear whatever he was about to say but just as he opened his mouth to speak; there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal a beautiful blond haired girl. She walked in with an air of confidence, ¡°I heard you sent for me Ry-,¡± she trailed off when she saw me and her smile fell. ¡°Well this is a surprise; hi, I¡¯m Lauren.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Lauren was beautiful by every standard known on earth. She was tall and slim with a toned body and the slimmest waist imaginable. Although she was slim, it was obvious that she worked out a lot because her muscles were defined and she moved with an air of grace and confidence that can only come from someone who can defend themselves. Her long blond hair fell to her armpits and she had wide doe eyes. Her lips were thin and highlighted with pink lip gloss. She was wearing ck leggings simr to mine but paired with a fitted top that stopped just below her belly button and showed a silver of skin. ¡°Is this a new recruit?¡± she asked and her voice was the softest silk. ¡°No,¡± Ryker cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°Cami this is my head general- Lauren.¡± I was shocked when he said that. I have never known a woman to train and I have never known a woman to be head general. It is a coveted position and for it to be held by her- as innocent and small as she looks- then she must be as strong as hell and tough enough to keep all the men in line. ¡°Hi,¡± I couldn¡¯t help the small whisper I used when I spoke- I was already terrified of her. ¡°Hey; don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t bite,¡± she gave me a small smile then turned to Ryker, ¡°So who is she?¡± ¡°This is Cami; my mate.¡± Lauren¡¯s smile fell at those words and she turned to me with barely hidden venom in her eyes. I saw her clench her fist at her sides and rotate her neck slightly before turning back to Ryker with a calm look. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you found your mate and we spoke a few days ago,¡± she stressed the word spoke and rm bells rang in my head. I looked between Ryker and Lauren and I knew. I should have known the moment she had the slip up and called him by his name instead of his title and the ease and familiarity with which she spoke to him. They are probably in a rtionship and he brought me here to reject me in front of her. ¡°Lauren you will be in charge of guarding Cami,¡± I was taken aback by Ryker¡¯s words. ¡°With all due respect Alpha Ryker,¡± Lauren began, ¡°I am pack general; not a baby sitter. I can rmend some guards who would be honored to watch over her.¡± She all but sneered thest part. ¡°You are the best Lauren and I will have no one but the best watching the future Luna; is that clear?¡± She knew she couldn¡¯t argue with him. He all but dismissed their rtionship the moment he referred to me as the future. Luna and she couldn¡¯t keep pushing or she would be punished. She must know what he does to traitors and people who cross him because she pulled the fakest smile I have ever seen onto her lips. ¡°Yes Alpha; when do I start?¡± ¡°Tomorrow; you are to be at my house at 6: 30 a.m. and you are allowed to leave only when I arrive. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Crystal,¡± she gave him a short bow and with onest venomous look at me, she turned on her heels and left the room. Ryker buried his face into his hands in what I assume was frustration and all I could do was stare at him quietly. He finally lifted his face and when he looked at me, he knew that I knew. I saw the acknowledgment sh through his eyes. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to watch me,¡± I said quietly, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how ufortable it will be for her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak of things you do not understand.¡± His voice was cold, ¡°It was not like that between us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I pushed myself as far back as I could into the couch, ¡°I apologize.¡± Regret shed across his features and he opened his mouth to speak- maybe to apologize- but I turned my head and stared out the window. I was right earlier; I can see outside. Through the corner of my eyes I saw him run his hand through his hair in frustration before standing and going to his desk to probably get some work done. I sat in Ryker¡¯s office quietly while he busied himself with work. A maid came in and dropped a tray of food in front of me that I pointedly refused to touch. I could see that it infuriated Ryker but he said nothing. She returned after a while, presumably to take the te back but when she saw the dish still empty, she froze in confusion. She leaned down to pick it up but Ryker stopped her and asked her to leave. As soon as she walked out of the door, he put his pen down and turned to me. ¡°Cut the fucking attitude,¡± I looked up at him in confusion, ¡°Eat and stop throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t throwing a tantrum; I¡¯m just not hungry.¡± ¡°Even if I have to force feed you; I will do it. So pick up the spoon and cat.¡± I hated the way my body instantly moved to do his bidding. It was embarrassing and demeaning but he had spoken in his Alpha tone and whether I was a pack member or not, I felt the urge toply. When I was done eating, I pushed the tray as far away from me as I could and curled up into a ball to face the balcony. I didn¡¯t want to face Ryker at this time; not after realizing that he could literally order me to do anything and I would have to oblige. It made me feel how I felt when I was at Tyson¡¯s pack and I hated it. ¡°Cami,¡± Tyson began but I refused to turn, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to-,¡± ¡°Is it okay if I walk around the pack?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha,¡± I whispered, ¡°All my actions have to go through you.¡± Out of the corner of my eye I saw him clench his jaw but he didn¡¯t speak. He kept his hands fisted on the table and I saw him. mutter a few words under his breath before he closed up his documents and stood to his feet. I watched as he walked past me and towards the door. ¡°Get up, let¡¯s go.¡± I watched him with equal parts confusion and anticipation, ¡°Is that an order?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± his voice dropped an octave and was softer than I ever thought it could be, ¡°I just want to talk.¡± Regardless of what he said, I knew it was an order. There was no way I would sit here and refuse to go with him and he would ept it. He probably said that only as a formality and I would hate to see what he would do to me if I were to refuse. I forced my feet to stand and I slowly walked over to him. I kept my head down in an attempt to not anger him and walked out of the door. He led me downstairs to the carriage and just before I entered, I caught sight of Lauren giving me a dirty look. I tried to ignore her because a part of me did understand her anger. If my theories are correct then they were together and he just ditched her like she wasn¡¯t worth anything because of me. The carriage ride was slow and I kept my eyes cast in myp for the entirety of it. I knew the action annoyed Ryker but somehow I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up at him although I could feel his gaze on me the entire time. By the time the carriage pulled to a stop, I was out of there before Ryker could even get to his feet. I thanked the coach man and all but ran into therge house and made my way into the room. A maid walked in after me holding a te of food and I thanked her for it but was about to send her away when Ryker walked into the room. I was not expecting his presence so it forced me to stop mid sentence and stare at him. Excuse us¡± he said to the maid and with a quick bow, she was out of the room before I could even speak. She shut the door behind her and it was just the two of us. I could feel the annoyance rolling off him in waves and I didn¡¯t want to do anything to annoy hum even more so I stood in ce, asionally shuffling my feet and keeping my eyes cast on the floor ¡°Is there a reason I¡¯m being ignored?¡± he asked finally, ¡°Im not ignoring you,¡± it was a lie and we both knew it. Bullshit,¡± he moved one step closer and I took one back effectively bumping into the nightstand, ¡°Why can¡¯t you stand to be next to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true; I was next to you in the carriage.¡± I was grasping at straws at this point; I would have said anything if it meant getting him out of my space. ¡°And I sat in your office.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t even look at me both times,¡± I knew he was telling the truth so I didn¡¯t bother denying it, ¡°Look at me, Cami¡± I forced my eyes up to his and it took everything in my power to not look away. The sheer intensity of his gaze had me cowering on my insides and to make it worse, I couldn¡¯t make out the emotions in his eyes so I didn¡¯t know whether he was five seconds away from killing me or just in annoyed. He stepped closer to me and I couldn¡¯t help but flinch. When I saw the guilt on his face, I instantly felt bad. He looked genuinely hurt by my reaction and I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. ¡°The first time I thought it was a mistake,¡± he began slowly, ¡°But now; you flinched, I saw it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± he cut me off, ¡°What happened to you? What made you into this shell of a person that you can¡¯t even look at me or be around me without flinching?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I didn¡¯t know what exactly I was apologizing for, but I was apologizing for everything. For not being the perfect mate that he probably wanted, for flinching whenever he got close, for making him feel guilty. I didn¡¯t know which it was but I knew I had to apologize for it all because it was my fault. It was my fault that I was like this and it was my fault that he had to meet me. If I had just ran in the opposite direction then. he probably would have continued his life with Lauren but now he is burdened and saddled with me and I know that is a fate I wouldn¡¯t wish on my worst enemy. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± ¡°No, Cami,¡± he stopped me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I went about this all wrong and I will fix it.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that but from the determined look on his face, I had a feeling that I was going to find out soon enough. He moved closer to me but he seemed to realize what he was doing at thest moment because he took a few steps backwards. He gave me a soft smile, the first true smile I was seeing on his face and then he turned on his heels and left the room. I stared at the door longer than I should have. Part of it was in confusion and the other part- I¡¯m not exactly sure. But I know that even while I ate, while I changed intofortable pajamas so I could sleep, I was thinking about the weird exchange. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 I realized I was getting too used to this lifestyle when I woke up the next morning and sat in bed waiting for someone toy out clothes for me and bring me breakfast. I sat for five minutes before I realized how ridiculous I looked and went out to do it myself. Tying my corset was almost impossible but I somehow managed it and even after so many days of wearing one- I still hated it. As I went to pick out an outfit, I caught sight of my bag at the bottom of the wardrobe. It looked completely out of ce there and I remember the day Ryker had it brought for me, he stared at it like it was infected. He suggested burning it but even though I wanted nothing more than to put Tyson behind me, a part of me didn¡¯t want to let it go. I let my hand brush over the rough material softly before I pulled away and took out a simple grey outfit. I put it on and wore the pink fluffy slippers that Ryker had given me and made my way down to the kitchen to find something to eat. When I got to the kitchen, I was shocked to see Lauren there. She was in a heated conversation with the maid who usually brings my things- I should really learn her name soon. The maid gasped when she saw me effectively bringing the conversation to an end. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she began, ¡°I was talking to Lauren and I must have lost track of time. I will have your breakfast brought upstairs in less than a minute.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I assured her with a small smile, ¡°I¡¯m right here; I can always have it downstairs.¡± I turned to Lauren, ¡°Hi, 1 didn¡¯t know you wereing today.¡± ¡°Well, it is my job to babysit you; of course I have to be here.¡± She said through a forced smile, ¡°What do you have nned for the day?¡± ¡°Nothing; I¡¯m just going to explore the house.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± I was shocked by her harsh tone, ¡°Ryker does not like people going through his stuff and that includes his house; so if there is anywhere that you want to go that is allowed, I will take you. I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her and even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t. I know people like her. It is like dealing with Lisa all over again and I know she¡¯s just trying to mark her territory. I wish she knew that I didn¡¯t want anything to do with Ryker. In fact, he is the one who refuses to reject me.. From the way she was standing, I knew she was expecting a response from me and I wasn¡¯t going to engage in the conversation so I turned to the maid who was watching us both with wide eyes. ¡°Can I have breakfast now please?¡± as soon as the words left my mouth, she spurred into action and swiftly assembled a te of eggs, bacon, ham and toast with a side of sliced fruits and orange juice. She knows I won¡¯t finish it, but I assume that Ryker instructed her to pile up my te because no matter how many times I tell her that she gives me too much, she never reduces the quantity. I took my tray from her and made my way to the dining table that I passed on my way. In all my days in the house, I have never seen it used so I figured it was just for decoration and sat at the head of the table. I was eating when Lauren walked in. As soon as she saw me, she stormed over to my side and stared at me with folded hands. I didn¡¯t know why she was standing in front of me so I ignored her and kept on eating. She must have gotten annoyed because she finally spoke, ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong seat. I finally looked up at her. There was no one here when I got here.¡± ¡°That is where Ryker is supposed to sit. You shouldn¡¯t be sitting there. It is reserved for him or his mate.¡± ¡°But I am his mate,¡± my voice came out quieter than I expected. was being honest, I was terrified of her in that moment. ¡°He doesn¡¯t love you, and he will never make you Luna,¡± she spat, ¡°Why do you think he picked me of all people to watch you?¡± ¡°He said it was because you were the best.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you are really that naive,¡± she scoffed, ¡°He wanted to make sure that I let you know your true ce. I am the one he wants to be with. Why else didn¡¯t he wait for you? He was satisfied with having me on every surface of this house.¡± ¡°The clothes you¡¯re wearing, even the room you¡¯re staying in, they are all mine. You are just an inconvenience to him and he doesn¡¯t know how to handle it.¡± ¡°Please stop,¡± I hated the way her words seemed to pierce through my skin and it took all my willpower not to cry, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything sweetie; I just want to make sure that you understand.¡± ¡°I understand; please stop.¡± Thest thing I wanted was another case of Tyson and Lisa but I knew that was exactly what I had just walked into. The victorious smirk on her face was a reminder of everything I already knew- there was no way that Ryker would want me of all people. He was just keeping me because he had to. I looked down at my te but I had lost all my appetite. I pushed it away from me and rose from the seat. I left it on the table knowing that the maid would pick it up and I started to make my way back upstairs when Lauren stopped me. ¡°What the hell are you wearing?¡± I turned to see a furious expression on her face, ¡°I asked you a question.¡± ¡°Clothes,¡± my response was more of a question if I was being honest. ¡°Not on your body, on your feet,¡± she walked over to me, ¡°Where the hell did you get those? I spent weeks scouring for those and I had them brought in by a special service.¡± ¡°Ryker gave them to me. I was hurt and he got them to help me feel better.¡± ¡°Take them off now,¡± I was stunned and a part of me wanted to refuse. She must have seen it because she stepped into my space and reduced her voice to a menacing whisper, ¡°I won¡¯t ask again.¡± Against my better judgment, I took them off and handed it to her. As soon as she had it in her hands, she clutched it to her chest with a small smile. ¡°You better learn your ce you little-,¡± she trailed off and in an instant her entire demeanor changed. She conjured up the sweetest smile I had ever seen and looked down at me as if I was this precious gem worth protecting, ¡°I hope you¡¯re okay.¡± I was about to ask what she was going on about when I heard footsteps. I turned towards the door only to see Ryker walk into the living room. She must have heard him approaching with her werewolf senses. This is one of the few times I wish I had a wolf so I could have known too. ¡°I see you¡¯ve officially met Lauren,¡± he said, ¡°I wanted to be here to do the proper introductions but I got called out to a pack meeting.¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± Lauren waved him off, ¡°We already did that; she was actually just going back to her room.¡± I took that for what it was- a dismissal. I made my way towards the stairs and had taken one step when Ryker called out my name. I froze on instant as he made his way towards me. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± he asked. On instinct, I turned to Lauren and she discreetly shot me a death re. Ryker already noticed the direction of my stare so he turned to face her as well. ¡°Where are her shoes?¡± I expected her to panic a little but she was the epitome of calm as she brought it out from where she was hiding it behind her back. I was shocked at how easily she was going to admit to what she did when she was just trying to hide it. ¡°Iplimented the slippers and she was saying she didn¡¯t like it and asked if I wanted them. Of course I said and she took them off and gave them to me,¡± the lie flowed effortlessly from her mouth that I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her in awe. ¡°Is that true, Cami?¡± I wanted to tell him no but the look Lauren shot me promised evil things if I didn¡¯t agree so I nodded, ¡°You should have told me, I thought you loved them; I would have gotten something else. ¡°It is fine,¡± I lied, ¡°I just want to go upstairs now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have new slippers delivered for you before the end of today.¡± I couldn¡¯t respond because what would have escaped my lips would have been a sob so I settled for a nod, ¡°I¡¯m d you guys are getting along: I have to go back now.¡± I nodded again while Lauren gave him an enthusiastic goodbye. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After he left, she turned back to me with those hate filled eyes, ¡°I¡¯m d you at least have some sort of self preservation,¡± he lips turned into a cruel smile, ¡°Thanks for the slippers.¡± I watched her walk away as a lone tear escaped my eyes. Those slippers were the first things I truly owned that were my own They were not bad or faulty and I did not have to steal them or work really hard for them- they were given to me. It was the first actual gift that I got and I loved it. I should have known that it wouldn¡¯tst. The things I love tend to be taken from me. As she walked out of the room, I felt a piece of myself leave with her. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Lauren has been watching over me for almost a week now and things have just gotten progressively worse. It started with the slippers but now it is like she tries to make my life a living hell. She would always make passingments about my weight. One time I overheard her telling one of the maids to reduce my portion because I was getting obese. I didn¡¯t eat at all that day until Ryker came back in the evening and forced me to eat something. She also made sure to remind me every second of the day that Ryker was hers. I once tried telling her that I didn¡¯t want him but sheughed and said that I was lying because everyone wanted him. Today when Ryker was leaving, I almost begged him to stay because his absence meant her presence and I didn¡¯t want to hear her continuously tearing me down. I made up my mind to hide in the room and I hoped- no prayed that she would appreciate my absence and leave me alone but I quickly learned that not every prayer was bound to be answered when she walked into the roomter that day. She looked around the ce with barely concealed jealousy and then her eyesnded on me, ¡°I cannot believe that you still haven¡¯t gotten out of bed at this time.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep. I just don¡¯t have anything to do downstairs.¡± I tried to defend but she gave me a dismissive hum, ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay here; I¡¯m not getting hurt up here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your glorified babysitter,¡± she said thest word in a patronizing tone, ¡°it is my job to be wherever you are to make sure that you are always safe. Someone could sneak in through your window to kidnap you.¡± Then she added under her breath, ¡°I wish they would.¡± I knew she was just looking for an excuse to make my life horrible because there was no way that scenario could ever happen. My room was on the third floor and the window overlooked a small field that was always guarded. To get me, the person would have to kill all those guards by which time others would have been alerted. She walked over to me and lifted my arm with a disdainful look, ¡°If only you knew how to defend yourself then I wouldn¡¯t need to be everywhere you are.¡± I closed my eyes and tried not to let her words affect me. I didn¡¯t need a reminder of how weak I was, I already knew it. I had been told every day of my life since I was born and you would think that I would be used to it by now but it hurts the same each time I hear it. ¡°I would like to train,¡± I muttered it under my breath but I forgot how sharp werewolf hearing was because she raised a brow at me. ¡°You,¡± she began with an amused smirk, ¡°Would like to train; don¡¯t make meugh darling. You wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with a newly turned wolf. I mean, look at you.¡± I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and I turned my gaze to my hands in myp. It was stupid of me to even try to utter the words out loud. I should have realized that she would have the same sharp hearing as other werewolves or even stronger considering she¡¯s a warrior. I mentally face palmed myself. She stayed in my room for a little while longer before she grew bored and left the room; so much for wanting to protect me if someone tried to kidnap me. I stayed inside for a few minutes more but then my stomach started to rumble so I made my way down the stairs and towards the kitchen. I poked my head in first to make sure she wasn¡¯t there. ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± I jumped when I heard the voice behind me and I saw the maid who used to bring it up to my room. ¡°You could have waited for me; I was going to bring it up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I gave her a small smile, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She was shocked by my question. I could imagine why; when I was at Tyson¡¯s pack, no one cared to ask my name. They dniu i even use it so I wasn¡¯t surprised that they never asked. I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if most of them still dont know it I¡¯m sure that no one has bothered to ask her name either which is ironic considering she cooks for us and could easily poison us if she wished and would get away with it long enough to run far away from here. ¡°My name is Eve,¡± she said finally, ¡°Forgive me for not responding early; it has been a while since someone of your ss asked me that,¡± ¡°I¡¯m more like you than you realize, Eve.¡± ¡°You are the Alpha¡¯s mate.¡± She said the words with so much reverence, ¡°You may have been like me but you are no longer like that. Although it would-,¡± she trailed off, ¡°Forgive me, I was speaking out of turn.¡± ¡°Please,¡± I implored, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°You should eat,¡± she picked up the tray, ¡°Alpha Caine would be very upset if he found out that you have not eaten all day.¡± I knew she wasn¡¯t going to say what she wanted to no matter how hard or how much I pushed so I nodded and thanked her for the meal. She responded with a deep curtsey and then returned to her work. A part of me wanted to stay down here because it is a familiar environment for me but I didn¡¯t know where Lauren was and I knew what would happen if she saw me eating so I ran as fast as I could to the room. Once I was safely behind the doors, I locked it shut. I stayed in the room for the entirety of the day. Lauren tried to open the door a few times and each time it took a lot of effort to keep my breathing even so she would think I was asleep. She usually left after a few minutes and I think she actually liked the idea of not having to watch over me every second of the day: It wasn¡¯t until thest time that the knocking was more frantic and harder that I realized that I could possibly be in trouble. I slowly got to my feet and unlocked the door. I pulled it open just as Ryker¡¯s hand was about toe down and thankfully he stopped just before his fist came in contact with my head. He was still in his clothes that he left and there was frustration etched on his features. I closed my eyes tightly as I waited for him to yell at me for locking the door but instead, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought you were hurt,¡± were the first words out of his mouth, ¡°Lauren told me that you hadn¡¯t been out of the room all day and your door was locked.¡± ¡°1-,¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. I have never had someone worry about me before, ¡°I was just tired so I spent the day inside.¡± ¡°Are you ill?¡± he ced his palm on my forehead, ¡°I could call Lucy; she will know what to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hurt,¡± I said quickly. Thest thing I wanted to do was have Lucy called up from wherever she was to check on me, ¡°I just wanted to be alone.¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked and I nodded, ¡°When?¡± ¡°This morning,¡± I whispered the words but he still heard it. He opened his mouth, most likely to yell at me but he closed it instantly and took a deep breath to calm himself then he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger. ¡°Come with me,¡± was what he finally said and without waiting for a response, he turned on his heels and started walking I was so stunned that for the first few seconds, I just stood there staring but then I realized he wasn¡¯t waiting and hurried up to catch up to him. He walked down the stairs and I noticed he was going towards the dining room. He sat at the head of the table and gestured for me to take a seat too. I hesitated for a second before leaving one chaat eropoy. between us and taking the next one. My actions didn¡¯t go unnoticed because I saw his jaw tick lightly but he otherwise Caved 11:47 Thu, 23 Nov 3 GG. Chapter II silent. I was about to ask why we were here when two maids- one of whom was Eve- started arranging various dishes on the table. They put at least six different tters before they left. ¡°Eat,¡± I stared at the assortment of food in front of me and the back at Ryker, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten all day so eat.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Ask me if I give a shit.¡± His tone was crude, ¡°Eat or I will force you and I don¡¯t care if you hate me afterwards.¡± I knew he would ahead with his threat so I piled a little pasta onto my te, ¡°Fill up your te or so help me, I will make good on go my earlier threat.¡± I swallowed deeply and piled helpings of food until he finally made a hum of encouragement. I stared at my full te and knew there was no way I would finish it but I also knew there was no way that I was going to be allowed to leave this table until I did. That was the entire point of him forcing me to eat with him I realized, to make sure I ate what he would consider enough. ¡°When you finish it,¡± he began as he started helping himself to food, ¡°We can talk about the idea of you training.¡± I paused with my food halfway to my mouth, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Lauren told me that you wanted to train with her and I am willing to consider it if you finish the meal.¡± If there was no reason for me not to finish the food before; then I just got one because I don¡¯t want to train with Lauren. And I know I can¡¯t tell Ryker because he will ask questions and potentially ask her about it so now I¡¯m in a debacle. ¡°Eat Cami,¡± Ryker said when he noticed I hadn¡¯t moved, ¡°We don¡¯t have all night.¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 After weighing my options I realized that no matter what I would have to find the meal so I focused on finishing my meal and I prayed that Ryker would forget about the training issue I don¡¯t even know why I bothered praying because it seems that when I pray about stuff they always seem to blow up in my Face The first time being when Lauren came into my room earlier despite me praying she wouldn¡¯t and the second time being when Ryken told me that I would be training with Laurenmencing immediately I knew he was just trying to help but in all honesty, I wish he wouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s trying to prove but being nice to me isn¡¯t going to change everything I already know about him and how he treats his pack All I want right now is for him to reject me so I can leave Thest thing I want to do is to be tied down and mated to another Alpha who is cruel and horrible to his subjects. There could be someone just like me suffering under him right now and how terrible would I be if I allowed myself to freely mate with him I didn¡¯t want to argue about it so I thanked him for the training opportunity and locked myself in the room. I didn¡¯t step out until the next morning when I heard a subtle knock on the door. I opened it to reveal Eve and she handed me some folded clothes and shoes that I knew were for training. I put them on and felt ufortable in them. The leggings were even tighter than the ones I usually wore and it felt like if I as much as bent over they would rip. I wasn¡¯t to wear a corset under it because the top was as tight as the leggings. It stopped just below my belly button and when I stretched or bent over, a silver of skin was revealed. Eve smiled when she saw me and helped me put on the new sneakers. They came from a box so I knew they were brand new and a part of me didn¡¯t want to wear it because I knew it would get dirty but Lauren appeared at my door and I knew I didn¡¯t have much time left. I stood up and her eyes raked over my body in a way that made my skin crawl and made me want to curl up into a ball and hide. Finally, she met my eyes and made a dismissive sound. ¡°Honestly you couldn¡¯t look worse if you worse a trash bag.¡± Sheughed to herself at her own joke. 1 looked over at her, ¡°You¡¯re wearing the same thing.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t look like a pregnant sea urchin,¡± she spat, ¡°We don¡¯t have all day.¡± She turned on her heels and I was left to follow her. I thought we would be training with the other guards and soldiers but instead she led me to a secluded spot behind the house. It was the field that my window overlooked and I saw that someone had arranged training equipment for us. There were makeshift weights, a ball and some other things that I did not recognize. ¡°Give me twops around the house now,¡± Themand in Lauren¡¯s voice was not to be mistaken and I quickly took off because I didn¡¯t want to annoy her. I have had a lot of practice running considering I ran for almost a full day so thep was rtively easy for me. Her eyes narrowed when she saw I hadn¡¯t broken a sweat, ¡°Did you really think that was it? Give me another tenps now.¡± I swallowed deeply and realized I was in for it. By the forthp, I was exhausted and it was a chore to even get through to the fifth one. I had just finished it when I tripped on a root and fell down. Lauren blew on a whistle to tell me to get up but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to rise, my lungs and my limbs burned. ¡°I should have known you would be weak,¡± she spat, ¡°Fine then; let us do some core work. Let¡¯s see how many pushups you can do.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move my hands,¡± I whispered and she made her way over to me. She squatted until she was eye level with me, ¡°Get up or I will make you get up.¡± The threat was clear and I forced myself to rise. ¡°You see, there was a little more energy left in you. Now start the pushups¡± I did three before I fell on my face and couldn¡¯t rise again. The rest of my morning was basically the same thing. She would push me past my limits and I would crash and fall on my face. By the time she said we were done, I was fairly certain that my face got more training from hitting the floor repeatedly than I did with everything she made me do. Even arrived with two sses of water and I watched Lauren reach out for them. I expected her to hand one to me but 1 watched her drink everything even though she didn¡¯t do anything today. When she was done, she gave the sses to Eve and dismissed her but Eve cast a wary nce at me. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Lauren spat. ¡°Now go inside and do your job before I tell Ryker that you were being a hindrance to our training¡± Eve gave her a curt nod and shot me a sympathetic look before walking back into the house. I let out a small groan which brought Lauren¡¯s attention back to me. ¡°Your final workout for the day,¡± she grabbed a towel and wrapped it over her neck, ¡°Make it into the house by yourself and if you don¡¯t pass out then you can have a drink of water and your breakfast. I¡¯ll be waiting inside.¡± Without another word, she walked away leaving me lying face t on the grass. I was too exhausted to be insulted or annoyed so I just stayed there. I was willing to risk a heat stroke if it meant rxing my limbs for a few seconds. I buried my head back into the grass when I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Eve offering me a ss with a soft smile. ¡°Hurry so she doesn¡¯t realize that I¡¯m here.¡± I gratefully took the ss from her and downed the contents. When I was done, she handed me another one and I drank half of it then poured the other half over my face. She took the cup from me and hooked her hands under my pits to assist me in standing to my feet. I wobbled a little and she reached out to stabilize me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered to her and she shrugged. ¡°You said you were just like me,¡± she whispered, ¡°We help each other out.¡± When she was sure I was able to stand on my own without falling over, she hurried back into the house. I stood there watching her and for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of solidarity with someone. It was that newfound knowledge that gave me the courage to lean against the wall and lead myself into the house. My limbs. ached and burned and I wanted nothing more than to fall over but I made my way into the living room where Lauren was. She was smiling but when she saw me her smile fell. ¡°I did it,¡± I said with a deep exhale, ¡°Can I have my breakfast now?¡± My newfound energy left me the moment I was done speaking. My knees wobbled and I had to hold onto a table to prevent myself from falling. Even rushed over to help me into the dining room chair and she served me breakfast. For the first time ever, I didn¡¯t notice the portion or evenin about it being too much. I ate like a person starved and it wasn¡¯t until I was done that I realized just how much I had eaten. ¡°If you¡¯re going to eat like a pig then training would be a waste,¡± Lauren said with her nose upturned then she faced Eve who had arrived to take my te away, ¡°I want to put her on a diet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t do that.¡± I was shocked to hear Eve speak back to her and apparently so was Lauren because her eyes narrowed into slits. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Did you just say no to me?¡± ¡°The Alpha gave me strict orders regarding her feeding and he said I shouldn¡¯t adjust it for anything.¡± ¡°I will be having a word with Ryker about this,¡± Lauren spat then she scribbled some words on a paper and threw it at Eve. ¡°Hold onto that because he will be agreeing to this.¡± She strutted out of the room, presumably to try and implement her way and I dropped my head onto the table harder than I should have in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Eve whispered to me, ¡°Alpha Caine will never agree to it.¡± I hoped she was right, I really did. I stayed at the table long after I had eaten not because I didn¡¯t feel dirty- I did- but because I needed to give my limbs a few minutes to regain their strength. I knew if I got up immediately I would fall over and thest thing I wanted, was for someone to have to peel me off the floor. I must have been there for a while because I heard the main door open and Lauren stormed in looking very angry and frustrated. I realized that Eve was right and Ryker had refused to approve the diet n. She saw me looking at her and her eyes narrowed into violent slits, ¡°Take a bath; you smell like a dump.¡± She stormed out of the room and I let out a small chuckle to myself. I will take her venom and anger as long as it means that she has one less thing to lord over me. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 I wasn¡¯t able to drag myself up the stairs. Eve and another maid had to help me up the stairs and into the bathtub. Eve offered to bathe me but that felt weird and I assured her that I could do it myself but as I struggled to get out, I realized I should have taken her up on her offer. I finally made it out and I couldn¡¯t be bothered to put on an outfit so I settled for a ck nightgown. It was the easiest thing to wear at that moment and as soon as it was on, I crawled into my bed and was out like a light. I don¡¯t know how long I was out, but by the time I came back to consciousness, I felt long fingers stroking my hair. I was too tired to move or acknowledge them. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± the gruff voice made me realize it was Ryker and I responded with a grunt, ¡°That isn¡¯t an answer Cami.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nighttime.¡± That had me sitting up quickly and I regretted it the moment I felt a burning sensation all over my body. I looked out my open window and sure enough, the sky was dark and I could see the full moon glistening in the night sky with the millions of stars. I cannot believe that I slept the entire day away. I didn¡¯t think I was that tired, I thought at best I would sleep for a few hours. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I slept that long.¡± I said slowly. Just then my stomach rumbled and Ryker gestured for me to go with him. He had gotten to the door when he realized 1 wasn¡¯t following him. ¡°I can¡¯t get up,¡± I whispered, ¡°My legs hurt.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he face palmed, ¡°I forgot you trained for the first time today. It ispletely normal to be in a little pain.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to exin that it wasn¡¯t a little pain, it was a lot of pain and I felt like I was about to keel over and die. ¡°Is it okay if I have my dinner in here?¡± I asked and he nodded. He exited my room for a while and returned with two trays filled with food. He ced one on the bed for me and dragged a chair from the vanity over to the foot of the bed and sat on it. I wondered why he didn¡¯t just sit on the bed but I respected that he didn¡¯t. I wasted no time in devouring the food. I felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten all day and by the time I was done, I felt a little better. I still felt like my body was weighed down with lead but it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. It wasn¡¯t until I was done that I realized that Ryker had been looking at me the entire time. My cheeks flushed pink as it dawned on me that he probably watched me devour my food like a pig. Maybe I should have listened to Lauren earlier. ¡°I knew it was a good idea not to agree to the diet,¡± he said mostly to himself but I heard it. ¡°Will I have to train again tomorrow?¡± I asked, I prayed he would say no. I felt like I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°The only way to get rid of the pain is by training more,¡± he exined, ¡°Although tomorrow will not be as hard as today. I promise. It will most likely be more stretches and stamina building.¡± I held back a groan and settled for a nod instead. Thest thing I wanted was to be stuck training with Lauren again but I had no other choice. Ryker took my empty tray and ced it in his. He hesitated before leaving the room and I realized there was something else he wanted to say. He ced both trays on his chair and walked over to the door then returned with a bag. ¡°If you don¡¯t like this one; don¡¯t hesitate to tell me,¡± he reached into the bag, ¡°You¡¯ve been using leather shippers for a while and I can¡¯t imagine how ufortable they are.¡± The slippers he brought out were a pale blue color. They weren¡¯t like anything I had ever seen. They covered my entire leg- like shoes. The soles were made of rubber but the top and the inside was made of- I think it is wool. I put it on and it somehow felt softer than the first one. It was also prettier and I couldn¡¯t help but stare at it in awe. ¡°I love it. I admitted as I made a mental note to never wear it out of the room so Lauren wouldn¡¯t see it. ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°I just want you to befortable.¡± He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it at thest minute. ¡°Have a good nigh:, Cami.¡± ¡°Good night, Ryker.¡± By the next morning. I was in a better mood. My better mood didn¡¯t stop me from limping everywhere I went. My better mood also seemed to irritate Lauren because when she walked into the living room and saw meughing with Eve a huge sneer took over her features. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± she spat, ¡°You were supposed to be outside ten minutes ago.¡± I quickly apologized and limped as fast as I could to the training field. Even though I was walking as fast as I could, it wasn¡¯t fast enough for her and she punished me by making me run ap around the house. After myp, she said I wasn¡¯t fast enough and made me run an extra twops. So much for it being stretches and stamina work. By the time I was done with myps, I felt like I was going to throw up and when I told Lauren she dismissed it as me beingzy and forced me to do some burpees. On the fifth one, I felt bile rise up my throat and I dry heaved all over the grass. ¡°Faking a vomit isn¡¯t going to get you out of training,¡± she tsked, ¡°In fact, you just bought yourself an extra half an hour of burpees.¡± I was feeling dizzy and it took everything in me to stay upright. I didn¡¯t even know how to say it as my mouth wouldn¡¯t form the words. I just stayed there, hunched over and worked on steadying my breathing. ¡°Get going Cami!¡± she blew her whistle directly in my ear and I forced myself to keep going. Against all odds, I finished the burpees and I started on theps. I did the first one and stopped but she told me to keep going until she blew her whistle. This was worse than any torture I had ever faced in Tyson¡¯s pack and a part of me wished I had never run away. I would have dly faced their humiliation over the pain I was in. I was so far in my head that I didn¡¯t notice the root until I had tripped over it and I fell. The first thing I registered wasn¡¯t the pain from the fall, it was a burning pain in my ankle and thighs and I let out a small scream. ¡°Get up,¡± Cami sneered, ¡°Your pretending won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t; it hurts,¡± I choked out the next words, ¡°Please.¡± She scoffed and made her way over to me. I thought she was going to help me up but instead, she leaned down and pulled on the leg I was clutching hard. The pain 1 felt was blinding and spots danced in my vision as I let out a blood curling scream of pain. Lauren jerked back in rm and I think she realized in that moment that my pain was real. I heard hurried footsteps and through my blurry vision, I saw Eve. ¡°Is she okay?¡± Eve¡¯s voice was panicked, ¡°I heard her scream. ¡°She is; now get out of here.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s crying.¡± ¡°I said met the hell Eve looked over at me and back at Lauren and walked over to me. I saw Lauren burn with fury at the fact that Eve just disobeyed a direct order from her. Eve leaned down and tried to help me to my feet but the moment I put any form of weight on my injured leg I screamed again and crumpled to the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll ask one of the guards to get Alpha Caine,¡± she whispered to me as she helped me back to the floor. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She was leaving when Lauren stopped her. ¡°You aren¡¯t getting anybody¡± ¡°She is in pain,¡± Eve eximed, ¡°Look at her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care; I said you-,¡± She was cut off by the sound of thundering footsteps. Even I waspelled to turn to the sound of the noise. Ryker burst through the garden and he took in the scene in front of me. ¡°Ryker.¡± Lauren eximed, ¡°I was just about to call you.¡± He ignored her and rushed over to me, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I choked out, ¡°It just hurts and I can¡¯t stand on it.¡± With one quick move, he ripped the leg of my leggings and that was when I noticed how red and swollen my ankle had be. There were angry green veins around the area and I knew that whatever it was- it was bad. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened; one minute we were training and the next-,¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ryker cut off Lauren¡¯s rant with a growl, ¡°You had one job and it was to watch her and train with her. If you couldn¡¯t do it then you should have said it. I do not pay you to sit around while my mate gets hurt.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sitting around, I was training with her.¡± ¡°That exins why you¡¯re not sweaty or winded,¡± she had the decency to look embarrassed when she was caught. Ryker turned away from her and back to me. He tucked his hands under my knees and behind my back and gently lifted me up. I whimpered slightly and he cursed under his breath. ¡°Eve, send one of the guards to bring Lucy,¡± I was shocked that he knew Eve¡¯s name but she wasn¡¯t because she nodded and rushed out of the garden. Ryker walked past Lauren and started carrying me inside. He was halfway up the stairs when Lauren appeared. ¡°It was all an ident,¡± she said, ¡°I swear it.¡± ¡°I will deal with youter Lauren; for now stay here. You¡¯re relieved from training her.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 While we waited for Lucy to arrive, Ryker wrapped a bag of frozen peas around my ankle. He reced it every few minutes to keep it iced and the ice numbed the pain long enough that I didn¡¯t feel it, or maybe it was just that my body had gotten used to it Lucy arrived after almost an hour and she was sweating profusely and in a doctor¡¯s coat. I would assume that she just came from something or somewhere important. ¡°I am so sorry, I was in surgery,¡± she took the bag of peas off my leg and analyzed the swelling. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is broken but I¡¯m going to have to check but it might hurt.¡± She slowly lifted my ankle and squeezed it between her pointer and thumb. Squeeze is too harsh of a word for what she used, I am pretty sure she just held it a little firmly but it hurt so bad that I had to bite down on my bottom lip to stifle my scream. I bit down on it so hard that I drew blood. She did her little tests and which each one, I could feel my ankle throb more. By the time she finally put my foot down. there were tears streaming down my face and into the pillow. ¡°Thankfully it isn¡¯t broken,¡± she said and I heard Ryker sigh in relief, ¡°I think you just twisted it badly. I advise that you stay off it as much as possible and keep it elevated at all times. ¡°If it hurts this much when it isn¡¯t broken,¡± I forced out, ¡°How much will it hurt when it is and why does my thigh hurt so bad:¡± ¡°Let us hope you never have to find out about a broken bone,¡± she gave me a small smile, ¡°And as for your thigh, I think you may have pulled a muscle on your way down. All you need to do is ice it up and you will be fine.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She reached into her bag and took out a roll of bandages that she used to tightly wrap my ankle. I winced the entire time she was doing it because it was tight as hell and it was throbbing by the time she was done. She ced a pillow under it to keep it elevated and told me that I would be fine in a while. I didn¡¯t quite believe her because my leg felt like it had been run over by a carriage and I could not see a possibility in the nearest or farthest future when I was fine. She gave a curt bow to Ryker and was about to leave when Ryker asked her to call in Eve. Eve arrived and Ryker instructed her to feed me breakfast and to watch over me until he returned. He waited until Eve had brought my breakfast tray before he walked out of the room. I wondered where he was doing and what he was going to do but I didn¡¯t have time to think about it as Eve delved into a fit of apologies. ¡°How is it?¡± she asked ¡°It hurts like hell,¡± I admitted, ¡°But Lucy says that it will be fine in a while; she says it is just sprained. I hope she means a week plus.¡± ¡°When my brother sprained his ankle he was healed in a day but,¡± she trailed off and lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°There are rumors from Lauren that you don¡¯t have a wolf. If that is true then it will take longer but you do have some werewolf blood in you so I assume it will not take as long as it would a human.¡± ¡°How did Lauren know about that?¡± I asked and she shrugged. 1 mentally face palmed as I realized that Ryker must have told her. If Eve knows then probably the entire pack knows. That would exin why they were staring at me weirdly the day I went to the pack house. They were probably wondering how Ryker could have picked someone like me for his mate. I let out a loud groan. ¡°It is not a terrible thing.¡± Eve tried to patronize me, ¡°It just means that you are different and sometimes different can be good.¡± ¡°Not this kind of different¡± She gave me a weak smile and gestured to the food tray. ¡°You should eat. You will need your strength if you are to heal¡± I had lost m appetite but I knew that I had to force myself to eat everything on the tray or else Ryker would get upset and force me either way. Thest thing I wanted was to see him after realizing that he had told Lauren my secret. RYKER¡¯S PO.V I was fuming as I made my way down the stairs. It took my entire willpower to leave Cami there alone knowing that the was fragile and in pain but something else needed my attention and that something was currently sitting on the dining table snacking on an apple. ¡°She is going to be fine, thank you for your concern,¡± she jumped when she heard my voice and tried but failed to hide the apple, ¡°Come with me, Lauren.¡± She followed me quietly until we were in my home office. It is one of the few rooms where I know we will not be disturbed and there is no risk of anyone overhearing because as much as she deserves what she is about to get. I do not want to disrespect her position by giving other people the chance to hear it. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I was training with her just like you asked and she was runningps but she refused to pay attention. She kept on zoning out and I told her over and over again to focus or she will get hurt and she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. She never ever listens to me.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that this was her fault.¡± ¡°No,¡± she waved her hands frantically, ¡°it was a horrible ident but she never listens to me. She knows about us and she thinks it is a reason to not listen to me.¡± ¡°There is no us Lauren,¡± I could see the hurt flicker on her face at my words, ¡°And Cami does not know anything. I did not tell her about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how she figured it out then but she does. I notice the way she looks at me and I swear that is exactly why she doesn¡¯t listen to me.¡± If there was one thing I knew about Lauren, it is that she is a very skilled liar and sometimes it is extremely difficult to know if she is telling the truth or not but this time, it is extremely easy for me. First of all, Cami is not the kind of person to defy any kind of authority and although Lauren has no real power or status over her, she would still listen to everything she says. It is very unlikely that Lauren gave her instructions and she refused to follow them. Second, Lauren has a bad habit of always wanting her way with things and I know it is more likely that she tried to force her way and it didn¡¯t work out the way she had nned and she panicked. ¡°Do you know how I realized she was hurt?¡± I ended up asking. ¡°I assumed you were just around and heard her scream.¡± ¡°No, she drew energy from me,¡± Lauren¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°It is a rare phenomenon but it happens sometimes between mates when one of them is at their physical end, they begin to draw from their mate. I knew something terrible had to be wrong for her to unknowingly draw from me and I felt her life force begin to flicker.¡± I had to shut my eyes to push the feeling away, ¡°Do you know what it feels like to feel your mate¡¯s life force fading away? It feels like absolute hell. I was in a meeting with the elders and I ran out of it like a man possessed because I thought she was dying. I had barely gotten through the gate when I heard her scream.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± she began but I cut her off ¡°You didn¡¯t realize she screamed that loud,¡± I chuckled darkly. ¡°I figured; I got in when I heard you arguing with Eve I didn¡¯ hear what about because I was too focused on getting to my mate and praying she was alive. So I will ask you one more tits, hat the hell happened?¡± ¡°It was an ident,¡± she stuck to her original story. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize she was actually in pain; she wouldn¡¯t tell me. All she said was that her thighs burned and I thought that was normal.¡± That did sound like something Cami would do. She would pretend that she was fine unless you forced her to tell the truth. ¡°You were in charge of her and you should have noticed,¡± Lauren bowed her head in shame, ¡°You are stripped of your general duties for a week.¡± ¡°But I apologized-,¡± ¡°You will no longer be taking her training courses; I will handle that myself,¡± I ignored her pleas, ¡°For your week of punishment, you will also be onmunity service; when you return, if your behavior is satisfactory then I will consider reinstating you as general.¡± ¡°But I earned that position; you said so yourself.¡± ¡°And now you lost it by letting your future Luna get hurt on your watch. A good general would not do that,¡± I deadpanned, ¡°When you finish your service; we will consider your reinstatement.¡± Lauren was upset now, it was obvious but she knew better than to speak out against me at this moment so she settled for silently stewing and nodded, ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She turned to leave but I stopped her, ¡°One more thing Lauren; the next time my mate is in pain under your watch and your first instinct is not to get her to safety you will be stripped of your duties permanently.¡± She clenched her jaw but nodded and exited the room. I gave myself a single minute to calm down before I made my way back up the stairs. Lauren can wallow in her anger for as long as it takes her to learn her lesson. My mate needs me right now. Chapter 15 ?Chapter 15 After I finished eating, Eve gave me some medicine that was supposed to numb the pain but it ended up knocking me right out. I was already a little exhausted so it wasn''t hard for me to fall right asleep. I was woken upter on by Eve to have lunch, I can barely remember the details of her visit because I was still half asleep but I remember Ryker standing in the corner of the room. As soon as I was done eating, I fell asleep again. I finally awoke around nighttime and it was at that moment I realized I hadn''t taken a bath all day. I decided to try to make my way into the bathroom. It was a chore to get my foot and the floor and the moment I did, I felt a sharp pain shoot up my entire left leg. The pain blinded me for a second and when it had cleared, I noticed Eve and Ryker standing at the door to my room. I didn''t even realize I had made any sounds until I saw their panicked expressions. Ryker came over to me and crouched down until we were eye level. "Do you have an uncanny desire to hurt yourself?" he was scolding me but his voice wasn''t overly harsh, "Lucy gave you one job and that was to stay off your foot and elevate it." "I haven''t taken a bath all day," I muttered under my breath, "I just wanted to feel clean." Understanding dawned on his features and I heard him let out a heavy sigh before he turned to Eve, "Draw a bath for her." She wasted no time in running into the bathroom and it was a few minutes before she returned and gave him a nod to acknowledge that she had done as he asked. He picked me up with a hand underneath my knees and another supporting my back and he led me into the bathroom. He sat me on the wooden counter, "I''m going to have to undress you but I swear I will not look." I weighed my options and realized that he was my best bet. There was a very little chance that Eve could actually carry me into the bathroom and even if I say that I want Eve to undress me, he would still have to be the one to carry me in which means he will still see my body. I swallowed deeply and gave a short and barely visible nod. I saw still in my training wear with the ripped pants. I thought he would ask me to lift my hips but instead, he gripped the pants between both hands and in one sharp tug, they fell off my body. I gasped at the sudden movement because I was not expecting him to do that. Next, he fisted the bottom of my shirt and pulled it right over my head. Regardless of his promise, I expected him to peek a look but his eyes never strayed further than my face. Once he was done, he picked me up again and slowly lowered me into the tub making sure to keep my injured leg above the water. He retreated from the bathroom and returned with a clear wrap and he wrapped it around the bandage presumably to protect it from the water. He turned his back to me so I could have a semnce of privacy as I washed myself. A part of me wanted to rush it so I could get out of this slightly awkward situation but another part of me- the dominant part-just wanted to take my time so I could wash off all the dried sweat, grime and dirt that had stuck to my skin. By the time I was done, I cleared my throat slightly and Ryker returned with a towel in his hands. He picked me up using the towel and deposited me back in bed after which he finally excused himself from the room. Eve sprung into action after he had left. She dried me off and wouldn''t listen to me when I assured her that I could do it myself. When she was done, she helped me put on a long white nightgown that was made from the softest silk. It was very light so it highlighted my nipples and if you looked hard enough, you could see my creamy skin underneath. When I was cleaned and dressed, I wasid back in bed with my foot elevated. It wasn''t even up to one day and I was already tired of being in bed but I knew it was for the best if I wanted to get healed. Eve left to get me some dinner and when she returned, Ryker was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to ask where he was because this was the first time since I got hurt that he left my presence ording to Eve but I didn''t want to seem like I was too interested. I was so distracted that it took almost twice as long to finish my food. Eve even asked once if I enjoyed the food or if she should get me something else. I assured her that it was fine and that was when understanding dawned on her features. "He''s fine," she told me, "He probably just went out on a run or a walk." "I didn''t ask about anyone." "You didn''t have to," she said with a sly smile, "It''s obvious that you''re worried about him bug he''s fine; he hasn''t left your side since you got hurt." I wouldn''t admit it but hearing that brought a strange feeling to my belly. It felt good to know that someone cared enough about me to watch over me not just because they were being paid to do it but because they actually wanted to and because they were worried. "He will be back before you know it," she promised me, ¡°Just you wait and see." She took the empty tray from me and ced the painkillers on my nightstand along with a bottle of water. "This knocks me straight out," I told her as I stared at them. "Lucy said they''re just normal over the counter human medication," she exined, "But you don''t have to take it now; you just have to take it before you go to bed." "Thank you Eve," I said when she had reached the door, "For everything today; I am truly grateful." "We stick out for one another; don''t we?" with onest smile in my direction, she shut the door behind her leaving me inplete silence. I waited in the silence for a few minutes, wondering when Ryker would return. I don''t know how long I had waited but I started to feel a little drowsy so I had decided to take the pills and go to bed. I was about to take them when my door creaked open and Ryker''s huge frame filled the doorway. "I thought you were asleep," he admitted as he saw me staring up at him. "I was about to." "I''m sorry I interrupted; I should just-," "No wait," I stopped him, "You cane in; it''s fine." He looked at me for a second- two- three - before he nodded and made his way into the room. He took a seat in the chair that I know has to be ufortable as hell but that is where he sat all day. "Earlier, did you know I was hurt?" I asked, "Or were you just in the right ce at the right time." He paused for a second as if debating what to tell me, "I knew." "How?" I asked. I''ve never heard of that happening between wolves before. I''m also not a member of his pack so it makes no sense to me how he would have known. "We are mates, Cami," he began slowly, "In extreme cases; we can feel each other''s pain and draw power from each other. That is what you did and I knew you were hurt." "Thank you, foring to help me." "You don''t have to thank me for that. Anyone else would have done the same." A sad smile crossed my lips at his words. Not everyone would have done that. I know for a fact that Tyson would not have, he would have known and probably not cared or even if he came, it would have been to watch me writhe in pain. "What are you thinking about?" Ryker asked and I shrugged "It isn''t important." He didn''t seem to believe me but he also didn''t want to push more than necessary because he nodded. The room went into afortable silence and I decided that now would be a good time to take the pills. It would take a few minutes for them to kick in anyways and I''m sure it would be enough for me to ask what it was I needed. I had to muster up the courage to speak, "Will Lauren be returning to watch me tomorrow?" "No," his answer was quick and there was no hesitation, "She will not be returning until you are healed and even then, her return is to be determined. She will be serving the appropriate punishment for her actions." "Please don''t kill her." She might be a horrible person but I don''t want her to die. "Why would I-," he trailed off and awareness settled on his features, "Lauren will not die; I assure you of that." I let out a sigh of relief. I wouldn''t want anyone''s death to be on my conscience. The pills had started to kick in and I was starting to feel a little drowsy but then I heard Ryker''s voice. "She said it was an ident; is that true?"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I opened my mouth but then closed it. It could be ssified as an ident depending on how one looked at it. I wasn''t paying attention and I didn''t see the stump; the fall wasn''t nned by anyone. "Don''t think too much," Ryker said, "Just answer the question." "I tripped when I was running," I said finally, "I was not focused on the track and I fell." He frowned as if he was expecting me to say something else but then he nodded. "You should rest, Cami," his voice was soft but detached; "We will talk about it tomorrow." His voice was like amand, one that my body willfully obeyed because my eyes fell shut and sleep took me. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 It took a week before I was able to walk on the leg without feeling like I was about to die. I was still limping badly but at least I could afford to move around on my own. Every day during that week, Ryker would be the one to help me whenever I wanted to take a bath and help me out. By the second day, I was already used to it but he would always leave right after and return fifteen to thirty minutes after. I still don¡¯t know where he goes or what he does and a part of me is inherently curious about it. Another thing that shocked me was the knowledge that Ryker wasn¡¯t leaving for the pack house. I had asked Eve one day when he left and she told me that he hadn¡¯t left for the pack house since I got hurt and had chosen to do his work in his office downstairs. It was a real shock for me to realize that he willingly left his work and his usual office in favor of staying here because I had gotten hurt. I made my way down the stairs despite the protest from my ankle and by the time I got the dining room and sat at the table, I was breathing deeply. That could have served as a workout. Eve stepped out of the kitchen with a tray and when she saw me, she jumped slightly and ced a hand on her chest to calm herself. ¡°I thought you were eating upstairs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I needed a change of scenery,¡± I said with a small smile, ¡°I¡¯d like to eat down here today.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she ced the tray in front of me and my mouth watered when I saw the stacked breakfast burritos, bacon and eggs. I thanked her and wasted no time in wolfing down the food. I was on the second burrito when I heard a door open not far from me and Ryker walked up towards me. I havee to know when he is around even without looking at him. The air changes a little whenever he walks in and somehow his aura just takes up the entire room. The power shift is visible and when he walks into a room, his scent takes up the entire breathing space. ¡°Good morning, Cami,¡± he said as he left a seat between us and took the next one. I secretly thanked him in my mind for doing that for myfort but another less educated part of me wished he took the seat directly beside me. Eve hurried in with a simr breakfast tray for him and he thanked her. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said after a beat of silence. ¡°Lucy will being over today to check on your leg again.¡± He told me, ¡°Are you having any pain with it?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m still limping but it doesn¡¯t out rightly hurt. It¡¯s just slightly ufortable to walk with.¡± ¡°She will be here around noon.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say about that so I just nodded. We ate the rest of our meal in silence and although Ryker finished before I did, he didn¡¯t make any efforts to leave the dining room. He just sat at his table looking at me. It wasn¡¯t ufortable, like he was judging me; it was more like he was trying to assess me to know how to approach the situation. When I was done eating, I stood to my feet and wobbled a little because of how much weight I had put on my injured leg. In a sh, Ryker was up and by my side. His hands weren¡¯t on me but they bracketed me just in case I fell. I was so shocked by the move that my breath hitched and my movements ceased. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked and I forced myself to nod, ¡°Do you need help?¡± Chapter Th ¡°1¡± stuttered, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it thank you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked and I nodded again. Reluctantly, he stepped back and I was able to release the breath I was holding and find my bnce. As I made my way towards the stairs I noticed Eve peeking through the kitchen door. When she saw me, she gave me a blinding smile with two thumbs up. Just like Ryker said, Lucy came over sometime around noon to check on my ankle. She assured me that it was healing nicely but suggested that I still keep it wrapped so I don¡¯t stress it more than necessary. She even rewrapped it with a fresh bandage and told me that within a week or two that I should be fine and as good as new. I thanked her for everything and she told me to send for her if I felt any more pain than usual. After she had left, I stayed in my room for a while. I was so used to Lauren being a part of my day that it had started to feel weird being alone and not having anyone screaming at me. I limped over to the balcony and looked down at the training field. It had been cleared of the equipments and now it was just a normal field of soft grass. I made a mental note to spend some time down thereter. A sh of light caught my eye and I noticed ake not too far off from the field. I recognized it as the lake I saw the first time I arrived at the house and I itched to visit it. I decided it was worth a try to ask Ryker if I could go there although a part of me felt that he would say no because of my ankle. I made my way down the stairs and found Eve dusting off the dining table. I asked her to direct me to Ryker¡¯s office and if she was shocked by my request, she didn¡¯t show it. Instead she nodded and led me down a corridor and towards arge oak door. She gave me a smile that said good luck and left. It took me almost two minutes to gather enough courage to actually knock on the door. Almost immediately I heard a gruff, ¡°Come in,¡± and I pushed the door open. When I walked in and Ryker noticed me, he did a visible double take as if he didn¡¯t expect me to ever walk into his office. He quickly put down his pen and closed the book in front of him. ¡°Cami,¡± he breathed softly, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes, everything is fine.¡± I swallowed deeply before continuing. ¡°Is there by any chance ake on your property?¡± He was confused by my question that much was obvious, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I saw one and I didn¡¯t know if it was your property or someone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°Cami, everything you can see from here on out belongs to me. So yes, theke is on my property.¡± ¡°I was wondering if I could go to it,¡± I rushed out the words before my courage would dissipate, ¡°I was just curious and I would love to just go there. It gets really stuffy at times being stuck in here all day.¡± He went silent and for a moment I thought I had overstepped. Images of what happened when I overstepped back at Tyson¡¯s pack shed through my brain and I prepared myself for the onught of violence that would most likely ensue. He would probably get upset and scream at me or hit me and then punish me with something extreme. I tried my best toe up with the worst case scenario of what he could do but each thing just sounded worse. He could lock me up in the dungeons, or he could lock me outside. He could take me to theke and try to drown me (that probably what Tyson would have done) or he could have me whipped. At this point, I don¡¯t even know which of them is worse, all I know is that I would very much like to take back thest three minutes and pretend like all of this never happened N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I looked up at Ryker and he was staring down at me in concern. Somehow I had gotten to my knees and so had he. His hands were framing my face softly which was a sharp contrast to the roughness and calluses that graced his own. ¡°Cami; stay with me,¡± his voice was soft and that was when I realized how heavy I was breathing, ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°Nowhere.¡± I lied but my voice came out hoarse so I cleared my throat, ¡°I just- just forget everything I said earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset with you Cami,¡± I didn¡¯t realize how much I wanted to hear those words until he actually said it, ¡°I was thinking about alternative ways for you to get there. It¡¯s a long trek and I wouldn¡¯t want you to do it in your condition.¡± ¡°You¡¯re-.¡± I swallowed, ¡°You¡¯re not upset with me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± he assured me, ¡°You did nothing wrong and I am d that you were able to voice out what you want.¡± He ran his eyes over me again in concern and his thumb stroked my cheeks softly. His touch was feather light and I wanted. nothing more than to lean into it and cocoon myself in it. ¡°When you¡¯re healed we will see theke,¡± he said suddenly, ¡°And I will make sure that you don¡¯t spend your entire days indoors.¡± The deration was so sudden but the determination in his eyes was fierce, ¡°I will do something about it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He gave my cheek another soft stroke and that was when I realized how close we were. He must have seen the shift in my expression as I pulled back because I saw hurt briefly sh through his eyes. Guilt wracked through me as I pushed to my feet. He offered to help but I didn¡¯t take his hand- I couldn¡¯t take it. I swallowed deeply as an awkward silence washed over the both of us. ¡°Thank you, again,¡± I said and without another word, I ran- or hobbled as fast as I could out of there. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 For the next few days, I avoided Ryker as much as I possibly could. I stayed in my room all day and barely left it unless it was absolutely necessary. Whenever I saw him. I would mumble a greeting and leave the area as quickly as I could. He knew I was avoiding him, hell, everyone knew I was avoiding him and I knew at one point he would get fed up with it and demand an exnation from me. What I didn¡¯t expect was for it to happen today. Today started like any normal day, I took a bath by myself and because I had no ns of going out, I put on a really pretty ck night gown andy in bed. Eve brought me my breakfast as usual and when I was done, I took the tray downstairs because Lucy had told Ryker to inform me that I needed to walk around a little every day to make sure that I was exercising the leg. While I was taking my tray down. I saw Ryker at the dining table. I flushed pink in embarrassment and hurried to return the tray to Eve. I rushed back upstairs not even realizing that he had spoken to me and I had ignored him. I sessfully locked myself in the room when a few minutester I heard a knock. It was not soft like Eve¡¯s but it also wasn¡¯t overly violent. I ignored it the first time and it grew louder. ¡°Fuck this shit Cami,¡± I heard Ryker say through the other side; ¡°We¡¯re talking about this today.¡± I still wasn¡¯t convinced on whether or not to open it but then he said, ¡°I have a spare key downstairs and I am not above using it. I am only doing this because I want you to have a say in this. But so help me if you don¡¯t open this door in the next three minutes I will find my own way in.¡± I knew he was going to make do on his threat so I exhaled deeply and unlocked the door. He was standing there in a ck button up shirt and matching cks. He looked like he was prepared for a day of work while I was in frilly long sleeved pajamas. I¡¯m sure it would have been a sight to behold for anyone who saw it. He looked frustrated and annoyed but he managed to keep hisposure as he walked into the room and took a seat on the chair directly opposite my bed. I remained standing and he gestured for me to sit down on the bed. I hesitated for a second and I could see that it annoyed him because he clenched his jaw but he didn¡¯t show any other outward signs of his annoyance. I quietly took a seat at the edge of the bed and the room fell into an ufortable silence. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker spoke up after a beat of silence, ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± ¡°I am not avoiding you.¡± I lied and he shot me a disbelieving look. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me Cami,¡± he slowly stood to his feet and made his way over to me. I sucked in a breath as he crouched down in front of me and I watched carefully wondering what his next move would be. If he touched me, I wasn¡¯t quite sure of how I would react but I knew enough to know that it probably would not be a good reaction considering how strung up I already was. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I cannot force you to tell me everything that you have endured. But it would make things so much easier for us if you do.¡± He spoke softly, almost patronizingly, as if I was a cornered animal on the brink of running away, like I was a child who he had to exin things to carefully for fear of a tantrum. Some would find it insulting but I found it slightly endearing knowing that he was being careful and not imposing for my sake. ¡°Why do you flinch when I approach you?¡± That was a rtively easy question for me to answer, ¡°Because sometimes it looks like you¡¯re about to hit me.¡± ¡°Has someone hit you before?¡± I hesitated before nodding and I saw his nostrils re in anger, ¡°Who did?¡± ¡°A lot of people,¡± I deliberately kept my answer vague, ¡°I am an omega-,¡± ¡°Was,¡± he cut in and I looked at him in confusion. ¡°You were an omega; you are to be Luna of this pack. You are not an omega any longer.¡± I nodded hesitantly, ¡°I was an omega and that is the normal hierarchy of the pack. The omegas are the punching bags surely you understand that.¡± ¡°What else did they do to you?¡± I hesitated before responding. I didn¡¯t know how much he wanted to hear or how much I was allowed to speak of. I didn¡¯t want to seem like I was dumping all my problems on him. As if he heard my thoughts he added, ¡°I want to hear it all.¡± I inhaled deeply and I told him everything- the summarized version of it. Without mentioning any names I told him about the jobs I did and how I struggled to make ends meet. I told him about my time working in the club and the restaurant and how the pack members took their anger and frustration out on me. When I got to the part about Tyson, I stuttered and fell silent. I didn¡¯t want to tell him how Tyson had assaulted me in my room or what he had told the pack- I still had a little shred of dignity left so I summarized by saying he rejected me and I left the pack. When I was done, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look him in the eyes. I didn¡¯t want to see the disgust or the anger or the disappointment. Surely by now he would realize that he wasn¡¯t given a fair bargain in this mate exchange. He is one of the most powerful- if not the most powerful Alpha ever and here I am; a lowly damaged omega. ¡°Cami,¡± his voice broke slightly as he said my name, ¡°Look at me.¡± I slowly lifted my eyes to his and was shocked to see his eyes swirling with anger and sympathy. I slowly let out an exhale grateful that he didn¡¯t look at me with pity. I can take his anger but not his pity. ¡°What you went through was horrible and no one should ever have to go through that,¡± he said softly, ¡°You do not have to fear me or my pack. No one will ever dream of hurting you like that. You are no one¡¯s ve here.¡± ¡°What if I was?¡± I could tell my question confused him so I exined, ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t your mate? If I was an omega would it still be the same?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t hit our omegas Cami,¡± I didn¡¯t believe him and he knew it, ¡°You can ask Eve or anyone else. They are treated like every other member of the pack. They have pack links and are allowed in meetings.¡± ¡°Then why do you refer to them as omegas?¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t hold corporate jobs,¡± he exined, ¡°here, omegas simply refer to the people who work in the pack house and take care of it. That includes the cooks, the cleaners, gardeners, everything. They are not treated differently because of the nature of their work.¡± He knew I still didn¡¯t believe him so he stood to his feet and stretched out his hand to me, ¡°Come; I¡¯ll show you.¡± I hesitantly took his hand and let him lead me down the stairs and into the carriage. He ced his hand on my waist to lift me into the carriage and I felt the skin under his fingers heat. My cheeks flushed pink but I kept my gaze directed outside the window so he wouldn¡¯t see it. The drive to the pack house felt extremely long- longer than usual. When we arrived, he helped me out the same way again and I cursed my cheeks for turning pink when he touched me. it was when my feet hit the grass that I realized I was still in my frilly pajamas and my cheeks heated once more as I paused mid stride. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ryker asked and I nodded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wearing pajamas,¡± I whispered, ¡°Everyone else is so formally dressed and I am in pajamas.¡± ¡°No one will bat an eyelid,¡± he assured me then tugged on my arm slightly, ¡°Come.¡± I knew there was no other option so I followed him. People looked at me but no one stared for longer than a few seconds and I wondered if it had to do with the fact that they didn¡¯t care or the death re that Ryker sent anyone who looked. for longer than was deemed appropriate. He led me towards the back of the pce and towards a set of massive oak doors. He pushed it open and all my senses were attacked at once. There were more people than I could count in therge space. It looked like a living room of sorts with massive couches and a huge firece. There was a huge chandelier in the centre of the ceiling and on therge coffee table were snacks of all kinds. People were deep in conversation with themselves but the moment they saw Ryker and I, the chatter reduced. ¡°Do not stop on my ount, I am simply giving my mate a tour of the pack house.¡± There was a chorus of greeting and once again I flushed pink as they all referred to me as their Luna. Once they greeted, they all went back to their conversations and pretended like we weren¡¯t there. ¡°This is the omega quarter.¡± Ryker whispered to me, ¡°Look at them and tell me that you believe they are being hurt here.¡± I opened my mouth but words wouldn¡¯te out. They looked happy and carefree and without a care in the world. I thought back to my time at Tyson¡¯s pack and scoffed to myself at how vastly different things would have been if he were to walk into the quarters. ¡°You¡¯re safe here Cami,¡± he said, ¡°No one will hurt you here, Luna or not.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Over the next few days, Ryker and I developed some sort of cordial arrangement between us. My fear of him wouldn¡¯t disappear in a day, that much was obvious but now I had less reason to fear him after seeing how he treated he omegas in his pack. I also didn¡¯t actively try to avoid his presence anymore and I took that as a huge win. On a lighter note, my leg was almost perfectly healed and now it didn¡¯t hurt at all as I made my way around the house. I was sitting at the dining table waiting for Eve to serve breakfast when I realized I hadn¡¯t seen Ryker all day which was a surprise. He usually joined me during breakfast before disappearing for work. ¡°Where is Ryker?¡± I asked Eve and she looked as shocked by my question as I was shocked that I even asked it in the first ce. ¡°He should be outside training.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. A part of me knew that Ryker trained. He had to be doing some sort of training to be able to obtain the kind of body he had. He hadn¡¯t said anything about my training and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be allowed to train again after what happened. I left my untouched breakfast and made my way around the house until I heard the sound of flesh hitting something and sharp grunts. I followed the sound a little further into the woods around the house and saw Ryker. He was shirtless and his entire upper body was gleaming with sweat. His shorts hung low on his hips and his hands were wrapped in a bandage as he delivered swift punches to the trunk of a tree. I couldn¡¯t help but wince at how painful that would be but Ryker wasn¡¯t bothered. He kept hitting the trunk as if he was punching a feather- with no care in the world. I identally stepped on a twig and his movements ceased. He turned around and when he saw it was me, I saw the tension. in his shoulders dete. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you.¡± I said softly, ¡°I should be going-.¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± he assured me. When I didn¡¯t move, he gestured for me toe closer, ¡°I lost track of time. I should have been back by now.¡± I obliged and moved closer to him and I tried my best to keep my attention on his face and not his perfectly defined and chiseled chest. If he told me he was carved from stone I would have believed because no one should ever look this good. I flushed pink at the thought and chided myself. I shouldn¡¯t be having those kind of thoughts about him especially not when he is right next to me. ¡°Can you help me?¡± I didn¡¯t realize he was talking to me until he called my name, ¡°Cami, can you help me unwrap my hands.¡± I flushed pink again at being caught but I nodded and slowly made my way over to him. This was the first time I was consciously being close to him and his scent hit me full force for quite possibly the first time. He smelled manly, musky, like the woods and himself. There was something about his natural scent that led me to take a discreet sniff. He looked up at me and I wondered if he knew what I had done but if he did, he didn¡¯t show it. He just held up his hands and I slowly unwrapped the bandage. ¡°Will I ever train again?¡± I decided to break the tension with a question. ¡°Do you want to train again?¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting for him to ask my opinion on the matter. Every time I think I know what Ryker is going to do, he ends up surprising me. I stayed silent as I worked through the bandage on his other hand. When I was done, I tried to pull back but he grasped my hand softly but firmly in his and kept me in ce. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± he reminded me. ¡°I would like to,¡± I admitted, ¡°But maybe not as rigorously as before. I know it makes me soundzy but I would very much like to start at the beginning.¡± I tried to gauge his reaction as I spoke but he kept his features carefully nk, ¡°Would you like me to train you?¡± ¡°You,¡± I spluttered. ¡°But, you¡¯re the Alpha; you¡¯re extremely busy.¡± ¡°Let me worry about how busy I am. I asked if you wanted me to train you.¡± ¡°I would like that.¡± I admitted. He let go of my arm and took a step back. ¡°You might have to change your outfit.¡± ¡°Did you mean now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time like the present.¡± I blinked once- twice- three times before I turned on my heels and made my way back up the stairs. Eve looked at me with confusion but I couldn¡¯t even articte what had just happened so I made my way silently into the room. I dressed in the outfit I would usually use to train with Lauren- leggings and the skin tight top. I made my way down the stairs and out the back door to where Ryker was waiting. When he saw me, he did a double take and I saw him swallow deeply before clearing his throat and leading me back into through the woods and into the clearing. The ce was very much the same except for two bottles of water that he ced on the ground next to the tree he had been assaulting before. ¡°It is important to always stay hydrated while training,¡± he exined when he saw my gaze, ¡°You¡¯re healing from an injury and you have never trained before so we will start with the easy things; stamina, core work and basic stretches.¡± I hung on to every word he said and tried my best to imitate him as he led us through a series of stretches. Training with him was a lot different than training with Lauren. He was patient and never pushed me past my limits. He also exined everything in detail so I was never confused. We were doing basic form work for throwing a punch when I saw the corner of his lips quirk up. ¡°Your form is bad,¡± he moved until he was behind me and gestured to my waist, ¡°May I?¡± I was shocked and grateful that he had asked for permission. He waited until I clearly nodded before cing his hand on either side of my waist and turning my hips so they were facing forward. I wobbled a little at the feel of his hands on my bare skin but he gripped me tightly keeping me steady. ¡°Cami,¡± he breathed and goose bumps rose on my skin as his hot breath fanned my ear, ¡°You are-,¡± He stopped mid statement and I felt him go rigid against my back. I opened my mouth to speak but he sped a hand over my lips keeping me quiet. That was when I heard what he heard- footsteps and shuffling. A horrid burnt smell infiltrated my nostrils and I immediately knew that we were in danger. ¡°How fast can you run?¡± he asked and I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m pretty decent.¡± ¡°Good, I need you to run back to the house and tell the guards that there are rogues.¡± ¡°But-,¡± ¡°Now!¡± The urgency in his voice stopped every argument I had in me and I took off in the opposite direction. I heard the ripping of clothes and a loud growl but I didn¡¯t turn back to inspect, I didn¡¯t stop until I got to the front of the house. The guards were confused and shocked to see me and honestly, I didn¡¯t me them. I was in sweaty training clothes and I just came in looking like I had run a marathon. ¡°There are rogues,¡± I said, ¡°In the forest; Ryker is there and he asked me to get you.¡± They shared a look and one of them gently grabbed onto my upper arm, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have to get you to safety Luna.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? He needs you more.¡± ¡°The Alpha gave clear orders that should there ever be a threat then you should be taken to safety.¡± I tried to argue but he firmly guided me into the house. Eve saw me and the guard ryed the situation to her and she took off without another word. I was guided up to my room and that was when the guard finally stopped pulling me around like a rag doll. ¡°I will keep watch out here,¡± he said, ¡°Rogue attacks can take a while so I suggest you get changed or something. Eve will be up as soon as she is done rounding up the other omegas.¡± I wanted toin or fight or do something but I knew that I would be more of a hindrance downstairs so I forced my feet to carry me into the room. I locked the door behind me and did as the guard asked. I took a bath and I changed into afortable pair of leggings and a shirt then I started to worry. I paced back and forth to calm my nerves. Eve came in to check on me but I barely even nced at her as she ced my breakfast tray by my bed. She left when she realized I wasn¡¯t going to start eating anytime soon. I don¡¯t know how long I stood pacing but the door to my room opened and Ryker came through. He had a few stters of blood on his skin but he looked otherwise fine. I couldn¡¯t help myself when I threw my arms around his neck. I realized what I had done and tried to pull back but he wrapped his arms around my lower back and held me tight against his body. He nuzzled his nose into my hair and I felt him take a long inhale. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked as he finally let me pull back and he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of any help; if I knew how to train then maybe.¡± ¡°Maybe nothing,¡± he cut me off, ¡°You could be the best warrior in the entire fucking world and I would still ask you to be sent to safety.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are my mate and my responsibility Cami. There is no way in hell I was going to let you stay out there while rogues were attacking.¡± ¡°But-,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue about this. I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Why don¡¯t I get cleaned up and we can eat. Does that sound nice?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He smiled at my answer and left me standing there in the room. I just stood there staring at the door he had gone through and thinking about how nice it felt to have someone worry about your safety over theirs. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 For the rest of the day I didn¡¯t see Ryker. After eating breakfast with me, he disappeared and Eve told me that he probably went to the pack house. I was so used to his presence around the house that it felt very weird and quiet to not have him around. I spent my day with Eve and she educated me on life in the pack. She wasn¡¯t born in the pack. In fact, she was a rogue up until she was five when she identally stumbled into the pack and the former Luna took pity on her and made her an omega. Her story brought a lot of questions about what happened to Ryker¡¯s parents. In Tyson¡¯s pack, I heard a lot of stories and rumors about what people think happened but I¡¯m starting to realize that not every rumor should be taken seriously. Some people said that Ryker killed his parents so he could be Alpha. Some people said that they died in a horrible ident that made Ryker cruel and heartless. Another group of people said his family ran away because they couldn¡¯t bear to watch him act as cruel as he did to his pack members. Judging by how I¡¯ve seen the pack members, none of those stories sound true. I wanted to ask Eve but I realized that some stories are meant to be heard from the source and I filed my curiosity away for another day. I helped her out with dinner even though she refused at first. It was fun to have something to do around the house rather than just sitting on my butt all day. And as weird as it sounds, I actually enjoyed cooking. Even when I was at Tyson¡¯s pack, I loved doing it. I just hated the circumstances under which I was forced to do it. We made shepherd¡¯s pie and I paired it a meringue topped with strawberries. I was setting the table when the main door opened and I saw Ryker walk in. The corner of my lips tugged up but my smile fell when I saw who was following close behind. The te in my hand slipped and fell to the floor with a loud crash prompting Eve to rush out of the kitchen. She took in the scene in front of her and her eyes flickered to mine in barely concealed panic. ¡°Alpha,¡± she bowed to Ryker then turned to the person next to him, ¡°Lauren; it is a pleasure to see you again.¡± She was impably dressed in skin tight pants and a sleeveless corset like top with a jacket thrown over it. Her hair was in a slick ponytail and her lips were painted the color of a freshly plucked strawberry. She had on leather boots toplete the edgy look and her arms were crossed over her chest. She caught my eye and the corner of her lips tilted up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your leg, fake sincerity bled through her words. I¡¯ve been around enough people to know when someone isn¡¯t being genuine and judging by the twinkling in her eyes, she isn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I was grateful that my voice came out strong and not as shaky as I felt on the inside. ¡°Did you cook?¡± she asked as she made her way over to the dining table, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten all day. Is it okay if I sit?¡± I knew it would be rude if I said no especially since she hasn¡¯t eaten so I just nodded. She thanked me and took a seat on the immediate right of Ryker which would be in the middle of both of us. Eve shot me a sympathetic look as she set the dish on the table. I didn¡¯t want to sit next to her so I took my te to Ryker¡¯s other side. This would be the first time we are sitting next to each other and I saw the shock that crossed his features as I sat next to him but it was quickly reced by pride and something else. Ryker seemed oblivious to the brewing tension between Lauren and I. She would asionally look up and smirk at me almost as if she was trying to tell me that I failed to get rid of her. The tension between us could be cut with a knife and it was very ufortable. I wanted nothing more than to get up and hide in my room and I would have done so if it wouldn¡¯t raise questions with Ryker. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ambushing you like this,¡± he began and I saw Lauren¡¯s eyes widen at his apology. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize,¡± she began but he cut her off. ¡°I was talking to my mate.¡± I saw the hurt fill her features before she quickly mped down on it. She turned to me with barely hidden disdain and 1 almostughed. I wondered how long she would be able to hold up her bravado of glee I actually thought she would fast through the night.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Ryker turned to me. The rogue problem is worse than we thought. We found air not too far from the pack border and until the issue is dealt with you need to be protected at all time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m safe right here, aren¡¯t I?¡± I asked in a desperate attempt to get him to rethink the decision I know he is about to take. ¡°The rogues attacked us not far from here. I am not willing to take that chance,¡± he held my eyes as if searching for something. ¡°Lauren will watch over you until the pack is safe. You are not to leave without her knowledge and she will report back to me. I will be extremely busy during this time and may not be around as often. I want to ensure your safety.¡± He looked like he had more to say but a guard walked in and whispered something in his ear. He excused himself and followed the guard out of the room. He was barely out of the door when Lauren mmed her palm down on the table. ¡°You must be so proud of yourself right now.¡± She spat ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t act stupid,¡± her voice was dripping with barely concealed jealousy, ¡°You have him eating out of the palm of your hand with your fake innocent act.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. There is no act.¡± ¡°I can see through you.¡± She ignored my earlier statement, ¡°And just remember that I¡¯m not fooled by you and neither is he I am here and I am going to make sure that you don¡¯t get away with it.¡± ¡°Get away with what?¡± ¡°You may have gotten him to take me off your training but you cannot get rid of me easily. I am-¡± she stopped mid rant and sat up straight. As soon as she did that, the door opened and Ryker returned. I wondered how she heard him from so far away but I guess. that is why she was made general. She probably has more skills and powers than I could even imagine and she is determined to use all of them against me. As Ryker took his seat, she shot me a hidden re warning me to behave and a part of me wondered what would happen if I didn¡¯t. What would happen if I actually told Ryker what she had said? I decided it wasn¡¯t worth it and instead looked away from her and down at my now empty te. ¡°My attention was needed outside with the guards,¡± he exined more to me, ¡°What do you think about the arrangement?¡± ¡°I can work with it,¡± Lauren began but once again, Ryker cut her off. ¡°I was talking to my mate Lauren,¡± her cheeks flushed pink, ¡°In fact; I think your presence is no longer needed. I wanted you. here when I told her the news so you could apologize about her leg but you can leave now.¡± I actually felt bad for her with the way he dismissed her. Her cheeks flushed crimson but she nodded and quietly rose from the chair. She walked to the door without looking back once but when she was about to shut the door behind her, she shot me a re as if to say it was my fault that he dismissed her. In a way, it was my fault but I wasn¡¯t the one who dismissed her and I wonder why she won¡¯t project her hurt and anger at Ryker instead of me. But then again, he is the Alpha and I am no one. ¡°Cami,¡± I turned my attention back to Ryker, ¡°How do you feel about the arrangement?¡± ¡°Do I have much of a choice in the matter?¡± I asked and the corner of his lips lifted. ¡°No, you don¡¯t actually. I have to know that you are safe or I will not be able to do my work.¡± He sighed, ¡°And I would feel safer knowing what Lauren was watching you. She might be a little tough but she is the best at what she does.¡± ¡°How did she be General?¡± that question had been guing me for a while. ¡°She is young and she¡¯s a woman. It is unusual for a woman to be general. How does she get the men to listen to her?¡± ¡°Lauren might be young but she can hold off her own. When she was seventeen, she killed off a group of rogues by herself. The old general saw that and knew she had potential so he started to train her. When he was killed, we held a contest and she won by andslide. She beat everyone who stepped in the ring with her in less than ten minutes.¡± ¡°That is impressive.¡± I admitted and he nodded. ¡°She is the best option to keep you safe and if she is with you I will not have to worry as much.¡± ¡°I could just stay alone.¡± I offered but from the expression on his face, I knew it wasn¡¯t an option. I didn¡¯t want to be a bother and I didn¡¯t want to put him in an ufortable situation so I sighed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine with the arrangement.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The next morning. Ryker and I trained together again, although this time he chose a spot closer to the house. I knew he was still concerned about the rogue issue but I was grateful that he took time out to still train me when he could have simply just delegated the job to someone else. Lauren arrived while we were training. In fact, I saw her spying on us from behind some bushes. I don¡¯t know if Ryker saw her too and I didn¡¯t want to ask because I didn¡¯t want to think about her or my impending bad day spent with her After training, we freshened up and I thought Ryker would have left right after but he came down to the dining room and ate breakfast with me. Lauren joined us once again and a part of me couldn¡¯t help but wish that she would just disappear 1 didn¡¯t like her presence and more so I didn¡¯t like it when she was around Ryker especially because the would try to keep his attention on her and pretend like I wasn¡¯t there. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I hated that I felt jealous over him. I never felt this way about Tyson so what was different about Ryker? It could be that he treated me like a person and not an object and the fact that above all, he had my best interests at heart. Ryker finished his breakfast first, but then again he didn¡¯t really eat much. All he took were two slices of toasted bread and cup of ck coffee. ¡°I have to go,¡± he said more to me, ¡°I will be back before nightfall. Lauren will watch over you.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He walked over to Lauren and whispered something in her ear that had her skin turning a papery white color. She swallowed harshly and nodded then with one final hard look from Ryker, he was gone. I cast a wary nce at Lauren from beneath myshes. Her skin was still white and she looked slightly terrified and a bit horrified. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Ryker had told her. I knew asking would be a terrible idea so I mped down on my curiosity. She seemed to notice me looking at her because she shot me a re. It didn¡¯t have the same bite as her usual ones and if anything, it was weak inparison. ¡°Don¡¯t you have shit to do?¡± she sneered as she stood up from the table. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect me to follow you around like a lost puppy. Just stay in the house and we won¡¯t have a problem.¡± She didn¡¯t even wait for me to give her a response; she just stormed out of the dining room and went out through a door that led to the back of the house. Eve appeared almost immediately from where she was hiding behind a pir. ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± she jerked a thumb in the direction Lauren went through and I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I expected more force from her if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°I think the Alpha gave her a stern talking to after thest incident.¡± She dropped her voice to a whisper, ¡°From what I heard from my friends at the pack house, she is at risk of losing her position as General if anything happens to you¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I said but Eve¡¯s expression had me believing otherwise, ¡°She is his best fighter, he wouldn¡¯t remove her from the position because of me.¡± ¡°You underestimate the lengths and Alpha would go for their mate.¡± ¡°But we haven¡¯t even mated yet,¡± Eve shrugged as if it didn¡¯t matter, ¡°Why would he do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the Alpha would. You should start by asking him.¡± She gave my hand a soft pat then retrieved the dirty dishes. ¡°If I were you, I would enjoy the fact that I don¡¯t have her breathing down my neck. Have you explored the house?¡± ¡°No,¡± I admitted, ¡°She said Ryker wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°I could show you around if you like. Of course there are certain rooms I¡¯m not allowed in but I¡¯m sure the same rules don¡¯t lu to va?N ¦° ¡°Are you sure?¡± She nodded. ¡°You can think about it. I have to finish up in the kitchen and if Ie out and you¡¯re not here then I can take it as you don¡¯t want to but if you are, then I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Against my better judgment I sat at that table and waited for her to return. She didn¡¯t take long- maybe half an hour but when she walked out and saw me she smiled and I figured that I made the right choice. We explored the main floor first and I had already seen most of the rooms; the kitchen, dining room and Ryker¡¯s office. There was a storage room I hadn¡¯t gone into before an Eve told me that they all had strict orders not to go in. I pushed open the door and it was filled to the brim with stuff ranging from boxes to furniture and I even saw some clothes. lying around. The room waspletely filthy with cobwebs hanging over every inch of the room and dust particles flying around. If I had to guess, I would say nobody had opened it in at least five years. Although my curiosity was not abated, I figured there must have been a reason for that so I quietly closed the door and allowed Eve lead me up the stairs. Upstairs was a different ball park. The only room I had been in was my own. There were at least four other doors there. The first she led me to was Ryker¡¯s bedroom and I refused to open the door. His room is probably his sce and it would have been rude of me to invade on that. I went to the next door and pushed it open and I was in awe. The room waspletely bare but the walls were painted a soft golden color and it was massive with a huge balcony that overlooked a field. There was no speck of dust to be seen anywhere so I knew it was being cleaned frequently. ¡°What used to be here?¡± I asked, ¡°Or has it always been empty?¡± ¡°It was a nursery once.¡± When those words left Eve¡¯s lips I turned to her in shock and confusion, ¡°Ryker had a child?¡± ¡°He was going to,¡± She opened her mouth to exin but a livid looking Lauren walked in. I thought I had seen her pissed off before but it was nothingpared to the raw and unfiltered anger that drowned her features. She genuinely looked like she was a second away from ripping my head off. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± she spat. ¡°I was just taking a look around.¡± She grabbed me harshly by the upper arm and all but threw me out of the room. I stumbled and if not for Eve who grabbed me to stabilize me, I would have probably fallen on my ass. Lauren mmed the door shut and grabbed my upper shoulders in a bruising grip. She mmed me hard against the wall that stars danced around my vision for a second. ¡°If you ever enter that room again I will rip your heart out of your chest with my bare hands.¡± ¡°Lauren,¡± Eve began but Lauren shot her a death re. ¡°And you,¡± she spat in her direction, ¡°You¡¯re encouraging all this bullshit. I will have you thrown out of the pack in a split second.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± I wanted to get Lauren¡¯s attention off Eve, ¡°It was my idea to look around and she just followed me. She had nothing to do with any of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whose idea it was,¡± Lauren sneered, ¡°Stay the hell out of that room and don¡¯t taint his memory with your presence¡± With one final harsh look, she stormed off. Eve rushed over to my side to check on me but I raised a hand to let her know I was fine. I took deep breaths to calm, 1999 racing heart and when I was sure my voice wasn¡¯t going to break I turned to her. ¡°It was her child, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I asked and she nodded solemnly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. One second the Alpha was building a nursery and the next he was tearing it down.¡± She took a step closer to me. ¡°It was never confirmed that it was hers. But we all assumed because they were together at the time. I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t think she would react that way.¡± ¡°It is fine.¡± I stopped her rant, ¡°I just need to go to my room.¡± ¡°For what it is worth: 1 truly am sorry.¡± ¡°You should go back to work Eve.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to cast her even a sparing nce as I slowly made my way back to my room. I wasn¡¯t upset with her but I didn¡¯t want her to see the hurt that I was inevitably feeling. What if Lauren was right this entire time? Why else would Ryker keep her around if it wasn¡¯t because he still felt something for her? They were having a child; you don¡¯t do that with someone that you don¡¯t care for. Different thoughts gued my mind as my body moved on auto pilot. I locked the door to my room and changed my outfit for a night wear. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be leaving the room again. I didn¡¯t want to face Lauren, not after what I did. I cannot imagine how she must have felt seeing me in a room that was meant to be for her child, a child she probably lost because that is the only reason why the room would have been torn down. The room started to get a little stuffy so I made my way to the balcony to get some air. I let out a heavy sigh when I saw Lauren sitting by theke beneath my room. She was wiping at her face furiously and I knew she was crying. I decided to go back inside before she saw me so she could at least have the dignity of crying alone. As I thought about the new information I had acquired, I knew what I had to do- I had to leave. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 I hid myself in my room for the entire duration of the day. Eve brought me lunch but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to eat a bite. I felt undeniably guilty for what I had done to Lauren and I cannot imagine how she feels about my presence in the house. Evening came around and I had rehearsed the speech I was going to give to Ryker over a thousand times already. I would wait until we are eating dinner and then I would thank him for everything he has done so far and tell him that I would like to leave. I don¡¯t know how he would react to it but thest thing anyone needs right now is my presence and I am willing to give him and Lauren the space they need to get back together no matter how much it hurts me. Evening fell and Ryker still hadn¡¯t returned. I finally emerged from my hideout when I saw how dark the sky had be and made my way down the stairs hoping that he had returned but no one had told me. I checked his study first but it was empty and I made my way to the dining room to meet Eve. ¡°I was just about to bring you dinner,¡± she said as soon as she saw me, ¡°Just give me a second and I will bring it to the table.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. Have you heard from Ryker?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°That is very unlike him, he should be back by now.¡± ¡°He could just be runningte, it happened quite a lot actually,¡± she offered, ¡°I am sure that everything is fine.¡± ¡°Have you seen Lauren?¡± ¡°The guards told me that she left a while ago in a hurry. I don¡¯t know where she went or if she will be back.¡± Just as those words left her lips, Lauren rushed into the house in a sort of panic. Her eyes fell on me and I could see how annoyed she was just to be setting her sights on me. ¡°Come, we have to leave.¡± She didn¡¯t offer up any more exnation but I was frozen in ce, ¡°Are you deaf? We have to leave.¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± She made her way over to me and dropped her voice to a deadly whisper, ¡°Believe me, I want nothing to do with you just as much as you want nothing to do with me but Ryker is hurt and for some godforsaken reason, he asked for you. So are you going to ask any more stupid questions or can we leave?¡± I wasted no time in following her out of the house and into the waiting carriage. It was after the doors had shut that I looked down and realized that I was still in my night dress but I couldn¡¯t worry about that not when Ryker was hurt. How did I not know that he was hurt? I spared a quick nce at Lauren. She pressed herself against the opposite end of the carriage so that our bodies wouldn¡¯t touch by mistake. She had her eyes cast on the window and I knew it was in a deliberate attempt to ignore me and pretend like I wasn¡¯t there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said softly, ¡°It was never my intention to hurt you today¡± She ignored me still, ¡°I truly am sorry and I hope that you can forgive me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by leaving me alone?¡± she spat, ¡°I do not want to see you or hear you. Can you do that for me?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for my answer, she turned her attention back towards the door and my guilt rose. The rest of the ride was silent and I thought we were going to the pack house but we passed therge building and continued down the tarred road. I wanted to ask where we were going but I knew asking any more questions would ultimately annoy Lauren so I stayed silent. We ended up stopping in front of arge building that read ¡®hospital. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about how hurt Ryker would have to be for him to be brought here. The carriage pulled to a stop and before I could even say a word, Lauren had gotten out and was sprinting towards the doors. I tollowed her as fast as I could and we ended up in front of a pair of double doors. The scent of antiseptic and blood was overwhelming and it brought on a huge migraine but I managed to tune it out long enough to hear Lauren speaking to me. ¡°Ryker is through those doors but you have to sit here¡± She instruct ¡°But you said he asked for me.¡± ¡°Only one person is allowed in at a time and I am going in her voice was cold and chiding. ¡°Are you really going to cause a scene in here of all ces? Are you that selfish?¡± She was cut off from saying any more by the door opening. Lucy emerged in her doctors scrubs and when she saw me, she smiled ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here Cami,¡± she gestured for me to walk in, ¡°The Alpha has been asking for you.¡± I looked to Lauren carefully who was ring daggers at me, ¡°I think Lauren wants to see him as well.¡± ¡°My duty is to my patient not his guests and my patient wants to see you,¡± she pushed the door open for me, ¡°I don¡¯t think we should keep him waiting.¡± Without looking at Lauren I knew how she must have felt. I could feel the weight of her gaze as I made my way into the room. I made a mental note to apologize to herter but a part of me knew she would never ept it. It is always easier to hate someone than to forgive them. Ryker¡¯s hospital room wasrge by many standards. There was a table with different tools and ripped bloody clothes. Judging by the amount of blood on those clothes Ryker must have been seriously hurt. I finally lifted my eyes to him lying on the hospital bed. He was in a pale blue hospital gown but the top part was rolled down and a bandage was wrapped around his torso. A gasp left me involuntarily and his eyes snapped up to mine. ¡°What happened?¡± my voice was barely over a whisper. He gestured for me toe closer and I obliged mainly because I didn¡¯t have it in me to refuse and I wanted to see his wounds up close. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± I asked again. ¡°We were ambushed by some rogues,¡± his voice was hoarse and tired- he sounded almost weak, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect there to be so many. Rogues usually move in bands of threes and fives but there was an entire pack of them. One of them took out arge chunk of my side.¡± ¡°I am so sorry.¡± I reached out to touch him but remembered that I shouldn¡¯t and I snatched my hand back almost immediately. The action didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Ryker and I saw his eyes narrow ever so slightly. I expected him to call me out on it but instead he cleared his throat and forced himself into a half sitting position. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked and I shook my head, ¡°I figured as much. I asked for someone to get us both food from the pack house.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he cut me off. ¡°Just because I am hurt doesn¡¯t mean I still won¡¯t force you,¡± he warned, ¡°I will be out of here by tomorrow morning. And I will be back in the field in two to five days. I heal very quickly Cami.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. He stopped whatever argument he was going to present and calmly looked up at me. I knew he was giving me the time to say what I wanted to say and just like that, all my rehearsing and my entire speech flew out of my head. I opened my mouth but no words woulde out and no matter how hard I tried I couldn¡¯t form a sentence. He didn¡¯t rush me, he just sat there in silence and waited for me to regain my bearings and I was grateful for that. ¡°I am grateful for everything you have done for me,¡± I began, ¡°You helped me get back on my feet and you have fed and clothed me without asking for anything in return. I want to thank you for that.¡± ¡°That is my job Cami; you don¡¯t have to thank me for that.¡± ¡°Okay but I am fully healed now and I was thinking that it would be a good time for me to be on my way.¡± I snuck a nce at him but his face betrayed no emotions so I took that as a good sign. ¡°I probably upended your life when I came and I just want to say that I am sorry and I hope that when I leave, you are able to get your life back in order.¡± I waited for him to respond but instead he stayed silent. He was quiet for three whole minutes- I counted- before he finally cleared his throat. ¡°Are you going to tell me what this is really about or are you going to make me guess?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t about anything.¡± I lied, ¡°I just want your life to go back to normal.¡± ¡°What is normal?¡± he asked, ¡°Since you seem to know everything. What is my normal life?¡± ¡°1. I trailed off because I didn¡¯t know what to say, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be a burden to you anymore.¡± ¡°I never said you were a burden so try again.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but words wouldn¡¯te out and I ended up sighing deeply. Ryker lifted his hand and ran it through my curls softly and for once, I didn¡¯t flinch. He noticed that too because I saw relief sh through his eyes. His hand trailed down to my chin and he lifted it so I was staring into his eyes. ¡°Tell me what this is really about,¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. There was something sopelling about the soft tone he took on and the way he held me. I didn¡¯t realize when the words left my lips. ¡°I know about the nursery.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 A dark look crossed his face and I saw the raw sadness that grew beneath his irises. I almost felt bad for bringing it up in the first ce but I knew that it was necessary for me to leave. ¡°What do you know about it?¡± he asked finally. ¡°I know that you and Lauren were having a child.¡± I thought of how to exin what I knew without putting Eve in trouble, ¡°I know it was a recent loss because of how Lauren reacted to it.¡± ¡°What do you mean how she reacted?¡± Gone was his sadness, now he was looking at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Is that way you want to leave?¡° ¡°She was just upset when she saw me in the nursery. That¡¯s understandable because it was her kid.¡± ¡°What did she do?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I answered too quickly and I saw that he didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Does it even matter? I don¡¯t want to be the one whoes between your healing process. He opened his mouth to speak but just then, the door opened and Lauren walked in with a veryrge tray of food. She started to ce it on the small metal table next to Ryker¡¯s bed but he stopped her, took it from her hands and put it on hisp. Lauren looked between us almost as if she wanted to be privy to the conversation we were having. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± Lauren said as she crossed past me and took the only avable seat. ¡°This is why I want to be on the field, I could be of use there.¡± ¡°You are enough use where you are.¡± Hit voice held no tone for discussion and I saw that it annoyed her because of how she clenched her jaw but she nodded and swallowed down whatever retort she was going to give. An awkward silence fell over the ce and I wondered if I should leave them alone. I slowly took a step back hoping that no one would notice my movements until I was out of the room but I didn¡¯t judge how perceptive Ryker was because the moment my foot shuffled a little, Ryker¡¯s head snapped up to mine. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I froze like a deer in headlights and his eyes narrowed towards me. Lauren seemed oblivious to the entire thing or she was just doing a good job at ignoring whatever was going on around her. ¡°Lauren,¡± she perked up when she heard her name from Ryker, ¡°I think you¡¯re done for the day.¡± Her smile faltered slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°My mate is with me, you can leave now. There is an array of guards here who can take her back home when she is ready.¡± Lauren was embarrassed, that much was obvious but she nodded curtly and stood from the chair. As she passed by me, she shot me the meanest re that she had ever conjured and I found myself shrinking back a little. I watched her disappear through the doors and Ryker gestured to the open seat for me to take. I was hesitant, but when he threatened to drag me into the seat- injury or not- I forced my legs to move and I sat in front of him. ¡°Eat,¡± he gestured to the te, ¡°This is too much for me to finish.¡± I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off, ¡°I¡¯m not above force feeding you Cami.¡± I sighed and picked up a piece of toast and bit into it softly. He obviously wasn¡¯t happy with my choice judging by his frown but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. We ate in silence until all the food was finished. Once we were done, I picked up the tray and he told me to set it on the table next to him for someone to retrieve it in the morning. I was doing that when he grabbed my arm with his I was so shocked by the action that the tray fell from my hands. Thankfully, it was already close to the table and nothing broke. I turned to him but he wasn¡¯t looking at me, he was looking at the transparent sleeves of my night gown. More specifically, at my upper arm where a nasty red bruise was forming, probably from where Lauren grabbed me earlier. His nostrils red the longer he looked at it and I tried to tug my arm out of his grip but he wouldn¡¯t let me go. ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked and I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask again Cami.¡± ¡°It was nothing,¡± the lie rolled easily off my tongue, ¡°I was a little clumsy, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You got clumsy and a hand shaped bruise formed on your arm.¡± The way he said it made me feel stupid for even saying it in the first ce, ¡°I want the truth Cami.¡± I kept my voice soft as I responded, ¡°I already told you the truth and please let go, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± My answer seemed to piss him off more but he finally released my arm and I stood at the far end of his bed. He muttered a few choice words under his breath and I saw him try to calm his breathing before he spoke. ¡°Whoever hurt you had to be in that house because I get informed when anyone new walks in and as far as I know, there were no visitors,¡± he began, ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me who it is, I will simply have to punish them all.¡± ¡°No: you can¡¯t possibly punish them all.¡± ¡°There is very little I cannot do Cami,¡± I stared at him hoping he was bluffing but from the anger swirling in his eyes, I knew that was a foolish thought, ¡°Tell me what happened or everyone in that house will suffer for it.¡± I debated my options in my head. I could simply tell him what happened or I could keep to my story and everyone will get hurt because of me- including Eve. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you,¡± I began, ¡°If you promise to allow me leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in no position to make demands.¡± He said simply, ¡°But, if you tell me then I¡¯ll exin the story behind the nursery.¡± I opened my mouth to refute and demand to leave but my curiosity was greater and against my better judgment, I ended up agreeing to the deal. To show that I agreed, I took the seat next to him and crossed my arms over my chest to hide the bruise from his line of sight. ¡°Lauren grabbed me.¡± I admitted and when I saw the raw and undikuted rage in his eyes, I knew I had to fix the situation before he hurt her, ¡°But it was an ident.¡± ¡°How did she identally grab you?¡± he didn¡¯t believe me but he was humoring me to see what lie I coulde up with. ¡°I was truly being clumsy,¡± I lied, ¡°And I almost fell from the top of the stairs so she grabbed me. I bruise easily.¡± I wondered if he believed me, his face was too unreadable. I prayed he would because thest thing I needed was for Lauren to get punished for something that was my mistake. If I had not gone to the nursery, then she would have never had to grab me and nobody would be in this situation. After a long beat of silence he nodded, ¡°I will still have a talk with her so she is extra careful when grabbing you.¡± I let out a breath of relief, ¡°Your turn.¡± He looked forlorn, almost like it hurt too much to think about it. I waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know that Lauren and I were together for a while.¡± it wasn¡¯t a question but I nodded anyway. ¡°It was never a rtionship, it was strictly physical. I made sure that she knew I never wanted anything more. The idea of being with someone wasn¡¯t so important to me at the time.¡± I wanted to ask whether he still felt that way. I wanted to know whether he was just keeping me around because he wanted something physical or because he had changed his mind. But I knew it would change the trajectory of the conversation and I truly wanted to hear the rest of the story so I forced myself to stay silent. ¡°One day she came to me and told me that she was pregnant. My first response was to walk away because I don¡¯t want children. I never have and I don¡¯t think I ever will¡± I was shocked by his admission; most Alpha¡¯s want at least a son to carry on their legacy. But here he was, admitting that he never wanted children. I didn¡¯t know how to react to that so I just filed away the information. ¡°But she wanted it and I knew that I would never leave a child fatherless so I nned to take care of it. I made her swear not to tell anyone until it was absolutely necessary. She tried to get me to bond with her and the child more but I couldn¡¯t. I tried but I couldn¡¯t and I think it got to her because she came to me a whileter and told me that she had gotten rid of it.¡± I don¡¯t know what I was expecting to hear but that was not it. I peered up at him hoping to see some traces of dishonesty in his expression but he was beingpletely sincere. He is either telling the truth or he is a very good liar. Somehow, I cannot see Lauren ending the life of their child. She is so clearly still in love with Ryker. She would have done anything to make sure that child came to life. I honestly don¡¯t believe that she would have done that. I couldn¡¯t say that to Ryker without proof so I just nodded slowly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°The child was better off that way than having a father who didn¡¯t want it.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react to that so I just nced at the clock on the wall. Ryker¡¯s eyes followed my gaze and when he saw the time he nched. ¡°You should be in bed,¡± he said, ¡°I will call someone to take you home.¡± Before I could respond, his eyes glossed over and I knew he was mind linking someone. Not a minute later, the door opened and two guards walked in. I had never seen them before but they bowed to Ryker and I. ¡°Take my mate home,¡± he paused before adding in a deathly cool voice, ¡°If anything happens to her, it will be your skin on the line.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 I found it hard to fall asleep; something about the day¡¯s experiences prevented me from being able to sleep well. I didn¡¯t want to admit it but I knew it had something to do with Ryker. Before I knew it, the sun was rising and I knew it would be impossible to fall asleep again. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be training so Iy in bed for longer than I usually would. Before I got here, I had never gotten a day in and now it¡¯s almost all I do. I stretched in my room by myself and took an early bath. I had just finished getting dressed when someone knocked on my door. I recognized the knock as Eve¡¯s so I crossed the length of the room and pulled the door open. I half expected to see her with a tray of breakfast but she was standing with her arms crossed and debating whether or not she should actually walk in but from the look on her face I knew she was worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked and she opened her mouth but closed it immediately, ¡°Tell me, Eve.¡± ¡°Lauren just arrived, and she looks pissed.¡± She exined, ¡°I just wanted to give you a fair warning before you came down.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She still looked pensive but then she turned on her heels and walked down the stairs. I followed closely behind because I knew hiding in my room would only make her bad mood worse and cause her to project it on Eve. The first thing I noticed when I got down the stairs was the tapping of her shoes against the floor. I think Eve downyed her annoyance, she looks genuinely pissed. She saw me and her eyes narrowed but she didn¡¯t speak to me. Instead she turned to Eve, ¡°Where¡¯s my breakfast?¡± Eve shot me a look as if to say ¡®can you see this?¡® then she disappeared into the kitchen. I took my usual seat on the opposite side of the dining table and pointedly kept my gaze off her. I didn¡¯t want her to have any reason to blow up on me. Eve returned a few secondster and Lauren rolled her eyes and sat up straight expecting Eve to take it to her but Eve walked around the table The Rejected Werewolf Princess and ced the tray in front of me. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Lauren mmed her hand against the table and jumped to her feet, ¡°I asked for breakfast so why the hell are you serving her first?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the future Luna,¡± Eve said simply, ¡°And the Alpha hired me to work for her.¡± That was the subtlest jab I had ever heard before and Lauren noticed because her eyes narrowed into slits and she reached for the tray but Eve pulled it back and out of her reach. I never expected Eve to stand up for me and it made me feel guilty because I knew Lauren woulde for her with the force of her anger. ¡°She¡¯ll get yours next.¡± I tried to defuse the situation but it was the wrong move because Lauren¡¯s heated eyes turned to me. While her attention was on me, I gave Eve a subtle nudge and she took it for what it was- an invitation- and she scurried out of the kitchen. ¡°You should just stay out of it.¡± She spat and I raised my hands to show I meant no harm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything. I understand you¡¯re upset but-,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything you little snitch.¡± I was taken aback by the force of her words, ¡°I¡¯m sure you bruised the area after to gather sympathy from him. You were the one who went looking in ces she shouldn¡¯t have so it is your fault.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re upset but you bruised me and I covered for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to cover for me.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t scream at me. I was trying to do you a favor.¡± When the words were out I doubted they came from me. If not for the stunned expression on Lauren¡¯s face I would have never believed that I said those words. I wanted to take them back immediately but I knew apologizing would only make it worse. Just as she was gearing up to respond, the door opened. I was surprised she didn¡¯t hear the footsteps earlier but I guess she was too clouded by her anger. Ryker walked- more like limped in. He was wearing ck cks and a simple t¨Cshirt that was left open and I could see his bandages through it. I didn¡¯t expect him to be back tillter and neither did Lauren because she was staring with her mouth wide open. The Reje Werewoll Frincess ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she said, ¡°I- wee back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She rushed over to help him but he stopped her with one. hand, ¡°You can leave now, I¡¯m going to be here so your presence isn¡¯t needed anymore.¡± She flushed pink but she nodded and scurried out of the room. I saw Eve poke her head out from behind a pir and she gave me a wide smile before disappearing. ¡°Do you need help?¡± I asked and he grimaced before nodding. I quickly made my way over to him and he draped a hand over my shoulder and I assisted him up the stairs. To be honest, he did most of the work, I don¡¯t know why he asked for my help when he clearly didn¡¯t need it but I didn¡¯t want to ask because I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear the answer. We walked towards his room and I realized that it would be the first time. I was walking in. My steps faltered when we got to the door and he gave me a curious look almost prompting me to speak. I just gave him a weak smile and pushed the door open. I expected a room of pure ck but this room was almost an exact opposite. The room was a little bigger than mine and everything was in shades of cream and gold. The bed in the centre of the room was massive and could probably fit up to four people. To the right sat arge wooden table and chair set that had a lot of scattered papers over it. There were two doors to the left and next to them was arge cream settee. A fluffy carpety in front of the bed and I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the room in awe as I led Ryker to his bed. As soon as he was seated I turned to leave but there was a knock on the door I opened it to reveal Eve bncing one veryrge breakfast tray. ¡°I hoped you were hungry Alpha.¡± She said as she made her way into the room, ¡°I presumed you would both want to have breakfast together.¡± I wanted to refuse but Ryker thanked her and she gave me a sly wink before leaving. The sneaky little, minx did it on purpose. I knew I had no other choices so I made my way towards the bed. Ryker moved over to create space for me to sit next to him. I kept my eyes cast down as I took a bite from a piece of bacon. I could see that he had a lot of things he wanted to say but he was holding himself back to make mefortable. ¡°Vou look better¡± I said once the silence had be too unbearable, # ¡°You seem to be healing well.¡± ¡°Thank you; I¡¯ll be back to work in two days.¡± ¡°It must be fun being able to heal fast.¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± he said after a beat of silence, ¡°I can¡¯t remember a time I didn¡¯t heal like this so I¡¯ve never actually sat down to think about it.¡± ¡°Trust me; it is a lot better than being stuck in pain for a month when other people will heal within days.¡± He chuckled softly, ¡°I guess so. The silence descended once more and I cleared my throat because I knew I was about to ruin the atmosphere with my next statement but I didn¡¯t want an incident like this morning to repeat itself. ¡°Did you think about what I said yesterday?¡± I didn¡¯t need to rify, by his expression I knew that he was aware of what I was referring to, ¡°I just hoped you would have an answer for me.¡± ¡°I thought my answer was clear yesterday; you¡¯re not leaving Cami.¡± ¡°What if I want to?¡± ¡°Why do you want to?¡± he asked and my words dried up in my throat, ¡°Is being mated to me that horrible?¡± ¡°It is not about you and me.¡± ¡°Then what is it about?¡± he threw his hands up in frustration, ¡°And don¡¯t say Lauren because I know it isn¡¯t about her. I have told you what happened between us and I have told you about the child. I have told you that there is nothing going on between the both of us anymore.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t think that.¡± I didn¡¯t realize what I had said until I heard him ask, ¡°What do you mean?¡± I stayed silent wondering how I would get out of the pickle I was in, ¡°What do you mean by she doesn¡¯t think that?¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t mean anything to you then she wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°She is here because of you,¡± he sounded exasperated, ¡°What do I need to do to prove to you that she doesn¡¯t mean anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that-,¡± He was tired of hearing me talk because he gently ced the tray next to him then he cupped the back of my head with a grip that was both soft and firm and then he kissed me I was so shocked by the action that I froze for a full second but then against my better judgment I kissed him back. My hand rested on his bicep and until then I never knew how toned and well muscled he was. I had seen it but seeing and feeling it were twopletely different things. His other hand cupped my cheek to angle my head how he wanted and his tongue brushed mine softly, almost tentatively. It felt like fireworks exploded in my mind and a sound filled the otherwise quiet room. It took me a second to realize that the sound came from me and as soon as I did, I pulled back. ¡°Cami,¡± his voice was soft and husky and the way he said my name, it was like a silent plea. What exactly he was asking for, I wasn¡¯t sure. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. His lips were swollen and I was sure mine were too and we were both breathing heavily although I am sure it was for vastly different reasons. My gaze went from his lips to his eyes and then I did what I knew how to do best- I ran. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 I avoided Ryker for the entirety of the day. I knew he would be in his room but I didn¡¯t want to risk seeing him and locked myself away in my room. I knew Eve was curious as to what happened but she didn¡¯t push me to answer any questions and simply nodded when I told her that I would be having all my meals from thefort of my room. My avoidance tacticsted up until the next morning. I had taken a bath and was getting dressed when there was a knock on the door that I instantly recognized as Eve¡¯s. It was a bit early for breakfast but I didn¡¯t think much of it as I pulled open the door. Eve stood there but right behind her was Ryker and as soon as they saw me, Eve turned on her heels and left. I tried to shoot her the harshest re I could muster but she just responded with a smile of her own and disappeared around the corner. ¡°You look better,¡± I began not sure what else to say now that he was standing in front of me. He was standing tall and fully dressed in cks and a simply shirt. I couldn¡¯t see the texture of his bandages under his shirt so I assumed he had gotten rid of them- he did say he would be fully healed in about two days and half that time has already gone. His cheeks also had a little bit more color and honestly if I didn¡¯t see him in the hospital bed two days ago I would have never thought that he was hurt in any way. ¡°You¡¯re avoiding me.¡± Ryker said simply not wasting any time with pleasantries. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I lied, ¡°I just-,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me.¡± he cut me off, ¡°Come, we have to leave now.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You told me you wanted to see theke, didn¡¯t you?¡± I was shocked that he remembered, I was more shocked that he was offering to go with me when he was still healing, ¡°Or do you not want to go anymore?¡± ¡°I do, it is just that I-,¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± se et me expectantly and although one part of my The Rejected Werewoll Princess brain wanted to refuse and continue my self imposed istion, the more curious part of me nodded and stepped out of the confines of the room. He led us towards the back of the house and towards a trail in the woods. that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. As we walked, I noticed a few guards walking a few steps behind us and I knew it was for our protection in case some rogues wandered onto the territory. I smelled and heard it before I saw it; the sound of rushing water and the smell of an array of flowers. By the time we walked into the clearing, I was staring inplete and utter awe. The view from my window had done no justice to the view sitting in front of me. It was like the picture perfect image of springtime with a wonderful flowing stream and a small waterfall I didn¡¯t notice before. Different flowers bloomed around the edges and all over therge expanse of land and I wondered if someone nted them or if it was just nature taking its course. Ryker ced his hand on the small of my back and led me to the edge of theke where we sat and I could help but take off my slippers and dip my toes into the water. ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I breathed, ¡°Thank you for bringing me here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± he waited for a beat of silence before he spoke again, ¡°The guards are close enough that they can see us but not close enough that they can hear us so I wanted to apologize.¡± I tried to mp down on my hurt as he spoke. Of course he would have realized by now that kissing me was a mistake and I wasn¡¯t who he wanted but it still hurt to hear him say it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize; we both did it so it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°I am not apologizing for kissing you Cami,¡± the sincerity in his tone had me looking up at him and his eyes told the same story his words did, ¡°If I had the chance I would do it again. What I am apologizing for is the timing. You weren¡¯t ready- I know that now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°If I were to kiss you again would you run?¡± I stayed silent but he already knew the answer, ¡°I should have thought about that before doing it but I didn¡¯t know how else to show you that you were the one I wanted not Lauren. I figured we could try to be friends.¡± ¡°Friends,¡± I echoed not sure I heard him right. Lite Rejected Werewoll Princess He chuckled softly, ¡°It is not ideal for me either but that seems to be all you are ready for and Cami I want you in any way that you can have me. If being friends is all that you have to offer then I am ready to take it.¡± I swallowed not sure how to respond. My mouth opened and closed. repeatedly but no words would come out. That was as close to a deration of love that I had ever heard and that was the first time since. Eve that anyone had ever expressed the desire to want to be my friends. I still wasn¡¯t sure how to react to that. He seemed to notice that I was unsure of what to say next because he turned to face the waterfall. ¡°My nanny used to bring me here when I was a child,¡± he began, ¡°My parents weren¡¯t the best parents and when things got hectic at home, she would bring me here and I knew that I wanted to live here. At the time I wanted to live in theke but I guess I took the next best thing.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh softly at his revtion, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Well friends know things about each other and I figured that since we are friends now, you should know things about me.¡± he ended his statement with a small smile, ¡°Most of what you hear about my pack are true- or at least they were.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react to that revtion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°My father was a brutal leader. People were hanged and executed for as little as talking out of turn of speaking back to him. His tyranny never stopped in the pack, he always brought it home. My mother and I took the brunt of his rage. She wasn¡¯t his mate but an omega that he wanted to have but would not have him so he took her by force. He wasn¡¯t even loyal to her, he still fucked anything that moved.¡± That sounded awful and I suddenly felt bad for his mother because I could rte. Although I was Tyson¡¯s mate he took me by force too and he nned to have other women on the side. I wondered how Ryker would react if he knew the truth. ¡°When I was ten, she got pregnant again and for a while everything stopped until she delivered. She gave birth to a girl and that infuriated him. He said it wasn¡¯t his child and he beat my mother to the point I couldn¡¯t recognize her anymore. I shifted for the first time that day.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°Che took her life the day after and it was just me, my sister and him for a very long time.¡± He cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°When I was seventeen and my sister was seven, she was ying around the house and broke a vase. I had gone for patrol and I got back and saw him choking her so I lost it and I killed him. I wasn¡¯t thinking about being Alpha in that moment, I just wanted to save my sister and it worked. Not one missed him much if I am being honest.¡± ¡°I started to reform the pack. I changed a lot of his rules but I realized that the fear of him had instilled respect in other packs so I never cleared up the rumors and I allowed people to believe that I was just as ruthless as he was. My pack members agreed to fuel the rumors as well.¡± ¡°What happened to your sister? Is she still here?¡± ¡°She went on some trip a week before you came. She should be back soon but I¡¯m not quite sure with her. Riley has always had a mind of her own.¡± ¡°She sounds lovely.¡± ¡°She is, although she is a huge pain in my ass.¡± Iughed at his choice of words, ¡°Tell me about you Cami. You don¡¯t have to tell me the details but tell me about you.¡± I paused wondering what was safe to tell him and what was not. I was quiet for a while before I finally cleared my throat. ¡°You already know that I was an omega.¡± I began, ¡°I never knew my parents. ording to the Alpha, I was left in front of the pack house as a baby in a nket and his mate was the one who advocated to be taken in. When she died, all my privileges died with her. I was five when she died. so I can barely remember a life before the one I had.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much to say except I was mated to the Alpha¡¯s son and he rejected me on the spot because he found out in front of his friends. It hurt but I didn¡¯t quite mind it to be honest. Somehow it got out that we were mates and he made a public statement that I lied about being mates. because I was obsessed with him. I couldn¡¯t take the shame so I ran. That¡¯s all there is to know honestly.¡± ¡°I am sorry that happened to you.¡± He ced his hand over mine and I knew he was being sincere so I offered him a smile, ¡°Who was your mate?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I pondered over his question for a while and wondered what use keeping Tyson¡¯s name would be. If Ryker wanted to find out, he could and keeping Tyson¡¯s name wasn¡¯t doing me any favors. Ryker had turned back to face the waterfall, probably thinking I wasn¡¯t going to respond to his question when I spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Tyson Woods of the Two Moons pack¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 A dark look crossed over his face when I mentioned the name and I held my breath as I watched him carefully wondering what he was going to say or do next. ¡°I know of him,¡± he said finally, ¡°Although if I¡¯m not mistaken, he isn¡¯t Alpha yet.¡± I nodded, ¡°His father is Alpha but he practically leads already.¡± ¡°He rejected you,¡± it wasn¡¯t posed as a question but I knew he was expecting an answer so I nodded, ¡°Then he¡¯s a fucking idiot.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting that response and my eyes widened to the point of saucers. Ryker noticed and he laughed at my expression. We sat there at the bank of theke telling each other random facts about. ourselves. He told me that he wrote letters to his sister every week even though she never wrote back because she felt like he was smothering her too much. He told me that his favorite color used to be blue but as oftely, it has be a warm hazel and when I asked why, he didn¡¯t respond. He also told me that when he was younger, he enjoyed to paint but ever since he became Alpha, he hasn¡¯t had time to do it. It was fun just being able to sit and listen to each other talk. I didn¡¯t realize howte it had gotten until my stomach grumbled loudly. I flushed a crimson color and Ryker justughed and led me to my feet. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he assured me on our walk back, ¡°I should have realized howte it was getting.¡± Despite his assurances, I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. Back at Tyson¡¯s pack, I could go days without eating a decent meal but ever since. I got here, it is like my body has gotten so used to being taken care of that I cannot even fathom going back to the life I lived before. A part of me wondered how long this wouldst. But another part- a more hopeful part- wanted to believe Ryker when he said he wanted me and believe that he wouldn¡¯t hurt me or delegate me to a life like the one Tyson and his father made me live. By the time we got to the house, Eve had already set the table for the both of us. I knew he must have mind linked her because there was no way she would have known that we were returning at that exact moment and have set the table in time for us to arrive. ¡°How do you do that?¡± I asked before I could stop myself, ¡°Mind link someone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how?¡± he asked and I shook ¡°I don¡¯t have a wolf remember,¡± ¡°Did you ever try?¡± my head. ¡°I was never an official member of the pack. Alpha Jackson said he would. make me one after I shifted but I never did,¡± I tried to y it off as a casual thing, but the thought still hurt, ¡°I was never able to try it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that upset though,¡± I assured him, ¡°if I was part of the pack then running away would have been a lot harder.¡± He opened his mouth to speak but closed it almost immediately. I saw him exhale sharply and he clenched his fists on the table until his knuckles turned white. After a second, his body rxed and he opened his eyes to look at me. He opened his mouth to speak but at that exact moment, Eve walked in with a huge jar of what smelled like fruit juice. She ced it in the centre. of the table then bowed to both of us and disappeared back the way she came. ¡°It¡¯s like talking only you do it in your head,¡± he made a sound that was a mixture between a sigh and a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve never had to exin it to anyone before but it is like a bridge between your mind and everyone else¡¯s. Just picture that bridge and whoever you want to talk to at the other end.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was that easy.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re part of the pack you¡¯ll be able to try it out for yourself.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m part of the pack,¡± I corrected but he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s going to happen Cami,¡± he assured me, ¡°The only thing that¡¯s stopping it is your readiness. I have zero ns of letting you go. I think it¡¯s time that you realized that.¡±. If someone else had said that, I would have probably been rmed and a little scared buting from Ryker, it had the exact opposite effect. It made me feel special and my lower belly clenched as the words left his lips. I cursed my body for being a traitor and I saw the corner of his lips. lift up as he watched my ears turn pink. I instantly turned away from him and shoved a forkful of eggs into my mouth in an attempt to wash away the previous conversation.. After dinner, I thanked Ryker for taking me to theke and all but ran off to my room. Once I was safely behind my door I finally let out a breath I didn¡¯t know that I was holding. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I stripped out of my clothes and after a long awaited and needed bath, I changed into a pale pink night gown. I was about to get into bed when I heard a knock on my door. I slowly and hesitantly made my way over to it and opened it to reveal Ryker. He was still in his clothes and I wondered what he was doing at my door. ¡°We will resume training tomorrow,¡± he told me with an amused expression, ¡°Unless of course, you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Well then, goodnight Cami.¡± ¡°Goodnight,¡± the word was barely out of my mouth before I had shut the door. I knew it was a bit rude and I heard hisugh echo from the other side of the door so I knew he wasn¡¯t upset. I waited until I heard his footsteps recede before I made my way over to my bed and buried my face into my pillows. The next morning, I was awake and waiting at the foot of the steps before Ryker even came down. Eve handed me the bottle of waters that we would need during training and I had just taken them from her hands when I felt Ryker¡¯s presence behind me. He waspletely shirtless and I felt my mouth dry up as I drank him in. his wound- or what was left of his wound was now just a scar on his otherwise perfect skin. He walked over to me and took the bottles from my hand and I couldn¡¯t even form a sentence as his entire presence threatened to overwhelm me. ¡°Good morning,¡± he breathed by my ear and I felt an unfamiliar rush of wetness between my thighs, ¡°Are you ready to train?¡± ¡°I- yes,¡± I was thankful that my voice sounded stable even though I was anything but at the moment. He ced a hand on the small of my back and his fingers grazed my bare skin as he led me out of the kitchen and towards our training spot. I could barely concentrate on whatever he was teaching me. I don¡¯t know why I was reacting like this but it had never happened to me before, not even with Tyson. My skin prickled once he was near and I was feeling things in ces I didn¡¯t know I could feel things. In that moment, I was actually grateful that we didn¡¯t have a mind link or else he might have been able to feel everything that I was feeling and that would have been very embarrassing for me. ¡°I think we should take a break.¡± Ryker¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked over at him and he was hunched over a tree. His hands were clenched and I could see the veins on his arms and neck bulging. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked and I didn¡¯t realize when I rushed over to his side and ced a hand on his arm. He let out a groan but nodded, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t strain myself because of-,¡± he trailed off, ¡°Because of the injury.¡± I nodded in understanding, ¡°I am so sorry, I didn¡¯t even think about that. Do you want to sit down?¡± I ced a hand on his back to lead him away from the tree but he suddenly stood up straight and ced a hand over my shoulder and began to steer me in the direction of the house. I was so shocked by his change in behavior that I couldn¡¯t do anything but allow him lead me in whatever direction he wished. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go freshen up ande back down for breakfast?¡± he asked as soon as we got in through the doors of the house and without waiting for a response from me, he disappeared up the stairs. I was shocked by his actions, usually I was the one avoiding him but I tried to calm my raging thoughts and instead focused on doing as he asked. I hoped that when we returned for breakfast, he would feel a little better. Maybe his side was hurting and a long soak in the bath would help. I got down for breakfast before him once again and this time I actually started to worry. I waited thirty minutes before he came down and he took a double take when he saw me. Eve had roped me into wearing a dress and I didn¡¯t mind because it actually looked pretty. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be a form fitted dress but barely anything isn¡¯t form fitted when you have an array of curves. He swallowed deeply and took his usual seat the head of the table. Instead of taking the seat I usually would, I took the one right next to him. He was shocked but he didn¡¯t say anything and instead chose to start eating. We ate for a while in silence before he broke it. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± the words left his lips in a breath, almost like he wasn¡¯t sure whether he should say them. ¡°Thank you,¡± I felt my ears heat up and I knew they would have turned pink, ¡°Does your scar still hurt?¡± He looked confused for a split second but then he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine; it¡¯s fine.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by the door opening. A guard rushed into the house looking panicked and I could see traces of blood on his armor. ¡°Alpha; there has been another rogue attack.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 I was so stunned by the announcement that all I could do was stare at the guard but Ryker wasted no time in pushing to his feet. He assured the guard he would be on his way then he walked over to where I sat and squatted so he was sitting on his haunches and we were at eye level. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. You were in pain just moments ago,¡± I managed out, ¡°Should you be out fighting rogues?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine Cami; I can barely feel a thing.¡± ¡°But at training-,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin thatter,¡± he ran a hand through my curls in a soft stroking motion, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be gone but if I¡¯m not back before tomorrow then Lauren wille to stay with you.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be back before then?¡± ¡°Sometimes these things take time,¡± he nced out the door and I knew he was itching to help his guards, ¡°There will be at least three people stationed at every entrance. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I don¡¯t want you to leave your room.¡± ¡°Will theye here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but Eve will be here for anything you need.¡± He paused for a second and then ced a soft kiss on my forehead, ¡°I will be back as soon as I can.¡± Before I could say another word, he was out of the room. As soon as he left, Eve walked over and picked up my half eaten te of food and led. me upstairs to my room. I was in a daze as she guided me through the corridors and it wasn¡¯t until she ced the tray by my bed that I snapped out of it. ¡°You can take it back,¡± I told her, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°I find that I tend to eat a lot when I¡¯m stressed.¡± She started to leave but I stopped her, ¡°Where will you be?¡± ¡°Downstairs where I always am.¡± She cocked her head in confusion, ¡°I have a room in the guard¡¯s quarters but I will be in the living room just in case you need me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe down there.¡± ¡°I will be fine Luna-,¡± ¡°Please just call me Cami,¡± she looked taken aback by my request but she nodded. ¡°And I would prefer it if you stayed here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s appropriate.¡± ¡°What if I need you really urgently and you¡¯re too far away. It is in my best interest that you stayed here with me. That way I would not have to leave the safety of my room.¡± I was bull shitting and she knew it. I just wanted her to be safe and out of harm¡¯s way. Eve was quickly bing my only friend here and if anything should happen to her then I would never be able to forgive myself. Also, it would be easier for me with her here. I wouldn¡¯t be able to spend most of my time worrying about Ryker and the rogues. She hesitated for a second and the she finally nodded, ¡°I just need to get. my knitting set. I will die of boredom if I have to sit here and do. nothing.¡± ¡°Can you teach me to knit?¡± I asked, ¡°It might help with the,¡± I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence but she understood because she nodded and disappeared from the room. A few minutester she returned with a small knitted bag filled with yarn and knitting pins. It probably made me a bad mate knowing that my mate was outside battling rogues and I was knitting with my friend but I was enjoying it. It wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought it would be and I actually had fun against my better judgment. We spent the entire day knitting and I am d Eve didn¡¯t take the tray down because we snacked on what was left of my breakfast. We didn¡¯t stop until it was evening and I had knitted a long scarf. I was trying to make a bag but baby steps I guess. ¡°I should have started with dinner by now.¡± Eve cursed as she looked out the window, ¡°I am so sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine Eve, I had fun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that Lu- Cami.¡± She smiled as she corrected herself, ¡°You can just wait here, I¡¯ll be back within an hour.¡± ¡°No way; I would love to help out.¡± She wanted to refuse but before she could respond, I stepped out of my room and made my way down to the kitchen. She caught up to me and tried to remind me that Ryker said I should stay in my room but I ignored her and waited in the kitchen for her to show me what to do. She Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. realized I wasn¡¯t going to back down and she finally let out a deep sigh and relented. Even though I was terrified that a rogue would break through the back door and get to us while we were cooking, I actually had fun. We ate downstairs when we were done and she announced that she was going back to the guard¡¯s quarters to sleep. I wanted to ask her to sleep in my room but I knew there was no way that she would agree to sleep in my bed with me and I didn¡¯t want her to have to sleep on the floor so I allowed her leave. I tossed and turned in my bed all night but I was so worried about Ryker that I couldn¡¯t even close my eyes for a second. After a few minutes of ufortable turning, an idea popped into my head and I debated and mulled over it for a while before I finally stood up from my bed. My corridor was empty save for a few guards I could see at the top of the stairs. I ignored them as I walked down the corridor and towards the door I knew led to Ryker¡¯s room. It looked the same as Ist saw it when he was here. The bed was perfectly made and not a single thing was out of ce. Before I could change my mind, I shut the door behind me and crawled underneath his covers. Everything smelled like him and it felt like being wrapped up in a cocoon. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t be upset when he returned and I wanted to leave but my body wouldn¡¯t move. I made up my mind to leave in five minutes but five minutes turned to ten and ten turned to fifteen and before I knew it, I was fast asleep in his bed. Hurried and panicked footsteps woke me from my slumber. It took me a second to remember where I was and when I did, a blush formed on my cheeks. I wasn¡¯t supposed to fall asleep here. The hurried shouts continued and I realized that it was my name being yelled. I forced myself out of the comfortable bed and pulled open the door to the room and was met with a panicked looking Eve. When she saw me she let out a sigh of relief, ¡°I thought you were gone.¡± She pulled me into a hug and she must have realized what she was doing because she quickly stepped back and cleared her throat, ¡°I apologize, I should never have done that.¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± I assured her, ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a hug in a very long time.¡± She smiled softly before she remembered where I was and she frowned, ¡°You should have told me where you were sleeping. I went to your room this morning to call you for breakfast and when I didn¡¯t see you I panicked.¡± ¡°I would¡¯vee down eventually.¡± ¡°Cami, it is almost eleven. You never sleep in thiste. I thought someone took you.¡± I didn¡¯t believe her when she said the time. I walked back into the room and when I looked at the clock on the wall, I realized she was right. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± My hands flew over my mouth, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I had slept in. I didn¡¯t even n to sleep here, I just came and I was going to leave but I-,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself. The Alpha is your mate and you missed him. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t think to check here. Of course I should have known you would be here.¡± I wanted to tell her that it wasn¡¯t what she thought but then again, she was right. I did miss him and I was worried about him and that was the only reason I came here. I knew it would calm me down and it did. I just didn¡¯t ount for the fact that I might have fallen asleep. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± she said hurriedly- almost panicked, ¡°Lauren arrived this morning and she is her usual self. That was why I was looking for you, I wanted to warn you.¡± Just the mention of her name soured my mood instantly and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°Where is she?¡± Just before Eve could answer, I heard footsteps and I saw Lauren round the corner. She froze as she took in the scene before her; me in my night gown and Eve standing right next to me. Her eyes narrowed into slits and she stormed over to us. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± she spat, ¡°Did youe to steal something?¡± ¡°I was looking for Cami.¡± Eve tried to exin but Lauren silenced her with a hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, I was talking to her.¡± She whirled on me, ¡°What the hell are you doing in Ryker¡¯s room? You shouldn¡¯t even be here.¡± She grabbed my arm and I jerked it out of her grip. She was shocked, hell, so was I. It took her the better part of three seconds to get her shock under control and fix a death re on her face. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± She sneered. ¡°Neither should you.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I was tired of her walking all over me and trying to make me feel like shit. when Ryker has told me over again that she means nothing to him. I am his mate and she has no right to make me feel like I shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°This is my mate¡¯s room and I have more right to be here than any of us.¡± She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off, ¡°If anything, you shouldn¡¯t be here and if you don¡¯t leave then I¡¯ll tell Ryker that you harassed me. Let¡¯s see how he reacts to that.¡± The tops of her ears turned red and for a second I thought she was going to explode but she turned on her heels and stalked back the way she came. I let out a sigh of relief and I saw Eve staring at me with her mouth wide open. ¡°I thought she was going to blow a fuse.¡± Eve said and I let out a chokingugh. ¡°I did too.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Eve left right after that to heat up my breakfast and I returned to my room to get freshened and get dressed for the day. I was still reeling from the after effects of my conversation with Lauren but above all, I felt good. I never knew how satisfying and filling it would be to talk back to Lauren and I loved how I felt after it. When I was dressed and ready, I made my way downstairs expecting to see Lauren but the dining room was empty save for a lone tray of food at my usual spot. I sat down and started eating and I didn¡¯t know how hungry I was until the first bite hit my tongue. Eve walked in with a jar of fruit juice and ced it right in front of me. I thanked her for it and she was just about to leave when I stopped her. ¡°Have you seen Lauren?¡¯ I asked and she shook her head. ¡°I came down and heard her muttering something about refusing to be disrespected but then she disappeared and I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡± ¡°I hope she went home.¡± I muttered under my breath but Eve heard it because sheughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure she wishes she could but she wouldn¡¯t dare, the Alpha would kill her if he found out that she left you unprotected.¡± ¡°Speaking of the Alpha,¡± I cleared my throat so I would sound as uninterested as possible, ¡°Have you heard anything about the rogue attack they went to handle? Or have you heard from himtely?¡± She shook her head and I felt the hope in my chest dete, ¡°But that¡¯s a good thing. If he was hurt then everyone would know. If we haven¡¯t heard anything yet then it means they are fine and are probably busy with handling the rogue problem. These things can take days sometimes. because they have to clean up and scout the area to make sure that they didn¡¯t miss anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I tried to focus on her words and not the worst possible case scenarios that my mind was conjuring, ¡°He should be back soon.¡± ¡°He will be, I promise you that.¡± She gave me a small smile and disappeared back into the kitchen. I looked down at my full tray of food and realized that I had lost my appetite but I forced bite after bite into my stomach because I knew that was what Ryker would have made me do. When I was done eating, I helped Eve clear out the kitchen and we went back to my room to continue our knitting lessons. I was yet to see Lauren again and I was grateful for it because it meant that I got to live out the rest of the day in peace without her breathing down my neck or criticizing me. I wasn¡¯t sure I would have the strength to stand up to her again if she tried to talk to me. Talking back to her the first time honestly felt like a fluke at this point and I don¡¯t know what gave me the courage to do it but whatever it was, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it a second time. While we knitted, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that I didn¡¯t know anything about Eve. I didn¡¯t know her family or why she was still an omega. All I knew was that she was a rogue up until she was twelve and she chose being an omega over death. ¡°Are you mated?¡± I asked and she honestly looked taken aback by the question, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be rude, I was just curious about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she answered when she had regained herposure, ¡°And before you ask, it doesn¡¯t bother me. I am just a few months shy of twenty one and I have the rest of my life to find my mate.¡± ¡°Why did you stay here?¡± I asked and she turned to me puzzled, ¡°You said the old Luna made you an omega but after they died I am sure Ryker would have let you go if you asked. Why did you stay?¡± ¡°The only home I knew before this was with a band of rogues who couldn¡¯t care less if I was dead or alive. Here, I had people who cared about me and I had friends. Besides, the Luna died a few months after bringing me here. I was barely six and I would never have survived out there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°What could you possibly have to be sorry for?¡± ¡°The rogues and the Luna dying,¡± She smiled softly, ¡°That was not your fault and it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. This pack is my home and I can¡¯t imagine living anywhere that isn¡¯t here.¡± I had no further questions and we went back to knitting in silence. If she hadn¡¯t told me herself I would never have suspected that Eve had such a hard life, she seems so gentle and quiet but then again, I should have known never to judge a book by its cover. ¡°One more thing¡± I said and I saw the corner of her lips lift up but she turned to me, ¡°When I first came here, there were a lot of se rvants. What happened to them?¡± ¡°The Alpha sent them back to the pack house,¡± my surprise was etched all over my features, ¡°You were terrified of everything and everyone and he wanted to make it asfortable as possible for you so he restricted the amount of people who coulde in and out of here.¡± ¡°He sent them away because of me.¡± I knew it was st upid of me to repeat that knowing fully well that was what she said but for some reason, I needed to be sure. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is much he wouldn¡¯t do for you.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that and thankfully I didn¡¯t need to because the door to my room flew open and Lauren walked in. I wasn¡¯t expecting it to happen and I jumped slightly but Eve grabbed a hold of my arm to calm me down. Lauren looked down at me where I was knitting and a mix between a frown and a sneer grew on her face. ¡°Get up, we need to go.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin, get up now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not moving until you tell me where you¡¯re taking me.¡± I stood my ground and crossed my arms over my chest, ¡°Where do you want to take me?¡± ¡°Fine, stay there for all I care, I¡¯ll tell Ryker that you refused toe with me.¡± I rushed to my feet at the sound of his name, ¡°What happened to Ryker? Is he okay?¡± ¡°He mind linked me to take you to him.¡± She sounded exasperated, ¡°Can we go now?¡± Eve wasted no time in taking the knitting things from me, ¡°I¡¯ll clear up the room.¡± I thanked her and rushed out of the room with Lauren. She didn¡¯t cast me a sparing nce as I followed her down the stairs and to a waiting. carriage. It didn¡¯t look like any of the ones I had seen in the house. It was pure ck with minimal details and I just assumed that it was brought straight from the pack house. I got in first and she took a seat right next to me. I didn¡¯t recognize the man who closed the door eitherContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. but then again, there are so many people in this pack I have never seen before. ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked and she tantly ignored me, ¡°Please tell me something.¡± ¡°You will figure it out when we get there.¡± I tried to stay silent after that and instead focused on looking out the window to try to calm myself down. We drove for what felt like hours after that and I realized that the track we were taking was unfamiliar. I have only been to the pack house a few times but I barely forget roads and I knew for a fact that I had never travelled this road before. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked and she turned to me with an annoyed look, ¡°This isn¡¯t the way to the hospital or the pack house.¡± ¡°Have you considered that maybe we aren¡¯t going to the hospital or pack house?¡± she spat, ¡°There are a bunch of other ces where he could be so why don¡¯t you stop being so paranoid and allow me do my job.¡± I swallowed down whatever retort I had and nodded when all of a sudden the carriage lurched to a stop, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°If you shut up the maybe I can find out.¡± Without another word, she stepped out of the carriage and I saw her go to the front. I sat back in my seat and tried to calm myself down and not think of all the things that could have possibly gone wrong. I realized that she hadn¡¯t returned after a while and I got out of the carriage only to see that there was no one around and fear gripped me. ¡°Lauren,¡± I called out softly, ¡°Where are you?¡± I heard a twig snap behind me and I jumped but when I turned, there was no one there. My mind was screaming at me to get back into the carriage but I also knew that it would be easier to overpower me in a confined space. I am not a strong fighter and my only advantage is my speed. I heard another twig and the scent of rotten flesh filled my nose. I tried not to panic as I saw a pair of blood red eyes through the trees. I took a shaky step back as a lone figure emerged and it took all my willpower to not allow my fear show and the tears to start falling. ¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± I took a slow step back, ¡°I¡¯ll just leave now and I can be out of your hair.¡± The wolf in front of me was obviously a rogue. He had messy brown hair 1 torn and dirty and it looked like he was stuck in a half shifted form. He had long ws and hair sprouted from his upper arms and legs ¡°What¡¯s a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone!¡± his voice smelled like decay and rotten food, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe closer so I can see your He reached out to touch me and I waited for a split second before i turned on my heels and ran. I heard him chuckle from behind me ¡°Me and my friends love a good chase¡± The idea of him chasing me was scary but that wasn¡¯t what got my attention. It was something else that he had said- friends. What friends was he talking about? Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Send gif Chapter 28 I tried not to focus on his words and ran as fast as I could through the thick trees. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind me but I ignored. it and focused on getting out of the woods alive. I knew those rogues. wouldn¡¯t hesitate before trying to hurt me and I didn¡¯t want to die alone. in this forest. I maneuvered through the trees until I came to arge clearing. I looked around hoping to find some indication of where to go or some proof that I was going the right way but all I could see were trees for as far as the eye could see. I heard a twig snap behind me and I jumped and turned to see three rogues emerging from the woods. The one in the middle was the one I saw earlier and I took a slow step back. ¡°Chasing you is fun,¡± he licked his lips, ¡°But you have to know that you can¡¯t run from us.¡± ¡°I wonder if she tastes as good as she smells.¡± The one to his right said. and he mimicked the snapping of jaws. I didn¡¯t wait to respond to them, I turned and ran in the opposite direction but before I could go far, I felt a hard body collide into mine and I was mmed into the earthy floor at full force. I tried to push him off but he pinned me down with one hand and the other wrapped around my throat so tightly that I thought I was going to pass out. At thest moment, he released me and I coughed as I gasped. for air and tried to fill my lungs as much as possible. ¡°Even a chase gets boring after some time.¡± The rogue on top of me breathed before leaning down to sniff my neck, ¡°We are going to have so much fun with you.¡± He pulled me to my feet and the first thing I did was rear my knee back. and hit him as hard as I could in his groin. He doubled over in pain and I ran momentarily forgetting that he had two other partners until I felt a searing pain in my side. I fell to the floor and looked down at my shirt that now had three long ga shes. Blood pooled out from the wound and I tried to breathe through my nose to stop myself from screaming in pain. ¡°You f ucking b itch.¡± Before I could even figure out where the voice came from I felt a searing pain inN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. my nose and ck dots danced around my vision. I knew my nose was bleeding from where he punched it and I was now lost on where to focus my energy- my bleeding side or my bleeding nose. ¡°Maybe we can have some fun with her first.¡± One of them said in a sultry tone and I felt them tear my legs apart. I tried to push them away but they were too strong and two of them held me down while the other one settled between my legs. I managed to kick his stomach and in retaliation, he raked his ws down my stomach. I let out a blood curling scream and fell limp. I was sure I would bleed out before they were even done with me. I closed my eyes, ready to embrace the darkness that woulde when I heard a roar from a few feet to my left. I would have thought I imagined. it if not for the rogues above me who ceased their movements. I could barely keep my eyes open but my ears registered signs of a struggle and the ripping of flesh. I could feel myself fading in an out of consciousness when I felt warm hands wrap around my upper body and limbs. I leaned into the warm touch and I heard garbled noises. I tried to make it out and then I realized what was being said- my name. ¡°Cami please stay with me.¡± I tried to remember where I had heard that voice before but my mind wasing up nk, ¡°Baby please keep your eyes open.¡± I honestly tried to do as the voice had asked but I felt too weak and before I could hear another word, the darkness overtook me. RYKER¡¯S PO.V I tried to keep a calm head but it was impossible as all I could see was my mate drifting in and out of consciousness while bleeding out in my arms. I tried my best to hold off the bleeding but it felt like the more I did, the more she bled. I could barely keep my head on straight as I ran to the hospital. I knew the carriage would be too slow and time was of the essence. I had mind linked Lucy to get everything ready and when she saw Cami in my arms, her mouth fell open. My wolf protested as Lucy took her from me and ced her on a hospital bed. I wanted to be close to her and I didn¡¯t want her out of my sight. ¡°Alpha, I need you to keep your head right now,¡± Lucy said in an attempt to distract me from going after the doctors who were wheeling her into an operating room, ¡°She has a lot of blood and she doesn¡¯t have a wolf to help her heal. She might need a transfusion.¡± ¡°Take as much as you need from me.¡± She nodded and gestured for me toe with her. Thest thing I wanted to do was go in the opposite direction as Cami but I knew I would be more useful this way and I forced my legs to follow Lucy. I was barely paying attention when she poked the needle into my skin and was barely paying attention to the blood that flowed out of me. All I could think about was my mate currently being operated on. I tried to remind myself that I could feel our bond alive. It was weak but it was there and that meant that she was still breathing and as long as she was breathing, then I could focus. Lucy took only two pints despite me asking her to take more. She assured me that two would be enough and left the room. After she had gone, my mind started to travel again to how I found Cami in the woods. We had just finished with the rogue camp and were looking for any stragglers when I heard her scream. I instantly knew it was her but I didn¡¯t want to believe it at first because Cami was supposed to be home safe and protected by Lauren. Lauren, where is she? I tried to mind link her but I wasing up empty so I mind linked my Beta- Creed. He answered immediately. ¡°Is she okay?¡¯ he asked ¡°She¡¯s still in surgery.¡± He started to apologize but I cut him off, ¡°Find Lauren and bring her to me, now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, she just walked into the hospital.¡± I wasted no time in rushing out and sure enough, Lauren was walking through the hospital corridors caked in mud with a few scratches on her arms. She saw me and kept her head low but walked over until she was standing directly in front of me. ¡°Where were you?¡± my voice was barely above a whisper and I saw Lauren flinch slightly. ¡°Ryker, we were ambushed and I tried to get her to safety.¡± ¡°Why were you there in the first ce?¡± ¡°I was-,¡± she trailed off, ¡°She wanted to see you and one of the guards told me that you had killed off the rogues. I didn¡¯t think it would end up like this.¡± ¡°Where were you when she was getting hurt. It was your job to keep her safe.¡± ¡°I saw some rogues and I tried to chase them and-,¡± ¡°That was not your job.¡± The entire hospital went silent probably in shock. I rarely raise my voice at people; I don¡¯t see a need to do it. My father did it at every opportunity he got and it made him a terrible leader, not a good one. People will listen whether or not you raise your voice but this time, I couldn¡¯t help it. This is the second time she is putting Cami in harm¡¯s way. ¡°I am sorry,¡± she bowed her head, ¡°it will not happen again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right it won¡¯t,¡± she raised her eyes to me and I saw the hope in them but I ignored it, ¡°From today you are no longer general.¡± She gasped, ¡°Please, no. I have worked my entire life for this.¡± ¡°And you threw it all away the moment your Luna got hurt under your watch.¡± I ignored the pleading look she sent my way, ¡°A good general knows when to retreat and it seems like you haven¡¯t learnt that yet.¡± ¡°Ryker please-,¡± ¡°It will be Alpha from now on,¡± she took a step back as if she was pped, ¡°Report to Creed and he will inform you who the new general is.¡± She looked up at me almost as if she was hoping I was joking but the time for jokes are over. ¡°I warned you that if you made another mistake then I wouldn¡¯t be so forgiving.¡± ¡°I promise it will never happen again.¡± Tears filled her eyes as she spoke, ¡°It was just a big misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding that could have cost me the life of my mate.¡± I was done entertaining the conversation and she knew it, ¡°Report to Creed, Lauren. This conversation is over.¡± The first tear dropped but she nodded and took a step back. She bowed low and made her way out of the hospital. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and pointer finger as felt the tell tale sign of a migraine coming on. Wolves don¡¯t get sick usually but I guess when you¡¯ve had a day as hectic as mine, you lose that privilege. ¡°You should rest Alpha.¡± I heard Lucy say from behind me. I turned to her and she had a proud glint in her eyes letting me know she overheard the conversation. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the guards outside heard it, I wasn¡¯t exactly subtle or quiet as I spoke. ¡°You will be of no use to her right now.¡± ¡°I am not leaving until she is awake.¡± Lucy pursed her lips but nodded, ¡°Perhaps I should lead you to the waiting room then, she should be out of surgery soon.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Comment Chapter 29 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The first thing I noticed when I came to was the smell of antiseptic and cleaning supplies. I wrinkled my nose trying to get rid of it but for some reason, it didn¡¯t seem to leave- it actually felt like it was getting worse. Then I noticed the brightness of the room. My eyes were closed but I could feel the intensity of the light against it and it honestly made me not want to open my eyes so I stayed like that. I stayed with my eyes closed, enduring the smell of antiseptic trying to remember thest thing that happened. I remembered being home with Eve and Laurening in and- rogues. The memory hit me like a freight train and I sat up with a gasp. Searing pain went through my entire body and my vision ckened for a split second because of the sheer intensity. I had to gentlyy myself in bed again while breathing through my nose so I wouldn¡¯t pass out from it. I remembered the rogues over me and I remembered someoneing to my rescue. I remembered the warmth of arms that lifted me but I couldn¡¯t ce a face to it. I was so far gone when the person arrived. I looked around the room and I instantly recognized it as the room Ryker was in when he was hurt. I wonder if it was done deliberately or if it was just the only avable room. There was a cart to the left filled with sterilized hospital supplies and my ripped up dress was nowhere to be seen. I was in a pale green hospital gown and my left arm was h ooked up to an IV that was pumping blood into my veins. I reached down to pull it out when I heard a voice from the door. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± I looked up to see Lucy wearing her white doctor¡¯s coat and with a file in her hands, ¡°That is the only thing that is keeping you awake and alive.¡± She made her way over to me and ced the file on the table by the head of the bed. She took a mini torch and shed them into my eyes then checked the bandages on my side to make sure they weren¡¯t bleeding again. ¡°If you want, I can give you something for the pain but it will knock you out as soon as you take it,¡± she exined, ¡°Or I could wait until the Alpha gets back and you have eaten before giving it to you. HeN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. would hate to know that you woke up and he wasn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± my voice sounded scratchy and she wasted no time in pouring me a ss of water which I gulped down greedily. ¡°I managed to convince him that you would need food when you woke up. He hadn¡¯t left your side since you came in here.¡± I was confused by her choice of words, ¡°What do you mean by since I came in here?¡± ¡°Sweetheart you¡¯ve been out for two days.¡± My mouth fell open in equal parts shock and horror, ¡°I don¡¯t me you thought, you were in a nasty condition when you came in. If not for the Alpha¡¯s blood then you wouldn¡¯t even be awake right now.¡± ¡°His blood,¡± I trailed off and my eyes darted over to the IV currently connected to my arm, ¡°He gave me his blood, why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s your mate sweetheart, that¡¯s what they do.¡± She gave me a soft smile and took a step back, ¡°If I¡¯m correct- which I usually am- he should be arriving anytime soon. If you need anything, ring the bell by your bed.¡± She nodded curtly to me and was already by the door when I stopped her. ¡°Did you find Lauren?¡± I asked and a dark look took over her features. ¡°I think that¡¯s a conversation you should have with the Alpha.¡± She gave me a short bow and walked out of the room before I could ask what she meant by that. I was alone for barely two minutes before the door opened again and Ryker walked in. He didn¡¯t notice me at first because he was holding a bouquet of fresh flowers and a covered tray that I knew was filled with food. He shut the door behind him and turned around and I knew the exact moment he noticed me. The tray wobbled in his hands, as if it was going to fall but he quickly steadied it. His eyes softened and I saw his lips form a small but sad smile. ¡°Hey,¡± I managed out and I saw the heavy exhale that left him. He slowly made his way over to me and ced the tray on the table and the flowers into a vase that I didn¡¯t even realize was there. When he was done, he stood up straight and stared at me, almost as if he wasn¡¯t sure whether or not he was imagining everything. His fingers brushed my cheek gently and I didn¡¯t feel the urge to pull away, I just smiled softly at him. ¡°When did you wake up?¡± he asked finally. ¡°Were you alone?¡± ¡°A few minutes ago, and no, Lucy was here but she left right about when you wereing in.¡± His fingers brushed my cheeks again, almost softer this time, ¡°I brought you breakfast.¡± He lifted the cover on the tray to reveal fruits and oatmeal, ¡°She said that you should eat something lighter first before you move on to heavy meals. Can you sit up?¡± I tried to but the blinding pain wracked through my body and I let out a small groan. I shook my head at Ryker and I saw him clench his jaw in pain and anger. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you but it is going to hurt.¡± He warned and he waited for me to nod in understanding before he moved towards me. He ced one hand behind my back and the other under my knees and in one swift move, he had me half sitting up. The pain was intense but he did it quickly and it onlysted the fraction of a second but my body still vibrated from the after effects. While I struggled to reunite myself with reality, I saw Ryker take the bowl of oatmeal and I expected him to hand it to me but instead he sprinkled the fruits over it and picked the spoon in his hands. I knew what he was about to do before he even started. ¡°Are you going to feed me?¡± the words left me in a barely there whisper, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± ¡°You can barely move Cami,¡± he spoke softly, as if he was speaking to a child, ¡°Allow me do this for you.¡± I knew he was right so I stayed silent and let him feed me quietly. The action felt more intimate than it should have, especially whenever he dabbed at my chin with a wash cloth. I tried my best to focus on what was happening and not the crude thoughts that were currently flying through my head. He finished but didn¡¯t move away and we stood there staring at each other for a full minute after until I broke the spell by looking away. I heard him clear his throat as he stood up and ced the dirty dishes back into the tray. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± he asked without looking at me, ¡°I could get Lucy for you.¡± ¡°Did you find Lauren?¡± he froze at my question and I felt anger roll off him in waves. I wondered if I had done something wrong by asking and was about to retract the question when he turned around and took the seat in front of me. ¡°What do you mean by did I find Lauren?¡± ¡°She kind of disappeared out there.¡± He stared at me in confusion and I know that he was expecting an exnation so I told him about how the carriage stopped and Lauren went out to fix it but the next minute she wasn¡¯t there and the rogues. appeared. As I spoke, he got angrier. I could see the veins on his hands bulging and the one on his temple looked like it was one second away from exploding. I trailed off with my story wondering if I was the one upsetting him. ¡°Keep going,¡± his voice was gruff and it was obvious that he was suppressing a lot of anger, ¡°I want to know what happened.¡± I told him about how I tried to outrun and fight the rogues but they overpowered me. From the way he winced, I knew he was the one who found me. He wouldn¡¯t have that kind of reaction unless he saw firsthand what happened to me. When I finished, I sighed deeply, ¡°did you find Lauren?¡¯ ¡°She found us,¡± he said simply, ¡°She came into the hospital covered in mud saying that there were rogues and she left your side because she wanted to hunt them down.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether I believed her story but I also knew it didn¡¯t matter what I thought. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°Probably looking for another job,¡± Shock filled my every pore and I stared at him with my mouth agape, ¡°Did you fire her from being general?¡± he nodded, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She neglected your safety. A good general would have never done that.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say about that or how to react. I would never have actually expected him to fire her and I hated that I actually felt giddy about the entire idea. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be happy that she was out of a job but for some reason, it made me happy because I knew it meant that she would no longer be guarding me and I would never have to see her again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I said finally and he shrugged then stood to his feet. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± he ran his hand through my hair; ¡°Lucy will be here any second now to give you something for the pain.¡± As if on cue, Lucy burst in through the doors holding a syringe. She gave me a small smile as she injected whatever the liquid was into my free arm. As soon as she was done, she left Ryker and I alone in the room. It only took a few minutes for me to start feeling the effects and I started to feel drowsy. ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± Ryker said to me, ¡°Just rest, I will be here when you wake up.¡± I allowed his voice lead me like a luby and it was only a few seconds. before the darkness overcame me and I was out like a light. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 By the time I woke up, it was dark outside and if not for the soft light from themp on the table next to the window, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to see anything in front of me. The IV with the blood was gone from my arm and now I was h ooked up to a proper IV with a clear liquidposition. For some weird reason, I felt stronger and well rested but I could still feel the pressure of the dull throbbing pain in my side. It didn¡¯t take me long to find Ryker, he was standing by the window looking lost in thought. I decided not to bother him and instead chose to watch him and take a good look at him. He had finally changed out of his rumpled clothes and was wearing a pair of dark cks and a simple shirt. His hair was messy, almost as if he ran his hands through it a number of times and he was softly stroking the petal of a flower. I don¡¯t think he realized that he was doing it; it was most likely a sort of absent minded or subconscious action. He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned and our eyes met. He smiled softly as he made his way over to me and sat in the ufortable metal chair by the side of my bed. His eyes glossed over for a second and I knew he was mind linking someone so I waited. patiently for him to be done. ¡°Eve will be here very soon.¡± He said once he had finished, ¡°I figured you would be morefortable with a home cooked meal than with the hospital food.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t mind if I¡¯m being honest.¡± I shrugged- or at least tried to, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to inconvenience anyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an inconvenience Cami. You are going to be their Luna, everyone lives to serve you.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that so I diverted the conversation to safer grounds, ¡°This was the room you stayed in when you were hurt. Is a coincidence or was I specifically put here?¡± ¡°This room is set aside for members of the Alpha¡¯s family. Should there be an incident or an emergency, they will be rushed here.¡± ¡°What happens if the hospital is full and someone elsees in hurt?¡± I asked, ¡°Would they be put here or is it out of bounds?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted, ¡°We have never had a situation like that before. I¡¯m sure when the time comes we will be able to figure something out.¡± I was saved from having to respond when the door opened and Eve walked in. She was in a pretty blue dress and she had a covered tray in her hands. When she saw me, she heaved a sigh of relief and all but rushed over. ¡°I am so d that you¡¯re okay,¡± she breathed, ¡°When I heard what happened, I was so worried. You look terrible,¡± she must have realized we weren¡¯t the only two in the room because she pped her hand over her mouth, ¡°I meant you look beautiful and well rested.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Eve.¡± I assured her, ¡°I probably look a lot worse than I feel so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Well, I still have your oversized scarf in my things so maybe when you¡¯re better we can kick off where west stopped.¡± ¡°I would like that very much.¡± She offered me a soft smile then bowed to Ryker and disappeared from the room. Ryker stared at me for a full minute after she had gone and I had actually started to worry that I had done something wrong. In that one minute, I yed back the entire conversation in my head and tried to pin point. whatever it was that I could have done wrong. Ryker broke off his staring and took off the lid from the tray to reveal a bowl of broth with garlic bread and some tea. Just like earlier, Ryker fed me and after the initial awkward tension was gone, it was actually a pretty soft and intimate moment. I would never admit it out loud but I genuinely liked it and I didn¡¯t want it to end. ¡°What oversized scarf was she talking about?¡± he asked and it took me a second to realize that he was talking about my earlier conversation with Eve. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°She was teaching me knitting,¡± I admitted sheepishly, ¡°It started the day you left. I was bored and she offered to teach me.¡± ¡°Do you enjoy it?¡± I shrugged, ¡°it is fun but I think I enjoy thepany more.¡± He hummed to himself and ced the now empty bowl of broth back on the tray. Giving me the tea was a bit trickier but he managed it and soon, that tra He ran his hand down my curls softly and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He was about to leave when I grabbed his arm to hold him in ce. He stared at me waiting for me to respond and I hesitated for a second not knowing what to say or how to stay it. ¡°Do you want me stay?¡± he asked and I nodded eagerly. I was grateful that he managed to figure out what I wanted without me having to say it. I doubt I would have been able to say it myself if he hadn¡¯t asked me. He sat on the chair and when I tried to pull my hand away from his, he gripped it tightly in his palm. We spoke about literally everything and anything and after a while, I noticed that he was rubbing small circles on the back of my palm. I wasn¡¯t sure if he realized he was even doing it and I wasn¡¯t going to point it out to him because regardless of everything, I kind of enjoyed it. ** By day three, I was already fed up of being in the hospital. I was barely allowed to move by myself or even stand up from the bed without. supervision. I think Ryker¡¯s blood sped up the healing process because I was to have my stitches taken out today and if all went as nned, I might be allowed to leave the hospital. I was so excited by the time Lucy came into the hospital room that sheughed and told me to calm down. Taking out the stitches hurt badly and I was thankful I wasn¡¯t awake when I was being stitched up because I couldn¡¯t imagine how painful it must have been at that time. As soon as she was done, she stood to her feet and offered me a smile, ¡°Would you like to look at it?¡± I shook my head, ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t really want to see it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she pulled down my hospital gown and helped me to my feet. My side still hurt on various asions but it wasn¡¯t as bad as when I hade in. I was suddenly jealous of all the werewolves who had the luxury of quick healing. If I could heal this quickly then my life would have been so much easier to handle. I would have never had to worry about working. while sick or working with a busted ankle. ¡°When can I go back home?¡± I asked and when she shot me a wary nce I was quick to add, ¡°I promise that I won¡¯t do any strenuous work. I promise to have as much bed rest as possible and I also will not train until you give me the go ahead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she began, ¡°You aren¡¯t a full werewolf and although the blood should heal you quickly, I don¡¯t want to risk anything that will put you in harm¡¯s way.¡± ¡°Please,¡± I sped my hands together, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t do anything to jeopardize my recovery.¡± She stared at me for a second before sighing, ¡°Fine, but you aren¡¯t allowed to wear corsets or any tight fitting material on your torso until further notice.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t quite mind her rule, I wasn¡¯t a huge fan of the constricting material and I would take any excuse to not have to wear it. She left probably to inform Ryker and while I was rejoicing, Eve walked in with some clothes. I knew it should have taken at least fifteen minutes for her to arrive and while she helped me into my outfit I realized that Lucy probably already had ns to release me today. Eve helped me into my outfit because I couldn¡¯t do it myself and we had just finished with it when Ryker knocked on the door. I knew it was him because he has a certain pattern in which he knocks. Eve pulled it open and he gave me a soft smile. ¡°If you¡¯re ready then we can leave,¡± he said and I nodded almost too eagerly which made himugh. He grasped my elbow with his hand and led me outside and towards the carriage. I saw the usual coachman standing next to it and when he saw he bowed low. All I could offer in return was a small smile and that was when I noticed the intricate steps by the carriage. me, ¡°To make it easier for you,¡± Ryker whispered and suddenly I was touched. He didn¡¯t have to do it but he did it to help me and I had to fight back the tears that welled up in my eyes as I took the steps one at a time. By the time I was settled inside the carriage, Ryker sat next to me, all the while not letting go of my hand. The ride to the house was quiet and it wasn¡¯t as bumpy as usual. I wouldn¡¯t have put it past Ryker to tell the coachmen to take a less bumpy road and drive slower than usual for my benefit. It took us almost twice the usual time to arrive at the house and when we did, I felt a wave of relief rush over my body. Somewhere along the lines I had started to look at this house as my home and being away from it had me feeling anxious and eager to be back. Ryker helped me out of the carriage and I stood there staring at therge building for far longer than I should have. It was Ryker¡¯s hand at the small of my back that snapped me back to reality. I looked up at him and saw him sporting a worrying look, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he asked and I nodded, ¡°You were staring with a weird look in your eyes. Are you sure?¡± ¡°I am,¡± ¡°If you¡¯re in pain or something, I could have Lucy here in a few minutes. tops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine Ryker,¡± I assured him, ¡°I¡¯m just d to be home.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 It took me a little over a week to get healed. To be fair, I was fine and could walk around and do things on my own from like two days before but Ryker wouldn¡¯t have it. I had told him time and time again that I was fine but he didn¡¯t want to take any chances and had Lucye over to look me over. She told him that I looked fine but he had her run a few tests and do a full body check out. She obliged him and when she was done, she told him that I was good to go but advised that I still take things easy so my body can get used to doing them gain. It was a relief honestly because it meant that I could finally start doing things by myself. Ryker had babied me endlessly since I got hurt and Eve was no better. She was in my room every morning to help me get dressed and I barely went downstairs because ording to Ryker ¡®it could hurt my side¡¯ After Lucy left, I went into the bathroom to get freshened up for the day and decided to take a look at what was left of the injury. Both were now scars on my skin that I hoped would go away soon. I knew the only thing that could scar a wolf was silver but I didn¡¯t know how long this would take to fade. The last thing I want is a scar on my body reminding me that I almost died. That is why I haven¡¯t even looked at it since. I forced my feet to lead me away from the mirror and into the bathtub where I sat down for a long soak. I don¡¯t know how long I sat there but I didn¡¯t move until my skin pruned up and the water became cold. I stepped out of the bath and for some reason I felt weird. I don¡¯t know how to exin it but I just felt tired and my bones felt a little weak. I had told Eve earlier that I wanted to get dressed myself so I put on some leggings and a shirt but somehow I was feeling suffocated. I thought that maybe it was because I had been locked in my room for a very long time so I desperately wanted to leave. I made my way downstairs to the dining room and saw that the table had only been set for one- me. Ryker was there but he was standing and from the expression on his face, I knew there was something he wanted to tell me. I tried to avoid the scrutiny of his gaze as I took my seat. I waited for him to join me but instead he stood there in silence. Eve came over and put my te of food and tea in front of me and exited. I honestly thought he was never going to speak until he cleared his throat. ¡°Now that you¡¯re fine,¡± he began, ¡°I have to go back to work at the pack house.¡± I knew he was going to have to leave at some point, I don¡¯t know why he bothered exining it to me; other people wouldn¡¯t have bothered. I¡¯m even surprised he spent some much time here with me. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you unguarded,¡± I shut my eyes because I didn¡¯t want to see Lauren walk in, ¡°This is Steven, he is one of the best guards we have.¡± My eyes flew open in shock and I took in the man who had walked in through the doors. My first thought was ¡®he isn¡¯t Lauren. My next thought was ¡®Lauren isn¡¯t going to bother me anymore¡¯. Steven is young, a bit younger than Ryker but definitely older than me. I would put him at around Eve¡¯s age. Judging by the mark on his neck that was barely hidden by his cor, he was definitely mated. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He bowed to me, ¡°it is a pleasure to serve you Luna.¡± I was so stunned that all I could do was wave at him awkwardly which had the corner of Ryker¡¯s lips tilting up. Steven excused himself and stepped back out probably to give Ryker and I space when Ryker made his way over to me and sat down on the chair in front of him. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked and I shrugged, ¡°Do you like him or would you like someone else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± I answered softly, ¡°I can¡¯t judge him based off one five second interaction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair; this evening, you can tell me if you like him or not.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± He stood to his feet and ced a kiss on my forehead. He had been doing thattely and I actually loved it. I hade to expect it every time that we were around each other and my heart ached for the time that he would inevitably stop. ¡°I have to go, if you need anything tell Eve or Steven and they will inform me.¡± Without another word he was gone and I was left with a full te of almost cold food and the silence of the dining room. I finished my meal and was about to take the tes to the kitchen when Eve emerged and stopped me. She took them from my hands but she didn¡¯t take them immediately. She ced them on the table and told me that she wanted to show me something. I was shocked and confused but allowed her lead me up the stairs and back into my own room. I wanted to ask what she wanted to show me that I hadn¡¯t already seen this morning when I saw it. Sitting at the foot of my now made bed was a basket filled with yarn, knitting needles, a guide book and a journal. There were a bunch of other things there that I didn¡¯t recognize but Eve pointed each and every single one out to me. Attached to the basket was a little note: I hope it keeps youpany when I¡¯m away. R. Tears welled in my eyes as I took in the small but thoughtful gift. I didn¡¯t even think he was listening or remembered when I told him that I enjoyed knitting with Evelyn. Even if he was, I never would have expected him to do all of this for me. ¡°When did he do this?¡± I asked Eve, ¡°It wasn¡¯t here when I left this morning.¡± ¡°He brought them in before you woke up but they were in his room. When you came down for breakfast, I snuck up through the other stairs and ced them here.¡± ¡°This is so beautiful,¡± I said more to myself than anyone else, ¡°He just left, how am I going to say thank you?¡± ¡°Perhaps when he gets back,¡± she shrugged, ¡°Until then, maybe you can put his gift to good use.¡± Eve went back to the kitchen while I decided to start knitting. I sat there for a while when the same ufortable feeling from earlier came back. I tried to ignore it even when Eve returned and that was when I started to feel hot and the room got even stuffier. ¡°Can we take this downstairs?¡± I asked and she looked at me confused, ¡°The room just feels too stuffy.¡± She still looked confused but she obliged. She took what we were using in her hands and we went downstairs to the living room. I hated that I was bothering her but I couldn¡¯t have ignored the feeling for much longer. The curtains and windows were pulled open in the living room and that helped with the feeling for about half an hour before it came back again. This time, I felt a little nauseous and I could actually feel a little sweat sliding down my arms. I saw a newspaper and I picked it up and began to fan myself with it which caught Eve¡¯s attention. She put down her knitting and looked me over with concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked and I hummed, ¡°You don¡¯t look fine, you look sick. Should I send for Lucy?¡± I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s probably just the heat.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t hot at all Cami,¡± Eve seemed skeptical but I was adamant that I was fine so she let it slide. She refused to let me keep knitting though. She took the equipments back upstairs and when she returned, she handed me ice cold water. I drank it down greedily and it called me down for a second and handled. the heat but then the difort started again. I didn¡¯t want to bother Eve anymore so I stayed silent about the difort and instead told her I wanted to take a walk in the garden. She left for a second to get Steven and when he returned, he bowed and gestured for me to go with him. The walk helped the difort and a little bit of the heat but not my nausea and general tiredness. Honestly it just felt like everything I was trying was alleviating something but making the other thing worse. I don¡¯t know how far we walked. Steven stood a few feet behind me being respectful and not making any conversation. I knew that must be ufortable for anyone so I decided to break the ice. ¡°How long have you been mated?¡± I asked and I saw him smile fondly. ¡°Officially, a year; but unofficially, fifteen months,¡± ¡°What do you mean by unofficially?¡± ¡°She hated me when we first met and it took her three months to warm. up to the idea of mating with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d it worked out in the end; what¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Pearl,¡± I had another question on the tip of my tongue but I lost track of it when I tripped over a root and I felt myself crashing to the ground. Before I could hit the floor, Steven grabbed my wrist and managed to pull me to my feet As soon as I was stable, his hand left mine and moved to my forehead, ¡°Are you alright, you¡¯re burning up?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± I felt around for my own forehead but I couldn¡¯t feel what he was talking about. Before he could say anything else, another guard rounded the corner. He must have heard the commotion ande to check it out. He bowed to me but then I saw his nostrils re and he took a step back. ¡°he paused and let out a groan. en looked betwe nic took over He turner of her nd the guard before a look of awareness and .ist, ¡°Tell every unmated guard to get the hell out imated they are relieved of duty.¡± and rushed to do as he had been asked and I turned to sion, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± re in heat.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 I was so stunned when Steven said those words that I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to react until he grabbed my upper arm in his and started to pull me back in the direction of the house. I could see the wheels in his head turning as he furiously tried to think of what to do next. Eve saw us when we walked through the door and the concern on her face was palpable. Steven didn¡¯t even give her a chance to ask any questions before he spoke. ¡°I need as much ice as you can possibly get.¡± He told her and although she looked confused, she nodded. He turned to me, ¡°Where is the Alpha¡¯s room?¡± Eve rushed out to do as he had asked and this time I led him to Ryker¡¯s room. He shut the door behind us and took the first piece of clothing he saw which so happened to be Ryker¡¯s shirt and stuck it at the bottom of the door way. I assume he did it to trap any smell. He then shut every window and balcony in the room and in the bathroom. He didn¡¯t speak to me when he was done, instead, he went to Ryker¡¯s desk, muttered something under his breath and took a piece of paper and a pen and began to scribble some words on it. I wanted to ask what he was writing but the heat was getting stronger and I felt like I was overheating inside my outfit. I wanted nothing more than to pull it off but I was still sane enough to know that it would be a good idea. Eve knocked on the door and he let her in. He whispered a few words in her ear, handed her the piece of paper and left the room without a second nce. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to thank him.¡± I began as she locked the door behind him. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to be here when the Alphaes,¡± she exined. ¡°In fact, I think it is better if he isn¡¯t here. Mates can be very territorial when their partner is in heat.¡± ¡°Have you ever done this before?¡± I asked and she shook her head then lifted up the piece of paper. ¡°Thankfully, he left us instructions on what to do.¡± She walked over to the side of the bed where I was sitting and ced her hand on my forehead, ¡°All we have to do is wait it out until the Alpha gets here.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°The edge of the border,¡± she answered with a small grimace, ¡°they¡¯re going to try to get to him but it might take a while.¡± A while turned into over three hours by which time I felt like I was being boiled alive. I had stripped off my entire outfit and was now wearing a flimsy short sleeveless gown with nothing under. It was bordering on transparent but it did nothing to cool my skin and I felt like screaming. It wasn¡¯t just the heat anymore, it came with a fresh wave of pain and nausea and it felt like I had a thousand needles pri cking my skin all at once. My vision darkened for a second and within that time, I noticed that Eve had h ooked a hand under my shoulders and was half dragging and half leading me into the bathroom. I tried my best to help her but even I felt. too weak to stand. Against all odds, we got into the bathroom and she helped me get into the tub then she left and returned with a big bucket of ice water and dumped it into the bath. My teeth chattered and in an instant I had gone. from boiling hot to freezing cold. I let out a relieved breath and wanted nothing more than to bury myself into the water. I allowed it soothe my skin but after a while, I felt my skin begin to heat up again and this time tears filled my eyes. Eve ced her hand against my forehead again when she saw my teary eyes and she shot me a look of sympathy. ¡°He will be here soon,¡± she whispered softly and the first tear escaped, ¡°you just have to hold off for a while longer.¡± ¡°I just want it to stop.¡± ¡°It will soon.¡± It took another half hour before I faintly heard a loud knock on the door. Eve left my side briefly and I waited for her to return but instead of her, I smelled Ryker. I lifted my eyes to him and through my blurry vision, I saw him slowly make his way over to me. I saw him holding a piece of paper in his hand that I recognized as the one Steven wrote on. He ced the paper on the sink and ran his hand through my wet curls and I felt the pain lessen a little. He put his hand into the water and he pulled it out instantly. ¡°The water is hot as hell,¡± he said and I shook my head. It shouldn¡¯t be possible. Eve changed it less than three minutes ago. It shouldn¡¯t be as hot as he is iming it to be. I wanted to protest but I was too weak to even utter a word. Ryker dipped his hands into the water until they wrapped around my figure and he lifted me out of the tub. His hands on my skin felt like a salve to the pain and I wasted no time in burrowing into his skin. He hissed out a breath and kissed my forehead softly. He led me over to the bed and I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m wet,¡± Ryker shut his eyes as if he was in pain, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He ced me on the bed and as soon as his hands left me, the pain came back with blinding force and I let out a sound that was a mixture between a groan and a scream. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me,¡± I begged, ¡°you make the pain go away.¡± ¡°Cami, I-,¡± he trailed off and that was when I saw it. His hands were bunched at the sides and I could see his eyes alternating between their usual color and ck eyes showing that he was struggling with his wolf. A memory popped into my head about someone saying that a female wolf¡¯s scent during heat is almost impossible to resist. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay,¡± I forced out. Thest thing I would want is for him to have to stay in a situation he doesn¡¯t want to be. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you.¡± He climbed into bed next to me and pulled me straight into his body. A wave of relief rushed through me along with a foreign feeling that I didn¡¯t know I could feel in ces that should never be spoken about. He ran one hand down my back and the other ran through my curls softly. His hands ran down my figure softly and I felt that unfamiliar feeling continue to build in my lower belly. I tried not to let it show because I didn¡¯t want to make Ryker ufortable but then his hand massaged one spot on my head that had me shifting and moaning softly. While I shifted, I brushed against the hardest part of him. Ryker paused all his movements and stared down at me with a dark look in his eyes. His hands on my body ceased and he shut his eyes tightly. ¡°Cami,¡± his voice was gruff and sounded strained, ¡°I¡¯m trying not to take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Please,¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was asking for but I knew that he would know and I knew that he would be the only one I wanted to give it to me. He shut his eyes and leaned back against the bed. I wasn¡¯t against begging him again but then he leaned down and kissed me. Thest time, I didn¡¯t have time to savor his kiss but this time, I wasted no time in returning it. His hand at the back of my head tangled between my curls and he pulled me closer to him as he deepened the kiss. All the pain evaporated in that instant and I couldn¡¯t feel anything except for his lips on mine, his hands in my hair and his body that was flush against mine. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I let out a loud moan. He pulled away and we were both breathing heavily. His eyes had darkened considerably and I could see him visibly struggling with himself as he ran his hands softly down my skin and my hair. I stayed silent because I didn¡¯t want to break the spell but each stroke of his hand against my skin had my nether regions weeping. ¡°Cami,¡± he spoke softly but I could see that it was a struggle for him to speak, ¡°if I start, I won¡¯t be able to stop. You only want this because of your heat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± His eyes held mine captive and the sheer intensity of them had me wanting to look away but I couldn¡¯t. It felt like I was trapped in the limbo. with them and I couldn¡¯t bear to look away. ¡°I want this,¡± I whispered, ¡°please.¡± The plea seemed to be his catalyst because he pulled me flush against himself and he kissed me. His hands held my head in ce while he assaulted the inside of my mouth with his tongue. I struggled to keep up with him but the sheer pleasure he was giving me from his mouth alone. had me squirming against his lower body. His lips moved from my mouth to my neck and he peppered open mouthed kisses along the path. He kissed a spot on my corbone that had me moaning and arching my back. He smiled against the spot and did it again and again making me go wild. All I could do was grip his shoulders and moan his name over and over again as it felt like I was losing all sense of self. I felt his canines sharpen against my neck and I angled my neck to give him better ess. I could feel his relief at my agreement and before I could say another word, I felt his canines sink in. At first there was a blinding pain which quickly morphed into pleasure He pulled out his teeth and licked over the area and I felt that action all the way from my head to my toes. He gave me a dizzying kiss that I returned to the best of my abilities and when he pulled back, I saw him searching my eyes for any sign of regret When he didn¡¯t see it, he sighed in relief. I wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t regret it but my mouth wouldn¡¯t move Exhaustion washed over me and I could feel myself drifting in an out of consciousness. ¡°Sleep,¡± Ryker said and so I did. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 When I woke up, the first thing I realized was that there was a heavy arm over my body pinning me into the bed. I tried to move but that had somehow banded around me tighter and pulled me back into a hard body and an equally hard member pressing into my lower back. I felt Ryker nuzzle his nose into my neck and drag a long inhale before drifting back to sleep. I opened my eyes and looked around the room as yesterday¡¯s events filled my mind. I looked down and realized I wasn¡¯t in the wet nightgown. Sometimes during my sleep, I was changed into one of Ryker¡¯s shirts and from what I could feel of Ryker behind me, he was shirtless. I tried to gently shift out of his hold but I miscalcted my movements and identally grinded my hips against his already hard member. Ryker awake immediately and in the span of one second, I was flipped. over to my back and he was hovering over me. He stared down at me with darkened eyes an normally I would be frightened to have someone over me like this but it was Ryker and I knew there was no way that he was going to hurt me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I tried not to let my disappointment show because I wanted him to kiss my lips. As if he heard my thoughts, he leaned down and kissed me on the lips then I felt a rush of amusement and relief. It took me a second to realize the emotions weren¡¯ting from me and that was when I remembered that he marked me. When he pulled I heard his voice in my head. ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve wanted to do this.¡± I remembered what he said about the mind link being like a bridge and I tried to imagine it in my mind. ¡°Please tell me I¡¯m doing this right.¡± ¡°You are,¡± he was smiling as he spoke to me and he climbed off me. Once again disappointment and embarrassment rushed through me as I realized that yesterday I wanted him to have sex with me and he refused. Technically, he didn¡¯t refuse; he just opted to mark me instead. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was at all interested in me that way. But if he marked me that shouldN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. mean that he at least wants something to do with me, right? Ryker paused where he was at the foot of the bed and rounded the bed until he was standing next to me. I sat up slowly as he made his way over to me and he sat on the edge of the bed so that we were eye to eye. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to hear your thoughts then you should build a wall.¡± He said slowly and my cheeks heated to know that he heard me. ¡°How do I do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± he brushed off the statement, ¡°I don¡¯t want you thinking that I did not want youst night, I did and I still do. The only reason you asked me to was because you were in heat and I didn¡¯t want to take advantage of you. You wouldn¡¯t have asked that of me if you weren¡¯t in heat.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve.¡± I was surprised that the words left my lips and Ryker was too because his eyes widened. There was a second of silence and no movement between us and then he kissed me once again. The kiss was heated and passionate and my first thought was that I must have morning breath. ¡°You smell amazing,¡± Ryker pulled back to tell me. He didn¡¯t wait for me to respond before he kissed me again. I didn¡¯t realize that Ryker was waiting for me to tell him that I wanted him. I thought he was the one who didn¡¯t want me but from the way he was kissing me, it was enough proof that I was wrong. He pulled me into hisp so I was straddling him and his hands. descended to my a ss. He reached under his shirt and grabbed fistfuls of my as s and when his hands came in contact with my bare skin; I was reminded that I waspletely naked under the shirt. He moved my hips over his and we moaned simultaneously. Through the haze of pleasure, a lone thought pushed through and I pulled back, ¡°wait.¡± He stopped every movement the moment the words left my mouth and he looked up at me. He waited patiently to hear why I had stopped him and I thought about how to say the words without ruining the mood but I knew there was no way. There was a possibility he would hate me after I said this and he wouldn¡¯t want me anymore but I knew I had to say it. ¡°I¡¯m not pure.¡± He paused and looked at me in confusion, ¡°what do you mean you¡¯re not pure.¡± ¡°My former mate,¡± I choked back the words. I hadn¡¯t thought about that memory in a while but it was still raw, ¡°after he rejected me, he came into my room drunk and he-,¡± I couldn¡¯t voice the words but Ryker understood. He stayed silent but I felt a tsunami of anger hit me so hard that I had to grasp my chest to ease the red hot pain that came with the feeling. Ryker seemed to realize I was struggling to deal with his emotions because the next thing I knew, I couldn¡¯t feel him at all. He must have built a wall to cut off his emotions. from mine. I expected him to tell me to leave but he grabbed my cheeks in both. hands. His thumbs stroked my cheeks softly and he kissed me softly once- twice- three times. ¡°You are pure,¡± I opened my mouth tobat him but he cut me off, ¡°What that b astard did has nothing to do with your purity.¡± ¡°But you won¡¯t be my first.¡± ¡°I will be your first because your first time has to be given; it cannot be taken from you without your consent,¡± his touch was so soft inparison to the harsh anger burning in his eyes, ¡°Even if you gave your first to someone else willingly it wouldn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t make you any less pure.¡± ¡°I want to kill that b astard for making you feel this way and putting those thoughts in your head.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± I said immediately and he raised a brow, ¡°Please.¡± He sighed and nodded then he kissed me again, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°I want to do this.¡± I didn¡¯t know how true those words were until they left my lips. Rykery me on my back and climbed over me never once removing his lips from mine. When he was settled between my thighs, he started to slowly undo the buttons on his dress shirt that I was wearing. I felt a wave of anxiety go through me as I thought about the fact that he would be seeing me naked. I¡¯m not as skinny as Lauren; I have curves. and belly fat and I hoped it wouldn¡¯t deter him. I forgot that he could feel my thoughts until he opened himself up to me and I could feel the awe, astonishment and pure undiluted need that was seeping from him. It was his way of telling me that he didn¡¯t care about how my body looked, and I felt a rush of power go through my head. When I was fully naked in front of him, he pulled back to admire my body. I debated covering myself with my hands but the way he was staring at me had me burning with need and pride. He leaned over me and kissed my neck- directly over my mark. I have. heard that the mark is an erogenous zone but I didn¡¯t realize how true that was until he kissed mine. My back bowed off the bed and his name left my lips in a heavy whisper. ¡°Say it again,¡± he breathed as he kissed me there again. I was already soaking wet and he was making it worse, ¡°Ryker, please.¡± As he kept cing soft kisses against my neck, I felt his hand trail down my body to my folds and he ran his finger softly through them. I let out at choked gasp but he made no move to fit his finger in. Instead he kept tracing it up and down my folds making me impossibly wetter. I squirmed against his movements, ¡°Ryker please.¡± At the plea, he slipped one finger in and I moaned. He kissed my lips once more and his free hand came up to tweak my nipples as his finger worked its way in and out of me. His lips reced his finger at my breast just as he slipped out his finger and pushed two in. it was a snug fit and his fingers hit a spot that had me bowing my head in pleasure. I was climbing the peak of pleasure and he knew it too because he kept up his pace and when his thumb flicked my c lit, I came all over his hands. ¡°I want to taste you,¡± he whispered to me as he rode out my o rgasm with his fingers, ¡°but I know you¡¯re not ready for that now.¡± He pulled out his fingers and licked my juices straight off them. It was weirdly erotic and I was staring at him with wide eyes. I can¡¯t tell you how quickly he happened but the next moment, he was naked as well and I was staring at his long and thick member wondering how it would fit inside me without tearing me straight open. He must have felt my fear because he leaned down and kissed me softly. His hand worked my c lit again until I was a weeping mess almost begging him to let me or gasm. That was when I felt his head at my entrance. There was a small pinch as he pushed into me and I thought that was it until he pushed into the hilt and white light shed across my vision. It was a tight fit and I had to breathe through my nose to get used to the feeling of him inside me. He waited patiently, never once moving until I became ustomed to him. I squirmed from the fullness and he took that as his sign to move. His hand h ooked around my thigh and he raised it higher on his waist. The movement had my eyes rolling in the back of my head. He kept that angle and made love to me slowly until his name was the undoing on my lips. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Being mated with Ryker has been a very different feeling. Since we mated, our bond has been stronger and I can always feel him at the back of my mind, like an ever constant presence. The first night after we mated, I wasn¡¯t sure whether he would want me to spend the night in his room again so I had retreated to my room, only for him to knock on my door a few minutester. I opened it and he walked inside then stripped and proceeded to lie down on my bed. When I asked what he was doing, he had said. ¡°If you don¡¯t feelfortableing to me then I¡¯lle to you.¡± have spent every night in his room since then. In fact, right now my room is more of a formality. Most of my things have been moved into his and the only time I have gone back to my room is when I need to knit with Eve. A soft kiss to my temple pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up from my position on the oversized bed to see Ryker leaning over me. ¡°We have to train,¡± he reminded me and I groaned but pulled myself out of bed. I didn¡¯t feel well rested; maybe it was because I didn¡¯t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning due to Ryker realizing that he found my nightgowns extremely s exy. I changed into my gym cloths and dragged my tired body out of the room and down the stairs where I knew he would be waiting. He was holding two bottles of water and when he saw me, I saw his eyes darken for a second before they switched back to normal. That should have been my first inclination that training probably wouldn¡¯t go very smoothly but I ignored it. We trained in our usual spot and I was happy to note that I was actually building up my stamina and I was getting better at sparring. He hated sparring with me but he did it because he knew I had to learn. I knew he was going easy on me but regardless, the first day we soared, he had me on my back within seconds. He still beats me but at least I can hold my own for a while, sometimes even a few minutes. We were sparring when Ryker spun me around and pulled me close to his chest, his hand was at the base of my throat and although it should have signified the end of the session, neither of us moved.¡¯ He buried his head into my neck and pressed a small kiss to my mark that had my knees wobbling. ¡°Ryker,¡± I warned but he didn¡¯t seem to care because he did it again. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Do you know how beautiful you look in that outfit?¡± he whispered. against the shell of my ear. I didn¡¯t respond and his hand moved to my waist to run his thumb across the sliver of skin that was showing. I knew it was incredibly reckless of us to do this in public where anyone could see us but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. He traced his lips across the shell of my ear then he pulled back abruptly. I was so shocked by the change in motion that it took me a few seconds. to understand what had just happened. I turned to him with curious eyes and he offered me a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted,¡± he exined to me as he ced a hand on my lower back to lead me inside, ¡°I saw it in your stance throughout training. Let¡¯s get some food into you first.¡± By the time we got in, Eve had already set the table. I thought I was going upstairs to get changed first but Ryker led me to the table. It wasn¡¯t until after I had finished eating that I realized just how hungry and exhausted I previously was. Ryker must have been paying extra attention to me in order to have noticed it when I didn¡¯t even realize. Ryker finished eating first and he went to freshen up while I stayed down a little longer to finish up my food. By the time I was done, I stood to my feet but my knees wobbled and I almost fell down. I gripped the table for dear life and tried to regte my breathing before I took another step. I was grateful no one saw me because Ryker would have flipped out about my well being. It was a chore to make my way back up the stairs but I managed to drag my body into Ryker¡¯s room. When I got there, he was stepping out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. Despite my tiredness, I could feel myself getting turned on for him but I knew I wouldn¡¯t have the energy to keep up with him so I cast my eyes to the ground as I made my way over to the edge of the bed. I sat down but Ryker¡¯s footstep carried until I saw hime to rest in stilte front of me. He cupped my cheeks softly and tilted my head upwards. until I was looking him directly in the eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked and I nodded, ¡°you look a little green.¡± I shook my head which was a mistake because it made my entire head pound, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need to take a bath and go to bed.¡± He went quiet for a second then he pulled back from me and disappeared into his closet. When he returned, he was in silk pajama trousers and he was shirtless. He picked me up bridal style and carried me into the bathroom where he deposited me on the floor. Before I could ask what he was doing, he slowly stripped my clothes off me, never once taking his eyes off my face as he did so. He balled up the sweaty clothes and put them in the hamper before picking me up again. and putting me in the tub. He filled the tub with warm water and that was when he brought a wash cloth. ¡°I can do it,¡± I told him but he ignored me and soaped it up, ¡°Ryker, I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Let me do this for you.¡± There was a sort of plea and vulnerability in his voice that had me pausing in my tracks and nodding. He washed my entire body and even when his hands brushed against the sensitive parts of me; it felt more intimate than sexual. He cleaned me up and wiped me down with a fluffy towel then carried me back into the room again. He ced me on the bed and retrieved a white nightgown for me. Before he put it on me, he let his eyes roam my body and then he went on his knees in front of me. I was confused as to what he was doing until his finger softly traced the barely there scar on my stomach. I watched him as he traced it in silence then he stood to his feet and helped me put on the nightgown. As soon as I was dressed, there was a knock on the door and Ryker opened it to reveal Eve. She had a small sh in her hands along with a mug that was steaming hot. She ced both of them on the table and left immediately. Ryker handed me the cup and I realized it was tea. ¡°Drink,¡± he instructed, ¡°it will help you fall asleep.¡± ¡°Ryker you don¡¯t have to do all of this,¡± I whispered as I took the cup from him, ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired that¡¯s all.¡± He smiled knowingly and kissed my forehead, ¡°You¡¯re my mate,¡± he exined, ¡°if you are in pain or difort then so am I. I don¡¯t care if it is tiredness or if you pr icked your finger on a rose thorn. I will do everything in my power to ease your diforts or I will never be comfortable myself.¡± I sighed in resignation because I knew I wasn¡¯t going to win with him and drank the tea. When I was done, he took the cup from me and gestured for me to lie down. After lying down, he crawled into bed beside me and pulled me into his chest-pulled me over his chest sounds like a better description if I¡¯m being honest. He was sitting up and I was practically draped all over his body. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work?¡± I asked and he hummed, ¡°you should be getting dressed to leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Cami.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to bete.¡± Heughed at my words, ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha Cami, I cannot bete.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± I began again and he sighed. ¡°I will work from home today,¡± I was about to protest and he knew it too because he cut me off, ¡°nothing you say will change anything. I will be more useful here where I can keep an eye on you. If I go there, I will spend my entire day worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m disrupting your life so much.¡± His entire body froze at my words and one second I was lying down, the next I was sitting straddling him and he was gripping my jaw so I wouldn¡¯t look away from him. ¡°You have never disrupted my life,¡± his voice was low and he enunciated every word, ¡°it is a pleasure and a privilege to look after you.¡± ¡°I was just-,¡± ¡°Understand me Cami,¡± he cut me off, ¡°I will look after you forever if you give me the chance. You have never been a disruption or a bother.¡± I nodded and he kissed my lips softly theny me flush against his body once more. His fingers began to run through my scalp and the feeling was so blissfully euphoric that I felt my eyes begin to droop of their own ord. I tried to fight it for as long as I could, but sleep kept pulling me under. ¡°I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡± Ryker promised and that was all I needed to finally allow the darkness take me. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 When I woke up, I actually didn¡¯t expect to see Ryker. Some part of me thought that he had only said that in order to get me to sleep but when my mind came into focus; I was shocked to see Ryker sitting up on the bed with a bunch of papers in his hands and beside him. I knew he had to be ufortable as hell because I was draped all over his legs and he was seated up against the headboard and trying to do hist work without bothering me at all. I shifted in hisp and he immediately ceased all movements. I peered up at him and he immediately pushed the papers aside in favor of giving me all of his attention. I sat up trying to ignore the pounding headache I was feeling at the back of my skull and I offered him a small smile. ¡°Hi,¡± I said sheepishly and I saw the corner of his lips quirk up. ¡°Hi back,¡± I smiled at him, ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I feel, better,¡± I paused before adding thest part wondering whether or not I should tell him about the headache but I stayed silent. He ran his hand down my cheek softly, ¡°You still have a fever.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± I tried to assure him, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll go down on its own.¡± He frowned deeply, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take that chance.¡± He stood to his feet and I watched in silence as he rang the bell by his side of the bed. Shortly after ringing it, there was a knock on the door and Ryker opened it to reveal Eve holding a tray of food. She offered me a small smile as she ced the broth and bread on the table next to me. She bowed to me and then Ryker before exiting the room and leaving us draped inplete silence. Ryker moved over to my side of the bed and sat next to me. He ced the tray in myp and gestured for me to eat. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask and I took his silence as an answer. ¡°You should eat something.¡± ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± I frowned at him then handed him a piece of the garlic bread. He tried to refuse it at first but when he realized that I had no ns on eating unless he ate as well, he finally resigned and took it from me. We ate together in silence and I could honestly rate it as one of the best experiences we have had together. By the time we finished, my headache had gotten so much worse and I felt like someone was trying to split my head open and tear it into two. It was bing more difficult to hide and I had to bury my head in between my thighs because the brightness seemed to be making it worse. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ryker asked and I nodded, ¡°B ullshit, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the lights.¡± I said finally. I still wasn¡¯t looking up but I heard him move around until I heard a soft click and I felt the room go into darkness. I still didn¡¯t raise my head until I heard him draw the curtains shut. He had plunged the room intoplete darkness and although my headache was still there, I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful that he was willing to do this for me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed and he nodded but I could still feel the ridges. and tenseness of his skin. ¡°I¡¯m calling Lucy to check on you.¡± I opened my mouth toin but he cut me off, ¡°Something is wrong with you whether you want to admit it or not and Lucy is going to tell us what it is.¡± I nodded finally because I knew it was the best deal I was going to get and I allowed him mind link the doctor. A part of me wondered if he was tired of all the house calls. If I had a wolf then I wouldn¡¯t be getting sick. and having all these issues. As we waited for Lucy to arrive, he pulled me into his chest and stroked my hair and I suddenly remembered something. ¡°How is Steven?¡± I asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him around in a while.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be here when I leave. I figured there was no need having him watching you when I was here too. Why did you ask?¡± ¡°I just never got to thank him for helping me thest time he was here. I didn¡¯t even know I was in heat and it would have ended badly.¡± ¡°It would have if he wasn¡¯t here.¡± Ryker agreed, ¡°But I will be sure to ry your gratitude to him.¡± We stayed like that inplete silence until there was a knock on the door. Ryker went to open it and before he did, he turned on the lights again. I had gotten so used to the darkness that it took me a full minute with me blinking rapidly before I got used to the light. Lucy walked in wearing her usual doctor¡¯s coat with a small bag in her hands. She offered me a warm smile as she made her way over to me and pressed her hand against my forehead. ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked and I shrugged, ¡°Can you rate it on a scale of 1 to 5.¡± ¡°Maybe a three,¡± I trailed off, ¡°Or a three and a half. I don¡¯t feel terrible but I don¡¯t feel good.¡± She hummed to herself and took out some things from her bag. She checked my temperature and my reflexes but those seemed to be normal excluding my temperature which was a little above average. When she tried to sh her little light into my eyes, I winced because of how bright it was and how sensitive my eyes were. ¡°Is it okay if I take a blood sample?¡± she asked and I nodded. I tried to ignore the needle as she brought it close to me. I¡¯m not scared of needles but I would rather not have to look at them as they go into my skin and I have never been awake when someone poked a needle into me. I braced myself expecting the worst of the pain but it was barely a pr ick and she was done. ¡°I will take this back to theb and run a few tests to see if I can figure out what¡¯s wrong,¡± she said mostly to Ryker than to me, ¡°In the meantime, I suggest a lot of air and sunlight. Maybe it¡¯s just a twenty four hour virus and she will be fine soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry we had to drag you all the way out here.¡± I said softly and she waved me off. ¡°Please, it was no problem at all.¡± She bowed to both of us and exited the room leaving both Ryker and I inplete silence once more. He stared at me for a full minute before he made his way over to me and held out a hand for me to take. I stared at him cautiously but I trusted him and I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me so I took his hand and allowed him lead me out of the room. As we passed the living room, I caught Eve¡¯s eye and she smiled at me as he pulled me out through the front doors. I realized the path we were taking and I paused mid step as I turned to stare at him. ¡°I¡¯m in my nightgown.¡± I reminded him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I have changed first?¡± ¡°You¡¯re at home Cami; you can wear whatever you want.¡± Dudzes was still a mystery to me in a lot of ways. I was shocked that he didn¡¯t demand that I was impably dressed at all times. Tyson always used to demand that of his friends and everyone else. I have never seen Lisa look anything short of impably dressed and I worked in the pack house. But here I was walking around in a nightgown and slippers while Ryker wasn¡¯t even remotely bothered by it. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m also in pajama pants,¡± I looked down at him and realized that he was wearing silk pajama pants. I could only imagine what a sight we were to behold walking around the woods at the back of the house in nothing but pajamas and slippers. If I had seen us a few months back, I would have said that we were crazy. We walked over to the littleke with the waterfall and Ryker pulled off his shirt and pants. I looked away when I realized he was naked underneath and I heard a ssh. By the time I turned back, he was in the waterpletely naked. ¡°You shoulde in,¡± I shook my head vehemently making himugh; ¡°I promise it isn¡¯t that cold, and it might make you feel better.¡± I stared at him as I bit the inside of my cheek in contemtion. He did look like he was having fun but I wasn¡¯t sure how eager I was to get inside the water naked. ¡°I¡¯m right here¡± he assured me, ¡°Come.¡± ¡°You have to turn around first.¡± I knew my request was impractical considering the fact that he had already seen me naked a handful of times but he obliged. He turned his back to me and even made a show of covering his eyes with his hands. I stripped off the gown and slowly made my way towards the water. I put my foot in first and I realized that he had lied earlier; the water was freezing cold. I slowly made my way deeper into the water until it covered everything that needed to be covered and I swam over to where Ryker was. ¡°You can look now.¡± He turned around and I realized how close we were. I could feel his thigh brushing mine but it was almost as if he was making a deliberate effort to not have his body touch mine. I wondered why but I didn¡¯t want to ask mainly because I didn¡¯t want to break the spell. ¡°You lied,¡± I said finally and his brows scrunched up in confusion, ¡°You lied about the water, it is cold.¡± He threw his head back andughed. It was a heartyugh that had my insides squirming and turning around as if there was a tornado in there. ¡°It got you toe in didn¡¯t it?¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 I sshed him right after that and it wasn¡¯t until I saw the shocked expression on his face that I realized what I had done. Guilt wracked me immediately, ¡°I am so-,¡± Before the apology could leave my lips, he sshed me back. Water got into my mouth and I sputtered instantly as I tried to get it out of my mouth. By the time I looked back at him, he was trying and failing to hide hisugh. We swam around trying to ssh each other and avoid the sshes from the other person. It was fun and I couldn¡¯t believe I was actually having so much fun. I wasn¡¯t worried about anyone finding us or anything else. All I was focusing on was him. I was trying to get water out of my eyes and I looked around to see that Ryker was nowhere to be found. I started to worry and I looked around. to see if he was hiding behind me. ¡°Ryker,¡± I called out but I couldn¡¯t see him or get any response. ¡°Ryker where are you?¡± I was starting to panic when I felt a hand wrap around my waist. I screamed but then I heard his laughter behind me and my body rxed and eased up. I turned to see Rykerughing with reckless abandon and I pped my hand against his chest yfully. ¡°Ryker,¡± I muttered, ¡°I was so scared.¡± Heughed and pulled me into his chest. My hands wrapped around his shoulders and he smiled down at me as his hands moved down to grip my hips. I tried to hang on to my faux anger but the way he smiled had the corner of my lips lifting up too. ¡°Let me show you something,¡± he whispered to me. He pulled away from me and I instantly missed the feel of his skin on me. He swam towards the waterfall and I followed him wondering what he wanted to show me. He turned to make sure I was following him and then he disappeared into the waterfall. I paused and stared with my mouth open and wondering if I should follow or not. He poked his upper body out of the waterfall and held out his hand. I took it and before I could process anything, he had pulled me into the waterfall and into the other side. My mouth fell open as I took in the scene before me. There was ake behind the waterfall,plete with little fireflies. It wasn¡¯t anything much but something about it felt so serene and called out to me. If Ryker found this as a child, I¡¯m not surprised he wanted to live here, I would too. I was busy staring that I didn¡¯t notice when Ryker swam up behind me. His hands wrapped around my waist from behind and he pulled me flush against him. Heat pooled in my center as I felt his entire length standing erect and proud behind me. He pulled my hair away from my neck and pressed open mouthed kisses to the spot. I tilted my head back to give him better ess. ¡°Do you like it?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was asking about the kisses or the cave but I nodded all the same. One of his hands trailed up from my waist to cup my breast in his hands and he squeezed. He tweaked my nipples until they were both pointed peaks and after that he pinched one at the same time that he licked my mark making me arch my back in pure and undiluted pleasure. Even with the water all around us, I could feel myself getting extremely wet and I subconsciously began to grind my hips against his length. He made a sound that was a mixture between a grunt and a growl and he pulled away from me. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to happen,¡± he said as he backed me up into a smooth rock and I felt my back hit it, ¡°But I¡¯m notining.¡± His hands wrapped around my thighs and he lifted me. At the point. where we stood, his hips were out of the water and from the way I was wrapped around his waist, so was I. My back was still leaning against the smooth rock and from our position, his d ick was pressed up against my slit and every movement I made coated him with my juices and sent a shock wave of pleasure into me. He leaned down and when his hot mouth came in contact with my breast I let out an embarrassinglyContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. loud moan. ¡°Ryker,¡± his name on my lips was like a prayer and a plea. His lips closed around my nipple and his teeth grazed the stone hard peaks, ¡°how does that feel?¡± when I didn¡¯t respond, he bit me harder, ¡°I asked a question.¡± ¡°It feels good,¡± I rushed out, ¡°Please don¡¯t stop.¡± He guided my hips to rock over his length as his mouth assaulted my nipples and entire torso. He was licking, biting and sucking and the pleasure was overwhelming. I wanted more and from the way my p ussy clenched around nothing, I knew I wanted him. I didn¡¯t have to ask, it was as if he knew exactly what I was requesting for. He positioned his hips so that the tip was directly at my entrance and he pushed into me slowly. He was still a tight fit but the burn only encouraged me to want him. deeper. His hips finally connected with mine as he was seated deeply. He didn¡¯t move immediately, he just hissed under his breath and settled his head against my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to be over before it even begins,¡± he murmured, ¡°you feel so good around me.¡± His words had myher regions weeping and I knew he could feel it too because he kept murmuring sweet nothings in my ears. His words had as much impact as his member that was currently throbbing inside of me. Through the haze of his words, I felt him begin to move inside of me slowly. He rocked his hips and I threw my head back as a moan left me. He pulled back almostpletely out of me and rocked back in. The pleasure was unwatched and I felt my nails dig deep into his skin. On a normal day, I would have cared about whether or not I was hurting him but all I could focus on was t he orgasm that he was pushing me closer to. I gripped him as hard as I could as t he orgasm wrecked through me and threatened to drive me insane. He rode my o rgasm out of me and then he came inside me with a guttural grunt. We stayed like that trying to catch our breaths and regain ourposure. My legs unwrapped themselves from his waist and I wobbled slightly as I tried to catch my footing. I saw the corner of his lips tilt up in a self satisfied smirk and his hand ran through my curls softly. ¡°You look so beautiful like this,¡± he murmured, ¡°I wish I could keep us in here forever.¡± ¡°You have duties Ryker.¡± ¡°So it seems,¡± he didn¡¯t seem like he was paying attention to what I was saying, his eyes were fixated on my face. They didn¡¯t stay mobile on one feature though, it was like he was trying to memorize the shape and the I noticed the shape of my nails on his shoulders and I winced at how reddened they looked. I ran my finger over it softly and shot him an apologetic look. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I said immediately as guilt wracked through me, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I hurt you this much.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± I shot him a disbelieving look and he leaned into my ear, ¡°Feeling your nails dig into my skin was euphoric. Do you know why? It is because it means that you are at the precipice of pleasure and I was the one who took you there. I don¡¯t give a f uck if you tear up my back or my shoulders as long as I get to feel your legs tremble as I wring that or gasm. out of you.¡± Just like that, I was ready for him again and he knew it, he could smell it- I could too. The air smelled like sex and me and I knew if we weren¡¯t careful, we would do it again and again until we were both too tired and spent to move. I cleared my throat and took a slow step back so he wouldn¡¯t be tempted to grab me. ¡°We should start heading back,¡± I said finally and Ryker nodded in agreement. We swam back out of the waterfall and towards where we had set our clothes. He helped me out of the water and dried me off with his shirt. even though I tried to refuse. Once I was dry, I put on my night gown and he put on his pants but hung the wet shirt over his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we walked back towards the house and I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy the feeling of his warm skin pressed flush against me. I don¡¯t know when it started but I had begun to enjoy Ryker¡¯spany and now I can¡¯t imagine not having it. ¡°I have a question,¡± he began and I nced up at him, ¡°remember that it is just a question and you have the right to refuse or agree.¡± I nodded although I was getting a little anxious. Whatever he wanted to ask must be important for him to say that. ¡°Do you want to have a mating ceremony?¡± I froze mid step, ¡°Nothing will change the fact that we are mated but it is a formal introduction for you into the pack. You will be able to mind link the members and it officially makes you Luna.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he cut me off. Love to face him and cupped my cheeks with both hands, ¡°Take all the time you need to think about it. There is no rush at all.¡± He kissed my forehead softly and I believed him. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 By the next day, I wasn¡¯t perfectly fine but I managed to convince Ryker that I was. Thankfully, he taught mest night how to build a wall and I was able to keep him out of my head so he wouldn¡¯t feel the difort and pain I was currently feeling. After he left, I was able to drop all pretense and lock myself up in his- our room. I tangled myself in the sheets so I was wrapped up in his scent. because it made the headaches and the nausea a little better. There was a knock on the door after some time and I realized I had actually drifted off to sleep. I forced myself out of bed to see Eve standing there with a confused look. ¡°I thought you would be down for breakfast earlier,¡± she began, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I tried to assure her as I made my way out of the room. ¡°I can call the Alpha,¡± she began but I vehemently shook my head which proved to be a terrible mistake considering the way my head started to pound. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Eve,¡± I lied through my teeth, ¡°Cam we just go down for breakfast?¡± I knew she didn¡¯t believe me but she decided to let it drop and walked ahead of me into the dining room. It took every bit of strength and effort that I had to carry my feet without falling t on my face. As I sat in the chair, I breathed out a sigh of relief and I muttered a quick thanks to the moon goddess that Eve didn¡¯t notice. She went to retrieve. my breakfast and I saw Steven make his way into the dining room. I hadn¡¯t seen him since my heat and as the memories rushed through me, I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. ¡°Luna,¡± he bowed and I quickly put my hands out to stop him. ¡°Cami is perfectly fine,¡± I assured him, ¡°I think we¡¯re way past the Luna stage, don¡¯t you?¡± He chuckled softly to himself, ¡°If you say so Cami.¡± He walked over to me and paused in front of one of the chairs almost as if he was asking for permission. As I gestured for him to sit down, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the stark differences between him and Lauren. She would have sat down without even asking and she would have never used the title of Luna to address me. For obvious reasons, I liked Steven better. Eve returned holding two trays in her hands and she dropped the first one in front of me then the second in front of Steven. ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to,¡± he began but she cut him off. ¡°You¡¯re with us now and we take care of our own.¡± I could see that he was shocked by her hospitality but he nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± We ate in silence; I havee to realize that Steven isn¡¯t a man of many words. He just kept his eyes down and his face buried in his food and I did the same. He finished first and was about to leave when I stopped him. ¡°I never thanked you for before,¡± I began, ¡°How did you even know I was in heat?¡± ¡°I remembered how I felt when Maya went into heat. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life because I was young and I didn¡¯t know what was happening except that I was attracted to her and she was in pain. Thankfully, she knew all about it and helped the both of us get through it.¡± ¡°She sounds amazing.¡± ¡°She is.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said finally, ¡°I know Ryker said he would tell you but I figured that you should hear it from me too.¡± ¡°It was no big deal.¡± He assured me, ¡°I was just doing my job.¡± I don¡¯t know how to exin what happened next. One second, we were talking and the next, I felt a searing pain go down the length of my spine. I let out a groan and fell to the floor as the pin threatened to swallow me whole. I could hear yelling from Steven and I heard footsteps and felt Eve¡¯s small hands on my shoulders. I knew she was saying words but I couldn¡¯t make them out and they wouldn¡¯t register in my brain because the pain. was simply unbearable. I felt hands lift me off the ground and I knew they were Steven¡¯s. I could see Eve running ahead of us. I recognized the hallway as the one leading to Ryker¡¯s room but I couldn¡¯t fixate on it much as another searing pain. hit my spine and shoulders and I screamed- louder than I ave ever heard myself scream before. Steven deposited me on Ryker¡¯s bed, I didn¡¯t even realize we had gotten into the room but his scent did nothing to ease the pain. It had moved from my shoulders and threatened to swallow me whole. It was everywhere all at once and I wanted nothing more than for it to stop. As if someone heard my prayers, the pain dulled for a second and was nothing more than a ringing in my ears. I blinked my eyes open only to see Eve and Steven pacing the length of the room in worry. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eve asked when she noticed my eyes open but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to form a single sentence. ¡°The Alpha will be here soon.¡± Steven cut in, ¡°He knew something was wrong before I even mind linked him. He¡¯s running here, just hang on.¡± I wanted to respond, but what came out was a choked out s ob as my entire arm felt like it was being burned off. I couldn¡¯t describe what was happening to me even if I tried, it felt like someone had taken hotva and poured it over my bones. The pain was inside of my skin and in that moment, I desperately wanted to reach in and pull my entire body out of my skin. Within two minutes, the door to the room burst open and Ryker rushed in looking panicked and worried. Only his cks were on, his shirt was nowhere to be found and I knew he must have not bothered to put it on after he shifted back. He rushed over to my side and slowly pushed back the hair that had stuck to my forehead because of the sweat. ¡°This is why I never like to leave your side,¡± he whispered as he took me in, ¡°Something bad always seems to happen when I do.¡± I wanted to assure him that I was fine. Even in pain, it was still my instinct to lie to him but when I opened my mouth, all that came out was an ear splitting scream as I felt every single bone in my hand snap and rearrange itself. Ryker ?seemed to notice the action too because his eyes widened and understanding filled his features. ¡°She¡¯s shifting,¡± he said more to me than anyone else. I could hear the collective gasps from the other two people in the room but Ryker didn¡¯t even turn to them. He lifted me in his arms despite the fact that I was still screaming as the other bones in my body decided to take a cue from my arm. I vaguely registered him carrying me out of the room and into the forest. I could feel the wind whipping past my ears as he ran with me in his arms until he got to the training field. He slowly deposited me on the floor and I realized in that moment how being in his arms had made me forget about the pain. I felt my spine snap in two and tears leaked from my eyes. ¡°Ryker,¡± his name was on my lips, ¡°Please make it stop.¡± I felt him by my side immediately and he pressed a kiss to my temple, ¡°it¡¯ll be over soon. You¡¯re almost there.¡± I wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t want to shift; I just wanted the pain to stop because it was blinding. If this is what they go through every time they shift then I am more than happy to not have a wolf. ¡°The first time is the worst time,¡± he whispered as if he heard my thoughts, ¡°You¡¯re almost done, I promise you. Everything will be fine soon.¡± The pain that overtook me in that moment was worse than everything I had felt earlier and I swear I cked out for a second. When I opened my eyes, I could see ws erupting from my fingertips and fur growing over my skin. My back bowed in pain as I felt my bones break and reset into my wolf form. It was over in one second and I was standing on all fours. Everything felt and looked different. All of my senses were heightened beyond measure and I could hear the river from our waterfall which I knew was still a few feet away. I could see the bugs that were moving around on the tress and I could smell everything, from the food in the kitchen to a rabbit that was hopping around a few miles away. I was so overwhelmed by the scents and sounds that I didn¡¯t notice Ryker had shifted beside me until he nuzzled my side with his wet nose. I looked over at him and for the first time, I felt what he felt with our mate. bond. It was overwhelming and I wanted nothing more than to stay by his side and never leave. I got his natural scent for the first time and it was the best thing I have ever had the privilege ofing across. I sniffed his coat less than discreetly and I could feel his amusement rushing down the bond. His wolf was a jet ck color with fur as soft as silk and he was a lot taller than 110 OTION in wolf form impressive considering he was taller than his human form by a lot. His eyes were as dark as midnight and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what I looked like. From what I could see, my paws were a snowy white color but I couldn¡¯t see myself fully. He nudged me with his nose and I heard his voice in my head, ¡°Do you want to go for a run?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can even walk like this.¡± ¡°Just try,¡± he said back, ¡°I¡¯m right here to catch you if you fall.¡± He sounded so sure and I believed him. I believed that if I fell, he would grab me and he wouldn¡¯t let me get hurt. It was that assurance that had me sighing deeply and taking the first step.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 I wobbled on my first step and just like Ryker promised, he was right there next to me using hisrge body to hold me up. It took me a while to get used to walking on four feet and the moment I did, I took off in a sprint. I heard Ryker¡¯s yap of pleasure from behind me before he chased after me. He would yfully nip my tail whenever he got close enough and I would push my paws to go faster. I knew from his sheer size that if he wanted to catch up to me, he would, but for some reason, he was enjoying the sheer pleasure of the chase as much as I was.. He finally collided with me when we got to our waterfall. I paused at the thought- I didn¡¯t know when I started seeing the ce as ours but I guess. it was fitting considering it was our ce. We tumbled to the floor but he absorbed most of the impact with his body and Inded on top of him. Hisrge tongue licked the side of my face and I yelped and jumped off him. I walked over to theke and nced inside. It was so surreal to see therge white wolf staring back at me with bright amber colored eyes. There was something on my shoulder but I couldn¡¯t make out the shape. Having a wolf is everything I have ever wanted and all I needed to do was just be patient for it. I have a feeling that Ryker had something to do with my shifting. I don¡¯t know why but I just do and I felt grateful for him. It took me a second to realize that my walls were down and my emotions. were wide open for him to read. He walked up to my side and nuzzled my neck with his nose and I let him. He sat on the floor and gestured for me to do the same. I wasted no time in joining him there and I ced my head against his front paws while he alternated between licking the fur around my head or nuzzling me. ¡°How do you feel?¡± I heard his voice in my head just when I could feel myself dozing off, ¡°Did it live up to your expectations?¡± I knew what he was asking but I had a different question, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that it was like this?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± even though he was curious, he never once stopped grooming me. ¡°The bond,¡± I exined, ¡°What I feel now is only a fraction of what I used to feel before. Has it always been like this for you?¡± He hummed, ¡°It¡¯s a little more than that actually. The bond an Alpha has with their mate ispletely unrivaled. It¡¯s not something that can ever be exined.¡± ¡°How did you deal with it? Especially when I wouldn¡¯t even let youe near me.¡± Instant guilt filled me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if I had known-,¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± he cut me off, ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t know because then you weren¡¯t forced to be around me because of pity. I wanted you toe to me because you wanted toe to me and not because of the bond.¡± ¡°So if I never wanted that. If I wanted to leave, would you have let me?¡± ¡°No,¡± he didn¡¯t waste any time thinking before he responded, ¡°At first I tried to convince myself I would have but the moment you actually voiced out that you wanted to, I knew I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m never letting you go Cami; even if I have to scour the ends of the earth to bring you back home I will.¡± I tried to ignore the butterflies that erupted in my belly at his words. It felt nice to know that someone cared enough to want me to stay and that he would do anything to keep it that way. I to-be nuzzled further into his hold and he did what I expected him to- he just held me. We stayed like that for a while before Ryker helped me shift back. I had forgotten that I was going to be stark naked and I flushed pink. Ryker returned to retrieve his clothes and he gave me his shirt to cover up myself. It fell to my upper thighs and although I still felt exposed, it was better than walking around naked. Ryker put on his trousers and leaned against a tree to stare at me in his shirt. I squirmed in my spot and looked up at him through myshes. ¡°Why are you staring?¡± I asked and he just shrugged. ¡°You should wear my clothes more often.¡± I flushed pink and Ryker just chuckled under his breath and held out his hand for me to take. I wastedN?velDrama.Org holds this content. no time in slipping my fingers into his and I watched in fascination as hisrge hand dwarfed mine. It was easily almost twice the size and it was rough and callused in contrast with my dainty and soft palms. He squeezed softly and I found a small smile growing on my face. By the time we got to our room, I didn¡¯t feel the need to change. I just crawled into bed in Ryker¡¯s shirt while he put on another one and left the room. He returned with a tray of food and told me I needed to regain the strength I had lost while in my wolf form and he told me that I would probably start eating a lot more because I needed to feed my wolf form as well as my human. The thought brought a weird feeling over me. I know that Ryker will never have a problem with how little or how much I eat but it still doesn¡¯t stop the weird rtionship I have with food. It just feels weird to know that at one point in my life, I was barely scraping by a meal a day and now, I get to eat as much as I want whenever I want. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even realize I had started ying around with my food until I felt Ryker take a seat right next to me on the bed. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± he asked and I shrugged, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, that¡¯s fine but it is not nothing.¡± ¡°I was just thinking about Tyson¡¯s pack,¡± I admitted and I saw his eyes darken, ¡°It was nothing serious, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± His hand slowly moved to cup the back of my head and he ced a soft kiss on my forehead. I could feel his body vibrating from what I assume is anger but his hold on me was anything but angry. It was soft and careful, almost as if he was deliberately trying not to hurt me. ¡°You don¡¯t ever have to think about that.¡± He assured me, ¡°You are never going back there again. There is nothing for you to worry about.¡± ¡°What if he wants me back?¡± I uttered the thoughts that had been scaring me, ¡°When I left, he was searching for me. What if he finds out that I¡¯m here and he wants me back?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t going to have you.¡± The sheer fierceness and determination in his voice has my spine straightening, ¡°Make no mistake about it Cami, you are mine and I protect what is mine. If he wants you then he is wee to try but best believe that I will make sure I turn his pack into rubble before he lays a finger on you again.¡± My skin heated at his words and my mouth gaped open as I stared at him. I wouldn¡¯t admit it but his words made my lower belly clench and I felt a rush of wetness in the apex of my thighs. I wasn¡¯t wearing underwear so it made the feeling worse and I knew I had to change the subject or else something else was going to happen. I wracked my brain for something and I ended up blurting out the first bing that HTTTI His eyes widened and he cleared his throat, ¡°That is a subject change if I¡¯ve ever seen one. Do you not want me to be nice to you?¡± ¡°I do,¡± I stuttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why. You¡¯re the Alpha and you¡¯re nice to everyone.¡± ¡°Being the Alpha does not give me the right to be rude to anyone, much less to you.¡± He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ears, ¡°You¡¯re my mate, my equal. I treat you the way I would want to be treated myself, with love and care. I also have a little sister and I would kill anyone who treated her anything less than perfect.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to meet your sister someday.¡± ¡°I know that she would love to meet you too,¡± he assured me, ¡°She is just upied with her own thing right now. But the moment she is back, I assure you that you will pray for her to return.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be that bad,¡± I chuckled. ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t met Riley yet.¡± Regardless of what he said, it was obvious that he cared for his sister and my heart warmed at the thought. I couldn¡¯t help but think about what he would be like as a father and my cheeks flushed when I realized the direction my thoughts had taken. He noticed the flush of my cheeks but he chose not toment on it and I was grateful for it. I trained my eyes on my try of food and forced myself to finish every single bite in an attempt to get the image of Ryker with a child of his own- our own- out of my head. When I was done, I put the tray on the side of the bed and cleared my throat. The picture was still ingrained at the fore front of my mind and the more I thought about it, the more realistic it became. Ryker has never said anything about having children but I would imagine he wants them, every Alpha does, right? ¡°Where¡¯s your mind at?¡± he tapped the side of my head lightly and I tried to hide my eyes in embarrassment, ¡°Nowhere, I just zoned out.¡± We both knew I was lying but one thing I love about Ryker is that he knows when to push and he knows when to let it slide. Did I just say love? I was so hyper fixated on that one word that I didn¡¯t even notice when Ryker took off his clothes. One minute we were talking and the next, he Wie el ????????????? ?????????? *** in mumer and herughed and grilled on free bake thinking sheer grotting Soin any ??????????? ???? ??????na] [eal?son ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± my voice came out in stammers and he justughed and pulled me into his chest. ¡°You need to rest Cami,¡± his hot breath was against my ear and I was thinking about anything but rest. I subconsciously rocked back into him and he grabbed my hips in a firm grip. ¡°That is going to be counterproductive,¡± he groaned in my ear and I had to squeeze my thighs hard, ¡°Go to sleep, I¡¯ll make you feel goodter.¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 During training the next morning, Ryker made me runps in my wolf form. He said it was to build stamina and to help me get used to that. form. Shifting stung but it wasn¡¯t an outright pain like yesterday and he assured me that after the third or fourth time, I wouldn¡¯t feel any pain at all. Our training was mainly him chasing me around and it was quite fun. By the time we were done, he kissed me and that was when I realized that I hadn¡¯t given him an answer a few days ago when he asked if I wanted a mating ceremony and he had never asked again. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began slowly as we made our way back into the house. He nced down at me to show that I had his undivided attention and he slowed his steps so that we were walking side by side. ¡°Two days ago you asked if I wanted a mating ceremony.¡± I continued and he hummed, ¡°You never asked again, why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to put pressure on you. If you want it then you want it and if you don¡¯t then you don¡¯t.¡± he said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. His hand reached out for mine and I wasted no time in intecing our fingers together. He pulled me to a stop and turned me to face him. It never ceases to amaze me how much taller he than me he is and how I have to crane my neck to look at him. ¡°Cami, there¡¯s no rush for you to make a choice,¡± he assured me, ¡°I¡¯m ready to wait however long I have to for you to be ready. My pack already sees you as their Luna, I already see you as my Luna, and if you¡¯re not ready to make it official then you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I didn¡¯t realize how true the words were until they left my lips. I saw his body freeze up, ¡°I¡¯m not rushing you Cami.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not, but I¡¯m ready for it.¡± I offered up the best smile I could offer, ¡°You¡¯re not forcing me or anything, it is my choice.¡± He ran his free hand down my curls softly like he always does and I leaned into his hold. He pressed aContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. kiss to my forehead and led me into the house. We had breakfast together in silence but Ryker never once let go of my hand. He opted to eat with his left hand instead of letting mine go and it was both admirable and amusing to see. I was actually shocked that he managed to do it without spilling anything. He allowed me freshen up first and by the time we were both dressed, he told me that I would be going with him to the pack house so I could go through some of the books on the main traditions for a mating. ceremony in their pack. I was both excited and nervous but I said nothing throughout the entire carriage ride. Ryker sensed my nervousness because he held onto my hand and rubbed small circles across the back of my palm to make sure that I was calm. When we arrived, he helped me out and led me through the doors and into his office. Everyone we passed bowed to us and it made me flush pink each time someone did that. I¡¯m not used to the attention and it makes me feel a little weird and self conscious. I could feel Ryker¡¯s amusement each time someone bowed and I tried to hide behind him. ¡°They¡¯re going to be doing that a lot more once we are officially mated,¡± he said as soon as we got into his office and I nched, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I will,¡± I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m used to doing the bowing and not the other way around.¡± Heughed and pulled me in for a quick kiss that quickly turned deep as his hands wrapped around my hips and held me close to him. I wasted no time in framing his face with my small fingers and I felt the stubble from his five o¡¯clock shadow. Something about kissing him in the confines of his office felt good. He walked me back until my body hit his desk then he lifted me up and ced me right on top of it. My legs wrapped around his waist as we were now almost eye level in this position. One of his hands left my waist and moved up to wrap my hair into a tight fist and he angled my head back so he could press kisses against my neck. ¡°I¡¯ve fantasized about f ucking you against my desk,¡± he whispered and I felt a wave of wetness rush down my thighs, ¡°I¡¯ve never had anyone in my office, you would be the first.¡± The knowledge that I would be his first at something had me grinding my hips against him. I wanted nothing more than for him to strip mepletely naked and have his wicked way with me right here. I didn¡¯t oulde in at any moment: all I wanted was his hands on me and to feel him deep inside me. His hand moved to the bottom of my shirt and I knew he was about to take it off when there was a knock on the door. He froze instantly and I cursed the fact that Ryker has amazing self control. He kissed my neck once- twice and then pulled away from me. He stared down at me for the better part of a minute and I could only imagine what he was seeing; me, flushed and staring up at him in want and desire. I straightened my clothes and got off his desk but his little smirk was still present. He opened the door to reveal a woman I had never seen before. She had some books in her hands and he thanked her and took them from her before shutting the door and locking it. There were at least three books and each one was thicker than thest. I nced at them and back to him. when he arrived at my side and ced them right next to me. ¡°That is everything you need to know about the mating ceremony,¡± I stared up at him with a raised eyebrow and shock, ¡°If I could I would have taught you everything but I¡¯m not sure I know half of what is there.¡± ¡°Do I have to read all that?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°It is tradition that the Luna ns the ceremony. It is a way for the pack to see her own unique style and take on things. I have no idea why it is like that but that is how it has always been.¡± I swallowed because it felt like a lot of pressure, ¡°I will help however I can. All you need to do is ask me and I will do my best.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I cleared my throat, ¡°I should probably start with them. It¡¯ll take me ages to finish.¡± I started to side step him but he stopped me in ce. I was confused as to why until he ced me back on the table and his hands moved to the waist band of my leggings. I knew what he was asking for and I lifted my hips so he could pull them down. He didn¡¯t take them offpletely; he pulled them down to my ankles and pulled me over until I was sitting at the edge of the table. I bit my lip in anticipation as he pulled the spare chair so he was sitting directly in front of my spread thighs. ¡°A while back, I told you I wanted to taste you,¡± he began and I swallowed deeply as he stared at the most intimate part of me with rapt attention and unbridled want, ¡°Would you like me to do that?¡± Lovened my mouth but no words woulde out. One of his hands came out and stroked my folds softly and I threw my head back in a moan. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my inner thigh; not exactly at my p ussy but close enough that I clenched around air. ¡°Answer the question Cami.¡± He breathed against me. I saw his hands had tightened into fists and his knuckles were white, almost as if he was trying to stop himself from actually touching me until I gave him the go ahead. ¡°Yes please,¡± was all I managed to say before his hand h ooked around my thighs and he licked me. It was one long lick from slit to c lit and my hands tangled themselves in his hair. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was to pull him closer or push him away but I knew that what he was doing blinded me with pleasure. He feasted on me like a starving man and quicker than I would have liked, I felt myself climbing the peak of pleasure. He licked, sucked and nibbled on my cl it until I was rocking against his face and repeating his name over and over again like it was some kind of chant or prayer. I¡¯m sure I was f isting his hair too tight but he either didn¡¯t mind or he didn¡¯t notice as he focused on wracking every bit of pleasure he could from my body. I rocked against his face as he nibbled on my c lit and I exploded around him. My legs were vibrating from the pleasure but he didn¡¯t stop, he kept on licking every inch of pleasure I was willing to give. Even when I hade down from my o rgasm, he still feasted on me in slow licks. ¡°Ryker please,¡± I said as I felt the pressure begin to build up, ¡°I can¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°C um?¡± he asked not lifting his head, ¡°Yes you can. Just give me one more.¡± I thought he was crazy but just like before, he brought me back up to that cliff and when he pushed two fingers into me at once, I came all around him while moaning his name. He finally pulled back from me and just when I knew he was about to take off his pants, the door knob jiggled. I could see the frustration on his face and it pleased me to know I wasn¡¯t the only one affected by what happened. He retrieved a cloth from his drawer and wet it a little then wiped me down before helping me pull up my leggings. The person at the door incant knocking and I wondered who it was. Once we were dressed, Ryker went to pull the door open. I half expected him to yell at whoever was there but instead he froze. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Ryker stood there immobile for a full beat before he pulled whoever it was into a hug. Ryker was tall so I couldn¡¯t make out the person¡¯s features but from my vantage point, it was a girl. She looked to be younger than me but other than that, I couldn¡¯t make out any features. I tried to mp down on my jealousy because I knew Ryker wouldn¡¯t jut hug a random woman. He pulled back from the embrace and ced a kiss on her forehead and I have to admit that watching that hurt, that was supposed to be our thing. I tried to calm down the irrational part of my brain that was telling me to pull Ryker to my side and far away from whoever the girl was. I¡¯m never this possessive or jealous. Why am I acting this way now? As if they remembered I was in the room, Ryker took a step back and allowed the girl walk in. I was finally able to take in her features properly. She had silky ck hair that stopped just below her pits and it was tied into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were a very beautiful shade of blue. and they carried with them worlds of innocence. She was smaller than me and looked a few years younger and she was wearing an outfit very simr to what I normally wear for training. up ¡°Hi, you must be Cami,¡± I expected her to stick out her hand for me to shake but instead she pulled me into a hug, ¡°I have heard so much about you.¡± I was so confused and shocked by her warmness but before I could even reciprocate the hug, she had pulled back. She was smiling from ear to ear and staring at me as if we had known each other for a long time. I shed a panicked look in Ryker¡¯s direction and I saw him desperately trying to hide his smile. He walked over to me until he was standing flush by my side, ¡°Cami, this is my little sister Riley.¡± ¡°I am not little,¡± she said immediately with an eye roll, ¡°I¡¯m old enough to travel by myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fifteen,¡± he deadpanned, ¡°And you travel with guards so that makes you little.¡± She scoffed and grabbed onto my hand then pulled me to her side, ¡°Boys are so annoying, aren¡¯t they?¡± I opened my mouth but closed it instantly because I wasn¡¯t sure how to speak. I have never had the pleasure of experiencing a sibling rtionship up close and personal but judging by the emotions rolling off them, this was perfectly normal and they aren¡¯t at all angry with each other. I decided it was best to stay uninvolved and I shrugged in response. Riley looked around the room and her eyes fell on the books that Ryker had set on the table earlier. She moved over to it with a small scoff as she ran her fingers over the pages. ¡°I remember when I was made to read these as part of my training,¡± she said thest word in a very mocking tone, ¡°It was quite literally the worst time of my life. What are you doing with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to read them.¡± I offered up and her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± she nced at me then back at the books, ¡°No way, I will not let you go through the same torture I did. Most of it is repetitive nonsense. Come with me, I will tell you everything you need to know.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve barely been here for ten minutes and you¡¯re already trying to steal my mate,¡± Ryker drawled from where he was leaning against the desk, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have waited for at least a day.¡± Riley stuck out her tongue at him and Ryker just rolled his eyes in response. He seemed to know he wasn¡¯t winning this battle because he sighed, pulled me to him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He didn¡¯t let go of me immediately and I looked up at him. ¡°Be safe,¡± he whispered into my ears before he finally let me go. I was flushed pink from head to toe when I saw Riley wiggling her brows at me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the door before I could even respond to Ryker. Before the door shut behind us, I saw him shaking his head to himself. with Riley might be small but she has the energy of a little kid on a permanent sugar high. She spoke animatedly about everything she felt was necessary to know about her and spoke about how happy she was that she was going to be able to attend our mating ceremony. I tried to keep up her but honestly I¡¯m not sure if that is even possible at all. She led me into the pack house kitchen and chatted up the omegas there for a full five minutes and by the time we left, we had a te of sandwiches and some fruit juice to go with. I was amazed at her people skills and couldn¡¯t help but think about how she would have been a great Luna had she been born first. We settled in themon space of the pack house and she ced the te of sandwiches in between us then crossed her legs over the couch and turned so she was facing me. ¡°How are you liking life here so far?¡± she asked, ¡°Ryker doesn¡¯t know how to tell a story to say his life. All he says about you is that you¡¯re good and you¡¯re pretty, which he was right about.¡± I flushed pink, ¡°Thank you, so are you. And I don¡¯t know what you want me to say. Life is good I guess.¡± ¡°Have you met Lauren?¡± she dropped her voice to a whisper and I nodded, ¡°She¡¯s a real righteous b itch.¡± My eyes widened at her choice of words, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Ryker I said that. He hates it when I swear.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you like her?¡± I asked and she shrugged and stuffed a sandwich in her mouth, ¡°I won¡¯t tell, I promise.¡± ¡°She had Ryker so hung up on the idea of a kid. He never wanted one, especially not after what our father did. He thinks he won¡¯t be a good dad and no matter how much I tell him otherwise, he refuses to believe it. He was more of a dad to me than my own but he has somehow convinced. himself that he isn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°When she told him she was having that baby, I had never seen Ryker so happy and terrified at the same time. He wanted that kid more than anything and then one day she says she got rid of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mad that she got rid of the kid,¡± I repeated to be sure but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m mad that she got my brother¡¯s hopes up only to smash it down. again.¡± She answered simply, ¡°I know it might be impractical to be upset with her for that but he¡¯s my brother and I will always have his back over everyone and everything even her; even you.¡± It shouldn¡¯t have felt as scary as it did considering the fact that it wasing from a fifteen year old but I knew she was serious. Riley would defend her brother anyway she needed and would always take his side. I found that admirable to be honest and I found myself gathering a newfound respect for her. ¡°Understandable,¡± I said after a beat of silence, ¡°Now, tell me about the mating ceremony.¡± She immediately leaped in by telling me how it was set. Apparently, it always happens in the evening so that the mating part can take ce when the moon is at its peak. It is also always set on the night of a full moon and both mates shift together and lead the pack in a run. It isn¡¯t anything extravagant, but the main issue is the decorations. It is an outdoor ceremony and the Luna has to find a way to decorate it. There aren¡¯t any major rules about it but it has to reflect her own. individual tastes and desires. The only rule is that she has to incorporate something from the past mating ceremony into her own. Riley told me that from what she heard about her mother¡¯s ceremony, she had incorporated the same flowers that the past Luna had used. It didn¡¯t seem like so much responsibility only that the entire pack would be there and would be silently judging whatever I choose to do. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Riley assured me, ¡°I¡¯m here to help with whatever you need.¡± I smiled softly and squeezed her hand, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± She kind of mellowed down with her hyper nature and we spent the next few minutes just talking about our lives growing up. I figured she would rte to how I grew up since she had an abusive father. I kept it PG because I didn¡¯t exactly want to scar her. While we were talking I heard footsteps, we paused to see who would arrive and I was shocked to see Lauren. She was wearing a faded shirt with leggings and was carrying a bucket with a mop in one hand and some dirty dishes in the other. She didn¡¯t see us immediately but I saw Riley¡¯s eyes widen. Riley let out an involuntary gasp and that was when Lauren finally noticed us. She stared at us with a nk expression but her eyes turned to mine and they held barely contained venom, almost as if she med me for her predicament. She walked over to us and picked up the empty te between us. I half expected her to tip the muddy water over me but she didn¡¯t do that, she just turned around and walked away. ¡°I thought she was general,¡± Riley said as soon as she left. ¡°I knew Ryker fired her but I didn¡¯t know she was working here now.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I thought you said nothing much happened,¡± she leaned back into the couch, ¡°You have to tell me everything.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 We didn¡¯t see Lauren again during our entire stay at the pack hose. I braced myself for the possibility that I might run into her but thankfully, I didn¡¯t. Riley had noticed how jumpy I was but she didn¡¯t ask about it or force me to exin, she would just asionally ask if I was okay and I realized that was something that Ryker would have done. By the end of the day, I had been given years worth of knowledge in one day and I felt a little bit more confident in the nning of our mating ceremony. I was still scared by the idea but I felt a lot better and at ease at the idea. Riley came back with us in the carriage; she pointedly ignored Ryker and I, not that I med her considering Ryker was rubbing circles on my palm and whispering in my ear. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how ufortable it was for her and I told Ryker using our mind link. He justughed and assured me that she is fine. When we got home, Riley got out first. She was about to pull me to her when Ryker held on to my waist. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a run?¡± he offered to me then he turned to Riley, ¡°Eve is inside; you should rest after your trip.¡± Riley nodded and grabbed her small bag but when Ryker wasn¡¯t looking, she sent me a discreet wink. My cheeks heated but I barely had time to respond or react to her because Ryker was already pulling me towards the forest. We walked for a while in silence. His hands held mine tightly and we walked until we got to our spot in the forest. I have started to think of thatke as our spot since almost every good thing that happens around us happens at that spot. I was shocked however to see that the entire ce had been transformed. There was a pic nket laying there with a closed basket and a bottle of wine. I turned to look at Ryker with wide eyes but I noticed his cheeks were stained with a little pink. He gestured for me to go ahead of him and I went with wide eyes as I took in the entire scene. I satN?velDrama.Org holds this content. cross legged and he sat right next to me, never once letting go of my hand as he pulled open the pic basket. In it were different pastries like scones and pies and the aroma was so overwhelmingly good. My stomach grumbled loud and I flushed pink because I didn¡¯t think I would be this hungry especially after the sandwiches I ate with Riley. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed,¡± Ryker said as he handed me a scone, ¡°Your body is trying to regte the amount you need because of your wolf. For the next week or two you probably will be eating a lot more than you ever have.¡± ¡°It just feels weird,¡± I said finally, ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to eat much so it just feels different.¡± ¡°I know, but you¡¯ll get used to it. I promise you.¡± We sat in silence while we ate the snacks that Ryker had prepared. asionally, he would ask me a question and we would spend a few minutes talking but then ultimately we would drift back into our comfortable silence. I liked that something about the silence was justfortable and not strained. There was no rush to fill it in with words or ramblings. I wasfortable just sitting there with him and no one else without feeling the need or the pressure to do anything more than what I needed to. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but somehow I ended up with my head lying across hisp while he ran his fingers through my curls softly. In an almost patronizingly soft manner as if he was trying to calm me down or get me to sleep. ¡°Cami,¡± he began and I hummed, ¡°What do you think about moving into my room.¡± The question caught me off guard, ¡°I already sleep there.¡± ¡°Yes, but your things are in your room.¡± He continued, ¡°It feels like you¡¯re preparing for a storm that might nevere and keeping that ce as a backup option.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that¡¯s what I was doing.¡± The more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. I was unknowingly keeping that ce as a second option should things go out of control. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for love. You can still have your room and should you ever need your space then it is yours. Nothing is ever going to change that. I just want to do this with you,pletely.¡± I felt tears pri ck the back of my eyes and I furiously tried to blink them away, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do this.¡± I admitted. His hands stopped moving and I felt his eyes on mepelling me to look up at him. I didn¡¯t want to but I knew I had just opened a can of worms so I did. I let my eyes move to his. ¡°What are you scared of baby?¡± he asked and when I didn¡¯t respond he sighed and leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I get scared that you¡¯ll one day realize that I¡¯m not what you want and you¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m worried that this is all for show and I¡¯m just worried that I¡¯m going to get hurt.¡± He sighed and pulled me off hisp. I expected that he would get upset and tell me I was being unreasonable but instead, he turned me around so I was sitting directly and facing him. He ran his hands down my face. until they settled and cupped my cheeks. ¡°I know it¡¯s st upid. I know but I just-,¡± ¡°Cami,¡± he breathed and I went silent, ¡°it isn¡¯t st upid to feel that way after everything. It isn¡¯t st upid to want extra validation. It isn¡¯t s tupid to say that you¡¯re worried. I don¡¯t know how to make those feelings go away but I will do everything in my power to make sure you never feel that way again.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve done everything and that¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it¡¯s st upid because you¡¯ve literally been nothing but nice and I should be able to deal with all of this.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± I stopped mid rant to look at him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I don¡¯t care or mind doing all of this. If you don¡¯t feel safe then it is my job to make you feel safe. If you still feel the need to worry then I¡¯m not doing something right, not you. I will try my hardest to make sure that you never have to worry.¡± He ran his thumb across my cheek to get rid of a tear that I didn¡¯t know had slipped free from my eyes. ¡°I promise you that I will never do anything that makes you feel like you have to second guess us or our mating. All you have to do is talk to me and tell me when something makes you feel ufortable and I will do everything I can to make sure that you never feel like that.¡± By this time, I couldn¡¯t control the tears that were slipping. I hadn¡¯t expected him to bare it all out for me and give me the reassurance that I didn¡¯t know I needed. All I could do was nod as he wiped away my tears and pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead. He didn¡¯t say another word, until the tears had stopped falling. He just sat with me silently and pulled me into his chest. His arms wound around me tightly and for the first time in a very long time, I feltpletely at peace in someone else¡¯s arms. I felt like there was nothing I had to worry about. When I was a little moreposed, I pulled back from him and I could see him searching my features to know if I was alright or not. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured him as I wiped my face clean with my hands, ¡°I think I just needed that.¡± He chuckled under his breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I put a damper on the mood.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± he held onto my hands tightly but it was obvious from the expression on my face that I didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°To show you that you didn¡¯t, I¡¯ll tell you the reason I actually brought you out here.¡± My spine straightened as curiosity burned through me. I wanted to ask him to tell me immediately but no words coulde out. I saw the corner of his lips quirk up because I knew my wall was down and he could feel my burning curiosity. He reached into the pic basket and retrieved a book that I didn¡¯t even realize was there. He slowly took his time flipping through the pages and I felt my anticipation burn across my skin. I knew he was doing it on purpose to keep the suspense at an all time high and I was determined to not physically show him how eager I was to find out. ¡°I was doing some research today,¡± he began slowly, ¡°And I came across. this book. It is old; at least eighteen years old if I¡¯m not mistaken and it contains an updated information guide on the royal family.¡± I haven¡¯t heard much about the royal family but from what I know, they are the highest ranking werewolves in the world. A rumor says they aren¡¯t actually werewolves and they were blessed by the moon goddess herself which is why they have powers they can control. Most of their lives are a secret and the rest of us only know what they want us to know. ¡°What about that did you want to show me?¡± I asked and he ced the book in myp and tapped a passage. I didn¡¯t need to read it out because it seemed he had already memorized it and he read it out for me while my eyes ran over the words. ¡°The princess was kidnapped from us. Our priestess tells us that she will not be found now or within the next decade. She may not remember us when she is so I will tell you how to spot her.¡± ¡°She has hair the color of warm chocte and eyes shaped like almonds. She will not shift until after she is marked by her mate as is tradition for our family. Her fur color is to be determined but her eyes will be amber and the most important thing to note will be the birthmark on her shoulder in the shape of our family¡¯s crest.¡± When I was done reading, I looked up at Ryker and when I saw the look in his eyes I shook my head. ¡°You can¡¯t believe this is me,¡± I pushed the book back to him, ¡°I¡¯m not a princess, I¡¯m an omega.¡± ¡°You have everything listed there Cami, down to the mark on your shoulder in your wolf and human form.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± I shook my head and stood to my feet, ¡°I want to go back home now.¡± I could see that he didn¡¯t agree with my choice but he nodded and slowly gathered up the pic supplies. I expected him to be annoyed that I shut down his idea but he gave me a warm smile and held out his hand for me. to take. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 I avoided Ryker for the rest of the day. It was a bit difficult considering we slept in the same bed and live in the same house but I would like to believe that I did my best despite the circumstances and situation. Throughout the day I couldn¡¯t help but think about what he had told me and the more I thought about it, the more farfetched it became. I¡¯m sure there are a million brown haired and brown eyed women who didn¡¯t shift until they met their mates and have bird like tattoos on their shoulders. I cannot be the only one, right? I can¡¯t be a princess. It would make zero sense in the grand scheme of things. I am an omega, that¡¯s what I have always been and that¡¯s what I will always be. It would make no sense for me to be a princess, not after everything that has happened. A part of me wondered what if it was true. I couldn¡¯t help it but a part of me was genuinely curious and intrigued about the idea but I just couldn¡¯t find it in myself to consider the slim possibility. As I nced at Ryker who was sitting next to me on the dining table, I could tell that I was just being unfair to him. His eyes had never once strayed from me all morning. In fact, his eyes had never strayed from me since yesterday when I abruptly ended the conversation. He had walked next to me silently, he never once pushed for a conversation but just simply followed me around and waited until I was ready to speak to him. Riley noticed the tension between us and I noticed she would nce between us at different times but she never once said a word. ¡°Are you going to work today?¡± Ryker was shocked that I was speaking to him but I saw a small smile grace his lips. ¡°I was thinking of working from here.¡± He offered with a small shrug, ¡°My beta, Damian is returning from a retreat.¡± I saw Riley perk up at the mention of Damien and I knew there was more to that story than she was telling me. I decided to file that information away for future use and decided to focus my attention on patching things. up with Ryker. ¡°Will he be visiting?¡± I asked and he shrugged. ¡°Damien does what Damien wants most of the time. If he feels like he needs to visit then he will. Although I doubt that, he would probably want to lie in bed and knock out for like a few minutes.¡± There was a scraping of a chair and Riley stood to her feet. She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and cleared her throat. ¡°I should be going back upstairs. I will see you allter.¡± Before waiting for a response from either of us, she turned on her heels and left. I watched her retreating figure and noticed how she sped up her steps as if she was running away from the conversation and from us. It had me raising a brow and turning to Ryker who seemed oblivious to the entire situation. ¡°Did you notice that?¡± I asked and he c ocked his head and turned to me with scrunched brows. ¡°Did I notice what?¡± he reminded me of a puppy when he looked like that, ¡°If it is Riley don¡¯t worry about it, she just likes her space most of the time.¡± I shook my head and tried to hide my smile. Men can be so oblivious sometimes it hurts. Something is clearly up with Riley and Damien and the curious part of me will not rest until I am able to find out what that is. ¡°I think I should still check on her.¡± I stood to my feet but Ryker grabbed onto my upper arm. ¡°Please wait,¡± he had reversed to his soft tone as he stared up at me. ¡°Can we talk?¡± As I stared at him I realized that I owed him that much considering the way I had ignored him all through yesterday. I nodded and I saw him let out a sigh of relief, almost as if he was doubting that I would have agreed to the conversation. He rose to his feet and led me out of the dining room and towards the doors that I recognized as leading to his office. We walked inside and he locked the door behind us quietly. it was awkward between us for the first time ever and I didn¡¯t know how to respond or react to that. I took a seat on the free chair that I knew wasn¡¯t his and kept my gaze down on my hands in myp while waiting for him to make the first move. I heard his footsteps as he settled for leaning against the table in front of me. He could have sat in his chair on the other side of the table but instead he chose to have the conversation from right here- that had to mean something. ¡°Cami,¡± he began softly, ¡°I want to apologize.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess I was taken off guard by his words because that was not what I was expecting. What does he think he did wrong? If anything, I should be the one apologizing to him. I should be the one saying sorry for ring up when he was trying to help and that is exactly what I did. ¡°I should be the one apologizing.¡± I looked up at him, ¡°You were just trying to be nice and trying to help and I got upset.¡± ¡°I should have respected your decision to not want to pursue it further. I just thought it would be worth a try.¡± ¡°And you were right, it would be. I just, I just don¡¯t see a world where I am a princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather pessimistic way of looking at it but at the end of the day, it is your choice and if you are sure that you don¡¯t want to pursue it then I promise you, I won¡¯t.¡± he held my hands in his, ¡°All I ask is that you think about this closely and carefully. What if it is your fear that is stopping you?¡± I thought about it for a minute and although I didn¡¯t want to admit it, I knew he was right. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think I could be princess; it was that I didn¡¯t want to believe it. I couldn¡¯t imagine a world or a future where I was the princess. It just didn¡¯t seem like something that could be real. ¡°Fine,¡± I said after a beat and Ryker turned to me with raised brows. ¡°What do you mean by fine?¡± ¡°You can do whatever you need to about the princess issue,¡± I could see a smile beginning to form on his lips. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m the princess or whatever. But there¡¯s no harm in trying, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± he agreed and then he leaned down and kissed me. When his lips met mine, I realized that he had been holding himself back all day because of me. His hand moved to cup the back of my head as he deepened the kiss. He lifted me from the chair and turned us around so that I was sitting on the desk and he was standing right between my legs. My cheeks heated as I remembered thest time we were in a position. like this and what he had done. ¡°I really need to work,¡± he muttered against my lips, ¡°And if I¡¯m not mistaken, Riley is right outside this door.¡± He pulled back after thest words and it took me a second to fullye to terms with what he had said. By that time, he was already at the door and he pulled it open to reveal Riley there with her hand raised as if che was about to knock. She quickly put her hand down and stuck her head to the side until she sighted me, ¡°Is it okay if I talk to you for a while?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I was off the table before another word could escape her lips. By the time I got to the door, Ryker stopped me with his arm. I thought he was going to say something but instead, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head and stepped back for me to pass. I could see Riley¡¯s eyes follow his action with a somewhat sad look but there was something else buried underneath it, something like envy. I stepped out with her and she walked in silence all the way up the stairs. and into the room she was currently upying. She opened the door wide for me to walk in and as soon as I was inside, she locked it behind her. The room was-busy- that¡¯s the best way I could exin it. Sheets of paper lined the floors and there was charcoal everywhere. Different potted ntsy at her window sills and basically the room was just in disarray. It looked a mess but somehow it didn¡¯t feel so messy. It was some sort of disorganized chaos and the longer I nced at it, the more I realized that there was an order to things. All the charcoal and sketch thing were in one corner of the room, the nts were in another and so were the clothes. ¡°You seemed to be busy in here,¡± I began as I made my way over to the edge of her bed and sat, ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I wanted to do something nice for Ryker since I had just returned after a while. I considered getting him a nt but I know he would just kill it and I was thinking what does he absolutely love and the answer is you.¡± She said all that in one breath and I raised a brow, ¡°A sketch or a painting of you would be the perfect gift for him.¡± ¡°You want me to sit while you sketch me,¡± I repeated just to be sure and she nodded, ¡°Okay, but I have one condition.¡± ¡°Anything,¡± she said quickly and I wondered if she would regret those words just as quickly once I said my condition. ¡°I want you to tell me about Damien,¡± she opened her mouth to begin but I cut her off, ¡°Not just the surface things but about whatever it is that went on between both of you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She couldn¡¯t meet my eyes as I spoke. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to but I¡¯m not Ryker. I can clearly see that something happened.¡± She went silent and I could see the wheels in her head turning as she debated whether or not it was a good idea. ¡°Fine,¡± she said finally, ¡°But you better sit tight because it is a long one.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 The story between them was moreplicated than I thought it was but I still had a feeling that she was hiding something. She liked him and had been trying her best to get his attention but he has been adamant on ignoring her. I believed that but the way she pointedly refused to meet my eyes led me to believe that there was more to this story. I didn¡¯t want to push more than what she was willing to give so I smiled at her when she finished her story, told her that I agreed that it wasplicated and swore myself to secrecy to never repeat another word of what had been said to the hearing of Ryker. Her words actually made me intrigued to see Damien. I wanted to know what it was about him that she was so enamored by. She is just fifteen; at that age, I couldn¡¯t imagine myself having a crush on anyone, much less a crush of the magnitude that she has on Damien. She finished with her drawing but refused to let me look at it because ording to her, she still had to color it in and add the finishing touches. She all but threw me out of her room so I wouldn¡¯t peek over at what she was doing and Iughed the entire way to my room. I stayed locked in there all night and didn¡¯t even know when I fell asleep until I woke up this morning to Ryker running his fingers over the bare skin of my arm. It was a very innocent action but something about it just felt unnecessarily intimate and it made me want to burrow into his hold and never leave. ¡°Can we skip training today,¡± I began, sleep had clouded my voice and it was barely audible but Ryker heard it because he chuckled under his breath. ¡°I just want to stay in bed and sleep.¡± ¡°I know that baby,¡± he leaned down and kissed my temple. I felt my inner walls clench at the nickname but I was determined not to blush. ¡°You can stay in here and I¡¯ll go for training alone.¡± He started to move but I grabbed his hand and pulled it over my body. I could feel his body vibrating from the force of his chuckles and I knew I was being unrealistic and unnecessarily clingy but I didn¡¯t want to leave the bed and I didn¡¯t want to leave him this morning for some weird reason I cannot exin. It just felt right to be in his arms and although I knew he had things to do, I wasn¡¯t open on the idea of letting him go and do them. ¡°Please stay,¡± I muttered, ¡°Just for five more minutes.¡± ¡°Five minutes will turn into the entire day,¡± he argued but I could already feel him settling back into bed behind me. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with that,¡± I fought back a yawn as he kissed my shoulder de. He turned me around and pulled me closer to him so my face was buried in his chest. His hands wrapped around me and held me so close that I felt like I was cocooned by his presence. It was overwhelming in a good way and I never wanted to leave. He would press soft kisses to my forehead and various intervals and I could feel my entire body turning to jelly in his hold. I wanted nothing more than to melt into him and never leave. I don¡¯t know how long he stayed there with me but then I felt his entire body tense. I looked up at him and saw his eyes zed over and I tried to push down my disappointment. I know that anyone who would mind link him wouldn¡¯t do it for anything that isn¡¯t important. By the time he was done with the conversation, he gazed down at me with a sad look and I just knew that he had to stand. I sighed deeply and pulled away first because I knew he wouldn¡¯t and I forced myself to roll out of bed. ¡°Do you want toe with me to the pack house?¡± he asked and I turned to him with raised brows. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to go anywhere and I can¡¯t promise that it will be fun but Riley is going with me and it might give you some time to hang out with her. Besides, Damien might arrive today and I want you to meet him.¡± Sometimes I hate when he sounds so nice because it means I cannot be unnecessarily stubborn or hard headed. I liked his suggestion so I nodded and walked slowly into the bathroom. After freshening up, I got dressed and I waited for Ryker to finish up. I will never not be shocked by how little time he spends in the bathroom and dressing up. When he was done, he held onto my hand and led me down the stairs. Riley was already waiting and she was finishing up her breakfast when we got down. I realized that we hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet because of my initial refusal to leave the room. Just as my worry and guilt started to take over, Eve appeared with a little sh in her hands that she handed to me. Ryker took it before I could and when I turned to him in confusion, he exined that it was breakfast for me. I asked about him but he assured me that he would get something to eat at the pack house By the time we got to the pack house. Ryker was dragged off to do something but he handed me the breakfast sk first. In it were pancakes and bacon and because eating alone felt weird, I shared it with Riley who was more than happy to join me. We ate together while Riley told me all about her time abroad. Apparently she schools in some up town boarding school there. It is for children of rich and very famous people in our world. Ryker didn¡¯t want her to go there at first because it was so far away but she managed to convince him and she has loved it ever since. She told me about the mean people and the nice people. She told me about everything that she thought was valuable information and I actually enjoyed hearing her speak. She seemed to love her school and the way she spoke about it so animatedly showed that too. By the time she was done speaking, I suggested that we go for a walk. She was quick to agree because- and I quote- she wanted to see the hot guards during training. I was quick to remind her that her brother wouldn¡¯t take so kindly to those words and she shed me a mischievous grin. The more time I spend with Riley, the more I realize that she is a really mischievous child. Not in a bad way, but more of in a ¡®do what I want¡¯ kind of way. ¡°Ryker will lose his s hit,¡± she muttered to herself as we made our way around the field towards the training field. ¡°If he asks, we were walking around and got distracted.¡± I turned to her with raised brows, ¡°Are you really thinking of a lie right now?¡± ¡°It is always best to have your exit strategy in ce,¡± she shrugged as if it were the simplest thing in the world. ¡°It isn¡¯t when we are caught that we will n how we are going to get out of it.¡± ¡°What happened to telling the truth?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± I shook my head at her and I wanted to speak but we were already at the training field. I heard and smelled them before I saw them and when I did, it took everything in me for my mouth to not fall open. Different guards stood at every inch of the field training. Some were running, some were spotting each other and there was a small clearing in the middle of the field where two people were sparring. I noticed that it wasn¡¯t only the guards there but also a few maids I had noticed around a few times. I found it admirable that even the maids were allowed and even encouraged to train. The more things I see about this pack, the more I realized that Tyson¡¯s was a terrible ce to be. ¡°There is so much testosterone.¡± Riley muttered as she fanned herself with her hand, ¡°I could just pass out from this.¡± I couldn¡¯t help my small smile and she shot me a look that said she had something up her sleeve. I was thinking of how to stop her before she did anything crazy when I noticed someoneing up to us. She was already too close for me to pretend I hadn¡¯t seen her and everything went to a standstill. Riley stopped her dramatics and held onto my arm in a tight grip and that was when it hit me that she may be ufortable around Lauren just as much as I am. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here,¡± she began as she looked over us both. ¡°We were just leaving.¡± Riley was the one who responded and she turned to leave when Lauren stopped us both. ¡°Did youe to train?¡± she raised her voice so it carried and everyone paused what they were doing to turn to us. ¡°It would be amazing if we could see what you¡¯ve got. Perhaps you wouldn¡¯t mind sparring with me unless-,¡± She trailed off but the notion was clear. She had a sa distic smirk on her face and I knew what her entire n was all along. If I say no, I risk looking weak or like I¡¯m scared of her and if I say yes, then she will have the freedom to embarrass me in public because I know she¡¯s a better fighter than me. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m at the point where I can spar with you.¡± I began after a beat of silence, ¡°I mean you were general,¡± I saw her frown at the use of past tense. ¡°I would assume there was a reason for that. Maybe when I have time I could spar with the actual general.¡± Her cheeks flushed and I shed her a small smile. ¡°It was a pleasure seeing you Lauren.¡± She opened her mouth to say something and I cannot guarantee that it would have been nice, but before she could speak, I saw her freeze and I knew that someone was behind me. I smelled Ryker before I felt his hands around my waist. I looked up at him with a smile and he pressed a kiss to the middle of my head. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you,¡± he mumbled into my hair, ¡°I need you with me.¡± I could see the barely concealed jealousy swirling in Lauren¡¯s eyes but I ignored her and turned to Ryker. He intertwined his fingers in mine and pulled me away from the training field. I barely even noticed the amount of whispers and stares that followed us.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Comment Chapter 44 I spent the rest of my day in Ryker¡¯s office. He was a wee distraction but I was able to read up some more on the mating ceremony and start making a vague draft of what I wanted. Ryker worked silently in front of me but I knew that ever so often, his eyes would snap up to find mine and asionally we would lock eyes and smile. At one particr moment, we locked eyes and I knew Ryker was about to say something when the door to his office opened. I knew without looking up that it had to be Riley because she is the only person who would just waltz into his office at any given time. This time however, she looked panicked and she rushed over to my side. and grabbed my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ryker eyeing his sister with concern and worry and I knew he was one wrong word away from blowing his fuse because she looked spooked. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± she leaned in to whisper in my ear so Ryker wouldn¡¯t hear, ¡°We need to go home, disappear, maybe change our names and start a new life.¡± It took everything in me not to burst outughing at her reaction. What happened between Damien and her shouldn¡¯t elicit such a dramatic reaction but then again, it is Riley and I am beginning to see that she can be a little dramatic. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± I assured her, ¡°Just ignore everything.¡± She red at me as if to say I should know better. She was about to say something again when a figure filled the open doorway, I saw her entire body freeze up and even though I had never met him before, I knew that the person standing there was Damien. He was around Ryker¡¯s height but he was built like a machine. His hair was a soft brown color that settled in curls over his head and his eyes were the color of melted chocte. His eyes held mischief but they also held a sort of wisdom that I guess can onlye with the kind of position that he holds. He had a bag slung over one shoulder and his eyes roamed the entire room taking everyone in it. They settled on Ryker first and then Riley, I saw the corner of his lips tilt up when he looked at Riley and then he turned to me. There was awareness and a bit of confusion but he tipped his head as a form of greeting and all I could do was nod back because I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte,¡± his voice was like gravel. ¡°Apparently, people don¡¯t understand the meaning of a retreat and prefer to spend the entire time arguing instead of working out an agreement.¡± He turned to Ryker, ¡°You¡¯re going next time.¡± Ryker¡¯s lips tilted up and I watched him rise from his seat as he embraced his friend in one of those male hugs. They pped each other on the back and when they both pulled away, they were grinning from ear to ear. Riley still had a death grip on my hand and was trying to tug me out of my chair but I was enjoying the scene and I wanted to see more about Damien. Ryker stepped back and gestured to me, ¡°This is my mate, Cami.¡± ¡°When you said you had met her, I thought you were joking at first,¡± Damien tipped his head forward in my direction, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you; you too Riley.¡± Riley all but squealed when he mentioned her name, ¡°Cami and I need to do something really quickly.¡± Before I could protest or argue or even refuse, she had sessfully pulled me out of my chair and out of the room. We brushed past the two men and she didn¡¯t stop until we were out of the building entirely. That was when she stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°Did you see that?¡± she asked, ¡°He was mocking me with his eyes?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see that actually,¡± it was hard smothering myughter, ¡°Have you ever considered that maybe you¡¯re reading too much into this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he has you fooled as well,¡± she frowned. ¡°He is the absolute worst. I swear it, he is just waiting until you all aren¡¯t around and then he will show his true colors.¡± This time, I couldn¡¯t stop theugh from bubbling out of me. I had to clutch my side because it hurt so badly and although Riley was frowning, I could see the corner of her lips lift up from time to time. I wiped a stray tear from my face as I stood up straight and crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at her. She met my eyes and the more she tried to convince me that Damien was horrible, the more my smile grew as I shook my head at her. When she was done with her rant, she let out a loud sigh and leaned 25 against the wall to catch her breath. I walked over and stood directly next to her and before I could say another word, she had sunk to the ground and sat with her legs crossed in front of her. I debated it for a second then decided it was just grass and it couldn¡¯t hurt me, so I crossed my legs and sat right next to her. Sheid her head on my shoulder and we just sat there staring at the open field and trying to shield our eyes from the sun. ¡°He¡¯s not a terrible person,¡± she said finally and I hummed, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to see him. I wasn¡¯t prepared to see him.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I wrapped my arms around her shoulder because I knew what she needed at that time was comfort, ¡°You would¡¯ve at some point, it¡¯s good that you got it out of the way.¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± she mumbled unsure. She wanted to say something else but footsteps made their way over to us and when I looked up, I saw Lauren in all her glory. Riley nced at me in concern but I squeezed her shoulder to let her know that everything would be fine. Ó° Lauren stopped in front of us, ¡°Riley, your brother is looking for you.¡± I could tell that Riley didn¡¯t want to leave immediately but I slowly disentangled her from my body and gave her a soft smile. She still hesitated but at the end of the day, she stood up and disappeared through the doors. As she went, I decided that I had no reason to be out as well so I stood to my feet. Just as I was about to side step Lauren, she grabbed my upper arm. I froze and nced at her arm that was wrapped around my bicep, I tried to tug it out but she only made her grip tighter. ¡°You might think that you have Ryker wrapped around your fingers,¡± she began in a soft whisper, ¡°But I¡¯m here to tell you that you are in over your own head. He doesn¡¯t want you and he doesn¡¯t love you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me how my mate feels.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you but you¡¯re being difficult,¡± she stepped even closer into my space, ¡°The things he tells me about you would make your skin crawl. I¡¯m being a girl¡¯s girl, I¡¯m saving you from further heartbreak. Stay away from Ryker.¡± I didn¡¯t believe her. I have learnt the hard way not to believe just anything that Lauren says unless there is proof. I rolled my eyes and tried to move but Lauren is stronger than I thought because her hand held me right in ce. She didn¡¯t hold me hard enough that I would bruise but it was hard enough that it hurt. ¡°Stay away from-,¡± before she could finish her sentence I heard a voice call my name. I looked up to see Damien standing there. From his vantage point, he couldn¡¯t see that she had my arm in a death grip. It would have looked to him like she was just leaning over and whispering things to me. She let go of my arm but not before shooting me onest warning look and disappearing into the pack house. Damien walked over to me and I stered on a neutral expression so he wouldn¡¯t see the panic or annoyance on my face. He nced over at me slowly as if he was trying to figure out what was happening before he arrived. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked and I hummed, ¡°Was she bothering you at all?¡± ¡°Everything is fine,¡± I said ignoring his question. ¡°She was just telling me how grass stains are a b itch to get out. I was sitting on the grass.¡± Damien didn¡¯t believe me, hell, I wouldn¡¯t have believed me but I stered on the widest smile I could muster and there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t just call me a liar and he also didn¡¯t know me well enough to push for more information so he nodded. ¡°Ryker sent me to get you,¡± he said finally, ¡°He sent for you earlier but Riley was the one who came.¡± All the more reason why I wouldn¡¯t believe anything Lauren says without proof. I nodded and told Damien I would be there and he reluctantly left me alone in the field. questions. c. I took inrge calming breaths to make sure that my face was the epitome of calmness andposure and I stered on a smile before. going to Ryker¡¯s office. I met Riley at the door and I could see all the her eyes about what had happened outside with Lauren but just like with Damien, I assured her that everything was fine and that nothing had happened. I could tell she didn¡¯t believe me and I knew she wanted to push, I knew she would have pushed. But thankfully, Damien appeared and her need to avoid him trumped her need for information so she scurried away. Damien turned to me with an inquisitive look as if asking if I knew why she was avoiding him. I responded with a shrug. than he tumed Janua ¡°That¡¯s usually her first hiding spot.¡± Damien turned back to me with an unreadable expression on her face, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, just don¡¯t hurt her please.¡± A dark look crossed his face and I could see that he wanted to exin something, he even opened his mouth to speak but at thest minute he thought against it, closed his mouth and nodded. Before anyone could say another word, he had disappeared round the corner and I was left staring at his retreating back. As he walked away I knew I was right earlier, there is definitely more to their story than I am aware of and I so desperately want to find out what it is..N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 I was shocked when I returned from training with Ryker and saw Damien in the living room. He was fully dressed, seated on the chair and talking with Eve. I snuck a nce at Ryker and saw that he was surprised as well and that was when it hit me. If Ryker didn¡¯t know he would be here then neither would Eve. One part of me wanted to sit back and watch how things would unfold but the other part of me wanted to warn her so she wouldn¡¯t be surprised. I didn¡¯t have to think about my choice for long because I heard her ski pping down the stairs and when she saw Damien, she turned on her heels and went back. I turned to Ryker wondering if he had seen what happened and he had but he still looked confused. I shook my head and m entally face palmed at how oblivious he is to the entire situation. I wonder how he will react when he finally sees what everyone has been seeing for months- probably years if I am not mistaken. After Ryker exchanged pleasantries with Damien, we went upstairs to get changed but unlike yesterday, I decided to have breakfast at home. Ryker was still getting dressed when I left the room so I sat at the dining table where both Damien and Riley were already sitting. They were both ignoring each other but the tension between them could have been cut with a knife. Eve nced at me and then between the other two. I knew what she was trying to ask and I just shrugged in response. I couldn¡¯t tell her what was going on because I¡¯m not even sure Riley told me the full story. She sighed and handed each person a te of food then disappeared. I was praying that Ryker would be down soon so I wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much time with the two of them in that awkward space. My prayers were answered because as soon as Eve walked away, I heard Ryker¡¯s footstepsing down the stairs. I let out a sigh of relief as he ced a kiss in the middle of my hair then took the seat right next to mine. I smiled up at him and he squeezed my palm in silent solidarity. I like that most times we don¡¯t actually have to speak to be there for each other. It is in the soft touches and the little kisses. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I felt eyes on me and I looked up to see Damien staring at Ryker and I with an unreadable expression. I could tell that there was a storm brewing in his mind but instead of saying anything, he met my eye and promptly looked away. Throughout breakfast I debated whether or not to ask him about it but by the time we prepared to leave, I figured there was no use. Damien came with his own carriage and Riley had to go with him. I could tell she wanted nothing more than to w her own eyes out but she also didn¡¯t want to make a fuss so she quietly stared at Damien and his carriage. My heart ached for her but I knew she had to handle whatever problems. she had with him so I slowly disentangled her grip on me and allowed Ryker lead me away. Until he shut the door, I was still staring out at Riley who had a somewhat haunted look on her face. As soon as the carriage doors were shut, Ryker grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me. It was breathless and it was merciless and it took a few seconds for me toe to terms with it but I felt it all the way to my toes. I kissed him back and one of his hands trailed to my waist to pull me impossibly closer. The carriage went over a bumpy road which forced us to pull away and a smallugh left my lips. Ryker shook his head andughed alongside my but he tucked an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I allowed myself rxpletely against him and he ced a soft kiss to my temple. ¡°I wanted to do that all morning,¡± he murmured, ¡°That is exactly why I enjoy living alone.¡± ¡°So you can kiss me whenever you want?¡± ¡°So I can have you whenever I want,¡± he corrected, ¡°Do you know how many times I have thought about having you spread over the dining table?¡± Just like that, I was impossibly wet and the scent of my arousal fluttered through the air. Ryker let out a small groan and buried his face into my hair. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was to get more of the scent or to get away from the scent but his grip on me tightened. ¡°I have never tried my self control as much as I try it whenever you¡¯re around.¡± He kissed my head once more. ¡°I cannot wait for Riley to move out.¡± 1 house Ruker was pulled away for work while I was pulled away by Riley to finally begin nning the mating ceremony. There wasn¡¯t much nned for today, I was just supposed to pick a color scheme and I thought that would be easy at first until I saw the millions of colors to choose from. Whoever knew that there were over twenty shades of white alone and apparently you can¡¯t just use any shade with any other color. There¡¯s a color wheel andplementary colors and color charts. As the woman whose name I don¡¯t remember read them all out to me, my eyes widened in panic. I nced to the side at Riley who was sitting. there with an amused look on her face as she bit her lip to stop herself fromughing. She leaned in to whisper, ¡°This is exactly why I am d I wasn¡¯t born first.¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was doing half of the time but we spent at least four hours choosing a color scheme. At one point I wanted to just tell her to do whatever she thought was right but I knew I couldn¡¯t seeing as it was my ceremony and the entire pack would be looking forward to seeing my unique touches on things. By the time we were done, I wanted to bury my head into a pillow and never have to look at another color again. ¡°At least the rest will be easier,¡± Riley said in an attempt to make me feel better. ¡°You already have your color scheme so looking at the other decorations won¡¯t take as much time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re doing that today.¡± ¡°I mean, we could,¡± she began and I was about to pointedly refuse when a maid walked up to us. She bowed to me, ¡°The Alpha is looking for you.¡± I nced at Riley who wiggled her brows at me and I smacked her arm yfully. I stood up and followed the maid out of the room and up the stairs to where Ryker¡¯s officeys. When we got to the stop of the stairs she froze. I looked at her carefully watching her bodynguage and hoping that this wasn¡¯t some sort of ploy to get me away from Riley. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°My sister just mind linked me saying she needs some help in the kitchens. Is it okay if I leave you here and go to help her?¡± I searched her face and there was sincerity in them. She was either telling the truth or she is a very good liar. If she is telling the truth, I will feel bad for not allowing her help her sister. If she is lying, then there is a possibility that I would get hurt. I looked at the distance from the staircase to Ryker¡¯s office. It wasn¡¯t far at all, I would get there in under a minute and I looked back at the maid who was tapping her feet anxiously and waiting for my response. I let out a sigh, what is one minute? ¡°You can go,¡± she let out a sigh of relief and thanked me profusely before disappearing down the stairs. I rotated my shoulders and tried to mind link Ryker but his wall was up. I figured he was doing something important or he had forgotten it that way and I made my way towards his office. The first thing I noticed was that the door was ajar slightly which was weird. Ryker never leaves his doors open, they are always shut and although I¡¯ve never asked why, I just know it is something he does. I smelled her next- Lauren¡¯s signature perfume and scent. My body was on high alert immediately and I quietly poked my head in to see what was happening. The sight shocked me to my core and I had to p my hand over my mouth to prevent me from making a sound that would alert them to my presence. Ryker was leaning against the table with Lauren standing in between his legs. Her hands were in his hair and he was kissing her. I stood there and watched for what felt like hours hoping and praying that he would push her away or something but they stayed tangled in each other¡¯s arms. Bile crawled up my throat as I forced my feet to lead me away from the door. My heart was pounding wildly and my vision was starting to blur but I was determined not to cry. Maybe it is all a mistake or a misunderstanding. Maybe I am reading too much into it. What if it was someone who just looked like Ryker and not actually him? That would beg the question of what he was doing in Ryker¡¯s office with Lauren. I went back to the memory but it seemed to hurt the more I thought about it. I tried to make myself believe that I had imagined it and against my better judgment, I found myself going back to the office to see if I had seen wrongly. This time, when I saw them, he had her pressed into her desk facedown and he was lined up behind her. Her dress was bunched around her waist but he was still fully clothed and then I heard her moan. It went through the air and struck me in my chest like an arrow. A s ob caught in my throat and this time, the tears started to flow freely. In that moment, I did what I knew how to do best. I hiked up my shirt. and I ran down the stairs and out of the pack house. I ran into the woods and I sat on the wet grass and allowed the tears free fall. I guess Lauren was trying to look out for me all those times. It is too bad that I didn¡¯t listen. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 I ran as fast as I could from the office and back downstairs but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell anyone what I had seen. I could barely form the words to tell myself but that didn¡¯t matter. I tried my best to actposed and casual the entire day but I could tell that everyone was worried. Riley kept asking me questions about the mating ceremony and I wanted to just scream at her that I didn¡¯t want the ceremony anymore. I wanted to go home to my own bed and just sleep. When the day was over, Ryker came as if nothing had happened and pressed a kiss to my forehead. It took everything in me not to pull away or cringe and I took a discreet sniff of him but he didn¡¯t smell like her at all. He must have found a way to wash her scent off him. I wanted nothing more than to confront him over the entire issue but my lips couldn¡¯t form the words. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. Not while we were in the carriage, not during dinner and definitely not when we were alone in bed at night. I hoped he would tell me about it himself. Maybe it was the na?ve part of me hoping that it was all a mistake and that I had somehow seen wrong. It tried my best to believe that he would tell me himself but he didn¡¯t. Not even in the morning when I pointedly refused to train with him. Although at that moment, he stopped and analyzed me with a sort of look that had me feeling like he was turning my skin inside out and looking at the deepest parts of me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird sincest night.¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I lied, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to train.¡± He sighed deeply and moved until he was crouched down in between my legs and he was staring up at me. I tried to avoid his gaze and when he tried to get me to look at him, I pulled away from his touch. I could see the hurt etched on his face but he swallowed down whatever retort he had and he sighed. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker breathed softly. ¡°Remember what we said about communicating, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong and if you don¡¯t tell me what I¡¯ve done wrong then I can¡¯t fix it.¡± I looked up at him incredulously. How can you not know what you did wrong? You were five seconds away from having sex with Lauren in your office. I tried so hard but it was like each time I opened my mouth, a chord wrapped around my throat and the words wouldn¡¯t come out. I tried and I tried but no sound wille out and in the end I settled for crossing my arms on myp in front of me and looking away. Ryker sighed and rested his forehead against my arms. ¡°Whatever it is that I did,¡± his voice was m uffled from the position. ¡°I am so sorry, and whenever you¡¯re ready to tell me what it is, I will be here to listen and fix things.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He ced a soft kiss to one of my wrists and then he was on his feet and out of the room. Unease and doubt started to rush through me and I wondered what if I had seen the wrong thing? Breakfast was another terse affair. I went down for breakfast early because I didn¡¯t want to spend more time than was necessary with Ryker until I had the time to think. I thought my n was foolproof until Ryker returned from training early and somehow, Riley decided that she wanted toe down for breakfast early. No one was speaking or even looking at each other and the tension between the three of us could have been cut with a knife. It was worse when we had to go to the pack house because we were all stuck in the same small space called our carriage, our knees were basically brushing but we couldn¡¯t- wouldn¡¯t- speak to each other. As soon as the carriage stopped, Ryker was out and he was helping me out but I ignored his outstretched hand and came out myself. I saw the hurt cross his features and I knew he wanted to speak about it but he mped his mouth shut tightly and was called off by some people. ¡°Is everything okay between you guys?¡± Riley asked as soon as we were within the safe walls of the pack house and I nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that way, this is the longest I have seen you guys go without actively touching each other. Are you sure everything is fine?¡± ¡°Everything is fine,¡± it was a chore to speak those lies. They threatened to choke me but I forced them out, ¡°I just don¡¯t feel really good.¡± She gave me a look that clearly said that she didn¡¯t believe me but she didn¡¯t push it. Instead she nodded and took a seat right next to me on the couch. ¡°Well if you¡¯re ready then we can go ahead with more of the preparations,¡± she gauged my reaction as she spoke and it took everything in me to keep a neutral expression. ¡°Unless of course, you would like to do something else.¡± I opened my mouth to refuse but just like before, the words were getting stuck in my throat. I wanted to know what the sudden cause of my selective muteness was because I have never experienced this before. Riley had opened her mouth to say something else when I caught a sh. of white out of the corner of my eye. I turned to the source and was shocked to see Lucy in her doctor¡¯s coat walking through the halls. ¡°Is that Lucy?¡± I asked to be sure that she was the one I was seeing and Riley nodded. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± She made to stand but I held out a hand to stop her and followed the path where Lucy had gone. She disappeared through turn after turn until she stopped in front of a single room. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t just call out to her, I wanted to know why she was sneaking around the pack house. I followed behind her and settled for listening at the door when I heard. two voices. It took me a while but I recognized the second voice. ¡°Are the results out?¡± Lauren asked and I heard Lucy hum. ¡°You have to tell me now, we can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t juste to me yourself. You didn¡¯t have to send the Alpha.¡± I was confused by her statement. What did Lauren send Ryker to do? What were they talking about and why don¡¯t I know about it? ¡°We didn¡¯t want to risk anyone finding out,¡± Lauren whispered softly, ¡°Ryker wanted us to try again but he also didn¡¯t want to risk her finding out.¡± ¡°Well she is going to have to know because the results are back and you¡¯re pregnant.¡± It felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my sanity and my entire world. I could almost hear the ss shards that were my life shattering. The pain I felt in my chest was unexinable; it was like someone had reached in and taken my heart out then squeezed it into dust between their fingers. I couldn¡¯t bring my feet to move and I heard as they rejoiced together and Lauren spoke about how excited Ryker would be because they have been trying for so long to have another baby after she lost the first one. I wanted to believe that it was all a lie and that I was dreaming but the more I pinched myself, the more real it became. If it was just Lauren I wouldn¡¯t have believed it but this is Lucy giving the news. Ryker trusts Lucy more than anyone so it would actually make sense that he would put her in charge of this. If he wanted a kid with Lauren and he wanted to be with Lauren then why didn¡¯t he just tell me? I would have taken the news well and I would have left immediately but he kept me around probably for show. I forced the tears back and took steady breaths to calm myself. I walked until I found myself in front of the pack house and without speaking to anyone, I walked over to the carriage where the foot man was sitting. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well,¡± I told him, ¡°I want to go back home.¡± He rushed to his feet immediately and within a few minutes, I was back on the bumpy ride to the house. I knew they would tell Ryker that I had left but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I felt numb and I just wanted the constant ringing in my head to stop. As soon as I got home, I felt my legs carry me in the direction of Ryker¡¯s office. I searched through the number of files and papers on his table hoping that I would find something that would tell me that it was all a lie. but I didn¡¯t. Everything here was strictly for work except for a file that had my name on it. It contained a map to reach the royal family and some notes in the prophecy that he was so determined that I was a part of. Maybe that¡¯s why he kept me, because I¡¯m supposedly part of this prophecy. I took the file and was walking out of his office when Eve saw me. She took one look at me and sympathy filled her entire face. I held out a hand to tell her to stop because I knew if she spoke to me then I would lose it. Instead, she walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. The tears started to flow at this point and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak the words, ¡°Tell ¡°Tell me, Cami.¡± ¡°Everything hurts,¡± was all I could say, ¡°And I need to leave.¡± She froze at those words and pulled back from me, ¡°What are you talking going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°But I can¡¯t stay here. Not after what I just saw and not after everything.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± she probed but I couldn¡¯t tell her. I knew that if I told her then she would tell Ryker and thest thing I want is for Ryker to feel like he has to look for me. Let them all think that I left of my own ord, that way he can be free to mate with Lauren and they will have their child freely. ¡°Eve, I have never asked anything of you,¡± I began slowly and she pulled away from me. ¡°Then don¡¯t start now because I¡¯m not going to do it.¡± ¡°You said that we look out for one another, right?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for her to respond, I grabbed a hold of both her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to help me leave. I¡¯m asking you to pretend like you didn¡¯t know about it at all. I only told you because I respect you so much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave, Ryker will fix whatever it is.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t fix this.¡± She was crying but when she saw how serious I was, she nodded. She pulled her hands free of my grip and wiped away her tears. ¡°All I can give you is ten minutes then I have to tell Ryker that you¡¯re missing. You can¡¯t get out of the pack in ten minutes.¡± ¡°This won¡¯t be my first time running from an Alpha. Ten minutes is all I need.¡± ¡°Be careful Cami,¡± she said and then without another word, she turned on her heels and disappeared into the kitchen. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 FOUR YEARS LATER The air was crisp and cool against my skin. It was my fault for choosing to wear a dress without sleeves but then again, I didn¡¯t expect that it would get cold this early. The cold air usuallyes around September but for some reason, this is August and it is already here. This time of the year usually reminds me of Ryker because it was around August I left him. I can¡¯t help but think about how he is and how he might be doing. It would be a lie if I said that in four years I haven¡¯t thought about him once. I tried my best but I just couldn¡¯t get him out of my mind and due to some unforeseen circumstances, I am forced to think about him every day. When I ran, I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do. I had no idea if he was going to come after me or what was going to be of me but I just ran. I decided that a good first option would be to find the royals. I don¡¯t know why but my wolf encouraged it and it took almost a week but I finally got there. I was dirty and matted and I didn¡¯t know where or how I was going to introduce myself to the royals. But then, a young girl around my age walked over to me. She introduced herself as Christine and asked what I was doing there. I was so speechless because I knew she was a royal and in true Cami fashion, I tripped. She caught me before I fell but my shirt had slipped and revealed the birthmark. She tried to rub it off to see if it was a fake but when she realized it wasn¡¯t, I was dragged to see the queen as messy as I was. I took one look at her and I immediately knew that we were rted. I was the splitting image of her and she instantly ordered that I get cleaned. I was too tired to debate but I gave one little request and told her all about Ryker and how I never wanted him to find me. She must have heeded that request because he hasn¡¯t till now. I would like to believe that leaving was the best thing for me, especially because of how it has shaped me. Within the first month I felt out of ce and I wanted nothing more than to just go back to what I was used to. Christine who I found out was my cousin, found me in tears in the bathroom. She sat me down and told me, ¡°If you don¡¯t grow a backbone then this pce will eat you alive.¡± It took a while but with Christine¡¯s help I would like to believe that I managed to do it. She quickly became my best friend and confidante and even when I had toe to the reality of my powers and how they worked, she was right there by my side to help me through it. ¡°Think fast,¡± I barely had time to gather my thoughts when I saw her toss. some water in my face. I shot my hands out and it froze mid air. I red at Christine who was responsible for it and when she shot me a crooked grin, I threw the water back in her face. Her long ck hair was slicked back straight and stopped right below her armpits and her hazel eyes simr to mine sparkled with mischief. ¡°My hair,¡± she shrieked as she attempted to pat it dry, ¡°You are a terrible person.¡± ¡°You could have ruined my hair,¡± I told her and she shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all part of your training.¡± ¡°Training ended almost an hour ago,¡± I deadpanned and she shrugged again. ¡°Try being one of the royals without magic and then you¡¯d understand my need to constantly see it in y.¡± Only the royals in direct line of the throne are able to unlock their powers. It was a gift bestowed upon us by the moon goddess herself and theye to y on our 21st birthday. That wasst year and I found out that I had the ability to control water. She walked in stride with me as we made our way into the pce. Her dress was simr to mine in length and style, it was long and grazing the floor and the material swished around her figure freely. The only difference was that hers was the color of soft grass and mine was the color of the sky. ¡°Have you seen the Queen today?¡± she asked and I shook my head. I still don¡¯t know why Christine refers to her as the Queen but I have never brought myself to ask seeing as I only started referring to her as mother a while ago. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡± I asked and she looked around to make sure no one was looking before she leaned in. ¡°I heard some of the ser vants whispering that the Queen is nning something big,¡± she whispered, ¡°She hasn¡¯t told me anything but I was hoping that she had told you.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know but you know how she can get. She will keep it to herself until she has no other reason to. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she began, ¡°it seemsrge from the whispers. It seems like it is definitely something big and I am kind of worried.¡± ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± I assured her, ¡°Now can we go inside, I have things I need to check on before I go for the council meeting.¡± She nodded and we were halfway up the stairs when I heard hurried footsteps behind us and someone cleared their throat. I looked over my shoulder to see a guard standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at us. I don¡¯t know his name; I don¡¯t know the names of half of the guards in the pce. I tried but they are just too many and I focused on learning the names of the people who work directly with me and my family. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked and he cleared his throat. ¡°The Queen has asked that you see her in the council chambers immediately,¡± he nced at Christine, ¡°She has asked for the both of you.¡± I turned to face Christine and I saw that she had the same confused and half scared expression that I did. I nodded to the guard and he turned on his heels to lead the way. I couldn¡¯t deny that I was worried but I also knew that part of my role as princess meant that I have to hide my emotions. I kept my face carefully neutral but when Christine slipped her hand into mine, I felt them shake slightly. The Queen wouldn¡¯t request for me if it wasn¡¯t important or dire and I am scared to see which one it might be. The guard pushed open the doors to the council room and my mother sat with her ankles crossed at the head of the table. She was wearing a dress of blood red and her hair was tied in a perfect chignon. She looked bored out of her mind and was all but ring at the council elders who were squirming in their seats. is Queen Leanor is terrifying at best and sometimes I don¡¯t think she ns it. I think it just happens and it is her default setting to look like she about to twist out your insides with her bare fingers. She flicked her hand and the door shut bed us. Then with another wave of her fingers, two chairs were pulled out and she gestured for both The Rejected Werewolf Princess of us to take a seat. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and took my seat right next to her with Christine on my other side. ¡°You sent for me,¡± I said once I had settled down. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°We were thinking,¡± she began with a nce at the council elders, ¡°They came up with an idea, didn¡¯t you?¡± I swear one of them actually whimpered and I could feel their fear permeating the air. They nodded eagerly but they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to form the words. ¡°They will p iss themselves,¡± I told her as I leaned back in my chair. ¡°What do you want mother?¡± ¡°You are twenty two. It is tradition that a princess is crowned after she receives her powers on her twenty first. Due to certain circumstances, I allowed it slide but the world is expecting to hear about the new heir and I want to retire soon.¡± I knew why this was such a big issue. If she announces it to the world. then that means Ryker will hear and if Ryker hears then my hiding is over. I will have to see him during the ceremony or even before. This is why she wanted Christine and the elders here so I had no way of erupting. ¡°Do I have a say in this?¡± I asked and the nk expression on my face let me know my answer. ¡°Is there a way to prevent him from knowing. You know why I don¡¯t want him to know.¡± ¡°I do Cami and that is exactly why I cannot do this any longer,¡± she sat up with her hands crossed in front of her, ¡°You are the princess and you cannot hide because of a dumb Alpha. If you want to rejectN?velDrama.Org holds this content. him then this is your chance but you cannot spend the rest of your life hiding from him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hiding from him.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, ¡°What is it that I have done if it is not hide you from him. He came looking for you shortly after you arrived and I told him that you were nowhere to be seen. I have hid you for four years. You can either rise up to your duties or you allow me crown Christine.¡± Christine squeaked and her eyes widened at those words. I know more than anyone that Christine wants nothing to do with the crown. She shot me a panicked look and I squeezed her hand softly. Mother won¡¯t actually do that, it is simply a threat. ¡°1Cuou don¡¯t want to be crowned then I will give it to Christine,¡± she said simply, ¡°The monarchy needs a ruler. What is your choice?¡± ¡°I never had a choice to begin with mother,¡± I leaned further into my chair, ¡°When are the invitations going out?¡± ¡°They went out this morning,¡± she had a sly smile ying on her lips and I shook my head. I knew she was just bluffing earlier. Mother will always do as mother wants and there is very little that any of us can do about it. She is the Queen after all and her word isw. ¡°If that is all, then I would like to leave.¡± I was barely done with my sentence when the door to the council room creaked open. My first thought was that whoever it was must have a death wish because¡¯ no one interrupts council meetings except for the people in this room or direct members of the royal family. Even I don¡¯t do it unless it is absolutely necessary. To be fair, the guard who did it looked terrified to his toes. ¡°Your majesties,¡± he bowed, ¡°I couldn¡¯t exactly refuse her.¡± As he spoke, a small figure walked in through the doors and I let out a breath of relief. She had her long dark brown hair flowing down her back and she was wearing a silk silver pajama set even though it was already ten in the morning. She clutched a stuffed animal in one hand and her soft grey eyes scanned the room carefully until they came tond on me. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can go.¡± I waved the guard off and he wasted no time before rushing out of the room. The little girl wobbled over to me and I wasted no time in pulling her into myp and pressing a soft kiss to her hair as she buried her face into my chest. All eyes were on me but I didn¡¯t care and I knew they wouldn¡¯t say a word, not even my mother. One thing they all learnt the hard way is that when ites to my daughter, I don¡¯t y games. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Audrey Valentina Caine was born about seven months after I ran away from Ryker. I didn¡¯t even know I was pregnant, I didn¡¯t even suspect it. The day that I found out was the day that Christine found me crying in the bathroom. I didn¡¯t know what to do and I wasn¡¯t sure that I could raise a kid by myself. Christine was an amazing help during my pregnancy and weirdly enough, so was my mother. She missed out on a lot with me and she has been determined to get that time back through Audrey. The little girl is so loved and she doesn¡¯t even realize the half of it. She has everyone in this pce wrapped around her little finger and she doesn¡¯t even try. I named her Audrey because I liked the name but I wanted to give her something of Ryker¡¯s. He is still her father regardless of everything so I had my mother find out Ryker¡¯s mother¡¯s name and that¡¯s what I used as her middle name. At some point he is going to meet Audrey and I want him to feel like she has something of his other than hisst name. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey mumbled into my shirt and I immediately shifted my attention to her. ¡°I was waiting for you all morning and you didn¡¯te back.¡± I kissed her curls softly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry sweetheart, I swear it won¡¯t happen again.¡± She somehow wrapped her arms tighter around me as if she didn¡¯t want to leave, which knowing her, is exactly her intentions. Audrey might be young but she knows that people aren¡¯t allowed to interrupt our meetings but she does it anyways. I went off on a council elder once when I was still breastfeeding because he told me that babies shouldn¡¯t be in the council room. Needless to say, none of them have ever spoken out of turn in regards to her again. ¡°Are we done here?¡± I turned to face my mother, ¡°I need to take care of Audrey.¡± ¡°We are,¡± she gave me a small but patronizing smile then reached out to stroke Audrey¡¯s hand softly. ¡°You made the right choice Cami.¡± ¡°You make it sound like I had one in the first ce.¡± She pursed her lips but I didn¡¯t give her another chance to speak before I was on my feet. Audrey wrapped her legs around my torso so I was. carrying her in a front piggy back. Christine got up as well and followed us out of the council room. Over my shoulder, I could see her making funny faces at Audrey who was giggling and squealing. We passed a few maids and guards who would stop and bow. I remember when I first came, I was so ufortable from the attention and I would try to have a conversation with each of them. I grew to realize that most of them don¡¯t actually want to have conversations with you. They just bow to show their respect and go back to their work. Most times I just zone them out and focus on the task at hand or else I will get swept into pleasantries and never get to my own tasks. I walked up the stairs until I got to Audrey¡¯s room and I pushed open the door. Her room is right next to mine, there¡¯s an interconnecting door and all. Her room is bigger than the one I had back at Ryker¡¯s pack and it has more space than any three year old would need. Herrge four poster bed wasplete with handles on each side to prevent her from rolling off because she tends to move a lot at night. The sheets were pink and there were various stuffed animals arranged by her pillows. She had a dresser filled with clothes and toiletries and a vanityrger than what any three year old should need. I tried to convince my mother that it was too much, especially when she bought Audrey more clothes than I care to even count but Queen Leanor does as Queen Leanor wants. I just make sure to try and keep Audrey as humble as possible so she doesn¡¯t get swept up by the material things. ¡°Do you want to take a bath first or you want to eat first?¡± I asked her as soon as we were situated in the room. She tilted her head to the side as she thought about it and I patiently waited while she drew her own pros and cons in her head. At the end of the long five minutes, she chose a bath first and I led her into the bathroom. While I gave her a bath, Christine left to probably inform the maids to bring her breakfast. Bathing first seemed to be the better option because I had just finished dressing her for the day when Christine walked back in with three maids walking right behind her. They set the trays of food on therge coffee table in the room and left. Audrey wasted no time in stuffing her mouth with oatmeal and I watched her with nothing less thanplete and utter awe.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Sometimes it still feels surreal knowing that I have a daughter of my own and even though I have made some shi tty mistakes when ites to parenting her, I know that everything I do is for her benefit. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Christine asked and I turned to her. ¡°Are you going to reach out to him and tell him about her?¡± ¡°No,¡± I admitted, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not even sure if I want him to know. about her.¡± ¡°He¡¯s her father,¡± she dropped her voice so Audrey wouldn¡¯t hear us, ¡°He deserves a chance to at least know her. He is missing out on the most. amazing little girl in the world.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be if he didn¡¯t f uck the woman who put me in harm¡¯s way every single opportunity that she got.¡± She winced, ¡°you¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She sighed deeply, ¡°He will be here for the crowning and there is a very high chance that he will see Audrey.¡± ¡°I will do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn¡¯t see Audrey,¡± I said with finality, ¡°And it¡¯s not just him, it is Tyson too. I don¡¯t know if he has forgotten about me or if his ego will still be bruised. Thest thing I need is for my daughter to be caught between some weird Alpha pi ssing contest.¡± I didn¡¯t realize my voice had risen until Audrey turned to me, ¡°There¡¯s a contest for pee?¡¯ ¡°No sweetheart,¡± I ran my fingers down my face in mortification, ¡°I meant a pretty contest. It is a contest to see who is the prettiest.¡± She went silent for a second before eximing, ¡°You would win the pretty contest mummy.¡± My heart warmed at her gentle innocence and I leaned down to ce a kiss in her hair. She squealed and practically melted against me and I let out a small sigh. I turned back to Christine who was watching us with an unreadable expression. I excused myself from Audrey and gestured for her to meet me outside. We shut the door behind us and I turned to her. ¡°I can¡¯t risk them finding out about her,¡± I said finally, ¡°You have to help me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with this,¡± she began, ¡°No one should have to miss out on their child¡¯s life but I understand why you¡¯re doing it so I¡¯ll support you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed and she pulled me into a hug. ¡°I just want her to be safe.¡± 11 ¡°I know.¡± Christine suddenly froze around me and I knew who was behind me. She pulled away and shot me a wide eyed look but I calmly assured her with my eyes that I would be fine. She nodded then turned on her heels and I was left alone with my mother. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset that I sprung that decision on you,¡± she began and I turned to face her. ¡°I just want you to know that I am doing what I think. is best for you.¡± ¡°What about what I think is best mother?¡± I asked, ¡°I don¡¯t even care about me but what about Audrey? Did you think about her when you made that decision?¡± ¡°He will find out about her sooner orter,¡± she said simply, ¡°And you simply cannot keep leaving things half finished. It has been four years. Cami and you are still hung up over him. You cannot spend the rest of your life pining over a man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pining over a man mother,¡± I resisted the urge to run my hands. through my hair in frustration. ¡°Look, the most important thing to me right now is Audrey. I don¡¯t even know what is going on with Ryker or his. life. I don¡¯t care-,¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± she cut me off, ¡°If you didn¡¯t care then you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to keep all information about him away from you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant when I asked for that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked and I fell silent. I hate it when my mother does this but she knows that she is right. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to see or hear about Ryker mating with Lauren. I think I would have felt if he did but the distance and the time and the fact that my wolf and I have shut him out all these years. We also never had an official ceremony so the bond isn¡¯t as strong as it can be. I tried to focus on my daughter and give her the best version of me that I could. I would not have been able to do that if I spent every second of my day crying over my mate like I did while I was pregnant with her. ¡°Do you remember how you felt when you looked at her for the first time?¡± mother asked and I hummed. ¡°Do you remember how full you felt and how it felt like your heart was going to burst from the amount of love that you felt for her.¡± Emotion gathered in my throat and I nodded. ¡°You will do anything for her, am I right?¡± I nodded again because I couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°That is how I felt when I saw you after all those years. It felt the same like it did twenty two years ago when I gave birth to you. The same way you will never do anything to hurt Audrey is the same way I will never do anything that I think will hurt you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him mother.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she cooed, ¡°But you have to do it sooner orter. You have to either close that door completely or you open it up again.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± I sighed, ¡°When are they arriving?¡± ¡°Most people won¡¯t arrive until two weeks but knowing the situation, I would give him a week,¡± I swallowed and nodded. I have a week to prepare my mind for anything that might happen. I nodded and started to go back into the room when she stopped me. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t want to know,¡± she began, ¡°But he hasn¡¯t mated with anyone yet. Do with that information as you will.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 The preparations for the ceremony were underway immediately. I was swept into meeting after meeting and lesson after lesson. I was taught ways that a crowned princess should speak and act and walk. I was taught the things I was allowed to say in public and the things that I wasn¡¯t. It was as frustrating as it was exhausting and every night I climbed into bed hoping it would be myst lesson but they just seemed to keep going on. Audrey didn¡¯t really understand what was going on, all she knew was that there was going to be arge party and that I was unusually busy. Christine helped me with her a lot especially when I had a lesson runningte or ast minute meeting but I knew she still wanted to spend time with me which is why I requested that both our dress fittings be done together and on the same day. Once again, Audrey didn¡¯t understand the magnitude of the situation, she was just excited and ski pping over the prospect of pretty dresses. When I arrived in the room that would be used for dress fittings, the women all bowed immediately. Audrey was so shocked by them that she rushed behind me and buried her face into the skirts of my dress. ¡°They¡¯re not going to hurt you,¡± I whispered as I bent down to her level, ¡°They bow because that is how they greet us.¡± She poked her head out from behind me, ¡°Do you pinky promise?¡± ¡°Yes, I pinky promise,¡± I h ooked my finger with her tiny one and she finally came out of her hiding spot but kept her hands intertwined with. mine. The coronation has three main events that I need to be dressed for. The first is the official introduction to the various Alphas; it is a dinner that will be held in the grand hall where I get to be seen for the first time. The second is the actual ceremony where I am crowned princess in front of everyone and the third and final is the after party where I have to mingle with everyone and get to know them for myself so I can have a good guess on who are our allies and who are enemies. There isn¡¯t a dress scheme for the first or third events but for the second, it is tradition that whatever color I choose has to stand out and no other person would be allowed to use that color. It will most times serve as the color that I am known for. Take my mother for example, on her coronation, she wore a dress that looked like it was dyed in fresh blood 11 and people nicknamed her the Red Queen. I haven¡¯t chosen my color yet and I was dreading it. ¡°Mummy look at all the pretty dresses,¡± Audrey got over her initial fright and ran over to the many rows of clothes, ¡°That one is pink, can I have the pink mummy?¡± ¡°You can have whatever you want,¡± I assured her, ¡°But you need to try it on first to see if it¡¯ll fit.¡± Unlike me, Audrey only has to attend one event- the coronation. A part of me doesn¡¯t want her there but I know there is little to nothing I can do about it. While she was gushing over the many dresses, I tried on a few ideas for the first and third events. Prior to this, I had given them an idea of what I wanted so it wasn¡¯t difficult to choose something. For the meeting, I chose a simple off the shoulder silver dress. It had an A line skirt and it flowed down to my ankles where it pooled out into a small train. It wasn¡¯t too much but it was enough to draw attention. For the after party, I chose a dress made from the softest fabric that looked like a cross between grey, silver and blue. It had a mesh corset like bodice with silver straps and the skirt wrapped around my legs in a way that was both decent and exciting. The material was sheer and I knew it would raise a few brows but I loved it. I was about to take it off when Audrey appeared in a dress that was almost the same color. It was blue with a ball gown skirt and it had butterflies all over the skirt. She had a butterfly crown in her hair and she was smiling so wide that it looked like her face would split open. ¡°It¡¯s the same,¡± she squealed as she rushed over to me and I managed to grab her hands before she put them on my dress. ¡°You look pretty mummy.¡± ¡°So do you,¡± I gasped, ¡°You are the most beautiful person here.¡± She giggled with excitement and I felt my heart ache as I watched her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go take it off so you can help me pick out another dress?¡± She nodded eagerly and allowed the woman lead her back into the dressing room. I was stripped out of the blue dress and I stood in a robe as they showed me color after color but none of them seemed to call out to me. Audrey returned and I pulled her into myp and opened up the book of colors in front of her. Her eyes widened and she looked over each page as if she wasn¡¯t sure where to look first. She would hover over a color then flip the page and realize that there were more colors there. It felt good to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was confused by the entire thing. ¡°How long do I have before I need to choose a color and a design?¡± I asked without looking up. ¡°Three days at most,¡± I don¡¯t know who answered me but it was enough to put a damper in my mood. ¡°We would need enough time to get the fabric and depending on theplexity of the design.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I closed the book and handed it to the person closest to me, ¡°I will get back to you in exactly three days.¡± They bowed and helped me put on my dress before excusing themselves from the room. I sat there with Audrey for a few minutes longer and she rested her head backwards on my chest. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked and I hummed, ¡°Are you sad because of the dress?¡± Iughed softly as I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m not sad, I¡¯m just exhausted- it means tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you want a nap?¡± I had to stop myself fromughing out loud. I wish I was the kind of tired that required a nap but unfortunately that won¡¯t help my case. I kissed her forehead softly to let her know that I appreciated her thoughts. ¡°Thank you, maybe I¡¯ll get a napter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry mummy,¡± She pulled herself off my leg and gestured for me to stand so we could go. I got up and she opened her arms for me to pick her up. When she was settled on my hip, I made my way out of the dressing room and towards therge dining room. On my way there, I was ambushed by Christine who looked like she had something really urgent to tell me. I put Audrey down and asked her to go and wait for me in the dining room seeing as she was impatiently squirming in my arms. I knew guards would go with her so I had nothing to worry about and I turned to Christine. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked and she pulled me into a corner before speaking. ¡°I heard that an Alpha crossed our borders today,¡± she said and it felt like my entire world shut down. With those nine words, all I could hear was a ringing in my ears. It felt like my world was suspended on a tight rope that was about to snap. Mother told me I would have a week; it has only been six days. I thought I would get the exact seven days or at least a little more time. I am nowhere near ready to see Ryker. ¡°The Queen says they won¡¯t be staying in the pce,¡± she assured me. ¡°Some will be staying at a hotel and some will be staying in the pce. guest house depending on the arrangements that she has made. You may not have to see him until the ceremony.¡± ¡°What do I do if he seeks me out?¡± ¡°You ignore him,¡± she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. ¡°It is not that easy.¡± Christine grabbed my shoulders so I was staring at her and the look she gave me was enough to make a lesser man squirm in his boots but I know her and I know she would never hurt me so I stood there and I stared her right back in the eye. ¡°You are the crowned princess,¡± she began. ¡°You do not owe anyone much less him an exnation. He should be on his knees begging for a second of your time and if you decide that you do not want to give it to him then that is fine. You are not obligated to do that. If you don¡¯t want him in the pce then all you have to do is say one word. Everyone in here lives to follow you. Do not forget that.¡± I swallowed and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, I should get Audrey. She must be waiting for me.¡± Christine smiled, ¡°I think I could use a snack too.¡± We walked towards the dining room and I was confused when I pushed the doors open and the only people there were my mother and a maid. I looked around at first and checked behind the doors wondering if Audrey was ying hide and seek. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± mother asked and I finally acknowledged her by looking up. ¡°Where¡¯s Audrey?¡± Mother raised a brow, ¡°She was with you.¡± ¡°Yes but I asked her toe here, didn¡¯t you see her?¡± she shook her head and I didn¡¯t waste any time before I was sprinting out of the dining room to look for my daughter. I checked her room first to see if she had gone back but she hadn¡¯t. Her room looked the same way it did when we left it this morning. I could feel myself begin to panic but I was desperately trying to calm down. ¡°Rx,¡± Christine whispered, ¡°The guards will never let her go far. I¡¯m sure that she is somewhere in this pce.¡± I ran my hands through my hair and made my way down the stairs when I almost bumped into one of the guards. I know him as Steven because he watches Audrey a lot of the time. When he saw me, he breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°I was looking for you mydy,¡± he bowed, ¡°The princess managed to run away from us when we were out in the garden. She is speaking to one of the visitors and she refuses toe with us. We cannot touch her as we are not allowed and I was hoping you could get her toe back.¡± I exchanged a look with Christine and we were sprinting to the garden. I prayed to the moon goddess that it wasn¡¯t what I was thinking and I drew to a harsh stop when I saw her. Audrey was standing with a tiny flower in her hand while he was crouched down next to her. He was smiling down at her and listening with rapt attention while she spoke about something I couldn¡¯t hear. I immediately pressed myself against the wall so they wouldn¡¯t see me and I saw Christine nce at me carefully as she registered the scene in front of her. Ryker had officially met his daughter. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¡°Christine, I need you to get her for me,¡± were the first words out of my mouth once I was able to calm my breathing. Christine raised a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. I wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to smack me or yell at me or walk away- possibly all three. She heaved a heavy sigh as she leaned back a little to see what was happening. I did the same and it was still the same scene, Ryker was talking animatedly with Audrey but I could also see that he was looking around to see where she hade from. I quickly hid beneath the pir once more, ¡°Please,¡± I begged, ¡°Before he asks who her mother is and she mentions me. I¡¯m not ready to see him. or tell him.¡± Christine rolled her eyes but she walked into the garden without another word. I hid behind the pir so that I was covered but I could still see and hear what was going on. As she walked towards the duo, Ryker lifted up his head and saw her. He stood to his feet and gave her a small but respectful bow which Christine acknowledged with a small nod. She ced a hand on Audrey¡¯s shoulder and I saw Ryker¡¯s eyes narrow slightly as he took in the scene. ¡°Audrey, I think you should go inside now.¡± Christine said with no room for arguments, ¡°Everyone is waiting for you to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± her eyes fell, ¡°I was just talking to my new friend. His name is Riley.¡± Ryker chuckled under his breath, ¡°My name is Ryker, little one.¡± My heart warmed at the way he spoke to her and the wide smile she gave to him. She had barely met him but she was already enamored by him. Imagine if she knew he was her father, imagine if he knew that she was his daughter. My wolf nudged me towards them, nudged me to tell him that was his child but I couldn¡¯t. Not after everything that happened, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. He doesn¡¯t deserve that little girl, no matter how amazing she might be or how much he might seem to love her. ¡°Are you her mum?¡± Ryker asked suddenly and I saw Christine turn to him. ¡°No,¡± she said simply and didn¡¯t offer up any more answers. Instead, she turned to Audrey, ¡°Go inside now, you shouldn¡¯t be talking to strangers.¡± Audrey bristled at the chiding but she knew that Christine was right. She might be young but she knows her status and I have tried to teach her to be careful because people are always trying to attack the pce and the royal family. I wouldn¡¯t want her to wander into a situation that she shouldn¡¯t be in just because of her curiosity. She waved to Ryker and turned around to disappear into the pce. I waited until she was out of sight from everyone before I rushed towards. her and pulled her into my arms. She rxed against me and hugged me back but I couldn¡¯t help but realize how she probably doesn¡¯t even know why I am holding her like she is about to let go. I kept her next to me and watched Christine and Ryker. Christine had turned on her heels to make her way back in when Ryker stopped her. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t ask,¡± he began, ¡°But I recognize you from the day I went looking for her. Is she okay?¡± I was confused by his words because Christine never told me that she met him. I was under the assumption that she didn¡¯t even know who he was. Cami is fine if that is what you¡¯re asking.¡± She answered and Ryker opened his mouth to ask something else but she cut him off, ¡°If you want to know anything about her then you can wait until the meeting where will see her. I cannot give out information on anyone in the royal family.¡± you ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he took a step back, ¡°My apologies, I just wanted to know that she was safe.¡± ¡°There is nowhere safer for her than here. I think you should let the guards lead you to your hotel or wherever it is that you are staying.¡± The jab was clear in her words and I saw Ryker¡¯s expression as it settled. Without another word, Christine turned on her heels and walked right into the pce. Ryker stared at her retreating figure for a while but then he cleared his throat and walked away once a guard walked up to him. Audrey was still in my arms but she looked confused as to what was happening. As soon as Christine walked up to us I let her see all the questions I had in my eyes but she pointedly ignored me and turned towards Audrey. ¡°Do you want to have lunch now?¡± she go I¡¯m starving.¡± asked and Audrey nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s Christine walked past me leaving me to follow behind her but she knew I was nowhere near done with my questions. Lunch might be a temporary distraction but believe me, I will get those answers out of her even if I have to lock her in my room to do it. We made our way to the dining room where my mother was just finishing up. She ran her hands through Audrey¡¯s locks softly but then she gazed at Christine and I and she must have felt the brewing tension and unanswered questions. ¡°Where was she?¡± mother asked ¡°In the gardens,¡± I answered not wanting to tell her the real truth and hoping she wouldn¡¯t notice but she did. She hummed in disbelief and looked at me with an expression that had me feeling like she could see inside me and see every decision and thought I had made. For a while I actually thought she could and that her powers were mind reading but I was disappointed, she just has very piercing eyes. ¡°Okay then,¡± she said finally and then without another word, she walked past me. The three of us ate lunch together with Audrey doing most of the talking. She droned on about Ryker and how nice he was to her and how he picked the flower for her. I tried my best to keep a neutral standpoint as I listened to her but I wanted nothing more than to just ask her to stay as far away from him as possible and to never speak to him again. A part of me wondered if I was being selfish. If I was punishing Audrey for her father¡¯s mistakes by not letting them know each other. I wondered if I was being the viin in their story and if I was doing the wrong thing. I also wondered if my actions were unjustifiable. He may have cheated but he didn¡¯t hurt his daughter. If anything, I know he will love Audrey with all his heart. Maybe I am doing the wrong thing. ¡°Mummy,¡± I was snapped out of my thoughts by Audrey¡¯s voice, ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me.¡± ¡°I am,¡± I forced a smile on my face, ¡°What did you say?¡± She went back to talking about Ryker and I noticed Christine staring at me. She had a look that told me she knew exactly what I was thinking of and I shot her a look that told her that we needed to talk. After we all finished eating, I cleaned Audrey up and walked with her back to her room. I know her and I know that she will fall asleep within thirty minutes. She cannot eat without taking a nap right after. She has been like that since she was a baby and I have found it very useful because once she sleeps, I can go ahead and start nning my day and doing the things that I have to do. Once she was carefully in her room, I had to sit with her and y dolls. It is the only way I¡¯ll be able to get her to sleep. This time however, she added an extra doll and called it Ryker and made up a plot line about. Ryker saving the princess from a dragon. I yed along even though my heart was pumping a mile a minute and the moment she yawned, I carefully plucked the dolls out of her hands and carried her into bed. It didn¡¯t take long after that for her to fall asleep. Within the next ten minutes I was out of her room and looking for Christine. I didn¡¯t find Christine in her own room or the council room, I decided to check the library because I know it is her favorite ce in the castle and I found her standing between the shelves browsing through the books. She sensed me when I walked in, I saw her shoulders stiffen but she didn¡¯t look up, not even when I was standing next to her. She kept on browsing books like she didn¡¯t have a single care in the world and I knew she wasn¡¯t going to make this easy. ¡°What did he mean by he recognized you?¡± I asked but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You never told me that you had met him.¡± She still didn¡¯t respond and I finally took the book out of her hand and turned her to face me. She had a resigned look on her face and she sighed as she took a seat in one of the empty chairs there. She gestured for me to sit opposite her and I did hoping it would spur her into speaking. ¡°After you told the Queen that you didn¡¯t want him to find you, she asked me to go back to the packs, to the exact spot where you found us,¡± she exined, ¡°While I was there, he came around and he was asking of you. Obviously I told him I had never seen you before but he was adamant that he finds you.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even care about you being a princess, he didn¡¯t even mention it once. He just kept talking about how his mate was missing and he suspected she woulde here first. He stayed there for a week hoping you would show up and at one point I almost told him the truth but the Queen came and she spoke to him. I don¡¯t know what promises she made him but he left soon after. That is all there is to it.¡± As I looked at her, I knew that was a lie. There was more to the story or at least, more than she was letting on. There was something else hidden in her eyes and I searched them trying to figure it out for myself but it was like she had her emotions on a tight leash and I couldn¡¯t read them. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± I asked and she couldn¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°Did he say something to you? Did he do something to you?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± a small smile grew on her lips as she spoke. It isn¡¯t pride or anything, Christine is one of the best fighters that I know and there isn¡¯t a werewolf alive that I know who can best her except for our trainer, he is the pce¡¯s official general and trainer. He is the fastest. and strongest wolf I have evere across. I was honestly terrified of him the first time I met him. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me Christine?¡± She sighed and looked me deep in the eye, ¡°I know you¡¯re upset with him. and I know that he hurt you. But the man who came looking for you did not look like h could hurt a fly.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m lying?¡±, ¡°No,¡± she said quickly and she looked offended that I would even suggest that. ¡°What I am saying is that there has to be some kind of exnation to this. He is either an amazing liar or he truly made a single mistake and he wants to fix it. At the end of the day, it is your choice because you¡¯re the one who is going to spend the rest of your life mated to him or not.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 I didn¡¯t see Ryker again after that. It has been two days and I had started to wonder when next I would come across him. I tried my best to hide my curiosity about him but my family knew me way too much and Christine ended up telling me that he was staying in the pce guest house. It felt weird knowing that he was close by and all it would take would just be a few minutes journey and I would see him. I finally understand what people mean when they say out of sight is out of mind because I never worried about Ryker this much until I was faced with the prospect that he was merely a few feet away from me. There has also been the issue of the dress and I have been exceptionally worried and disturbed about it. For the life of me, I cannot think of anything to wear and although the designers have been showing me different sketches, nothing seems to stand out so much. The entire prospect is frustrating and I know I have to give them an answer by tomorrow. The only good thing in my life so far is Audrey. She somehow manages to help me forget about whatever is guing me and keeps me in the moment. Currently, she is lying against myp while I read her a story. I looked down only to see that she had drifted off to sleep and I smiled softly. There was a knock on my room door and Christine poked her head in. she gestured for me to step out and I had to quietly life Audrey from me. She is a heavy sleeper but sometimes, especially if she falls asleep on you; one wrong move can wake her and she is going to be cranky as hell. Once I managed toy her gently against the pillows, I slowly exited the room and closed the door behind me quietly while I faced Christine. She was wearing a simple blue dress that matched the bright sky and she pulled me down the hallway before she started to speak. ¡°The Queen sent me to ask if you are done with the preparations,¡± I raised a brow, ¡°Why can¡¯t she ask herself?¡± ¡°Something along the lines of not wanting to feel like she was pressuring you and not wanting it to turn into an argument. with you,¡± she shrugged and I rolled my eyes, ¡°So, have you?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m still stuck on the dress, I don¡¯t know what to do, I don¡¯t what color to use. I don¡¯t know what design to use and I am just confused.¡± A look crossed her face as if she wanted to say something but she quickly hid it and her expression went back to neutral. ¡°You have to get back to the designers soon,¡± she said simply, ¡°They need to start working on your dress and it seems the Alphas are arriving early because another one crossed our borders today.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know about that.¡±, ¡°It just happened a few minutes ago,¡± she shrugged, ¡°I think people are just excited to see the long lost princess.¡± ¡°The lost princess who doesn¡¯t even have a dress.¡± That same look crossed her face but she still didn¡¯t say anything so I turned to look at her, ¡°Say whatever is on your mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said but I could tell that she was lying. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her. We are around the same height so there was no looking up or down, she just avoided my eyes. Her entire bodynguage read defensive and I wondered what she was so desperately trying to hide. She tried to side step me to avoid my gaze but I refused to let her and I forced her to look at me. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked and she hesitated before speaking. ¡°Let me choose your dress.¡± I was so shocked by her words that I stood immobile for a few seconds. She must have taken it as ano because she rolled her eyes, ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to, I could tell that it was already a no. She started to walk away but I stopped her, ¡°Actually, it was going to be a yes.¡± She paused mid step and turned to me with a face full of disbelief. I could tell that she was ying my words over and over in her head to make sure that she hadn¡¯t misheard by ident. ¡°You said yes,¡± she repeated and I hummed, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to wear and unless I n to go in a sack then you are my best option. I trust that you something amazing.¡± wille up with ¡°I have millions of ideas,¡± her excitement was palpable and I felt a small smile grow on my lips as her eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store, ¡°I can show you my designs and you can choose whichever one you think is-,¡± ¡°Surprise me,¡± I said instead and her eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to see it on that day.¡± She nodded and squealed so loudly I feared someone would rush in and think we were under attack. She pulled me into a hug that was so tight I feared my ribs would cr ack and when she pulled away, she all but sk ipped down the stairs to do goddess knows what.. I smiled to myself as I watched her and made my way down the stairs to the garden. I have finished with everything I have to do today and I might as well enjoy some time surrounded by the flowers and fresh air. I passed by a lot of guards and ser vants who were trying to make everything presentable for the Alphas who were set to arrive. I brushed past all of them and as soon as I stepped out of the pce doors, I could feel one of the guards following 1. I didn¡¯t have to look back to know it was Kevin. He is the guard my mother personally assigned to follow me once I am out of the safety of the pce. He might look calm and approachable but he is deadly and as swift as a viper. He can have a grown man begging for his life within minutes. I tried being friendly with him when he was first assigned to me but I quickly learned that Kevin enjoys working in solitude and silence, I knew that I was most likely being a bother to him so I stopped trying. It doesn¡¯t mean that we aren¡¯t civil though, I still asionally ask about his little sister but it mostly ends there. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I got to the garden, it isn¡¯t heavily protected because most people know not toe here. The garden was built by my father before he was mated to my mother. He was the prince and he used toe here to get away from the stress of royal life. After his mating, he gave it to my mother as a gift and it has been unofficially known as the royals garden since then. It is a small expanse ofnd with beautiful flowers growing all around. There is a massive fountain that can fit at least five people in it and three different benches. I knelt in front of the fountain and stretched out my hand to call the water to me. This is my favorite ce to practice my powers mainly because of the fountain but also because there is usually no one to bother me. I bent the flow of the water so it formed an arch and I smiled to myself as I remembered how hard it was to do it when I first started. I had to learn that water isn¡¯t meant to be controlled and I had to see it as an extension of myself and not apletely different entity. I stayed there for a while, just ying around with the water and making shapes with it when I heard Christine¡¯s voice in my head. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked, ¡°Audrey woke up and is searching for you.¡± ¡°Bring her to the garden,¡± I instructed and I rose to my feet. I was turning around when I felt a presence in the woods. I barely had time to tell Kevin about it when I saw a figure emerge. At first I had to blink twice to make sure that I was seeing the right person but the longer I stared, the clearer he became. His dirty blond hair was slicked back giving him an almost regal look. He was also older but he was completely clean sha ven. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief and he was wearing a tightly pressed suit. Kevin was quick to arrive in front of me with his sword out and under the intruder¡¯s chin. He just smiled and raised his hand to show that he had no weapons and he was no harm. ¡°State your name and your business,¡± Kevin snarled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°She knows me, don¡¯t you Cami?¡± I ignored him, ¡°My name is Tyson Woods and I am the Alpha of the Two Moons pack.¡± Tyson still had that air of faux superiority and the way he was staring at me was like he knew that I didn¡¯t belong. I hadn¡¯t expected him to be here, I thought his father would be here but I didn¡¯t even think too much about it. ¡°When did your father die?¡± I asked and he shrugged. ¡°A few years,¡± I could see that Kevin was looking between me and Tyson almost as if he was unsure of what to do. If I am being honest, I don¡¯t know what to do either. ¡°I came to see you Cami,¡± Tyson took a step forward but Kevin pressed the tip of his de into Tyson¡¯s neck. ¡°Take one more step and I will not hesitate to take your head off. You will also address the princess by her appropriate title.¡± If Tyson was upset, he didn¡¯t let it show. Instead, he nodded as well as he could with a sword to his throat. Both men were not staring at me and I turned to Kevin. ¡°Let him go,¡± Kevin was shocked but he did as I asked. Tyson was relieved and he started to make his way over to me but I held out one hand to stop him. I think it was more shock than my actual order that made him freeze in his tracks as he stared at me. ¡°You need to leave,¡± I said simply and his eyes widened. ¡°Cami, I came for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care why you came,¡± I said simply. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Christine approach but she quickly hid behind a pir before anyone could see her and Audrey. I will forever be grateful to her for her ability to think quickly on her feet because thest thing I need is for Tyson to see my daughter. ¡°Go to your hotel Tyson,¡± I turned on my heels, ¡°You can see me when the others do. I am not interested in whatever you have to say.¡± I started to leave but I heard his voice, ¡°I left Lisa. Right after you left, I knew you were the one for me and I left her.¡± I stopped in my tracks and I looked at him over my shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Leave and don¡¯te back to this garden. because I will not hesitate to allow Kevin hurt you.¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 As soon as I was within the safety of the pack walls, I allowed my fa?ade fall and I leaned against the wall to catch my breath. I thought dealing with Ryker would be the hardest part of this ceremony but I did not ount for Tyson. I have done well all these years to keep him at the back of my mind. It¡¯s not like I am still hung up over what he did to me. I found my own way to get over and through it but seeing him is like dumping me back in ice cold water with no way to swim. I had half a mind to call off the entire thing but I knew I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t even allow myself do that simply because of two men. That would be setting the kingdom back by thousands of years. Just because I have a duty though doesn¡¯t mean that I want to do it. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Christine asked as she walked over to me. Audrey was walking right next to her and I nodded as I slid down to kneel on the floor and opened my arms out for my daughter. She walked right in and I buried my face in her hair so I could get her perfect scent to calm me down. She allowed me hold her tightly and all she did was wrap her tiny little hands around me. ¡°That man was mean mommy,¡± she whispered, ¡°Is he going toe back?¡± ¡°Yeah he will,¡± I admitted and I saw her smile fall, ¡°He has to be at that ceremony that your grandmother organized. You won¡¯t have to see or talk to him though. You are going to sit right next to Christine and grandma.¡± That seemed to lift her spirits because she squealed and pped her hands together in barely contained glee. Her happiness was infectious and I found myself smiling alongside her as I finally stood to my feet and kept my hand entwined with hers. She liked the fact that I was holding her hand because she leaned her head against me as we walked back into the castle. my Although we had just eaten less than two hours ago, the interaction I just had brought a hollowing feeling in stomach and I just wanted to snack on something. I realized my tendency to stress eat when I was pregnant and Christine gave me a healthy alternative. -I would snack-on fruits or healthy snacks basically. It didn¡¯t give the same high that greasy junk food gave but it was enough to allow me realize that I was actually full and didn¡¯t want to eat. I noticed that Audrey had also started picking up the habit and I¡¯m just grateful that it is healthy food and not junk. As if the maids knew why I was there, they didn¡¯t even ask what I wanted to eat, they just brought a bowl of fruits and put in front of Audrey and I. They tried to give Christine one and she politely refused them but settled for stealing from my bowl. ¡°Was that Tyson?¡± she whispered after a few minutes of silence and I nodded, ¡°I pictured him different. ¡°Different how?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°Ugly, disgusting, body odor, I thought his bad attitude would bleed into his appearance,¡± she said and I had to hold back myughter, ¡°Ryker is hotter though.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t care about who is hotter. I want both of them gone as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Today was a close call,¡± she said with a jerk in Audrey¡¯s direction. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even paying attention, it wasn¡¯t until she mentioned the yelling that I looked and saw what was going on. They¡¯re going to find out about her sooner orter.¡± ¡°I chooseter, hopefully twenty yearster.¡± Christine frowned, ¡°If you never give her the chance to know her father, she might hate you forever.¡± I knew she was right and as I nced at Audrey who was sitting absentmindedly and shoving fruits in her mouth, I realized that one day, she wouldn¡¯t be a child anymore. She will grow up and start asking about her dad. One day I might have to face the reality that my daughter will want to know her father regardless of whatever went on between us. I knew what I had to do but I couldn¡¯t bring it to myself to do it. I would have to meet Ryker and I would have to be cordial with him for her sake. It might have been four years but every single time I think about what I saw him doing, it feels like a hot iron going through my chest. ¡°I¡¯m not ready,¡± I managed out to Christine, ¡°I¡¯m not ready to have that conversation with him.¡± She sighed, ¡°That¡¯s fine but fate has a cruel sense of humor. It mighte when you least expect it.¡± ¡°Ryker won¡¯t see her until the coronation. I will be ready by then.¡± She smiled ruefully as if she didn¡¯t believe me, ¡°If you say so.¡± She looked like she wanted to say more but at that exact moment, the door to the dining room opened and my mother walked in. She had two guards nking her as she made her way further into the room. She paused in front of Audrey and pressed a soft kiss to her hair. Audrey practically fluttered under the praise and she smiled wide. I saw a smile tug at my mother¡¯s lips but she quickly smothered it and turned to face me. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve had an interesting morning,¡± she drawled with amusement. ¡°How did he get into the pce grounds¡± ¡°I think you should ask your guards that, it is their responsibility to watch us after all.¡± I quipped and a sick sense of pride rose beneath her eyes at my response. ¡°Touch¨¦,¡¯ she cleared her throat, ¡°We have a meeting with the Alpha¡¯s, get ready.¡± She turned to leave but I was so stunned that a sound came out of my throat. It sounded like a mix between a squeak and a squeal, I thought it sounded like a dying rat but it was enough to get mother¡¯s attention as she stopped and turned to me with raised brows. ¡°What meeting?¡± I asked and she rolled her eyes as if she was bored. ¡°It was ast minute arrangement on my part, I will admit. But the Alphas don¡¯t seem to know personal boundaries so I pushed up our meeting with them until today.¡± ¡°All of them aren¡¯t even here yet.¡± I scrambled for any reason to not have the meeting and she knew it because she shook her head. ¡°The coronation is in two weeks, if they aren¡¯t here yet then they can wait to see you on the day. Over half of them are here, even if you have only met two.¡± Without another word, she was out of the dining room and I was left sitting there with my mouth opened. I turned to Christine who offered me aforting smile and I was suddenly aware of how sick of a sense of humor fate had. I slowly stood to my feet and I allowed my legs guide themselves to my room where the dress designers were already waiting with one of my dresses. I moved on autopilot as I took a long bath and allowed the maids work on my skin. I didn¡¯t even realize what was happening as my hair was styled in a sort of causal look and I was ushered into the dress. I zoned outpletely until someone tapped my shoulders and I realized that they were done and waiting for my stamp of approval or disapproval. I moved over to the standing mirror and took myself in. My hair was tied up in an elegant half up and half down do, I had very minimal makeup on to appear more casual than business oriented and the dress, it was somehow better than thest time I saw it. I¡¯m sure they had it altered to perfectly frame my body. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The silver of the dress sparkled under the right light and the train looked longer than I remembered but I knew my mother would be in something more dazzling so I was sure to get only a few curious stares. My shoulders were bare and I couldn¡¯t help but nce back at my hair. In two weeks, I wouldn¡¯t be able to attend any meeting without having to wear a crown. I smiled at the designers and I saw them all let out a collective sigh of relief. I allowed them lead me downstairs and when I got to the front of the meeting hall, my mother was waiting. She ran her eyes over me and I saw approval dancing beneath her lids. She was in a dress of blood red but it was encrusted with rubies. It was a ball gown and the train put mine to shame. It was clearly over the top but I don¡¯t think she cared. Her lips were painted the color of blood and on her head sat a ruby encrusted crown. I stared at her for a minute and finally, she snapped her fingers and one of the guards came running over holding a clear silver box. Inside was a small crown made of diamonds and before I could say anything, she ced it on my head. It felt different and I blinked twice before I realized what had happened. ¡°I thought I¡¯m not allowed to wear crowns until after the coronation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to wear the crown for the heir,¡± she corrected. ¡°There is no way I will have you in the midst of all that testosterone without a crown. Now, are you ready?¡± I nodded and the door was pushed open. The first thing I noticed was how the talking ceased. There were at least twenty people in there but somehow, I was drawn to him. I could feel his eyes on me from my left but I was determined not to look or even nce in his direction. I kept my chin high as I walked with my mother towards the head of the table. She sat down and I sat at her right. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what a contrast we are, blood red and silver. It will make for some amazing stories and rumors. ¡°I am d you could all meet us on such short notice, mother began, ¡°Normally, this wouldn¡¯t hold until the day before the coronation but certain happenings have made it that the meeting had to be pushed up. Please, take your seats.¡± They all scrambled to take their seats and I was grateful when it was a random stranger and not Ryker who sat beside me but my dness quickly faded when Ryker sat opposite me. There was need and love in his eyes and I had to look away to stop him from consuming me but unfortunately, my eyes landed on Tyson. I felt mother nudge me slightly and I cleared my throat and ced a stoic expression on my face. ¡°This is my daughter, Cami,¡± she introduced and all I did was dip my head in a respectful nod, ¡°It has come to my attention that a few of you have wandered into the castle on certain asions. What for? I don¡¯t know. This will serve as my only warning to you, the castle is out of bounds to anyone who is not a member of the royal family or wasn¡¯t summoned by a higher ranking royal.¡± She paused for dramatic effect and stared down all of them, ¡°Anyone found within these castle walls at any given time will be sent home immediately. Your pack will be shunned by the royals and you will have nothing to do with us. That might sound like an empty threat until you realize that we allocatend and resources to every pack.¡± The room went as silent as a graveyard as everyone realized that she wasn¡¯t bluffing. Mother would really do that and I felt my heart warm as I realized that she was doing it for me. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into a hug but I knew this was neither the right ce nor time so I settled for gently nudging her knee with mine. She opened her mouth to speak when the door to the room opened. A part of me already knew what was happening before it happened but I still hoped that I was wrong. Audrey walked in through the doors and when she saw the many eyes, her thumb instantly flew to her mouth and she looked like she was about to cry. I nced at my mother who also had a panicked look on her face. The Alphas had started muttering amongst themselves and that was when Audrey¡¯s eyesnded on me. Within a second, she was sprinting across the room and burying her head in my skirts. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 I could feel the air stretching as everyone stared at me and Audrey. It felt like time had stopped briefly as every eye bored into me and my daughter. I could feel their stares even though I wasn¡¯t looking at them and they began to whisper. The whispers felt louder than they should have, they grated on my cars and it was like I could hear every single word they said. I nced at my mother who tried to reach down and take Audrey from me but Audrey refused to let go of my skirts. I leaned down and picked her up then ced her right in myp so she was sitting with her legs on either side of my thighs and her head was buried into my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the interruption,¡± I made sure my voice was as clear as day as I spoke, ¡°The rules never apply to our children, and even if they did, children always seem to run with their own set of rules.¡± ¡°Is she yours?¡± one of the Alpha¡¯s asked. I turned to him, I haven¡¯t seen him before. He was a lot older than me, I would say mid forties with a bald head and brown eyes. He is a bit on the pudgy side with beady eyes and a button nose. I could see him eyeing Audrey with curiosity and interest kind of like the others were doing. ¡°Yes she is,¡± I admitted and I heard rather than saw Ryker inhale sharply. The action unwillingly brought my eyes to his and I saw that he was no longer looking at me, he was staring at Audrey with a million emotions in his eyes. I saw him fist his fingers on the table and I knew he wanted nothing more than to reach out and just touch her. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that we had a daughter,¡± I would have understood if those words came from Ryker but I followed the sound down the table to where Tyson was now on his feet. ¡°I deserved to meet her.¡± He started making his way towards me and I turned to the guards who instantly blocked his way to me but he wasn¡¯t interested in going down quietly. I nced at Ryker who was now looking at me with confusion. ¡°She¡¯s not yours Tyson,¡± I said simply. ¡°Not in blood and not in any other way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that, it might have been one time but one time is all it takes.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t one time,¡± I spat as I ced my hands over Audrey¡¯s ears so she wouldn¡¯t hear me, ¡°It was rape and no, I wasn¡¯t pregnant for you so you can sit the f**k down or you can get out.¡± Tyson was stunned, I don¡¯t think I curse that much and I don¡¯t think he has ever seen me curse. Even Ryker and my mother looked taken aback at my choice of words but I didn¡¯t seem to care anymore. I stood to my feet and bnced Audrey on my hip as I spoke, ¡°This meeting is officially over.¡± As if possessed, all the Alphas rose and darted out the front doors except Tyson and Ryker. Tyson was still being restrained by guards but Ryker was standing in front of his seat and his eyes kept darting between me and Audrey. ¡°Is she mine?¡± his voice was as soft as a feather and I could tell that he was hoping for one answer but bracing himself for another. I guess Christine was right when she said it would happen sooner orter, I was expecting it to be a lot later. I nodded, ¡°Yes, she is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullsh it,¡± Tyson yelled out, ¡°That little girl is mine, I am her father.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± my mother¡¯s voice boomed through the halls leaving everyone staring at her in shock. She stood to her feet and leveled a harsh look at both men before walking over to me and stroking Audrey¡¯s hair softly. Audrey still had her head buried into my shoulder and I hated the fact that she had to be present for this conversation but I know she will refuse to go with anyone else and I have to be here. ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself,¡± mother spat at Tyson, ¡°Making such a stu pid scene in front of not only the other Alphas but in front of a child.¡± ¡°I just want a im to my-,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a sh it what you want,¡± she spat, ¡°If Cami says you aren¡¯t the father then you aren¡¯t. There is no way to know for sure unless by the words of Cami but if you are so sure that she is yours, then bring proof of thest time you were with Cami by tomorrow or this evening and you will have your answer.¡± Tyson opened his mouth toin but when he was leveled a look, he decided against it and stormed out of the room. I watched him carefully wondering if he was going to do anything crazy but he didn¡¯t. He exited the room and soon it was just Ryker, my mother and I. ¡°I will leave you two alone,¡± mother said and with a soft squeeze of my shoulder, she walked out. The door shut behind her and something about it felt so final. The air was thick with tension and charging. It felt like a live wire had been let loose and ignited between us. I haven¡¯t been alone with Ryker in four years and if anything, our bond has be stronger. I can feel the pull to him like I can feel Audrey in my arms. It was strong and charged and I wanted nothing more than to run to him and just let him hold me but I couldn¡¯t and I knew that so I put on my best expressionless mask and turned to him. His eyes were filled with so many questions and he slowly left his seat and walked around the table until he was standing right in front of me. He lifted his hand and at first I thought he wanted to touch Audrey but then his hand came dangerously close to my cheek and I took a step back. ¡°Why did you leave?¡± I expected this question toe up but I didn¡¯t expect it now. ¡°I looked for you for days. I thought the rogues had you, I didn¡¯t know where you went. It was like one minute you were there and the next, you weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act so innocent,¡± I couldn¡¯t take the bitterness out of my tone, ¡°you know exactly why I left.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, I thought about it for days wondering if I did something,¡± there was so much sincerity in his eyes and if I hadn¡¯t seen what happened with my own eyes then I might have been tempted to believe him. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter anyway,¡± I said dismissively, ¡°You¡¯re here for her not me.¡± His eyes went back to Audrey instantly and his hand moved forward to run through her curls. On impact, she pushed further into me and Ryker immediately pulled his hand away. ¡°Hi Audrey,¡± he whispered and as if she recognized his voice, she turned to him, ¡°It¡¯s Ryker, do you remember me?¡± Audrey turned to me as if asking for permission to talk to him and I nodded. She still didn¡¯t let go of me but she nodded in response to his question and I saw his face break out into a smile. She looked around the room and when she saw how empty it was, she started to wiggle and Ijput her on the floor. She rushed over to Ryker and wrapped her arms around his legs. There was an unreadable expression on his face that I would only describe as pure happiness and joy. He bent down until he was at her level and he ran his hands through her hair softly. ¡°Audrey,¡± I began and she turned to me, ¡°Do you remember how you asked me about your dad a while ago? It was when Steven had a baby and you asked if he would be called mummy too.¡± She nodded eagerly, ¡°You said Steven is a daddy because he¡¯s a boy and you¡¯re a mummy because you¡¯re a girl.¡± ¡°Well, Ryker is your daddy,¡± for a split second there was no reaction on her face and she angled her head to the side as if she was gauging the news and turning it over in her head. Ryker was literally holding his breath as he waited for her to react and then in a split second she threw her arms around him again. She made a sound that sounded like a scream and a squeal and started to jump around on her tiny legs. ¡°I have a daddy,¡± she squealed and it seemed like she was more excited about the prospect of having a dad than who it was. She lifted up her arms for him to pick her up and he looked at me first as if asking for permission and I nodded. He wasted no time in lifting her and bncing her one hip. Looking at them side by side, anyone would know that they are rted. She looks exactly like him. She has his eyes and his nose, she has thick and longshes just like he does. The only thing she actually has of me are my hair and my lips, that¡¯s it. I felt my heart clench as I watched Audrey speak so animatedly and with barely concealed excitement. Ryker was paying rapt attention to everything that she was saying and he kept nodding along as if he wanted to hear more. It felt like such a private moment and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was actually interfering or tre spa ssing. A part of me realized that I should have done this a long time ago. I should have told him about his daughter but that would have meant going to him or having to exin to him why I left. I wasn¡¯t ready then and I still don¡¯t think I am ready now but I am in a better ce of mind now than when I was before. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. ¡°Are you and daddy mates like Steven and Ca?¡± I was unsure of how to answer the question so I stayed quiet. Suddenly, it was like the tension was back and I could feel Ryker¡¯s eyes on me as he waited for me to answer our daughter. He could have answered her and we both knew that but he was giving me the chance to say whatever it was I wanted to say and I knew that no matter my answer, he would respect it. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Yes, we are,¡± she looked so excited so I added, ¡°But it isplicated and we aren¡¯t together right now.¡± Her smile fell, ¡°why not?¡± I let out a deep sigh, ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk about thister? We have to get you back upstairs and your dad has to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to leave,¡± she pouted and she clung to him tighter. He whispered something in her ear and she frowned but nodded and reluctantly allowed him put her down then walked towards the door where Steven was waiting. I nodded to him and he took her out of the room, preferably to her room. T It was just me and Ryker and he reached out to me but I took a step back so I was out of his reach. ¡°You can see her within the pce walls, but only when I am aware,¡± I told him, ¡°She usually wakes up by 7 or 8 and has breakfast before 9. You can see her anytime from 9:30 or 10 depending on how soon I can get her ready.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± he reached for me again but I leveled a hard look at him. ¡°I have to go and you have to get back to your room.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did, but I am sorry.¡± His voice cracked on thest word but I couldn¡¯t allow him break my defenses again so I turned on my heels. I waited until I got to the door before I spoke, ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t fix things.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 I was dreading the morning because I knew that my life had already taken a turn and it is almost impossible for things to go back to the way they were. I should have listened to Christine when she advised me but I was so concerned with trying to keep my life the way it was that I unknowingly set the chain of events for the exact things that I did not want to happen. Before I was able to put Audrey to bed at night, it took almost twice the usual time it would. She was so excited about her father and kept asking whether or not her father could put her to bed. I had to reluctantly let her know that he wasn¡¯t allowed on the pce grounds after dark as he wasn¡¯t a member of our family and she was so saddened by the words. It hurt me to see her like that and honestly, I didn¡¯t know what to do. This morning she did the same thing. She asked if her dad could get her dressed for the day and I hated being the one to tell her no, I hated being the one who had to dete her hope and make her sad. I hated it and I didn¡¯t know what else to do or say about the entire situation without looking like the bad guy. I managed to calm her down with the prospect of seeing Ryker again after breakfast and that was the only thing that spurred her to actually get out of bed and get dressed. She put on one of her nicest dresses and demanded that I put a little bow in her hair. As we walked through the castle walls, she had a permanent sk ip in her step. She looked more excited than I had seen her in the past few days and I didn¡¯t even think that was possible. My mother arrived in the dining room shortly after we did and from the look she leveled towards me, I knew she wanted to speak to me. At first, I tried to focus on my food and ignore her but I slowly lost my appetite and I ended up standing slowly to my feet. I saw all eyes fall on me but I ignored them and walked right out of the dining room. I waited by the door because I knew she would be out soon as well and my thoughts were correct because within five minutes, the door to the dining room opened and mother walked right out. She sighted me leaning against the wall and she walked right over to me and leaned against the wall in silence. ¡°Before you start berating me, I know I messed up,¡± I began, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Audrey to walk in like that and I should have told Ryker about her before.¡± ¡°You should-have,¡± she agreed, ¡°But now Tyson is telling everyone that Audrey is his. There¡¯s no point sitting on the things you could have done better. Our main focus should be the things you have to do now, so what are you going to do?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted even though I hated how foolish it made me sound. ¡°There is no way for me to prove that Audrey belongs to Ryker except timing. But the problem is that I wasn¡¯t with Ryker for more than three months. I don¡¯t even know when I got pregnant, I just know I had Audrey in March and I left him in August.¡± ¡°I have an idea but you might not like it,¡± ¡°At this point any idea is a good idea.¡±, ¡°Announce Audrey as yours and Ryker¡¯s daughter.¡± I turned to her sharply, ¡°I know you want her out of the spotlight and everything but that is the only way you can discredit Tyson. Anything he says will make him look stu pid and desperate. It will be rumors and nothing else.¡± ¡°Doing that would mean that Ryker has im to her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stuck between two evils Cami. You can either give Ryker im to his child or you have to deal with both men around your daughter with equal im. I don¡¯t know about you but it seems like a very easy choice for me. Besides, Audrey loves him already from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± I knew my mother was right, it was an easy choice but it didn¡¯t mean it was one I wanted to make. But that¡¯s the thing about life, we are stuck between bad choices and the hard ones. It would be so much easier to just stay silent but Audrey would be the one to suffer for it. It would be a constant tug of war between both parties trying to win her affection and I just want her to have a life as close to normal as it gets. ¡°Make the announcement,¡± I told my mother, ¡°Do whatever you need to do. Just increase the guards on Audrey, I don¡¯t want any kind of idents during this ceremony. I need to make sure that my daughter is safe.¡± ¡°She will be,¡± my mother assured me. ¡°I can promise you that Audrey will be the most protected person in this pce. No one except you and Ryker will be able toe within ten feet of her without me knowing. You have ¡°Thank you.¡± my word on that.¡± She gave me a soft smile that might as well have been an ¡®I love you¡¯ in her world. I let out a heavy sigh and pushed off my position on the wall. I was going to make my way back into the dining when mother¡¯s voice stopped me and I turned to her. ¡°Make sure you tell Ryker about it, let him know exactly what he has gotten himself into.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with him. He is her father, not my mate.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still your mate until you reject him and as long as he is her father, he will have ess to the pce. Tell him, thest thing we need is for another person to take us by surprise.¡± ¡°Yes mother.¡± ¡°One more thing,¡± she said, ¡°I asked him toe to the pce with the people who apanied him. From what I hear, there are just about three of them. We need to swear them all to secrecy and you will be the one to meet with them.¡± I wanted to protest, to refuse and demand that someone else do it but before I could, she walked down the hallway as if she hadn¡¯t just dropped the biggest bomb on me. Ryker arrived at the pce at exactly 9: 45. I had asked that I be informed the moment he shows up and coincidentally, Audrey was with me when I was told and she ditched the book we were coloring in and all but ran out of the room. I caught up to her and reprimanded her for running in the halls but it was half hearted because she looked so excited that I couldn¡¯t even fault her for running. Ryker was waiting for us in the private living room and as soon as I opened the door, Audrey ran into his arms. Ryker wasn¡¯t the only person there, Riley was too. There was also a guard who I didn¡¯t recognize or maybe I did but I didn¡¯t know his name. I had to fight to keep my expression neutral as Riley¡¯s gaze went from Audrey to me and back instantly. I didn¡¯t want her to see how much I had missed her and most of all I didn¡¯t want to see the disappointment and annoyance in her gaze as she took in the scene in front of her. Audrey was so oblivious to the tension brewing in the room and for once I wished I was as blissfully ignorant as she was. I wished I could go back to being a child and not have to worry about anything except for where I would y next or when I would sleep. ¡°Please sit,¡± I said to them and I didn¡¯t wait to see if they would respond before I took my seat on the only armchair there. Riley and Ryker took the couch to my left while the guard was excused and stepped out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, it just felt so final and I knew that there was officially no going back again. ¡°Audrey will be announced as our daughter,¡± I said as a way of greeting. ¡°I¡¯m only telling you this because as her father, you have a right to know. She will not be put out there but she will be officially recognized as a member of the royal family which means she will be under constant surveince and as her father, you will probably get a lot of unwanted ate-,¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Riley cut in. You ran away like some criminal and we don¡¯t see you for four years and the first thing you¡¯re telling us is what you n to do with our family. Don¡¯t we even get a say?¡± ¡°You get to say ¡®yes I understand,¡± I turned to look at her and I could see her eyes swimming with frustration. ¡°Keep in mind. that I don¡¯t have to tell you anything. I am simply doing it out of respect and because of my daughter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we had a right to know her? You stole three years of her life away from us. I don¡¯t even know her name.¡± ¡°If you want to talk about my daughter then don¡¯t do it when she¡¯s in the room.¡± I warned and she at least had the decency to turn pink. I know that Ryker already ced his hands over her ears so she wouldn¡¯t hear what was being said but thest thing I wanted was for my daughter to identally hear something she shouldn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Riley,¡± Ryker whispered to her and I saw her spine straighten even though I knew she didn¡¯t agree. ¡°Why did you leave?¡± she asked me. ¡°Things were going so well and then you just left like we were nothing. Was it because you were pregnant?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was pregnant before I left.¡± ¡°Would it have changed anything?¡± I paused before I answered because this is something I had asked myself for months after finding out I was pregnant. Would I have stayed if I knew? Maybe, I was always so eager to please people. But knowing who I am right now, I probably wouldn¡¯t stay. ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted. The least I could do was offer them that little piece of truth. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter now. What has happened has happened, what we need to do now is move forward with what we have.¡± I turned to look at Audrey who was blissfully unaware in Ryker¡¯s arms. She was ying with the cor of his shirt and staring at him as if he was the most fascinating person on the. ¡°Her name is Audrey Valentina Caine. She was born on March 13th and she really likes butterflies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my mother¡¯s name,¡± Ryker¡¯s voice was a soft whisper. ¡°I know,¡± I locked eyes with him and there was something there. I don¡¯t know if it is the remnants of our bond or something deeper but it threatened to swallow me whole and I had to turn away. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered and I had to turn back to him. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°For her,¡± he smiled softly, ¡°and for giving her myst name.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 The news about Audrey went live two days ago and it spurred all the Alphas to arrive earlier than usual. The coronation is set for a week from now and the pce has been in aplete frenzy. I knew Ryker would never be one toin so I asked my mother to look into it and it turns out that he had been getting a lot of questions and disturbance from a lot of other Alphas. It wasn¡¯t anything violent or malicious but the constant overbearing nature and the snidements. My mother had Ryker and his entourage moved into the pce. I knew it was the right and best option but it didn¡¯t mean I agreed with it. At least when he was living in another building it was easier to avoid him. The pce might be big but every day, we bump into each other at least three times. Ryker has refused to let the subject of my running away drop and whenever we are together, he makes sure to ask me about it and try to get me to speak. I have told him over and over again that we should leave the past in the past but I don¡¯t think Ryker has ever been good at following instructions because he has done the exact opposite. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would say he was trying to win me over but I guess that isn¡¯t possible right now because I have a million things to worry about starting with my daughter and ending with Tyson. When the news about Audrey dropped, Tyson was furious. He stormed into the pce yelling at the top of his lungs. The guards detained him at the door but my mother and I were called down to speak to him. He told me that I had robbed him of the chance to be with his daughter and when I broke down the timeline of Audrey¡¯s birth and exined that there was no way he could be the father, he lost it.. He screamed at me and med it on Ryker, he spoke about how Ryker had brainwashed me and how Ryker was the cause of all his problems and honestly, it felt so normal. I was wondering how long it would take for him to break character and refuse to take responsibility for his actions and it didn¡¯t take as long as I thought. After he was forcibly taken away from the pce, he tried to return yesterday but he wasn¡¯t even allowed to reach the gate. I was on the balcony overlooking the front gate and he was screaming my name. I don¡¯t know if he could see me or not but I know that he stood there for almost ten minutes begging me toe out and talk to him. Audrey was right beside me and she asked who he was. I had to lie to her that he was an old friend who I drifted apart from. I didn¡¯t know how to exin the concept of mates to her three year old mind but thankfully I didn¡¯t have to worry much about it because Ryker arrived and it was like every problem she has vanished into thin air. I wouldn¡¯t admit it but I was actually d that Ryker was around because he helped with Audrey a lot more than I thought he would. It was annoying at first but I soon realized that it worked to my advantage because while he kept herpany, I was able to get work done and finalize the nning for the coronation. Ryker attended to her during breakfast and he helped her into bed every night. She simply refused to fall asleep if Ryker and I weren¡¯t both by her side to read her a bedtime story. That used to be my job but I think Audrey is just scared that her father will disappear and she is trying to make the best out of what she has now. I don¡¯t know how to exin to her that the Ryker I know won¡¯t leave her. If anything, he is probably already a nning a way that involves them staying together but what he won¡¯t say out loud is that the only way that will happen is if we are mated and I don¡¯t see that happening. Tonight, I was runningte because I had ast minute meeting with my mother to discuss the security for Audrey. Her eyes and ears had told her that everyone was suddenly so interested in seeing her and they were predicting at least one crazed event during the coronation. That was exactly what I wanted to avoid and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was my fault that Audrey was suddenly going to have her life uprooted. When I got to her room, she was lying in her bed tucked under her nkets while whispering animatedly to Ryker. As soon as she sighted me, she sat up and stretched out her arms so I could give her a hug. I wasted no time in taking her in my arms. and inhaling her soft scent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± I mumbled into her hair. ¡°I was in a meeting with your grandma that ran sote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Daddy read my bedtime story, I was just waiting for you.¡± I pulled back and stared at the innocent look in her eyes and I couldn¡¯t help but wish it would stay that was forever. ¡°Thank you for waiting up for me.¡± She smiled widely and burrowed back under the covers. I dragged the nket up to her a chin and ced a soft kiss on her forehead. She giggled softly and a smile tugged at my lips. ¡°Goodnight,¡± I told her and I felt Ryker¡¯s presence next to me. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and he was so close to me that I could smell him, I could feel him. I didn¡¯t even realize I had held my breath until he pulled away. ¡°Goodnight princess,¡± he whispered to her and I saw her beam at the nickname. Ryker and I walked out of the room and I made sure to turn off the main light and leave her night light on. Audrey will never sleep in apletely dark room but at the same time she can¡¯t fall asleep if all the lights are on. Her night light is a soft orange color and it gives the room a soft dewy glow that she loves. I shut the door behind me and turned only to see Ryker standing so close to me. I looked up at him in an attempt to hide how ufortable I was. ¡°Thank you for helping out with the story. ¡°I didn¡¯t help out. She¡¯s my child, it¡¯s my job to do that.¡± I started to side step him but his hand shot out and grabbed my arm. ¡°Five minutes, I just want to talk for five minutes, please.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t Ryker,¡± I whispered. ¡°I just want to go to bed.¡±¡± ¡°I deserve five minutes of your time.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± I cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t have to talk to you or be around you. My only obligation is to co parent with you in a civil manner so it does not affect our daughter but other than that, I owe you nothing.¡± He was stunned by my words but I didn¡¯t even wait for a response from him. I side stepped him and walked over to my door which was directly adjacent to Audrey¡¯s. I was about to shut the door behind me when Ryker¡¯s foot shot out and held it open. He pushed the door open and I rolled my eyes as I sat at my vanity and began to take off my jewelry and hair pins. ¡°You might not want to talk,¡± he began, ¡°But you can listen to me,¡± he waited to see if I would retort but when I was silent, he continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was that I did but it must have been terrible for you to leave and I am sorry. I want to make things right Cami, I miss you.¡±. Hearing those words from him almost undid me because whether I wanted to admit it or not, I missed him too. I shook my head trying and failing to push those feelings away from my chest but they wouldn¡¯t leave. Finally, I stood to my feet and walked over to him. I saw the anticipation as I stood in front of him and crossed my hands over my chest. ¡°You should leave,¡± I said but I couldn¡¯t look him in the eye. ¡°Look at me and say it.¡± I stared deep in his eyes and I had forgotten how maic they were and how they and the tendency to just pull you in and never let you go. I opened my mouth to speak but the words couldn¡¯te out. I don¡¯t know what happened next, I don¡¯t know who made the first move or who initiated it but the next thing I knew, our lips were fused together. I had forgotten how euphoric it felt to kiss Ryker. His hands wound around my waist and pulled me impossibly closer while I bnced my hands on his shoulders. One of his hands tangled in my curls and he tugged it hard but it gave a delicious feeling and I let out a small gasp. ¡°I want to feel you,¡± his tone was pleading. ¡°Please let me feel you.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He sounded like he would go mad if I stopped him, like he was dying and this was hisst meal and his life would be over if I didn¡¯t grant it. My body felt alive for the first time in years and all I could do was nod. ¡°I want your words,¡± ¡°Yes,¡± it came out more like a breathy moan than a statement but Ryker wasted no time inplying. His skilled fingers worked the ropes at the back of my dress and corset and within a second they were in a pool on the floor. We were a frenzy of hands and a flurry of bodies. I can¡¯t tell you how I got the rest of my clothes off or how he got naked. I can¡¯t even tell you how we got into bed. I just knew that it had been too long and I just wanted him. I knew I was making a mistake and I knew I would regret it tomorrow but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to worry about tomorrow. For once, I wanted to be selfish and I wanted to indulge in a man. I haven¡¯t been with a man since Audrey was born. Mainly because I didn¡¯t want her to grow attached to him and have him leave but this is Ryker, he is going to be around for as long as he wants whether I like it or not. I felt my back hit the mattress and Ryker settled between my thighs. I could feel the searing heat from his throbbing member against my cli t and I hissed in pleasure. He rocked his hips slowly so his head will glide against my slit and I could feel myself coat him in my wetness. ¡°No teasing,¡± I begged, ¡°I just want to feel you inside me.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked and I nodded but he grabbed my chin. ¡°I need you to be absolutely certain.¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯m sure,¡± there was hidden frustration in my tone because he had stilled against me and I just wanted him to slide in. As soon as he heard the verbal confirmation, he entered me in one sharp thrust. It was deliciously full and I felt like I was going delirious. Ryker imed me in more ways than one and although this started as a ime thing on my part, I knew that I had just opened a can that I would probably never be able to seal back. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 I woke up first and the weight of my actions settled on me like lead. Ryker¡¯s arm was wound around my waist and he was tucked by my side. I slowly disentangled myself from his hold but it proved harder than I thought because he was not ready to let go. I couldn¡¯t help but face palm myself as I managed to get out. He has another child back home and here I am rolling into bed with him like a hormonal teenager. I ran my hands down my face as I saw Ryker begin to stare and I pulled a robe around my body to shield what little dignity I have left. I gathered our clothes from the floor and put mine in theundry bag while I arranged Ryker¡¯s neatly at the foot of the bed for him. He finally woke up when he reached out into the bed and saw I wasn¡¯t there. He sat up instantly and then he saw me standing there. He sat up slowly as if he was gauging my expression on my face and the situation in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he began and I hummed. ¡°Cami before you say anything-,¡± ¡°You should go,¡± I cut him off and I saw his face fall. ¡°Audreyes into my room every morning and I don¡¯t want her toe in here and see something that we both can¡¯t exin.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± he stood to his feet in all his naked glory and crossed the length of the room so he was standing directly in front of me. ¡°Put some clothes on,¡± I murmured trying not to look at him but his hand reached out and grabbed my chin then tilted my head back so I was staring right in his eyes. ¡°You want this, I know it andst night was more than enough proof. Why are you pushing me away? Why are you doing this?¡± I bit my tongue to stay silent. ¡°Cami, what is it that is refusing to allow you ¡°Don¡¯t act stu pid it is not an attractive look,¡± I spat hoping he would pull away at the insult but he didn¡¯t. ¡°You have a child Ryker, we cannot be doing this.¡± ¡°What does Audrey have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Not Audrey, Lauren¡¯s child,¡± I all but yelled and he froze. He opened his mouth to speak but I pushed him off me. He tried to step closer but I held out a hand to stop him and Ryker stood immobile. He stared down at me with wide eyes and he let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t have a child with Lauren,¡± he told me. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Is that why you ran, because Lauren told you we were having a child? You know better than I do that you should never listen to her.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Then what was so convincing that you believed them over me.¡± ¡°I heard it from Lucy. I heard Lucy tell her that she was pregnant and I heard her say that you both didn¡¯t want me to know. I saw you with her.¡± ¡°Cami, baby, you¡¯re not making¡¯ any sense.¡± ¡°I think you should leave Ryker,¡± I crossed my arms over my chest and Ryker let out a heavy exhale. ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded and started to put on his clothes. The air was thick with tension and I watched as he nced at me ever so slightly hoping and praying I would change my mind and ask him to stay so we could talk but I was firm in my decision. Thest thing I want is Ryker lying to me and telling me that what I saw was some kind of apparition. I know what I saw, I never forgot it and seeing him right here in front of me denying everything is like a blow to the heart. Ryker quietly exited my room and I slid to the floor with my head buried in my legs. I allowed myself the luxury of five minutes to mourn whatever had just happened before I forced myself to rise. I am the princess and I have work to do. I do not have the liberty to cry over a man, much less a man who cheated. As I pushed to my feet, the maids appeared with warm water for a bath and once I was cleaned, I settled for one of my more extravagant dresses. A part of me hoped I would be able to hide all my sorrows with the dress. As soon as I stepped out of my room, Audrey was already stumbling towards my door while rubbing her eyes. I picked up my daughter and went to clean her up. By the time she was finally awake, she wanted to wear a dress just like mine and that is how Audrey and I ended up down the stairs in frilly light pink dresses adorned with jewels and embroidery. When we got to the dining room, mother raised a brow. For the first time ever, someone had out dressed her and she raised her ss to me in a sort of toast. Christine however was sending me curious looks as if she was worried about me and I tried my best to avoid her gaze because I know her and she can undo me with one look. Mother was called out of the dining room and as soon as the door shut behind her, Christine leaned over to me and whispered. ¡°What¡¯s with the dress?¡± she asked and I shrugged. ¡°Come on, I know you better than that. ¡°Audrey wanted to match.¡± ¡°You have a million pink dresses that match, why this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± I deadpanned, ¡°Do I need any other reason to pick a dress other than its beauty?¡± ¡°Cami,¡± she began but I cut her off. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to talk about it right now.¡± She raised her hands in mock surrender. ¡°Will you be able to watch Audrey when she is with Ryker? I can¡¯t be there today.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡±. ¡°Yes,¡± I assured her, ¡°I just want to go into town and see what I can do.¡± She looked like she didn¡¯t believe me but she let out a sigh and nodded. This is one of the reasons I am most grateful for Christine. She will never push unless it is absolutely necessary and she is always there for me to count on even when I cannot count on myself. After breakfast, I passed by Ryker in the halls and I could tell he wanted to speak to me but I pointedly ignored him and made my way out of the pce and towards the gardens. Only Steven was following me because he is one of four guards permitted to enter the gardens. I sat on my heels on the ground and Steven stayed by the entrance to give me the semnce of privacy that I so craved while I allowed my mind wander. I couldn¡¯t help but go back tost night¡¯s actions with Ryker I knew I should regret them but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. In fact, I wanted to do it over and over again. It made me feel icky on the inside because I should know better. I should be setting a good example for my daughter that she should never let a man toss her around but here I am running back into bed with a man who cheated on me and got another woman pregnant although he denies that it ever happened. Some illogical part of my mind hoped that he was telling the truth because the fact of the matter is that I never stopped loving Ryker. It was practically impossible for me to. I tried my best to get his memories out of my head but it was like he was cemented in there. When Audrey came along it got worse because she reminded me so much of him. She acts like him, she has his eyes and sometimes when I look at her, all I see is her father. I buried my head into my palms as I thought of what I could possibly do about the entire situation. It is so sticky and tangled like a spider¡¯s web and I don¡¯t even know where I stay in this. I don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯te with Lauren or his child with her. I would have expected him to do that honestly but maybe he did it out of respect for me. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t hear the footsteps in the garden until a shadow fell directly over me. I looked up and saw Tyson standing there in all his glory with an unreadable expression on his face. I was on my knees so he was towering over me and instead of giving him the pleasure of thinking it had an effect, I simply sat back on my feels and looked up at him with pure boredom. I could tell it grated on his nerves because I saw his jaw tick but instead ofshing out, he reached behind him and brought out a bouquet of wild flowers. ¡°These are for you,¡± he said as he handed them over to me and I stared at his outstretched hands as if they were poisoned. ¡°I promise you, they aren¡¯t poisoned.¡± I reluctantly reached out and took them from him and I ced them on the ground next to me. I took it only out of courtesy and not because I n to keep it. If anything, I want Tyson out of here as soon as possible. ¡°If that is all you can leave,¡± I said simply. ¡°You know that you are not supposed to be here.¡± ¡°I wanted to speak to you personally,¡± he took a seat on the grass which I found shocking. ¡°I wanted to apologize for my behavior over the past few days. I overreacted and I am sorry for the outbursts. It was very undignified of me.¡± ¡°What do you want Tyson?¡± I asked because I know Tyson would never apologize unless he has ulterior motives. I would rather deal with his straightforwardness than deal with a pretense of affection or remorse. ¡°Audrey is not my child, is she?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°No, she is not. Why would you think she is and why would you think that I would have kept any child of yours?¡± he opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. ¡°You m ay have forgotten Tyson, but I have not. Tell me what you are really here for or I will call the guards and have you jailed for trespa ssing. I could see the shock on his face that I was speaking back to him and something else crossed his face but he was too covered by shadows for me to realize. Finally, he smiled and sighed deeply. ¡°I wanted to apologize Cami and I wanted to tell you that I want you back.¡± I scoffed, ¡°If that is all, then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± I stood to my feet. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait long for an answer, it is no.¡± He reached out to grab my arm and I shot him a scathing look. ¡°If you do not let go of me, I will break your arm in ces you did not know were possible.¡± He let go of me instantly and I brushed the dirt off my body, ¡°I think it is time for you to leave.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a response or an answer from him. Instead, I turned on my heels and walked out of the garden. Steven stared at me in a silent question as I left but I shook my head letting him know everything was fine as we made our way back into the pce. I saw Riley walking towards the doors as we were walking in and she cast me a withering look. She must not have been paying attention to where she was going because she tripped. I reached down to help her up when she whispered in a voice so soft only I could have heard. ¡°I saw the both of you. If you want to be his wh ore then leave Ryker out of it.¡± ? Before I couldprehend the sentence, she was on her feet and walking out of the pce. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Riley¡¯s words rang in my ear for thest two days and when I woke up, it was one of the first things I thought about. I know that Riley can be very protective of her brother but I would never have expected that kind of response from her at any time. If someone had told me before yesterday that she would speak to me like that then I would haveughed in their faces. Christine seemed to pick up on my absent minded mood because she asked me at least twice if I was doing okay and I lied to her those two times because I didn¡¯t even know how to exin what was going on in my head. If it were anyone else, I would have called them out there and then and they would have never tried it again in their lives but it was Riley, she had a right to be pi ssed even though I had a bigger right though. ¡°Cami,¡± Christine whispered harshly in my ear snapping me back to reality and I realized where I was. I was in the council room talking with mother and the other elders on how the ceremony would go and I must have zoned out because all the elders were staring at me in anticipation as if they were waiting for my input or something. I turned to Christine and shot her a slightly panicked look and she rolled her eyes. ¡°They asked what your ns are for Audrey,¡± she whispered and I muttered a quick thanks. ¡°I want her in and out as quickly as possible,¡± I told them. ¡°She should never be unprotected at any moment and I want no less than two or three guards on her. She is my topmost priority at any given moment. I can handle myself.¡±¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be the crowned princess,¡± one of the elders told me. I can¡¯t remember his name and if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t care to know his name, he always pi sses me off. ¡°You¡¯re more likely to be a target than she is. She is just a child, no one truly cares about her.¡± ¡°It is a good thing I was not asking your opinion then,¡± I shot back and I saw his face contort into a frown before he quickly schooled it. ¡°Audrey is the most important person in a room at any given time. Before anyone is taken to safety- even me- my daughter must be safe, is that clear?¡± ¡°What about the queen?¡± ¡°I believe the queen is right in front of you and able to make her own decisions. You can ask her for details about her protection but I have told you about mine and my daughter¡¯s. If anything happens to her during those ceremonies I will make sure that each and every one of you suffers terribly for it.¡± ¡°The pce is the most protected ce in the world,¡± one of them said, ¡°There is no way that anyone will be able to harm your daughter.¡± ¡°In case it sk ipped your attention gentlemen, I was taken from this very pce and I lived eighteen years of my life not knowing who I was. How is that for the most protected ce in the world?¡± They fell silent mainly because they knew I was right but I could see that the first elder was not happy with my decisions. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care because at the end of the day it is my ceremony and it is my choice on what I want to happen. If they think I will prioritize mine or anyone else¡¯s life over my daughter then they must be thoroughly mistaken. The meeting ended within ten minutes after that and I was the first person up and out of my seat. I could feel my mother¡¯s curious gaze on me but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to meet it as I walked out of the room. I heard footsteps rushing behind me but I didn¡¯t stop to see who it might be. I already knew it was probably Christine and when she came to a stop beside me, I knew I was right. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you today?¡± she asked. ¡°It is not that I didn¡¯t love how you put Evan in his ce today but you seem weird. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied but from the way her lips tilted down it was obvious that she didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°That¡¯s a lie and you know it,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Is it about Audrey? She¡¯s safe with Ryker and Steven is watching over her just like you asked. Nobody is going to try anything funny especially now that we are so close to the ceremony. Surely you know that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Audrey,¡± she stopped mid step and I sighed, ¡°Of course I am a little worried about her but right now I¡¯m worried about Riley.¡± ¡°Who is Riley?¡± ¡°Ryker¡¯s sister.¡± This time a fresh wave of confusion took over her features and I calmly exined everything that had happened two days ago. She listened intently to every word and when I was done, her eyebrows had almost disappeared into her hair line. She stayed quiet for a few seconds as if she was wondering how to ce the words she wanted to say. ¡°That¡¯s something,¡± she said carefully after a beat. ¡°First of all that was disrespectful as hell and you¡¯re lucky I wasn¡¯t there because there is no way she would have gotten away with it. Second, we need to do something about that Tyson, he cannot keep sneaking into the pce and if he can sneak in then goddess knows who else can.¡± ¡°I already told Steven about Tyson so he and the guards can try to figure out where Tyson always manages to sneak in from and as for Riley, she has a reason to be upset. We were friendly and I just got up and left.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just get up and leave, her brother was a cheating as shole. You saw him with his di ck in someone else and then found out that someone else was pregnant. If that isn¡¯t a reason to leave then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°What?¡± That singr word stopped us both in our tracks and we turned around to see Ryker standing there with the most confused expression on his face. We were so consumed by our conversation that we didn¡¯t realize that he was standing right there and he had been listening to us. ¡°Cami, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Christine whispered to me, but I gave her a small smile.. ¡°It is fine,¡± I assured her, ¡°You should go, I think I might need to have a conversation.¡± She gave me a look wracked with guilt but she did as I had asked and walked away. Ryker was still standing there with his brows furrowed and I knew we were standing in a public ce so I turned on my heels and started walking out of the pce. As expected; he followed behind me not saying a word but waiting for me to speak and I didn¡¯t stop walking until we got to the private garden. Other than the fact that Tyson has snuck in twice, it is the most quiet ce in the entire pce. If you ever want to have a conversation without the fear of anyone listening in then this is your best bet. It is probably going to be you, the trees and the asional critter that wanders in.. It seemed that Ryker was very eager to have the conversation because as soon as we got to the garden, he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. ¡°What the hell was she talking about?¡± he asked. ¡°Who did you see f**king someone else and who was the other person?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t y dumb,¡± I could feel my irritation rising. ¡°I know what I saw and honestly I would have preferred to never see a sight like that. You know what¡¯s funny about all of it, that you called me to your office and then I get there only to see you with your dick in someone else.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he all but yelled. ¡°The day you left I wasn¡¯t even in the pack house. After we got there I was called out to check on a proposed rogue problem. I had asked the maids to feed you and when I got back, Eve told me that you left.¡± I wanted to let out a scream of frustration. This is why I never wanted to have this conversation because I knew he would never admit to his wrong doing. I knew he would never admit that he was the one at fault but we all know it. I know what I saw and unless he is telling me that there is a problem with my eyes then he is lying. ¡°I know what I saw!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°I saw you with Lauren bent over your f**king desk and the next day, I saw Lucy telling her that she was pregnant for you and that you didn¡¯t want me to know.¡± ¡°Cami, you¡¯re not making any sense. Thest time I f**ked Lauren was over a year before I even met you. After the incident with us almost having a child I stopped everything I had with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I saw. Are you telling me that what I saw was wrong or it was some kind of apparition?¡± He let out a sigh and spoke softly inparison to how he was speaking before. ¡°I¡¯m not discrediting whatever you saw but I am telling you that it wasn¡¯t me. Did you get a good look at the person, did you smell the person? It was not me and you have to believe me when I say this.¡± He was staring straight into my eyes almost pleading and almost begging me to believe him and I could see the sincerity swirling in his eyes but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to believe him. I know what I saw and unless there is irrefutable proof that he didn¡¯t f**k her then I don¡¯t believe it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sighed. ¡°Did you feel any pain?¡± I was taken aback and I blinked at him twice. He must have seen my exnation. ¡°When you saw me having sex with Lauren did you feel any pain?¡± ¡°Other than the pain of my heart shattering you mean?¡± I asked and I let the sarcasm bleed into my tone. ¡°We are mates,¡± he exined, ¡°If I had cheated on you then you would have felt it like a searing hot iron in your chest. It is just how the mate bond works and if you didn¡¯t feel that then you know that I didn¡¯t cheat on you. You would have felt like our bond was going to snap and the pain is almost unbearable.¡± A shadow of doubt began to cast in my mind but I hesitated. What if he is just lying in order to make me believe him? ¡°How do I know that you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± ¡°You can ask anyone,¡± he whispered and I saw him take a step closer to me. ¡°Ask anyone and they will tell you that I¡¯m saying the truth. I have no other way of proving this to you because it is my word against yours and hers. I sent for Lauren but no one knows where she is. She disappeared from the pack a few days ago but I sent for Lucy.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°I want to hear from her if she actually had that conversation with Lauren because I didn¡¯t know about it.¡± Ryker was now standing directly in front of me and I could feel the heat from his body. I wanted to reach out and touch him. but I fisted my hands by my side. ¡°I¡¯m going to prove to you that I did nothing wrong,¡± he assured me. ¡°Just ask your mother or your cousin. If I had cheated on you then you would have felt it.¡± Without another word, he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and he disappeared from the garden. As I watched him leave I couldn¡¯t help but think about how much I wanted to believe him. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Ryker¡¯s words rang through my head and the first thing I did was go to my mother¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t knock, I just pulled the door open and walked in. I saw her raise a brow at me but she didn¡¯t say anything and instead closed the document she was working on and looked up at me. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I shut the door behind us and took a seat in front of her. She stayed quiet as she peered up at me through her thickshes and the intensity of her gaze had me squirming. Sometimes it is almost terrifying looking at my mother because it feels like looking in a mirror. She doesn¡¯t look her age at all; in fact, she can pass for an older version of me sometimes ¡°Is there a reason you barged into my office, Cami?¡± she asked with humorcing her tone. ¡°Or did you simply miss my presence so much that you felt the need to reenact one of Audrey¡¯s scenes? I hate to inform you that it won¡¯t have quite the same reaction considering there is no one here and everyone already knows of your existence.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m honestly debating whether or not the question is worth it at this point.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already here,¡± she leaned back in her seat. ¡°You might as well get the answers that you came for. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± 7 I realized that she was right but judging by the amused look in her eye, I knew she wasn¡¯t going to make this easy for me. I can count on one hand the number of times I havee to my mother for advice. It isn¡¯t that she doesn¡¯t give good advice- quitet he contrary actually. She gives the best advice but before she does so, she will draw out the conversation and make you feel st upid. The first time I came to her was when I found out I was pregnant for Audrey. I asked her whether I should go back to Ryker and sheughed in my face for a full minute then proceeded to tell me that if my pride was as weak as my decision making skills then she would give me her express permission to go back and be his mistress. I didn¡¯t go back again after that. There is only so much ridicule a person can take at the hands of s again, seated in her office and looking to her for advice. someone else but here I am ¡°Did my father ever cheat on you?¡± I asked and her smile fell. ¡°I know you don¡¯t talk about him much but I wanted to know.¡± My question seemed to have rocked her because for once she didn¡¯t look like the formidable queen I knew her to be. I have asked her about my father before but she promptly shut down the conversation and told me that she would never entertain questions about him. I knew I was risking a lot by asking but I needed the answers. ¡°You say cheat so easily, as if it is a ime thing.¡± She began finally, ¡°If you ask him, he would say he didn¡¯t and honestly L would agree. To cheat there would have to be a rtionship and what we had was anything but. It was an alliance formed out of duty and desperation and nothing more.¡± Trantion: He did- many times. ¡°Ryker told me something today,¡± I began and her lips curled up cruelly. ¡°Are you letting him into your head again?¡± she asked, ¡°Honestly Cami, I thought you were smarter than this. You are more than wee to y around with your own life but have you once considered that Audrey might be affected by all of this? Do you really want to get her attached and then-,¡± ¡°Do not talk about my daughter,¡± I cut her off. ¡°Everything that I have done, I have done for her. I don¡¯t need advice from a woman who had her child kidnapped right under her nose. I came here to ask a simple question and if all you will do is make me feel like shi t over it then I will take my questions and leave. Don¡¯t mistake my silence for eptance mother. I am not one of your subjects that you will oppress without a struggle.¡± My mother was shocked that I had spoken back to her. Hell, I was shocked that I had spoken back because it isn¡¯t something I make a habit of doing. I mainly try my best to avoid any kinds of conflict. Thest thing you will see me doing is diving head first into it. The silence in the room stretched to an ufortable tension. My body itched to apologize but I also knew that if anyone should be apologizing then it should be her. I did nothing wrong and I said nothing wrong. She had no right to bring up Audrey like I was a bad parent. I have looked out for her since before she was even born and I would never do anything to jeopardize that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting those words from her and my brows disappeared into my hairline when I heard them. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I am quite capable of apologizing when I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°I know you are, I just didn¡¯t think you would do it.¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°Why did youe here? Don¡¯t waste my time because I have a lot of work to do.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°When your mate cheats on you, do you feel pain in your chest or abdomen?¡± She raised a perfectly arched brow at my question. ¡°Is there a certain reason why you¡¯re asking? Did you feel any pain anywhere?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I began slowly. ¡°It was just that Ryker and I were talking and was so adamant that he didn¡¯t cheat on me but there¡¯s no way to prove he didn¡¯t because I know what I saw and then he asked if I felt any pain. Of course I told him no and then he said that if he cheated I would have felt pain.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± she said and my eyes widened. ¡°Every single time your father f**ked another woman, I felt it. it was terribly excruciating and it was so terrible that I asked a witch to break our bond. I couldn¡¯t leave him, he was the king of course but at least I never felt that pain again.¡± Everything suddenly seemed to spin as I tried to wrap my head around what she had just said: I didn¡¯t feel any pain- I never did then and I haven¡¯t till now. Why didn¡¯t I feel any pain if I clearly saw Ryker having sex with Lauren? Is it because we hadn¡¯t done our mating ceremony? What exactly was the reason why I never felt anything from him? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± mother asked, ¡°I can see the wheels turning in your head.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any pain when I saw them together. Does that mean he¡¯s telling the truth?¡± ¡°Of course he is. I always knew he never cheated on you. From the moment you told me the story, I knew he was innocent because if he really did it then you would have felt it.¡± ¡°But I know what I saw,¡± I argued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t seeing things and I clearly saw his face and hers. I also know what I heard and she said she was pregnant for him. I didn¡¯t imagine all of those.¡± ¡°I never said you did.¡± ¡°What if he found a witch to break our bond just like you did with f ather?¡± ¡°The pain would have been even worse than the pain of him f**king someone else.¡± I was more confused at this point and she knew it because she sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened Cami and I believe you when you say you saw him but the truth is that I think there is more to this story than what you think.¡± ¡°For now he is here and he is an awesome father to your daughter. He is trying to prove himself to you as well and I think you should give him a second chance. If your father did half of what Ryker is doing whenever he cheated on me then I would have never broken our bond. If he was half the father Ryker is to Audrey then I would have mourned his death longer than a day. I cannot tell you what to do but as your mother, I have given you the advice that I can.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just forget what saw.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to. I am asking you to be with your mate and I will run a search on what happened. It will be difficult considering it was four years ago but I will see what I can figure out.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I wanted to pull her into a hug, I wanted to say so many more words but I knew my mother was not a woman of hugs or actions. She just gave me a soft smile and went back to the documents in front of her. I knew it was a dismissal and for once, I didn¡¯t mind. I quietly stood to my feet and walked out of her office. The sun had already set by the time I left mother¡¯s office. I expected Audrey to be in her room or with Christine and that was why I was shocked when I made my way to the private living room and heard her giggles. I saw her sitting with Ryker on hisp while he made weird hand gestures and whispered some words into her ears. He must have heard my footsteps because he stopped speaking instantly and his eyes met mine. Audrey picked up on his silence and she followed his gaze. ¡°Hi mummy,¡± she squealed as she jumped off hisp and ran over to me. I picked her up with ease and bnced her on one hip as I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She giggled and buried her face into my neck and it took all my effort to hide my smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ryker said suddenly as he stood to his feet. ¡°I tried to tell her that she had to go back but she was insisting that I tell her another story. She liked the way I did the voices.¡± I hummed and I turned to Audrey who was gazing up at me with innocent eyes. She blinked softly as if trying to win me over with puppy dog eyes and the corner of my lips tilted up.. ¡°Go outside the door and meet Steven. He is going to take you to Christine and you are going to go upstairs and get ready for bed.¡± ¡°But mummy,¡± she began and I shot her a stern look. She sighed deeply and I put her down so she could do as I asked. She first of all ran over to give Ryker a quick hug before disappearing out the door. I watched her leave and as badly as I wanted to go after her and make sure that she reached her destination safely, I forced my legs to stay put. Steven is the best in the business and he will watch over Audrey with his life. Ryker was standing in front of me unmoving and I could tell that he was bracing himself for me to yell but instead, I crossed the length of the room and took a seat next to him. ¡°You have one chance to convince me,¡± I said as I crossed my ankles in front of me. ¡°Do not blow it.¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 At first there wasplete shock on his face. The shock slowly morphed into understanding as the words settled in his head followed by a deep sigh as he took his seat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him looking at me but I couldn¡¯t bear to meet his eyes. I wanted to be able to keep a clear head and an even clearer mind while he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start,¡± he began. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the issue started from. I don¡¯t know what you saw or what you heard but I know one thing is I would have never dreamed of doing anything to hurt you. Cami, I lo-,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it, please,¡± I was annoyed at how weak my voice sounded. I was annoyed that I knew what he was about to say and I didn¡¯t want to hear it because those three words would promptly end this conversation and I would be back in his arms like nothing ever happened. I hated how weak it made me feel and how easy it would be for him to just sway me and get me back in his arms like nothing happened. Everything was suddenly so confusing because I don¡¯t even know what to believe anymore. I don¡¯t know if I should believe what I saw or what mother and Ryker say. I know I believe my mother because she wouldn¡¯t lie to me and I hate to say it but I already believe Ryker. Judging by what mother said, he didn¡¯t cheat but that doesn¡¯t exin what I saw. It is like there is a war raging in my head and I don¡¯t know what is real and what isn¡¯t anymore. I don¡¯t know who to believe or if I can even trust myself at this point. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker¡¯s voice was soft and pleading. ¡°I have never looked at Lauren twice since I met you. I don¡¯t want her, I have never wanted her. Since the moment you stumbled across my border, even when I told you I didn¡¯t want a mate, even when you wouldn¡¯t look me in the eye like you wouldn¡¯t right now. I was wholly andpletely yours from the first moment our eyes met and I don¡¯t know what I can say to make you believe me because you know what you saw and I believe you when you say you saw that but I know for a fact that I was nowhere near Lauren while you were at the pack house.¡± ¡°Then who was with her?¡± I asked finally turning to face him. ¡°Who was the man who looked exactly like you that she was f**king in your office? She was bent over your desk and someone was standing behind her. Who was it if not you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I threw my hand up in frustration and stood to my feet. If I had a scrap of sense or dignity, I would walk away right now. It makes no sense how I know I saw him there but he is adamant that nothing happened and he wasn¡¯t even there. If someone else were in my position I would have told them to leave because he was trying to gaslight them but I am here and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. He looked just as frustrated as I did. He looked annoyed by the entire thing and he just looked sad. He looked like he wanted it all to be over and his emotions mirrored mine because I wanted it all to be over. I wanted to be back in his arms, I wanted to forget everything and I just wanted him. I ran my hands down my face in barely concealed frustration and I could see Ryker watching me carefully as if I was a ticking time bomb on the brink of explosion. He looked like he was preparing for the worst case scenario. ¡°Where is Lauren now?¡± I asked. ¡°Where has she been in the past four years?¡± ¡°I would assume she was in the pack but I¡¯m not sure because I never checked on her once. I didn¡¯t care what she was doing because my main focus was finding you. My only reason for waking up every day was to find you. I told you a few days ago that she wasn¡¯t found at the pack. I don¡¯t know how long she has been missing.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t have a child with her,¡± I repeated just to be sure and he nodded. ¡°You are the only woman I have and have ever wanted a child with. If Lauren truly was pregnant then you would know because I would never shy away from my parental duties and you know that. I don¡¯t know exactly what you saw Cami but I know this, you cannot believe a word Lauren says. I couldn¡¯t get Lucy toe over but she is adamant that she never had any sort of conversation like that with Lauren.¡± Iwanted to pull my hair out and scream. If he truly doesn¡¯t have a child with Lauren then she lied. The problem is was Lucy in on that lie? Was everything I saw a lie? I don¡¯t know what is real and what is not anymore. It is frustrating and it makes me feel like I am running in circles. It makes me feel like I am in the woods blindfolded and I am nearing a cliff but I don¡¯t know how to avoid it before I fall to my death. ¡°What now?¡± I asked softly because I didn¡¯t know what else to do or say. ¡°What happens now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can to find Lauren. She is the only othermon denominator in everything and she is the only person who knows the truth. I don¡¯t expect you to believe me ore back to me Cami but I truly hope that you give me a chance. I miss you and you don¡¯t want me to say it but I love you. You are all I have thought of in the past four years. I scoured every corner of the earth looking for you. I went to your mother and I went to every pack I could just to find you.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± my voice was small and I almost didn¡¯t ask the question because I was scared of his response. ¡°Why would you spend so much effort in finding me if I just stood up and left? You should have cut your losses and moved on.¡± ¡°There is no greater loss than losing you.¡± He was on his feet now and he crossed the length of the room until he was standing directly in front of me. I looked up at him and the raw emotion in his eyes almost made me stumble. His hand reached up to cup my face and I knew I should pull away but I allowed him hold me. I allowed him stroke his thumb across my cheek softly and I allowed myself rx in his hold even though I knew I should be doing better. He knew exactly what words to say and I felt them permeate the deepest parts of my heart. It felt like we were in our own personal bubble and for once, I could forget everything that had happened and just do what I wanted to do which was be with him. I saw his eyes fall to my lips and there was a sharp tug in my lower belly. ¡°Ryker,¡± I breathed softly, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t. It will get tooplicated and thest thing we need is more complications.¡± ¡°There is nothingplicated about wanting my mate.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± it was meant toe out as a warning but it sounded more pleading. He leaned closer until our lips were practically brushing and I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to pull away. The truth was that I wanted it just as much as he did. ¡°Let¡¯s start over,¡± his lips moved against mine with every word. ¡°While we search for the truth, let us start over. I want you Cami and I don¡¯t want to live one more second away from you.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t how to start over. If we were to start over then we would be strangers before bing friends or anything more) We have a daughter Ryker, there is no starting over for us.¡± ¡°Then let me have you, in any way that you want me to. I am merely a footstool to be used at your disposal. I would rather be a speck of dust in your world than a king in a world where you do not exist. I love you Cami.¡± Everything was too much; the words, the feel of his lips against mine. My head was spinning and this time I clearly knew that I was the one who bridged the gap between us when I kissed him. I knew that it waspletely irresponsible and st upid of me to do that but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care as my hands wrapped around his neck¡­ His hands held my hips and pulled me flush against him so I could feel every ridge and contour of his body as he ravaged my lips. I may have been the one who kissed him first but he was the one who was in control. He imed my mouth with unmatched passion and I could feel every bit of emotion that he poured into that kiss. His fingers slid to my a*s and when he squeezed softly, I let out a soft moan. He used the opportunity to slip his tongue inside and as his tongue caressed my mouth, I could feel myself getting impossibly wetter and I knew that I wanted him- in my bed, in my heart, everywhere. I just wasn¡¯t sure how things would y out if I did. Suddenly, Ryker pulled away and he ran his hands through his hair while muttering the word f**k over and over again. He started to pace the length of the room and I could see that he was confused and conflicted. I had my hand over my lips that were still stinging and tingling and I didn¡¯t know how to respond to the warring emotions inside me. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to regret this,¡± Ryker said when he had calmed down. ¡°You already regret it the first time. I don¡¯t want you to regret this a second time. I can deal with you avoiding and hating me but I cannot deal with you hating yourself for a -decision we both made.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret it,¡± he nced up at me with a look of disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on but I know that I don¡¯t regret it. I¡¯m confused Ryker. On one hand I believe you but on the other hand, I know what I saw. I don¡¯t know what is happening and I don¡¯t want to make this moreplicated than it already is.¡± He still looked unsure so I sighed. ¡°Audreyes into my room every morning and I didn¡¯t want her to see us together and start assuming things. I don¡¯t want to hurt our daughter by making her think something is happening and then have her hopes shattered.¡± By the time I finished speaking, I expected him to say something but instead, he just stayed there staring at me with wide eyes as if he was shocked. I wanted to ask why he was looking at me like that but I knew it was only a matter of time before he told me by himself. He crossed the length of the room until he was standing in front of me and then his hand reached out to stroke a stray strand of hair behind my ears. There was a look in his eyes, one that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. ¡°You said our daughter,¡± he said after a beat of silence. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve said it before but hearing you say it now. I don¡¯t know how I feel but I loved hearing it.¡± ¡°She is your daughter, Ryker,¡± I said simply. ¡°And if we are going to do this then we have to keep her out of it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen after the coronation and I don¡¯t know how we are going to work things out between us but we can figure that outter. For now, I just want to make sure that no one gets hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want,¡± he assured me. This time, he made the move and he kissed me. I don¡¯t know how long we stood there in the dead of night with our lips speaking multitudes of words for us. It felt so innocent and pure but also forbidden because thest thing I wanted to do was pull away. It wasn¡¯t until I heard the clock chime 8 that I pulled back and I remembered that I was supposed to read Audrey a story before bed. Ryker must have been thinking the same thing because he cursed under his breath. I made sure I was presentable before finally rushing out of the room and into Audrey¡¯s room. She was still awake when we both got there and she had a book waiting in herp. Her eyes were downcast when I first walked in but when she saw me, she smiled widely and sat up. Ryker appeared from behind me and it was like her smile grew impossibly wider. I tried to ignore his close proximity and the fact that I was currently dripping wetness between my thighs as I read to my daughter. She giggled the entire time and by the time I closed the book, she was staring up at me with sleepy but happy eyes. I pressed a kiss to her nose, ¡°Goodnight Audrey, I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too mummy,¡± she yawned before turning to Ryker. ¡°I love you daddy.¡± I saw the physical impact of her wordsnd like a blow on Ryker and his eyes grew wet as he leaned down to kiss her hair. I could feel every emotion of his through our bond and it felt like I was intruding on such a special moment between them. ¡°I love you princess,¡± he muttered against her hair. He finally pulled away and I stood to my feet. When I shut her door behind us, I turned to Ryker to gauge his reaction and he lookedpletely stunned as if he couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened. ¡°How does it feel?¡± I asked him. ¡°The first time she said it back to me I cried for hours.¡± ¡°Overwhelming,¡± he said in response to my first question. ¡°I just can¡¯t wrap my head around it. She just met me and she loves me. I love her too but it¡¯s different for us, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re her parents, we are supposed to love her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t over think it,¡± I told him. ¡°Appreciate the moments now before she bes a teenager and her default setting is to hate us.¡± Heughed and I found myself smiling softly. Suddenly, the air stretched thick and I knew this was the moment. I could say goodnight and he would leave like nothing happened downstairs or I could invite him into my room knowing fully well what I was starting and what can I was opening. Whether it would be a can of worms or a good one was yet to be determined. ¡°Goodnight Cami,¡± Ryker said but he made no effort to leave. He was putting the ball in my court and giving me the chance to make a choice for myself. I knew that whatever choice I made, he would go with it. He wouldn¡¯t hold it against me and he wouldn¡¯t try to make me feel stu pid for it. He would take whatever it is that I was offering and he wouldn¡¯tin. That is one of the things that made me fall in love with Ryker in the first ce, the fact that I knew he would never push. The fact that I knew he was always willing to do whatever it took to make me comfortable. I could feel a familiar feeling building up in my chest as I stared at my mate and I knew if I took my time, I would be able to ce a name to that feeling but I didn¡¯t want to. It felt like hours that I stood there silent but in reality it was only a few seconds. I had already made my decision and I looked him square in the eye as I spoke. ¡°Would you like toe in?¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 When I woke up the next morning, I got a huge sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Wasn¡¯t it just two days ago he fell asleep in my room and I practically kicked him out? He was still asleep but I had no urge to kick him out now. If anything, I wanted to just freeze time and stay in this moment where I didn¡¯t have to think about what was going on or what had been and not even what could be. I could just sit and enjoy the moment. His hand was thrown around my waist and held me in ce. My back was pressed flush against his chest and I could feel his hot breath fanning my skin with every rise and fall of his chest. Our legs were practically entangled and I knew there was no way I was getting out of his hold without him waking up first. I shifted slightly to try and dislodge myself from his arms but I miscalcted my movements because I identally rubbed up against him. I held my breath hoping he wouldn¡¯t wake or notice but it was a foolish wish because I felt him stiffen against me and in the blink of an eye, I was on my back and Ryker was hovering over me. I offered him a slight smile and an innocent shrug but he just stared down at me. After a beat of silence, he leaned down and kissed me softly. It was a soft peck and then he rolled off me and started to gather his clothes. I watched without saying a word trying to remind myself that him leaving was the best option for both of us but I couldn¡¯t ignore the soft pang in my chest. I couldn¡¯t quite pin point what the feeling was but it was something akin to grief. Once he was dressed, he walked over to the door. I sat at the edge of the bed watching him leave then at thest minute, he turned around, walked over to me and angled my head for a bruising kiss. I was so shocked by it that it took me a minute to gather my wits and kiss him back. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I let out a breathy moan which resulted in him pulling away harshly. ¡°I should leave,¡± he muttered more to himself than to me but he made no move to go. He was absent mindedly rubbing his finger against his bottom lip as he stared at me. ¡°Tell me to leave.¡± I opened my mouth but the words wouldn¡¯t escape. Try as I might, the words refused to leave my lips and I found myself with my mouth gaping open and closed like a fish. Ryker let out a groan and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. ¡°We need to talk about this,¡± he said and I nodded in agreement. ¡°Promise me, you won¡¯t switch up on meter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to switch up on you Ryker,¡± I assured him and then my eyes caught the clock and I cursed. ¡°You have to leave Audrey will be here soon and I don¡¯t want her to see you.¡± Hurt shed across his features and I let out a deep sigh. ¡°She¡¯s a child, Ryker, she won¡¯t understand. Hell, I¡¯m an adult and I still don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said after a beat and then with onest look at me, he pulled open the door. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see Christine standing there and she blinked at both Ryker and I. I muttered a small curse under my breath. Ryker just nodded to her and walked past her. She looked at him as he was leaving and then turned back to me with a raised brow. ¡°Am I going to have to ask?¡± she asked me as she stepped into the room. ¡°Or are you going to tell me what I just narrowly avoided seeing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to tell,¡± I lied as I picked up my clothes from the floor and arranged them neatly into myundry basket. Christine hummed in obvious disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing. After all, it isn¡¯t a big deal to see your mate walking out of your room with his shirt wrinkled. I¡¯m sure your mother would love to hear about-,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± I cut her off and she smirked wide. ¡°I¡¯ll run the bath while you tell me.¡± I ended up telling Christine everything- well, a clean version of everything that happened. There was no way I was going to tell her about my sexual life with Ryker. It was first and foremost not her business and it was private. She listened attentively and when I was done, all she said was to be careful and make sure no one got hurt from what we were doing. I knew she had more to say but she stayed silent and refused to speak no matter how many times I asked. She wanted me to make my decision without any external influence and I appreciated that. Once we were done talking, I went to get Audrey ready for the day and she seemed to be a little more sluggish than usual. She absolutely refused to let me put her down, not even during breakfast. I didn¡¯t know why she was acting that way and when I asked, she just shrugged and buried her head in my shoulder. After breakfast, she was supposed to see Ryker but she didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to see anyone. She started running a fever and I was terribly worried. I called the royal physician and he checked her over but assured me there was nothing wrong with her. It is embarrassing to admit but I blew up at him. I told him there was no way she would be fine and be running a fever. He ended up giving her a drug that knocked her right out. I reluctantly left her in her room so she could rest and I went to break the news to Ryker that Audrey wouldn¡¯t be joining him today. He wasn¡¯t in the private living room when I arrived and I asked the guards but they said he hadn¡¯t arrived. I knew the only other ce I would find him was in his room but I was anxious to go there. Against my better judgment, I found myself going down the roads I knew led to his room and I had gone a certain distance when I heard raised voices. I followed the voices and when I got closer, I recognized one of the voices as Riley. She was the one who was yelling while Ryker was speaking to her in a much calmer approach. ¡°You have to be crazy,¡± Riley said. ¡°What the hell were you thinking? After everything that happened, after everything she did. Do you remember what you were like when she left? Now you¡¯re running back to her with open arms.¡± They were having an argument about me. Why would they be having an argument about me? How was he when I left? There were so many questions running through my head and I didn¡¯t know how to address them because the only people who could give me answers were currently arguing. ¡°I know what happened,¡± Ryker told her. ¡°But I think it is all arge misunderstanding. We are trying to work it out. It is none of your business and I do not owe you an exnation for any of my actions. It may have slipped your notice but you are neen and you do not have the vast pool of knowledge you think you have.¡± ¡°Neither do you because if you did, you wouldn¡¯t be smelling like her. I don¡¯t even want to know what you guys did.¡± ¡°Riley this conversation is over,¡± Ryker cut her off and before I could brace myself the door flew open. I put on my best confused expression as both pairs of eyes fell on me. Riley was looking at me with suspicious eyes as if she suspected me of listening in. ¡°Is this a bad time?¡± I asked innocently. ¡°I wanted to tell that Audrey isn¡¯t going to be able to join you today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re keeping his kid from him, what¡¯s new?¡± Riley spat with venom and Ryker shot her a warning re. ¡°Actually, she¡¯s sick,¡± I told them both. ¡°The physician gave her something that put her right to sleep. She should be up in a few hours but if you want to see her, you can. You just have to be really careful so she doesn¡¯t wake up. She tends to be a light sleeper sometimes.¡± ¡°We can see her when she wakes up,¡± he said and then he grabbed my arm and led me away from the room. I didn¡¯t know where he was leading me and honestly, I don¡¯t think he did either. I just followed him until we arrived at the pce garden. I made sure there was no one within earshot when I spoke. ¡°Is everything okay with Riley?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about everything. I never wanted to cause any problems with your sister.¡± ¡°I can handle Riley, don¡¯t worry.¡± He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my hair and kissed me. I eased into the kiss when I heard a sound of disgust from in front of us. I pulled back from Ryker only to see Tyson standing in front of us with a look of pure anger and his hands crossed over his chest. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be f**king kidding me,¡± he spat. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. ¡°I came here for you¡¯re locking lips with someone else.¡± you and ¡°What do you want Tyson?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here. Thest thing you¡¯re going to do is stand there and point fingers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a f**king wh ore,¡± his good guy fa?ade was slowly cracking and I could see the poison I knew lurked beneath the surface. ¡°I was willing to forgive you for mating with someone else and then you go ahead and do this.¡± I felt Ryker¡¯s anger rising and he moved towards Tyson but I stepped in front of him. This was my fight, not his and thest thing he is going to do is start a fight in my mother¡¯s garden. She will not care who caused it, she will have both of them thrown out. Even though she neveres here, she loves this garden for some messed up reason. ¡°You are not going to start a fight,¡± I told Ryker then I turned to Tyson. ¡°You have two minutes to get the hell out of here before I call the guards to forcibly remove you.¡± He stared at me with barely concealed anger and spat at my feet before throwing the flowers on the floor. I held my breath as he turned to leave and I let out a sigh of relief thinking he had decided to go peacefully. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to turn around at thest minute and charge us. Ryker anticipated the move; he pushed me out of the way and tacked Tyson to the ground. There was a loud cra ck as Ryker stood over Tyson¡¯s arm that was bent in an awkward angle. ¡°Get the f**k out,¡± he spat. Tyson had murder in his eyes but he knew he was beat here. He muttered a few curses under his breath and left. I watched as he walked away and I let out a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse and I am grateful it didn¡¯te to blows. ¡°We should go back in.¡± I told Ryker and he nodded in agreement. We walked inside together and I decided it was as good a time as any to see Audrey. We went up the stairs to her room and the guards set in front of her room bowed to me as they stepped aside for both of us. I pushed the door open and I was not expecting what I saw. The bed was perfectly made and the room hadn¡¯t been touched since I was herest but Audrey wasn¡¯t on the bed where I left her. ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter?¡± Lasked the guards and their brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Did someone take her out?¡± ¡°No your highness,¡± they said. ¡°No one hase in or out since you left.¡± That was when I noticed the opened window and I heard a blood curing scream.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 I didn¡¯t know where the sound wasing from, and it took Ryker wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest for me to realize that it came from me. I was the one who was screaming but how did I not know? I couldn¡¯t process any of my thoughts. There was only one sentence repeating over and over again in my head and that was, ¡®I need to find Audrey¡¯. Guards rushed into the room at my screams and I couldn¡¯t even form the words to tell them what they needed to do. It was Ryker who instructed them to search the castle for Audrey and also showed them the open window. I could barely process the conversation around me, I just kept wondering how someone managed to sneak into the room and take my daughter right under our noses. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration as I paced the room. Normally my first thought would have been Tyson considering that tantrum he threw earlier but he was with us at the exact moment she went missing and unless he can be in two ces at once then there is no way that he took her. While Ryker spoke to the guards, I found myself detangling from his hold and walking into the bathroom. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn¡¯t bother giving him an exnation. I searched the bathroom and then the closet. Ryker must have realized what I was doing because he quickly dismissed the guards and walked over to me. He waited until the door clicked shut behind us before he spoke. ¡°Talk to me,¡± he breathed softly. ¡°I want you to use your words and tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°What is going on is that my daughter is missing,¡± I tried to drag my hand out of his grip but he refused to let me. ¡°Ryker, I need to look for her. She could just be ying a rude game of hide and seek.¡± ¡°Our daughter, Cami,¡± he corrected before sighing. ¡°She isn¡¯t here and you know it. But don¡¯t worry, we will find her. Whoever took her cannot have gone far.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know when she was taken!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the yell before it came out of my mouth. ¡°We were in this castle doing heavens knows what and our daughter was taken from right underneath our noses. I knew it was a bad idea for us to get back together. We should have never-,¡± ¡°Cami, don¡¯t do that, please. We had nothing to do with her being taken. I know you¡¯re upset but this isn¡¯t going to make it any better.¡± ¡°We should have been here.¡± ¡°Maybe, but we can¡¯t start thinking about the ifs or you are going to make yourself sick,¡± he said and I sniffled quietly. ¡°We are going to find her, I promise you that. We will find her and we will bring her back home and this will all be like a bad dream.¡± I wanted to believe him because it was a better alternative than thinking my daughter could be dead or sold or tortured. I nodded and he pulled me into his chest as the first tear slipped free. While he was holding me, I heard the door behind us open. I turned in Ryker¡¯s arms to see my mother and Christine walking towards us. If either of them was surprised that I was with Ryker in front of them, they didn¡¯t show it. Instead, they- had worry etched on their faces. ¡°I heard what happened,¡± mother said first. ¡°I have sent the guards to scour the surrounding areas of the castle. If Audrey left a scent or she is still here then they will find her. Do you remember what exactly she was wearing?¡± I nodded, ¡°She was in her white pajama set with butterflies on it. I think her hair was in a ponytail because she said it was getting into her eyes.¡± I hated the way my voice cracked. ¡°She wasn¡¯t wearing shoes because she was on the bed but I don¡¯t know if they took the time out to put shoes on her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I heard Ryker mutter in my ear softly as he stroked my back and I think that was the exact moment that mother actually noticed our position. Her eyes narrowed slightly and then she had a look of amusement before raising one brow at me in a silent question. I didn¡¯t even have the me ntal energy to rise to her banter so I just shrugged. She gave me a look that told me she would be asking about itter and then her expression went back to stoic and sympathetic. ¡°Cami, are you in any position to go with one of the search parties?¡± mother asked and I nodded immediately. ¡°If Audrey can hear us then she is more than likely to respond to you calling her.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I pulled away from Ryker and wiped at my tears. ¡°Just tell me where I need to be.¡± ¡°There are four search parties so we can split up. You go with one, Ryker goes with the other and same for me and Christine. Audrey knows all of us and if she is in a position to answer, she will most likely respond to our call.¡± My eyes widened when I realized that she was offering to leave the safety of the pce to help me find Audrey. ¡°You would do that for us.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my granddaughter Cami. I want her back home just as much as you do.¡± She gave me a soft smile and I held back a so b. ¡°The search parties will leave in five minutes. That should give you enough time to get everything you need. I rmend you put on something morefortable like breeches and hold a coat because we might be outte.¡± Mother left soon after and I wasted no time in rushing to my room to get changed. I changed into my favorite pair of riding gear. It is all leather pants with a button up shirt and boots. It isn¡¯t usual riding gear as most women were dresses but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care and was actually grateful that mother gave me this alternative when I came to the pce. It took me less than five minutes to get changes and once I was out, I could see that everyone else was dressed too. Mother led us to the front of the pce where the search parties were waiting and in that moment, I realized why she was Queen. She was formidable as she instructed everyone on what to do and I couldn¡¯t help but watch with awe. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Riley walk up to us. She had a careful and also suspicious look on her face as she watched each of us carefully. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked but no one gave her a response and then she turned to Ryker. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to find Audrey,¡± he said and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it all when I get back, I promise.¡± He kissed her forehead and she nodded then he turned back to his search party and they disappeared into the woods. I caught Riley staring at me with an unreadable expression in her eyes and when she caught my eye, she nodded subtly and walked away. I don¡¯t know how long we searched for Audrey but my voice became h o ar se. I yelled out for her at every opportunity and even when the sky grew dark, we took out sh lights and continued to search. We searched every cave, every stream and every road we could find. We overturned every leaf and rock but Audrey simply wouldn¡¯t appear. From the moment the sky went dark, I knew we wouldn¡¯t be finding her. I only hoped that the others would have better luck. It wasn¡¯t until the moon was high in the sky that we decided we were going to return to the castle. Spirits were low and no one spoke a single word as we made our way back. I could tell that they were either as worried as I was or they just didn¡¯t want to risk upsetting me. By the time we got to the pce, Christine¡¯s search party was already there. I looked at her with high hopes and she shook her head softly. I couldn¡¯t help the little s ob that broke free from me but I managed to mp down on the tears so they wouldn¡¯t fall. I couldn¡¯t risk crying in front of the guards especially a few days to coronation Sh it! The coronation, I don¡¯t know what is going to happen but I do know that I have no intentions of holding it if Audrey isn¡¯t here. I made a me ntal note to talk to mother about it once I had calmed down. I knew she would agree because she wouldn¡¯t be that cruel as to force me to stand in front of thousands of people for a ceremony while my daughter was goddess knows where. The other two search parties returned and neither of them had found anything. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream at the goddess and ask why she allowed my child be taken but no words coulde out of my lips. Instead, I nodded quietly as they all told me the bad news and I thanked the guards for searching then I walked inside. I could tell that Ryker wanted to follow me and he had questions but I ignored him and I walked up the stairs into my room. I locked the door behind me so no one would bother me and I made my way into the bathroom. I sat in the tub for at least thirty minutes before I even made a move to wash myself. My movements were almost mechanical, I couldn¡¯t bring myself toe to terms with what was happening. By the time I got out, I changed into my light pink nightgown because Audrey loved it the most and I made my way to the bed. I was shocked however to get there and see a piece of paper lying there. IN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. picked it up and read what was on it and with each word, my mouth fell open wider and my eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of their sockets. I didn¡¯t care that I was in a night gown, I rushed out of my room and ran down the hallways until I got to my mother¡¯s office. She wasn¡¯t there and I knew the only other ce she could be was her room so I took off. I knocked on her door louder and harder than I normally would have but I didn¡¯t care. When she opened the door, she took in my features. ¡°Why are you walking around the pce with bare feet?¡± I looked down and realized that I was in fact bare footed but I didn¡¯t care. I pushed past her into her room and she watched me carefully before locking the door behind her. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked and I handed her the note. She stared at it carefully for a second before she took it from me. I saw her expression morph from confusion to shock and back to neutral. She didn¡¯t need to read it out loud because even though I had read it only once, I could recite the entire letter word for word. I have your daughter and she is safe for now. You have something I want and I have something you want. I think we cane to a mutual understanding. Meet me at the abandoned warehouse in the district. I¡¯ll take you to my hideout from there. I¡¯ll tell you what it is that you owe me and this can end without any casualties. Do not respond and I will take something else. Attached to the bottom of the note was a lock of Audrey¡¯s hair. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Mother told me to call his bluff and refused to let me leave. I would have done it with or without her permission but then she ordered guards to trail me all day to ensure I didn¡¯t go without her knowledge. She also increased security in and around the pce to also ensure that whoever this person was, they would not be able to take anyone else from the pce. Something about it still didn¡¯t sit right with me and I still felt worried. My nerves were frayed and I was on edge because a part of me felt that no matter the measures we put in ce, something terrible was still going to happen. I couldn¡¯t tell anyone how I truly felt about it because I didn¡¯t want to be the bearer of bad news or the one who brings down everyone¡¯s morale. The city had been alerted to Audrey¡¯s disappearance. I don¡¯t know how it got out but I assume it was from one of the guards. Everyone was on edge waiting for a response or an announcement from the pce about it but they weren¡¯t going to get it. I was in no mood or state of mind to address the general public and neither was my mother. When the council asked our opinion, we both agreed that it would be best if we just stayed silent and allowed things to y out. The council members then brought up the issue of the coronation and that led to the conversation that we were having now. They were listing off the millions of reasons why it cannot be postponed. They started by saying that it had never happened before and I was tempted to inform them that no monarch had their child go missing days before coronation. I was growing bored and irritated the longer I listened to them drone on about the importance of keeping the coronation. It wasn¡¯t until one of them mentioned that it would be an insult to have the Alpha¡¯se all this way and leave/without the ceremony that I snapped. ¡°Do you realize that my three year old daughter is missing?¡± I spat with so much venom that I saw him flinch. ¡°My child is goddess knows where and your biggest problem is whether or not the ego of an Alpha can take it?¡±. ¡°Your highness, that isn¡¯t-¡± he began but I cut him off. ¡°I am going to make one thing very clear to all of you and I would advice that you do well to listen,¡± I paused to make sure I had all their attention. ¡°This coronation is not holding until I have my child in my arms. I don¡¯t give a sh it how long it takes and I don¡¯t care how anyone feels about it. The monarchy will not end if I suddenly decide to put my daughter over it.¡± ¡°Your highness,¡± another one muttered softly. ¡°It is your duty as the future Queen to have the coronation. This won¡¯t be the first time a child has gone missing. You were missing for eighteen years and we found you. If your daughter isn¡¯t found after the coronation then we will invite a witch from the coven we are aligned to and she ca-) 31 ¡°Shut up,¡± I said and he bristled. ¡°Maybe if you had allowed my mother look for me when she wanted I wouldn¡¯t have been missing for eighteen years. But all that is in the past, I have said it once and I will say it again; nothing in this pce will hold until my daughter is safe. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± they all mumbled even though I knew they clearly didn¡¯t agree. I saw my mother looking at me with eyes full of pride and for the first time since Audrey went missing, felt an emotion that wasn¡¯t anger or sadness. I gave her a small smile and stood to my feet. I wasn¡¯t going to spend another minute in the council room just to make myself avable for the elders to annoy. I walked out of the council room and was shocked to see Ryker running towards me looking like a man possessed. My first thought was that he had found Audrey and I felt hope rise in me like a phoenix but when he came closer, I was able to see the expression on his face for the first time and my smile fell slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked once I was close enough to him and he opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Ryker, talk to me.¡± ¡°Riley is gone.¡± There was a ringing in my ear as my brain refused to process his words. I stared at him like a fish out of water and as soon as the words finally settled in my foggy brain, I moved. My legs moved of their own ord and led me towards the room that Riley was upying. I muttered prayers under my breath hoping that it was all a misunderstanding because if it isn¡¯t then it is my fault. I got to the room and the door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open and there was no doubt that a struggle had taken ce there. The dresser was turned over and the bed was unmade, a lot of things were strewn on the floor and I even sighted a smearing of blood on one patch of the wall. My hands flew to my mouth as tears pri cked the back of my eyelids. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± were the only words that came out of my mouth over and over again. There were so many things that I wanted to ask like when hest saw her and how it was possible considering the number of guards mother had ced in and around the castle. But all I could think was that if I had just gone with them like they had asked then Riley would have never been targeted. I just kept repeating the apology over again until I heard footsteps walk into the room and I saw mother. I shot her an using look and she sent me one that clearly told me to stay silent. She walked into the room and took it in with furrowed brows. I wanted to know what was going on in her head but she didn¡¯t voice the thoughts and instead, her expression shut down to neutral. ¡°You should have let me go,¡± I told her and she finally turned to me. ¡°I knew I should have gone. They are going to hurt them both.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ryker asked but I ignored him and faced my mother who just sighed deeply. ¡°Going would have changed nothing, Cami,¡± she said in her usual all-knowing tone and I wanted to scream. ¡°You are going to sit in this pce while we find the others. We have already lost two and we are not going to lose a third.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I told Ryker about everything that happenedst night and I expected him to be angry with me and tell me that it was my fault but instead, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and started pacing the room. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I began and he turned to me with an incredulous look. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± he asked. ¡°Your mother is right, going would not have been the option, you would have been killed. I¡¯m not saying that taking Riley was a good option either but we have to figure something out.¡± ¡°I have a n,¡± mother said suddenly and I turned to her. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what it is but I will say that I need you to sit still for that n to work.¡± I started to protest but Ryker spoke first, ¡°You have our word.¡± After that moment, Ryker didn¡¯t leave my side once. My mother disappeared to goddess knows where and I started to get really irritated with the number of people trailing me. Christine brought some food for me but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to eat. anything. I just wanted my daughter and Riley back safely. The longer the seconds ticked, the more agitated I got and by the time evening fell and I hadn¡¯t seen mother, I decided to go looking for her. The guards trailed behind me quietly while Ryker walked by my side without saying a word although I could feel the weight of his eyes on me. I ignored it however as I checked mother¡¯s study only to see that she wasn¡¯t there. I started to grow suspicious but I checked her room next and when I didn¡¯t see her, I knew what had happened. ¡°I need to go to my room, I announced then I turned to Ryker. ¡°Would you like toe with me?¡± He nodded and I grabbed his arm and led him up the stairs. I allowed him walk in first and then I locked the door behind us. and started looking for that secret exit I found a while back. When I found it behind the firece, I muttered a small thanks to the goddess and I pulled it open. Ryker was staring at me confused. ¡°Mother went to get them, don¡¯t you realize?¡± I told him and his eyes widened. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I am not going to let her get hurt because of me.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± he began but I cut him off. ¡°I can either do this with you or without you. I am simply telling you now because I don¡¯t want you to worry. I will do it whether you agree with me or not.¡± He stared at me like I was crazy but at thest minute he muttered some words under his breath and walked through the tunnels. The tunnels led straight to the outside of the pce and I made sure to check that the coast was clear before stepping out. I knew it would only be a matter of time before they realized that I was gone and they would send people to find me. I counted on them finding the letter and finding us but until then, I made sure to shut off my mind link so I couldn¡¯t be reached or tracked. Ryker followed closely beside me as I snuck into the stables and stole two horses. It technically wasn¡¯t stealing since they belonged to the monarchy and I was part of that so I just chose to think of it as borrowing. Ryker rode quietly behind me as I made my way towards the abandoned warehouse hoping that mother hadn¡¯t gone too far. When we got there, I knew it was empty. There were no signs of life and I was about to scream in frustration. We had lost our only lead and my mother in the span of one day. I wanted to pull out my hair when Ryker called my name. I turned to him and he pointed at something in the sand- horse and footprints. He gestured for me to be silent and we quietly followed the tracks until we saw a cabin in the distance. We decided to ditch the horses so we wouldn¡¯t be seen or heard and go on foot. My heart was beating fast in my chest but I hoped and prayed that they would be there. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re in there?¡± I asked Ryker and he shrugged. ¡°We won¡¯t know until we check.¡± We got to the cabin and up close I realized it wasn¡¯t as small as I thought. It was a little bungalow that had been worn out by the elements. We found an opened window and decided that it would be better for us to use that window instead of the front or back door. Ryker was adamant that he go in first and once he was safely in, he helped me get in. We quietly moved around the cabin taking in the state. There were tes and empty wine/skins so we knew someone had been here recently. I heard murmuring and I moved in that direction even though Ryker tried to stop me. I got to a massive room and I saw my mother, Riley and Audrey tied up in different chairs. Ryker and I wasted no time in rushing over to them to untie them. I had just managed to take the duct tape off Audrey¡¯s mouth when she spoke with voice weak from exhaustion. ¡°Mummy behind you,¡± I barely had time to look before I heard the door click shut behind me and a voice. ¡°Now that the gang isplete, the party can begin.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 I turned around quickly and saw Tyson standing there with a cruel smile ying on his lips. My first instinct was to stand in front of my daughter and protect her from his gaze. He seemed to notice my actions because heughed cruelly. ¡°I¡¯ve already had her for a day,¡± heughed. ¡°I could have seen things you didn¡¯t even want me to see. I have to admit though, your daughter is beautiful. It is a shame she isn¡¯t ours. If she was, she would have been spared all of this.¡± ¡°If youy one finger on my child,¡± Ryker growled and Tyson turned his angry and hate filled eyes to him. ¡°Oh, I forgot you were here. Ryker Caine, the knight in shining armor. I expected that you would be the one toe here. I thought you would try to save your child in a heroic act of bravery. It would have given me sick pleasure to gut you like a fish, but I got the mother instead. Not a terrible bargain, but I¡¯ll live.¡± ¡°Tyson,¡± I called and he turned to me. ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered here, so I¡¯m going to tell you how this will go. I am going to release my daughter and we are all going to walk out of here alive or you will be gutted like a fish.¡± He stared at me for a long second and his eyes took in the people in the room. He seemed to realize that he actually was outnumbered seeing as both Ryker and I were free and he was themon enemy. His beady eyes took in the room and then to my shock, he startedughing. I was taken aback by hisugh and I cast a wary nce at Ryker who was also looking at me with the same shocked expression. Tysonughed with such reckless abandon and clutched his ribs as if he was going to keel over from the force of theughter. ¡°It¡¯s funny that you think I will let you go that easily,¡± he said as he wiped a stray tear from his face. ¡°The thing is Cami, that I have doused this entire house with gasoline. If you make one wrong move, then I will set this ce aze with all of you in it. I¡¯m not against dying but do you really want the monarchy to end with you?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I realized that he had a point and it was at that moment that the scent of gasoline filtered into my nose. I cast a wary nce at Ryker and I knew that I couldn¡¯t risk calling his bluff so I raised my hands in surrender and took an unwilling step away -from my daughter. I moved closer to my mother and away from the door. Tyson smiled widely while Ryker looked at me confused and once I was close enough to my mother, I slowly put my hands down. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said to him making sure to keep his eyes on my face as I slowly took out a pocket knife from my back. ¡°I¡¯m the one you want, right? Let my daughter go safely and I will stay here with you.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ryker said almost immediately and Tyson¡¯s eyes shed over to him. I used the moment of distraction to slip the pocket knife into my mother¡¯s hands. Her eyes went to mine and I gave her a discreet nod. She let out a sigh of relief and I saw her start to work on her bonds. I knew it would only be a moment of time before she would be able to get herself free and maybe her powers would be of good use to us. As far as I checked, there is no water source around here and mine would be a waste. ¡°Cami,¡± Tyson called out and I looked up. ¡°I¡¯ll let your daughter go, but in exchange for your mate. Give me the right to kill him and I¡¯ll let your child live.¡± ¡°What are you saying Tyson?¡± I asked unable to process the choice that he had just given me, ¡°I am giving you a chance to save one of them. Give Ryker to me and you can walk out of here with your daughter. You understand why I cannot let the others go but it shouldn¡¯t matter to you, they are simply coteral damage. We will raise Audrey together like our own and in a matter of years she will forget about Ryker.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but no words woulde out. I nced at Ryker who had an impassive expression on his face- he was giving me a chance to make the decision without his input. Tyson noticed the expression and it seemed to infuriate him because he brought out a lighter from his pocket. ¡°Make your choice now, Cami,¡± he warned. ¡°Or I swear, I will set this entire ce aze and we will all die.¡± ¡°Tyson, please,¡± I pleased and he flicked the lighter on as if reminding me that I had limited time to make a choice. ¡°I choose Audrey.¡± The words left my lips before I could stop them and I could feel the silence that fell over the room. I shot Ryker an apology with my eyes but he gave me a look that allowed me know that he understood why I had to make that decision. Tyson¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk and as he moved towards Ryker, there was a sh of movement from my left. Mother had cut through her bonds and she looked more angry than I had ever seen her in my life. Her eyes narrowed at Tyson and he looked from me to her, before awareness settled on his features. ¡°You tricked me,¡± he growled. ¡°You f**king bi tch.¡± He came for me and I braced myself to side step his move but then he stopped and fell to the floor. I noticed that pocket knife I had given mother protruding from the back of his neck and when I nced over at her, her hand was outstretched as if she had thrown it. I stared at her with wide eyes and she rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she said and I rushed to pull her into a hug. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here as soon as possible.¡± I pulled away from her and rushed to Audrey. She had small tears rushing down her face and as soon as I freed her hands, she wrapped them around my neck as fiercely as she could, I picked her up and allowed her cling to me like a ko bear. ¡°You chose me,¡± she babbled in the midst of her tears and all I could do was hold her close and kiss her temple. I saw that Ryker had freed his sister but when he pulled her to her feet, she stumbled. Mother rushed over to help her and I heard Riley mutter her thanks under her breath. ¡°Go to your daughter,¡± mother told Ryker and he nced at her briefly before rushing over to Audrey. was so fixated on having Ryker and Audrey safe and next to me that I didn¡¯t notice what was going wrong until I heard mother gasp. I turned to her only to see her crumple to the floor and Riley holding her still beating heart in her hands. I let out a blood curling scream and shielded Audrey from seeing the bl oody scene in front of me. Riley just rolled her eyes and dumped the bl oody heart on the floor as if it were an inconvenience. ¡°Shut up,¡± she spat as she wiped her blo ody hands on the bottom of her pants. ¡°Your voice is so f**king annoying.¡± ¡°Riley,¡± Ryker began slowly. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you doing this, we came to save you.¡± She rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket to take out a small vial. She emptied the contents in her mouth and I don¡¯t know how to exin what happened. All I know is that one second, Riley was standing in front of me and the next; she started to morph until Lauren was standing in front of me with an evil sneer. I stumbled back slightly and she held out her hand. ¡°Surprise, you must be shocked to see me.¡± ¡°Where is Riley?¡± Ryker asked and I saw her frown in slight annoyance. ¡°Tied up in a cabin in the woods back at the pack,¡± she said almost dismissively. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead, don¡¯t worry, I have someone. there who makes sure she is fed and clothed and taken care of.¡± I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around what had happened and was staring at her with my eyes wide. Audrey tried to move in my arms but kept my hand on the back of her head to prevent her from looking at the scene in front of her. Lauren must. have noticed the movement because she narrowed her eyes at Audrey in my arms. ¡°I thought I got rid of you four years ago,¡± she began. ¡°Do you know how hard it was to get someone who was willing to morph into Ryker? Do you even know how hard it was to get a witch to sell me the potion or how hard it was to get a lock of Ryker¡¯s hair?¡± ¡°It was you,¡± I almost face palmed at how stu pid I was. It wasn¡¯t Ryker who I saw having sex with her, it was someone else who had morphed into him. ¡°Even the conversation with Lucy, it wasn¡¯t her, was it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You were stu pid for believing that Ryker of all people would cheat. Even after you left I tried to make him mine but he was still hung up over you,¡± she spat the words as if it were a curse word. ¡°I thought all he needed was a few years to get over you then I heard that you were at the pce- you a meager omega was now a princess. I knew I had to go so I kidnapped Riley and I morphed into her. Imagine my shock when I see that you have a child.¡± She moved closer and I took a step back and leveled her with a look that would make meager men cringe. ¡°Stay away from my daughter.¡± I warned and she smirked ¡°I don¡¯t want your child, I want Ryker,¡± she said before turning to him. ¡°She chose your child over you. She chose a baby over a life with you. I would never do that and you know it. Come with me, choose me. You know how she has been treating youtely. You told me yourself that she was using you for sex.¡± I turned to Ryker shocked and to my surprise, he wasn¡¯t looking at me. Before I could say anything he removed his hands from Audrey and I. I tried to reach out to him but he brushed me off and made his way over to Lucy. She squealed and buried her head in his chest. He used that opportunity to turn to me and I saw him mouth, ¡®the lighter. I knew what he wanted to do and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could. I shook my head and he gave me a weak smile before turning to Lauren and kissing her. I felt a searing pain go through my chest and I almost stumbled back. It felt like my heart was being ripped in two and I knew I had limited time. I rushed over to Tyson¡¯s fallen body and I took the lighter from his pocket. Lucy must have heard my movements because she turned to me then back to Ryker and a knowing look crossed her features. ¡°You tricked me,¡± she spat and before she could say anything else, I lit the lighter and threw it on the floor. I was not expecting the magnitude of the mes that filled the room. My skin pri ckled with heat and I heard Audrey moan over my shoulder. I unlocked the door and rushed out of the room, making my way to the front door which was locked. I cursed under my breath and decided to check the way Ryker and I came in and to my luck it was open. -I could hear Lauren screaming in frustration and I couldn¡¯t see Ryker but my man focus was getting out with Audrey. I dropped her out through the window first and then I crawled through. ¡°Where¡¯s daddy?¡± she asked as she stared up at the burning house but I didn¡¯t know how to answer her. ¡°He¡¯sing,¡± I lied. I rushed to the front of the house looking for a way to break open the door but the knob burnt to touch and I couldn¡¯t find anything to break it. Awareness dawned on me as I realized what I had just done- I had killed my own mate. Audrey was standing in the clearing- away from the fire and I could feel her eyes on me as I fell to my knees in front of the house with so bs wracking through my chest. I watched the house burn as guilt settled deep in my chest when I heard an amused voice behind me. ¡°It¡¯s funny how you thought I would die that easily.¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 I was sitting half dressed in the dressing room while I waited for the stylists to bring in my dress. I chose not to see it until today, hoping for the element of surprise and mainly because I thought that not seeing it would make it easier for me to forget the fact that my coronation day was going to arrive whether I liked it or not. The stylists rushed in with arge dress and my eyes widened when I took in the color. It looked like it was made from melted gold and the longer 1 stared at it, the more my mouth fell open. Christine walked in behind the stylists with a shy smile on her face and my mouth fell open as I stared from her to the dress. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked almost unsure and I immediately stood to my feet. ¡°I think I want to put it on right now.¡± She pped her hands in glee and I saw her let out a sigh of relief. The stylists walked up to me and helped me into the dress. The first thing I noticed about it as how big it was and the train was massively long. For a split second, I was terrified that I would trip in it and fall t on my face. The dress was strapless and form fitted. The material curved around my body like it was second skin and I marveled at the softness of the fabric. Attached at the waist was a huge overflowing skirt and train. Under the right light, the dress almost looked like a peach and gold fusion. The best part about it was how light it was. I was amazed by that fact because I would have expected it to weight so much. Christine smiled up at me as I stared at myself in the mirror and I couldn¡¯t stop a small smile from mirroring hers. We were both thinking the same thing- mother would have loved it had she seen it. When I burnt the house down, I wasn¡¯t thinking about mother¡¯s body and it wasn¡¯t until after the fire had been put out that I learnt she had been burned beyond recognition. I knew there was no way we could bury her in the pce and I also knew she would have rather wed her own eye out than be buried next to my father. Instead, I chose to have her cremated and I poured out her ashes in the air. I felt like that was more genuine to who she was as a person. I looked just like her today. I chose the same curly bun with some strands framing my face, that she chose on her mating ceremony. She married the prince so she didn¡¯t have a coronation, instead, she had a mating/wedding ceremony. I hoped that people would notice the tribute and understand where it came from. ¡°Where is Audrey?¡± I asked Christine. ¡°She is waiting in the hall like everyone else. She is protected Cami, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°I will always worry.¡± It was so hard to let Audrey out of my sight after what happened and today, it took a lot of persuasion from Christine to even consider it. I made sure she had at least six different guards on her at all times. She didn¡¯t understand why, she just thought they were there to y with her. She still doesn¡¯t understand the impact of what happened in that cabin and I n to keep it that way. ¡°It is time,¡± she reminded me and I cleared my throat. ¡°Let us go then,¡± She led me to the doors of the great hall where the coronation ceremony was to hold. She went in first and I waited until I heard the beat of music start and the doors flew open. I did what mother had told me all those weeks back and I kept my chin high and my eyes fixated on the throne settled on the dais where I was going to be seated at the end of the day. I faintly heard the announcer mention my name and who I was. I ignored the curious gazes and the envious ones and I made my way over to the front. When I got there, I risked a nce to the left where I knew my family would be. Audrey was smiling widely with her butterfly crown on her hair. I could see people casting nces at her and I tried to remind myself that she was protected and no one would be able to hurt her. The empty seat next to her caused an ache in my heart. It would have belonged to my mother and normally, an empty seat wouldn¡¯t be kept for a deceased family member but I was adamant that it be done that way because I wanted to honor her in every way possible. I finally looked away from my family as I got to the dais. I gave a curt nod to the priest before resting on my knees. I loved the way the dress pooled out around me giving it a sort of ethereal look and as the priest walked over to me, I knew it would be thest time I bowed to anyone in my life. I didn¡¯t pay attention to most of the words he was saying because I already knew them. He was telling the crowd who I was and what my duties to the kingdom were. Finally, I saw it- the crown. It was brought on a velvet cus hion and I looked up at the priest. ¡°Do said. you take this role with the responsibility that it brings?¡± he asked and I made sure my voice was clear and concise when I ¡°I do.¡± He took the crown and slowly ced it on my head. It was a simple golden crown with crystals embedded in it. I didn¡¯t want anything extravagant but it seems the pce life will always be extravagant. Not only was it beautiful, but it was heavy and when the priest held out his hand to help me to my feet, I graciously took it. I kept my head held high as I was led over to the throne and when I sat down, I let out a sigh of relief. As soon as I sat, the entire hall stood to their feet and began to apud. My eyes found my daughter who looked like she was pping her absolute hardest and a small smile cracked through my fa?ade. I looked to the people on the other side and found Ryker¡¯s family. We managed to get Riley safely but she was so badly hurt and dehydrated. Apparently, the person Lucy put in charge of taking care of her couldn¡¯t have been bothered to do so. She looked weak and tired but she still managed toe. Ryker was standing next to her and he tipped his head to me in a form of bow. When he came out of that house, I was so relieved. I thought for sure that I had lost him. He had a few burns but they only took a few days to heal and I knew for sure that I didn¡¯t want to spend another moment of my life without him. Right there in front of the burning building, we agreed to be a family again.. -Everyone who wanted to stand against us perished in that fire and we had agreed to keep it behind us and move forward N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. together. It probably wasn¡¯t the most romantic deration of love but it was something and it came at the right time because Audrey was more than happy. I tipped my head back in his direction and I saw the corner of his lips quirk up. *********** SEVEN MONTHS LATER . ¡°Where the hell is he?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the irritation out of my voice as Christine fussed over me. I swatted her hands away as she reached out to touch my forehead. ¡°He is on his way,¡± she repeated the same phrase she had said for the past three hours and I wanted to stab her. ¡°He had to finish up with the elders, you know how they are.¡± I did know how they were but I didn¡¯t care considering the fact that I was about to push out his baby. I was the queen and if I wanted him here then I didn¡¯t give a flying f**k who wanted him, he had to be here. I heard the door open and I saw Ryker rush in. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone and his hair was a mess as if he had ran his hands through it a million times before. He rushed over to my side and pressed a kiss to my mmy forehead. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± he breathed against my hair. ¡°I¡¯m here now, everything will be fine.¡± After my coronation, we went to the elders to figure out how to handle things seeing as Ryker was an Alpha. He had to give up control of his pack to Damien- who was now the Alpha. We also yed around with somews so that his pack was officially an extension of the pce. Our mating ceremony was held less than a month after the coronation and he became Prince Consort. It wasn¡¯t a huge ceremony, just something small and intimate but the entire world knew. Shortly after our mating ceremony, Christine and Damien met and found out they were mates. I don¡¯t know what was going to happen between them especially considering that Damien wanted to mate with Riley. Christine has been tight lipped about the entire thing and refuses toment on it. The midwife walked back into the room and took a look between my legs. ¡°I think you¡¯re ready.¡± Almost forty five minutester and my daughter was ced in my arms. I had forgotten how tiny a baby could be but as I stared down at her, I felt my heart clench almost painfully. She had Ryker¡¯s dark hair and when her eyes fluttered open, they were the same hazel eyes as mine. ¡°She is so beautiful,¡± Ryker breathed above me and as I watched the tears that gathered in his eyes, I felt a pang for the years of Audrey¡¯s life that he missed. ¡°Do you want to hold her?¡± I asked and he nodded. He lifted her carefully, almost like he was scared she would break and cradled her in his arms. He cooed at her softly and I watched as he waspletely enamored by his child. The door opened and I saw Audrey appear almost carefully as if she was scared of interrupting. I gestured for her toe closer and she sprinted across the room. She climbed up on the bed and sat next to me. Ryker crouched down a little so she could look at her little sister and I saw her nose crinkle in confusion. ¡°She looked like a potato,¡± she said and my mouth fell open so she added. ¡°She looks like a cute potato.¡± ¡°You looked like a potato too when you were born,¡± I told her and her mouth fell open as if I had said something offensive. ¡°When she grows a little, she won¡¯t look like that anymore.¡± She stared at her sister with eyes full of awe and fascination and I knew I never had to worry about her being a good sister because judging by the look in her eyes, she would protect her sister with everything in her. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Audrey asked and I looked up at Ryker with a short nod.. ¡°Her name is Aurora Leanor Caine.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Having a newborn has not been easy to navigate but Ryker was by my side at all times and he made it easier for me. He helped out at nights and didn¡¯t mind watching Aurora when I had to attend meetings. I had hoped that being a new mum would reduce my workload by a significant amount but I thought wrong. I was busier than usual especially with Aurora¡¯s naming. Everyone knew her name but ording to custom, a ceremony was supposed to be held. Thest thing I wanted to do was go in front of the entire pce and showcase my newborn but I found that I had very little say in the matter. Ryker didn¡¯t like it either so I knew I wasn¡¯t overreacting. ¡°You¡¯re the Queen,¡± Christine mused as she helped me get dressed for the day. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to do.¡± ¡°I think we both know that¡¯s a lie. I did everything possible to get out of this and you know it.¡± She sighed deeply and ced aforting hand on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯ll be over before you even realize and then you can go on that long needed trip that Ryker has been nning.¡± ¡°Are you going to tell me where he is taking me?¡± I asked and she pretended to zip her mouth shut. Ryker noticed how stressed I was and dered that after the naming, we were going on a trip as a family. The elders were against it but I learned that Ryker did as he wished because he canceled all my meetings and the trip was staying despite everyone¡¯s protests. A loud gurgle snapped me out of my thoughts and I rushed over to Aurora. Unlike Audrey, she was a frolicky baby and it was very easy for her to go from gurgling to full blown tears within the span of a second. I picked her up and she peered up at me with wide eyes that looked too intelligent for her age. As I gazed at her, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. ¡°Is it toote to get out of this?¡± I asked aloud and Christine turned to me. ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± she asked and I shrugged. ¡°Cami, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel right-about this.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. You have the best guards in the kingdom guarding you.¡± Somehow, her words did little to calm me down but there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. I was led towards the doors of the same hall I did my coronation. Ryker was standing there waiting for me and he gave me a soft smile as he saw me. He took Aurora from my hands and she made small gurgling noises. He was a girl dad through and through and the girls adored him. Audrey was clinging to his pants and trying to get his attention as he held Aurora. He was the epitome of ease and I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting. If Ryker didn¡¯t think anything was wrong then I was probably overreacting. His eyes found mind and he instantly knew something was wrong. He opened his mouth to ask but he was interrupted by one of the elders who walked up to us and started talking about the order of the ceremony. I zoned him out because I already knew what was to happen. We were to go in, the priest would bless the child and dedicate them to the moon goddess and the ceremony would end with the child¡¯s name. I had the same ceremony with Audrey although it was a more private ceremony because I was still in hiding at the time. As I watched Ryker listen with rapt attention, I realized the information was more for his benefit. Once the ceremony started, I zoned everything out and went through the motions on autopilot. Even when I delivered Audrey, I didn¡¯t want to be around people but somehow, it was worse now. I got easily irritated and I didn¡¯t know why. Ryker stayed close to me as if sensing my unease and I leaned on his calm emotions because mine were haywire. I held my breath when Aurora was blessed because although it was rare, there were two cases in history where the goddess refused to bless the child. In the first instance, the first child died before reaching the age of five and in the second, the child murdered their entire family. A candle was lit and a prayer was offered. If the candle stayed lit then the child was blessed and if it went out, then the blessing was denied. The priest was about to light the candle when the door to the hall opened. Standing there was a guard I had seen around but there was something off about him. His eyes were wide and he wasn¡¯t moving. All of a sudden, a knife protruded from his neck and he fell to the ground. My first instinct was to grab Audrey and shield her from the violence but it was toote, she had seen it. Standing behind the dead guard was a man I had never seen before. He had dark brown hair almost the same shade as mine but his eyes were a deep ck, it was almost like he didn¡¯t have irises. He crossed the threshold of the room and made a show of wiping his blo ody knife on his pants. ¡°Sorry to intrude but it looks like my invitation got lost in the mail,¡± he smiled widely as he made his way forward. The guards were quick to point their spears at him but he merely nced at it and turned to face me. ¡°I think you¡¯re in my spot.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± He straightened up and took a piece of paper from his pocket. He held out the paper and I began forward to pick it but Ryker grabbed my arm in a firm grip. He shook his head and I remembered that I wasn¡¯t just Cami, I was the queen and I couldn¡¯t make stu pid decisions. One of the guards took it from him and brought it over to me. I hesitantly took it and unfolded the picture. I had seen enough of my father¡¯s handwriting to recognize it on sight. He kept a lot of journals but it wasn¡¯t the handwriting that caught my attention, it was the small photograph. It was of my father and a young boy. The boy couldn¡¯t have been more than three years old in the picture and it was dated the year I was born. I nced up at the man in front of me and allowed the picture flutter to the ground. ¡°What is that? It¡¯s just a picture, it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± He smirked. ¡°I think we both know what that means. My name is Frederick the second, I was named after thete king. I am his son and rightful heir.¡± ¡°Anyone cane out and make a im,¡± I nced at his picture on the floor. ¡°That means nothing to me or anyone else here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you want your father¡¯s infidelities aired out in public, Cami,¡± he spoke my name like a threat and Ryker growled and stepped in front of me. ¡°I only came here out of respect for the title. You have one week to vacate my throne before I make it my business. I will not hesitate to take my crown back from you, Cami/ People were beginning to whisper and I knew I needed to do something to discredit him and fast. There were too many simrities between him and my father and it was clear to the naked eye. Regardless of that, I was not giving up the throne to a nobody, much less someone who killed a guard in cold blood. ¡°Even if you are the king¡¯s son, you are a ba stard and I would rather die than have a ba stard sit on my throne.¡± His jaw clenched and the next thing I knew, there was a knife being hurled my way. Ryker pulled me out of the way just in time and the knife embedded itself in the wall behind me. Frederick stood there with a snarl on his face. ¡°One week, Cami.¡±. The guards rushed to grab him but he was quick. He turned on his heels and disappeared. There was silence in the hall as people fought to grasp what had happened. I was breathing heavily and I had so many things running through my mind but the predominant one was that the priest didn¡¯t light the candle. ¡°Finish the ceremony,¡± I instructed him. I could see him shaking like a leaf but he did as I asked. Ryker looked at me like I was crazy but I wanted the ceremony over. I let out a sigh of relief when the me burned brighter and I didn¡¯t wait for the announcement of Aurora¡¯s name before I grabbed Audrey and left the hall. I didn¡¯t stop moving until I was safely behind the doors of my room. Ryker and Christine were close behind and as soon as the door shut, Ryker handed Aurora to Christine and rushed over to my side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°What happens now?¡± ¡°Now, we have one week to prepare before that ba stard does something crazy.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 I expected that after the naming. I would be away on a trip with Ryker enjoying some quality time with my family but instead, I was being roped into a meeting with the elders to figure out what we were to do about Frederick. In all honesty, I didn¡¯t care about him or his im but the elders seemed genuinely worried. I only had time to nurse Aurora and put her to sleep before I was out. The elders were frantic when I got to the council room. Ryker was already there seated at his usual spot next to mine. When I walked into the room, they all fell silent and I ignored them as I made my way over to the chair. I had barely sat down. before the first one spoke. ¡°The boy has a right to the throne,¡± he began and I raised a brow in his direction. He understood what that look meant because he swallowed. ¡°What I meant to say was that if he truly is your father¡¯s son then he has a im and he can contest for it.¡± ¡°What does thew say?¡± I asked and everyone turned to me in confusion. ¡°What does thew say about heirs and the throne? There has to be something that talks about the child being a descendant of both people on the throne. Doesn¡¯t anyone read thew?¡± I knew I shouldn¡¯t be snapping at them but I was frustrated. I wanted to be with my mate and my children instead of being stuck in a meeting with six sniveling adults who could not care less if I were to live or die as long as they regained their position as the elders. They mumbled between themselves and I knew they were trying to remember. 1 felt Ryker ce a hand on my thigh and I turned to him. He was looking at me with concern but I shook my head to let him know that I was okay. I could tell that he didn¡¯t believe me but he knew better than to push where we were so instead, he lounged back in his seat and watched the entire scene unfold. He rarely spoke during council meetings and I made a me ntal note to ask why. ¡°We will have to check in on that, your majesty,¡± one of the elders said finally and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°It does not change the fact however that the news has gotten to the towns and people have varying responses to it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°News travels fast in this kingdom and people are beginning to question the validity of your im to the throne. You are younger than him and he is-¡± he trailed off but I knew exactly what he wanted to say. ¡°Is this because he is male?¡± I asked and they all stayed silent. ¡°What do you think?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I think that you are Queen and nothing else matters.¡± Trantion: He wouldn¡¯t speak against me for fear of his life but that didn¡¯t mean that he supported me. I resisted the urge to scream. After all it had taken me to get here, I was going to get overthrown because of something a stu pid as this and I couldn¡¯t even count on the elders to defend me because everyone had their own hidden agendas. ¡°Thank you all foring but this meeting is over,¡± I dered and they all looked between themselves in confusion ¡°When you leave, find out what thew says and I need ess to my father¡¯s thungs. If he had another son and that picture is true then he must have record of it somewhere and I need to find it before it falls into the hands.¡± wrong ¡°As you wish, your majesty.¡± They bowed and I watched them all file out. I pinched my brows in frustration and I felt Ryker ce a comforting hand on my back. I allowed myself to lean into his hold and just be his mate for a few seconds. I didn¡¯t know how we were going to get through this but I had faith that we would. He pressed a small kiss to the top of my head and I sighed. ¡°That went well.¡± he teased and Iughed. It was my first genuineugh of the day and I could feel the pride rolling off him. You are an amazing Queen and your subjects know that. The elders are just scared and they don¡¯t know what to do or how to react to this. It came as a shock to everyone ¡°I just wish this happened before we senied down. I don¡¯t want the girls caught up in all of this. I don¡¯t want their childhood nted with memories of wars and fights. I wish mother was here.¡± He sighed. ¡°I know you do, but you can do this. Everyone in this pce swore allegiance to you- even me. I promise you that we will get out of this. Frederick is one man, how big of an army could he have amas sed in silence? The pce has thergest and best trained army that anyone has seen. Do you doubt their abilities?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said after a beat and I felt him smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever speak at the council meetings? You just watch.¡± ¡°You are the Queen and as backwards as it might seem, they would respect a man more. You are the ruler here, not me. I am only by your side to help you and nothing more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°That is how it needs to be,¡± his tone held finality and I knew he wasn¡¯t going to entertain the conversation any longer. *Come, we have a lot of meetings to get to today but before we go, I need to know if you are okay. You lost your temper very quickly today.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep well,¡± it wasn¡¯t a lie. I was barely able to close my eyes for more than thirty minutes at a time and I had no idea why. ¡°I just need some rest and I will be fine.¡± He looked like he didn¡¯t believe me but at thest minute, he nodded. He helped me to my feet and together we walked to our next meeting which was with the guards to find out how the hell Frederick managed to get into the pce undetected. We spent four hours with the guards and we still hadn¡¯t found his entrance. I was getting more frustrated as the hours went by and Ryker noticed because he pulled me out of there as soon as possible. As soon as we got out, we were greeted by Christine who was holding a screaming Aurora. ¡°I tried everything¡± she told me. ¡°I cleaned her and rocked her but she won¡¯t go back to sleep.¡± Despite the frustration running through me, I moved to take my child but Ryker beat me to it. He bnced her with one hand and rocked her as he led me through the halls and out into the gardens. I was confused as to why until I noticed the pic table set there. It was at that moment that I realized that I hadn¡¯t eaten all day. I was touched that Ryker had noticed. He managed to calm Aurora down and we ate together in silence. It felt like bliss because it was the first moment of peace I had gotten since I woke up. I could have fallen on my knees in gratitude. I didn¡¯t know how Ryker got it set up but I was grateful for it. I knew there would not be many more of it so I tried to enjoy it for as long as I could. When we finished eating. I made to return inside but Ryker¡¯s hand wrapped around my wrist and he kept me seated. ¡°Just stay, I pushed back the next meeting by an hour. You have this entire time to yourself.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he cut me off. ¡°You are no good as a Queen if you are irritable. Right now, what you need is rest. You just had a baby, Cami. This stress isn¡¯t good for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I argued and he stared at me nkly. He didn¡¯t need to say a word, it was obvious that I wasn¡¯t fine. ¡°What if there is an emergency?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be one. Just rx, Cami, please.¡± ¡°Where is Audrey? ¡°Audrey started her lessons today, remember?¡± Guilt wracked through me as I realized I wasn¡¯t there for her. She was to start her lessons because she was starting school in a year. She made me promisest night that I would be there to wish her luck and I forgot. With everything that was happening. I had neglected my own child. ¡°Cami¡± Ryker turned me to face him. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that. She knows you were busy, she understands. You can see her after everything. I know you feel bad but please, I need you to rx. Hoby please. I let out a sigh but did as he asked. I reluctantly allowed myself to rx against him. He was still holding Aurora in his arms and he didn¡¯t seem to mind orin. We were like that for ten minutes before I heard footsteps. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know that whatever semnce of peace I thought I had was gone. ¡°What is wrong?¡± I heard Ryker ask and I finally looked up to see one of the guards staying there. ¡°A message was left for the Queen. I think she should see it.¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Ryker and I were on our feet in an instant. He had to put Aurora down first before we made our way to the front of the pce where the messagey. I was expecting a box or something to point out that I had gotten a parcel but instead, there was a page glued to the wall on the side of the pce. I ripped it off and skimmed through the contents and it took me two lines to realize that it was a page from a journal. ¡°Does anyone know how it got here?¡± I asked but everyone stayed silent. I could feel Ryker quietly hovering over me so I handed him the letter. He read it through in a quick second and I could see his brow furrow. ¡°How did he get his hands on this?¡± he kept his voice deliberately soft so only I would hear. I shrugged and he turned and handed it over to Kevin. ¡°Take this to the elders and tell them to figure out how authentic it is.¡± Once Kevin had disappeared, it was just us and the guards who were manning the front gate. Everyone kept their eyes to the ground because they knew we were pis sed. I didn¡¯t- couldn¡¯t form any words because I was too busy thinking about the contents of that page. Judging by the signature at the bottom of the page, it belonged to my father and in it, he spoke about his son and how he was happy that he had one seeing as my mother could not grant him one. ¡°How the hell did he get in?¡± you could hear the barely restrained angering off from Ryker and everyone knew better than to respond. ¡°You have one job and that is to keep the people in this building safe. How do you expect to do that if you cannot keep people out?¡± There was a chorus of apologies but I wasn¡¯t bothered with listening to it. I wringed my fingers together wanting nothing more than to get out of there. While Ryker was talking to them, I turned on my heels and walked away I could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on me but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I made my way to the private living room and I saw Christine there. She looked like she was searching for something and when she saw me, she jumped. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°I heard that things aren¡¯t exactly going well today.¡± ¡°I have a theory that I want you to listen to,¡± I began and she immediately settled into a chair. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Frederick is getting into the pce somehow. If he isn¡¯t using the doors, then how?¡± ¡°Does he have someone on the inside that¡¯s helping him?¡± ¡°I thought about that but it can¡¯t be. He would need more than one person to get through the number of guards. I have thought about everything but I can¡¯t seem to stump that. It makes no sense. He didn¡¯t grow up here so how can hefortably get in and out?¡± ¡°I understand you clearly,¡± she chuckled dryly. ¡°I grew up here and sometimes I still find rooms that I didn¡¯t even know existed. I¡¯ll see if I can pull up the blueprints of the pce and find anything. I¡¯m not making any promises but if I do find out something. I will let you know.¡± I thanked her and she just gave me a small smile in return. She reached out to grab what she was looking for and it was a small book I couldn¡¯t see the title because it seemed like she was trying to hide it. Just as she walked out of the room, Ryker walked in. He looked genuinely concerned as he made his way over to me. He sat next to me but he didn¡¯t say any words. I was the one who broke the silence first. ¡°I just wanted to be alone.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he admitted. ¡°I increased the guards around the pce. We still have no idea how he is sneaking in but we will find out soon enough¡± We better because we have six days before Frederick makes good on his threat.¡± The rest of the day was spent in and out of meetings and by the time evening rolled around, I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to sink into thefort of my bed and pretend like this was all a fever dream but I couldn¡¯t. I had one important event of the day and I couldn¡¯t miss it for the world. As I made my way into the dining room, Audrey rushed up to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. 81% 1 felt some of the tension bleed out of me as I looked down at my daughter. She was smiling from ear to ear as she told me everything about her day. Despite how exhausted I was. I listened and hung on to every word. I hated that I couldn¡¯t be with her before she went for her lessons or right after she finished due to a meeting but I tried to make up by promising to be there tomorTOW ording to her, she was learning about the kingdom history and she seemed to enjoy it. Dinner was the highlight of my day because I was surrounded by family and I could push everything away and just focus on them. By the time it was over, everyone was half asleep and ready to call it a night but I was stopped outside the dining room by one of the elders. ¡°Your majesty.¡± he bowed. ¡°I know it iste but we found your father¡¯s journals.¡± He pulled his hand out of his robe and in them was a stack of journals. They were leather bound and there looked to be at least six of them. I knew it would take me ages to get through them all. I hesitantly took them from him but I knew there was more that he wanted to say. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked finally and he swallowed deeply before continuing. ¡°The page found in front of the pce matches his writing and his signature but we cannot find the journal it came from. It is possible that your father had another journal that we don¡¯t know about.¡± I realized what he was saying. My father may have left the journal with Frederick as some form of memorial. I forced a professional smile on my face. ¡°Thank you, if that is all.¡± He bowed and disappeared. I turned to see Ryker waiting in the hallway for me. I showed him the journals with what I hoped was a dismissive shrug. He took them out of my hands and led me up the stairs and towards our room. I couldn¡¯t wait to delve into them because the quicker I finished them, the better it was for me. I needed to know what and who we were dealing with. As soon as I was dressed for bed, I picked up the first one. It was dated the year that he married my mother. I started reading when I felt eyes on me and I looked up to see Ryker staring at me weirdly. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked and I noticed him staring at the journal. ¡°Come on, Ryker, do you see how many there are? Six days is not enough time to finish it. I need to start as soon as possible.¡± He sighed and picked up another one and settled next to me in bed. ¡°We better get started then.¡± I read well into the night with nothing much to show for it. As a young prince, it was obvious that myN?velDrama.Org holds this content. father was spoiled but at the same time wanted nothing to do with the life he had been given. He spoke about it disparagingly and alway¡¯s mentioned how he liked to escape into the woods just to get away from all the meetings and the people. I would have felt bad for him if he wasn¡¯t the reason I was in the mess that I currently was. I enjoyed the parts where he spoke about my mother but there was something that stood out to me. He acknowledged her beauty and her ferocity but he never spoke about her as anything more than a business proposal. It was clear he had no feelings for her but it was also more than that. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was someone else that he was in love with. I turned to Ryker. ¡°Did he mention any girl in there?¡± He looked up The with scrunched brows. ¡°Not really, he just moans about how constricting marriage is and how he is being has sled for an heir.¡± ¡°What year is that?¡± He checked the date. ¡°Four years before you were born. Frederick¡¯s mother should be pregnant around this time. If he mentions anything about it. I¡¯ll be sure to let you know.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded and I went back to reading. continued for what felt like hours but in reality was only a few minutes. I was about to call it a day when I saw it- what I was looking for. It was a simple phrase but it solidified everything I thought. no I wish Leanor were her, maybe it would be easier to marry her. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I could feel Cami¡¯s excitement and I immediately knew that she had found something. She wasted no time in turning to my side of the bed and showing me the singr quote. I read it over again but it didn¡¯t seem to make sense. I hadn¡¯t spoken to Leanor much before she died but one thing we- or rather, she- always threatened me over was that she never wanted me to be a cheater like her husband. Judging by that singr quote, he was in love with this mystery woman and that was at odds with the image I already had of him in my head. I couldn¡¯t tell if Leanor got it wrong or if he had just convinced himself in the moment that he wrote that he was in love with the woman. Despite my confusion, I was still able to offer Cami a smile of encouragement. It was gettingte so I took the book from her and kept a random piece of paper to hold her page. Cami was stubborn and she tried to pretend like she wasn¡¯t exhausted but the moment her head hit the pillow; she was out like a light. I found it harder to fall asleep. There were so many thoughts going through my head at the same time. The thoughts had been guing me since the first day we had the misfortune of meeting Frederick. I was unsure if during all of this, I would be able to properly protect my family. After a lot of tossing and turning, I managed to fall asleep. I was up early as usual and Cami woke up while I was getting dressed. I reminded her about Audrey and it was clear from the guilty look on her face that she had forgotten. She was quick to get ready and when we got to Audrey¡¯s room, her entire face lit up. I could tell that she didn¡¯t expect Cami toe. I watched as they interacted and I noticed Christine sneak in. It was clear that she wanted to say something. I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out of the room. ¡°What is it?¡± She retrieved a piece of paper from her back and I wasted no time in taking it from her. It was another page from a journal and this time, it was detailing how Frederick¡¯s first birthday was spent. ¨C ¡°Frederick dropped this offst night. I think he is doing some sort of countdown until the final day. I¡¯m guessing this means that he is still within the pce borders but I don¡¯t understand how he hasn¡¯t been seen yet. He would need to eat.¡± ¡°He might have people within the pce walls,¡± I finally let out the thoughts that had been bothering me for a while. ¡°Whether we like it or not, it is something that we should consider. How many guards have seen this?¡± ¡°Only the four who were watching the back entrance because that is where he ced this one. Although, I am sure it is only a matter of time. before the news spreads. Guards like to talk and the servants will overhear. I just don¡¯t want it to get into town because that is where we might have a problem on our hands.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There are a few people who weren¡¯t happy when my aunt was ruling. They felt that she wasn¡¯t a direct descendant and she was a woman. They are mostly quiet because they know that she would not have tolerated any treason but Cami-¡± she trailed off with a sigh. ¡°Cami isn¡¯t her mother. She is kind and I fear that some people may see that as her being weak.¡± Before I could respond, I heard the door open and Cami made her way outside. She nced between Christine and I. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± My first instinct was to hide the page from her and pretend like all was fine but I knew I wouldn¡¯t be helping her in any way so I reluctantly handed it over. ¡°Frederick dropped this sometimest night. You can read it on your way to the council room because we have another meeting with the elders. We need to find out who that woman was. The elders proved to be useless. None of them knew anything about the king¡¯s affairs. ording to them, he never left the pce except on hunts and diplomatic meetings but that didn¡¯t make sense except his mistress was in the pce or he was sneaking out without anyone knowing. The former was the most likely because I doubted that the king would be able to leave undetected. ¡°What about people in the pce?¡± I asked and the elders nced at Cami before they spoke. ¡°He had a fondness for serving girls but he wasn¡¯t in love with any of them. He never visited the same girl more than three times. None of the pce serving girls got pregnant. If they did, we would have been the first to know.¡± ¡°Just like you were the first to know about Frederick,¡± Cami quipped and they all went silent. ¡°Is it possible that he used to sneak out using the same means that Frederick uses to sneak in? It might be something he was taught, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said slowly wondering how I didn¡¯t think of that. ¡°The fact of the matter remains that we still don¡¯t know how Frederick is sneaking in.¡± I turned to the elders. ¡°Have you found anything?¡± They all shook their heads and I realized we were back at square one. I hated not knowing and I hated when someone else had the advantage. It felt like I was ying their games and their rules and more often than not, you were bound to lose if you did that. ¡°I understand that this is crazy and we have almost nothing to go on but we don¡¯t have time. Frederick will be here and everything my mother has worked for will be gone,¡± Cami spoke softly almost as if she were tired and I wouldn¡¯t have med her if she was. ¡°Forgive me, your majesty,¡± one of the elders spoke. ¡°But this is your father¡¯s kingdom, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cami raised a brow. ¡°Is there a point to that statement?¡± when the elder didn¡¯t speak she stood to her feet. ¡°Find something, anything we can use to pin this guy down. If you can¡¯t find who he is then at least find out where he is. He has to be within or close to the pce in order to drop daily notes on our walls and he needs to be finding food from somewhere. I want answers by tomorrow.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a response from them before she stormed out of the room with me following directly behind her. As soon as the doors shut and we were alone in the hallway, I saw her shoulders sag. I knew it was hard for her to be going through all of this especially after just having a baby. I walked up behind her slowly and ced my hands on her shoulders. She rxed against me instantly and I kissed her head. ¡°You should go and rest, I can handle the rest of the day.¡± ¡°I am Queen, Ryker, I do not have the luxury of rest.¡± ¡°I am your mate and I will not watch you destroy yourself like this. You are tired, not just physically, go upstairs.¡± She looked like she was going to refuse but the exhaustion won out because she nodded. I watched as a handful of guards followed her up the stairs and I waited until she had disappeared from view before I went off to the next meeting. Before evening, I was just about ready to call it a day. The day had been a process of running around in circles. Some of the guards had gone into the town closest to us to ask around for Frederick but no one knew who he was. The caves in the woods nearby were abandoned and Frederick was nowhere to be seen. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have assumed that he was a warlock who could appear at will but he was flesh and bone like we were and for some reason, he was in the air like smoke. The elders were just as useless because they couldn¡¯t find anything. It was incredibly difficult to find out about someone¡¯s past if you didn¡¯t know where they came from. They were determined that his mother was found. outside the pce but I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she worked here so I asked for a list of every single female who had worked in the pce since the king was born. The list was extensive- there were over a thousand names- and each name came with a file of what they did and the interactions they had with him. The first thing I did was filter out the much older women and the obvious minors but there were still a lot of names and by the time the sun was setting, a headache had started to form but I was determined not to go to bed until I found something. I didn¡¯t realize how long I had been locked in my office until I heard a soft knock and Cami walked in. ¡°It¡¯ste,¡± were the first words out of her mouth. ¡°Audrey is asking of you and you haven¡¯t even held Aurora today.¡± I closed the files in front of me and stood to my feet. ¡°I lost track of time.¡± ¡°What are you doing¡± she asked never taking her eyes off the files. ¡°I¡¯m trying to find Frederick¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Any luck?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Maybe dinner can help that.¡± I couldn¡¯t agree more. We were barely out of my office when Christine came rushing over. There were a bunch of scrolls and rolled up pieces of paper in her hands. She came to a stop in front of us and I could tell that she was trying to regte her breathing. ¡°I found it,¡± she sounded excited and I wondered what she was talking about. ¡°I found out how he is getting into the pce undetected.¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V By the time Christine was done speaking, I was staring at her in shock and confusion. She had dragged us back into Ryker¡¯s office so she couldy out the papers in her hands and despite that, I was still utterly confused. ¡°He¡¯s using tunnels,¡± I said feeling and sounding stupid and she nodded. ¡°How didn¡¯t we know about the tunnels? How didn¡¯t you know about the tunnels? Surely my mother would have told you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she knew,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°The tunnels aren¡¯t even shown on any of the blueprints. The only way I know about them ist because I found the old architectural notes. The original ones are obviously lost but every three years they are rewritten to keep the integrity. I found the ones from just after your parents got married and it talks about the tunnels but the next one doesn¡¯t¡® ¡°Someone asked them to stop writing about it,¡± I deduced and she nodded. I turned to Ryker. ¡°He didn¡¯t meet with his mistress in the pce. He met with her outside and he used the tunnels to do so. He must have either told Frederick or his mother did. That¡¯s how Frederick. is getting in.¡± Ryker turned to Christine. ¡°Do you have any idea where the tunnel. entrances are?¡± She shook her head. ¡°All I know is that they span the entire length of the castle and underground but nothing else is said. I think there were more to the notes but most of them are lost. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°There is nothing to be sorry about. You have been a tremendous help and you have no idea. Thank you so much. I am sure that we will find something in his journal. If he truly loved this. woman then he would not be able to resist talking about her.¡± She nodded and grabbed the papers then left. Ryker and I went to the dining room where Audrey was waiting patiently. I felt bad for keeping her waiting especially when I saw that she was already half asleep. She still fought to have dinner with us despite the fact that she was one wrong move away from falling face first into her meal. After dinner, Ryker and I tucked her into bed and once we were certain that both children were asleep, we made our way back to our room. Thanks to Ryker sending me to rest during the day, I wasn¡¯t nearly as exhausted as I should have been but looking at my mate and the dark circles beginning to form under his eyes, I knew he needed rest so when he picked up the journal to pick up from where he left, I took it out of his hands. ¡°You need to rest,¡± I told him and his eyes narrowed yfully. ¡°I can take over tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable sleeping when you¡¯re awake.¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die if I¡¯m left alone for five minutes.¡± He stared at me nkly to let me know that my joke wasn¡¯t funny so I sighed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll both go to sleep then. I knew he didn¡¯t trust my words which was smart of him because I had no ns of going to sleep. I put the journal on my bedside table and kay directly next to him so he was wrapped around me from behind. The temptation to just close my eyes and fall asleep was great but I pushed past it and fought to keep my eyes open. I waited until I felt Ryker¡¯s breathing even out which surprisingly didn¡¯t take long considering how tired he was. Once I was sure he was asleep, I reached out for the journal and started. reading. I must have fallen asleep while reading because the next thing I knew, Ryker was pulling the journal out of my hand gently. I realized that he was dressed and the curtains were open to allow light filter into the room. He smiled at me and didn¡¯t say anything about me tricking him. Instead, he leaned down and ced a kiss on my forehead. ¡°What time is it?¡± my voice was still sleep induced. ¡°Shortly after six,¡± he answered and I practically rushed out of bed and started rushing into the bathroom. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ryker asked and I could practically feel the concern bleeding off him. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I forgot to tell youst night but we have a meeting by 8 and after that I need to talk to the scribes to see if anyone knows anything about the tunnels then we have to speak to the spies who are going to look for said. entrances and-¡± Ryker ced steady hands on my shoulders cutting me off mid rant. ¡°Breathe, baby,¡± he instructed and he waited until I had exhaled deeply before he continued. ¡°We can take this one at a time starting with our daughter who didn¡¯t get to spend enough time with usst night then we can handle the rest, okay?¡± I nodded. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Good, now get ready. I can handle things until then.¡± Ryker served as a reminder to stay calm and I knew that if it weren¡¯t for him, I would have lost my mind. Aurora refused to be put down today so I had to carry her everywhere. Ryker tried to take her from me a few times but she would immediately start fussing. The meeting ran longer than it should have, the scribes knew nothing, Frederick had dropped another page and add a screaming baby to that, I felt like I was losing my mind. By the time we were done with the spies, I just wanted to flop on my bed and fall asleep. I made my way back to my office with Ryker in tow. When we got to the door, he stopped me. ¡°Let me take her,¡± he gestured to Aurora who was fast asleep on my shoulder and I hesitated. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping, she will barely notice. You need a second to get yourself back together. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m losing my mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m implying that you¡¯re tired and this is only making it worse,¡± he reached out and took Aurora from me. She whined softly but ultimately fell asleep again. ¡°Go into your office, take a breather, I can handle her without you being there.¡± I watched him disappear down the halls and even though I couldn¡¯t say it verbally, I was grateful. I walked into my office and when I saw the journals on my desk, I shook my head with a smile. Of course, Ryker knew that I wasn¡¯t going to just sit idly so he made sure I had something to do that wouldn¡¯t stress me out so much. I didn¡¯t deserve my mate but I was grateful that I had him and I couldn¡¯t imagine ruling with anyone else. The journal was boring forck of better words. There was nothing more about a mention of her and I began to wonder if he was ever going to speak about her again. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet so with the journal in my hand, I made my way into the kitchen to get a snack. I just asked for a few fruits and the maids were more than happy to oblige. I was reading and eating when I heard a small crack. It sounded like someone had stepped on a rock. I froze instantly and looked around but I heard nothing again. I began to think I had imagined it when I heard something like stones rolling. This time, I knew it wasn¡¯t a figment of my imagination and I stood to my feet abandoning the book in the process. I made my way towards the source of the sound which so happened to be the far side of the dining room. I was alone and whilemon sense dictated that I call someone to check it out, I decided to investigate myself. I ced my hands on the wall and listened in waiting to see if I would hear something again but there was silence. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± I asked aloud but still, I was met withplete silence. I realized how ridiculous I looked with my ear pressed against the wall and I pulled away. Even if there was someone there, it was very unlikely that they would reveal their position. I stepped back with the intention of walking back to my food but something happened. I must have hit something or triggered an opening because the next thing I knew, the wall gave way and I fell into darkness. I stood up to gather myself with the intention of walking out but the door mmed shut. My eyes adjusted quickly but I didn¡¯t know how to trigger the opening again. I wanted to call out for help but I knew that no one from the outside would hear and I didn¡¯t know who else was in the tunnels with me, shouting would give away my location. I looked around the long hallway and I realized that I had unknowingly found one of the entrances. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I knew in that moment that I didn¡¯t have many options so I decided to explore the tunnels. The walls were so close together, I didn¡¯t need to stretch my hands out before I was touching them. It was moldy and smelled like dust. There were also cobwebs everywhere and I identally walked into one. I didn¡¯t know where I was going but I hoped I would find an exit soon. The further down in the tunnels I got, the cleaner they got. It wast obvious that I was approaching the area that Frederick lived in or at least used often. I saw empty packs of snacks and I even came across what looked like discarded clothes but I didn¡¯t stick around to find out. I got into what looked like a clearing and that was when I saw his sleeping area. There was a ck sleeping bag and lying next to it was the journal. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands, It was just like the others but it weighed considerably less and I assumed it was because of the pages he had ripped out. I had a feeling that this one would have the answers I was looking for. I turned to leave but I felt something sharp at my lower back making me freeze in ce. ¡°I was going toe to you in a few days, I never thought you woulde looking for me,¡± Frederick mused in my ears. ¡°Tell me, Cami, where is your mate? Is he close by or are you here all alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alone,¡± I knew it was stupid to reveal that but I knew that if he wanted to hurt me then he would have done that already. He allowed me turn until I was staring at him face to face ¡°Wee sister, I thought it was only befitting that I lived in the pce as I should have been, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I know about your mother,¡± I began and he scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t know half of what you think you do,¡± he took a step back and to my shock, he pocketed his knife. ¡°Leave, Cami, I am many things but a coward is not one of them and I have no ns of killing you in the tunnels. If I will take your life then it will be where the entire world can watch. No one respects a king who is a coward.¡± ¡°?? being king really that important to you?¡± I asked. ¡°You can live in the pce as a member of the royal family, I am willing to give you that. You don¡¯t have to do all of this.¡± Heughed humorlessly. ¡°You have no idea what it has been like for me. I would not expect you to understand, you had everything you could possibly want handed to you. I want what is rightfully mine and I will do everything in my power to get it. Do not mistake my act of mercy for foolishness. The next time you stumble into my space, I will kill you.¡± ¡°I lived as an omega for the first eighteen years of my life,¡± I began slowly. was raped and rejected before I came here. Didn¡¯t you know I was missing? I heard it was the talk of the town when I was found.¡± ¡°My mother wanted me to have nothing to do with the pce.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say it but I knew that his mother¡¯s death must¨Chave been the catalyst for his actions. I took a step closer to him and decided to try something. It was clear he cared for his mother and I knew my next words could either have good or disastrous consequences. ¡°Your mother wouldn¡¯t want this.¡± His eyes snapped up to me so fast and despite the darkness, I could see the anger in them. He wrapped his hand around my throat and I let him. I could have broken free but I knew he would not hurt me. I could feel him vibrating with anger and hurt and he snarled in my face but I stayed immobile. ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk about my mother again,¡± he spat and he pushed me back. ¡°Take that path straight down and take the second right, you¡¯ll find yourself at a wall. There¡¯s a loose patch on the floor, step on it and you will find an opening. Get out.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate before I turned on my heels and began walking away. I was nearly out of earshot when I heard him speak again. ¡°Do you even know her name?¡± he asked but I stayed silent and he scoffed. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t, she was never more than a flimsy servant to you all but she was the one who captured the king¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°The king was not the kind of man whose heart could be captured.¡± ¡°Bull shit,¡± he spat. ¡°He came to see me every week until he died, he told me about these tunnels, he loved my mother.¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°What was her name, Frederick?¡± ¡°Eva, now leave before I change my mind and putting a knife in your back. Your seven days is almost up, Cami, I won¡¯t hesitate then.¡± This time when I left, he allowed me go. I followed his directions and when I got to the wall, it was a bit difficult to find the loose floor piece but I did and the wall cracked open to reveal the front of the pce. It was a small secluded area that not many guards patrolled and I realized that he had given up his way into the pce. It only meant that he had no ns. on using sit anymore.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I had to blink repeatedly to adjust myself to the bright light. My clothes. were dusty when I got out but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I had the journal under my arm and I had two entrances to the tunnels. I made my way to the front doors and the guards stared at me in shock when they saw me. A lot of them blinked as if they were staring at a ghost and only one had the courage to rush up to me. ¡°Are you alright, your majesty? Did something happen?¡± he asked but I shook my head. ¡°Ask the spies to assemble and wait for my instruction, I will be with them shortly.¡± He looked confused but he rushed off to do as I had asked. The first ce I went was not to the room to get changed, but to Ryker¡¯s office. He wasn¡¯t there when I checked and I went on a search for him. I was checking the council room when I heard a gasp from behind me. I turned to see Christine and there was relief etched on her face as she pulled me into a hug. ¡°Where have you been?¡± she asked me. ¡°Ryker has been looking for you for almost half an hour now. He was losing his mind thest time I saw him. Also, why are you so filthy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything but where is he?¡± She opened her mouth to speak but closed it immediately and nodded. behind her. I turned to see my mate standing there, he looked like he had died a thousand times already and he slowly made his way over to me. He cupped my cheeks as if confirming that it was really me. ¡°I thought he took you,¡± he whispered. ¡°I found something and I went looking for you but you weren¡¯t there. Where did you go and why did you leave your things in the dining room? Do you have any idea-¡± His fear and frustration were beginning to bleed out so I cut him off. ¡°I found one of the entrances and I found Frederick.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± it was Christine who asked and I told them everything about my encounter with Frederick. By the time I was done, they were quiet and I could see the wheels turning in both their heads. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked but Ryker spoke. ¡°He wants the throne and he has to know that he has no im to it. The easiest way to get it is to get you out of the way. He could have done that but he didn¡¯t. There is something much bigger at y.¡± ¡°I think he is just hurting. He probably wants peace but he is acting out. He implied that his mother passed away recently and I think he is justshing out because he feels like she was abandoned. He doesn¡¯t really want to hurt anyone.¡± ¡°I love you, Cami, but this is a man who wants revenge. You are wrong on this one,¡± I frowned but Ryker didn¡¯t even look at me as he spoke ton Christine. ¡°Tell the spies where the entrances are as Cami described. Do not go in with them. He would have left by now but he may have left something behind.¡± Christine left immediately leaving me alone with Ryker. I was staring up at him in disbelief that he had completely disregarded my words. He had never done that before and I still believed that he had the wrong idea about Frederick. When he spoke to me, he sounded like a broken man, not a man who wanted to wreak havoc and revenge. ¡°Have you had a chance to go through that yet?¡± Ryker gestured to the journal in my hands. ¡°I want to confirm something I think I might know who his mother is.¡± ¡°No need, he already told me, her name was Eva,¡± I saw recognition sh across Ryker¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°I saw her file,e.¡± It didn¡¯t skip my attention that I was still covered in filth and my skin was a bit itchy but I wanted to know what he found so I ignored it. He led me to his office and I couldn¡¯t help but note how messy it was with the papers scattered all over his desk. He flipped through them until he got to a specific file and he pulled it out. He handed it over to me and although there was no picture of her attached, she was described as being very beautiful. ¡°She was one of the servants who was responsible for cleaning up after the royal family,¡± Ryker exined. ¡°There was nothing special about her, she never got into fights, she was described as quiet and demure but I did notice that your father specifically asked that she be ced as your mother¡¯s maid and there was a brief moment shortly after your parent¡¯s marriage where she took a break for about a year.¡± ¡°She was pregnant,¡± I deduced and he nodded. ¡°Does she have any family in the area? Is there anyone who can tell us anything about her?¡± He shook his head. ¡°She was an orphan. Frederick is her only remaining family. Shortly after you went missing, she left the pce and never returned.¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V By the time we had uncovered all there was to know about Frederick¡¯s mother, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him. We were yet to find out where she lived when she was with him but it was clear that they lived alone and he never had the chance to rte with any family. I wondered if he even went to school but there was no way to find out if he did. My heart ached for the little boy he once was and I wished we had met on better terms. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ryker asked a few hourster after we were done tucking the kids in and I shrugged. ¡°Is this about Frederick?¡± I stayed quiet but he already knew the answer. ¡°The spies are searching for him using the things they found in the tunnels. He couldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± ¡°You know as well as I do that anything left in those tunnels was inconsequential to him. He had half an hour¡¯s head start and he knows those tunnels. If he wanted those things then he would have taken them,¡± I eyed the new journal sitting atop my pillow. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about them finding him, he won¡¯t show himself until he is ready. I¡¯m more worried about what we don¡¯t know. Doesn¡¯t a part of you feel like this is wrong?¡± He stopped everything he was doing so that he could turn to me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I am following correctly. Are you talking about everything he is doing or everything we are doing?¡± ¡°Both,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°He just wants recognition and I can¡¯t exactly fault him for that. I feel like he would make a great ally and we need to focus on trying to get him to consider that.¡± Ryker stared at me as if I had grown three heads. His mouth was wide and he had to remind himself to close it after a split second. He walked around the bed until he was standing next to me and made me sit on the bed. He stood between my legs and softly stroked my hair. He slowly cupped my cheek and made me look up at him. ¡°I love you,¡± he began slowly, ¡°but you cannot tell me that you believe that he will be your ally when you represent every single thing he wants but cannot have.¡± ¡°He could have killed me but he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t agree with me but-¡± ¡°There are no buts, you are about to enter a war, Cami. It might not be the kind of war you are expecting but when the people find out that there is another potential heir, loyalties will be tested. You cannot think like this right now. You need to look out for yourself and the best interests of this pce.¡± I didn¡¯t agree with him but I knew that there was no use arguing so I simply nodded. Ryker narrowed his eyes as if he knew I just agreed for the sake of peace. He took a step back and instead of waiting for him to say anything, I picked up the journal and pretended to read. There was too much on my mind for me to actually enjoy the words on the page but I was willing to pretend if it meant that he didn¡¯t speak on the matter again and thankfully, he didn¡¯t. The next morning, things were a little awkward on my end. Ryker didn¡¯t bring up the conversation but I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. Despite knowing that his hideout had beenpromised, I subconsciously waited for a page to appear at the pce doors but nothing came. I was both relieved and worried. It had served as some sort of countdown and now that it was gone, it felt like something even worse was going to happen. The first thing I did once I was able to get away from my children was train. I hadn¡¯t trained my powers since my mother died. A part of me felt stupid for not using them in the fire. I felt like I couldn¡¯t rely on it and it scared me. If it were left to me, I would have avoided the training for longer but everyone was worried about the threat that Frederick/posed and as it stood, I was the only royal with powers. They were all counting on me. Ryker somehow knew that I was dreading training and he stayed by the sidelines watching and cheering me on. Using my powers felt like second nature but I still could not shake the underlying nature that when push came to shove- it would fail me. The instructor- a middle aged man by the name of Lois kept telling me that I would get to a point of mastery where I would be able to create water from moisture or air but I couldn¡¯t believe that. I didn¡¯t believe I would be able to learn it in time for it to matter. After training, I felt drained both physically and mentally but I couldn¡¯t rest. I was dragged into another meeting with the elders. I made up my mind that it was going to be thest meeting I had with them concerning this matter. They were more of a hinderance than a help but as far as I knew, they were the only ones who could tell us where to get information on Eva. They were waiting for us as soon as we got into the room and I didn¡¯t waste any time before speaking. ¡°Does anyone know a maid by the name of Eva? She was my mother¡¯s servant.¡± They were all silent but I saw a flicker of recognition go through all of them. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why you knew she was fucking my father and did not see fit to tell me.¡± ¡°It was never confirmed,¡± I heard someone mumble and from the death re that Ryker shot him, he went quiet. ¡°You could have saved us hours and days of searching if you had simply told us,¡± he growled running his hand through his hair. He was more frustrated than I was which said a lot. ¡°Who would be the best person to go for information on her?¡± I asked. ¡°There has to be someone in the pce that she considered a friend or family who might be willing to share information about her or Frederick.¡± ¡°She was a loner,¡± the elders spoke. ¡°The only person she was truly friends with was your mother. It was the Queen who requested for her to take a year off and gave her job back to her the moment she returned.¡± That was not what I was expecting because I sat up immediately. ¡°Are you saying that my mother knew about Frederick? Could she have known that he was my father¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Only the Queen can answer that.¡± I couldn¡¯t form words. I waved my hands to dismiss them and I heard rather than saw them leave. I felt like I was in a daze. If my mother knew about Frederick then why did she not do anything? Why didn¡¯t she bring him into the pce or ensure that he would never be a problem? Why didn¡¯t she tell me? ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker¡¯s voice was like an anchor keeping me rooted in reality. ¡°Baby, you will make yourself sick if you think about this. Your mother had her ways of doing things and we might never understand them but we have to trust her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what or who to trust anymore,¡± I whispered and he sighed. ¡°I need some air.¡± I stood to my feet and began to make my way outside. I could hear Ryker following me and it filled me with a sense of relief because I knew he would keep me safe no matter what. I was going past the front door when I heard some noise. I was going to ignore it until I heard the word Queen so I took a quick detour and walked over. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± I asked and the guards there instinctively parted to reveal a young shaggy looking man. He was in pants too big for him and a dirty shirt. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°He was insisting that he needed to see the Queen,¡± I heard someone say. The man reached into their pockets and all the guards took out their weapons. The man looked frightened and opened his hand to reveal a scrunched¨Cup piece of paper. ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm; I was told to give this directly to the Queen. There was some guy. I swear I didn¡¯t even read, it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I assured him as I took the paper from him, As soon as I did so, he rushed off like he couldn¡¯t bear to be there for another second. I watched him disappear then quickly turned my attention to the letter. Once I read it, I balled it up and turned on my heels. I didn¡¯t want the guards catching a glimpse of my expression or the potential contents. I waited until Ryker and I were in the private garden before I handed it to him. ¡°What does it say?¡± he asked as he hesitantly took it from me. ¡°Is it from Frederick?¡± ¡°It is,¡± I couldn¡¯t look at him as I spoke. ¡°He is giving us two days to make a decision before he takes his first course of action.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°The only thing we can do- prepare for an attack. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V We spent the next two days preparing for a potential attack. The guards were prepped and ready and border patrol was tightened. We knew that Frederick was within the borders but if he had an army, there was no way they were going to cross our territory. I wasn¡¯t worried as worried about the war as I should have been because most of my energy was spent worrying about Cami. Ever since ourst conversation about Frederick, I noticed that she has been more sympathetic to his plight. Her kindness was one of the things I loved most about her but Cami needed to learn that it was not needed in every situation. She was under the delusion that Frederick would change his mind but I had fought enough wars and seen enough of them to know that Frederick was not going to stop until he got what he needed and he was going to damn everyone else to do so. At the end of the two days, the tension in the pce could be felt. Not everyone knew the situation but everyone knew that something terrible was going to happen. Even Aurora was extra frolicky and I could see that Cami was at her wits end trying to navigate everything which was why I took the child from her and handed her over to Christine who was more than happy to have an excuse to stay away from her duties. ¡°What if he was just bluffing and he isn¡¯t going to attack?¡± Cami asked as we were walking out of a meeting with the head generals. ¡°If he was going to, don¡¯t you think he would have by now?¡± ¡°It is a battle strategy,¡± I tried to exin it as calmly as possible. ¡°He wants to keep us on edge and make us wait because he thinks it will make us sloppy,¡± It was clear she didn¡¯t like my response because she frowned. ¡°Do you really think that he is incapable of change?¡± ¡°Not in the way you¡¯re thinking. Power can be a dangerous thing, Cami, you have not seen what the want for power had done to people and to families.¡± She sighed and dropped the conversation even though it was clear she didn¡¯t want to. We went off with the rest of the day in silence and I could feel a visible distance between us over it. I hated it but there was nothing I could do about it. I knew better than anyone else how stubborn Cami could be when she wanted to and I knew that unless she saw with her own eyes that Frederick wasn¡¯t going to change then she would continue to believe in him. It also didn¡¯t help that Frederick didn¡¯t attack. Cami was relieved thinking that it was a testament to her faith in him but I knew otherwise. That threat wasn¡¯t a mere threat, he had every intention to attack and I knew that he must have done something that was small enough that it went unnoticed but I knew that we would see the repercussions soon. While Cami went for dinner with the children, I managed to hold a very quick discussion with the generals. I could tell that even they were confused at the absence of an attack. ¡°I am going to make this as quick as possible,¡± I said as soon as I walked into the council room. ¡°Send out some of your best men to make sure that everything is fine in the pack. I don¡¯t believe that Frederick had a change of heart and decided to stand down. Make sure that everything is where it should be and that tomorrow will not bring in a new wave of problems.¡± There was a chorus of ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± and I waited until they had all left before I allowed my hands run down my face in frustration. The worst part about all of this was not knowing. It was scarier than it should have been because I was not just worried about myself, I was worried for my family. Unless I was certain that what he did would not affect my family in any way, I knew I would not be able to get some rest. I didn¡¯t need to wait long to know because the next morning, Cami and I were woken up by frantic knocking on the door. It wasn¡¯t even six a.m. yes but we dressed and rushed out of the room. No one would tell us exactly what was wrong but we were ushered into a carriage and taken into the town. I could feel Cami¡¯s confusion mixing with mine whenever she nced at me but I couldn¡¯t say anything because even I didn¡¯t have the words. The sky was a beautiful orange and on a normal day, I would have enjoyed the view with Cami but something told me that my day was not going to be normal. There was tension and anxiety in the air and the further into town we were taken, the more worried I got. The ride took over half an hour and we were led into a part of town I had never been to before. It was quaint and I was shocked that there were not more people roaming around. I would have expected to see people going about their day but the town was all but deserted. Some guards were waiting there in front of what looked like a small stream. Everything looked fine at surface level but I could feel the unease in the air. ¡°What happened here?¡± I asked because Cami was having a hard time speaking. The guards led us into a house where a woman who looked to be in her sixties was lying on the bed. Her skin was pale and sickly and if I didn¡¯t know better, I would have said she was already dead but her chest rose and fell every few seconds. ¡°A few of the vigers started to disy these symptoms,¡± one of the guards exined. ¡°It startedst night and we found out that someone had poisoned the water. We described Frederick to them and this woman recalled seeing him around their vige in the early hours of yesterday morning.¡± Cami took a step back and I could see the disbelief coloring her face. I felt bad that her hope had been dashed but I knew it was bound to happen sooner orter. I ced aforting hand on her shoulder in an attempt to remind her to gather herself because we were in public and thest thing these people needed was for them to think she was on the side of the man who was causing them so much pain. She thankfully got the hint and warped her expression into something unreadable. I turned to the guard. ¡°Take us to the stream.¡± We were led out of the house and towards the stream. It looked normal on sight and if I hadn¡¯t been informed that it was poisoned, I would not have guessed. I could not imagine how many people had drank from it between yesterday and today. It was obvious that it was their primary water source. ¡°Take a sample to the pce physician so he can figure out what kind of poison was used and if he can come up with an antidote,¡± I instructed. ¡°We have already done that, your majesty.¡± ¡°In the meantime, test the other water sources in the pack. Test the dams and the streams and make sure that this is the only ce he hit. We will have the doctors here as soon as they can to ensure that these people get the best treatment that money can buy.¡± The guards nodded and went to do as instructed. I watched them all leave and I grabbed Cami¡¯s hand and led her into the carriage. She hadn¡¯t spoken at all and I was beginning to worry for her. I could have pushed and ensured that she spoke but I knew that wouldn¡¯t help matters at all so I waited. It was ten minutes into the ride that she finally lifted her head. ¡°What happens now? Do those people die?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope not. The doctors will do their work and we will do ours by making sure that Frederick is found and brought to justice.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would do something like this,¡± she admitted. ¡°Is ? it wrong that I still feel like he is redeemable?¡± I sighed and grabbed her shoulders so she was facing me. ¡°Forget about Frederick and think about the people. They put their faith in you, you are their Queen. Whatever you do has to be in their interest and if that means getting rid of Frederick then you have to do it. It doesn¡¯t matter if he is redeemable or not.¡± It was clear that she wanted to argue but she knew I was right so instead, she changed the subject. ¡°How was he able to move around long enough to get to that town? There are guards crawling everyone and searching for him. Don¡¯t you find it suspicious?¡± ¡°I do but I think I know the answer,¡± I leaned back. ¡°Frederick has allies in the pack and we need to find out who they are or there is no telling what he will do next.¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The entire pce was in an uproar that morning. Everyone was trying and failing to find out where Frederick was and how he managed to pull off an borate scheme. The guards werebing the towns to see if anyone had sighted him but we soon realized that eye witness testimony was almost always unreliable because everyone imed to have seen him and no two statements were the same. It was frustrating but I had to apud him, it was not easy to avoid pce soldiers. ¡°Didn¡¯t he leave a message?¡± I asked for the umpteenth time. I could not imagine that Frederick who had dropped pages from my father¡¯s journal for days would suddenly do something like this without leaving a message. ¡°The guards said they didn¡¯t see anything by the stream or in the houses. If he left a message then we haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡± Ryker had been speaking to me as he would a child and I was beginning to wonder if somehow, I had upset him. I knew he disagreed with my trust in Frederick but I didn¡¯t know how to exin it to him. I thought that having a sister would make him understand. I didn¡¯t have any family and I wasn¡¯t willing to condemn the only sibling I had to death over a simple hurt. I knew he would listen if the situation was right and I was determined to get him to listen which was why I was partly grateful that the guards hadn¡¯t found him. If they did find him, it would have been game over. There was a knock on the door and one of the generals walked in. He bowed to Ryker and I before making his way closer. ¡°We found something at the Eastern border than we believe is from Frederick. There is no way to confirm it but it was addressed to you and it was nailed to a tree.¡± I reached out for the letter but Ryker grabbed it first. I could feel and see the confusion in the room because Ryker usually stayed out of things like this and he reached over me to grab the letter. His eyes scanned it and once he was done, he nodded to the guard and dismissed him. There was so much I wanted to say in that moment but I didn¡¯t because I still wanted to maintain the image of a united front. Instead of letting the frustration win, I schooled my expression into one of indifference and turned to the elders. ¡°You can leave. Inform me as soon as we have anything on Frederick.¡± They nodded and I watched as they left the room in a single file. I waited until the door shut before I turned to Ryker. ¡°Am I going to get that back?¡± He hesitated for a second before handing it to me. At that point, I wasn¡¯t interested in reading it anymore but opened it. I took the time to admire Frederick¡¯s writing because it was a perfect cursive. There were just seven words written boldly in ink: Step down or it will get worse. I folded up the paper and ced it on the table. Ryker finally turned to me. ¡°Do you still think he is capable of redemption?¡± I fought the urge to roll my eyes when I realized that this was what he was annoyed about. I exhaled deeply as I tried to find the words because I knew that thest thing we needed was to have a fight especially not in the council room where anyone could walk in. ¡°Do you want to do this here?¡± I asked and he ran his hands down his face. ¡°I just want you to think this through. He is not above killing innocent people to get what he wants. What part of that screams redemption to you?¡± ¡°Everyone is capable of change if they are given the chance.¡± Ryker was taken aback by my words. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly as if he could not believe I had said those words but I had and I didn¡¯t regret it. I just wanted peace and I wasn¡¯t above trying to get into a truce with Frederick so that I could get that. One thing I knew for a fact was that war was not the answer. ¡°Okay,¡± he said finally and I scrunched my brows. I had not expected him to give in that easily and I couldn¡¯t help but doubt his true intentions. He rose to his feet and when he spoke again, I realized that I was right for doubting. ¡°You do what you think is right and I will do what I think is right.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means I am going to protect you from everything- including yourself,¡± he grabbed the files on the desk. ¡°I have never once made you feel like this wasn¡¯t your kingdom and I have never made you second guess your decisions before today but I will make you a promise, Cami, even if I have to run through everything you have built to ensure that you are safe, I will do it I just hope you can forgive me for it.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for me to respond before walking out of the room. I sat there in silence thinking about what the hell had just happened. Ryker never spoke to me in that manner, not even when I was wrong. I knew he hated Frederick but I didn¡¯t know it was that bad. It took me around ten minutes to gather my wits and leave the council room but Ryker¡¯s words stuck with me. When Ryker spoke, I knew he was serious but I had not expected him to implement his words so soon. I was locked in my office for majority of the day and when I left, I noticed that I had more guards than usual following behind me. I tried to dismiss them but they informed me that they were put there by a unanimous council vote. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I had learned the hard way that although the Queen had power- so did the council- and when it came to the safety of the royal family, the council could take a unanimous vote. Ryker had approached them and convinced them that I was in danger spurring that action. I couldn¡¯t even be pissed at him because I had expected it. Besides, it was just a few guards or so I thought. I soon came to realize that those guards were my shadow and I couldn¡¯t go into the town. The town was in a panic and it was a widespread belief that I was in danger so it had been strongly advised¡® that I stayed indoors. By night time, I was at my wits end and I wanted nothing more than to strangle Ryker. What made everything worse was that he didn¡¯t seem to care about what he had done. He was unapologetic about it. By the time we got back to the room at night, I wasn¡¯t speaking to him. I got dressed in silence and curled up into myself to read the journal. The one I had gotten from Frederick was very interesting to say the least. It was more personal than the others and he spoke about his parents, his contempt with being the crowned prince, he spoke about the tunnels and how he would speak out and a few times, he had mentioned Eva but never in detail. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker sat at the edge of the bed facing me but I refused to look up. ¡°Baby, please, you can¡¯t possibly be upset with me. I stayed quiet. ¡°I did what I needed to keep you safe.¡± ¡°I am a prisoner in my own kingdom. You cannot possibly expect that I ¨C would be happy about that?¡± ¡°You are safe and that is the only thing that matters,¡± he cut in. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I cannot leave either. It is not just your safety that has been threatened.¡± I frowned at him and he sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this but I don¡¯t trust that you will not go looking for him to broker peace.¡± He was right, I was considering that. I had thought about it while in my office and decided that maybe if I found him again then I would be able to convince him. I couldn¡¯t say that to Ryker but I didn¡¯t need to, my silence spoke volumes. ¡°We are a team, Ryker.¡± ¡°Not in this case and you know it. You have a twisted sense of loyalty towards him and I am not trying tobat that, I am just trying to keep you safe.¡± I finally dropped the book and turned to him. There was something in his expression that had me pausing and I spoke so softly that my voice was barely over a whisper. ¡°You¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°I am terrified,¡± he admitted and he gestured for me toe closer which I did. ¡°Facing an enemy is hard enough, facing one that we know nothing about is even harder.¡± I knew I couldn¡¯t stay upset at him for long because although I didn¡¯t agree with his methods, I understood why he was doing what he was doing. We had two daughters to protect and we wanted the same results, we were just taking different paths. I shoved down my ego and straddled his hips. He stayedpletely still as if trying to give me the chance to take back my actions if I wanted to. When I didn¡¯t move, his hand cupped my cheeks and he ced the most featherlight kiss on my lips. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± I mumbled against his lips and he cracked a small smile. ¡°We always do? Chapter 74 Chapter 74 RYKER¡¯S PO.V To say that Cami hated being locked in was an understatement but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to regret the decision. If it were a choice between her happiness and safety, I was going to choose her safety each time without hesitation. As long ast she was safe, I could focus on the most important thing which was finding Frederick who seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Thankfully, the doctors and physicians were able toe up with a cure and there was only one casualty but it was enough to inspire fear in the hearts of the people. There was unrest and unease and I couldn¡¯t say that I med them. Most people still didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening but I knew it was only a matter of time before the news spread so my main focus was quelching it before it became a threat and that meant finding out who was helping Frederick. It would have been easier if his mother were alive or if she had any family but no one seemed to remember her much because she kept to herself. I managed to find the address of the woman in charge of the maids while Eva was in the pce and I went with Cami to see her. She lived in a small cottage a distance away from the pce and when we arrived, she was out in her garden picking herbs. The file said that she was around eighty by now but she was still nimble for her age When she sighted us, she bowed. ¡°Your majesties, I was not expecting a visit. How can I help you?¡± ¡°We need some information on the maid, Eva,¡± Cami said and I saw her feign ignorance as she tried to wrack her brain. ¡°There were so many people by the name of Eva while I worked at the pce. It would be impossible for me to remember each one. I am sure the pce has records of everyone. You might find what you are looking for there.¡± ¡°There was only one Eva who did not have ast name and only one who was having an affair with the king,¡± Cami cut by . Don¡¯t waste our time and ¨C pretending not to know. Believe me when I say that I do not want to have this. conversation as much as you. The old woman hesitated before finally clearing her throat. ¡°Please,e in.¡± Despite the fact that she was old and harmless, we still went in with our guards. There was no guarantee that she didn¡¯t have people inside or that she wasn¡¯t helping Frederick. She led us into her house which had a soft feeling to it. There were potted nts lining all the windowsills and fresh flowers on every table. It was clear that she took great care of the space. She sat on one of the chairs. ¡°I might not be of as much help as you think, your majesties. Eva never spoke to anyone and even if she wanted to- no one would speak to her. It was a well¨Cknown secret that she was having an affair with the king and a few despised her for it but that was not why she was a loner, she was a loner because of how horrible she was.¡± That managed to catch my attention and I sat up straighter. ¡°I¡¯m not quite following.¡± ¡°Eva was under the delusion that the king was in love with her and was going to make her Queen. He may have told her that himself but the king,¡± she nced at Cami as if she were unsure of whether she should speak or not. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Cami assured her. ¡°The dead cannot be hurt by our words.¡± ¡°The king was like that. He got bored of women quickly and while he may have. loved her at some point, he definitely got bored later. She didn¡¯t want to believe that and it got worse after she became your mother¡¯s maid, she was so proud of herself for being able to deceive the Queen but the Queen knew, she just wanted to keep her close. What she didn¡¯t expect was for Eva to stop taking her tonic because she wanted her child to be heir. She hoped that by having a child before the Queen then she would be recognized.¡± ¡°She was not,¡± I finished and she nodded. ¡°It still didn¡¯t break her faith in the king but it made her bitter and resentful. When she came back after a year she was not the same. It was worse when the Queen got pregnant and it was announced that her child would be the heir. I personally overheard an argument between her and the king where he told her that it was all a mistake. She was never herself after that. Everything settled down. and she was nning to leave the pce then you went missing and she disappeared shortly after. People believed she was the one who took you but there was never any evidence.¡± ¡°To me her, they would have needed to provide a motive and that meant. exposing the fact that the king had another child,¡± Cami¡¯s voice was soft and the old woman nodded. ¡°I know you came here for information on her son but unfortunately, that is something I do not have. I have never met the boy and I don¡¯t know what he looks like. I don¡¯t even know where she raised him. Like I said earlier, she was very secretive. She kept her cards very close to her chest.¡± ¡°How did you know this was about her son?¡± I asked and the corner of her lips. pulled up slightly. ¡°I was in charge of the maids in the pce for thirty years. I know more than half of the people in there. News like this never stays hidden for long especially with that recent attack on the stream. He has his mother¡¯s ruthlessness, that is for sure.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°She had never mentioned anything about Eva being ruthless before.¡± She hesitated and dropped her voice into a whisper. ¡°There is a girl, her name was Gabby but she will not be on your lists. She worked in the pce for two days Gabby was beautiful with blond hair and innocent eyes. Everyone wanted her, even the king. Eva was furious that Gabby had the king¡¯s attention and she made sure to voice it out. One night, Gabby told a friend about how the king had called. her beautiful and asked to see her¡® I had a feeling I knew where the story was going but I found myself inclining my ear to listen. ¡°The next morning, Gabby was found tied to her bed with a horrible haircut and she was blind. Someone had gone into her room at night and poured washing fluid into her eyes. She would not say who it was but Gabby was never heard of again,¡± the old woman sat up straighter. ¡°If that boy was raised by Eva alone then goddess help you all.¡± We left her house shortly after that but her words didn¡¯t leave me. Even Cami seemed to be pondering over her words and I hoped it was enough to change her mind on Frederick. If anything that woman said was true then Frederick was not the innocent and redeemable child that she thought he was. I wanted to talk to her and find out where her head was at but as soon as we got into the pce, we were ushered into the council room where the elders were waiting. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Is there a reason for thisst¨Cminute meeting?¡± Cami asked sounding as annoyed as I felt. ¡°I thought you were supposed to be helping with the damage. control from the stream incident.¡± ¡°We were doing that, but we are afraid that it is more than that,¡± one of them spoke. ¡°The people know about Frederick.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± the words left me before I could stop them. ¡°They know that he is the son of the king and the people are torn on it. He has a lot of supporters among the people and even those who do not support him fear that you cannot defeat him. The kingdom is divided and torn by fear. It does not make it any better that you have not been seen leaving the pce since that incident.¡± ¡°Whose fault is it that I have not left the pce?¡± Cami quipped and the elders fell silent. ¡°It was your idea to keep me locked in. Do not make it seem like I did it out of cowardice.¡± There was annoyance in her tone and when she realized, she exhaled deeply to calm herself down. ¡°What do you propose that we do?¡± ¡°If you could hold an emergency meeting in one of the squares. The people wille and they can hear you publicly discredit Frederick and his ims.¡± ¡°His ims are true.¡± ¡°No one knows that. The only people who do are dead. Anything he says will be seen as a lie and a desperate attempt to steal the throne.¡± It was at that moment that I realized just how brilliant the elders really were. If only they could put aside their pride and animosity once in a while then they would be a formidable asset to the kingdom. ¡°That is going to hurt him,¡± Cami looked unsure. I always knew her kind heart would be a stumbling block on the road to being a great Queen and while I didn¡¯t want her to lose it, I wanted he to be able to identify times where kindness was not the right course of action. ¡°You know it is the only way,¡± I mind linked her. ¡°You are Queen now and it isn¡¯t just about you or him. There are thousands of people looking up to you. Think about your kingdom, Cami. Do what is best for them.¡± I broke the mind link but she still said nothing. ¡°You are in a war, your majesty,¡± I could hear an undercurrent of frustration in the elder¡¯s voice. ¡°This is a kill or be killed situation. You can either discredit him or watch him take your throne from under your fingertips. It is your choice.¡± Chapter 75 Chapter 75 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Two dayster and I still hated the idea. It just felt wrong to me and I tried searching for another solution to the problem but there was none. The people were worried and there had been more fights breaking out in thest two days. than in thest monthbined. Everyone had a different opinion on how what they thought was supposed to happen and the rumor mill was alive with theories. Some were closer to the truth than I would have liked while others were so unbelievable that I could not fathom how anyone possibly came up with it. A small gurgle interrupted me and I nced down at Aurora lying peacefully in her bass. I couldn¡¯t leave her alone for an extended period of time so she was going with us. She and Audrey were going to be in a safe tent with Christine but it still didn¡¯t stop me from worrying. There were so many things that could go wrong and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. The door to the room opened and I turned to see Ryker. He was dressed in tailored cks with a button¨Cup shirt. His coat was slung over his shoulder and despite the more casual look to his outfit, he still looked every part of the royal that he was. He crossed the length of the room and came to stand right next to me. I put on a practiced smile hoping he wouldn¡¯t see the worry on my face. ¡°I felt your anxiety,¡± he said casually without looking up at me. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It will be a quick meeting, in and out. It doesn¡¯t have tost up to half an hour. All you need to do is tell them that you heard the rumors and they are unfounded.¡± ¡°You should have been king instead,¡± I muttered. ¡°You¡¯re so good at this already, I have no idea what I am doing.¡± ¡°Cut yourself some ck, you¡¯ve barely been queen for a year. You¡¯ll learn and you will get better at it. You¡¯re already a great Queen as it is.¡± ¡°Going to war in your first year as Queen does not exactly scream ¡®great,¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the condescending edge out of my tone. Ryker sighed and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by someone mind linking us both. ¡°They carriage is ready,¡± Christine said. ¡°It is time.¡± She broke off the mind link and I just stood there in silence. Ryker offered me a small smile of encouragement before picking up our daughter. Audrey was already with Christine. He held out his hand to me and I gingerly took it. That uneasy feeling hadn¡¯t left but for the first time since I woke up, I felt a little confident that things weren¡¯t going to end up badly. I was quiet for the entire carriage ride. Audrey chattered nonstop while Ryker entertained her. As soon as we got out of the pce, I was handed some notes to serve as pointers for what I was supposed to say. As I read through them, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a certain level of guilt. I knew I couldn¡¯t say half of the things that were written down. Basically, the strategy was to expose his mother but paint her as a whore who tried to pin a pregnancy on the king. They wanted to make Eva and Frederick. look so unbelievable in the eyes of the people by painting them as deranged and desperate. It was a brilliant strategy but it was also cruel and for the entire ride I pondered on whether or not I wanted to do it. The meeting was to hold in therge town square. It had already been set up. Christine led the children into the hall where they would be safe while I was taken to the back to ensure that I was ready. Immediately we were alone, I went to the elders. ¡°I can¡¯t say this,¡± I told them and there was a collective sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it all but you need to keep to the script,¡± I still didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You need to figure out whether you are more worried about Frederick or about this kingdom. As Queen you will have to make terrible decisions, you should know that by now and you should get used to it.¡± I wanted to protest but my crown was brought over and I knew that my time was up. I ced the notes on the table and allowed myself to be led towards the doors. I peeked out from the curtains and I felt a stab of anxiety when I realized that the square was filled up. My heart rate started to pick up and I felt aforting hand on my shoulder. I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know that it was Ryker. He nced over my shoulder at the sea of people. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, I will be right there with you.¡± ¡°There are a lot of people. What if I say the wrong thing?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t. Forget about the notes and forget about what anyone wants you to say. Say whatever you think is right and we will deal with the aftermath together.¡± I was shocked. I turned to him with wide eyes. ¡°We are on the same team, remember? I will support whatever you choose to do. Follow your gut.¡± Everyone had been trying to control me and force my hand yet Ryker was here. telling me to do whatever I wanted. It was like a breath of fresh air and I couldn¡¯t help my small smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Before he could respond, one of the guards pulled open the curtain- it was show time. Ryker and I walked out while keeping our heads high. I reached out for him and he wasted no time in intertwining our fingers. His touch was like an anchor grounding me and keeping me stable. I could feel the watchful eyes of the people on me as I stood in front of the podium. The square was as quiet as a graveyard, there were no crickets chirping or any sounds of any sort. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet with you all today although I wish it were under better circumstances,¡± I began and I nced at Ryker. He gave me a discreet not encouraging me to go on. ¡°There have been some rumors going around since the poisoning that it was done by a son of thete king who wants to ascend the throne. I came to add some rity to that.¡± I nced back at the elders who were all smiles and I had to do. ¡°I regret to tell you all that it is true. Thete king- my father- fathered a child three years before I was born with a maid by the name of Eva. This child is the man that you all know, his name is Frederick.¡± Werder their breaths before There was an immediate uproar. I saw the elders curse disappearing into the curtains again. The people were filled with confusion and it took almost five minutes to calm them down. I held onto Ryker¡¯s hand for dear life. My decision could have potentially cost us everything but I was hoping and praying to the goddess that I had done the right thing. I hoped and I prayed that my actions wouldn¡¯t doom us all. ¡°Did the king and the queen know about it?¡± someone yelled. ¡°Did they hide him from us?¡± ¡°Why are we just knowing about this now?¡± ¡°Are you going to step down?¡± ¡°Does this mean that you aren¡¯t the true heir?¡± Questions were being shot at me from all corners. ¡°If you can all settle down then I will answer your questions. I cannot respond in chaos.¡± It took another five minutes to get everyone to settle. I could feel the confusion and the unease. If Ryker was not next to me, I would have been overwhelmed by it but he was like a silent confidant. ¡°You¡¯ve got this,¡± he told me via the mind link. ¡°Just take a calm breath.¡± Once everyone was quiet, I continued. ¡°It is unsure at the time whether the king knew of the existence of his son but I was not made aware until two weeks ago when he showed up.¡± My father may have been the cause of the issue but I was not going to throw him under the bus like that. ¡°Frederick expressed a desire to im the throne but ording to thews, he has no right to it. The throne belongs to the heir of the King and the Queen. Frederick is a member of the royal family regardless and I want to use this as an opportunity to speak directly to him,¡± I paused and inhaled deeply before. continuing. ¡°I know you¡¯re listening and I want to tell you that we are willing to forgive everything that you have done if you stopped now. No more innocents. have to get hurt.¡± There was silence as people waited with bated breath in case Frederick was going to respond. When there was nothing, I squared my shoulders and stered on the closest I could to a smile. ¡°That is all I have to say on the matter. I will be entertaining questions so if you. have anything you want to-¡± I was barely done when a hand shot up. It belonged to a man and he pushed through the sea of people to stand directly in front. ¡°How can we be sure that you can protect us? He already attacked us once and you¡¯re a woman. What can a woman do against a man?¡± ¡°I assure you that the threat will be dealt with. My gender has nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°How can you defend us when you can¡¯t even defend yourself?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He just smirked and I heard it. It was a sound like the rushing of air and I heard it before I felt the searing pain in my chest. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 RYKER¡¯S PO.V Everything happened so fast, one minute, Cami was talking to that man and the next minute, there was an arrow sticking out of the right side of her torso. I caught her as she fell and the entire square fell into chaos. I could see the doctors rushing to get to her but my focus was finding what direction that arrow came from. I looked around until I saw Frederick mounted atop a building holding a crossbow. His eyes met mine and he smirked. Pure and undiluted rage filled me and threatened to spill over. I nced at Cami and although didn¡¯t want to leave her, I knew I had to get Frederick. I made sure she was safe in the doctor¡¯s hands and took off after him. I could hear a few guards following me but I didn¡¯t care about them I had one target and I was not going to rest until I was standing above his dying corpse. Frederick took off into the woods and without a thought, I followed him. He expertly weaved through the trees and it struck me that Frederick knew the woods. a little too well. The trees were dense and difficult to navigate but somehow, he knew where he had to go. My wolf pressured me to shift but in this kind of forest, it would be harder to navigate in wolf form because of how close the trees were. I forced his pressure into the back of my mind and focused on my target. Once I got close enough, Iunched myself on him and we both tumbled to the ground. Before he could recover, I mmed my face and I felt a sick. fist into his sense of pride fill me when I heard the cracking of bone and I saw blood rushing from his nose. I wanted to beat him to death but I also knew that I would have more fun with him in the pce dungeons so I dragged him to his feet. Despite. being caught, he was smirking and it grated on my nerves. ¡°Even if you take me back now, I already got my target. If she dies, you cannot hurt me because I am heir to the throne,¡± heughed maniacally. ¡°If she lives then. I die a happy man knowing I got a part of of my vengeance.¡± ¡°She will not die and you will not be heir to the throne.¡± ¡°Your children can be easily disposed of,¡± I didn¡¯t let him finish his sentence before I punched him again. He spat blood out of his mouth and red at me. ¡°Tell me, Prince consort, where are your guards or are you yet to notice that we are alone?¡± It was at that exact moment that it hit me just how quiet the forest was. There were no crickets or birds chirping and I knew that meant only one thing- there was a greater predator keeping them silent. I was on edge immediately and I looked around trying to find the attackers through the dense trees. Frederick used my momentary distraction to deliver a swift elbow strike and once he was out of my hold, the others, rushed out. There were at least five of them and they rushed me at once. I was so grateful for the extra knife I always kept in my pants because as soon as the first one got close enough, I slit his throat. It caused the other four to pause in their tracks as if they were rethinking their decision. I looked around only to notice that Frederick was nowhere to be seen. He used the attack as a means to get away and I was furious. I turned to the men who were responsible for his getaway and I ughtered them save for one who tried to run. I grabbed him and knocked him out then dragged his limp body by the arm back towards the square. The square had been cleared and I noticed the only people. still waiting were guards. As soon as they saw me, they sighed in relief. I just tossed the limp body at their feet. ¡°Frederick got away but he was working with him. Make sure he is watched day. and night in the cells. If he gets away then you will take his ce.¡± Their eyes widened in fear and I saw them swallow deeply as they lifted the body. It had been a while since I had a need to threaten anyone but I was done ying the nice guy. If threatening people was the only thing that could keep my mate safe then so be it. Everyone steered out of my path as I got into thest carriage remaining. I was told that Christine had left with the girls and Cami had been taken to the pce hospital to be treated. ¡°Where to, your majesty?¡± the coach asked without meeting my eye. ¡°Take me to my mate.¡± The ride was long and the entire time, Cami was all I could think of. As soon as the carriage stopped, I was out and rushing inside. Prior to today, I had always. wondered why a physician¡¯s office needed to be in the pce but now, I didn¡¯t need to question it. It was in a part of the pce that I had never been and I never thought I would need to be. As I got to the door, I hesitated, I was not ready for what I would find. I took a deep breath to calm myself and opened the door. The physician was a man in his fifties. He was a pack healer and his family had worked with the pce for years. His son was a little over twenty and rushing around to get him somet vials. My eyes went to Cami who was lying on the table. The shaft of the arrow had been broken off but it was still embedded in her. I didn¡¯t make a sound because I didn¡¯t want to alert them to N?velDrama.Org holds this content. my presence. I watched as they had to rip the top part of her dress to see the arrow. On a normal day, I would be jealous and possessive but I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to conjure up those emotions. I held my breath when the physician wrapped his hand around what was left of the arrow and pulled. A low moan of pain left Cami and that was when I moved. I had no idea she was still awake because her eyes were closed. I brushed past the physician and his son and went to stand by her side. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked and she managed a weak nod. ¡°You left me,¡± she used and I felt a part of my heart shatter. The physician and his son were working in silence trying to pretend like they couldn¡¯t overhear our conversation but I didn¡¯t care for their presence. As long as they did everything sin their power to make her better, I didn¡¯t care if they listened in. I lifted my hand and stroked her damp hair ¡°I am so sorry that I didn¡¯te with you. I wanted to catch up to Frederick. I couldn¡¯t let him get away with what he had done. Please, forgive me.¡± She didn¡¯t speak but when I slipped my hand into hers, she squeezed it. She closed her eyes and flinched slightly as they cleaned up her wound and bandaged it. I kept my eyes fixated on her because I couldn¡¯t bear to look at her knowing that I had failed to catch the man who did that to her. It took fifteen minutes for them to finish up with her and once she was bandaged, I caught the eye of the physician. I could tell he wanted to speak to me. I leaned down and ced a kiss on Cami¡¯s forehead. ¡°I will be back in a second, okay?¡± She managed a weak nod and I reluctantly let go of her. The son fussed over her and gave her a mixture to take. I didn¡¯t know what it was but I decided to trust that they wouldn¡¯t try to hurt her with me in the room. I followed the physician to the far end where they wouldn¡¯t identally overhear us. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked and he cast a wary nce at Cami who was still lying on the bed. ¡°The arrow was dipped in poison, I believe whoever shot it meant to kill,¡± he exined slowly. ¡°The potion my son gave her is meant to neutralize the effects. of that poison but there is no guarantee that it will work. If the poison has seeped too far into her system then we may be toote.¡± ¡°Is there no way to know if it has gone too far?¡± He shook his head. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°We wait for her to wake up.¡± ¡°What do you mean by wake up? She is awake,¡± lying limp but the steady rise and fall of her churned to Cami who was now served as a reminder that she was alive. I turned to the physician and grabbed his shirt. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°For the tonic to work, she had to fall asleep. I am afraid that we will not know anything until she wakes up- if she wakes up.¡± ¡°You are telling me that you may have put my mate in a sleep that could end in death,¡± he swallowed deeply at the coldness in my tone. ¡°I am sorry, your majesty, it was the only way.¡± I squared my shoulders and stood up straight. ¡°For your sake, you better hope it was the right way.¡± Chapter 77 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¨Csplitting 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.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°It is Cami, the physician said she might not make it through the night.¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I remembered the arrow and I remembered the pain but after that wasplete darkness. I always thought that if I died, I would be weed by the goddess with open arms. I may not have been the best person in the world but I knew I wasn¡¯t the worst and I deserved a happy ending. I was terrified at first because it felt like I couldn¡¯t move or breathe. I tried to count to have an idea of the time but it went on for what felt like an infinity. I tried to fight it. With every second that ticked by, I tried to remember my family waiting for me. I tried to remember the pce and everyone that was under me. It was my job to defend them and I had to fight for them. I tried to move, I tried to breathe but I was stuck in a perpetual static. It was exhausting and there was this nagging voice at the back of my mind that kept telling me to give up and let go. I didn¡¯t want to and I tried my best to remain strong but I soon forgot what I was fighting for. When I had finally given up and decided that I was ready to embrace the unknown, I fell. There was no other way to describe it besides falling. It felt like I was falling through the air until Inded in the sand. I wasn¡¯t hurt from my fall. I looked around wondering where I was. Thendscape looked foreign to me. I knew it was my imagination but I thought the mind was capable of showing only ces that a person had been to. I analyzed the ce once more. The sand stretched on for miles before it met with the sea. The sea was surprisingly calm and it was so shiny and clear that I wondered if it was possible for anything to live inside of it. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe I was in paradise. Maybe the darkness was to determine if I was worthy enough of paradise and my giving up had brought me where I deserved even though it wasn¡¯t where I wanted to be. ¡°I suppose you could call it paradise,¡± a voice spoke from behind me and I instantly jumped to my feet. Standing behind me was a girl who looked to be no older than sixteen years old. She had long silver hair that was thrown over her shoulder in a braid, her eyes were a turbulent shade of grey that almost reminded me of a storm and she was in a small dress that was made from threadbare grey fabric. She wasn¡¯t standing there before- or at least, I hadn¡¯t noticed her before. She gave me a warm smile that was inviting but I couldn¡¯t help but be wary. There was something about her that put me on edge and it wasn¡¯t just the fact that she had answered the question I asked in my head. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she assured me. ¡°Come, let us take a walk.¡± I hesitated before standing and I nced at her outstretched hand. ¡°If I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now, Cami.¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°I know everyone¡¯s names and everything about them. I suppose it gets exhausting after some time when you remember everything about everyone. A human is just a speck in the grand scheme of humanity.¡± Immediately I recognized her and I bowed deeply. Very few wolves had the privilege of meeting the moon goddess after death and here she was standing in front of me so casually. She smiled softly and gestured to her outstretched hand. I took it immediately and her hand was cold to touch. ¡°There is no need to bow to me Cami. If I wanted that, I would have appeared to you in a divine form. I am here as your friend,¡± she told me softly. ¡°Am I dead? ¡°In a way,¡± she shrugged as we began walking. ¡°You are stuck in a limbo of sorts. I have never had a hard time deciding if a person should live or not before. It is easy topartmentalize with my creatures because there are so many of you but I have a certain fondness for your line. The royals were some of my first creations, that is why your line has powers that the others do not. I have watched you since your birth and you are a special breed, Cami Caine.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your job on the earth isn¡¯t done yet and I have a feeling our mate is more likely to burn down paradise than leave you to die.¡± ¡°Ryker wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°You underestimate him,¡± I realized that somehow, we had gotten to the edge of the water and right there was a small boat. ¡°Get in, Cami. You have more work to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to let me go?¡± I asked confused and she cracked a smile. ¡°Would you rather stay?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Go back, Cami. Your mate is waiting for you.¡± She turned on her heels before I could utter another word and I just stared in confusion. There were no oars to row the boat but I got in. As soon as I got in, the boat began to move on its own. The further it moved, the darker it got until I couldn¡¯t see anything. My body went numb and I couldn¡¯t feel anything. The first thing I heard when I came back to reality was incessant banging and the flurry of inaudible voices. The first voice that came into focus was Ryker¡¯s and I tried to speak but all that came out was a low moan. ¡°Cami, baby, can you open your eyes for me?¡± I moaned once more and I felt his warm hands against my cheek. ¡°Is she supposed to be this cold? What is wrong with her?¡± I heard someone respond but they were too far away for me to audibly hear what they said. I tried to open my eyes and it took a lot of tries but when I finally did, I had to squint my eyes in order to adjust to the brightness of the light. When I finally managed to open it, Ryker was clutching my hand and staring down at me. ¡°Hey,¡± he whispered softly as if he were scared that I was going to disappear. ¡°How are you? I thought you were gone.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but my voice was too dry. He quickly grabbed a cup of water and brought it to my lips. I drank it greedily and allowed it to soothe my dry throat. Ryker kept smiling at me in encouragement and I could see the palpable relief in his eyes. I looked arund the room and noticed that Christine as well as the royal physician were standing in the room. They were all looking at me as if I were a miracle and I couldn¡¯t help but know that something had happened. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ryker tried to assure me but I shook my head. I needed to know exactly what happened. ¡°Cami, it isn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± He sighed before speaking. ¡°The poison from the arrow had gotten into your bloodstream. You were tlining. You weren¡¯t supposed to make it through the night and your,¡± he hesitated before continuing. ¡°Your heart stopped. For two whole minutes you were dead. I didn¡¯t- I- Fuck.¡± He stopped to take a deep breath. I could only imagine how traumatic it was for him to relive that moment. He ran his hand through his hair repeatedly to calm himself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because you¡¯re here now.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°The goddess sent me back.¡± All eyes turned to me in shock. Christine blinked, Ryker looked confused and the physician looked like he was about to pass out. I ryed everything that had happened in my encounter with the goddess and by the time I was done, everyone was staring at me with varying levels of shock and awe. I still couldn¡¯t believe it myself that I had seen her. A part of me wanted to believe that it was all a figment of my imagination but I knew it was real. I could still feel her hand in mine. ¡°You need to rest, your majesty,¡± the physician was the first to break the silence. ¡°Your body has been through a great ordeal and it is important that you are well rested before anything else.¡± I ignored him and turned to Ryker. ¡°Did you catch Frederick?¡± Guilt took over hi features as he shook his head. ¡°We will, together.¡± It was hard to believe considering everything that had happened so far but I decided to have faith. It hurt to know that someone! I thought so highly of would have tried to kill me but it was part of life- making bad decisions. Now, I was sure that Frederick wasn¡¯t looking for mercy but it didn¡¯t make it any easier to swallow. He had managed to get into the pack and shoot me in front of everyone. That was no small/offense and I knew it would not be easy to catch him but I forced a small smile on my face. ¡°We will.¡± Ryker stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. ¡°You have two daughters who want to see you more than anything.¡± I watched as Christine and the physician filed out of the room but Ryker stayed. Since we mated, he hadn¡¯t stepped foot in this room so it confused me when I saw him settling pillows on the couch close to the bed. I was even more baffled when he pulled aforter out of the closet andid it there. ¡°Are you staying?¡± I asked and he turned to me incredulously. ¡°Did you really think I was going to leave you here?¡± he asked as he settled on the couch. ¡°I need to make sure that you don¡¯t need anything.¡± I could tell there was more to it so I levelled him with a hard look and he sighed. ¡°I need to make sure that you don¡¯t disappear again. You have no idea what it felt like to feel that bond break. I need to be here with you.¡± I gave him a watery smile and moved over a little to create space for him on the bed. ¡°Then you might as well sleep right next to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you ufortable.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be ufortable if I am the one asking. Please, Ryker, just for tonight.¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V It took two days and a written letter from the physician for Ryker to even consider letting me out of bed. He was worried- anyone with eyes could see it. The only people he allowed within reach of me were Christine and the girls. Speaking of the girls, Audrey had all butunched herself into my arms when she saw me. She muttered something about being happy that I didn¡¯t go with my mother and I teared up. Audrey wouldn¡¯t even go for her lessons yesterday, she spent her entire time by my side. Neither Ryker nor I had the galls to tell her to do her lessons. As someone who had lost my mother twice, I knew how she was feeling. I wanted to assure her that I was never going to leave her but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the words because I knew they were a lie. Sooner orter, I was going to leave- I just hoped it was later. ¡°Your majesty,¡± I looked up at the elders who I was currently in a meeting with and I suddenly realized that being in aa for three days had its benefits because I could avoid them. ¡°You did not answer our question.¡± ¡°What question was that?¡± He pursed his lips in annoyance but he managed to hide it well. ¡°We were able to narrow down the names of the potential helpers that Frederick could have in the pce. We took out the names of the people who were fiercely loyal to your mother and the older people who could not help even if they wanted to.¡± ¡°What are we left with?¡± ¡°Mainly guards and maids. It is impossible to know for sure that they are helping Frederick unless we catch them in the act. The first idea was to put guards to trail them, if you agree with that then-¡± ¡°No,¡± I shut the idea down immediately. ¡°If you pick wrong and miss a spy then you could ruin all of us. Find another way to follow and track them down without potentially putting the entire operation at risk.¡± I could see they didn¡¯t agree but they couldn¡¯t speak against me. I wasn¡¯t there to cater to their needs and wants, they were to cater to mine and my want was that Frederick and his allies were found with the least possible number of casualties. Once that was settled, I cleared my throat. ¡°The poison that was used on me, did the physician find out anything about it? If we know what it is then we might be able to find out where it came from and by extension where Frederick might be.¡± ¡°That is a brilliant idea, I don¡¯t know why we never thought about it,¡± I turned to Ryker and I saw him sporting a look of pride on his face. I couldn¡¯t stop the small flush from creeping up my cheeks at his appraisal. ¡°ording to the physician, he used a mixture of wolf¡¯s bane and a rare poison called anathis. Anathis is so rare and difficult toe across and also illegal because of its properties.¡± ¡°That narrows down our search by a lot. Find out how many people in the pce will have ess to anathis and if Frederick was part of their buyers. If he wasn¡¯t, find out who was.¡± When I was done, I stood to my feet. There was no need spending more time than necessary with them. Ryker followed behind me with a hand at the small of my back. Ever since that incident, he was always touching m ¡®t sure if it was his of telling himself that I was alive or his way of telling me that he was there but I loved it. W t to be overly affectionate in public because apparently it wasn¡¯t decent for the royal couple buttely, neither of way ed to care. The rest of our day went by very uneventful until sometime during the evening when I felt Ryker¡¯s presence invade my mind. Hi voice was soft and like velvet in my mind. ¡°The physician found someone who might have ess to anathis.¡± I was out of my seat in an instant and I made my way towards the front of the pce where they were readying the carriage. Ryker was standing there with the physician who looked a little worried and out of ce. They were talking and as I got closer, I got an idea of the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he would have,¡± the physician began slowly. ¡°But if anyone will know where to find anathis then it has to be him. He dabbles in a lot of things but he is my friend. Will he be fined for dealing with illegal substances? I know it is wrong but he has never hurt anyone before.¡± ¡°If he is able to help us find who is responsible for harming the Queen then he will be let off with a warning but should he be found dabbling in illegals again then he will face the full extent of thew. I believe that is a fair enough exchange.¡± I could tell the physician would have liked to say more but he was aware that we were already doing him a favor and it was unwise to push further. He got into the carriage with the guards while Ryker and I went into one alone. The ride was quiet. but he had our fingers intertwined the entire time. The guards didn¡¯t act as if they knew anything had happened to me and I couldn¡¯t help but turn to Ryker. ¡°How many people knew that I was unconscious?¡± He paused before speaking again. ¡°None, it would have been foolish to inform the public that the crown was weak. They think you took a break to heal from the injury.¡± ¡°What if I never woke up?¡± The carriage went deathly silent and I saw Ryker breathing deeply through his nose. I knew it was something he didn¡¯t want to talk about but I also needed to know what he would have done. ¡°You would have woken up, even if I had to crawl into the afterlife and bring you back myself¡± There was no bluff to his words, he spoke with fierce determination and I was certain that he would have done that. I suddenly remembered the goddess¡¯ words. When she had said them, I hadn¡¯t paid more attention but now, they held new value to me. I stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. It seemed longer than it actually was. We ended up in front of a small wooden shop. There were a bunch of carvings lining the entrance and some knitted fabrics. The store was so congested that we had to maneuver around the wares to get inside. The inside was even worse with dust coating the ceilings. It looked almost abandoned, like no one had been there for a while. ¡°Are you sure this is the right ce?¡± I asked the physician who nodded. ¡°This is his shop, it is where we always meet up. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I walked further into the shop and got to the front desk. I didn¡¯t notice the movement from my left until a hand wrapped around mine. It happened so fast that I barely had time to process but within a second, all the guards behind me had their weapons drawn. The man was covered in dust and soot and wearing grey clothes that were falling apart from the seams. I didn¡¯t know if his hair was naturally that shade of ck or if it was because of the dirt. ¡°It would be in your best interest to release me,¡± I began slowly and he swallowed but slowly let go. I saw him eyeing the back door and I shook my head. ¡°We have guards surrounding this shop. If you run you will get caught. All we want is your co- operation.¡± He looked like he would have rather swallowed ss but he nodded and took a step back. ¡°My apologies, your majesty. I had no idea that you were the one. The areas have been unsafe recently and I didn¡¯t want to be a victim. What can I help you with? I have the best hand carved furniture and knitted rugs.¡± I smiled coldly. ¡°I need the name of the person who bought anathis from you.¡± ¡± There was a sh of guilt in his eyes but it quickly disappeared. He looked over my shoulder and his eyes met with the physician¡¯s. There was anger and betrayal in them and I knew that if he weren¡¯t currently trying to would have attacked him. From the look being leveled, I knew there was more to the story than w curiosity was piqued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my brother has told you but I do not deal in anathis, it is illegal for a reason¡± own life, he new and my My brows rose as he spoke. I looked between them once more and I could see the simrities. They had the same nose and the same curve of their lips but it ended there. The shop owner turned to leave but I stepped in his way. His hand twitched with the urge to move me aside but being Queen came with its own perks and unless he wanted to die a slow and painful death, he had to stand still. ¡°Were you at the town square a few days ago?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°I am sure you saw the part where I was shot with an arrow,¡± He hesitated before nodding and I could see the wheels in his head turning. ¡°That is the reason I said the area was not safe. If they could attack in public then they will attack me. It is gettingte, you do not want to be out by the time it gets dark.¡± ¡°Spare me the fake sympathy,¡± I brushed him off immediately. ¡°The arrow was dipped in wolf¡¯s bane and anathis. Wolf¡¯s bane is illegal but very easy to obtain while anathis is rare. The preparation is so delicate that one wrong move could kill the handler. The way I see it, you could either tell us who bought the anathis from you or I can take you in for a conspiracy to murder the Queen. It is your choice.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V His eyes widened and I saw raw fear inside of them. I wish I could have said that I was joking but I wasn¡¯t. If he wasn¡¯t willing to give up the names then I was going to do whatever I needed to in order to ensure that Frederick had no more ess to forbidden drugs. After a second of silence, he turned on hi heels and walked around the front desk. He rummaged through his papers and brought out a in piece of paper along with some charcoal. I watched in confusion as he began to scribble on the paper. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked. ¡°All I need is a name.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have his name,¡± his response was gruff. ¡°You don¡¯t run an illegal business by asking names. He came in a little over a week ago and said he needed a small quantity of anathis in a short period of time. I don¡¯t like to deal with the stuff because it is messy but he was offering twice of what anyone normally would and I¡¯d be da mned if I wasn¡¯t going to take it.¡± As his scribbling began to take shape, I realized that he was drawing a sketch. I nced over at Ryker who just shrugged. It took five minutes for him to be done and once he was, he all but shoved the sketch into my hands. I took one look at it and crunched my brows in confusion. I had never seen the person before but I was certain that he was in the pce somewhere. ¡°Are you going to arrest me now?¡± the gruff voice asked and I shook my head. ¡°You helped us out so you get a warning. Clean up your act. If you actually had a decent shop in town then maybe you would make a decent earning without having to dabble.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word but I could see that he was grateful. I turned on my heels and walked out with Ryker. I vaguely heard the two brothers whispering harshly between themselves and I knew that whatever trust between them, that had been broken today would not be so easily repaired. I waited until I had gotten into the carriage with Ryker before I handed him the sketch. He took one look at it and his eyes darkened in anger. ¡°Do you know who it is?¡± ¡°I definitely do.¡± As soon as the carriage got to the pce, Ryker led me out and began walking with determination towards the back doors. I didn¡¯t know where he was going but I trusted him and if he said he knew the man in the picture then he was the only one who could find him. ¡°How do you even know him?¡± I asked unable to keep the curiosity out of my voice. I was shocked that he knew more of the guards than I did. His steps faltered and for a second, I thought he was going to ignore me but he finally spoke and his voice was soft. ¡°I asked him to watch the girls while you were unconscious.¡± It was at that moment that I realized there was a lot of guilt in his stance. He was uneasy and although I understood why, he had to understand that it was not his fault. He didn¡¯t know that the man was a traitor then, none of us did. I reached out with the intention of cing aforting hand on his shoulder but Ryker moved and I allowed my hand fall to the ground. At the back of the pce, there were a few guards pacing and talking. It didn¡¯t take long for me to sight the man we were looking for. He had curly hair and dark eyes and he was a dead ringer for the photo. As soon as all the guards saw us, they stood at attention and bowed. We ignored them and made our way towards the man we were searching for. I saw him shuffle awkwardly on both feet as if wondering whether or not he should flee. ¡°You,¡± it was Ryker who spoke. ¡°Come with us.¡± He started to move forward but at thest second, he turned on his heels and ran. I rolled my eyes in frustration because I was tired of everything. I saw the other guards preparing to chase him but I stopped them. Right ahead of him was a stream, it had been a while since I had used my powers but I reached deep into myself until I could¨C feel the water moving. I tugged at it and used the water as a rope to grab him and pull him down into the stream. He went down with a scream and I saw everyone staring at me with wide eyes. ¡°Go and get him,¡± my voice snapped them out of their daze and they all nodded and ran off to get him. He was gasping for air and trying to cough out water from his lungs. When he saw that he was getting closer to us, he began to fight against the other guards but he was unable to get himself free. They brought him to his knees in front of us and he looked up at me with aN?velDrama.Org holds this content. sneer. I simply co cked my head to the side and analyzed him. If not for the sketch, I would have never thought to suspect him. He looked so innocent and unassuming; he was the kind of person to easily blend into a crowd of people. ¡°Why did you run?¡± I asked but he stayed silent. ¡°Is there something that you¡¯re hiding?¡± ¡°F**k you,¡± he spat in my face and I had to take a step back to avoid his saliva hitting me. Ryker was furious because the next thing I knew, he had punched him so hard that we went unconscious. ¡°Take him to the dungeons,¡± Ryker ordered the other guards and his voice was so devoid of emotion that even I was concerned. I noticed that the other guards were looking at him with a healthy dose of fear that wasn¡¯t there before. They respected him for his position but now there was fear as if they had jut realized that not only was he a royal- he could defend himself too. As soon as they had gone, Ryker turned to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I nodded but he still spent his time doting over me and checking to make sure that I was alright. ¡°Did he touch you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Everything is fine, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He finally sighed in relief. ¡°Good, you should go in and rest, I need to interrogate him.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going with you,¡± his ¡®no¡¯ was so quick that I paused and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Cami, please, he was responsible for you almost dying. I don¡¯t want you anywhere around him and an interrogation room is not the right ce for you. It is too blo ody.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I shot back and he raised a brow. ¡°I am going, Ryker, with or without your permission.¡± He seemed to realize that there was not much he could do concerning it so he sighed. ¡°Once it gets too much, I want you to leave, okay?¡± I nodded, that was an easy promise to make. I felt out of ce in the dark dungeons. The walls had grime and blood stters and the room smelled like a mix of p iss, fear and blood. There were not a lot of people in the dungeons because ording to my mother, she hated having people down so she killed them as swiftly as possible. Only one other cell was upied and I could t help but wonder what he had done. Ryker walked ahead of me to the cell where the guard was being held. He was awake and sporting a ck eye but that didn¡¯t stop him from trying to look like he was not a second away from pi sing his pants. His fear was so tangible that I could feel it wrapping around the room and threatening to choke us all. ¡°I will give you one chance to make this easy,¡± Ryker began as he rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Tell us where Frederick is and who the other people are. If you do this then I will make this as slow as possible.¡± ¡°I will never help you,¡± he spat then turned to me. ¡°Frederick is the rightful king, the throne is no ce for a spoiled little brat who needs her mate to protect her.¡± His words were barely out of his mouth before Ryker had grabbed his chin in a bruising grip. ¡°If you talk to or look at my mate again, I will cut out your tongue and shove it down your throat. Thest time I checked, you didn¡¯t need a tongue to write down names.¡± That had him shutting up immediately. ¡°I am not helping you.¡± ¡°I hoped you would say that.¡± Ryker took out a rag and shoved it into his mouth. I was so confused as to why he did that until he took a pair of pliers and pulled out the nail on his thumb. The scream was mu ffled through the rag and even I flinched. Ryker did not hesitate before pulling out another and it suddenly hit me why he didn¡¯t want me here. He nced over at me and I nodded to assure him that I was okay, I just hoped I would be. It took me fifteen minutes to realize that I wanted to leave. I managed to stick through the pulling out of the nails but when Ryker started to strategically break ff his fingers, I realized I had enough and I quietly walked out of the room. I knew he noticed and I knew he was worried but I also knew that if I stayed any longer then I was going to throw up. I passed by Christine on my way and she looked concerned. She reached out for me but I shook my head and briefly exined what happened. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and led me to my room because. my legs were shaking badly. She helped me run a bath and even helped me get in. She sat on a stool by the tub just keeping mepany. No words were spoken between us but her presence was enough. I didn¡¯t know how long we stayed like that but the next thing I remembered was the door opening and Ryker walking in. There were blood stters on his shirt and hands. Christine shot me a look as if asking if I were okay and it wasn¡¯t until I nodded that she walked out. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V ¡°You¡¯re out early,¡± I began slowly as I got out of the water. ¡°I thought it would take at least another half hour.¡± ¡°It would have if you were still there,¡± I cocked my head to the side. ¡°I was going easy on him because of you, Cami. I only needed five minutes before he agreed to give me a name in exchange for a night of rest.¡± I was more shocked than horrified. I knew Ryker was brutal and feared but I didn¡¯t know it was this bad. He took a step closer to me. ¡°Are you scared of me?¡± I shook my head and I saw him smile. He reached out with the intention of touching me but he noticed the blood on his hands and pulled away. ¡°I should get cleaned up.¡± I nodded in understanding and stepped away from the tub. I was almost by the door when I realized I had another question. I heard him pulling off his clothes so I didn¡¯t turn back. ¡°The name he gave you- what happens now?¡± ¡°Now, we spend the night with our daughters. Tomorrow, we go and find him.¡± ¡°What if he runs before then?¡± ¡°Trust me, he won¡¯t.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. It wasn¡¯t until morning that I understood why he was so sure that the man would not run. I found that he was another trusted guard in the pce. I could not understand how Frederick had managed to get these people to turn on the crown. It was both annoying and heartbreaking because I was not sure who I could trust anymore. By morning, out was obvious that we were weeding out traitors and about five people disappeared from the pce. It wasn¡¯t just guards who disappeared but maids too A hunt had to be put out for them and ording to thew, it was death on sight. I hated it but there was not much I could do about it. They had made their choice and I was not above thew. The two men were still in the dungeons and Ryker was busy with them while I tried to create some semnce of calm in the pce because everyone was freaking out over the knowledge that there were spies. The truth was that I was worried too but I had to remain calm. I met with the elders who dove into a self¨C righteous speech about how weeding out the spies was the right task which I found weird considering the fact that they were against it in the beginning. I could only take five minutes of it before I turned to them with boredom in my eyes. ¡°Are you going to sit here all day and sing your praises or do you have actual information that can help?¡± There was a minute of shocked silence followed by mumbling before they stood to their feet and walked out. As soon as they left, I buried my head in my hands and muttered a small curse. I just needed a few seconds to myself before my next meeting with the spies to figure out what to do about the tunnels. I hadpletely forgotten about them until the head of the spies sent a message informing me that they were done exploring and mapping out the tunnels. There was a small knock on the door followed by Christine poking her head in. ¡°Is it alright if Ie in?¡± I waved her in and she smiled as she shut the door behind her. ¡°Before you ask, Aurora is fast asleep and Audrey is doing her lessons.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile softly at how well she knew me. The question had been at the tip of my tongue. ¡°Thank you.¡± It wasn¡¯t just for easing my worries, it was because Christine had been my anchor during everything. She didn¡¯t have to help me out with my kids every day or pick up where I cked off but she did so withoutin and I was eternally grateful for that. I knew if I tried to say anything more than a ¡®thank you¡® she would have picked offense. As if she understood, she smiled and ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°It was no big deal. Now, Ryker asked me to sit in with you at the meeting with the spies. He is running a bit behind schedule because they found a few of the runaways.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± I began but she shot me a hard look and I went silent. ¡°You know that Ryker will not take no for an answer and frankly neither will I.¡± Iughed because I knew it was true so I stopped protesting and allowed ¨C her sit down while the representatives of the spies walked in. Theyid out their mapping of the tunnels and my eyes widened when I saw just howrge andplicated it was. It looked like one giant maze and I knew it would take years to know it from memory. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked and the one closest to me¨Ca female- nodded. ¡°We mapped it out from different entrances just to be sure, this is it. We alsobeled it so you know where everything is. It is a hugework and it leads under the castle and out of it. It was adventurous if I were to say so myself.¡± I stared at the map and carefully rolled it up then ced it in myp. ¡°What would you suggest that we do?¡± The spies looked shocked. They cast each other wary looks before turning back to me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I heard you right, your majesty. ¡°You did. You are the ones who had to explore the tunnels for weeks. What do you think is best?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she began unsure. ¡°Sealing them up would be the safest option but,¡± she trailed off but I gestured for her to continue. ¡°The tunnels are not general knowledge. As it stands, only the royal family and the spies know about it. It could be useful in the case of an emergency evacuation. It would be a shame for the tunnels to go to waste.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± one of her colleagues cut in, ¡°but what happens if it gets _out? The tunnels are so quiet that unless you are directly next to a wall when a sound is made, you will not hear it. It is a huge risk. ?? The woman wanted to respond but I held up a hand to stop both of them. I had heard all I needed to and I was already aware of what I wanted to do, I just wanted to hear from them. I turned to Christine and cocked my head to the side. She knew what I was asking. ¡°I agree with her,¡± she began slowly. ¡°It might be importantter.¡± V ¡°Then it is settled,¡± I saw Christine and the spy woman smile. ¡°Breathe no word of this to anyone. Make sure no copies of this map were made. If anyone is found talking about this, they will be charged with treason and face death. Am I clear?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± your I nodded and they all filed out of the room. As soon as they left, I turned to Christine and handed her the map of the tunnels. ¡°Keep this safe with you. If it is left in the pce vaults then there are too many unpredictable. Create a fake one and put it in the pce vaults in case someone decides to use it.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°If anyone is ever going to use the tunnels without our knowledge, we might as well make sure that they don¡¯t seed. Can you do this?¡± She nodded and gently took it out of my hands. ¡°I will make sure no one but me knows where it is.¡± Once that was done, I left in search of Ryker. I made my way towards the dungeons but was told that he had already left. I was confused as to why he would leave and note looking for me. The confusion got even worse when I realized that he was not in our room. I began to worry when I tried his mind link and realized that I could not reach him. I went out searching for him making sure to ask the guards but nobody had seen him. It was like he had disappeared from the surface of the earth. I forced myself to keep calm as I walked through the halls of the pce in vain. It took almost one hour before I felt a tug in the mate bond. It felt like confusion and worry but I knew it wasn¡¯t mine. I allowed it consume me and lead me out of the pce doors. I found myself walking through the gardens until I got to the edge of the forest. It led me to a small stream and that was where I found Ryker. He was shirtless with his back to me and I saw his shirt lying on the floor stained with blood. I took slow steps towards him and he didn¡¯t notice _my presence until I identally stepped on a twig. His head turned in an instant and for a split second, I saw a sh of the predator that everyone was terrified of before his eyes softened upon realizing who I was. ¡°I was searching for you,¡± I spoke softly as I took the spot next to him. I reached out for his hand but he wouldn¡¯t let me hold it and I realized that it was because although he had tried to wash off the blood, his palms were still red. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ryker?¡± I asked and he shrugged. There was a look in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t decipher. ¡°You could at least try talking to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I have had to hurt anyone,¡± he sounded like he was speaking more into the wind than to me. ¡°I forgot how powerful it could feel. There is a rush thates from having someone¡¯s life in your hands. It is addictive.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand the appeal so I just listened. ¡°It brings a rush with it, your blood is rushing in your ears and you feel untouchable.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡± He turned to me. ¡°Nothing, I just needed a second to calm myself before He trailed off and that was when I realized what the expression in his eyes was- want. It was so intense that it threatened to knock me off my feet. All I could do was stare and swallow deeply. Ryker reached out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears. He grimaced when he looked down at his hands on my skin and tried to pull it away but I stopped him by grabbing it. ¡°Cami,¡± his voice was hoarse. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be touching me right now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± he tried to pull away again. ¡°I can¡¯t be gentle with you right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want gentle.¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V He let out a groan and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ¡®thank the goddess¡¯ as he kissed me- imed was a more appropriate term for what he did. His hand cupped the back of my head to angle it just the way he wanted. I was practically helpless against him because I couldn¡¯t keep up with the pace he was setting. It was different but it was exhrating at the same time. He pulled me into hisp so I was straddling him. Inded directly over his erection and I let out a strangled moan which Ryker swallowed by slipping his tongue into my mouth. He devoured every inch of my mouth as his tongue explored me. His hand moved from my head to grip my hips and roll it directly over his in slow and torturous strokes. I was a moaning mess in hisp but I wanted more. My dress was too thick and it didn¡¯t allow for me to feel every inch of him. As if he were thinking the same thing, he reached down for the neckline of my dress and ripped it apart in one clean move. I let out a gasp and pulled back to look down at my exposed chest. Ryker pushed my dress off my shoulders leaving me in just my corset and under skirt. It was not the most sensual thing but he looked at me as if I were his favorite treat. Before I could speak, he reached out and ripped my corset the same way he did with my dress. This time, he didn¡¯t push it off my body before he leaned down and took my nipple into his mouth. His mouth was warm and it had my head titling back especially when he grazed his teeth over it and bit down hard enough to make my vision blur. There was something erotic about the boundary between pain and pleasure. It was exhrating and it stuck a cord in me that I didn¡¯t know existed. I didn¡¯t notice when hey me on the ground and pulled down my skirt in one quick move. He sat on his knees and began working the buttons on his shirt. ¡°I want to taste you so bad and I want your mouth on my co ck but I feel like I am going to die if I don¡¯t get inside of you right now.¡± ¡°I want you too,¡± I moaned unable to keep the pleasure out of my voice. I was already wet, I didn¡¯t need him to do anything else but get inside of me. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I watched him shed his clothes and he settled between my thighs. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to my neck. The bite from the grass was at contrast with the softness of his kiss. He ran his hands down my body beforeing to settle at my waist. ¡°You know that I love you right,¡± he began and I hummed not knowing why he suddenly said it. ¡°Good, I want you to remember that because for a second, it might feel like I don¡¯t.¡± I was about to ask what he meant by that but he suddenly flipped me over and ran his hands down my spine so he could position me just the way he wanted. It wasn¡¯t the mostfortable position to be arched down against the grass but when I felt the head of his co ck tease my entrance, all my difort was forgotten and I pushed my a*s back into him. Ryker moaned and gripped my hips tight. ¡°Do that again, f**k.¡± I repeated the action swallowing the head of his co ck but he pulled out. ¡°Not yet, baby, I need to know that you want it.¡± ¡°I want it,¡± the words left my lips before I even realized they had. He leaned down so his lips were by my ear. ¡°Beg for it. Beg me to fill you up with my c ock. Beg me to make you cu m, Cami.¡±! Hi words had blood rushing to my ears. I felt i ke I was going to explode from the pleasure wracking through me. I knew that the moment he entered me, I was going to explode around his co ck. I moaned and tried to move but his hands were firmly holding my hips. He knew what I wanted but he wasn¡¯t going to give it to me until I did what he asked. ¡°Please,¡± I begged unable to stop the cr ack in my voice. ¡°I am begging you, Ryker, I will go crazy if you don¡¯t-¡± The words were barely out of my mouth before he entered me in one quick thrust. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as my or gasm wracked through me. Ryker hissed through his teeth as he fought to not follow soon after. ¡°You feel so good clenched around my co ck,¡± his voice was hoatrse from restraint. ¡°You¡¯re so f**king tight, baby.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for me to recover from my or gasm before he started moving again. I had barelye down from the high and I was climbing that peak of pleasure again as Ryker f**ked me relentlessly. His hand wrapped around my hair in a makeshift ponytail and he used that to keep me just the way he wanted as he brutally assaulted me. I couldn¡¯t match his thrusts so I justy there as he moved inside of me. I could feel his moves bing jerkier and I knew he was reaching his release. He reached around me to pinch my cl it and I exploded just as he came. I would have fallen to the ground if it weren¡¯t for his hand holding me up. The force of my or gasm was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I was vaguely aware of when Ryker pulled out of me. I expected him to let go of me now that he was calm, but he pulled me close to him and stroked my hair affectionately. ¡°You¡¯re so good to me,¡± he murmured as he ced a kiss on my hair. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Good,¡± I didn¡¯t have to think about it before I responded. ¡°I am a little sore though.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get you back inside so you can take a bath and I can take care of you properly.¡± ¡°You kind of ruined my dress,¡± I mumbled and he at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. His eyes went unfocused for a second and I knew he was mind linking someone. He rose to his feet once he was done and pulled his clothes back on. I watched him out of the corner of mt eye unable to shake the thoughts of what we had done. I never would have considered outdoor sex before but it was something I genuinely enjoyed. A few minutes after Ryker was dressed, I heard Christine¡¯s voice. Ryker went to retrieve the dress from her and I let out a sigh of relief when I realized she had brought a casual dress and not something for court. Ryker helped me into it and we walked into the pce hand in hand. All anyone needed was one look at us to know what we were up to but I didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t ashamed of having sex with my mate. When we got to the room, he all but pulled the dress off me and led me into the bathroom. I was shocked when he sat at the edge of the tub and gently washed me. I couldn¡¯t help but stare with my mouth wide open. If he noticed, he didn¡¯t care and went on to washing my hair. His touch was so calming and rxing that I almost fell asleep in the tub when his hands buried themselves into my hair. He helped me out and dried me off but wouldn¡¯t give me clothes to wear. ¡°Are you still sore?¡± he asked and I nodded slowly wondering why he asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow. I¡¯m just not used to that level of intensity.¡± Ryker didn¡¯t eem to be paving attention to anything I said as he led me towards the bed. Hey me gently against it and I watched him strip off his clothes from outside and exchange them for morefortable pajamas. ¡°They say eating before bed is not advisable but I find that desert before bed makes for a very restful night,¡± as he settled between my thighs, I realized exactly what he was nning and my cheeks heated. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Cami?¡± I opened my mouth but no words woulde out. He chuckled when he realized I was speechless. He leaned down until his beard was brushing my inner thigh and I had to bite down on my bottom lip to prevent any sounds from escaping. He raised a brow when he noticed, ¡°Good luck keeping silent, I am going to make sure that I draw out every sound possible from those ¡® ¡°¡± It was more of a promise than anything and as soon as he had said it, his mouth dived onto my pu ssy. He ate me out in slow andnguid strokes that had me fi sting the nket and biting down on my bottom lip in an attempt to mu ffle the sounds. I tried to mp my legs shut but his hands held onto my thighs and forced them as wide open as they would go. His pace was such a stark contrast to how he had f**ked me in the woods and it was more intense when he kept eye contact with me the entire time. Each time I tried to look away, he would graze my cl it in a silent warning. It didn¡¯t take long before I was writhing underneath him and he teased my opening with one finger. ¡°Come for me, baby,¡± he pushed his finger in and sucked on my cl it simultaneously and that was all I needed to explode all around his tongue. Stars danced around my vision and my body shook with the force of my org asm. Hepped up everything I had to offer and by the time I hade down from my high, he climbed over my body and kissed me deeply. I could taste myself on his tongue but I didn¡¯t mind because it was perfect. When he pulled back, I smiled up at him in a daze. I cast a nce towards the window where I could see the sun beginning to set. ¡°It¡¯s still early and I think we have a few meetings for the day.¡± He made a sound deep in his throat but didn¡¯t make any attempt to move. Instead, he settled in bed next to me and pulled me to his chest. ¡°I believe we can take an early day. What do you think?¡± I smiled. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea.¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Over the next few days, we managed to weed out a lot of Frederick¡¯s men. A few ran away and the spies were able to track some of them but others escaped into the woods. The entire town was on high alert because we hadn¡¯t heard a word from Frederick. It was unusual of him to remain silent while all of this was happening unless he had some sort of end game in sight and the fact that I had no idea what it was scared me. Ryker tried to assure me that we would be ready no matter what he chose to do but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to believe that. Frederick had shocked us time and time again, I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to do something that would throw us off our bnce. We had put guards at every possible entrance and even in the tunnels to ensure that a surprise attack wouldn¡¯te from there. The elders weren¡¯t helpful either because they were content sitting there and shifting me onto everyone but themselves. I wondered how my mother managed to deal with them for so many years. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to deal with them for as long as she did without losing my mind first. ¡°Your majesty,¡± I was snapped out of my thoughts and gave a curt and cold smile to the elder who had spoken. ¡°The townsfolk have been speaking and they are all worried- we all are. I was thinking of the best way to do damage control and maybe another appearance-¡± A sharp look from Ryker and I was enough to make him fall silent. His cheeks heated pink and he bowed his head. Sometimes I wondered what they did to be elders. It was clear that they were not brilliant most times. Was it because they were old? Was it a thing they inherited from their parents? Whatever it was, it was clearly not working. ¡°Do you have a secret dream to see me dead?¡± I asked and no one spoke. Ryker tensed at my choice of words and although I felt bad for putting him in that position, I felt like I had to talk about it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why else you would be so eager to throw me out to the wolves when I almost died thest time.¡± ¡°The people respond better when they know you are not as terrified as they are. It was a suggestion, your majesty.¡± ¡°A rather foolish one,¡± Ryker shot back. ¡°If appearances matter so much then why don¡¯t you make the appearance? Everyone knows you speak on behalf of the Queen.¡± When he bowed his head in shame, Ryker leaned back into his chair. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to give foolish ideas or are you all out of it?¡± No one dared to respond and I couldn¡¯t help but smirk softly. Ever since he interrogated the moles, everyone developed a newfound level of respect and fear for him. It was amusing to see the same people who had looked at him as an intruder now look at him with respect and fear. I was proud of him especially in cases like this. It was factual that people respected a man more than a woman and it usually annoyed me buttely, I had found an appreciation for it since the man they respected the most happened to be my mate. The tension in the room was brewing and I could practically smell the fearing off from the elders and the annoyance seeping from Ryker. I ced a hand on my mate¡¯s arm me ntally signaling him to calm down. He took a deep breath but there was still some rigidity to his shoulders. ¡°The most important thing for now is to ensure that everyone is well fed and catered for. Inform the people to be on the lookout because -Frederick is not to be messed with. Be careful and report anything suspicious. That is all.¡± The words were barely out of my mouth before they rose from their seats and filed out. I rotated my shoulders trying to get the ache out of them. Sitting on the same chair for hours had developed an ache in my shoulders that wouldn¡¯t go away. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ryker asked and I nodded. He narrowed his eyes at me in disbelief and I shook my head. ¡°Everything is fine, I just wish this would be over. Frederick has terrorized us for too long and for what? I don¡¯t think the throne is worth all of that¡± ¡°That is easy to say from where you¡¯re sitting,¡± I turned to him and he immediately raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°Allow me to exin first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°You have the backing of the kingdom, you have the crown, you have a family but he has nothing. All his life, he knew he was the son of a king but he lived like a se rvant and ines this girl out of nowhere. She is the king¡¯s lost daughter and she is celebrated. She is given a crown and she rules. No one cared that she was raised by omegas, no one cared that she knew nothing about being a Queen. She was celebrated and weed but he wouldn¡¯t be. It is easy to get jealous.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°it is funny how the tables have turned. A few weeks ago, I was the one defending him while you were ready to crucify him, now look at you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not defending him. I can understand where he ising from without necessarily agreeing with it and that is all I wanted from you. Make no mistake about it, his actions are wrong but his emotions are not,¡± I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough talk about Frederick for one day, don¡¯t you think?¡± I couldn¡¯t have agreed more. I stood to my feet with his help. ¡°We have two daughters we havent spent aplete day with in a while, what do you think?¡± We ended up in the pce gardens with the girls. Audrey was excited and beaming from ear to ear. Aurora didn¡¯t really understand what was going on seeing as she was a baby but I chose to believe that she was also happy because she had her cute gummy smile and she made content gurgling sounds every few seconds. It was an intimate family pic and I watched while Ryker and Audrey chased butterflies around. My heart felt i ke it was going to explode in my chest. I couldn¡¯t help but think back at what Ryker had said and feel bad for Frederick because he would never be able to experience this if he kept attacking. I didn¡¯t want to feel pity for him especially since he tried to kill me but couldn¡¯t help it. His life was like a tragic y and although I would have liked to believe that if I lived the same, I would have turned out different- I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡± ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey rushed up to me. ¡°Look at this.¡± I nced up and right there on her pointer finger was a beautiful yellow butterfly. ¡°Daddy said it likes me.¡± ¡°It really does. I¡¯ve never had a butterfly do that for me before,¡± I eximed and she giggled trying her best to make sure the butterfly didn¡¯t move. ¡°I think that butterfly is your best friend now.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Can I keep him in my room? I promise to take care of him and feed him.¡± You can¡¯t honey,¡± I said slowly and her face fell. ¡°Butterflies need to be outside so they can spread their wings and have fun. You wouldn¡¯t like it if someone locked you in a stuffy cage, would you?¡± She shook her head with a resigned sigh. ¡°Will hee y with me another day?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± She looked like she wanted to say more but the sound of heavy running interrupted us. The butterfly took off immediately and Aurora started to squirm in my arms. I immediately rushed to my feet in an attempt to rock her back to sleep when Steven and a few other guards rushed up to us. The panic on their faces had my shoulders tensing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked but they didn¡¯t respond immediately. They went to work packing up the things we hadid out and I watched in confusion. Ryker was immediately at my side holding onto Audrey¡¯s hand for dear life. ¡°Will someone tell me what is happening?¡± Steven finally looked up. ¡°We have to get you to safety, now.¡± I wanted to know more but I remembered I had kids with me so I forced down my questions and followed him. The guards dispersed into different directions and as we walked into the pce, I was shocked by the utter chaos it was in. people we rerunning around and there was so much noise. Aurora started screaming in my arms and I tried to quiet her down while following Steven. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryker carry Audrey and whisper some words into her ears. Steven led us down the stairs towards arge painting and to my shock, he pushed down on the painting and it swung open to reveal arge room with chairs, snacks and Christine. Christine rushed over to pull me into a hug and she took Aurora and Audrey. As soon as she was out of earshot, I turned to Steven. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°Frederick and his menunched a surprise attack. It started in the lower town. Apparently, the guards stationed there were spies of his. They are quickly making their way to the pce and we need to ensure that the royal family is safe.¡± ¡°How long do we have until they get here?¡± ¡°Five minutes tops.¡± I cursed. ¡°I could help out with my powers and dy them. How secure is this safe room?¡± ¡°It is the best you can think of. No one knows about it except for us and the elders. The elders don¡¯t even know exactly where it is.¡± ¡°Good,¡± it was Ryker who spoke and before I could process it, he pushed me into the safe room. I tried to step out but he blocked the entrance with his body. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I whisper yelled and he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m keeping you safe,¡± he leaned down to kiss me and despite being pi ssed at him, I couldn¡¯t help but lean into the kiss. He pulled away abruptly. ¡°I hope you can forgive me.¡± Before I could say anything else, he mmed the door shut.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I could feel Cami¡¯s annoyance surging through our bond and it took everything for me to pull that wall between us down. I knew that she wanted to help but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk her safety. She was safest behind those walls and if that meant gaining her anger then it was a good deal. I could feel Steven¡¯s eyes on me but I ignored him and turned on my heels. The guards and soldiers were already preparing with their weapons. I had very little interest in actually fighting a battle but if that was what Frederick wanted then so be it. As soon as the soldiers saw me, all eyes went on me and everyone went quiet. ¡°The important thing is to make sure they don¡¯t get into the pce,¡± I reminded them. ¡°Meet them as far away from here as possible. The guards will remain here in case something happens but remember that under no circumstance is anyone supposed to breach the pce walls. Defend it with your life, are we clear?¡± There was a chorus of yes, your majesty before everyone dispersed. Steven kept close to me and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was used to it or if there was another reason. He exined that they wereing from the East so majority of the soldiers gathered that way. The closer, we got, the more I could hear them. From what I could shear, he had a substantial army with him. I stood in front waiting for them to arrive. When they did, Frederick raised his hands and they all stopped. I looked through the men around him and I saw a few familiar faces but I noticed that there were also rogues present: I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he got so many rogues to agree to fight for him. He must have promised them something but the question was what. ¡°I didn¡¯t think woulde out to wee me,¡± Frederick began with a small smirk on his face. ¡°Where is you sister? How is she doing? I was expecting to see her too. I may or may not have another special surprise for her.¡± my dear I knew he was trying to goad me into making the first move and as much as I wanted to rip his face off, I had to force myself into silence. Cami wasn¡¯t here and he was never going to get to her- that was what mattered. Once I was calm, I looked up at him once more and I saw his smile waver from myck of response. ¡°This is yourst chance, Frederick, call this thing off. You don¡¯t want to die like this.¡± He scoffed. ¡°This is my birthright; the road was opened for me. I was supposed to be king but Cami came out of nowhere and snatched it out from under my nose.¡± ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever wondered how she just managed to go missing?¡± he asked and the entire forest went silent. I knew what he was implying but I wasn¡¯t going to believe it until he said it. ¡°My mother did everything to ensure that I had a clear path to the throne and it was working until she came back.¡± ¡°Your mother took her away, didn¡¯t she?¡± He smirked. ¡°That¡¯s enough talking, I will get my throne, one way or another and the way I see it, I¡¯ve already won.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because, you stepped right into my trap.¡± Before I could ask what he meant, my world exploded. We were thrown back by the force of the explosion and I was lucky enough to not be at the forefront. My ears were ringing as I struggled to get to my feet and I saw Frederick¡¯s men attacking. It took me a second to realize that the explosion wasn¡¯t to hurt us but rather to throw us off bnce. It was only by luck I was able to deflect the strike of the rogue who attacked me because my arms felt like lead. I looked around trying to find Frederick but it was almost like he had disappeared. I muttered a small curse knowing he was heading for the pce. I wanted to go after him but it was like he had instructed his fllowers to crowd us so that we couldn¡¯t follow him. A rogue rushed me and I quickly side stepped and stabbed him with my sword. I saw Steven battling off two men and I rushed to his defense. Once both were handled, I dropped my voice to a whisper. ¡°Cover me,¡± I instructed and he nodded then I darted off in the direction of the pce. The few people who noticed tried to stop us but Steven was quick to cut them down. As we got close to the pce, I couldn¡¯t help but know that he wouldn¡¯t walk in through the front doors. I would have followed into the tunnels but I didnt know them as well as he did, they were his territory and it would be a sure recipe into dying quickly. I mind linked the spies and instructed them to assemble in front of all the tunnel entrances while I scoured the pce in case he had somehow already slipped in. Thirty minutes in and he was still nowhere to be seen. I had received a mind link saying that the main battle was already over and his men had been neutralized. That didn¡¯t give me as muchfort as I needed it to. Steven was still by my side like the trusted soldier that he was. ¡°Where do you think he is?¡± I asked and for once, he waspletely speechless. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense, why would he leave his army. Unless he knew that they were going to lose. He had to have known.¡± ¡°Maybe the army wasn¡¯t his game n, maybe he just wanted to get into the pce.¡± ¡°If you were Frederick, where is the first ce you would go?¡± He hesitated before speaking. ¡°If I knew I was going to lose, I wouldn¡¯t attack in the first ce. He wants to be king but he has to know that he can¡¯t.¡± I facepalmed at how stupid I was. I didn¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t even think about it. ¡°I know where he is, come with me.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for Steven as I ran towards the throne room. It was the only ce that made sense considering that the one thing Frederick wanted was to be recognized as king. As soon as I opened the door, I saw him seated on the throne almost bored. I held out a hand to Steven and he turned to me in shock and confusion. ¡°Stay outside,¡± I told him and although it looked like he didn¡¯t want to agree, he did as I asked. Once the door was shut, I made my way into the room until I was standing in front of the throne. ¡°I should have known you would be here.¡± ¡°It did take you longer than I expected to find me. I was beginning to get bored.¡± He sat up straighter on the throne and I noticed that he had a knife in his hands but from the way he held onto it, I doubted he knew how to actually use it. ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to end this way,¡± I began slowly. If it were up to me, I would have just killed him and been done with it but I knew that if Cami were here, she would have offered him the chance for redemption. She would want her half brother to have a chance and I was willing to give him that chance but something told me he wouldn¡¯t take it. As expected, he sneered at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want your pity or sympathy. I want what was mine by birth. I want what I was owed.¡± ¡°You are not the heir to the throne.¡± ¡°I am his firstborn son.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± I asked making him fall silent. ¡°He could have easily had another child with someone else.¡± ¡°It is not my problem if they are too weak to rise up and take the throne.¡± ¡°You cannot have it.¡± ¡°Then I will die trying.¡± He charged at me with the knife but all it took was one carefully nned maneuver and I had his own knife at his throat. A little pressure from me and he was going to die. I could tell the exact moment that awareness dawned on him because he ckened in my hold. ¡°This is the onloy chance at redemption that you will be given,¡± I reminded him. I desperately wanted to just slit his throat but I had to remember Cami. I knew what he did to her but for some reason, she still had a soft spot for him. ¡°Think about it, Frederick.¡± ¡°I would rather die,¡± he spat then he pushed me off. I expected him to attack me but to my shock, he lifted his hand and slit his own throat right at the bottom of the throne. I knew that image would be forever burned in my head. I watched his body slump against the floor and I took a step back so the blood wouldn¡¯t seep into my shoes. I called in Steven and he took one ook at the scene and grimaced. ¡°Call someone in to clean it up,¡± I ordered. ¡°But take me to my family first.¡± We walked back to the painting in silence and as soon as the door opened, I was ambushed by a tiny body. I held Audrey close to my chest wanting a semnce of normalcy with my child before I had to think about what had just happened. ¡°Did you beat the bad guys, daddy?¡± she asked and I nodded. How did I tell my daughter that the bad guy was her own uncle. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡± ¡°Audrey,¡± Christine called out. ¡°I think we should give your daddy and mummy some time.¡± Audrey reluctantly released me and I saw Christine offer me a small smile of encouragement before she left. Steven disappeared with them leaving just Cami and I. I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know that Cami was pissed at me. I reached out to her but she shook her head and I had to let my hands fall. ¡°Frederick?¡± she asked and I sighed. ¡°He¡¯s dead, killed himself in front of the throne that he so desperately wanted.¡± ¡°What about his men?¡± ¡°I assume they¡¯re all dead too. If any are alive, they will be in the dungeons.¡± I waited for a response but all she did was hum. ¡°Cami, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Are you?¡± she asked and I fell silent. ¡°You locked me in here without a second thought.¡± ¡°I was protecting you.¡± ¡°If you were then we would shave spoken about it ande to an agree ment,¡± she all but yelled. ¡°You made a decision without me, that is what I am pissed about.¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 RYKER¡¯S PO.V Cami was getting on myst nerves. Initially, she was angry with me and I understood that but I thought her anger would die down after twenty¨Cfour hours. I was right about that but I didn¡¯t count on her giving me the silent treatment. She slept in the same bed with me but that was where it ended. She wouldn¡¯t look at me and preferred to spend her time reading her father¡¯s journals. Whenever I initiated the conversation, she would give me one worded answers or just outright ignore me. I understood why she was angry but it was beginning to grate on my nerves. We were to have a meeting in the town square to inform the people that everything was fine and she was yet to look at me. I tried to get her attention a few times especially when I noticed that she was anxious about it but she was more concerned with ignoring me. Five minutes before the meeting, I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me. She didn¡¯t protest but I could see her searching for a way out. ¡°Quit it,¡± I told her and she raised a brow. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is time that you dropped the attitude?¡± ¡°What attitude?¡± she asked and I resisted the urge to growl at her. ¡°I get that you¡¯re upset but I will not apologize for protecting you. If I had asked you before tossing you in there, would you have agreed?¡± she stayed silent but we all knew the answer. ¡°The way I see it, we can sit here and fight about this or we cane to the conclusion that neither of us agrees with the other¡¯s choices and move on.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t how these things work,¡± she frowned. ¡°Ask me if I care,¡± I shot back. ¡°I am the Queen and I have powers that can help. It looks weird if I just hide away during a battle¡± ¡°No one gives a shit about your powers. You are the Queen and that means you have to be protected at all times. Do you think your mother ever went into battle?¡± I asked and she frowned. ¡°We have to talk to the people in less than two minutes and I am not going out there pretending like we are the picturesque couple when you won¡¯t even speak to me.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± she rolled her eyes but I could see a small smile ying on her lips. I didn¡¯t get the chance to respond because one of the guards came to tell us that everything was ready. I sped Cami¡® hand feeling relieved to finally be touching my mate after over a day. I could feel her anxiety as we made our way out to the raised tform. The square was even fuller than the first time. ¡°Can you address them?¡± she asked via the mind link. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked because she sounded like she was on the verge of throwing up. She ignored my question. ¡°Please, Ryker.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She broke off the link first and I turned to the crowd that was staring in silence before clearing my throat. ¡°We normally wouldn¡¯t do this but your Queen thought that it would be for the best if you heard it from us seeing as you had the misfortune of witnessing the direct attack from Frederick,¡± I paused to make sure that I had everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The threat has been dealt with you may return to your normal activities. The stream has officially been treated and is now safe to drink from. Life may return to normal.¡± I took a step back to signify that I was done when I heard a voice. ¡°Is that it? Are we just supposed to move on and forget that the King had a child outside of the mating bond? What if there is another one? What if that onees to im the throne? What happens then?¡± I felt Cami tighten her hold on me and I squeezed her hand to let her know that I had her back and I would handle it. I A tried to search for the source of the voice but I couldn¡¯t find it. I knew it was a young person considering the pitch and tone and if were to give an estimate, I would say that she was around Cami¡¯s age or younger. ¡°What thete king did or did not do should be the least of our worries. If he has another child then we will deal with it as the situation arises. There is no need bothering over hypotheticals or crying over spilled milk. We cannot take back his actions, all we can do is learn from them and prepare ordingly,¡± I made sure to infuse a warning tone into my voice to signify that I was not going to entertain any questions. Thankfully, everyone stayed quiet so I nodded. ¡°If that is all, then this meeting is over.¡± I pulled Cami behind the curtains as quickly as possible and the moment we were away from the public¡¯s eye, she allowed her fa?ade drop. Her shoulders drooped and she ran her hand over her face in obvious frustration and tiredness. She ced her head against my shoulder and I rubbed small circles over her back. ¡°They¡¯re right,¡± she murmured to only my hearing. ¡°What if he has another child? Can we really handle another Frederick?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he had another,¡± I was partly lying for her sake but a part of me believed it. ¡°If he did, he would have journaled it and so far, we have seen nothing. I think a part of him truly loved Eva and keeping the child with her was his way of holding onto that.¡± I could tell that she wasn¡¯t fully convinced so I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about your father for a few minutes. We won and I think we deserve a vacation, don¡¯t you?¡± She let out a small groan. ¡°I could definitely use one of those.¡± The drive home was long and I wanted nothing more than to just lie in bed with my family by my side.. I missed my little girls and although Cami and I were always together, we had barely spent any time with each other. I missed when life was simpler and although I knew i should be grateful for what I was given, I couldn¡¯t help but miss when I was just Alpha and didn¡¯t have as much responsibilities on my shoulders. Christine was waiting for us in the dining room. She was having lunch with the girls and she effortlessly slipped in. I took Aurora from her and cuddled her close to my chest. There was something about her baby scent that calmed me. Audrey¡¯s chatter filled the room and I couldn¡¯t help but smile to myself. It was moments like these that made me love my role because if Cami wasn¡¯t who she was then I would never have met her and I would never have met my girls. We were in the middle of our meal when one of the guards arrived and whispered to me that there was a visitor at the door. I stood with Aurora still in my arms and went out to see who it was. I could feel Cami¡¯s inquisitive gaze on me but I assured her that everything was alright before leaving. I wasn¡¯t expecting any visitors so I was shocked when I got out and saw the people standing at the pce doors. I shook my head as my smile threatened to split my face wide open. Damienughed before embracing me. He had grown out his hair a little more and he looked tired from the travel and probably the stress of the pack work but he looked the same. Standing behind him was my sister and I couldn¡¯t hold back my smile as she wrapped her arms around my torso. She had grown so much over the past year. As soon as she pulled away from me, she reached out for the infant in my hands. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this little one yet. She is so beautiful.¡± I watched her fawn over my daughter while I turned to Damien. ¡°It isn¡¯t that I am not happy to see you but why are you here?¡± I loved my bestfriend and I loved my sister, I knew Cami would be happy to see them too but there was a huge conflict of interest namely Christine. In the time I had known her, she had be like a sister to me as well and thest thing I wanted to do was cause her more pain. She didn¡¯t speak about it and I didn¡¯t want to push but there was so much that I wanted to know. ¡°I heard about what happened,¡± Damien said oblivious to the fact that I was currently thinking of ways to avoid an explosion. ¡°I wanted toe earlier but I needed to make sure things were settled back at the pack. How is Cami? I also heard about the poison.¡± ¡°She is great but Damien, you know why this is a bad idea.¡± 1 He let out a deep sigh. ¡°Look, I understand that you need to protect your mate and she is invested in this but I just need all of you to please stay out of it.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t invested, Damien. This concenis every doing.¡± ¡°I do, you just have to trust me.¡± ¡°You know I trust you but-¡± I was cut off by a small squeal of ¡°Uncle Damien.¡± Audrey brushed past me and threw herself into Damien¡¯s arms. He embraced her with a wide smile but I couldn¡¯t share in their joy. If Audrey was here then it meant Cami was and so was- I turned around and Christine stood there with a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes as she took in the scene. Cami was standing next to her cousin and she looked like she was unsure of whether she should reach out to her or flee from the scene and I felt the same way. It was almost like stepping into a war zne. There were so many raw emotions that it almost felt Ike I was intruding on something special. Riley was the first to notice her and she tried to be nice with a small smile. ¡°Hi, Christine, you look good.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Christine took one look at Riley who was still holding Aurora before turning to me and I was almost thrown back by the intense betrayal in her eyes. She didn¡¯t say a word as she turned on her heels and walked off. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 CHRISTINE¡¯S PO.V I knew I was overreacting, there was no reason for me to be p issed off at Ryker but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I was angry. I wasn¡¯t really angry at him, I was angry at the situation and I was angry at myself for letting it affect me this much but it was much easier for me to push the me on Ryker than to admit that I had feelings for a man who clearly was in love with someone else. ¡°Christine, wait up,¡± I heard someone call but I didn¡¯t care enough to figure out who it was. I simply spurred my legs to move faster. I didn¡¯t know where I was going, all I knew was that I wanted to get as far away from Damien and Riley as possible. If Riley was a b itch, it would have made things easier for me but she was nice. I could tell she hated the situation as much as I did and it frustrated me. I needed an outlet for my anger- I needed something. ¡°Christine,¡± a hand wrapped around my arm stilling me and I turned to see Ryker. I had expected Cami to follow me. In the grand scheme of things, I knew he would pick his best friend and sister but it didn¡¯t make things hurt any less. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know they wereing.¡± I was taken aback by his apology. That was thest thing I was expecting and it shocked me to my core. I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly for what felt like hours before I cleared my throat and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, we are all adults. I can cohabitate with them. It isn¡¯t like there is any bad blood between us,¡± I didn¡¯t know if I was trying harder to convince him or myself. ¡°You can cut it with the attitude,¡± Ryker snapped effectively shutting me up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on between you guys but if none of you is willing to talk about it then we cannot help. What the f**k happened?¡± Too much. I didn¡¯t want to think about it. It was all I had thought about since we I met him and realized what he was to me. It was too much and I couldn¡¯t handle any more of it. I shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter anyway. Just forget about it.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ryker loked pi ssed off, like he was going to yell but at thest minute, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. ¡°This is more than the three of you and I hope you guys can realize that before someone ends up getting hurt.¡± ¡°We have it undeer control.¡± ¡°If you did then yu wouldn¡¯t have run out looking like someone stepped on your tail,¡± he retorted and I fell silent. ¡°I care about you, Christine and so does Cami, please don¡¯t make us choose. This is hard enough as it is and from where I am standing, it is only going to get worse.¡± He didn¡¯t give me a chance to answer before he turned on his heels and walked out. I let out a groan and threw the nearest thing which happened to be a book against the wall. It made an unsatisfying thudding sound as it sunk to the ground and I rested my forehead in my hands. I tried to avoid everyone for the rest of the day. It was not easy but I was determined. If I got a whiff of anyone¡¯s scent, I turned the other way. Cami tried to talk to me a few times but I wasn¡¯t prepared for her questions. Ryker was the only one who respected my need for space. It wasn¡¯t until evening that I was roped into a conversation I desperately did not want to have. I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not notice Damien walking towards me until it was toote. I tried to turn around and avoiud him but he wasn¡¯t having it. He rushed up to me and pulled me towards the nearest empty room which so happened to be the private living room. It was dark and I could feel him more than I could see him. I hated the way my skin pr ickled when he was near and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to get away from him or closer to him. I didn¡¯t want to feel that way about him but he was still my mate seeing as I didn¡¯t have the strength to reject him. I tried to side step him but he blocked the entrance. ¡°We need to talk,¡± I hated how he spoke to me like I was a child throwing a tantrum. ¡°I have nothing to say to you afterst time.¡± He flinched from my words. ¡°Look, everyone is asking questions and unless you want to answer them, we need to speak and figure out what the hell is going on.¡± ¡°Nothing is going on, we aren¡¯t a good fit for each other. That is all that needs to be said. Can I go now?¡± I tried to leave once more but he stopped me, ¡°What do you want Damien? I don¡¯t think you realize how inappropriate it would be if we are caught in a dark room together. If you don¡¯t care about my reputation then at least care about your girlfriend¡¯s.¡± ¡°Leave Riley out of this.¡± ¡°In case you missed the memo, she is in this. She is right in the center,¡± I ran my hands down my face. ¡°Just tell me what you want so that I can leave.¡± This time he hesitated. I didn¡¯t know Damien well but in the short time that I knew him, I realized one thing- he never hesitated. He didn¡¯t hesitate when he told me that he was in love with someone else after finding out we were mates, he didn¡¯t hesitate when he told Riley about us but he was hesitating now and that worried me. ¡°Spit it out,¡± I said trying to brace myself for his next words but nothing could have prepared me. ¡°I¡¯m mating with Riley as soon as we leave here. I came to ask for Ryker¡¯s permission and I didn¡¯t want you to hear it from anyone else before hearing it from me.¡± It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under my feet. I tried and failed to find my gearings so that I could offer him a reasonable response but nothing was working. I wanted those words to be a lie but I could feel the weight of them crushing me. Some part of me had hoped that he would realize that we were meant to be ande back to me but clearly, I was wrong. ¡°Congrattions, I guess,¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Riley seems like an amazing person. I¡¯m happy for you and I am sure that Ryker will be too. If you will excuse me.¡± ¡°Christine,¡± he reached out for me but I pulled my hand away. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I spat harshly. ¡°I am trying here so please don¡¯t make this worse. I won¡¯t be able to reject you so you have to do it yourself.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go on,¡± I squared my shoulders. ¡°This is thest thing standing in your way. I can¡¯t do it but I can take it.¡± ¡°Christine,¡± I ignored him as I waited for the words but they never came. I risked a nce at him and for once, I could see a struggle in his eyes. It hit me like a freight train and I took a step back. ¡°Please just listen to me.¡± ¡°F**k you,¡± I spat before turning on my heels and rushing out. This time he let me. RYKER¡¯S P.O.V I saw Christine rushing out of the private sitting room furiously wiping away at her tears and I didn¡¯t think much of it until I saw Damien walk out of the same room. He looked conflicted and annoyed and I couldn¡¯t help the feeling of frustration that bubbled up inside of me. ¡°Wait!¡± I called out and he froze. I saw fear sh across his features for a split second before he quickly schooled it and turned to me with a smile. ¡°I was justing to look for you, is it okay if we go somewhere private to talk?¡± ¡°If you want to tell me what you were doing alone with Christine then sure, we can talk. There is no one here so it is the perfect ce,¡± I expected him to try denying it but he juts sighed in resignation. ¡°What the f**k are you doing, Damien?¡± ¡°I just wanted to talk to her.¡± ¡°About what?¡± I spat but he stayed silent. ¡°You cannot keep this up. I don¡¯t want to involve myself in this but you guys are making this hard. Riley is my sister and Christine is Cami¡¯s. You better make your next choices very wisely because if you hurt any of them-¡± ¡°I was telling her that I wanted to mate with Riley.¡± I was caught off guard by his words. I knew it was bound to happen but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon. I thought they would give themselves more time to work through the love triangle they had currently thrust themselves inside but Damien seemed determined and I knew it would take an intervention from the goddess herself to change his mind. Now it made sense why Christine looked distressed as she rushed out wiping away at tears. I felt like I was being split in two because a part of me was happy for Riley and Damien but I also felt Christine¡¯s pain. I couldn¡¯t imagine having to watch Cami mate with someone else. The thought alone was enough to make me feel like someone was ripping my heart out and yet Christine was going to watch it happen. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡± I was shocked when those words came out of my lips. ¡°I thought you would be happy,¡± even Damien was confused. ¡°I expected the usual congrattions and the big brother speech where you threatened to skin me alive if I hurt her.¡± I knew what he was doing. He was trying to steer the conversation away from Christine and while I appreciated his efforts, I wasn¡¯t going to y along. ¡°You already know it, there is no reason repeating it. I am asking this because I don¡¯t want you to realize down the line that this isn¡¯t what you wanted. You have been with Riley practically all your life and if you choose my sister, it better be because you want her and not out of some twisted sense of obligation.¡± ¡°I want her, I have always wanted her. I love her.¡± ¡°Good, then let this be thest time you go into dark rooms with another woman,¡± he at least had the decency to bow his head in shame. ¡°I¡¯m putting a lot of faith in you, Damien. I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°For your sake, I hope that¡¯s true because right now, you have the power to hurt a lot of people.¡± Chapter 87 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. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V As soon as the girls left, I saw the guilt in Riley¡¯s expression. I wanted to assure her that she had nothing to worry about but that would have been a lie. Damienforted her while I bnced my sleeping infant on one hand and began clearing up the pic. It was a good day but it could have ended better. Damien and Riley came to help but they did so in silence. I could feel the tension in the air and I knew it was only a matter of time before someone broke it. ¡°Should I have picked a better time?¡± Damien whispered once Riley was out of earshot. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt her but I figured she was going to find out sooner orter.¡± ¡°Are you asking because you want a genuine answer or because you want to make yourself feel better?¡± I asked and he shook his head with a small smile. ¡°I almost forgot how brutal you could be, Ryker,¡± I nced at Audrey out of the corner of my eye. She was ying by the stream and I wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t run off or get hurt. ¡°I want the truth.¡± ¡°The truth is that I don¡¯t know,¡± he frowned at my response, it was clearly not what he was expecting. ¡°Look, I know better than toment on something that I don¡¯t have the full picture of. Only you know the answer to that question and I think the fact that you¡¯re torn up about it tells you everything you need to know.¡± He wanted to say something but footsteps filled the air. Christine and Cami returned but I saw an expression in her eyes that had my spine straightening. I quickly called Riley over and handed Aurora over to her. She looked like she had a million questions but I didn¡¯t wait to hear them. I walked over to my mate and ran my hands down her shoulders. She gave me a small smile but I could see through her fa?ade. She was shaking and her skin was a bit cold to touch. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked but she shook her head. I resisted the urge to growl because I knew it wouldn¡¯t help. I dropped my voice so it was soft. ¡°Talk to me, Cami. You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°I thought I saw something in the woods but it was nothing, I blinked and it wasn¡¯t there.¡± for Cami wasn¡¯t easily sp ooked so her reaction didn¡¯t add up to the picture she was trying to paint. Isearched her eyes a hint of deception but there was nothing. She had convinced herself that everything was fine. I knew I was not going to get anything out of that conversation so I sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, you¡¯re fine,¡± I assured her and she allowed herself lean into my arms. She mumbled something incoherent and I kissed her head. I looked over her shoulder and saw Christine staring at us with a longing look that bordered on envious. I felt bad for her but I knew thest thing she wanted was my pity so I just gave her a nod. She smiled softly and turned away from me. No words were spoken again as we made our way back to the carriages. As we walked, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Christine was the only person walking alone. We put the girls to sleep and as soon as we got to our room, Cami fell asleep. She didn¡¯t even bother changing out of her clothes. I had to slowly take them off while trying not to wake her. I never realized how difficult a corset was until I had to take it off without ripping it. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep because I couldn¡¯t help but think about what she had told me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed her yet about whether or not it was a big deal. It was toote to go looking for the guards in charge of patrolling the forest so I went to the ones guarding our room. ¡°Find any guards who are willing to do overtime and tell them to patrol the forest,¡± I ordered and although they looked confused by my request, they nodded and rushed off to do as I asked. I knew I was taking a risk by leaving us unprotected but if it meant putting my mind at ease, then I was willing to do it. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I climbed into bed and Cami snuggled into my side. I smiled when I realized that she was still asleep. Even in her sleep, she reached out for me. The knowledge had my heart beating harder in my chest. I stroked her hair and ced a soft kiss on the center of her head. She made a content noise cdeep in her throat. ¡°I love you,¡± she mumbled still asleep. ¡°I love you, too,¡± I whispered back and finally allowed the sleep to take me. I was almostpletely dressed when Cami finally woke up. She looked confused as to why I was getting dressed early and when I reminded her that it was Damien and Riley¡¯sst day, she practically leaped out of bed. We didn¡¯t have much nned but we were spending the entire morning with them. Christine had opted out of it and resigned herself to spending time with the children. Cami wanted to talk to her first and I used that opportunity to get some quality time with my sister. Since she came, I hadn¡¯t spent up to five minutes alone with her and I knew it was because she was avoiding me. I knocked on her door and she opened it without checking. When she saw me, her eyes widened and she swallowed deeply. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± I asked and I could see her furiously looking for an excuse, I walked past her before she could say anything and took a seat by her dresser. I saw her exhale deeply before finally closing her door. ¡°I am kind of busy with packing right now. If you can wait a few minutes then maybe-¡± ¡°You forget that I lived with you for your entire life,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You probably finished packing two days ago and checked yesterday,¡± the flush on her cheeks assured me that I was right. ¡°Are you done avoiding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you,¡± she mumbled and when I raised a brow, she sighed. ¡°Is it weird that I am happy we are leaving today? I really wanted to spend time with you and Cami but things with Damien and her-¡± ¡°Christine,¡± I interrupted and she flinched as if her name were a p. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the sound of her name offends you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t, I just feel bad. Sometimes I wonder if maybe they were meant to be together. They are mates after all and another part of me is happy that I have him. Am I a bad person?¡±. ¡°I¡¯m the wrong person to ask. I have only ever loved one woman and she is my mate,¡± Riley rolled her eyes and punched my shoulder making both of us burst outughing. ¡°You will figure it out, and honestly, I am d you¡¯re leaving today because you are stressing Cami out and what she needs after everything is a long vacation.¡± ¡°You might have a point on that one.¡± She had her head down and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from walking over to her and pulling her into a hug. Riley was stubborn and I knew she would never ask by herself but it was what she needed. I felt her body gox as I held her close. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out, you are one of the smartest people I know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel very smart right now.¡± ¡°Should I let you in on a little secret?¡± I asked and she hummed. ¡°No one ever truly feels smart. You just keep moving and pray that it all works out.¡± By the time we were supposed to lead them back towards the carriage, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang in my chest. I would never tell Riley or Damien to their faces but I missed them. There was something lonely about the pce life. I loved being with my family but sometimes I wished I had actual friends. I was talking to Damien when one of the guards walked up to me. He was the one I tasked with sending people into the woods. He hesitated but I assured him that he could speak in front of Damien. I trusted him, ¡°We patrolled the entire forest but we didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary,¡± he told me. ¡°If there is something specific that we should be looking for then maybe-¡± ¡°Thank you for your help, you may go,¡± I cut him off and he bowed then left. At least I was now certain that the forests were safe. I turned to Damien only to see a foreign expression on his face. ¡°What is it?¡± He looked around to make sure no one was listening before dropping his voice to a whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you believed the rumors.¡± My brows scrunched in confusion. ¡°What rumors?¡± ¡°I thought you had your forests patrolled because of the rumors that had been swirling. I didn¡¯t think they hade this far or I would have spoken about it the moment we arrived.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°People have been talking about a creature in the woods that carries off people. The bodies are never found until a few dayster and when they are found, they are ice cold and drained of blood.¡± ¡°That sounds like a vampire,¡± I deadpanned and he rolled his eyes. ¡°I am aware that it sounds like a vampire but all the vampires are denying having anything to do with it. Anyway, I believe it is nothing but a rumor.¡± ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t, the closest vampire coven is a long way from here and they will have to go past at least four different packs before getting here. I think we are safe.¡± ¡°What are you guys even talking about?¡± Cami yelled interrupting our conversation. ¡°it¡¯s time for them to leave. I pped Damien over his shoulder and we walked towards the carriage. He was about to get in when Riley froze staring at something behind us. I turned to see Christine walking towards the carriage. Riley cast a wary nce at me but I calmed her with my eyes. Christine was harmless. Christine stopped in front of Riley. ¡°I wanted to see you left. I figured it was only good manners for me to say goodbye.¡± Riley¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I just wanted to say that.¡± Riley just nodded dumbly while Christine turned to Damien and offered him a curt nod. I could see the confusion on his face and he co cked his head as if to ask why he got a nod and Riley got an entire greeting. Cami was the one who snapped out of the stupor first. She grasped Riley¡¯s shoulders and gently shoved her in the direction of the carriage doors. ¡°You don¡¯t want to bete.¡± Riley and Damien got inside and we watched as the carriage rode off. I waited until they had gone a considerable distance before I turned to Christine. ¡°You did the right thing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for them, I did it for me.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I was so excited to finally have things settle down. It felt like ages since we had any form of peace and I could finally spend long parts of my day with my family. Audrey in particr loved that and she made sure to milk every hour we were able to spend with her. She yed her cards well and managed to convince Ryker to take her to do whatever she wanted. I was just happy to see my family safe and happy, it had a very content feeling to it. It felt like I could finally breathe without feeling like someone was looking over my shoulder and waiting for me to fail. It was also an added bonus that I hadn¡¯t seen the elders in over a week. I was relieved and I prayed that the feeling wouldst. I made my way towards the training grounds with apprehension in my heart. I had started training again full time thanks to Ryker¡¯s encouragement and it was still weird at first but I was slowly getting back into afortable point with my powers. There was still a small part of me that held a little bit of resentment to the powers but I was beginning to get over it. It also helped that Lois was one of the kindest and most patient people I had ever met. He had been trying to get me to summon water from moisture but it as difficult. My brows were tinged with sweat and my head hurt but I was unable to do it. It felt as though it was just out of my grip. I could almost feel it but I couldn¡¯t get to it. I resisted the urge to scream in frustration and just bit down on my bottom lip. ¡°Your majesty, forgive me for this but I don¡¯t think you are trying hard enough,¡± Lois said slowly after I had failed to conjure up anything and I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°The water is all around you. It is no different from pulling water out of a stream, just pull it and use it.¡± ¡°I am aware of what I am supposed to do but I suppose it is harder to pull water out of thin air considering that it is air,¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the snark out of my voice. Lois sighed and made his way over to me. ¡°You remind me a lot of our mother. I didn¡¯t train her but I was present for most of her sessions. May I speak freely?¡± I waved my hands. ¡°I see her stubborn streak in you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think stubborn would be the first word I would use to describe myself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in a bad way at all. I meant that you both have me ntal blocks in your minds that are too stubborn to remove- or maybe, you don¡¯t want to remove them.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest and turned to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that.¡± ¡°I think that you don¡¯t want to use your powers anymore, at least, that is the vibe I am getting off you. It is almost as if you despise them for some reason. Your mother did too because she was never supposed to have them,¡± before I could ask what he meant, he made his way over to the chairs and gestured for me to follow him. I hesitated but ultimately took the seat next to him because I was more interested in the conversation than anything else and if it gave me the opportunity to pause training for a little while then it was an added bonus. For a second, he didn¡¯t say anything, just stared up into the distance. ¡°You know that your mother married into the royal family meaning she didn¡¯t have powers, or at least, she wasn¡¯t supposed to. She was eighteen when they were married. Your father had powers; he was one of the greatest elementals to ever live. There was almost nothing he couldn¡¯t do with his powers- he loved them. Your mother was the direct opposite.¡± I hadn¡¯t known my father was an elemental like me. It was knowledge I could have done without because everything I heard about him up to this point did not make him someone I wanted to emte or be reminded of. ¡°Your mother is distantly rted to the crown. Her grandmother was the second daughter of the king. She already knew about the powers but was relieved to not have them. Now imagine her surprise when on her twenty first birthday, she begins to disy them. She was furious, I remember she spent weeks looking for ways to get rid of them. She refused training and she would not speak about them to anyone.¡± ¡°How did my father take the news?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°Remember that I am just an outsider, I wasn¡¯t privy to most of their conversations and can only speak based on what I heard and saw the few times I was around them,¡± I nodded to show that I understood. ¡°He was jealous, he was used to being the special one but suddenly, that had been ripped away. I was told it caused a lot of problems for them. Your mother began to despise those powers. She felt they were responsible for the downfall of her family¡± ¡°Is this the part where you say that she finally looked inward and found that she was the problem?¡± He smiled. ¡°Not quite, the only reason your mother began training was to spite your father. They were an amusing pair, those two. I feel like in a different lifetime, they would have been soulmates,¡± he cleared his throat before going back to the story. ¡°She hated her powers every second that she trained and it wasn¡¯t until she was able to find a way to remove that hatred from her heart that she was able to reach their full potential.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for her, but I don¡¯t hate my powers,¡± even to my ears, it sounded like a lie. ¡°You may notpletely hate them, but if you could get rid of them right now, would you?¡± I hesitated too long before responding. It was an appealing offer. My powers had never saved me in an emergency so it wasn¡¯t like I was going to lose anything except the title of being an elemental. ¡°Exactly,¡± he said when I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Until you deal with the source of that rage, you will not be able to tap into your potential.¡± ¡°There is no source. Water powers are practically useless. What is the best I can do with it? Probably party tricks.¡± He turned to me andughed. By the time he calmed down, he was shaking his head at me as if I were unbelievable. ¡°Did you know that the human body was made predominantly of water? Did you realize that there is water under the earth? You can control almost anything as long as it has water inside of it. It is a moreplex skill to master but it is not impossible¡± My mouth was wide open in shock. I had never thought of it that way. It seemed like something I would be willing to learn but I was worried I would never be able to. Before I could say anything, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Ryker with Aurora in his arms. Both him and our daughter were smiling as they made their way over. ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± he asked and Lois shook his head as he rose to his feet. ¡°We were justfinishing,¡± he sped his hands together and bowed to both of us. ¡°Think about it, your majesty.¡± He disappeared immediately after and Ryker turned to me with scrunched brows. ¡°Do I want to know what just happened there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the way inside.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I told him everything that Lois had said and he listened intently. By the time I was done, he didn¡¯t say any words. When I nced at him, I knew he had a lot to say but for some reason, he was holding himself back. I waited until we got to the room and I was rxing in the tub before I spoke. ¡°Just say whatever you want to say. You know I value your opinion.¡± He sighed before speaking. ¡°All of this started after our mother passed. Could it be that you feel some sort of responsibility in her passing? If you could conjure water from moisture at that point, you would have been able to douse the mes. Could that be it?¡± I hated how urate he was. I turned away from him and kept my gaze fixed on the wall. ¡°That isn¡¯t it, you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Am I, because you cannot even look at me?¡± he asked but I kept my lips shut. ¡°Cami, it was not your fault.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± I heard shuffling then he returned to the room empty handed. Before I could ask where Aurora was, he crouched down by the side of the tub and cupped my face with both hands. ¡°It was not your fault, Cami. There was nothing you could have done then. Do not despise the gift you have been given over this.¡± I swallowed and finally looked up at him. ¡°I need to finish up.¡± It was a clear dismissal and I hated doing it but I didn¡¯t want Ryker breaking me. It wasn¡¯t something I could handle. He sighed and took a step back with a nod. The moment he walked out, I wanted to call out for him but it was like all the words had gotten stuck in my throat. I heard the door click shut and I realized that I was well and truly alone. I didn¡¯t leave my room for over an hour after that and thankfully, no one came to look for me. It wasn¡¯t until my stomach grumbled in protest that I finally found my way to the dining room. I was shocked to see the entire family seated there. I expected that they would have finished by the time I got down but to my shock, they were just about to start. ¡°Cami, I was just about to call you,¡± Christine said with a smile and I knew that Ryker hadn¡¯t told her anything. I didn¡¯t look at Ryker as I took the seat between him and Audrey. My daughter was all smiles and giggles as she spoke animatedly to me. I tried to match her energy the best I could but I felt drained. I think I did a good job because she didn¡¯tin once. When the food came, I used that as an excuse not to speak but I tried to listen to her as best as I could. It was hard though because I had a splitting headache. Lunch went without a hitch and by the time I was done eating, I prepared to make my quick escape but Ryker anticipated that and spoke. ¡°Christine, can you please take the kids and give us a moment?¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V ¡°Of course,¡± her response was quick as she gathered the girls. Audrey came over to give me a hug and I kissed her hair softly. When she got to Ryker, I heard her speak. ¡°Will you be there to tuck me in?¡± she asked softly and he nodded. She smiled wide at those words and kissed his cheeks before ski pping over to meet Christine. I wanted to leave with them but I knew that would only prove my guilt so I forced myself to stay still. The door ! shut behind me but no one spoke. For the first time, silence between us was suffocating and awkward, I expected him to pick up the conversation from where it ended before but he didn¡¯t. To my shock, Ryker just held out his hand for me to take. I hesitated for a split second which caused his eyes to narrow. He led me out of the dining room and out of the pce. It was windy but I could barely focus on the cold because I was so anxious to know where we were going. We walked in silence ignoring the guards who greeted and bowed to us. I thought we were going to take a walk but Ryker led me towards the royal garden. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± I asked but he ignored me and went to stand directly in front of the fountain. He gestured for me toe to him and I did so slowly. ¡°Ryker, what is this?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to practice,¡± I raised a brow and he gestured to the water in the fountain. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it is going to take for you to get over your resentment but that isn¡¯t going to happen until you begin to enjoy your powers again.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what that has to do with all of this,¡± I gestured around us. ¡°I practice every morning with Lois. What good does an extra hour of practice every night?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t out of obligation,¡± I stared at him nkly and he sighed. ¡°You used to sit here and make animals out of the water, do you remember? Audrye loved it. While you were pregnant, you would sit here and just y around with the fountain. You said it calmed you down.¡± ¡°I was stressed out, I¡¯m not anymore but if you want me to make animals,¡± I waved my hand and a large ball of water rose from the fountain in the shape of a dog. I made a show of making it run around for a few seconds before dropping it into the water. ¡°Is that good enough? Would you like me to create fishes too?¡± ¡°I am more of an amphibian person,¡± I conjured up a water lizard. ¡°Try being a little more enthusiastic about it.¡± His tone dripped with sarcasm and I shed him a smile while doing it to which heughed. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling too. I hadn¡¯t felt so light using my powers in a while even if I was just using it to mock him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to do, Ryker.¡± Ryker made his way over to me and stroked my cheek soft. ¡°That¡¯s the thing, you don¡¯t have to do anything. I just want you to sit here and remember. It is in your hands right now. This isn¡¯t practice where you are obligated to practice.¡± ¡°So I can just sit down and do nothing if I want.¡± He frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like that but yes. We only have half an hour so we can tuck Audrey in.¡± I thought about if for a second then I sat down gently on the ground with my legs crossed in front of me. I saw the disappointment on Ryker¡¯s face but I ignored it. After a split second, he sat down next to me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sitting with you,¡± he said simply. ¡°Whatever you choose, I will do it with you. Every night, without fail, we will sit here if that is what you want.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I want to.¡± So we did. For the next half hour, we just sat there doing nothing. I rested my head against his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around my shoulder. By the time half an hour was up, Ryker helped me to my feet and led me into- the pce. Audrey was already half asleep when we got there but she was excited to see that we had kept to our promise. We also checked on Aurora before finally making our way to our room. I noticed that Ryker was weirdly silent as we got dressed for bed and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I had done something wrong especially when I put on my favorite white night gown and he didn¡¯t seem to notice. He had his back to me so I made my way over to him and ced my hand on his shoulder. He stiffened before turning around. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± I asked and he gave me an incredulous look as if I had asked him to grow an extra head. ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet. If I embarrassed you earlier-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± he cut in almost immediately. I didn¡¯t believe him and he must have noticed because he sighed and closed the distance between us. ¡°Do I wish you did something different? Of course, but Cami, there is no timeline on this. You can move at whatever pace you want. I can¡¯t be embarrassed by you.¡± ¡°You looked disappointed earlier and you have barely even looked at me.¡± ¡°I was giving you space,¡± he sighed. ¡°You can be hard to read sometimes but I thought you wanted space.¡± He kissed me softly. ¡°I just want to know that you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± I assured him and just like that, everything was better. He ran his eyes over my body. ¡°Don¡¯t think I missed the night gown. You look exquisite and there are so many things I would love to do to you tonight.¡± ¡°Do them,¡± I whispered and the corner of his lips quirked up. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there may not be enough time.¡± It waste when we finally went to bed. I was wrapped up in Ryker¡¯s arms and buried under the nket. Neither of us had bothered to put on clothes because we didn¡¯t expect to be woken up until morning. However, that wasn¡¯t the case because I heard frantic knocking on the door. At first, I thought it was a part of my dream but it became more insistent. ¡°Cami, are you awake?¡± I quickly recognized the voice as Christine¡¯s as I roused from sleep. Ryker was awake too and he looked as confused as I felt. He began to rise but I waved him off and assured him that I could handle it. I grabbed the closest thing which was Ryker¡¯s shirt and threw it over my shoulders: I pulled the door open and Christine stood there looking frantic. ¡°The guards have been trying to get your mind link for hours but you were both asleep. Thankfully, I was awake so they were able to get to me. I thought I could handle it because I wanted you to rest but, Cami, this is beyond my pay grade, I have no idea what to do about this. I didn¡¯t want to wake you but-¡± ¡°Christine,¡± her rambling had woken me uppletely. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I think you need to see it.¡± I closed the door so I could get dressed. Thankfully, Ryker was already out of bed and getting dressed. I handed him his shirt and pulled on my night gown before throwing onerge coat over it to give a sense of decency. I couldn¡¯t be bothered to get into a dress at- I nced over at the clock- one a.m. Christine was waiting outside the door and she quickly rushed off in the direction of the front doors. A carriage was waiting and I wondered where we could be going at such an hour thatrequired a carriage. I could tell by looking at Ryker¡¯s face that even he was curious but no one said anything. We just held onto each other¡¯s hands and got inside. Christine was tapping her feet anxiously and she looked like she was five seconds away from throwing up. The carriage ride took less than ten minutes and by the time we got there, I noticed that there was a huge crowd. The guards were gathered at the edge of the woods. They bowed when they saw us and it was one of the generals who crossed the line to meet us. ¡°We are so d you came, your majesties,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to wake you thiste but we didn¡¯t know what to do. We haven¡¯t touched anything.¡± ¡°Show us.¡± He nodded and directed us to follow him. We walked for another five minutes before we came across another handful of guards. They were standing in a circle around what I realized was a body as I saw the leg sticking out. They parted the way for us and it was obvious that the man was dead. ¡°He is a miner from one of the lower towns,¡± the general exined. ¡°He went missing a few days ago and he suddenly turned up here. There are no I juries or wounds on him but he is-¡± ¡°Dead,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°Why is he so pale though? He almost looks like a statue. Did he die a long time ago?¡± ¡°That has been one of our major questions but I don¡¯t think so. His body hasn¡¯t started ton decay yet. It seemed he died a few hours ago but I have never seen anything like this. He was so cold when I touched him, almost like ice.¡± ¡°Is that unusual?¡± I stepped forward but Ryker reached out a hand to stop me. He turned to the general. ¡°Inform his family that he has been found and convince them to have him buried as quickly as possible with minimal questions.¡± ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± I asked but he ignored me. ¡°Make sure no one breathes a word of this to anyone. If they ask, he died of poisoning and that is why he is pale. Am I clear?¡± The general nodded and went off to do as he asked. I turned to Ryker with my arms crossed over my chest. ¡°Are you going to tell me what it is?¡± ¡°I will. I have a hunch but I really hope I am wrong about it.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Is it bad?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°On a scale of one through ten?¡± ¡°I would say an eight,¡± my eyes widened. ¡°I need to get you out of here first before I say anything else. I don¡¯t want to risk anyone overhearing. Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Always.¡± ¡°Good, nowe.¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V Ryker was acting weird but I didn¡¯t want to push too much. Since we saw that man, he was off his game. He was quiet the entire carriage ride back and he seemed to be lost in thought. When we got back to the pce however, he led me back towards our room and locked the door. I waited patiently for him to say something but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began and he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of the best way to say this,¡± he exined. ¡°When Damien was here, he told me about a rumor that was going around of a creature who steals people in the night and returns their bodies in the middle of the woods drained of blood.¡± ¡°That sounds like a vampire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said and now a body turns up in the middle of the woods freezing cold and pale.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at him and smile. He was cute when he worried but I couldn¡¯t believe that a vampire was attacking citizens. I grabbed both of his hands and led him to the bed where I pushed him to sit down. He tried to speak but I held up a hand to stop him. Once he was quiet, I crawled up behind him and began massaging his shoulders. He looked confused but allowed me do as I wished without putting up too much of a fight. I waited until his shoulders cked with relief before I spoke. ¡°We have never had any interactions with vampires prior to this,¡± I reminded him slowly as I kept my fingers moving on his shoulders. ¡°I find it hard to believe that a random vampire came out of nowhere and decided to drain blood from someone in the town.¡± I saw him frown. ¡°When I heard it from Damien, I thought the same thing but now- you saw the man.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no confirmation that a vampire killed him. It gets very cold at night and if he was wandering and unable to shift, he could have frozen to death which would exin why his skin was so cold,¡± I combatted. ¡°Until we have proof that he died from a vampire attack then we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusion.¡± 1 His frown remained and I briefly wondered if he wanted it to be a vmpaire attack. It made no sense. If it were me, I would have taken the excuse I was giving and run with it but then again, I preferred to run from my problems while Ryker loved t face them head on. ¡°Do you know how many pack members are lost to vampire attacks on a monthly basis?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t either but I am sure there is a number somewhere. This could just have been an ident or a lone murder. It probably has nothing to do with what Damien told me. Your mind is just ying tricks on you.¡± I felt him tense. I knew it would be hard for him to let go of his preconceived notions. Was there a possibility that he was right? Sure, but I really hoped he wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t sure the pce could handle another attack right now. When I spoke, I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince him. The idea of a rogue vampire causing problems among wolves wa ssomething that I was sure the covens had heard and I knew that even if it were true, they would do everything in their power to make sure it was handled to avoid another war. Thest time there was a war between vampires and werewolves was over a century ago. ording to what I heard, it was brutal and itsted for years. So many people were lost and a treaty was signed to ensure that none of it happened again. The vampires decided to move into the mountains after that while the wolves stayed in the forest. I doubted that anyone wanted a repeat of that war. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ryker said finally. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t heard about that from Damien, I wouldn¡¯t be worried. It is probably nothing.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I leaned down to kiss him. ¡°We were having such a good night. I¡¯m sure we have a lot of paperwork to do in the morning about the boy¡¯s death.¡± I took my hands off his shoulders and he turned to me. He loked a lot better and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. He wasted no time in getting under the covers with me and pulling me into his chest. I pretended not to notice thathe held onto me a little tighter than usual. The next time I woke up, Ryker was already out of bed and it was almost seven. I never nned to sleep in and I cursed when I realized that he would have met with the elders without me. I got ready in a rush and started towards the council to take a de room when I heard Aurora crying. I had to a detour and feed her first. It wasn¡¯t until she was peacefully sleeping that I could finally leave. By the time I got to the council room, they were already deep in their sconversation. ¡°Your majesty,¡± one of the elders drawled. ¡°How kind of you to join us.¡± I didn¡¯t miss the undercurrent in his voice and my eyes narrowed. ¡°Thank you for waiting. Children can be so unpredictable sometimes. Thest thing any of us needed was a screaming child in our meetings.¡± His cheeks heated and he turned away. ¡°Is there something in particr that we are talking about.¡± ¡°Not exactly, his majesty was briefing us on the boy that was found at the border. It was such a sad ident, I am sure. Thankfully, he doesn¡¯t have any family in the area. He was much of a loner.¡± ¡°Thankfully?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask and I saw the elders shrug. ¡°It would have been a shame if there was family that we needed to break the news to.¡± I wanted to speak. They wouldn¡¯t have been doing anything, I would. It infuriated me when they acted like they had the worst jobs when all they had to do was just sit here like kings and reap the benefits. The words were at the tip of my tongue when I felt Ryker¡¯s hand intertwine with mine. He wasn¡¯t looking my way but I could feel him all the same and he was asking me to calm down. I exhaled deeply through my nose and forced my shoulders to rx before turning to the elders. ¡°If you are done discussing then I assume the meeting is over.¡±. I watched their faces contort in disbelief that I had just dismissed them before they finally filed out of the room. It took all my willpower not to throw something against the wall. Ryker kept his hand intertwined with mine presumably to keep me grounded and prevent me from doing something I would most definitely regretter. Once they were all gone, I turned to him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up earlier?¡± ¡°I wanted to, but you looked like you needed the rest. This is the only thing we had scheduled for today and I honestly thought you could use one day without having to sit opposite them and listening to their bullsh it.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Is there a way we can change the elders? How are they even given their position?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± he admitted. ¡°But we can definitely try. Who would we even put in their ce?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Anyone is better than them right now.¡± He was about to reply when someone knocked on the door and I saw a guard poke his head in. he nced over at me and I immediately knew what time it was. ¡°You have to train, don¡¯t you?¡± Ryker asked and I nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± I didn¡¯t do fine. I couldn¡¯t do anything more than what I usually could and even at that, it drained me more than it should have. Loris told me that my anger had a deeper hold on me than I thought and I needed to find a way to work on it. I knew he was right and I knew that if Ryker was present, he would tell me the same thing but I didn¡¯t want to hear it from any of them. I was good with pretending that all was good because it wasn¡¯t like my powers were going toe in handy. We were rounding up training when I heard scurrying feet. I turned to see Audrey rushing over and she practically threw herself into my arms. She was supposed to be having her lessons so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she got out. ¡°Aunt Christie said you were doing magic,¡± she whispered and I couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow. ¡°Can you show me some?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be having lessons? I asked and she hid her face from me. ¡°Audrey Valentina, what did do?¡± you ¡°Nothing,¡± she was quick to defend herself and throw her hands up. ¡°I just wanted to see you so I left.¡± ¡°You have to go back,¡± I saw some guards rushing out of the pce. There was no doubt in my mind that they were looking for her. ¡°Just show me one trick, please,¡± she gave me those innocent eyes that I could never say no to and I ended up sighing. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I didn¡¯t want to let her down so I thought of something that I knew would blow her mind. I stretched out my hand and created an arch over her heads while drawing water from the stream nearby. Her eyes widened and she pped in glee. I decided to go a step further by making little animals. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I concentrated so hard. I didn¡¯t want a single thing going wrong. Her cries of excitement were worth the pounding headache I knew I would sh aveter. I let the water fall back and turned to her. She was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°That was amazing, mummy. You¡¯re the bestest magic person ever.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop my own smile as I kissed her head. ¡°Thank you, sweetheart. You have to go back now.¡± She frowned. ¡°Will ¡°I will.¡± you do some moreter?¡± I put her down and watched a she ran off towards the guards. I was still watching her when I heard Loris speak. ¡°That was the happiest I¡¯ve seen you while using your powers,¡± he mentioned casually. ¡°Perhaps we should have the princess sit in while you train. It might serve as some form of motivation.¡± Iughed. ¡°There is no way my daughter is sitting in just to watch me embarrass myself.¡± I had expected a frown or something at that but instead, the corner of his lips tilted up in a smile as if he had just figured out the answer to all his problems. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that there is still some hope after all.¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V N?velDrama.Org holds this content. After training, it was basically just me sitting in my office doing nothing. By the time evening came around, Ryker made good on his promise and we sat in the garden alone. He offered to bring Audrey and I knew he had spoken to Lois but I didn¡¯t want her to see me like this. I didn¡¯t want my child knowing that I wasn¡¯t as special as she thought. She thought of me like this super amazing person and I didn¡¯t want to ruin it for her because a part of me wished I could be that for her. I felt a longing and a pull towards the water but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to act on it. My fingers itched and it took everything in my power for me to resist that pull but I did. I could feel Ryker¡¯s eyes on me the entire time almost as if he could sense my internal struggle and was trying to find out a way he could help me. When our thirty minutes were up, I subconsciously reached my hand out towards the water but I caught myself. ¡°Why?¡± he asked but I stayed silent. ¡°Is there a reason you keep denying yourself something that you obviously want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± I lied and he shook his head. ¡°Do you know what this reminds me of?¡± he asked but I stayed silent. ¡°When you first came to the pack, you were so hesitant to receive even the slightest bit of affection. You fought me at every turn even though you knew that I was just trying to help you. Why do you do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer because I knew he was right. ¡°Just ept help where it is given, Cami. All I am asking for is for you to try. You want to, so why don¡¯t you? ¡°Because I know I¡¯m going to fail,¡± my voice was a soft whisper ax I spoke and I saw something crack in Ryker¡¯s eyes. He sighed and reached out for me. I wanted to pull away but I let him hold me. I allowed him wrap his arms around me and I reminded myself that he could protect me. I allowed myself to feel safe in his arms. By the time he pulled back, there was something softer in his eyes. It was almost as if he could finally see me for the first time. ¡°Just try something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Anything.¡± There was a soft encouraging tone imbued in his voice. I reached out my hand and hesitantly willed the water to me. As if it could sense my hesitation, the ripples began but they weren¡¯t stable. I tried to get a stronger grip on myself and tugged it towards me. The water rushed out of the fountain towards my hand and just held it suspended in the air in a bubble. It was the simplest thing in the world but Ryker was looking at me with so much pride. I felt moved to do more so I tried some of the earliest tricks I had first learnt. I remembered the feeling of glee and excitement when I did them for the first time. I remembered hoow I showed it off to Christine every chance I got and she responded with pride and adoration. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your powers in action,¡± Ryker¡¯s words snapped my concentration and the water went sshing back into the fountain. I turned to him in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°I could have sworn that I used them around you once.¡± ¡°I never joined one of your training sessions and there was never a time for you to use them. Your mother was the one who told me about them. I was always curious but I never wanted to push.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I didn¡¯t know why I was apologizing but I knew that I felt bad for some reason. He pressed a kiss to my temple. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You did good, baby. Do you think you¡¯ll be up to try again tomorrow?¡± This time, when I nodded, I meant it. I was in a better mood the entire day. Maybe it was because I had finally decided to give training a chance but in reality, I knew that it had everything to do with Ryker. Loris noticed the change but he asked no questions in regards to what brought it on. I still couldn¡¯t conjure water out of thin air but I was getting better at controllingrge bodies of water and manipting them. It drained me more because of the size so we were working on my stamina. By the time training was over, my shoulders ached and my muscles protested. I wanted an ice bath with a massage to rx. I was trudging back towards my room when a guard approached me. He looked hesitant and a bit young, I had a feeling he was one of the new guards hired to rece the traitors. When he got to me, he bowed low and his sword ttered to the floor. I leaned down to pick it up and as I handed it over to him, he looked mortified. ¡°I am so sorry, your majesty, I am very clumsy. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can be too,¡± I waved him off. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°I was asked to escort you to the physician¡¯s quarters by the Prince Consort.¡± My brows scrunched in confusion. I tried to reach Ryker via mind link but his wall was firmly in ce. It was weird that he would send a guard instead of getting me himself but I decided not to question it too much and followed the boy. He walked ahead of me and I noticed him paying extra attention to his feet as if willing them not to mess up. When we got to the physician¡¯s quarters, Ryker was waited outside. I thanked the boy and made my way over to my mate. ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°The physician said it was important. I waited for you.¡± I smiled and him softly. I could tell he was a bit worried, it was in the creases around his eyes and the way he gripped my hand lightly. I decided to make the first move by pushing the door open. The physician and his son were muttering to themselves and they jumped when they saw us. The room was just as I remembered- there were vials and jars lining every wall filled with weird liquids. Books took up the rest of the space and of course, the little bed where the victim was lying down. ¡°Thank you foring,¡± he rushed over to wee us. ¡°I hope I am forgiven for requesting your presence but this wasn¡¯t something that could be uttered outside of this room. The walls have ears and if anyone gets a wind of this, it could be disastrous.¡± I cast a wary nce towards Ryker. His eyes met mine and I could see that his emotions mirrored mine. He squeezed my hand in silent solidarity and we turned back to the physician. ¡°There is nothing to forgive,¡± Ryker was the one who spoke because I couldn¡¯t trust my voice. ¡°What is it that you wanted to show us?¡± He beckoned us over to the body and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of pity as I looked down at the boy. He couldn¡¯t have been older than mid¨Ctwenties. The physician didn¡¯t seem to hold the same concerns I held in regards to the body because he just walked by it and began flipping through his notes. ¡°I noticed something when I was looking over him. I would like to preface by saying that I am a physician and sometimes, I may be wrong. I doubt that I am wrong here because I have checked three times just to be certain,¡± he cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°This boy was dead only a mere three hours when he was found. There is also no indicator that he had been out in the cold long before then.¡± ¡°Why was his skin so cold then?¡± I asked. ¡°He looked like he could have frozen to death.¡± ¡°I wish that were the case,¡± he paused as if wondering how to continue. ¡°I am sure you have heard about the blood being the life force of an individual. Your blood is part of what warms your body and regtes the temperature.¡± I nodded not quite understanding where he was going but trying to follow nheless. He turned the head of the boy to the side and pointed to two barely there puncture wounds. I felt Ryker tense beside me and I couldn¡¯t help but remember what he had told me earlier about the vampire. I refused to believe that was what happened. Maybe it was just an ident. Maybe we were just overthinking and reading too much into things. ¡°This is a vampire bite. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be too bothered about it because we have the asional vampire roaming around. In my time, I have handled three vampire cases but this is different.¡± ¡°How so?¡± my voice was barely over a whisper. I was scared to ask because I was scared to know the answer. ¡°This man was somehow drainedpletely of blood.¡± ¡°Why is that weird?¡± ¡°When vampires bite, it is for two reasons- to feed or to turn. They rarely everpletely drain bodies of blood, not even the newly turned make that mistake. The only time a vampire would make that mistake is if they lost control and this man wouldn¡¯t have a head if that were the case. I believe this was a deliberate action on the part of whoever did it.¡± No one dared to speak. It was one full minute of Ryker and I staring at the body and not knowing what to do. Our worst fear had been confirmed- the rumor was true and for some reason, the vampire was here. Ryker was the first person to snap out of his reverie. He straightened his shoulders and faced the physician eye¨Cto¨Ceye. ¡°Do not breathe a word about this to anyone. Tell the family whatever you need to in order for them to let this rest as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°But your majesty-¡± his son began speaking for the first time and Ryker leveled him with a sharp gaze. ¡°If anyone breathes a word about this, they will have to pay, am I clear?¡± he asked and they both nodded. ¡°Go over the body one more time and tell me if you missed anything¡± Without another word, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. I had so many questions but I didn¡¯t know where to start so I stayed silent. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 RYKER¡¯S POV I hated being out of my element and this was one situation where I couldn¡¯t control that. From the moment I saw that body. I knew it was a vampire attack. I tried to convince myself that maybe it wasn¡¯t the one from the stories. I allowed Cami convince me that I was overreacting but now the evidence was directly in front of my face and I couldn¡¯t deny it. As we left the physician¡¯s room. I couldn¡¯t help but run my hand down my face in frustration. For the first time, I was at a disadvantage- I knew nothing about vampires. I knew nothing about the rumors as well because I hadpletely dismissed them. If I had just chosen to investigate it a little then I would have a little information on hand instead of walkingpletely blind. I wanted desperately to punch something. ¡°Ryker,¡± Cami began slowly from her spot by my side. She sounded almost hesitant as if she were unsure of whether she should speak. Thest time she sounded like this was when she was still getting to know me and didn¡¯t know how to trust me. I turned to her almost immediately, all thoughts of the vampire were forgotten. I never wanted my mate to feel like she needed to walk on eggshells around me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked and she hesitated for far too long before responding. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t start anything. Thest thing the people need is to panic. We are going to summon the elders and convince them to implement a curfew for the people.¡± ¡°They would want to know why. No one panics more than them,¡± she added thest part with a snort. ¡°Why can¡¯t I just put the curfew?¡± ¡°If you do it then people will realize that something is wrong. If we make the elders believe that it was their idea then they will have toe up with a reason behind it. Just leave the talking to me, I can handle them.¡± She nodded and I couldn¡¯t help but bask in theplete and absolute trust she had in me. Her eyes softened and I could see in her eyes that she would have done anything I said in that moment. There was something euphoric about knowing that and I swore that I would never do anything to make her second guess that blind faith she had put in me. It took half an hour to get the elders assembled in the council room. It would have taken longer but to our relief, they were already in the pce when summoned. There were varying levels of confusion on their faces and I prayed to the goddess that I wouldn¡¯t mess things up.- ¡°if I am correct then it is your job to keep us up to speed with everything happening in the pce, correct?¡± I asked and they all hesitated before nodding. ¡°Then exin why I didn¡¯t find out until today that people have been getting lost in the woods. in the dead of night.¡± It was a huge stretch. I knew of only one person who got lost in the woods sand that was the man who was currently lying on the physician¡¯s bed being examined. The elders looked like deer caught in headlights and I wondered if it was because something simr was actually happening or if they just felt ipetent. ¡°Your majesty,¡± one of them began. ¡°Every year, at least five people get lost in the forest at night and cannot find their way back. So far, there have only been three cases that have reached our ears and one has been found recently although the physician hasn¡¯t released the body.¡± That means there are two more people waiting to be found in the woods. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think it was something that should be handled?¡± I asked and he opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. ¡°What kind of leaders are we if we just left our people to suffer without offering solutions.¡± ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± ¡°I am suggesting nothing. I was unaware of the plight until today. You chose to keep it a secret so you will all handle it yourselves,¡± I looked over them all slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you n to stop people from going into the woods especially at night so they don¡¯t get lost but it is out of my hands now.¡± I leaned back in the chair and grabbed Cami¡¯s hands under the table. The ball was now in their court, I had nted all the seeds necessary and all I needed was for one person to say the words ¡®curfew. I waited for an antagonizing thirty minutes before someone finally got the hint. ¡°What about a curfew?¡± he asked. ¡°It is one way we could keep people in line. They would never go against that. The question is, what is the reason we will give them?¡± ¡°I am sure you can figure out something.¡± I sat up straighter. ¡°Thest thing I want is for any of you to throw the people into panic.¡± I stood to my feet and pulled Cami up with me gently. ¡°You are all dismissed.¡± I could see that they all had more to say but there was nothing they could do about the dismissal. I watched them file out and disappear. It wasn¡¯t until the door to the council room clicked shut that I could finally breathe. That entire time, I was in a state of panic wondering if my n was going to work. That was not something I wanted to feel again. Helplessness was not something I enjoyed. Cami breathed deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would be able to pull that off. What do we do now?¡± ¡°We do nothing.¡± she scrunched her brows in confusion. ¡°You continue your duties as usual.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°You have got to be kidding me. How do you expect me to pretend like nothing is wrong when we have a vampire on the loose? They might attack again. They have probably already attacked again.¡± ¡°I know. We need to avoid suspicion. The elders will be looking at us now. Just keep doing your thing. I will go to the library in my spare time and find everything I can on vampires.¡± She frowned. I wasn¡¯t fooling her that easily. ¡°I want to help. You can¡¯t stop me from helping.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you from helping, I am trying to keep you safe. Focus on your training. You will be able to help that way.¡± She pursed her lips and I knew there was more that she wanted to say but the truth was that it didn¡¯t matter. She could have given me all the excuses in the world and I still wouldn¡¯t have agreed. I ced a kiss on her head. ¡°I can handle this, trust me.¡± ¡°I do trust you,¡± she murmured before sighing. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide just this once.¡± I watched her walk out of the council room. I waited until she had left before I grabbed the nearest bottle of ink. I needed to write to Damien. I told him briefly what was happening and asked for the names of the packs where the rumors started. I knew it would take at least a day or two to get the letter to him and another day or two to get a response. I sealed it with wax to ensure that no one could read the contests before taking it personally to the office of the people responsible for correspondence. ¡°Your majesty,¡± they bowed. They looked shocked to see me and I didn¡¯t quite me them. I had never willingly walked into this ce before. ¡°Is there anything we can help you with?¡± I handed the letter to the man closest to me. ¡°Ensure that this gets to my old pack as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence.¡± I could see the curiosity etched on their faces but they couldn¡¯t ask any questions. They bowed and rushed off to do as I had asked. I didn¡¯t wait to ensure that they did what I asked- I knew they would and I had more important things to handle. I needed to find the general library. I knew where the normal one was but I had a feeling that there was another- there was always another. A ce where they kept the older texts that they didn¡¯t want people knowing about. I didn¡¯t know where it was but I knew someone who might. ¡°Christine, are you there?¡± I called out down the mind link and it took a second for her to respond. ¡°Yes, sorry. If you¡¯re worried about Aurora, she is out like a light. Cami came here a while ago and she is watching over her.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t Aurora, I need your help. I¡¯m in front of the pce library.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for the next second. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± True to her word, she appeared in less than five minutes. I could see the confusion and unease on her face as she made her way over. She was trying her best not to look like she was in a hurry and if not for the fact that I knew her as well as I did, she would have deceived me too. She came to stand next to me and we both turned to face the doors. I waited for the guards behind us to walk past before I spoke. ¡°Is this the only pce library?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weird question,¡± she answered immediately. ¡°Is there a particr reason for it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to exin things, Christine. I need you to answer me truthfully. Is this the only one? Lives could be depending on your answer.¡± ¡°No,¡± she answered after a beat of silence. ¡°But you already knew that, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re not stupid, Ryker and neither am I. I was told about the man in the woods before you were. If I am going to be honest with you then you have to award me the same decency.¡± I knew she was right and I also knew that I couldn¡¯t do this without her help so I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s vampires. I need ess to the other library to see what I can learn.¡± ¡°What do you mean by vampires?¡± she whisper yelled. ¡°Do the elders know? Do the people know? How bad is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± it pained me to admit but it was the truth. ¡°What I do know is that right now, I need ess to that library and I need it as soon as possible.¡± There was shock and confusion on her face along with a million questions but instead of asking them, she nodded. ¡°Come with me.¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I didn¡¯t see Ryker for the rest of the day and I honestly thought I would be grateful to not do the extra practice session with him but I found that I actually missed it. I went looking for him around the entire pce and even asked a few guards if they had seen him but no one could tell me anything. I ended up retiring to my room in the hopes that he woulde to bed while I was asleep. By the time I woke up the next morning. I knew he hadn¡¯te to bed. His side of the bed was still neat and cold. I tried to search for him for as long as possible before training but it was as if he had disappeared into thin air. Christine was too busy helping me with Audrey for me to ask and right after training, I had to spend over an hour trying to calm Aurora down because she just wouldn¡¯t stop screaming. It was almost noon when she calmed down and I was already at my wits end. Christine offered to help me with her while I went ahead with my work but I knew that if I put her down, there was a huge possibility that she would start screaming again. I bnced her in one hand and went to my office to finish up some paperwork. It was hard trying to do that with a child in my arms but I managed. It took twice as long as it should have and by the time I finished, I was exhausted. Aurora was passed out in my arms and I had nned to go into my room to rx when one of the elders approached me saying they needed to meet with Ryker and I. I couldn¡¯t tell them that I didn¡¯t know where he was so I made up an excuse about him being busy and followed them. I could see the relief on their faces when they saw that I was alone. It should have annoyed me that they feared Ryker more than they respected me but I didn¡¯t quite mind. It was the life I lived and it served me well on a good day. I sat down at my usual spot but it felt different without Ryker¡¯s steady presence next to me. I squared my shoulders and stered on my stoic expression as I faced them. ¡°We delivered the news of the curfew today,¡± one of the elders began. ¡°The people are murmuring. They will not be held down like this for long. We need toe up with a more permanent solution.¡± ¡°What do you suggest then?¡± I asked and there was an awkward silence. ¡°You are the Queen, your majesty, it is your jo toe up with these things,¡± his tone was condescending. He spoke like I was a child that needed exining to. ¡°Our duty is to help as best as we can but ultimately, we cannot make the decisions for you.¡± ¡°That sounds very convenient,¡± I shifted in the chair when Aurora began to stir. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for a solution from you, I am asking for suggestions. You kept it a secret for so long so I assume you thought about potential oues. That is within your job description, isn¡¯t it?¡± I was tired of dealing with them. I decided to y on the same cards that Ryker used yesterday. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be as good at it as he was but I figured it would be enough to leave majority of the brainstorming to them. They cast wary looks at each other but neither of them spoke. I knew I had trapped them in a tough position where they could either admit that they were cking on their jobs or they could think of solutions for me. ¡°Your majesty, with all due respect, this is all veryst minute¡± one began. ¡°I am sure that gives you an idea of how I feel about this then. I will leave you to the thinking. In the meantime, pacify the people. Divert their attention to something else. Do not make them feel trapped. Everyone will love a cage if it is presented as a gift. Make them feel safe and get me the names of the two other people who went missing.¡± There was a brief moment of hesitation and I knew there was something they weren¡¯t saying. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Someone else went missing.¡± My first instinct was to scream but the sleeping infant in my arms reminded me that I couldn¡¯t do that instead, I focused on breathing calmly and I crossed my hands over my chest. ¡°Why am I just hearing about it now? Who is it?¡± ¡°He is a homeless man. The only reason we know about it is because there is a guard who takes food to him every day. He realized the man hadn¡¯t been there for a few days. We have it under control.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin why I was not told.¡± ¡°It happenedst night but we couldn¡¯t find you. We assumed it wasn¡¯t important. Especially since it was a homeless man.¡± ¡°That was not your decision to make.¡± ¡°Pardon me, your majesty but it is hard to know what you take seriously when your mate isn¡¯t even here for the meeting. You are always busy with one thing or the other and you never treat this council room with the respect that it deserves,¡± his voice rose and Aurora whined from her spot in my arms. ¡°Lower your tone elder,¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°You will not wake my daughter.¡± ¡°A council room is no ce for a child,¡± he all but yelled. ¡°You were not raised in the ace and you do not know the ways of the pce. You are a ong step away from being the Queen that your mother was and you will not get there if you keep treating this room with contempt.¡± While he was speaking, the door to the council room opened and Ryker walked in. he was in fresh clothes but I could tell that he was not well rested. I was relieved that he was there because I was certain that conversation was destined for a downward spiral. ¡°Get up,¡± Ryker ordered and for a second, I thought he was talking to me but his eyes were fixated on the elder who had spoken. He tried to look brave but I could see the undercurrent of fear in his eyes. It was general knowledge that Ryker did not shy away from confrontation, that was my job. Where I was gentle, he was fierce and he never tolerated disrespect from anyone, especially when it was directed at me. The elder rose to his feet. and Ryker slowly made his way over to him. ¡°Repeat those words,¡± his voice was deceptively calm but everyone could smell the storm brewing. When the elder didn¡¯t speak, Ryker grabbed the cor of his shirt. ¡°Is there a problem elder?¡± The elder shook his head. ¡°Not at all, we were just talking.¡± Ryker smiled darkly. ¡°If you ever speak to my mate like that again, you will lose your tongue. If you cannot respect her as your Queen then respect her as my mate.¡± He pushed him away harshly then turned to the others. ¡°That warning goes for all of you. If you disrespect her again then I will personally make sure that immensely. Is that clear?¡± you suffer They were quick to nod. Ryker ignored them and quietly took Aurora from my arms. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t woken up. He helped me up to my feet and we walked out of the council room together. He waited until we were out of the council room before he spoke. ¡°You need to defend yourself, Cami. I can¡¯t always protect you from them and they need to respect you for you and not because they are scared of me.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± I mumbled under my breath. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to learn, Cami. This is your kingdom and until you start acting like you own it then no one is going to treat you like Queen. Those men in there respect power and authority. You need to show them that you have it and you are here to stay. Do you understand me?¡± I knew he was right but that didn¡¯t mean that I had to like it. I decided to change the subject instead of answering. ¡°Where were you yesterday? I searched for you everywhere.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°I was in the library but I lost track of time and I fell asleep. By the time I woke up, it was almost noon. I rushed over as quickly as I could.¡± I narrowed my brows in confusion. ¡°I checked the libraryst night. It was one of the first ces I checked when I realized that you were missing.¡± He looked around to make sure no one was listening before whispering. ¡°Come with me.¡± We put Aurora to rest in her room first before Ryker led me towards the stairs. I had no idea where we floor were going but I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me so I decided to trust him. He led me towards the top which was mostly unused. The only room that had been upied in thest century was my father¡¯s room. I had never been in there and I wasn¡¯t sure I ever wanted to. Ryker led me past what used to be his room to arge and borate tapestry. He looked around to make sure that we were alone before pulling at one of the edges and to my shock, it opened to reveal a narrow hallway. I turned to Ryker in confusion. ¡°How many secret passages does this pce have? Were you exploring the tunnels?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a tunnel. You have to go in.¡± I hesitated at the mouth of the hallway. ¡°How did you even find it?¡± ¡°Christine showed it to me,¡± I was shocked. I had asked Christine where Ryker was and she just shrugged in response. I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. ¡°I made her promise not to tell you so you didn¡¯t demanding to help me. Juste in and see.¡± end up I huffed and made my way into the narrow hallway. I kept both hands on the wall to guide myself but it was more of Ryker¡¯s hand on my back that led me. The hallway wasn¡¯t as long as I expected it to be. Within minutes, we were standing in front of what had to be thergest library I had ever seen. My mouth fell open in shock and I turned to Ryker. ¡°What is this ce?¡± ¡°Wee to the secret pce library. It has everything on anything including forbidden texts.¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V The library was amazing. The shelves were as high as the ceiling which was more than three times my height. It was chilly and I assumed that was because the books weren¡¯t exactly books, they were scrolls and bound parchments. I was almost scared to touch anything because everything looked ancient like it was going to fall apart if handled wrongly. I couldn¡¯t fault Ryker for losing track of time here, I would have too. It was lit up by torches on either side and all the windows were closed but there was still a breeze blowing through. The walls were pure cement and there were only two tables that I could see. The crest of the kingdom was etched on each shelf and on the walls. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many people actually knew about it. He led me with a hand on my lower back to a table where papers were arranged in a neat pile. I could tell that was where he sat because it still had his faint scent around it. As we got closer, I noticed some of the drawings and writings on the texts and I realized that he was reading about vampires. I turned to him with a raised brow and all he did was shrug as if it were no big deal. ¡°Were you able to find out anything?¡® I asked and he sighed. ¡°Not exactly. Vampires aren¡¯t like us, they¡¯re immortal and they can have one king for a millennium. It is unusual for them to document about their leaders so that others don¡¯t realize who they are. I tried going as far back as thest war but I couldn¡¯t find anything about his identity. I¡¯ll keep searching but I doubt we will find anything here about them.¡± ¡°Have there been any vampires so far who have done things like this in the past?¡® I asked and he shook his head. ¡°None that I have found,¡± he ran his hand thrugh his hair in frustration. ¡°Our best bet is to find the vampire king and request a meeting with him. He is the only one who can keep his subjects in line.¡± I bit my bottom lip as I debated what to say. All we could do was keep searching because fighting vampires was bad enough, but fighting vampires that we knew nothing about was even worse. I picked up the closest text to me and stuffed it under my arm, ¡°I hope we can take them out,¡± I murmured. ¡°This ce is too stuffy for me to stay in all day.¡¯ The corner of his lips tilted up. ¡°You¡¯re the Queen, you can do whatever you want.¡± We picked out a few books that we thought would help and returned to our room to ensure they were kept safely before making our way to the dining room to spend time with our daughters. When Christine saw me, she must have immediately known that Ryker had told me about the library because she offered me a small apologetic smile. I narrowed my eyes at her yfully and sheughed. Dinner was long and fun. I hoped after dinner he would forget about practicing but Ryker was nothing if not disciplined. I tried to argue that we had to read about the vampires but he was adamant that it could wait. Audrey joined us this time and we spent our exact hour outside and despite my protests, I ended up having fun. Audrey made demands and she squealed whenever I got it right. It felt relieving to not have the burden of powers on my shoulders and to be able to use it for something as miniscule as entertaining my daughter. While we were packing up to leave, I felt a cool breeze at the back of my neck. I straightened instantly and turned towards the woods behind us but it was too dark to make out anything. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone was watching us and I started in that direction but Ryker¡¯s hand wrapped around my wrist pulling me to a stop and snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked and I nced towards the woods but Ryker grabbed my chin and turned me to face him. ¡°Look at me, what are looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just thought-¡± I began in that direction again but Ryker wouldn¡¯t let me go. I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away from the woods. I knew there was something there and I could have sworn that I saw a sh of red in the trees. ¡°Cami!¡± Ryker rarely said my name unless it was important. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I thought I felt something there. I felt it that day with Damien and Riley.¡± Ryker frowned. ¡°Take Audrey and go inside.¡± I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. ¡°Just do as I said. I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m back, I promise.¡¯ I would have stayed there to argue if Audrey didn¡¯t yawn loudly. I picked her up and reluctantly walked towards the pce. She clung to me like a spider and buried her face into my neck. I led her to her room and helped her change into her pajamas before tucking her into bed. ¡°Where is daddy?¡± she yawned and I kissed her forehead. ¡°He had to work on something. He¡¯ll be here tomorrow morning, okay?¡± I whispered and I doubted she heard me because her eyes were already drooping. ¡°I love you, baby.¡± ¡°I love you too, mummy.¡± I pulled her nket up to her chin and walked out of the room. I waited in our room for Ryker anxiously. I debated just going into the woods to find him myself but I knew was more likely to get lost. I paced around the room for what felt like hours but in reality was just thirty minutes. When he walked in, he looked exhausted. It wasn¡¯t in his face but in the way he moved. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and shut the door behind him. ¡®Did you find anything?¡® I asked and he shook his head. ¡°The woods were empty,¡¯ he whispered and I froze in my ce. ¡°Well, it was empty of vampires.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There was another body,¡± his words dropped like a bombshell and there was a ringing in my ears. I blinked twice wondering if I heard wrong but by the pensive look on his face, I knew I hadn¡¯t. ¡°The physician has taken in the body to analyze but I figure it is going to be the same.¡± ¡°We have to figure out something.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Ryker assured me as he grabbed my palm and squeezed. ¡®Just forget about it for tonight. You should rest.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What about you?¡± I knew he had no ns of resting. ¡°Well then, I guess we can get through the material faster if we both read.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always reminding me how I¡¯am queen. Don¡¯t you think it is time I started acting like it?¡± I fell asleep sometime during the early hours of the morning and by the time I woke up, I was in my night gown and already lying in bed. Ryker was still hunched over the desk and I knew he hadn¡¯t slept. I slowly made my way out and ced a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly but rxed when he noticed that I was the one standing there. I ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°You need to rest, Ryker. Today is going to be a very busy day and you know it. We have to see the elders and the physician.¡± He smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, baby. If I¡¯m tired, I will rest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± He stood to his feet and ced his hands on my waist. He pulled me into him and kissed my lips softly. He was obviously tired but he was trying to put up a brave face for me. I knew there was nothing I could do save for drugging him and in that moment, I was honestly contemting it. He didn¡¯t give me the chance to say anything because he just side stepped me and began bringing out clothes for the day. i sighed and just got ready. Like I predicted, the first thing we had to do was meet with the elders. They were in a more agreeable mood since yesterday and I knew it had more to do with Ryker¡¯s presence than anything. It was obvious that this was out of their league because no one knew what to do. Apparently, the body that had been found belonged to a family in the lower town and they were already searching for their son. News was beginning to spread and I knew it was only a matter of time before we would have to tell them that he was found. All we could do was double down on the curfew and try and me his death on the elements. I knew it would be a hard sell considering werewolves rarely got cold but it was the best that we could do at that point. The elders were not too happy about having to break the news to the people but they went to do it either way. Our next stop was the physician and there was nothing new for him to tell us. He died in the same manner as thest person and had only been dead for a few hours before we found him. He offered to cover up the bite marks so the family didn¡¯t see it and I was quick to agree. As we left his office, I turned to Ryker. ¡°How long has the boy been missing for?¡± I wanted to fact check something. ¡°ording to the elders- two days.¡± ¡°If he only diedst night then that means that they are being held before they die. The question is why? What does he gain out of holding them captive for days? Is it a fear tactic?¡± ¡°It could be but somehow I doubt it. If it were that then they should have signs of torture but there is nothing. I have a feeling there¡¯s more to this than we realize.¡± I knew he was right but it was so frustrating to think about. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why us? Why were we the ones to be targeted? There were thousands of werewolves and hundreds of packs all over the world so why were we the target? ¡°You¡¯re the Queen,¡± Ryker began and I realized I had spoken out loud. ¡°There is no greater show of strength than being able to overthrow the werewolf monarchy. Everything goes through you. If you fall then they all fall with you.¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I didn¡¯t realize how much pressure was on me until Ryker said those words. I don¡¯t think he meant for me to worry but I couldn¡¯t help it. I spent the entire morning thinking about his words. Loris had to cut training short because my mind seemed to be everywhere else but present. I almost hit him in the face with a stream of water while I was meant to move it from one stream to another. The bodies were returned to the families today and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to see them. I watched from a pir while they sobbed into the bodies of their sons. My heart ached for them and I wanted nothing more than tofort them but my feet couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t imagine how I would react if I lost a child. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I rxed considerably when I realized it was Ryker. His scent crowded my space and I heaved a small sigh. His arms wrapped around my shoulders and he ced his chin on the center of my head. I could feel his eyes on me instead of the family. ¡°I feel bad,¡± I admitted. ¡°It is our job to protect them and we failed.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. It isn¡¯t even theirs. The fault resides with the vampire who killed them.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t stop,¡± I whispered and he didn¡¯t respond. There was no need for him to, he knew I was right. ¡°We have to stop him before he kills anyone else.¡± ¡°We will, it¡¯s just taking a little longer than we thought,¡± he pulled back from me. ¡°One of us should be there tofort them.¡± Before I could say anything, he brushed past me and walked over to the family. The mother sobbed into his arms and I watched as Rykerforted her. He wasn¡¯t supposed to touch them and I knew the elders would have a field day if they saw him but I couldn¡¯t help but smile softly. One thing I loved most about Ryker was his ability to be so empathetic without saying a word. He deserved to be king much more than I deserved to be Queen. He would have found a way to sort this thing out. I only wished the vampire king were half the man he was. If he was, he would have known that his subjects were stepping out of line and he would have handled them. As soon as that thoughtnded, I gasped. All this time, we had been chasing the wrong lead. There was no way that we were going to find the vampire who was doing this, we needed to find the king. I wanted to inform Ryker but he was too busy with the family so I made my way to the secret library alone. If I was going to find anything on him, it was going to be there. I pulled out every single book I could find on vampires and put my wall firmly in ce so I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. I couldn¡¯t tell how long I sat there flipping through books and trying to figure out who the infamous king was. There were so many texts on him but none of them mentioned his name or even what he loked like. I knew finding him was going to be hard but I never realized it was going to be this hard. It was around evening when Ryker found me with my head buried in the books. I was so lost in my reading that I didn¡¯t realize he was close until he spoke. ¡°This is where you¡¯ve been,¡± he mused and I jumped. He had to ce a hand at the back of my chair to prevent it from tipping over. ¡°We¡¯ve been scouring the entire pce for you. Is this payback vrom when I made you worry?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Maybe, maybe not. At least now you know how it feels.¡± He peered over my shoulder at the books opened in front of me. ¡°What are we searching for today? Did you find something?¡± I exined my theory to him and he listened intently while I spoke. By the time I was done, he had a wary look on his face and I immediately knew that there were going to beints. ¡°This is brilliant but we are working on the assumption that the vampire king is someone who can be reasoned with,¡± he ran his hand down his jaw. ¡°This man could be over a thousand years old. He might not be willing to listen or even care about what is happening.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the king, he has to,¡± my brows furrowed. ¡°No one wants a war. If he is up to a thousand years old then he must have seen first-hand the war.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we handle this tomorrow?¡± he asked and I wanted to refute but my stomach chose that exact moment to rumble. ¡°Come on baby, let¡¯s get some food into you.¡± ¡°Can I get some books first?¡± I asked and he nodded. I gathered my books and just as I was about to leave, I got an idea. He mentioned something about the vampire king and the war so I grabbed the books I could see on the war. It was a far stretch but it was one worth looking into. ¡°Are you ready?¡¯ he asked and I nodded. He grabbed the books from my hand and gestured for me to walk ahead of him. This time, I didn¡¯t hesitate before moving. I had ns to read after eating but I was so tired that I didn¡¯t even realize when I passed out from exhaustion. The next thing I realized was that I was waking up in bed during the early hours of the morning. Ryker was already up and out of bed at the time and I rushed to get in line with my duties. The morning seemed to go like any other until we were told during breakfast that there were bodies. It felt like the weight of the world had crashed on me especially since we had nned to spend the day with the girls. Ryker decided that it would be best if he goes to check the bodies while I stay with the girls so as not to arouse suspicion. I wasn¡¯t entirely on board with it but he didn¡¯t give me much of a chance to protest. I didn¡¯t want to be idle so while I at with Audrey in her room, I was flipping through the books I had brought back. I decided to start with the ones on the war and to say there were unhelpful would have been an understatement. Most of them spoke about casualties and how the werewolves won the war but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I was about to give up when I noticed another passage that seemed to be about the vampires. I decided to keep reading and although it didn¡¯t give much, it spoke about how the vampire king didn¡¯t live in the Northern mountains like the rest of them. Although it was a spection, some believed that he lived in the mountains close to the pce to mirror the lives of the werewolves. As soon as-I-read that, I tried to mind link Ryker but his wall was up. I mind linked Christine next and she was quick to rush into the room. I showed her what I had found and she pored over it for far longer than necessary. After what felt like minutes, she looked up at me. ¡°I think we should wait for Ryker,¡± she said and I frowned. ¡°If this is true, you could be walking into an ambush. It is best if you go with guards.¡± ¡°That would look like a deration of war. I just want to talk to him. I can take a few guards with me but if I carry an entire army which is what Ryker is going to do then the conversation will end befor eit even starts.¡± She sighed knowing she couldn¡¯t win with me. ¡°What do you propose then?¡± ¡°I need you to watch the kids,¡± she opened her mouth to refute but I cut her off. ¡°Ryker is busy right now and I am not going to make him leave whatever he is doing toe to me. I¡¯ll just take two guards and go on horses.¡± She still didn¡¯t look convinced but she reluctantly nodded. I grabbed her hands and gave her a small smile. ¡°Just be safe,¡± she whispered. ¡°Take some of the best guards.¡± ¡°I will. Can you arrange some for me? You know them better than I do.¡± She left to organize the guards and I secretly hoped that Ryker would return before she did but he didn¡¯t. I was terribly anxious to go alone but I was the Queen and Ryker was right I needed to start acting like it. Audrey demanded to walk with me to the horses and I couldn¡¯t refuse her. She didn¡¯t want to let me go and if I were smarter, I would have taken that as a sign to stay back. ¨C¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I promised and she frowned. ¡°When I¡¯m back we can y house again, okay?¡± She hesitated before nodding and pulling me into a hug. Christine had to hold her back while I mounted the horse. I exined to the guards where we were going. I was kept in the middle for security reasons and we began the journey. We had estimated a few hours for the journey and I knew that if all went as nned then we would leave by nightfall. I The journey was quiet but I could feel the tension emanating. We were just four in number and I hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be seen as too much. We went deeper into the woods than I had ever gone before and the further we went, the colder it N?velDrama.Org holds this content. got. was grateful for the coat that Christine had made me pack. Even if it didn¡¯tpletely protect me from the cold, it did a better job than my dress would have. ¡°Your majesty, do you know exactly what we are looking for? We are almost at the mountains.¡± ¡°Just keep going. You¡¯ll know it when you see it.¡± We kept going for a few minutes when I felt eyes on me. I couldn¡¯t see them but I knew they were there so I immediately ordered everyone to stop. The guards must have sensed the urgency in my voice because they immediately formed a protective circle around me. ¡°We can turn back now,¡± one of them began but I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home, Cami,¡± I heard someone drawl from the woods and I looked to see bright glowing red eyes staring back at me. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V ¡°I mean no harm,¡± I called out but the vampire made no move to step out. ¡°I just want to see your king.¡± Heughed maniacally. ¡°Not many people live to see that request. Our king does not like visitors neither does he tolerate them.¡± The guards tightened their circle around me. ¡°My name is Cami and I am the Queen of the wolves. I believe he should want to see me. I would not come here unless it was important.¡± There was silence for a minute and I honestly thought he wasn¡¯t going to respond until he spoke. ¡°I know who you are. He has been expecting you but we didn¡¯t know you woulde with guards of your own.¡± ¡°Did you expect me to walk into unknown territory unprotected?¡± He finally stepped out of the woods. His hair was cropped short and close to his head. He looked like a normal person except for the unusual paleness of his skin. It was patchy and white like snow. I figured it was expected considering they were practically dead and lived in the cold of the mountains. He smiled and I saw a hint of his fangs. Although I had never seen him, I recognized him from his eyes alone. ¡°You were the one watching me in the woods, weren¡¯t you?¡± He smiled. ¡°Maybe. Come, Cami, the king awaits.¡± The guards with me hesitated but I figured that we were already here and if he wanted to hurt me then he would have done so already. He walked ahead of us unbothered about his bare feet touching the rough in. I figured not much bothered the undead. We got to the mouth of a cave and the guards in front of me stopped. ¡°Your majesty,¡± one of them began. ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea? We don¡¯t know if there is an army in there. We are walking in blind.¡± ¡°I can assure you that there is no army,¡± the vampire said from in front of me. We turned to him in confusion and he tapped his ears. ¡°We have better hearing than you guys. To answer your question, there is no army. We don¡¯t need one. I can assure you that there are less than five people, including me.¡± The guards still didn¡¯t look convinced so I knew I would have to make the first move. I slowly got off my horse and nced up at the guards to assure them that it was fine. They dismounted too and we allowed the vampire lead us into the cave. It was pitch ck and it took longer than usual for me to get adjusted to the light. The distinct smell of blood filled the air and unease threatened to choke me. ¡°Forgive the smell,¡± he said off handedly. ¡°We do have to feed sooner orter. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± If the vampire realized that we were ufortable, he didn¡¯t let on. He just walked further in until we got to what I assumed was the center of the cave. There was an opening at the top that allowed light filter inwards. Right in the center of that opening was a throne carved from stone. It was massive and seated atop it was a man who looked no older than mid-forties but I knew better than to judge him based off his looks. When he saw me, he sat up straighter. His hair was long and reached past his shoulders. His eyes held wisdom that I couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. Even though he was seated, I could tell that he was a tall man. There was blood at the corner of his lips and he made a show of wiping it away with his thumb. ¡°Cami,¡± he practically purred my name. ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I have waited to get your attention. Wee to my abode. It might not be anything much but it is something.¡± The guards were still surrounding me so I broke out of their circle and stepped forward. One of them reached out in an attempt to grab me but I shot him a hard look before turning to face the king. He was looking at us with an amused expression on his face. ¡°Forgive the mess, it has been a while since we had visitors. If you hade in an hour ago, I doubt you would have been able to withstand the sight.¡± I knew he was trying to push my buttons to see what made me tick but I had no time to spare on the conversation. I came with a mission in mind, I wanted to do it and get back home before anyone realized that I was missing. ¡°You¡¯re the king,¡± I said more to confirm than anything and he nodded. ¡°I have gone by many names in my lifetime some of which are not very nice but you can refer to me as stair, it is the name I was given after I had turned.¡± He spoke like he expected me to recognize the name but I had never heard it before. I thought long and hard in case it was something I had buried down in my mind but there was nothing. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, stair.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. He frowned when there was no recognition on my face. ¡°It is customary for people to bow when they see a king.¡± ¡°The same way people ought to bow when they see a Queen,¡± I quipped back and the corner of his lips tipped upwards. ¡°Let us not hold each other to standards that we do not hold ourselves, okay?¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± he made a dramatic show of hands and sat up straighter. ¡°What brings you here, Cami? Wolves do not wander here by ident. I could see it as a breach of our peace treaty because you came to my dwelling ce.¡± ¡°Considering that you broke the treaty first when he watched me, I¡¯m not quite worried about that,¡± I jerked my thumb in the direction of the vampire who led us. ¡°I am not here to fight. I have a problem that I think you would like to hear about.¡± ¡°I think I already know what it is. The vampire who keeps murdering your wolves,¡± when he saw the surprise on my face, heughed. ¡°News travels fast, Cami. Did you really think that a vampire would be out of line and I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± I heaved a sigh of relief knowing that if he was aware, it would be handled soon. ¡°I hope this means that you are working on it and the culprit will be apprehended soon?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± my brows scrunched in confusion. He turned to one of the others and nodded and I saw arge crate being dragged in. inside that crate were two werewolves. They were bound and gagged and although they were alive, they had been beaten and looked malnourished. stair watched my face intently as he stood to his feet and I couldn¡¯t help but take a subconscious step backwards. The guards were forming a protective ring around me but so were the vampires. ¡°It sure is a bother to find new wolves every day. I always like to have some in backup,¡± he smirked and nodded once more. This time, his vampires moved. It was a perfectly evened out fight- three against three- but we were at a disadvantage. This was their home. It took less than five minutes for all the guards to drop dead by my side. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that I was screwed. I was standing alone in a room with four vampires who were older than I could ever imagine. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked feigning bravery. If he was going to kill me then I wasn¡¯t going to die while cowering. ¡°Was the killing your way of getting my attention?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± he shrugged and leaned closer into the chair. ¡°Living for a thousand years gets boring sometimes. I just wanted to be entertained but now that you are here, I think we can talk.¡± One of the vampires moved so fast that he was practically a blur. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me down into a stone carved chair that wasn¡¯t there a second ago. He walked towards me and curled a strand of my hair around his fingers. I stayedpletely still while he moved. I knew it would be foolish to try to attack him when I was outnumbered so I kept my eyes fixated on the ground and tried to get to Ryker or Christine via mind link but I couldn¡¯t. it felt like there was something blocking the connection. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying,¡± stair suddenly said. ¡°When you have lived as long as I have, you will make friends n high ces. I had a witch spell the cave so no one can mind link inside of it. You are completely on your own.¡± The gravity of the situation hit me at once and I couldn¡¯t help but wish I had just stayed at home with the girls like Christine had suggested. I was going to die in the mountains with no one knowing the truth. I knew I had to stall. I looked around thinking of hat I could ask and my eyes fell on the men in the cage. ¡°Why did you start attacking the wolves?¡± I asked and he froze behind me. ¡°We had a wonderful peace treaty going on. You were probably alive when it was made. You chose to break it, why? What could have been worth it?¡± ¡°There is a lot you don¡¯t know, Cami. You werewolves are practically blind to the grand scheme of eternity. Do you know what it means to live for eons? To see centuries rise and fall while you remain. I believe it is both a blessing and a curse,¡± he walked over so he could stand in front of me. ¡°War is inevitable, Cami, the quicker you realize that, the better.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°You have something that I want,¡± he said suddenly and my brows scrunched, ¡°and you are going to give it to me.¡± ¡°I will never help you.¡± ¡°I thought you would say that,¡± he stood to his feet. ¡°Look around you, Cami, you aren¡¯t getting out of here without giving me what I want. Do us both a favor and end this right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want but I can promise that I will not be giving it to you,¡± I spat and his lips curled downwards. ¡°I never wanted it toe to this but you leave me no choice.¡± ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± He didn¡¯t respond. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 RYKER¡¯S POV When I was told that there was another body, I was expecting to see a scene simr to thest ones. When I got there, I was suddenly thankful that I asked Cami to stay back. It was so graphic that one of the guards threw up on sight. The smell of blood hung in the air and it was so messy that I didn¡¯t even know where to stand. It was clear that unlike the others, this man was killed in the forest. His head waspletely severed off and there was blood everywhere- on the grass and on the trees. There was no way we could hide this one even if we tried. I muttered a curse and ran my hands through my hair as I thought of what we could do. The guards were most definitely going to talk and the family of the boy were not going to ept any bullsh it exnations. ¡°Your majesty,¡± one of the guards spoke snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°What do we do with the body.¡± ¡°Right now, leave it. Get the physician here. We can¡¯t risk transporting it back to the pce.¡± He nodded and left to do as I asked. While we waited for the physician, I spoke to the guards who had found him. They were lured by the scent of blood and discovered the scene. No one recognized him yet and I was grateful for that. It was easier to deal with the victim as a stranger than someone¡¯s child or father. It took twenty minutes for the physician to arrive with his son and I saw him flinch when he took in the scene. He muttered something under his breath and went to work analyzing the body. His son looked a little green and if it were another day, I would have suggested that he sat it out but I needed to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible. ¡°It is the same as the others,¡± he said as he stood to his feet. I didn¡¯t want to risk the others overhearing us so I turned to the guards. ¡°Wrap up the body and take it back to the pce. Ensure it is cleaned and made presentable then find out who he is and if he has any family.¡± While they scrambled to do as I asked, I led the physician to a corner of the woods away from pryingN?velDrama.Org holds this content. ears. I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to say but I had a feeling that I was not going to like it. He looked around to be sure that no one was listening before he spoke. ¡°I think it was the same vampire that did this,¡± he whispered. ¡°It looks more disorganized and the scene is made to look like he lost control and ripped the head off but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what happened. It was a clean cut. It wasn¡¯t ripped out using teeth because if it was then it would have jagged edges like ripped skin.¡± ¡°What are you saying essentially?¡±` ¡°I¡¯m saying that whoever this is has to be exceptionally brilliant. They know what they¡¯re doing. This is a game your majesty, I just don¡¯t know what the rules are.¡± I sighed. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± He nodded and I watched him walk away. I waited until the guards finished clearing the scene before I got into the carriage to leave. I just wanted to sit with my mate and forget everything that happened. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I felt this exhausted and it wasn¡¯t a physical thing. As soon as I got to the pce however, I knew something was wrong. It wasn¡¯t as if anything stood out, there was just an unease in my chest. I tried to mind link Cami but her wall was up. I decided to go looking for her but I saw Christine with the girls. ¡°Where is Cami?¡± I asked making all of them turn to me. Audrey ran into my arms but I could barely focus on her, my attention was on Christine and the guilty expression on her face. ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°She took some guards to follow up a lead on the vampire king. I tried to convince her to wait for you but she said she would be back soon. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I cursed and rushed out of the room. I knew Cami made impulsive decisions but this topped the cake. I immediately up the guards while Christine told me where she went. If it wasn¡¯t so frowned on I would have considered just rallied permanently locking Cami up in a room so she wouldn¡¯t make crazy decisions sand give me a heart attack before 40. No words were spoken as we took off. I was burning with anxiety and fear. I kept trying to reach Cami through her mind link but it was almost as if something was blocking it. I couldn¡¯t get to her no matter how hard I tried. The sun was setting and I was getting increasingly paranoid. The night was their domain and I didn¡¯t want her out while there was a crazed vampire on the loose. We got to the mountains and I didn¡¯t know where we were going but I trusted that we were going the right way. When I found the horses tied up and abandoned, I let out a sigh of relief. Even though Cami was not with them, it filled me with a sense of relief that we were going the right way. I decided to continue on foot since we were already at the base of the mountain. I could feel the curiosity from the guards with me. The sun had almost setpletely and we were still nowhere close to finding them. The logical thing to do would have been to call off the search until morning but Ii had zero ns of leaving Cami out alone. There were only two choices- return with her or do not return at all. ¡°Your majesty, I found something,¡± I immediately rushed towards the sound of the guard¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting but it definitely was not the severed body of one of our guards at the mouth of the cave. It was an obvious taunt and I knew that we could be walking into a potential ambush but I was determined to go along with it regardless. I had two guards stay outside and keep watch while the rest of us went into the cave. It was eerily quiet and cold. I could have sworn there was no sign of life on the inside. The guards kept close to me while we moved further inside. It was pitch ck and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong. I thought we were going in circles until I heard a sound. It sounded like cackling and it was a few feet away. I decided to follow it until I came to the center of the cave. There was blood all over the floors and it was empty save for a man seated in the center of the room. He had Cami standing in front of him and she looked exhausted. There was a slight sheen of sweat on her face and her lips were tinged blue. The man had his head down and when he looked up, I was taken aback by how red his eyes were. They were the color of freshly spilled blood and there was blood on his face and teeth as he smiled. ¡°I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up,¡± he drawled. ¡°I expected you to be here earlier. Do you know how taxing it has been to wait for you? I even had to put out a wee gift so you could find your way. I would have put the others but my men wanted snacks.¡± I could tell that he was deranged. ¡°Let her go,¡± I kept my voice cool although on the inside, I was a raging storm. ¡°Do you are ¡°that¡¯s rude. You didn¡¯t even ask my name first. I would have thought that you wolves had better manners. I know dogs but you don¡¯t have to act like it, I growled and took a step forward but he quickly produced a dagger. ¡°Do not take a step closer. She is still in my arms.¡± The vampire simply smiled when I froze. ¡°To answer your demand, I will let her go. I don¡¯t particrly like girls. They taste different. You on the other hand, you¡¯re more my type,¡± Igrowled and heughed. ¡°I should be thest thing on your radar, Ryker. Have you taken a good look at your mate?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I had barely finished asking when he pushed Cami forward. I didn¡¯t think as I rushed to grab her. She copsed in my arms and I realized just how cold she was. She was shivering and she tried to speak but no words woulde out. I looked up to see the vampire on the other end of the room. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± the guards started moving forward but he held up a hand and clicked his tongue. ¡°Let me give you a little insight on vampires that might not be present in your history books. We can bite for three reasons,¡± he paused for dramatic effect and began counting off his fingers. ¡°One is to feed, the second is to turn and the third is to kill. Our venom has poison.¡± I immediately realized what he was saying and I gently turned Cami¡¯s neck only to see two fang marks in her throat directly over her mark. ¡°If I were you, I would get that checked as soon as possible. After all, there is no cure.¡± ¡°You ba stard,¡± I looked up only to see that he had disappeared. I let out a roar of frustration and gently but quickly lifted Cami in my arms. ¡°Get the horses ready and make sure the physician is on standby by the time we arrive.¡± ¡°Do you want some of us to go after him?¡± one of the guards asked but I shook my head. ¡°We will see again, sooner orter. My bet is on sooner.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 RYKER¡¯S PO.V We rushed home with Cami. I could barely remember the ride back, the only thought on my mind was her. I checked on her almost every second to ensure she was breathing. Her eyes were closed and her lips were still blue but each time I saw her chest rise and fall, it filled me with a sense of hope. When we got to the pce, the physician¡¯s son was already waiting outside with Christine. They had done me a favor and cleared out the back entrance to the pce and for that, I was grateful. I already knew the news would spread but all I could ask for was one day of peace and quiet where no one asked me st upid questions about her. We rushed her into the physician¡¯s room which was thankfully devoid of dead bodies. She was ced gently on the bed and he immediately went to work looking over her. I stood by the door so as not to get in their way but to have a good view of what was happening. Christine stood by my side and I could see her hesitating between reaching out to me or staying on her own. At the end of the day, she decided to stand beside me in silence. ¡°What happened to her?¡± the physician asked and I swallowed deeply before responding. ¡°The vampire there said she was bitten,¡± it took everything in me to keep my voice even as I spoke. ¡°He said it was a bite to poison and kill¡± The physician froze and turned to me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded. ¡°Is something wrong? Talk to me.¡± ¡°If that is what he said and he meant it then there are two things at y here. For starters, whoever that vampire was has to be almost as old as time itself. Most vampires don¡¯t learn how to poison until theyN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. are centuries old and even then, it isn¡¯t something they do often because not everyone masters the skill. Whoever you met has to be someone of a high ranking or vast importance.¡± ¡°The king,¡¯ Christine whispered and I turned to her. ¡°Cami told me she found something about the vampire king living in the mountains close to the pce. That¡¯s what she wanted to investigate. What if the man is the king?¡± ¡°It would make a lot of sense,¡± the physician mumbled more to himself than anyone. He continued mumbling to himself and while I wouldn¡¯t have minded on another day, there was something more important I needed to know. ¡°What is the second thing?¡± he looked confused so I exined. ¡°You said there were two things at y but only mentioned one. What is the second?¡± A dark look crossed his face and this time he didn¡¯t speak. He opened his mouth but no words would come out and I knew that whatever he would say, there was a very high possibility that I would not like it. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time,¡± I growled and he swallowed. ¡°There is no known cure for vampire venom. I am sorry, your majesty.¡± He began speaking about the bite but I couldn¡¯t hear him. There was blood rushing through my ears and I couldn¡¯t figure out if I was upset with Cami or with the situation. All she had to do was wait for me and all of this would have been avoided. The more I thought of it, the more annoyed I got. I knew I was a second away from losing my cool so I forced deep breaths out of my lungs. When the vampire said it, I didn¡¯t want to believe it but hearing it again was like a wakeup call. There was a pained gasp and it took me a second to realize it came from Christine. She had a hand over her mouth and I could see tears swimming in her eyes. I wanted tofort her but I didn¡¯t know how so I did the next best thing and opened my arms to her. She wasted no time in wrapping her arms around me as so bs wracked through her body. In a way, she reminded me of Riley. They both cared too much although she had a harder time showing it. They also liked to pretend to be stronger than they actually were. I held her by her shoulders and allowed her cry while I turned to face the physician who was watching me intently. ¡°You don¡¯t look surprised,¡± he began and I shrugged. ¡°I already knew,¡± it felt like torture having to keep a straight face when my entire insides were burning. Cami had already gone through so much and now this. I knew from a young age that the world wasn¡¯t kind but if there was anyone who deserved kindness from the world, it was her. Despite everything, she never failed to be a good person and all she got nothing but pain in return. ¡°Do everything you can,¡± I told the physician and he opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens but my mate must not die. Check your history books, hell, I don¡¯t even care if you have to find vampires and get answers out of them. I want her alive and healthy.¡± ¡°Your majesty,¡± his voice was soft. ¡°Thousands before me have tried to get a cure. The venom is strong. Nothing seems to work against it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a first time for everything.''¡± He swallowed once he realized how serious I was and nodded. Once I was sure he understood what I was asking, I turned to Christine who had calmed down. ¡°Come, we need to figure out what to tell Audrey. I don¡¯t want her seeing her mother like this again.¡± We ended up telling Audrey that Cami would be gone for a few days without any other exnation. She asked a lot of questions but if there was one thing I was good at, it was avoiding questions. I left her with Christine while I went to speak with the guards. I knew there was no way to avoid telling the public about the vampires now especially since all the guards that Cami took with her were dead but I wanted to control the narrative. I found one of them outside feeding the horses and ordered for the others to be brought to me. It took almost fifteen minutes to get them all assembled. They were al trying to keep brave faces but there were varying levels of hurt on their faces. ¡°I know you lost friends and brothers today,¡± I began and a few of their masks cracked, ¡°and for that, you have my sincerest apologies. Lives were lost today and they will forever be remembered as having a great sacrifice. I know we cannot cover up their deaths but discretion is needed when talking about it.¡± I watched their expressions before continuing. ¡°If people know where and who was responsible for their deaths, they might want to go there for vengeance and more lives will be lost,¡± I was bluffing but I hoped it would be enough to convince them. ¡°As of right now, all that needs to be said is that vampires are responsible for what happened. Do not give more information than necessary. Am I understood?¡±. They all nodded and there was a flurry of yes, your majesty. I started to leave when someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned to see one of the younger guards. He looked hesitant as he walked out of the line up. ¡°Will they be avenged at all?¡± he asked. ¡°My brother was one of the men who died. I haven¡¯t found his body yet. Will there be any retribution? Will their attacker go free?¡± ¡°I promise you that the responsible parties will die slow and painful deaths.¡± He was shocked by my words, they all were. It was rare for me to be anything but stoic in public. I waited to ensure that my words had sunk in before I walked out. I all but ran to the room I shared with Cami and the moment I was within the safety of the four walls, I allowed myself to feel. It wasn¡¯t until I saw her messy side of the bed and the books stacked up non her bedside table that everything hit me all at once. It felt like a band was being wrapped around my chest and it was getting tighter with every passing second. The reality that there was a possibility she would never be fine came crashing down on me. I couldn¡¯t ept it. It didn¡¯t matter if I had to go to every vampire den on my own to find out a solution, I was going to do it. I walked over to her side of the bed and inhaled her scent. It did little to calm me down but it felt like getting a warm hug from her. I could clearly see her lying there and smiling at me. I could feel her skin beneath my fingers. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead, stop acting like she is,¡± my wolf nagged. ¡°She is going toe back. We will find a way.¡± I realized he was right but I couldn¡¯t shake the sense of foreboding doom. Iy down on her side of the bed and just inhaled her scent. I knew I was recing her scent with mine by lying there but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care in that moment. I just wanted to be close to Cami without having to see her looking sickly pale. I managed to get five minutes of silence before someone knocked on the door. I tried to ignore it but then I heard Christine¡¯s voice. ¡°Ryker, they need you, I don¡¯t know what it is but they were asking for Cami and she isn¡¯t,¡± there was a cr ack in her voice and I sighed deeply. I reluctantly stood to my feet and exhaled deeply. When I was sure that I was rxed and there was no trace of my emotions on my face, I pulled the door open. Christine stood there. ¡°I¡¯m so-¡± ¡°Take me to it,¡± I said immediately. Duty waited for no man. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 I barely managed to get any sleep at night. As soon as I finished with Christine, I had to check on Cami and I didn¡¯t leave her side until well into the early hours of the morning. I was barely able to sleep three hours before I had to get out of bed to deal with the elders. The news about the vampires had spread and people were flooding the pce gates with their concerns and fears. I couldn¡¯t help but wish that Cami was here. She always took the edge off and it was easier to get through a long day with her. The elders were already waiting in the council room when I arrived. I could tell they were looking for Cami because they kept ncing at the door. Her whereabouts was something I nned to keep under wraps for as long as possible. The people didn¡¯t need any more reason to go into panic mode. ¡°Will the Queen be joining us?¡± one of them finally asked as I took my seat. ¡°If she were then you would have seen her by now,¡± I drawled. ¡°She has other duties to attend to. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I just thought she would be more concerned with the well-being of her kingdom and people. It should be a topmost priority.¡± ¡°It is, that is why she is spending her time in a productive manner and not sitting here arguing with fools thatck brain cells,¡± I shot back and his cheeks flushed pink. I was already in a shi tty mood and he was making it worse. ¡°I¡¯m not someone you can push around, elder. I would tread carefully if I were you.¡± He bowed and took his seat at the edge of the room, as far away from me as he could possibly go. There was silence for a full minute before anyone dared to speak. I could tell that they were analyzing the room and the atmosphere. Contrary to what anyone thought, they weren¡¯t fools, they were justzy and proud. I had no idea how Leanor put up with them for so long. I made a men tal note to look up the history and find out if there was any way to disband or change them. ¡°The people are concerned about the vampire attacks. I was thinking it would help alleviate their worries if the Queen made an announcement telling them that the problem is handled.¡± ¡°That will not be possible,¡± I said immediately and his brows furrowed. ¡°Your majesty, it will help ease the people¡¯s minds.¡± ¡°I know but I said no. Now, are you going to keep kicking a dead horse or will youe up with something else? I don¡¯t know why I bother spending so much time here when it never breeds anything productive. I would have better results if I spoke to my daughters.¡± There were varying levels of anger on the faces of the elders. If they had their way, they would have left me a long time ago, I could have bet that they weren¡¯t used to people speaking back to them. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if Leanor was the first person to do so. One of them opened his mouth to speak and I waited to see if he would have the balls to say what they all wanted to but at thest moment, he closed his mouth and breathed deeply. ¡°We cannot fix this without the Queen.¡± ¡°You are not looking to fix it. You are looking to p a cotton cloth over an open wound. If you wanted to fix it, you would have tried to find out something about the vampire attacking us. Have you tried that? Have you done anything to figure out how to stop the attacks?¡± none of them could speak. ¡°You are the most useless set of people I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.¡± There was a loud gasp. ¡°We are the elders of the monarchy. This position demands respect.¡± ¡°I will give you respect when you earn it. Right now, you are as useful to me as a dirty dish rag. Get out,¡± they sat there staring at me in disbelief. Even on my worst day, I had never spoken to them like this before. ¡°Did I stutter or would you like to be removed from the room?¡± They stood to their feet as one and the person closest to me turned to speak. ¡°We are some of the most powerful people in this kingdom, You do not want to make an enemy out of us.¡± ¡°Was that a threat?¡± ¡°It was an incentive,¡± he smiled looking somewhat pleased with himself. I stood to my feet and at my full height, I towered over him. His smile faltered a little at that considering he had to crane his neck to look at me. ¡°Allow me to give you some incentive of my own. If you ever threaten me again, I will make sure that you leave this pce with nothing but the clothes on your back. You will be a pariah and you will be forced to live the rest of our life in those woods alone. If you truly are one of the most powerful men in the kingdom then you surely have enemies. I wonder how long it will take for them to get to you.¡± He swallowed deeply. ¡°That goes for my mate as well. Am I clear?¡± He gritted his teeth and bowed. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± They filed out after that and I watched them leave. I knew I might have taken it too far with the insults but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. My mate was in critical condition and I had no visible way to save her. Thest thing I wanted to do was cater to the whims of old men. I took five minutes trying to calm myself down before I began in the direction of the great hall to listen to theints of the people. I was almost at the door when I bumped into Christine. For the first time in a long time, I noticed that she was dressed up in an borate dress with a small tiara on her head. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked almost immediately. Thest time I saw her dressed up was at Aurora¡¯s ceremony.¡± ¡°I am going to hear out the people,¡± I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off. I used to do it for the Queen before she passed. When she was too busy, she would send me. You have a lot on your te right now, Ryker. I can handle this one.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°A maid is with Aurora and if she cries, I will be notified. Audrey is doing her lessons right now as well. I am doing nothing, allow me be useful.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered and she simply squeezed my hand. She walked away without another word and I felt immense gratitude to her. Talking to people had never been my strong suit, that was Cami¡¯s thing. I preferred to go straight to action, I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could alleviate people¡¯s guilt or worry. Instead of going to deal with people, I decided to go back to our room. I retrieved all of Cami¡¯s books and took them with me to the physician¡¯s room. He was in there with his son but I ignored them and looked straight at my mate. She was lying on the bed but she looked even worse than before. Her skin had a sickly tint to it and she looked like she was barely breathing. ¡°How is she?¡± I asked and they hesitated before speaking. That hesitation told me all that I needed to know. ¡°There are no improvements, your majesty. I am trying everything that I possibly can. I am using old remedies but nothing seems to be working.¡± ¡°Then you try again,¡± he began to protest but I cut him off. ¡°Let me exin this to you in simple terms, physician, my mate is not going to die. You are going to do everything you possibly can and more to make sure that she walks out of this room healthy.¡± ¡°There is nothing more that I can do.¡± ¡°Then you find somebody else to do it, I don¡¯t care whose effort it is as long as she is alive,¡± I shrugged effectively shutting him out. Did I know that I was being unfair to him? Of course I did but I didn¡¯t care. If getting Cami back meant that I had to step in the toes of everyone in this pce then so be it. I didn¡¯t care who I [pis s ed off in the process as long as I got her safe and sound. I opened up the first book and began to read as I sat next to her. I faintly acknowledged the physician and his son doing their own thing in the background but I paid them no heed. Most of the books were long, boring and unhelpful but I kept flipping the pages in the hopes that I would find something that would be useful. By the time I got to the third book, I was almost at my wits end. There was nothing on vampires or their bites. I couldn¡¯t help but realize how incredibly st*pid it was for us to have enemies and not know a thing about them. It was a recipe for disaster and that ipetence could possibly cost me my mate¡¯s life. I risked a nce at Cami on the bed and just the thought of life without her had my heart clenching in a disturbing way. I stood to my feet abruptly and walked out of the room without a second thought or word. I knew if I stayed, I was going to lose my cool and that was thest thing anyone needed. I started in the direction of our room knowing it was the only ce that I was allowed to lose control. I hoped no one would bother me until I got there but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t even get that prayer answered. A guard rushed up to me. He took one look at me and his steps faltered. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly but no words woulde out. ¡°Are you going to stand there gaping like a fish?¡± I spat and that seemed to snap him out of his stupor. ¡°Another body was found, your majesty but this one is different?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°For starters, it is a guard and it was ced in the town square.¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I knew I wasn¡¯t dead but I was close to it. After stair bit me, all I could feel was pain radiating throughout my entire body. It felt like a thousand tiny needles were going through me at the same time. I couldn¡¯t move or speak at all and then everything went ck. For a while, it was just ck, like I was suspended in a limbo or something. I could hear everything that went on around me. I heard the physicians say that there was no cure. I heard Ryker when he whispered in my ears but I could not speak or even move until one moment. I don¡¯t know how it happened but one second, I was in a limbo and the next, my hand was grabbed and everything came crashing down. I wouldn¡¯t be able to exin it even if I tried. I just blinked one moment and although I was in the darkness, I wasn¡¯t suspended anymore. It was almost like I was now aware of myself. A part of me knew that it meant I was slipping further into death but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care when I noticed who was holding my hand. ¡°Mother?¡± I blinked a few times to be sure it was her but the figure in front of me did not change. She smiled softly at me and I couldn¡¯t help but throw my hands over her shoulders. She had not changed one bit. Her hair was tied in a perfect chignon and she had on a dress of rubies. She looked happier than she did while she was alive and I was grateful that death was treating her kindly. She deserved all the happiness in the world. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you around here soon,¡± she pulled back from me and then pped the back of my head. ¡°Maybe if you stop throwing yourself into bad situations then you wouldn¡¯t need to be here.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I mumbled as I rubbed the sore spot that she hit. ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything.¡± ¡°Cami, darling, I have been watching every single one of your actions since I died; would it kill you to talk to Ryker every once in a while before you make a decision?¡± I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off. ¡°Don¡¯t answer that, we don¡¯t have a lot of time. I need to make this as quick as possible.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Is something happening?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be here. I was sent here by the goddess to speak to you. She thought it would be better if I was the one who came. There is only so much she can do 12:16 Wed, 10 Januoti before she upsets the bnce of the world,¡± I was still so confused but I just nodded. ¡°That vampire, stair, he has lived for longer than you can imagine. He was one of the first vampires ever created. To understand how to defeat them, you need to understand how they came to be.¡± She led me to sit cross legged on the ground. I didn¡¯t even realize there was a bottom because of how dark everything was. ¡°The vampires were created as a mistake. There were two witches who were in love. They were from different covens who were banned from ever rting with each other. They were both extremely powerful and everyone knew that if they got together, they would be unstoppable. They ran away so that they could be happy but they didn¡¯t count on being betrayed. They were hunted like animals for sport and one day, while in the woods, the woman was cut down in the trees. The male witch felt her pain and he rushed over to see his beloved bleeding out on the forest floor.¡± ¡°He called out to the go ds to heal her but they wouldn¡¯t. The go ds knew that what the covens feared was true. If they did procreate, they would be unstoppable. When the man realized that no one was coming to his aid, he decided to do something that no one should- blood magic. It was an old and forbidden practice because with blood magic, there is always a price,¡± she exhaled deeply before continuing. He brought his beloved back to life but for a cost- his soul. The man was never the same after that. He found that his canines had grown longer and he had an unnatural craving for blood. He didn¡¯t realize what he had done until the go ds visited him to tell him the punishment of his actions. He had identally made himself the first vampire.¡± 1 ¡°What happened to his beloved?¡± I asked. ¡°Did she leave him? Did they get their happy ending?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t leave him. She tried to help him control his urges and to an extent, she did. They were happy together until she died. At that time, he hadn¡¯t learned the proper way to turn others. When she died, he went on a killing spree-before hiding in the mountains never to be seen again.¡± When she finished her story, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for the couple. If the go ds had simply granted his request to heal his beloved then he would never have needed to use blood magic. We wouldn¡¯t have vampires today and they probably would have lived a fulfilled life without bothering anyone. That was what they wanted in the first ce. ¡°Things are not always that simple,¡± mother said and for a second, I feared she could hear my thoughts but then sheughed. ¡°I cannot read your mind, Cami, you are just an open thoulk. I cannon well you what the goudle Reared but I can tell you that be upset the bnce when the theme a vampire. They live forever, they have a bine with no cure and we woday, there had been no opening for them to fix what had been broken¡± ¡°What are you talking abou? anked and the book both hands in mine. ¡°The wrong will be made right and the bnce of the world will be offset. By blood it carne and through blood it will be made whole again¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she was saying but it sounded very important. I wished f had a book to write it down in because there was a huge possibility that I was going to forget those words. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I was going to remain in the limbo for or if I was ever going to live again. ¡°You will not forget, just stop fretting and trust me.¡± ¡°I am trying, mother, I swear I am.¡± ¡°You have done so well in these past few months. There is not a single day that I have not looked down on you with pride. You make some of the most stu pid decisions known to mankind but you make them in love. I could never have asked for a better daughter or a better queen to seed me.¡± She pulled me into another hug and I just sat there basking in the feel of her embrace. She still smelled like herself and she was warm all over. I didn¡¯t realize how much I had missed her until that moment. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°I will have to go soon,¡± she whispered and I wanted to protest but she cut me off. ¡°There is one more thing that the goddess asked me to tell you. She said it would be immensely helpful on your journey. She said that you have to forgive your father¡± ¡°My father?¡± my brows scrunched. I had no ill will towards him. I wasn¡¯t angry with him in any sense so what did the goddess mean when by forgive him? ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, I just say what I am told. She said that your father would help you get to the bottom of everything. You just have to trust him and trust yourell¡± As she spoke, her voice became more distant, I realized that she was somewhat fading away. I tried to hold onto her, I didn¡¯t want her to leave but it was almost like she was evaporating right out of my hands. She smiled softly at me when she realized how hard I was trying to keep a grip on her Wed, 10 Jan Luna you are just an open book. I cannot tell you what the go ds feared but I can tell you that he upset the bnce when he became a vampire. They live forever, they have a bite with no cure and until today, there had been no opening for them to fix what had been broken.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked and she took both hands in mine. ¡°The wrong will be made right and the bnce of the world will be offset. By blood it came and through blood it will be made whole again.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she was saying but it sounded very important. I wished I had a book to write it down in because there was a huge possibility that I was going to forget those words. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I was going to remain in the limbo for or if I was ever going to live again. ¡°You will not forget, just stop fretting and trust me.¡± ¡°I am trying, mother, I swear I am.¡± ¡°You have done, so well in these past few months. There is not a single day that I have not looked down on you with pride. You make some of the most stu pid decisions known to mankind but you make them in love. I could never have asked for a better daughter or a better queen to seed me.¡± She pulled me into another hug and I just sat there basking in the feel of her embrace. She still smelled like herself and she was warm all over. I didn¡¯t realize how much I had missed her until that moment. ¡°I will have to go soon,¡± she whispered and I wanted to protest but she cut me off. ¡°There is one more thing that the goddess asked me to tell you. She said it would be immensely helpful on your journey. She said that you have to forgive your father.¡± ¡°My father?¡± my brows scrunched. I had no ill will towards him. I wasn¡¯t angry with him in any sense so what did the goddess mean when by forgive him? ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, I just say what I am told. She said that your father would help you get to the bottom of everything. You just have to trust him and trust yourself.¡± As she spoke, her voice became more distant, I realized that she was somewhat fading away. I tried to hold onto her, I didn¡¯t want her to leave but it was almost like she was evaporating right out of my hands. She smiled softly at me when she realized how hard I was trying to keep a grip on her. ¡°Let go, darling, we will meet again. One day, after your journey is over, we will meet again. Hopefully, in a ce much nicer than this one. It sure does look like a drab here,¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh in the midst of the tears that had gathered in my eyes. ¡°I love-¡± She disappeared before she could finish her statement but it didn¡¯t matter, I knew what she wanted to say and that was why I found myself whispering into the darkness. ¡°I love you too, mother.¡± I was alone in the darkness once ore but this time, I was filled with some form of reassurance that I wasn¡¯t going to die. It didn¡¯t make sense that the goddess would go through all of that and have my mother tell me all of those things just for me to end up dead. It was that knowledge that had me standing to my feet and deciding that I was going to look for a way out. hat I was going I had no idea where I was going and I could barely see in front of me but I trusted that I was doing the right thing. I stumbled through the darkness blindly trying to find a way out but it was like an endless maze. I walked for what felt like hours. before I realized that I was not going anywhere. I let out a sigh of disappointment and sat back on the ground in disappointment. ¡°If you have ns to rescue me then this is a very good time,¡± I called out into the darkness but I was greeted with silence. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go back now. I¡¯m ready to live.¡± It was almost like the darkness went still. I felt the exact moment that the air went cold and everything stopped moving. I held my breath wondering if I had unintentionally triggered something and then I heard a voice. It was as clear as day and it was soft- barely over a whisper. ¡°Then live you shall.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I wasn¡¯t able to get to the town square before people saw the body. By the time I arrived, people were gathered around. It was so bad that the guards had to force through them to create a passage for me. When I got there, I realized why they were gathered. The body was barely recognizable. There was a head mounted on a sp ike and the body was covered with blood and shes that looked like they were made by ws. One of the guards next to me had to rush into a bush to throw up. ¡°Clear everyone out,¡± I ordered. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone here who isn¡¯t a guard. Thest thing we need is for the family to see him by ident and for f ucks sake can someone cover up the body.¡± Two guards rushed to cover the body with a cloth and one of them froze. He stood there immobile for a second before releasing a growl to feral that it shook the grounds. It took me a second to recognize him and I realized he was the one who spoke to me about his brother being missing. I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know that his brother was the one lying on the ground. ¡°Get him away from here before he shifts and kills someone. I don¡¯t care if you have to knock him out to do so,¡± I whispered harshly to the guards who were next to me and they rushed over to grab him. They held him by his arms and dragged him away while the masses watched. If we weren¡¯t in such a cluster f u ck before then we were now. I could hear the whispers and for the first time in a long time, I had no idea what I was supposed to do or how I was supposed to fix it. We spent the next hour cleaning up the town square and getting the boy packed I didn¡¯t leave until everyone else had gone. I couldn¡¯t even if I tried. It was my duty to help them and I failed. up. ¡°Your majesty,¡± a guard spoke snapping me out of my thoughts and I turned to him. ¡°The carriage is ready for you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Go on without me.¡± ¡°Your majesty, the pce is so far away. Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°A run would do me some good. Fresh air has never hurt anyone.¡± 12:17 Wed, 10 Jan na ?? He didn¡¯t look convinced but he nodded and walked away. I waited until the carriage had disappeared from sight before I quietly walked towards the woods. I knew guards were following me at a respectable distance. I couldn¡¯t see them but I knew there was no way they would leave me alone. I stripped out of my clothes and shifted immediately. It felt good to be in my work form. It felt like stretching after a long day of work. I made sure my clothes were carefully situated in my mouth before I took off running. I had no idea where I was going, I just let the wind lead me. I ran until my limbs hurt and I felt like I was one with the wind. I ran until I felt like I couldn¡¯t move anymore and I stopped in front of a stream to drink som¨¨ water. The air was crisp and quiet, the breeze rustled the leaves and the animals held their breaths. I was used to the quiet where I was present. I was a predator, it was in their nature to be wary of me. I usually had my guard down while in the woods so it was a surprise when I heard the branch cra ck. My spine straightened and the fur on my back stood on end. I looked up from my spot and scanned the trees for any sign of life but I couldn¡¯t see anything. I let out a warning growl hoping that whatever or whoever was lurking would be smart enough to run but to my surprise, the trees parted and a vampire stepped out. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t the same one who had bitten Cami. This one looked younger and more inexperienced, it was obvious in the way he stood and walked. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be alone here,¡± it was obvious from the way he spoke that he didn¡¯t know who I was. ¡°Don¡¯t you wolves know that the woods aren¡¯t yours anymore?¡± He stalked closer to me but I kept my position. I wasn¡¯t going to attack him in the woods, I was in wolf form, it narrowed my space and gave him an advantage. Instead, I waited for him to step out and get closer to the stream. Once he was within reach, I jumped on him and pinned him to the ground. I snarled in his face and I saw fear cross his features. He tried to throw me off but I was much more experienced than he was. He opened his mouth and I knew he was going to bite me so in one quick move, I bit his head clean off his shoulders. A part of me wanted to get rid of the body but another wanted to leave the body for the others to find because I knew there would be others. I also didn¡¯t want to risk bumping into any more vampires. There was no guarantee that they would be as young or easy to defeat as this one. I ran in the direction of the pce without looking back and it wasn¡¯t until I got there that I realized I had left my clothes by the stream. I couldn¡¯t go back there but I also couldn¡¯t walk into the pce naked. I had to mind link Christine to get me clothes and it took her less than ten minutes to arrive. She gave me the privacy to change and we walked into the pce together. ¡°When I saw the carriages without you, I was worried,¡± she said under her breath as we walked towards the pce. ¡°I thought that something had happened and my first thought was how I was going to exin to Audrey that she was going to lose both her parents.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t going to lose either of us,¡± she hummed in disbelief and I couldn¡¯t exactly fault her because it was bing harder for me to believe as well. ¡°I needed some air, I needed to think.¡± ¡°How did that work out for you?¡± she asked and I shrugged. She stopped in her tracks and turned to me. ¡°Audrey is asking questions. The guards are asking questions and so are the elders. What do I tell them?¡± ¡°Nothing yet, I need more time.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time, Ryker,¡± she whirled on me. ¡°We have maybe twenty four hours before we have to do something about this. We have to make a statement. Don¡¯t you realize how weak the pce looks when Cami is always attacked? The people have barely recovered from Frederick and now this.¡± I knew she was right. I didn¡¯t want to hear it but I knew. I had to breathe deeply to calm myself. She had every right to be upset because she was suffering just as much as I was. I was saved from having to respond to her because heavy footsteps rushed towards us.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. I saw the physician¡¯s son and fear gripped my heart. In the five seconds it took for him to reach me, I had already imagined a hundred different ways that he could tell me Cami was dead. I even searched for our mate bond and I only sighed in relief when I felt it still pulsing between us. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he panted as he reached us. ¡°You need toe right away. I can¡¯t exin it.¡± I nodded immediately and we rushed off in the direction of the room. I couldn¡¯t help but conjure up all the possible worst case scenarios. I braced myself to see Cami on the bed looking worse for wear but she looked¡­ fine. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my mate?¡± I asked the physician who was leaning over her body. He gestured for me toe closer and it wasn¡¯t until I was beside her that he spoke. ¡°What do you see, your majesty?¡± ¡°I see my mate,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for all of thus. Tell me what you found out.¡± He sighed and tilted her head to the side. I looked around trying to find something but there was nothing there. I opened my mouth to yell when it hit me- there was nothing. Just yesterday, there were two fang marks that looked poisoned. ¡°Did you find a way to heal her?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°I think she found a way to heal herself. It ispletely unheard of and it is quite, miraculous if I do say so myself. Her color is returning. I reckon that she will be back to normal in twenty four hours at most.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I didn¡¯t want to risk getting my hopes up only for them to be shattered on the ground like ss. ¡°Will she truly be alright?¡± He nodded and I felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders. I sank into the chair next to her bed and held her hand. I was determined to be there when shr woke up. I didn¡¯t care if I had to sit there for the next three days. I just wanted to make sure that my face was the first that she saw. The others must have realized my intentions because they quickly went off to do their own thing. I heard Christine sobbing quietly as she left the room but I didn¡¯t care about her. My entire focus was on the woman in front of me. I couldn¡¯t tell you how long I stayed there. I wasn¡¯t even sure myself but it happened sometime around midnight. The physician and his son had retired to their rooms but I stayed. My eyes were on the window. I stared at the full moon in the sky and listened to the birds chirping when I heard that voice I hadn¡¯t listened to in days. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful night, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I felt extremely weak and exhausted but I somehow managed to open my eyes. It felt like I had the weight of a thousand carriages on me.i could barely lift my hands or even move my eyes but I managed to fixate them on the window outside. It truly was a beautiful night and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from saying as such. Ryker literally froze. His entire body tensed and he slowly turned to me as if scared that he would see something else. The moment his eyes settled on me, I managed a small smile and he practically threw himself into me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as he held me tight. It was something I had missed so dearly especially when he peppered kisses all over my face. He pulled back in disbelief and stared at me as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°Tell me this is real,¡± he whispered and tears gathered in my eyes. ¡°Fuck, baby, I thought I had lost you. The vampire and the physician, they said that there was no cure.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± I cut him off and his brows furrowed. ¡°Can I have some water first?¡± He instantly rushed to get me a ss and helped me into a sitting position. Once I was a little more refreshed, I told him everything. I told him about my limbo state and what my mother had told me. I knew I sounded absolutely crazy but if there was one thing I could count on from Ryker, it was that he would always listen no matter how absurd I sounded. By the time I was done speaking, he looked lost in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she fixed the bnce or what she ns to do but I¡¯m guessing she did,¡± I shrugged but Ryker didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°There has to be more to it. We will find that out soon,¡± as soon as he said that, the smile on his face disappeared and he turned to me with hard eyes. ¡°What the hell were you thinking when you went out by yourself? Why didn¡¯t you just wait an extra day for me so we could go together.¡± I had expected that he would be upset but I didn¡¯t think he would start yelling this soon. For what it was worth, he looked more scared than upset. I knew he was talking from a ce of worry. If anything had happened to me, Ryker would have lost his mind literally and figuratively and I didn¡¯t think about that before I left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just wanted to help.¡± ¡°What do you mean by help? You have done so much already.¡± I sighed. ¡°You have been on top of everything since day one. You live for this lifestyle, things are easy for you. I feel like I am in way over my head here and I just thought that if I could figure out something then maybe it would make everything better. It was stupid, I know.¡± O < Ryker wentpletely silent and then he sighed. He sat at the edge of the bed and pulled me into his side. ¡°There is nothing for you to prove. You are the Queen, Cami. You have already done more than enough for the people in this pce and every day you risk your life for them. You are the only person who thinks you aren¡¯t doing enough.¡± I looked down. I didn¡¯t know if he was saying it just because I was his mate or if he actually meant it. I chose to believe that it was thetter. ¡°You should rest,¡± Ryker said finally. ¡°We can talk more about this tomorrow. The vampires have been going crazy over the past few days and I know they are going to do a lot more.¡± ¡°You mean, stair?¡± I asked and his brows furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s the vampire king. He was the one who bit me. He¡¯s responsible for everything that has happened.¡± From the look on his face, I knew he didn¡¯t know that bit of information. ¡°Rest, Cami, tomorrow can wait for us.¡± That was exactly what I did. Iy my head against his chest and slept. By the time I woke up, I felt great. When the physician came to see me, he was also shocked to see that I had made a full recovery and advised that I stay another day for observation but I couldn¡¯t. I had spent too much of my time in the past month unconscious. I needed everyone to know that I was fine and we were going to get to the end of things. Christine came to the physician¡¯s quarters to bring me some clothes and as soon as she saw me, she threw her hands around me. She sobbed into my shoulder and it hit me that this was the first time I had ever seen her cry. My eyes welled with unshed tears and I had to blink in order to stop myself from crying as well. ¡°I am so d that you are okay,¡± she whispered to me. ¡°The girls have missed you immensely. I am sure that they would love to see you.¡± ¡°I missed them too,¡± my heart ached for my children. I felt like such a bad mother considering that I hadn¡¯t seen them in so long and even when I saw them, I was too busy to even spend proper time with them. I just wanted things to settle down so that I could be with them like a proper mum. I finished getting dressed and the idea was to go to the girls first but the moment I saw Ryker¡¯s face, I knew there was work to be done. I let out a sigh because I couldn¡¯t outrightlyin, this was the life I was born into and it didn¡¯t matter what I wanted, I had a duty to the people first. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to see them today, Christine, don¡¯t say anything to Audrey. I want it to be a surprise,¡± she nodded and immediately rushed out while I turned to Ryker. ¡°What do we have on the itinerary today?¡± ¡°A guard¡¯s body wasid out in the town square yesterday and he waspletely torn apart by the vampires,¡± I could only imagine how horrific that was. ¡°The people are terrified and asking a lot of questions. We need to meet with the town heads and the elders to figure out where to go from there.¡± My expression soured at the mention of the elders but I said nothing as Ryker led me by hand towards the council room. I was still unsteady on my feet so he kept a firm grip on me to ensure that no one noticed. When we walked in, all eyes turned on us- well, me to be specific. Everyone bowed and it was the elders who spoke first. ¡°Your majesty, I didn¡¯t think you were joining us. The prince said that you were a bit preupied.¡± I was grateful to Ryker for telling them that instead of unconscious. I squeezed his hand in a silent thanks and he just gave me a discreet nod back. I turned to the elder who had spoken. ¡°I had to go on ast minute trip, elder. I only returnedtest night.¡± ¡°I hope the findings would be useful to us in this meeting. There is already so much happening and a miracle would be preferred right now,¡± he sounded somewhat genuine and desperate. I turned to Ryker wondering if they had gotten a personality recement in the past two days but he wouldn¡¯t meet my eye. The corner of his lips twitched and I didn¡¯t need a witch to tell me that he was somewhat involved in whatever had happened to them. Ryker and I imed out seats at the head of the table and everyone bowed once more. The elders sat closest to us while the town head sat close to the other end of the table. ¡°Your majesty,¡± the first town head spoke, she was the youngest of them all- maybe in her mid thirties and she had bags under her eyes like she hadn¡¯t slept in days. ¡°The people are terrified. They do not know who is next. They need some assurance that they are protected.¡± ¡°I understand how they must feel but assure them that we are working overtime to ensure that this horrible man is brought to justice. For now, make sure no one goes into the woods alone at night. They are lurking at every turn looking for a new victim. Their preferred victims are men, so the women are somewhat safe.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± her interruption was not to be rude, she was genuinely curious. ¡°My impromptu trip was to find whoever was doing this and I did. He does not kill women but he will not spare any man. The men need to be careful until we can bring him to justice.¡± She pursed her lips but nodded. For the next few hours, we discussed how we were ||| going to align the guards to keep watch and reduce the risk of casualties. Even though we didn¡¯t know much, I was able to use a little bit of the information I gathered from stair before he bit me. We finished the meeting after almost three hours and I thanked them all foring. As they were leaving however, Christine rushed into the council room. Everyone looked at her with furrowed brows but it was the panic on her face that had me sitting upright. ¡°Everyone, out!¡± I ordered and I watched them all scurry out. They were curious, it was written on their faces but they could not refuse a direct order. I waited until I heard the door shut before I turned to her. ¡°Talk to me, is there another body? What happened?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not a body,¡± she could barely speak. I could barely hear her voice. She mumbled a few words under her breath but they were unintelligible. ¡°Christine, what is going on?¡± ¡°Audrey!¡± she finally managed out. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened but we were ying in the garden and she wanted to climb. I was watching her, I swear I was but I looked away for one second and she fell. There¡¯s so much blood.¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I had never felt panic like that in my entire life as I rushed towards the gardens. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest. My vision blurred and my ears rang. It felt like I was in an alternate reality, I couldn¡¯t get a grip on myself and for a second, I didn¡¯t even remember where I was. As soon as I got out of the pce, the sdent of blood flooded my nose and I feared my heart would beat its way right out of my chest. My feet came to a halt in front of the tree that Christine had said they were ying at. I vaguely noticed the guard who was holding a wailing Aurora in his arms. I couldn¡¯t focus on anyone else except Audrey who was on the ground. Her body was shielded by the physician who was looking over her but there was so much blood. I heard screaming and it took me a second to realize that the sound wasing from me. Ryker was holding me but I could barely feel his hands on my skin. I pushed him off and rushed over to my daughter. I didn¡¯t care that my dress was sitting on her blood, all I could see was her. Her head was so blo ody. I reached out to touch her and my vision blurred. I felt something hot slide down my cheeks as I stroked back her sweaty hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Christine clearing everyone out. ¡°Your majesty,¡± there was a sad tone in the physician¡¯s voice and I already knew that I wouldn¡¯t like what he had to say so I shot him a hard look. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to tell me that my daughter will wake up in the next five minutes then I suggest you shut up unless you want to lose your head,¡± I spat and he immediately went silent. I turned back to my child and cradled her gently in my arms. ¡°Audrey, sweetheart, I¡¯m here now.¡± She was so stiff and immobile. This wasn¡¯t the girl I knew, my child was hyper, she was always jumping from one ce to another. She was always talking non-stop. She didn¡¯t just lie down like that. It wasn¡¯t in her nature. I stroked her hair and I could barely see from the tears clouding my vision and dripping all over her skin. ¡°Mummy is here, please get up. I¡¯m not even mad at you for climbing things. I love you my sweet girl.¡± I leaned down to ce a kiss on her forehead. While trying to do that, I had ced my hand on he ground and identally cut it on a sharp rock. I felt the sting but I ignored it because I knew it would heal and cradled her face with my hands. Ryker was next to me and he was holding onto her hand. There were tears in his eyes but he was holding himself together. I couldn¡¯t exin what happened next if I wanted to, one second, we were just sitting there and the next, I felt a rush of energy leave me. it left in a rush of wind and I looked down in confusion only to see my blo ody hand glowing. I almost dropped Audrey in surprise. I nced up at Ryker who was looking at me in surprise. No one dared to speak until the hand stopped glowing. I held my breath wondering what was happening when Audrey sneezed. It was light and barely audible. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me in surprise. ¡°Mummy?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°Why does my head hurt so bad?¡± I pulled my hands back from her face in shock and I watched before my bare eyes as the cut on my hand healed. I nced from my hands to Audrey and pulled her into a tight hug and she squeaked in surprise before quickly reciprocating. There was still blood on her but whatever wound she had that was leaking blood was healed because she looked fine. I didn¡¯t want to think about the mechanics in that moment, I just held my daughter in my arms. Once I released her, Ryker pulled her in and she giggled. After he had let her go, she frowned. ¡°Why is my head so heavy?¡± She reached up but I grabbed her arm to stop her. ¡°You just have something on you. Come with me, I¡¯ll give you a bath and help you wash your hair. Is that okay?¡± She nodded and I couldn¡¯t resist picking her up. I didn¡¯t want to be away from her for a second. The physician was still kneeling on the ground and he was watching me with a scrutinizing gaze. I knew there was a lot to be unpacked there but it could wait. Ryker walked with me to her room and he stood by the door while I gentlybed through Audrey¡¯s locks. She was so oblivious to everything that happened and I nned to keep it that way. All that mattered was that she was okay and breathing. She was her usual loud self as she sshed the water on both Ryker and I. My heart was still pounding rapidly as if I had finished running a marathon. Once she was cleaned, she started to yawn. For the first time in a long time, I helped her into her nightgown and tucked her in bed. She smiled dreamily as I tucked the nkets around her. ¡°Can you read a book to me?¡± she asked and I nodded immediately. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Of course,¡± I pulled the nearest book from the shelf and turned to Ryker. ¡°Would you like to do it?¡± He hesitated but Audrey turned to him. ¡°Please daddy, you do the voices better than mummy.¡± At this heughed and took the book out of my hand. He sat on the other side of the bed and read. It didn¡¯t take long for her to fall asleep and when I was sure she was just snoring softly and not dead, I took a step back. I watched Ryker put the book back on the dresser ande to stand behind me. He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pressed a kiss to the side of immediately rxed into his hold and he somehow held me tighter. my head. I ¡°We have to talk about what happened,¡± he whispered to me and I shrugged. ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I whispered but I wasn¡¯t fooling anyone. It was so ringly obvious but also so unbelievable. ¡°I am an elemental. I control water. I don¡¯t heal people.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± his voice was soft and soothing as if he was talking to a child. ¡°The evidence is staring us right in the face. Look at her.¡± ¡°She could have been waking up on her own,¡± I offered. ¡°We need to ask the physician to check on her. I don¡¯t want anyplicationster.¡± He just sighed and nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± When we got to the physician¡¯s quarters, it was obvious that he had been waiting for us. He was pacing across the room and immediately he saw us, he let out a sigh of relief. There were multiple books open on the bed in front of him and he looked like: who was seeing candy for the first time. child ¡°Your majesty, that was incredible,¡± he looked at me as he spoke. ¡°It is unheard of for a royal to have more than one power trait. This is equally remarkable and terrifying.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but Ryker shot me a look. They didn¡¯t understand, I didn¡¯t want to have another power. There was already so much and thest thing I needed was to have another power that I needed to master and dominate. I simply crossed my arms over my chest and stared at them. ¡°Pardon me, your majesty, but your daughter was,¡± he hesitated before saying the next words, ¡°she was dying. There was nothing that could have been done for her. I saw it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, she is lying in her bed and she is perfectly fine. She is alive.¡± you did ¡°Now she is, but she wasn¡¯t when shey there in the field. I don¡¯t know what but you healed her. You brought her from the brink of death,¡± it seemed to unbelievable to me. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it. ¡°Your majesty, if you could walk me around what happened while you held your child. I know it was a traumatic experience but every detail might be the difference between right and wrong.¡± The events were hazy but I tried to exin it as best as I could and he made notes. Ryker just stood by my side holding my hand and giving silentfort. By the time I was doing, the physician sighed. ¡°I have a theory but I will need your help to confirm it,¡± he began. ¡°Would you be willing to give a sample of your blood?¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked and it hit me. He thought it was my blood that had the healing properties. I nodded and he walked over to me with a knife. I watched as he created a small ga sh on my palm and allowed the blood drip into a vial. ¡°Who are you going to test that on?¡± ¡°Whoever walks in here next. Hopefully, it¡¯s sooner rather thanter. The quicker we get answers, the quicker we an get an answer to our questions.¡± I nodded. I was barely listening at this point. I felt overwhelmed. Ryker realized it because he responded to the guard and pulled me out of the room. He walked with me until we got to a deserted hallway and he ced my back against the cool wall. His hand wrapped around my chin and he tilted head up. my ¡°Look at me and breathe,¡± he ordered and I struggled to do as he had asked. ¡°Do it again, until you calm down. I need you to breathe. You look dazed and you¡¯re sweating.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Try,¡± there was sheer power in his voice and I couldn¡¯t help but do as he asked. I felt the knot in my chest begin to lighten and he kissed my lips. ¡°Good girl, how do you feel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much,¡± I told him. ¡°There is too much happening all at once.¡± ¡°I know baby, but we will get through it. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?¡± I nodded. ¡°Whatever happens, it is me and you, okay? Always.¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V We stood there alone for what felt like seconds but in reality was half an hour. By the time we got out, I was rtively calmer about everything. Ryker and I went back to his office where I found all the books I had taken from the library. They were arranged on his desk in a neat pile and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from running my finger over it slowly. ¡°Did you read them all?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I needed to make myself busy. You were unconscious and I needed to feel like I was doing something to help you. I read it to you sometimes, a part of me hoped that you could hear me or something.¡± It was the first time he was speaking about what happened while I was unconscious and there was something painfully vulnerable at the way he spoke. It sounded resigned, I had never heard him sound that way before. ¡°I did hear you, sometimes,¡± I whispered and he looked up at me. ¡°It was like a limbo of sorts. I could hear sometimes and other times it was radio silence. It was the only thing that kept me sane.¡± He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I didn¡¯t want to think about my time there so I cleared my throat in a bid to change the subject back to the books. ¡°Did you find anything useful in the books while you were looking?¡± I asked and he shook his head with a scoff. ¡°Not at all actually, I got more information about vampires from you than I did from these books but it doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I scrunched my brows in confusion so he exined. ¡°If there was a war, wouldn¡¯t it have been smarter for people to document everything they could about vampires? If I knew I had an enemy, I would want to know everything about them and I would keep that information readily avable just in case something like that ever happens again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°My mother told me to forgive myself and my father and t would help me get to the bottom of things but I have no idea what she meant by that.¡± ¡°Are you upset with him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t know him well enough to have any sort of feelings about him. I¡¯ve never even asked Christine about him. I just don¡¯t care much.¡± ¡°At this point, it is the best lead we have. Do you want to talk to her about it?¡± I wanted to say no because a part of me was scared about what I would find out but just like Ryker said, it wasn¡¯t like we had many options so I just shrugged. Instead of forcing her toe all the way to us, we went to her. She was seated cross legged in the nursery with Aurora who immediately started gurgling when she saw us. I picked my daughter up and inhaled her scent to help calm me down. Christine looked confused and curious as to why we were there but she didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°You came at the right time honestly because she just woke up from her nap.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t reallye to see her,¡± I began slowly and Christine instantly sat up. ¡°I wanted to ask about my father. You met him right?¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°I did but not for very long. Why are you asking?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just curious about a few things. What was he like?¡± She hesitated as if trying to think of her next words carefully. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I never interacted with him outside the usual greetings. He was a very private man. I think the only person who knew him well was your mother considering that they were married to each other. He was always locked up in his room. Sometimes he would be in the pce and people wouldn¡¯t see him for almost a week.¡± ¡°How did he manage that?¡± I couldn¡¯t be gone from the pce for a day before people started asking questions. I found it almost impossible to believe that he could disappear from the pce for a week with little to no consequences. ¡°He was the king,¡± she shrugged sadly. ¡°He got away with a lot of shit. From what I saw, he was very charming. Everyone loved him. If he ordered people to jump then they were going to ask how high. He was feared and respected. I don¡¯t know if it was because of who he was or because he could summon enough fire to burn down this entire pce if he was pissed off.¡± ¡°Did he have any ties with vampires?¡± I asked the question that had been guing me and she looked up at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There were never any issues with the vampires while he was ruler. I don¡¯t think I ever heard him talk about it at all,¡± she slowly stood to her feet. ¡°What are you thinking? Do you think he had something to do with this? Did you see or hear something?¡± ¡°No,¡± I assured her quickly but she didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°It was just something I was told. If he had ties with the vampires, where would I find out about it?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think you will. His room would be the best ce to check but as soon ?. ?.78% as he died, it wasbed for anything that might be of use. No one found anything. You¡¯re more than wee to check it out though. I can take you there.¡± I knew where it was but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from saying, ¡°yes please.¡± I held onto Aurora while she led us towards the room. We had just gotten to the steps when a guard rushed up to us. He looked worried and we didn¡¯t even need to wait for him to speak. I turned to Ryker who I saw looked just as exhausted as I felt. ¡°Take us to it,¡± he ordered while I gently handed Aurora back to Christine. She made grabby hands at me and tried to hold onto my dress and while I wanted nothing more than to stay with her, I had duties to attend to. I ced a soft kiss on her forehead and forced myself to walk away despite the fact that she was trying to reach out to me. It broke my heart each time I had to leave her and I was sure Ryker felt the same way. It wasn¡¯t easy to leave our children in the care of others but there was so much to be done, especially now and I would much rather leave her for a few moments than leave the kingdom in disarray and risk her getting hurt as a repercussion. Ryker must have sensed my unease because he quickly threaded his fingers with mine.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. We got to the front of the pce but everything looked fine. I turned to the guard who had led us put. ¡°What are we supposed to be looking for?¡± ¡°They should be here soon,¡± he kept ncing in the distance. ¡°The guards who are patrolling the lower towns mind linked me us and said there was a woman who was bitten by the vampires. She stumbled out of the woods crying and when people got to her, they noticed that she was turning blue. She passed out right after.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why stair had suddenly changed his strategy. He told me he didn¡¯t like women so it was weird that he suddenly chose to bite a woman. Was it because he had somehow found out that we told the women they were safe? Did he know that I was alive and was he trying to punish me in some way? I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn¡¯t notice the horses steadily approaching. Ryker had to pull me out of the way so I wouldn¡¯t get dust in my eyes. I saw the guards carrying the woman and my heart broke when I realized just how young she was. She looked to be around my age with a huge mass of curly red hair on her head. She had fair and pale skin with full lips. I could see her chest rise and fall with ÈË every steady breath and I let out a sigh of relief when I realized she was still alive. ¡°Her pulse is weak,¡± the guard who was carrying her said. ¡°We need to take her to the physician now or she will die.¡± I nodded and followed closely behind as we made our way to the physician¡¯s office. As soon as the girl was brought in, his eyes widened in recognition. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was how I looked when I was brought in by Ryker. He couldn¡¯t look directly at her and I knew it was stirring up bad memories for him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay here,¡± I whispered to him but he shook his head and squeezed my hand tighter. Once the guards hadid the girl on the bed, I turned to them. ¡°Thank you for bringing her. Go in groups and check out the forest. Find out if the vampires are still there. Try your possible best to keep this away from the public. Thest thing we need is people panicking, am I clear?¡± They nodded and I watched them all file out. I waited until they had shut the door behind them before I turned back to the physician. ¡°Are you going to try using the blood?¡± I asked as I saw him bring out the vial containing my blood and he nodded. ¡°What happens if we are wrong? What happens if it doesn¡¯t work for her? I don¡¯t know how to use these new powers.¡± He tipped the vial straight into her mouth and I couldn¡¯t help but cringe slightly as he did so. Once he was done, he turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s pray to the goddess that we aren¡¯t wrong,¡± he whispered. ¡°She isn¡¯t as strong as you are. If this doesn¡¯t work, she will die before the end of the night.¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave her side. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to work at all but I couldn¡¯t just let her be alone. We didn¡¯t know anything about her life or her family and no on deserved to be alone during a time like this. Ryker had to go and check in with the guards to scout the ce ahs was found. I must have slept off sometime while I was sitting because the next thing I knew, I felt a warm hand on my back. I looked up to see Ryker smiling softly at me as he gestured for me to get up but I shook my head. ¡°Nothing is going to happen to her here. You need some rest.¡± ¡°She deserves my attention,¡± I whispered back. ¡°She is the first female that he has bitten and she might die. If that happens it will bepletely my fault. I cannot let that happen. You have to understand that.¡± ¡°I do, but Cami, you have never watched someone die in your arms. That is not something that you want to be burdened with for the rest of your life,¡± his voice was soft, almost pleading. ¡°You have done everything that you can for her. You need to sleep.¡± I nced over at her. She was still immobile on the bed but at least she was breathing and despite it being very shallow and not visible, I hoped that counted for something because I was about to lose my mind. ¡°She¡¯s someone¡¯s daughter and someone¡¯s mate, I would hope that if your child is in the same position then someone would do the same for her,¡± I told her. ¡°If I had just mastered-¡± ¡°No,¡± he cut me off. ¡°This is not your fault. You cannot me yourself for this. You didn¡¯t ask for any of this and you know that. You have done all that you can for her, okay?¡± I reluctantly nodded and he helped me to my feet. I wrapped my arms around his torso and we stayed there for what felt like hours. When I finally pulled away, he kissed my forehead softly. He walked me out of the room and when we got to the door, I nced back over my shoulder at her. I could have sworn that I saw her finger twitch but before I could analyze it further, Ryker had pulled me out of the room and shut the door behind us. I tried to exin to him what I saw but he assumed it was my way of trying to convince him to let me go back and sit with her so he dismissed it and said that the physician would handle it. He didn¡¯t let me go until I was safely under the covers in our room and despite trying to fight it, I was asleep within seconds. When I woke up the next morning, my thoughts immediately went to the girl. As soon as I was dressed, I rushed over to the physician¡¯s office hoping that she would be awake but she wasn¡¯t. The physician was already there and he was doing a routine check on her when I entered. He bowed but I waved him off. I wanted to know what was wrong with her. ¡°Is she going to wake up?¡± I asked and he shrugged. ¡°I need more than a shrug as a response, physician. You said she would not make it past the night if it didn¡¯t work. She is still alive as far as I can see.¡± ¡°I think it might have worked to an extent. Let us wait and see how she progresses today. I think it might be working but once again, I cannot make a definite statement. The poison isn¡¯t moving through her system again. I can tell you that much for certain,¡± he pulled me to another corner of the room and dropped his voice to a whisper. ¡°Remember that you have the blood coursing through your veins. It would have worked a lot quicker for you than it would for her and that is if it works at all.¡± I ran my hair down my face in frustration. I opened my mouth to thank him but the door to the room opened and Ryker walked in. As soon as he saw me, I knew that something was happening. I muttered a small curse under my breath and rushed over to him. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked but he didn¡¯t respond immediately. ¡°Did someone else get bitten?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to know if you were here. You have to stay here, do note out.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°Not a chance in hell. What is going on? Is it the elders? Did they do something? I need you to talk to me.¡± ¡°There are some disgruntled members of the town. It doesn¡¯t matter, I can handle it, don¡¯t worry,¡± he started to leave but I grabbed his hand and shook my head. We stared at each other nkly for a few seconds before he sighed. ¡°Fine, but just stay close to me. People do the most out of pocket things when they are angry. Thest thing we need is for you to get hurt, okay?¡± I waved him off which he didn¡¯t like considering that he gritted his teeth but he said nothing. He held my hand tightly as he led me down towards the front of the pce. I heard the people before I saw them. There was a lot of shouting and crying and I saw a number of guards rushing that way presumably to hold the peace. I nced at Ryker briefly but he just squeezed my hand in support. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting but when we got there, I saw about a hundred people of all shapes and sizes. They were yelling but I could see the same fear evident in their eyes. Ryker was talking to one of the guards and trying to figure out what happened when I broke free from his hold and made my way towards them. He tried to grab me but I weaved through the guards until just one line of defense stood between me and the people. They all went quiet the moment they saw me. They probably didn¡¯t think they would see any of us and had not nned for that possibility. I heard Ryker whisper yelling my- name but I ignored him and faced the people I had been tasked with protecting. They were all staring at me wondering what I was going to say but even I was quiet. I couldn¡¯t say a single word. All I could do was try to feel a fraction of what they did. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought you were going to send a representative to talk to us like you didst time,¡± I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that. I assumed it happened while I was unconscious. ¡°Do you see us now, your majesty? How many deaths did it take for you to finally address this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always seen you,¡± I kept my voice deliberately soft. ¡°A million apologies will never take away your pain but the truth is that I am sorry. No one ever wishes for something like this to happen. I didn¡¯t think that this would happen in my wildest dreams.¡± ¡°Did you do something to piss off the vampires?¡± he asked and I shook my head. ¡°Then why do they want us? What do they want from us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. It was a weird thing to admit but I had to say it. I didn¡¯t know why stair wanted us. I didn¡¯t know why he chose this time to attack us. I couldn¡¯t lie to the people about it. ¡°All I know is that one day, a power hungry vampire decided that he was bored and wanted to y with lives. We have been at peace with the vampires for over a century. The vampires want war on us for whatsoever reason but we haven¡¯t left you stranded. ¡®You haven¡¯t even been seen,¡± one woman shouted from the back. ¡°You deserted us. You went to safety while we suffered.¡± ¡®I went into the mountains to find the vampire,¡± they all went silent. ¡°I wanted to broker >eace for your lives. You are that important to me. I tried to find him, I found their home but no one was there. It is our main priority right now to make sure that no one lse gets hurt that is why we keep the curfew and the borders. Until we can catch the ampires who are guilty then you have to stay safe. This is a war zone and there will be asualties. What matters is that we win it at the end.¡± To one spoke for a full minute afterwards. I didn¡¯t know whether they would scream at ne or agree with me so I held my breath. After what felt like hours, they sighed and I aw the first person turn on their heels and leave. Slowly, they all walked away in esignation and I finally allowed myself to exhale deeply. inally, it was just the man I was conversing with. HE had a foreign expression on his ice as he regarded me. My son was one of the people killed,¡± he said slowly and I felt my heart break for him. When you find the bastards that are responsible, I want you to make sure that they suffer.¡± ¡°I will.¡± It was the least I could do for him. Once I had said that, he sighed and turned on his heels. I watched him disappear and Ryker rushed over to my side. He looked furious and I gave him a shaky smile. ¡°On a scale of one to ten, how pissed off are you at me right now?¡± I asked and his eyes narrowed at me. ¡°I will take that as a ten. Listen, they just wanted to know that they were being heard. I was able to give them that.¡± ¡°I know but that doesn¡¯t mean that it was not reckless as hell. You were putting your life in danger. You need to learn a lesson on security.¡± ¡°Your majesty,¡± a guard walked up to us effectively cutting off her conversation. ¡°The physician asked that youe to his quarters. He said that it was important.¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 RYKER¡¯S PO.V The girl was awake. She was seated up on the bed with a bowl of oats in her hands when we walked into the quarters. She looked a thousand times better than she did when she was brought in. As soon as our presence was noticed, both of them bowed and the physician rushed up to us. He looked excited. I could practically see him floating in mid air. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it worked, your majesty,¡± he whispered more to himself than any of us. I nced over at Cami to see how she felt about everything but she was staring pointedly at the woman. ¡°I can only imagine the things your blood can do. If it is powerful enough to heal the vampire bite then-¡± ¡°There ispany in the room, physician. The walls have ears. You should try keeping your excitement down to a minimum,¡± I said in the most bored tone I could muster. ¡°I understand your majesty but this is the discovery of a lifetime. I have never heard or seen anything like this before. It is absolutely-¡± ¡°This topic can be addressed another day, physician,¡± I cut in and he looked a little sheepish as he bowed and walked away. I dropped my voice to a whisper once he went back to the patient. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes, I am just shocked, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s go talk to her.¡± She slipped her hand out of my grip and made her way over to the edge of the bed. The girl realized we wanted to speak to her and ced her half eaten bowl on the bedside table. Now that she looked a little healthier, I was almost certain that she was slightly older than Cami. She had a mature air around her. ¡°Thank you, your majesties, I thought I was going to die. I don¡¯t know how I will ever repay you,¡± her voice was deep and husky. Up close, I could see the color of her eyes and there were a deep green color, simr to the color of dark leaves. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank us, we were doing our job,¡± Cami assured her with a soft hand on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s your name and what happened to you?¡± She swallowed deeply and turned to face the window. There was a tension in her shoulders that I knew came from having to remember such a traumatic experience. If I could, I would have told her not to bother but it was important that we knew if stair was the one causing this and what happened before she was bitten. ¡°My name is ra. I was born here but I left for a while to live with my uncle. I returned a year ago after my mother died. I was out collecting herbs in the evening when it happened. I assumed that because it wasn¡¯tpletely dark yet then I was safe. I had ventured too far into the woods. The trees were so tall ad thick that it was a struggle to get through. I heard him before I saw him.¡± She shut her eyes and a shudder went through her. Cami instantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her soft words of encouragement. ra¡¯s eyes were wet with unshed tears. Cami nced over at me as if silently asking if we could just let her be but I shook my head. It was important that we knew everything so we could know how to properly handle the situation. ¡°What happened next?¡± I asked and she inhaled sharply. ¡°He called out from the trees. He told me to run. He said he would give me a two minute head start and if I managed to avoid him then he would let me live. I left the basket in the forest and I ran. I thought I was getting away but he grabbed me. He pinned me to a tree and said I was pretty,¡± her brows furrowed. ¡°Why would he say that to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cami¡¯s voice was soft and soothing. ¡°You are pretty but maybe he just ? wanted to throw you off your game. It¡¯s okay, tell me what happened after that.¡± ¡°He said that he wouldn¡¯t usually go for me but I would be good enough to pass the message across and the next thing I knew, he bit me. It felt like a thousand needles were being pierced into me at once. I was on fire but I couldn¡¯t scream. I thought I was going to die from just the pain alone. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was-¡± ¡°It was ice cold and burning hot at the same time,¡± Cami cut in and ra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It felt like your insides were being peeled out. It felt like pure death and at that moment, you were more than willing to embrace death if it meant that the pain would stop.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I experienced it too,¡± Cami¡¯s smile wavered slightly. ¡°Did he leave you there?¡± ¡°No, he dragged me over to a more open part of the forest. I could hear voices there. He dumped me there and told me that he would be watching. The next thing I remember was being picked up by the guards and now this. Why me? What was so special about me that he chose this?¡± ¡°He is a psychopath and you were in the wrong ce at the wrong time. I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that,¡± Cami embraced her in a tight hug. ¡°You should rest for an extra day. By tomorrow, you will be healthy enough to return to the vige, is that okay?¡± The girl nodded and Cami made to move but she grabbed onto her arm. ¡°I feel like he wille back for me. I don¡¯t have any family to protect me. I know it is a lot to ask, your majesty, I know I am not the most important member of the town but if I could have some form of assurance that I will be safe.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cami said immediately. ¡°You will have guards watching over you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.¡± ¡°Thank you your majesty,¡± she released her arm and the moment Cami was close enough to me, I wrapped my arm around her side. ¡°You should rest,¡± I said to ra. The physician will make sure that you have everything you need. We walked out of the room but Cami didn¡¯t say a single word. I could see all the wheels turning in her head. She was getting lost in her thoughts and overthinking. I was sure she didn¡¯t even know where I was leading her so I stopped in front of my office and turned her to face me.. ¡°What¡¯s going on in there?¡± I gestured to her head and she sighed. ¡°My blood can heal,¡± she stated and I nodded. ¡°Do you realize how dangerous that information is? stair prided himself on knowing that his bite was fatal. If he finds out that ra is alive, he wille for her and try to find out why she is alive. He will kill her again and he wille for me next.¡± ¡°What do you propose?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°He has to know that you are already alive, right? He is probably already wondering why you are alive. The way I see it, we can use ra to our advantage.¡± ¡°What do you Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. mean?¡± ¡°We can feed her some bulls hit about a rare nt mixture and a spell that reverses the effects of the vampire.bite. She will most likely tell her friends in the town and somehow, the news will get to stair. It might take him off our backs long enough because he would want to make sure that no one else is able to get healed that way again. It will give us some time toe up with a proper n to get rid of him.¡± She went silent as she pondered over my words. ¡°That might just work. You are absolutely brilliant Ryker. What do we do in the meantime?¡± ¡°You need to make sure that not a single soul knows about this healing property of yours. Focus on your other power. I have never heard of a royal having more than one power so that alone is something worthy of envy. You cannot do your solo expenditures anymore. Right now, there is a lot at stake. If someone is able to get their hands on you, they would be practically unstoppable.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± she began but I cut her off. he wille back for me. I don¡¯t have any family to protect me. I know it is a lot to ask, your majesty, I know I am not the most important member of the town but if I could have some form of assurance that I will be safe.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cami said immediately. ¡°You will have guards watching over you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.¡± ¡°Thank you your majesty,¡± she released her arm and the moment Cami was close enough to me, I wrapped my arm around her side. ¡°You should rest,¡± I said to ra. The physician will make sure that you have everything you need. We walked out of the room but Cami didn¡¯t say a single word. I could see all the wheels turning in her head. She was getting lost in her thoughts and overthinking. I was sure she didn¡¯t even know where I was leading her so I stopped in front of my office and turned her to face me. ¡°What¡¯s going on in there?¡± I gestured to her head and she sighed. ¡°My blood can heal,¡± she stated and I nodded. ¡°Do you realize how dangerous that information is? stair prided himself on knowing that his bite was fatal. If he finds out that ra is alive, he wille for her and try to find out why she is alive. He will kill her again and he wille for me next.¡± ¡°What do you propose?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°He has to know that you are already alive, right? He is probably already wondering why you are alive. The way I see it, we can use ra to our advantage.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We can feed her some bull shi t about a rare nt mixture and a spell that reverses the effects of the vampire.bite. She will most likely tell her friends in the town and somehow, the news will get to stair. It might take him off our backs long enough because he would want to make sure that no one else is able to get healed that way again. It will give us some time toe up with a proper n to get rid of him.¡± She went silent as she pondered over my words. ¡°That might just work. You are absolutely brilliant Ryker. What do we do in the meantime?¡± ¡°You need to make sure that not a single soul knows about this healing property of yours. Focus on your other power. I have never heard of a royal having more than one power so that alone is something worthy of envy. You cannot do your solo expenditures anymore. Right now, there is a lot at stake. If someone is able to get their hands on you, they would be practically unstoppable.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± she began but I cut her off. ¡°I need to know that you understand what is at stake here. Your powers are dangerous at best and world ending at worst. I don¡¯t know why the goddess chose this but you need to be careful. Am I clear?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Good, for now, we go back to our investigation of the vampires as usual. If we are to get rid of them, we need to figure out how. Where were we before everything happened?¡± She cleared her throat and looked away from me. I could tell she was still pondering my words and while I could have told her in an easier and softer way, she needed to understand what was on the line here. Lots could die if she got into the hands of stair. She was no longer just the queen, she was a potential weapon and needed to be treated with the utmost care. As I watched her, I made a me ntal note to get some guards to watch her from a distance. I couldn¡¯t trust that she wouldn¡¯t make a hastyst-minute decision that would jeopardize her life if given the opportunity. ¡°We were looking into my father,¡± Cami said suddenly snapping me back to reality. ¡°Christine was offering to take us to his room I think.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t his room the one next to the secret library?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Is it open?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s locked up but I know where the keys are.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for then? Our investigation awaits.¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I stood in front of therge double doors that led to my father¡¯s room and I stared. Ryker stood right behind me not saying a single word but he didn¡¯t need to. I was almost certain that he could hear and feel every single thought that was going through my mind at the moment. I slowly slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open and the first thing that went through my mind was howrge the room was. The bed there could have fit at least five adult people. There was a huge chaise lounge at one end of the room with smaller chairs around it. At another end of the room was arge workspace with books ced carefully over it. The room looked almost spotless and dirt covered every surface. It looked like no one had gone into the room since he died. I had to bury my nose into my elbow to prevent the dust particles from bothering me as I walked in. ¡°It seems he was very minimalistic,¡± I drawled as I took in the extravagant nature of the room. It was one fit for a king and despite my sarcastic words, I found the room intriguing. I immediately went towards the book and picked the first one up. I flipped through the pages hoping to see something useful but it only turned out to be some notes on the pce. It wasn¡¯t anything that could have helped us with what was going on. I flipped through all the books on the desk while Ryker went through the closet but we couldn¡¯t find anything. ¡°There has to be something here,¡± I told him as I patted down the bed. ¡°If there wasn¡¯t, my mother wouldn¡¯t ask me toe here. Maybe we just aren¡¯t looking hard enough.¡± ¡°That might be a possibility but Cami, this room is empty. Christine said it wasbed through after he died. If anything was here, it might have been taken away and burned with his other things during the cremation. That is the culture, is it not?¡± I didn¡¯t want to think of the possibility of him being right but it seemed more believable as the seconds ticked by. I knew we were not going to find anything but I still couldn¡¯t brush off the feeling that there was something in the room. My mother asked me here, not directly anyways and unless I misunderstood her, then I knew that there was something for me to find, I just needed to look through it. ¡°Okay, wait, let us take a step back and think about this,¡± I told Ryker and he nodded. He walked over to me so he could give me his undivided attention. ¡°What do we know about my father so far?¡± ¡°He was very powerful, he was the king and he was a people person,¡± I nodded and gestured for him to continue. ¡°I believe he was also very private.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, she said he would spend days on end in here or in the library. What does that tell us?¡± Ryker seemed confused so I sighed. ¡°The library is hidden, it is a secret, is there a possibility that he has a secret door in here as well? That might be where he hid all his important things. I know it is a reach but it seems like the only viable exnation.¡± Ryker paused for a second before sighing. ¡°That is a possibility but how likely are we to find that secret room or entrance? It will most likely be well hidden and this room isrge.¡± I thought about it for a second. I knew he was right but I wasn¡¯t willing to give up so easily. I knew asking for help would make it a lot faster but a part of me was worried that the things we would find were not things that I wanted the public to see. ¡°We can start by using deduction. We don¡¯t know him well enough to make urate assumptions but I believe that it is a good start,¡± Ryker offered and I nodded. That was our best option at that point. ¡°Well he would want to put it in a ce that people wouldn¡¯t find but was also very easy to reach. The paintings are too obvious so I think we should scratch those out,¡± I began and Ryker nodded. He walked over to the closet. ¡°This would be the next ce another would think to look. A secret door inside or at the back of your closet is too predictable. It would have to be within reach but also very unpredictable.¡± ¡°The desk is out of the question. I presume he was at it a lot so people would want to cross that off the list as well,¡± I looked around the room for anything that was out of ce and I noticed the bedside table. One of the legs was a little lower than the other. ¡°What about this? It could be from being pulled around.¡± Ryker pulled the table out of the way and dropped to his knees. He knocked on the floor a few times before stopping at a particr spot. He shook his head and took out a small pocket knife from his cks. ¡°This should be stone but it doesn¡¯t sound like it,¡± I watched as he used his knife to lift up a part of the ground which turned out to be wood. ¡°I think we found it.¡± Inside were scrolls and books. I reached in and picked them out slowly. I was trying my hardest not to rip or damage them considering that they had been away for a very long time. I opened the first page of one of the books closest to me and I realized that it was my father¡¯s writing. I wondered why he kept these hidden but left his other journals out in the open. ¡°We have a lot of material to cover,¡± Ryker said as he put everything back in ce. ¡°Come on, the quicker we start, the quicker we can get through it.¡± We returned to our rooms and split the material evenly so we could get through it all in half the time. I was going through one of the books which I realized held a lot of details about his powers. He spoke about them and how they felt. Reading through my father¡¯s eyes, I could see just how much of a narcissist he was. He spoke about the first time my mother got her powers and I was shocked to see that he was trying to find a way to rid her of thera because it made him less special. ¡°Have you found anything yet?¡± Ryker asked and I shook my head. ¡°Nothing of importance,¡± I wanted to tell him about what I was seeing but I felt a nudge in my head as if someone was trying to mind link me so I pulled my wall down. ¡°There¡¯s a problem in the lower towns,¡± Christine¡¯s voice immediately filtered into my mind. ¡°That girl that came in before, it looks like someone tried to attack her again. One guard is dead and a few are injured.¡± ¡°I thought she was supposed to stay in the pce today so she could be looked over properly?¡± ¡°She was adamant on returning so the physician let her go. No one knew this was going to happen.¡± ¡°We are on our way.¡± I turned to Ryker who was staring at me intently. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you on the way but we have to leave now,¡± he didn¡¯t contest or ask any more questions, he just got to his feet and rushed out of the room with me. I didn¡¯t know why but there was a part of me that bonded so well with ra. We got into the first carriage and within minutes we were already on our way to the towns. I saw the smoke before we got there and everyone was gathered around a house that was currently on fire. Ryker helped me out of the carriage and kept a firm grip on my hand presumably to stop me from running off towards the danger. ¡°Brief us,¡± Ryker said immediately one of the guards walked up to us. He exined how they had taken ra back home and while guarding her, they had noticed some vampires in the trees. They refused to interact with them for fear of bringing the vampires to the humans but they caught a glimpse of ra and got upset. They set fire to her house while she was still inside and attacked the guards. They were able to kill two vampires out of the four that attacked but one guard died and the other was bitten. ¡°stair was here then,¡± I whispered to Ryker. He was the only one I knew who could bite people. Unless I was wrong and there were others then he was present. We were led towards ra¡¯s house, She sat on the floor with a nket wrapped around her and as soon as she saw us, she bowed her head to the ground. ¡°Your majesties,¡± she whispered. ¡°I should not have left. I know that now. I just thought I was doing the right thing.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I assured her then I turned to the guard who was turning a nasty shade of blue, I knelt beside him and ran my hands gently over his hair. I knew there was no way 1 could give him my blood without anyone noticing. Ryker seemed to realize what was happening because he stood behind me blocking everyone from my view. He slowly handed me the pocket knife and I nicked my finger a little then allowed the blood drip into his mouth. I wiped away all the evidence and stood to my feet. ¡°Take him to the physician, now! He had a remedy that is guaranteed to cure him in a few days,¡± the guards rushed to do as Ryker asked while we made our way back to ra¡¯s house. She was staring at what was left of the house. ¡°Do you have anywhere else to stay?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can ask one of the neighbors to amodate me for a while. I would need to get my bearings back so that I can leave town to start over.¡± Ryker went silent and it looked like he was debating something. Finally, he spoke. ¡°You¡¯reing with us to the pce.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I never would have expected Ryker to be the one to invite aplete stranger to live with us but judging by the way things were. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to me him. She was currently homeless and her life was in danger. If I knew anything, it was that stair wasn¡¯t going to let things slide that easily. He wanted her and I knew he was going to stop at nothing until he got her. We were unable to save her things from the fire so she just sat in the carriage with us. I watched her during the ride and I could clearly see the sadness etched on her face. I couldn¡¯t me her considering that she was leaving everything she knew and everything that she had grown up with. I couldn¡¯t imagine how I would have felt if I were in her shoes. I tried engaging her in a conversation a few times but once I realized that she wasn¡¯t really into it, I just let it slide. Once we arrived at the pce, she was the first to get out of the carriage. She looked ufortable and out of ce amidst the glitz and mour of the pce and I couldn¡¯t help but feel for her considering that I felt the same way the first time I found myself here. ¡°Come,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± Her eyes widened and for a second, I thought she was actually going to refuse but at thest minute, she nodded and followed me. She kept a steady pace behind me despite how many times I tried to close the gap between us. She took everything in with wide eyes and I couldn¡¯t help but smile to myself each time she let out a small gasp. We got to the guest room and I ushered it inside. Thankfully, it was always cleaned so there were already fresh sheets. Her eyes widened to the point of saucers as she took in the room. She ran her fingers over every surface gently in awe. I stayed back by the door so that she could have her moment. There was no reason for me to intrude or make things worse. ¡°This is amazing, are you sure it is for me?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°Thank you so much. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if not for you, your majesty. I promise to be out of your hair as soon as I can.¡± ¡°You can stay as long as you need. Ryker extended the invitation to you. No one will question why you are here,¡± she looked like she was going to cry so I crossed the length of the room and hugged her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to join us for meals but if you want to then no one will protest.¡±/ ¡°I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am, your majesty,¡± she pulled away from me. ¡°I probably reek of smoke. I should take a shower.¡± She began in the direction of the 3 bathroom then cursed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any clean clothes.¡± ¡°That is fine, I will have a maid send N?velDrama.Org owns this text. you clothes.¡± ¡°Oh no, you cannot possibly do that. This is too much.¡± I waved her off. ¡°I have more clothes than I will ever need. It is nothing. I want you to be asfortable as possible. For the duration that you are here, you are a guest of the crown. Do not hesitate to ask for anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t say anything. I know what it is like to have nothing and depend on others. It feels horrible but not everyone is out to hurt you,¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°You should get your shower. I hope to see you for dinner.¡± I walked out of the room and the first thing I did was mind link Christine to give one of my less borate owns to a maid to give to her. I made a me ntal note to send someone to get clothes for her tomorrow. I wanted to make sure that she was asfortable as possible. I was so lost in my thoughts about her that I didn¡¯t even realize I had walked past Ryker. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to a stop. I jumped the moment I felt his hands touched me but I let out a sigh of relief once I realized that he was the one. ¡°You scared me,¡± I whisper yelled as I pped his chest. ¡°You could have called out to me instead of grabbing.¡± ¡°I did, more than once actually, but you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± I smiled sheepishly. ¡°Is she settled?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°Good, the guards returned from the woods and although there was no trace of stair, they found the lighter fluid that he used and another vampire.¡± ¡°Did they kill it?¡± he shook his head. ¡°Is it here in the pce?¡± He hesitated but that was all that I needed. ¡°Can we go talk to him?¡± ¡°No,¡± he didn¡¯t hesitate this time and I frowned. ¡°You seem to forget what happened thest time you were within vicinity of a vampire. Maybe tomorrow I will change my mind but as of today, you will have nothing to do with any vampires.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I was on my way to check on the guard who was bitten. Do you want toe with me?¡± despite still feeling slighted about not being able to see the vampire, I nodded. I followed him towards the physician¡¯s quarters. The physician was fussing over the guard trying to fluff his pillow and make sure he was asfortable as possible. He muttered a few words under his breath and all I could make out was cure and blood. I cleared my throat and he turned. As soon as he saw me, he sighed. ¡°Your majesty, thank goodness you are here. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep him alive. He needs blood. The guards told me that you said I had a form that would work. I had to hound them into leaving because they wanted to learn what it was.¡± ¡°Rx, I already gave him some blood. Does he need more?¡± the physician nodded and I held out my hand without any protest. I flinched slightly as he made a cut. ¡°Is there a particr amount that they need or do you just guess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still working that out but I know they need at least a vial. I think it depends on the wolf and how long ago they were bitten. With thedy, she was bitten merely minutes before she was brought in. With our gentleman here, it has been over two hours.¡± I nodded even though I couldn¡¯t understand it fully. ¡°When you figure it out, let me know. We need to keep this as quiet as possible and I need to know how much is required of me.¡± ¡°I am doing my very best, your majesty. Once he wakes up, I will let you know and if I find anything, I will make sure that you are the first to know.¡± I turned to Ryker who was looking at the guard on the table attentively. There was something in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on. It was rare for him to hide his emotions from me but that was exactly what he was doing. ¡°Where is your son, physician?¡± Ryker asked suddenly and the physician nearly jumped from hearing his voice. ¡°You are usually attached by the hip.¡± ¡°He went into the pce gardens to get some herbs. He went with some guards just to be safe.¡± As if on cue, the boy returned and Ryker¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief. ¡°We will be in touch.¡± We walked out after that and I waited until we were a distance away before I spoke. ¡°Why were you asking for the boy?¡± ¡°I found it weird that he wasn¡¯t by his father¡¯s side. I wanted to make sure that he was ounted for. If anything happens to that boy, the physician will drop everything to make sure he is safe including telling your secret.¡± Awareness dawned on me. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°I will make sure that guards are watching them at all times. stair is going for them first if he wants to know anything. We cannot risk it.¡± I felt tired to my bones. I wanted the world to pause for a while just so I could get rest but unfortunately, life didn¡¯t work that way and we had to spend some time with our children. ra didn¡¯t join us for dinner and we broke the news to Audrey that a friend was going to be staying with us so she wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions upon seeing her. We couldn¡¯t exin everything but we exined the fire and her first thought was to give her a toy to help her sleep better. After dinner, we took Audrey to bed and returned to the room to flip through my father¡¯s books. Ryker tried to convince me that going to bed was the best idea and as tempting as that sounded, I couldn¡¯t do it. I needed to get to the bottom of things before anyone else got hurt. I had a feeling that things were only going to get worse. I managed to keep my eyes open for two hours. I was falling asleep into my book when Ryker called out my name. I ignored him the first time but he called out to me again and this time I made a show of groaning out loud: ¡°You were the one who told me to go to bed and now that I¡¯m trying to do that, you¡¯re calling me,¡± I mumbled. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I think I found something,¡± it took a while for my brain to register the words but once they did, I sat up instantly. All traces of sleep had vanished from my eyes. ¡°What is it? Show me.¡± He handed the book to me and ced his finger on a line. It took me three tries to read it right and once I did, my mouth fell open. ¡°Is that?¡± I asked and he nodded. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I read over the words a few times wondering if I was reading properly and I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I saw it. It was just a few sentences but it had shifted the trajectory of everything that we had been working on. They read: I met stair in the woods today and I was almost caught. We have to be more careful next time. If anyone finds out what we are doing, it could cost us our lives. I couldn¡¯t believe that my father knew stair and they were friends of some sort. I almostughed. It seemed like every single problem we had tied back to my father and his actions. In that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but wish that the man was alive so that he could deal with the consequences of his own actions instead of leaving them up for me to handle. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ryker muttered as he flipped through the pages. ¡°There are no other mentions of stair on this page but I know there has to be something else. What were they doing? What is it that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know.¡± ¡°My father was smart apparently. He may not have put it out directly but it will be there. It has to be somewhere.¡± We were almost done with the books. We had finished half of the pile. If we didn¡¯t find anything then we were ultimately back to square one. Ryker tried to convince me to go to bed but after that discovery, I couldn¡¯t even force myself to feel tired anymore. We read straight into the early hours of the morning. I didn¡¯t realize the sun hade up until light began peeking through our curtains. I was exhausted- we both were- and we hadn¡¯t found anything else which put a damper on our spirits. I was practically a walking corpse as I made my way out of the room. There was no hiding the tiredness in my eyes despite washing my face a few times in the hopes that it would make me look better. I got to the dining room with Ryker in tow. and stopped in my tracks when I noticed that ra was already there. It wasn¡¯t her presence that took me off guard but the fact that she was seated in my chair which was directly next to Audrey and on the other side of where Ryker would sit. She was locked in a conversation with my daughter so she didn¡¯t immediately realize when we walked in. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey squealed when she saw us and that was what made ra notice. Audrey nced between me and ra before dropping her voice to whisper. ¡°You¡¯re in my mummy¡¯s seat.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Your majesty, I am so sorry. I had no idea. Please forgive me.¡± ? O She started to rise but I waved her off. She was having fun with Audrey and it was just a chair. There was no reason for anyone to make a fuss over a piece of furniture. I could always sit somewhere. It wasn¡¯t the end of the world. ¡°It is fine,¡± I assured her as I took another seat. She didn¡¯t look convinced but she didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°How was your first night here? I hope you slept well.¡± ¡°Like a baby, your majesty. I have never felt so refreshed in my life. Also, thank you for the clothes. Someone gave them to me this morning and said that they were from you. I could never thank you enough for all of this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It is what any decent person would do.¡± I stopped talking after that and focused on my food. It took everything not to fall face first into my bowl a few times but no one seemed to notice except Ryker who kept ncing at me every other second to make sure I was fine. I knew if he had his way, he would have dragged me back into the room and forced me to go to bed but there were a lot of things that demanded our attention today and for once, he had something else to worry about that wasn¡¯t me. After breakfast, Christine came to take Audrey for her lessons. ra tried to be friendly with her but Christine practically ignored her. I was taken aback by her actions because I was used to her being kind and amodating. I made a men tal note to talk to her about itter. I saw ra¡¯s face fall and as much as I wanted tofort her, I couldn¡¯t make it seem like my cousin had done anything wrong so I forced myself to stay still. She left within minutes after that interaction and as soon as she was gone, Ryker turned to me. ¡°Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to take a day off?¡± ¡°Would you be taking one with me?¡± I asked and to my surprise, he nodded. ¡°Are you joking or did you actually mean that?¡± ¡°We are both exhausted, Cami. If we both need rest then we should take it. We aren¡¯t of any use to the pce or the people when we aren¡¯t at our best. At this point, I wouldn¡¯t notice if a man was attacking until he got very close. I haven¡¯t slept properly in over two weeks.¡± I felt bad instantly. I was part of the reason he was so tired and sleep deprived. Instead of dragging on the conversation for longer than necessary, I stood to my feet and stretched out my hand to him. He wasted no time in intertwining our fingers and we walked out of the dining room together. We had barely gone a few feet when one of the elders approached us. I looked at him with a raised brow wondering what he was doing standing there alone without his usual team behind him. ¡°Your majesties,¡± he bowed but it felt more mocking than anything. ¡°We were expecting a meeting today with you.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t n a meeting with you,¡± I deadpanned and I saw his jaw tick. ¡°Is there a reason that you wanted this meeting? Is it important?¡± ¡°I would believe so. There are matters of the state that need to be discussed. Surely you would realize the importance of that.¡± I was exhausted and I was annoyed. I had to breathe deeply through my nose before I responded. ¡°We spend over an hour in there talking every day and nothinges out of it. Forgive me if I would rather spend my time in a more productive manner that is more viable to produce results. There is nothing you can give to me that I cannot give to myself. I see no need for meetings with the elders every day. I will only call for them when I feel they are important.¡± ¡°Your majesty, it is tradition,¡± he practically hissed. ¡°Every king and queen before you has done the same and they have been able to rule the kingdom the right way. We know best.¡± ¡°You knew best, maybe, but there is a big difference between leading a kingdom during a time of peace and during a time of war. Every second counts and right now, you are wasting my seconds.¡± eyes He was shocked, it was evident all over his face but there was something else in his that was a little harder to decipher. It looked like pride but that didn¡¯t make sense considering I had just insulted him and thrown away everything he had said. I waited patiently to hear what he would say in response to that but instead of speaking, he just bowed. ¡°Perhaps you are right,¡± I had to blink twice to be sure that he wasn¡¯t an apparition. ¡°The daily meetings do not have to be a thing but we would prefer to be informed about things happening, your majesty. We were unaware that a guard was attacked and a girl was now living in the pce.¡± ¡°Those things do not concern the elders,¡± it was Ryker who spoke. ¡°Your business is the well being of the pce and the royal family. Your job begins and ends with advising the ruling family- nothing more.¡± ¡°That might be true but we cannot give urate advice if we are unaware of what is happening,¡± he sighed. ¡°I do not want to be your enemy. We can work together and do this but there needs to be trust.¡± ¡°Are you speaking for yourself or for the entire team of elders?¡± ¡°I cannot speak for my colleagues. Everyone has their ns and intentions. I just want peace. I have grandchildren in this pack and I do not want them to be victims of this. That is all I am asking, your majesty.¡± ||| I nced at Ryker in a silent question. He was better at reading people¡¯s intentions and honesty. It took him a second but he nodded discreetly. He trusted what he was seeing and hearing so I did too. ¡°Okay, I will keep you informed,¡± he bowed and began to leave but I stopped him. ¡°What is your name elder?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The ¡°No one has referred to me by my name in a long time,¡± he smiled softly to himself. ¡°My name is Caius.¡± He walked away after that leaving Ryker and I in silence. Once again, all traces of tiredness had vanished from my eyes but I still found myself going up the steps towards the room. The least I could do was sneak in an hour long nap and then get back into my work. I didn¡¯t even bother changing out of my clothes as Inded face first into my bed. Ryker chuckled from behind me and leaned over to ce a soft kiss on the spot between my shoulder and neck. I turned over so I could watch him undo his buttons and ce his shirt gently on the chair. He took a much calmer approach as he got into bed and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crawling over to him and cing my head on his chest. He wasted no time in pulling me close. I could hear his heartbeat from my spot on top of him. ¡°I should be training right now,¡± I mumbled to which heughed. ¡°Loris wouldn¡¯t mind if Ie in an hourter, right?¡± ¡°He definitely will but the question is if there is anything he can do about it,¡± he quipped and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling. ¡°You deserve this. Forget about everything else.¡± ¡°I will. It is just weird for us to have an entire hour to ourselves. I ampletely shocked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it then. Take what you¡¯ve been given and enjoy it.¡± As if on cue, someone knocked on our door and I let out a groan. ¡°Ignore it. If it isn¡¯t important, they will go away.¡± We ignored it hoping they would leave but the knocking only became more frantic. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Ryker went to answer it and it ended up being ra. I had no idea what she was doing in front of our door. He spoke to her for a while before she left and that was enough time for me to get the sleep out of my eyes. I was already on my feet and preparing to leave the room by the time he returned. I raised a brow in a silent question and he just shrugged in my direction. ¡°Apparently she was lost and wandered over here but she couldn¡¯t find her way back. I told her to ask one of the guards to direct here,¡± he exined and I hummed. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Training, I might as well just get it over with.¡± He looked like he wanted to protest but at thest minute, he said nothing and just allowed me walk past him. By the time I got to the training field, Loris was seated on the chair and tapping his foot impatiently. Once he saw me, he sighed and waited for me to approach before speaking. ¡°Did you n toe, your majesty?¡± he asked and I shook my head. ¡°I figured as much. Maybe next time you can inform me so I don¡¯t spend half an hour sitting outside while I wait for you.¡± ¡°I apologize. Things have been very hectictely with the vampires. A lot tends to slip my mind.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± he gestured for me to begin and while I was working, he spoke again. ¡°I heard there is someone new in the pce- a girl. Are the rumors true or unfounded?¡± ¡°I never took you for a gossip, Loris,¡± I teased and he shrugged with a smile as if to say ¡®it is what it is. ¡°Yes, there is someone staying with us in the pce until further notice. She was attacked by the vampires and I have good reason to believe that they will try again. Now, are we going to stay here and gossip or are we actually going to train?¡± He smiled. ¡°I believe it is my turn to offer up apologies, your majesty. Let us begin.¡± Training went on smoothly despite the fact that I was still unable to conjure up water from moisture. I was beginning to think it was a waste of time. I would have tagged it impossible but from where I stood, I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever tag anything as impossible again considering that I now had two powers instead of one and the second was still some sort of a mystery and I couldn¡¯t speak about it to anyone. I wanted to tell Loris considering that he had trained with both my father and mother on their powers K but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t risk putting anyone else¡¯s life in jeopardy because of my powers. ¡°It seems like we have an admirer,¡± Loris spoke close to the end of training and I turned in time to see ra watching us from behind some bushes. I immediately dropped my hands making the water I had raised from the stream ssh back. ¡°How did she get here?¡± I asked more to myself than him. I turned back to Loris. ¡°I think we can stop there for today. I will see you tomorrow.¡± He didn¡¯t protest or say a word as he stood to his feet and walked away. I made my way over to ra and she panicked briefly when she noticed that she had been caught. She instantly dropped her face to the ground and began fiddling with her fingers anxiously. I gave her a warm smile to let her know I wasn¡¯t upset but she couldn¡¯t even meet my eyes to see it. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Do you need something or did you get lost again?¡± ¡°Not at all, your majesty, I was just taking a walk when I felt that there were people around. I decided to go and investigate. I should have left but it was just so beautiful to watch. I have never seen anything like it before.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin,¡± I assured her but I could tell that she still felt guilty. ¡°I tend to be a little curious myself but this side of the pce is off limits to a lot of people. Do you understand?¡± She nodded immediately. ¡°I promise you that it will not happen again.¡± ¡°Good, I can walk you back in if you would like.¡± We walked back into the pce together and I was making my way back to my room when the physician rushed up to me. He looked panicked and terrified. There was a light bead of sweat on his face and his clothes looked like a mess. I instantly stopped in my tacks because I knew that something was wrong. He was always so put together and now he was theplete opposite. ¡°You can go back to your room,¡± I said to ra not wanting her to hear anything that could be said. She nodded and rushed off and once she was a few feet away, I turned back to the physician. ¡°What is wrong?¡± ¡°My son,¡± he could barely get the words out due to the rapid rising and falling of his chest. ¡°I can¡¯t find my son. He hasn¡¯t returned from going to get herbs and I just know that something bad has happened to him.¡± Ads by Google 07:49 Fri, 19 Jan B ¡°I¡¯ll get Ryker and we will meet you.¡± ¡°Your majesty, my son is missing in the woods. He could possibly be dead.¡± ¡°I know that, but I cannot go running into the woods blindly to save him. I just need you to sit still in your office while I get Ryker. We will take some guards and we will find your son.¡± He didn¡¯t look like he wanted to leave but I called over some guards to ensure that he made it safely to his office. I mind linked Ryker immediately and told him what happened. Within two minutes, he had found his way to my side. He looked conflicted and very frustrated but he said nothing as we went to the physician¡¯s quarters. The physician was a mess and so was his office but we had to put on a brave face for him. ¡°Tell me where your son was going, I will personally go with some guards to check the area and make sure that he is brought back to you,¡± Ryker said to the old man. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°He went to the woods behind the pce. There are some saffron leaves there and I needed some for the poultice that I was making. I would usually go by myself but I am getting older and my back hurts sometimes. He didn¡¯t want to go but I forced him.¡± ¡°it is not your fault,¡± I whispered but the old man wasn¡¯t listening to me. I turned to Ryker. ¡°Come, we have a boy to find.¡± Once we were out of the room, Ryker grabbed my hand. ¡°You are noting with us. I have no idea what we are going to encounter out there. I don¡¯t want you where it isn¡¯t safe.¡± ¡°I aming whether you like it or not. The way I see it, you can either agree or you can spend the entire time being upset about it,¡± I shot back and he frowned. ¡°I cannot just sit here and do nothing. I want to help and I need to make sure that the boy gets back to his family. I don¡¯t even know his name.¡± Ryker hesitated for a second before sighing. ¡°You have to stay close to me and do not wander off. I don¡¯t care what you see. Am I clear?¡± I nodded and it was settled. We carried an entire battalion of guards and spies to go searching in the woods. The space behind the pce wasrge and the sun was already beginning to set so we had to split up into three groups. We had less than three hours to search and return to the pce before the sun set and we officially became food for the vampires but we were determined to do it right and find the boy. The first hour proved to be fruitless and I could tell that Ryker was losing hope. We were getting into a denser part of the forest when I felt someone staring at me. I turned Ads by Google 07.49 C in time to see a pair of red eyes in the trees. I was about to yell vampire when he put his hands to his lips. I looked around and it was amazing that no one else but me had noticed him. He stepped out from behind the trees a little and I realized that he was the vampire who had led me to stair all those weeks ago. I was confused as to why he was out until he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. I immediately understood what he was saying. He disappeared almost immediately and I turned to Ryker. ¡°I think I saw something there,¡± his brows furrowed but he nodded and gestured for the guards to follow us. I just hoped the vampire wasn¡¯t leading us into a trap. The trees were denser in that part of the forest and a lot harder to navigate but we managed to get through. As we got further, I smelled something that had my body tensing. ¡°Do you smell that?¡± I asked and Ryker nodded. ¡°Blood.¡± We pushed through the trees until we got to a clearing. There was no body but there was blood around. It wasn¡¯t enough to think that someone had died but it was enough to know that they were badly wounded. I wasn¡¯t sure who it belonged to until I saw the coat on the floor. Ryker ordered one of the guards to pick it up and as soon as it was disyed, I had to shut my eyes. ¿î ¡°It¡¯s his,¡± I whispered and Ryker nodded. ¡°Mark this area, it is gettingte. We wille back tomorrow and investigate further. Take the coat with you,¡± he turned to me. ¡°How did you know he was here? What did you see?¡± ¡°A vampire told me.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V Due to everything that had happenedtely, I hade to the conclusion that anything was possible but thest thing that I expected to happen was for Cami to tell me that a vampire told her where to find the blood. As she exined what she meant, I was just left with further confusion. Was he dead? Did they want us to know that they had killed him? Were they trying to tell us that he was alive? There were so many unknown variables and the more I tried to deduce it, the more frustrating it got. We managed to get back into the pce just as it was getting very dark. The physician was waiting at the door for us and I felt my heart clench. I had never enjoyed giving bad news to families. I could see the trepidation on Cami¡¯s face so I reached out to squeeze her hand softly. ¡°You can go up, I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± there was instant relief on her face but it quickly morphed into concern for me. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry about it. I have done this more times than I care to count.¡± She sighed and nodded. I waited until she had walked away before I told the physician what we had found. To see a grown man break down like that, it was gut wrenching. I felt his pain as if it were my own. I had daughters, I couldn¡¯t imagine hearing that there was a possibility that they were dead. I would have lost my mind instantly. I wanted tofort him but there was nothing that I could do. I couldn¡¯t conjure his son out of thin air no matter how badly I wanted to. The physician passed out after his breakdown and I ordered the guards to make sure that he got to his room safely and that he was well guarded. Once I was sure that he had been handled appropriately, I made my way up the stairs and towards Audrey¡¯s room. Cami was trying to tuck her into bed when I walked in and her entire face beamed up. I allowed myself to take it all in and I pulled her into my arms. She was speaking but I could vaguely hear it. I just wanted to know that she was safe. ¡°I love you, princess,¡± I whispered and she smiled as if I had just ced the world in her little palms. ¡°I love you too, daddy.¡± We tucked her into bed and I went to see Aurora as well. I just wanted to look at them. I wanted to bask in their presence and be reminded that my children were safe. Cami never said a word throughout the entire process, she just stood to the side and gave me the much needed peace and privacy that I craved. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± she asked as soon as we got into our room and I shook my head. She stayed quiet and I heard her slowly move until she was standing behind me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I think it is better if I don¡¯t,¡± I could tell that was not the answer she was hoping for and she was disappointed but she said nothing. I turned to her and pressed a small kiss on her lips. ¡°I am fine, Cami. Right now, I just want to forget about everything and be with you. Is that okay?¡± She nodded and that was the end of it. She just curled into my side and allowed me hold her tightly. Sleep didn¡¯te early for me and when it did, it was gued with my worst fears- that we would lose this and they all would die. By the next morning, I had a lot to do. While Cami went for her training, I made my way to see the physician. He was in a near catatonic state and he could barely speak or give me answers but I did leave with some new information about what his son was swearing and the paths he would usually take. I gave the information to the guards who were responsible for finding the boy. I would have gone with them myself but as the king, it was banned. Instead, I went with another group of soldiers to go and analyze the spot where we found him. Upon getting there, I immediately realized something that I hadn¡¯t before. There were no signs of a struggle. Excluding the blood, it was almost as if he vanished without a fight. There were no broken twigs or fallen leaves. It was perfect and nearly untouched. ¡°Go maybe five miles from here and see if you will find any signs of a struggle. I don¡¯t think he was picked up from here,¡± I ordered some of the guards and they immediately rushed to do as I asked. I started analyzing the blood stters better under the light and I realized it was poured in a weird angle. It was almost as if someone had just sshed blood over the area. There was no way for me to tell if it was human or not but I somehow doubted that it was. It was almost as if they had gone through so much to establish a fake abduction site but the question was why? Did they want us to stop looking for him? Did they want us to assume he was dead? ¡°Your majesty, I found something,¡± I heard someone yell and I instantly rushed over to the sound of the voice. As soon as I got to the clearing, I knew. ¡°Is this enough of a struggle?¡± The bushes were sc attered and some of the branches of the lower trees were broken. I could tell that there had been a fight here. There was no blood at all leading me to believe that they wanted him alive and not dead. Now the question was to whether they wanted to use him for food or if they wanted to extract information from him. Neither was pleasant and I couldn¡¯t bear to think about what he could be going through. ¡°This is good work,¡± I pped the guard on the shoulder. ¡°At least we know he is alive. That has to count for something.¡± Since we had found the abduction site, we took a step back for the spies. They were the ones who wouldb it from top to bottom in the hopes of finding anything that would help us find out where they had gone. While they did that, I returned to the pce. As much as I would have liked to stay with them, I was determined to finish reading that book and to find out whatever it was that the king knew about stair. I had three books left so I locked myself up in thefort of my office and began reading. Most of them were about himself and his powers which just showed me how much of a narcissist he was. I wanted to get out of his head as soon as possible. It was almost unsettling to read. I could have never imagined that someone could be so full of themselves. I had gotten to thest book and I was beginning to think it was a wasted effort until I started reading. I had never thought there would be a reality where I would feel bad for stair until I got to the end of the book. It started with little name droppings here and there. He would talk about going to see stair in the mountains but never mention why or what he was going to do. He even spoke about bringing stair to the pce in the dead of the night when no one would see them. it wasn¡¯t until thest few pages that he finally revealed everything and by the time I was done reading, I was in absolute shock. ¡°I led stair into the woods today. I told him that we were supposed to broker a deal to make things better for vampires. He hates his stuffy little cave but he had to have known I was never going to do that. Once we were away from his vampires, I sted him with a me so hot that his leg was charred. They heal quickly but fire is one quick way to dispose of a vampire.¡± ¡°I should have disposed of him but I wanted to see him suffer. I gave him night lock. It is the one thing that I know works on him. He isn¡¯t like the others, he is older, more powerful. He told me his story. He told me that night lock was the only thing that would work on him. The effects of night lock canst for decades. My only hope is that I am long dead before that happens. He won¡¯t be able to get revenge on a ghost.¡± ¡°He should be happy anyways. If he doesn¡¯t get better- if the goddess decides that he doesn¡¯t need to get better- then he will finally be able to see his precious mate. Maybe N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. in the next life he will not experiment with blood magic. It was his fault and I was simply repairing the bnce of the world. I did nothing wrong.¡± I could barely move my legs as I stood to my feet. I carried the book in my hands and rushed over to Cami¡¯s office. She was seated peacefully on her desk with a pile of paper in front of her. She didn¡¯t even notice I hade in until I was standing in front of her. She immediately dropped everything to focus on me. ¡°Did you find the boy?¡± she asked and I shook my head. ¡°Is he dead? Please tell me that he isn¡¯t dead.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t dead, but this isn¡¯t about him,¡± her brows furrowed in confusion and I ced the book on her desk with the page opened. ¡°Read that, what can you see?¡± It took her longer than I would have liked to read the paragraph and by the time she was done, her eyes were as wide as saucers. ¡°stair is the first vampire,¡± she whispered and I nodded. I still couldn¡¯t believe it myself but I had come to realize that anything was possible in this world. ¡°My father double crossed him and now he wants us all to pay. How could anyone think of double crossing someone over a thousand years old?¡± ¡°He was over confident that he wouldn¡¯t be caught and that stair would be incapacitated for long. But keep that aside there¡¯s one more thing,¡± I reminded her. ¡°We now know two different ways to get to him. We know how to kill him.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I couldn¡¯t even focus on getting rid of stair with everything I had just heard. I had known that stair was old but I never expected to find out that he was the first vampire. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if my mother knew and that was why she told me his story. I felt bad for him, it couldn¡¯t have been easy living for so long without the person you loved and having no way to get to them except death. It would have built up anger and resentment then on top of that, my father had decided that it would be a good idea to double cross him. I couldn¡¯t me him for his actions but it still didn¡¯t justify the innocent lives that he was iming. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How do we proceed from here?¡± Ryker asked and I looked up at him in astonishment to which he laughed. ¡°You are the Queen, Cami, what do you suggest that we do?¡± ¡°We need to find night lock first,¡± I said in an unsure tone and he nodded as if to encourage me to go on. ¡°Then inform the people that fire works well against them. Let them always have lit fires in their houses and if they need to go out then they should use torches.¡± ¡°Good, now you¡¯re thinking like a Queen,¡± he stood to his feet. ¡°I will speak to Caius and the other elders. They will inform the people. You can get a head start on the night lock. If it is something that important, it will either be in one of his books or in the secret library. I¡¯ve gone through all of mine and that is the only mention of night lock there.¡± ¡°I have one more book, I¡¯ll be done with it in a little over an hour. I¡¯ll let you know if I find anything.¡± I watched as he walked away and I let out a deep sigh. Why couldn¡¯t people just be ck and white or good and evil? It would have been much easier to deal with stair if he was just a power hungry vampire who hated werewolves. He didn¡¯t need a sad back story that tugged at my heart strings. He didn¡¯t need the sad life that had me wanting to feel bad for him. This was the reason why I doubted I deserved to be Queen because I almost always felt bad for the wrong people. From his back story, he seemed like a genuine guy. He just wanted to be with the woman he loved, he just wanted to be happy and all that was ripped away from him. He wasn¡¯t the real viin, it was the witch packs that pursued them. I knew thinking about it wouldn¡¯t change anything so I forced all those thoughts out of my head and focused on the book in front of me. I skimmed through the pages as quickly as I could looking for two simple words ¡®night lock. I prayed to the goddess that he wrote about it in his journal because going to the library would have been another battle entirely. I wouldn¡¯t know where to start there since the books weren¡¯tbeled by topic, just by their year of publication. I was getting to the end of the book and I had started to lose hope when I found it. Ìð»ðÆø20% It was two lines, it would have been easy to miss and you probably wouldn¡¯t have thought much about it unless you were looking at it. He had said: I never thought something so small would be so hard to find. It looks like a tiny blueberry. They only grow at the top of the snow capped Northern mountains. It is such a rare nt that very little is even there but it had to be enough. stair can never know about it or he will destroy it. Joy bubbled up in my chest and I practically squealed. I tried to mind linke Ryker but I couldn¡¯t get to him so I left the book and rushed to find him. He was still talking to the elders when I found him in one of the hallways. As soon as he saw me, he ended his discussion and rushed over to my side. There was hope in his eyes. ¡°Did you find it?¡± I nodded. ¡°F uck, you are amazing. Tell me about it.¡± ¡°It grows at the top of the Northern mountain. It says they look like blueberries,¡± I exined everything to him and he listened intently to each word. ¡°We have to send guards to get it. If we leave, it is at least a four day journey. We cannot afford to be gone for that long. stair will notice and he will eithere after us or the people while we are gone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he thought about it for a second. ¡°I know exactly who to send. Come with me.¡± I followed him and he led me outside to where the guards were training. I felt ashamed that I still didn¡¯t know any of them except Steven and Kevin by name. Speaking of both of them, they were on the field training a small squadron of soldiers. Once we approached them, they stopped everything that they were doing and bowed. ¡°Come with us,¡± Ryker instructed both of them and they nced at each other with worried looks before nodding and following us to a corner of the training field where no one would hear us. ¡°There is an important task that requires the utmost discretion while performing. I want to entrust it to you, can you do it?¡± ¡°Of course, your majesty,¡± they responded immediately then Steven continued. ¡°Whatever it is, we will do it.¡± ¡°I need you to take a small team of guards, ones you trust and who can face the Northern Mountains and any potential vampires you will find on the way,¡± I began slowly. ¡°There is a nt that grows at the top of the mountain. I need you to get as much of it as you an but leave enough that it can keep growing in case someone else needs it.¡± ¡°When do you want us to leave?¡± Kevin asked and I nced over at Ryker who responded. ¡°As soon as possible, I want you at first light tomorrow. Can you do that?¡± They nced at each other and I could see worry in their eyes but they nodded. ¡°We will not let you down your majesty.¡± They were about to leave but I stopped them. ¡°I trust you both. My mother trusted you both. If you can seed, you will single handedly bring an end to everything that is happening right now. Do not fail us. There are lives that are depending on your sess. That might have been a lot of pressure to ce on their shoulders but they needed to know exactly what they were dealing with. This was thest piece of the puzzle and if we could get it then we would win. That would be everything. I could almost smell the victory. It finally felt within reach and I couldn¡¯t just let it go. Once they had left, I turned to Ryker. ¡°I need to return to my office. I wille to youter.¡± He ced a kiss on my head and allowed me slink away from him. I walked with a bounce in my step and a small smile on my face. I was so excited and happy that I didn¡¯t even notice that the door to my office was open until I got closer. I stared at it in confusion knowing perfectly well that I had closed it before I left. I pulled it open to find ra standing by the door as if she was about to leave. She jumped as soon as she noticed me. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked slowly as I tried to do a quick sweep with my eyes to make sure that everything was in ce. ¡°I was looking for you, your majesty,¡± she exined. ¡°One of the maids gave me some e of the maids gave me some new pairs of shoes and I just wanted to thank you. They fit perfectly and they are so beautiful.¡± She raised the hem of the dress for me to see the th and I couldn¡¯t help but smile softly at her. I ment ally berated myself for thinking the worst about her when she was justing to thank me. I had been on edge eve?a? worst about her when she was since I heard that my father was the reason for our problems. It hit me that it could have been the reason that the moon goddess said I would have to forgive him. She knew I would find out what a horrible person he was. ¡°Your majesty,¡± ra called once more snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Are you alright? Should I get you something?¡± ¡°I am fine, I was just thinking,¡± I offered her a smile. ¡°You are more than wee about the shoes. I wasn¡¯t the one who sent for them, maybe you should ask Ryker, he might have been responsible.¡± She nodded and I took a good look at her dress. I realized that the waist was cinched tight and the bust area seemed to almost be suffocating her. Her breasts were almost spilling out of it. I couldn¡¯t believe that the maids had gotten her ill fitting clothes. I had appoffo-aty daroused dem, us got too on ollution What was the Bus choher if how cone di hunger site was thurstrave won & duopped the ¡°Maybe west time you should go wits the Handle to get allies as hur duw van de beton ¡°Won Puprsty, you don¡¯t have to worry You burve already done to meb tean handle wearing die Boy a tied white¡± You cain dnesn¡¯t mean you would I have wew what men can do, I don¡¯t want you in that pestition, say She nodded and 1 Bailly released ther. I made a men tal note to talk to the maids before the end of the day. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I was in the office untilte evening when I was beginning to feel very stuffy. I decided to leave the office and take a walk into the garden. I didn¡¯t expect to see Ryker sitting there in the private garden. He was in front of the fountain and he was just staring. He noticed me immediately and gave me a warm smile as he gestured for me to make my way over to him. Once I was within arm¡¯s reach, he pulled me over so that I was sitting directly next to him and tucked under his arm. ¡°We really shouldn¡¯t be out here,¡± I whispered and he shrugged. ¡°We have a direct path into the woods. Tyson once used it to spy on me.¡± Ryker frowned at that information. ¡°I have guards stationed all over with torches and there are torches lining every inch of this garden. I always take precautions, Cami.¡± I shook my head at him. ¡°Of course you do, I don¡¯t expect anything less.¡± ¡°Why are you here? Did you want to train? We haven¡¯t done that in a few days.¡± ¡°Not really, I just wanted some fresh air. It was getting too stuffy on the inside. I had been thinking and you know how they say that the darkest hour is just before the dawn, well I haven¡¯t seen the darkest hour yet and I am terrified that we will not be able to handle it.¡± ¡°We will,¡± he assured me. ¡°We will get through it together and we wille out on the other side just like we always do. We can handle anything thrown at us. Do you understand me?¡± 7 I nodded. I opened my mouth to speak when I heard something. it was a cra ck like someone stepping on a twig. Ryker heard it too because he immediately stood to his feet and took a protective stance in front of me. He reached under the bench we were seated on and took out a wooden torch which he lit using one of the already lit ones in front of us. ¡°Stay back,¡± he ordered me as he brandished his torch forward. I saw a figure step out of the woods and I immediately recognized him. ¡°Ryker, put your weapon down, now?¡± I could feel his confusion so I exined. ¡°That is the physician¡¯s son, look at him.¡± I didn¡¯t know how I recognized him in the darkness or how Ryker didn¡¯t but as he turned the torch in his direction, I noticed him properly. He had been beaten up badly and there was dried blood on his body and head. His entire body was covered in bruises and I could see some burns. Ryker was still in shock from seeing him standing there so I pushed past him and rushed over to the boy. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. 20% & As soon as he saw me, he started crying. ¡°I am so sorry. I tried everything. I don¡¯t know how they got me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± I assured him. He tried to take a step forward but he wobbled and leaned on me. He weighed more than I thought but I braced his weight on my shoulders and turned to Ryker. ¡°I need a little help here.¡± He quickly dropped the torch and took all of his weight off me. The boy was still crying and apologizing but I couldn¡¯t care to listen to him. I was just happy that he was alive. Ryker started walking in the direction of the pce while I followed behind them. As soon as the guards saw us, they rushed over and I could see the shock and confusion in their eyes. They quickly took the boy from Ryker and carried him to his father¡¯s quarters. I tried to follow but Ryker grabbed my hand, keeping me in ce. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is weird?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He just walked back in here alive.¡± ¡°Barely, look at him, he looks like he has gone through so much.¡± ¡°I know that but think about it. stair took him for a reason and he wouldn¡¯t send him back unless he got what he wanted. If he was useless then stair would have just killed him, don¡¯t you think?¡± My eyes widened and I cursed. Within seconds, we were already at the physician¡¯s quarters. He was fussing over his son and checking his injuries. Ryker spoke to the guards to scour the area that he had come through and check for any vampires or clues as to where he was held. While he spoke to them, I walked into the room. As soon as the physician saw me, he rushed over and fell to his knees in front of me. ¡°Thank you for finding him and for bringing him back,¡± tears gathered in his eyes and I was forced to give him a small smile. I grabbed his hands and helped him to his feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring him back. He walked into the pce.¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean? Why would he do that? How could he have done that?¡± ¡°That is exactly what I want to ask your son,¡± I looked over his shoulder to find his son staring directly at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened and we can go from there, okay?¡± He nodded. ¡°I was out gettin~ L were so quiet and I tried to fight them off but there were three of them and they were too many. They knocked me out and when I woke up, I was in a cave. I was tied up and they told me that they wanted information from me. I tried not to tell them but they did so much to me. They were so strong and I had to tell them-¡± Ryker walked in at that exact moment and I turned to him. I didn¡¯t need to ask, there was only one thing that he could have told them that would mean that much. Ryker knew too because he immediately reached out for me. I moved over to him and intertwined our fingers. If stair knew then that meant y time was over, he was going toe at us with the full strength of his arsenal. ¡°What did you tell them?¡± the physician asked in a soft voice. The son looked directly at me as he spoke. ¡°I told them about her blood.¡± At that exact moment, the bells began to ring. I had never heard them before so I didn¡¯t know what to expect or why they were going off. It was the physician whose eyes widened and he cursed under his breath. ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked him. ¡°It means there is an attack in one of the lower towns and it is bad.¡± ¡°It must be stair. Stay here and look after your son, we will go and check it out,¡± turned to Ryker with a nod and we were out immediately. I We couldn¡¯t take a carriage because it would be too slow so horses were saddled for us. When I got to my horse, Ryker stopped me. ¡°I really don¡¯t want you out there right now, Cami,¡± he began slowly and I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the one he wants. He knows what you can do.¡± ¡°If my thoughts are correct then he is out there biting people just to bring me out. If I don¡¯t go then all of them will die and their blood will be on my head. I am their Queen, Ryker, it is my duty to keep them safe at whatever cost.¡± No one knew more about duty than Ryker and that was why I knew he would understand. He muttered a curse under his breath then helped me onto the horse. ¡°Stay with your guards at all times. If I think your life is in danger in any way then I am sending you back here. Do we have a deal?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We rode out immediately to the lower town being attacked and I wasn¡¯t prepared for what I saw there. It was pure mayhem. The people were trying to hold on their own using fire and I could see a few burnt vampires but stair was swooping in like a ghost and biting people. He was the turning tide in the battle. It seemed like he was the only one who could poison the others seeing as he was the only one who was doing it. ¡°Take me to the wounded and fallen,¡± I instructed the guards and they nodded. 20% # We got off our horse and weaved through the people. Wherever I saw someone who was bitten, I would make a cut in my palm and feed them from my blood. I had to slice the ce open more times than I could count because it kept healing over. I could feel the confusion of the guards but I decided that it wasn¡¯t the most important thing and could be handledter. Ryker had joined the other guards to fend off the vampires who were attacking, I hoped the battle would be over soon because I was giving away so much that I was beginning to feel very lightheaded. Still, I didn¡¯t stop, I wasn¡¯t going to until every single person was healed. I wasn¡¯t sure how long we were walking around but I started to hear the noise of the battle fading and I knew that everything was being settled. I couldn¡¯t see any more vampires and I knew that they had either been killed or they had run off. ¡°I think that¡¯s thest one, your majesty,¡± a guard said and I sighed in relief. ¡°We would have to do another sweep after the ce has been cleared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I just need to take a second to just sit down.¡± ¡°Are you tired?¡± I recognized that teasing voice anywhere. I turned to see stair standing by the edge of the woods. ¡°You look a little green, Cami, would you like some help?¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V They started in his direction but I raised up a hand to stop them. ¡°No, leave him, he isn¡¯t a threat to me.¡± ¡°That might be true but I can still bite them as much as any other person,¡± he waved his hand in the direction of the guards. ¡°The way I see it, if you give out any more blood tonight, you¡¯ll pass out. That would be the perfect opportunity for me to take you.¡± ¡°What do you want, stair?¡± ¡°From you? Absolutely nothing. I am just curious.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Why did they choose you?¡± he asked and my brows furrowed. ¡°I have heard stories about you, Cami. I know how you came back from near death twice, I know now that you have two powers instead of one. Why are you special enough for them to bend thews of nature for but she wasn¡¯t.¡± He was talking about his lover. My heart ached for him and I gestured for the guards to step aside and they did. ¡°I am sorry about what happened to her.¡± ¡°Do not speak of her,¡± he growled and for a second, I thought he would attack me but he didn¡¯t. He remained rooted by his spot next to the tree. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± my dizziness was getting worse but I managed to stay upright. I knew one of the guards would have mind linked Ryker already, it was just a matter of time until he appeared. ¡°To answer your question, I don¡¯t know why they chose me. I don¡¯t know how they think or why they would prioritize one life over another. It isn¡¯t what I would have wanted but they want to keep the bnce of the world.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? She is dead and you are alive with healing blood running through your veins. If I bit you now, you would simply heal again,¡± he pushed off the tree and took a few steps forward. The guards held out their swords to try to keep him away and he shook his head. ¡°Do they know that I am fast enough to kill you and run away before they even take a step?¡± ¡°They know, so do I, which brings me to the question, why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± ¡°Are you asking me to kill you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°Killing you would serve no purpose, they would simply give your healing blood to someone else,¡± the corner of his lips quirked up. ¡°You will serve much bigger purposes for me.¡± I heard some rustling behind me and I immediately knew that it was Ryker. I hoped to dy him a little more but he already heard it and I could already see him poised to run. ¡°We will meet again, Cami, I hope you stay alive until then because I have so much in store for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what my father did to you as well,¡± I blurted out and his eyes darkened with anger. ¡°I just found out recently. You don¡¯t have to get revenge on me for that. I had nothing to do with it, none of these people did. You are punishing innocents.¡± ¡°Live for as long as I have, Cami, then you will be equipped enough to give me advice.¡± He winked and then he disappeared through the threes. The weakness came immediately and I wanted to crumble to the ground but I managed to hold myself upright. I was the Queen, the guards didn¡¯t need to see me fall. As soon as I saw Ryker walk into the clearing where we were, it was as if all the energy had been drained out of me. Once he was within reach, I threw my arms around him and I sagged against him. He cursed and held me impossible tighter. His hands ran down my back affectionately beforeing up to my face to frame them. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked and I shook my head. ¡°What did he want?¡± ¡°He just talked, he wanted me too tired to run so that he could talk. He really is the first vampire but I don¡¯t think he is as angry with my father as we initially thought. His anger is about the first woman he loved. He thinks the g ods have favored me over her by bringing me back to life twice when they wouldn¡¯t bring her back once.¡± He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. ¡°Come, we need to get you to safety. The guards will finish up here.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. We took a step forward and my legs buckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can walk right now. I gave out too much blood, I feel dizzy and sick.¡± He debated it for a second before putting his hands underneath my knees and picking me up bridal style. I tried to protest but he ignored me and carried me all the way to where the horses sat waiting patiently. I noticed a few guards staring at us but none of them said a single word. A few of them cracked smiles and I couldn¡¯t help but bury my face into Ryker¡¯s shoulder to avoid their gazes. Once we were by the horses he gently deposited me on top of the horse. ¡°Can you ride on your own or do you need me to ride with you?¡± 4 ¡°I am tired, Ryker, not dying, I can do this, I promise. you didn¡¯t need to carry me. I just needed a few seconds to get myself together again.¡± He rolled his eyes and ignored myst statement. ¡°Are you sure? I can always ride with you and the guards will bring my horse back.¡± ¡°I am more than sure, don¡¯t worry, I will be fine.¡± He didn¡¯t look like he believed me but he let me be. It was a real has sle to get back to the pce. Each movement of the horse had my head spinning at an rmingly fast rate and I thought I was going to throw up. I had never been so relieved when the horse stopped but I couldn¡¯t even get off it immediately because I felt like I was going to throw up or pass out or both. Thankfully, Ryker had already called on my bluff and he knew exactly what was wrong with me. He helped me off the horse and I allowed the fresh breeze to hit my face and calm me down. ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± Christine asked once we were in front of the pce and I nodded. ¡°Audrey wanted to stay up and wait for you but I thought it would be a great idea if she just went to bed early. I wasn¡¯t sure when you would be back.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything, Christine, you have been a great help but right now, I just want to get to my room before I pass out.¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need the physician?¡± ¡°No, leave him with his son. It is just blood loss, I will be fine by tomorrow.¡± She nodded in understanding and stood by my side. She didn¡¯t make it too obvious that she was helping but she did what she could. I smiled softly at her at least until I noticed ra standing off to a corner. She looked worried and confused. I turned to Ryker. ¡°Can you please talk to her? She must be worried since she heard the bell and it might have triggered something from her attack. I just want her to know that everything is fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure Christine shouldn¡¯t do that? She is better with people than I am,¡± he began but I shook my head. ¡°You were the one who offered for her to stay. I think it would mean more if you spoke to her instead.¡± He sighed and nodded then gently took a step away from me. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡± Christine bore my full weight as Ryker went to speak to ra. She helped me into the room and out of my heavy dress. I thanked her but I couldn¡¯t wait to get into bed. I nned to wait for Ryk¨¦r, I hoped he would be back soon but I could barely stay up. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. I didn¡¯t even hear the door open or hime in. I woke up to a hand caressing my back and I wanted nothing more than to lie in bed all day and never leave. Ryker¡¯s hand was rough but capable of immense softness and care as he gently ran his fingers down my spine. I turned to face him and found him sitting on the edge of the bed with a small smile on his face. He was dressed for the day and it took me a second to realize that the light that was filling the room was too bright for very early in the morning. I sat up immediately, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Calm down, it is around noon but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he held out his hands in a sort of patronizing way as if he knew I was one wrong move away from freaking out. ¡°I cleared out your schedule for the morning, you needed to rest.¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± I ran my hand down my face. ¡°I¡¯m sure the elders would want to speak to me about everything. I know the news of my powers would have spread by now. Why would you let me sleep in?¡± ¡°You lost a lot of blood yesterday, you needed to rest and I have handled the elders for today, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said after a beat and he seemed to rx considerably. ¡°if you¡¯ve handled them why are you here? Is something else happening?¡± ¡°I needed your take on something. Christine told me that Audrey would need to be moved into an actual school. She has done all the lessons she can and our daughter is brilliant. She can¡¯t do more from home. It was amazing to hear but I was worried because of-¡± ¡°Everything that¡¯s happening,¡± I finished for him and he nodded. ¡°Do you should send her?¡± think we ¡°It would be good for her education and she will be able to make friends. Christine told me about the school she went to and said it would be good for her. The security is top notch and we can have guards pick her up and take her every day.¡± I bit my bottom lip as I thought about it. ¡°She will be safe?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make sure that she is.¡± ¡°Fine then, let her go.¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V Cami got dressed so that we could take Audrey to the school. I wasn¡¯t going to let her go just anywhere without knowing what it entailed. It was a simple two storied building but it had a very tall wall at the entrance that I knew would be hard to climb over. There were guards lined around the entrance to keep it safe and I felt some of her worry ease a little. Audrey grabbed onto my hand and she squeezed tightly. I nced down at her and gave her a small smile which she quickly returned. The headmistress was waiting for us in front of the building. She looked to be in her mid-forties and she had a soft and kind smile. Her hair was tied in a neat bun at the base of her neck and she was in a long pleated skirt and a white shirt. She looked like the kind of person I would want to be around my daughter especially when she greeted Cami and I then turned to greet Audrey as well. She bent over so she was at eye level with Audrey. ¡°Hello darling,¡± I liked how she didn¡¯t speak like she was speaking to a dumb infant but rather another person. ¡°You look beautiful, I love your dress.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Audrey smiled but she still didn¡¯t let go of her tight grip on my hand. ¡°You¡¯re very pretty.¡± ¡°If it ising from you then it has to be true,¡± she stood to her feet. ¡°Please,e on in. The students are in ss right now so we will not be disturbed.¡± She led us to her office and I took in the entire building with careful eyes. There were guards at every turn and it gave me some sort of ease to know that there was protection avable and that Audrey would be well protected. When we got to the office, the headmistress gestured for us to take a seat and she shut the door behind us to give us a semnce of privacy. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy people so we can make this as quick as you want,¡± she began as she took her seat. ¡°The students you see here are children of some of the highest ranking people in the nearest vicinity. We have students from other packs as well whoe here. Even Elder Caius has a granddaughter who schools here.¡± I raised a brow because I didn¡¯t know that. ¡°You don¡¯t need to sell the school to me, Christine already did that.¡± She smiled at the mention of Christine. ¡°I knew her, she was one of my favorite students while I was here. I was a new teacher and she was an amazing girl. How is she doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s good, she wanted to be here but she had some things to do,¡± it was Cami who responded to her. ¡°We can see that you have good security in ce but with everything that has been happening, we need assurance that Audrey will be safe here.¡± ¡°I understand your worries, your majesty, your daughter will be more than safe. There are guards everywhere and you will be allowed to bring guards from the pce if you wish as well. There are fires lit every night even though the kids won¡¯t be here by then. I promise you that the safety of our students is the utmost priority.¡± Cami nced at me and I nodded at her. If Christine trusted her then so did I, besides, it was only for a few hours a day. She would be back home by three every day at thetest. I turned back to the headmistress who was watching us carefully. ¡°When can she start?¡± I asked and she smiled widely. ¡°Tomorrow is a good day if you want, it all matters on Audrey. We need her to befortable here. Of course there are uniforms for the children to prevent favoritism; I hope that isn¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I assured her, I actually liked the idea. I didn¡¯t need any special treatment towards Audrey because of who she was. She was going to get enough of it in her lifetime. ¡°We will discuss it with Audrey on the way home and she will be back tomorrow.¡± She walked us out of the building and I waited until we got into the carriage before I turned to Audrey. She hadn¡¯t said a single word and her expression didn¡¯t let anything slip. Her hand was still intertwined in mine and she had her eyes fixated on the window. I couldn¡¯t tell if she loved the school or hated it. I waited until we had driven a distance away before I spoke. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked and she shrugged but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Tell me, Audrey, if you don¡¯t want to go then you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she whispered and I saw Cami stiffen. I pushed away all the worst case scenarios that were bubbling in my mind and focused on her. ¡°Can you tell me what exactly is scaring you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will make friends,¡± she whispered. ¡°Do you think that they will like me?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cami¡¯s voice was soft as she spoke. ¡°You are an amazing little girl. I can promise you that they will love you. What¡¯s there not to like?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked and we both nodded. She thought about it for a second before nodding. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡± When we got back to the pce, Cami took Audrey back to her room while I decided to make my way to the general library. I needed to check out the history of the school. I needed to squash the remaining doubts in my chest. It was quiet when I walked in and that was why I didn¡¯t even think that there could be another person there. I had found therge book on the school and was taking it out when I bumped into someone. I heard books fall to the ground and I immediately dropped to pick them up. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± it was when I heard that voice that I realized who was in front of me. ra had a small sheepish smile on her face as she tried to pack up her books. She looked embarrassed and couldn¡¯t even meet my eye. ¡°I should have been looking where I was going. This is my fault.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking either,¡± I said in an attempt to make her feel better. I helped her to her feet and handed her the books I had gathered. I looked her over and nodded to myself when I realized that she looked a lot better than she did when we got her out of that fire. She looked like she had been well fed and rested. Her clothes did look a little ill fitting and I made a men tal note to get it handled. ¡°Please forgive me, your majesty,¡± she began but I waved it off. ¡°I have probably already messed up your day. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?¡± I didn¡¯t want to think too much into her words but it sounded like there was an alternate meaning to her words. I didn¡¯t know if it was the way she said it or the fact that she was looking up at me innocently but I suddenly felt ufortable and I took a step back from her. I could have sworn that I saw a frown on her face but it was gone too quickly that it almost seemed like I had imagined it all. ¡°I should be leaving, I have a lot of work to do,¡± I said and I nced at the books in her hands. Only one book had a visible title and I saw that it was on the royal family. ¡°Do you have an interest?¡± She looked confused but I gestured towards the book and her eyes widened. ¡°It has always been an interest of mine. We don¡¯t have ess to as many books as there are in the pce and I just thought I should take this opportunity to find out more. I hope that is okay, if it isn¡¯t, I could put them away.¡± She dropped the books on the closest table before I could say another word. I wanted to assure her that it was fine but suddenly she was in my space and her hand was on my arm. ¡°Please don¡¯t get me in trouble, your majesty, I didn¡¯t know it was against thews.¡± I slowly removed her hands from my body and took another step back. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to take the books, they just have to be checked out and they must be returned within a week. As long as you are in the pce, the library is open to you.¡± She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought I had broken some rules and I was about to be thrown out.¡± B ¡°Have a good day, ra,¡± I brushed past her without another word and I could feel her eyes on me the entire time. I tried to convince myself that it was all in my head but something told me there was more to it. I wanted to tell Cami but I didn¡¯t want to bother her in case it turned out to be false so I forced the thoughts out of my head. I was on my way to my office when a guard rushed over to me. He bowed to me and handed me what looked like an envelope. I was confused at first because I wasn¡¯t expecting any letters but when I saw the familiar scrawl that I hade to recognize as Damien¡¯s writing, I remembered the letter I had written him all those weeks ago. I hadpletely forgotten about it when I didn¡¯t receive a response. I tore it open almost immediately and read his response. It was very brief and it had me worried. I¡¯m sorry it took so long for me to respond to you, I don¡¯t know any more about the vampires. There were some attacks at the pack and something happened to Riley. She got sick out of nowhere and we have done everything we can to get her better but it wasn¡¯t working. She seems to be stable now but I am worried that it wille back. Lucy couldn¡¯t find out what was wrong with her but she wrote a note with her symptoms. I just wanted to know if your physician could look at it and figure out what is wrong. Please, Ryker, I¡¯m worried that she is dying. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V As soon as Ryker rushed into my office, I knew that something was wrong. He could barely speak and he looked like he had seen a ghost. I stood to my feet instantly as he closed the door behind him to give us a semnce of privacy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked the moment he was within reach, it was obvious that there was something wrong from the expression on his face but even I couldn¡¯t deduce it. ¡°I need your help and you know I would never ask unless it was important especially not after you almost drained yourself.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, I will help as best as I can. Just tell me what it is.¡± As soon as the words were out of my mouth, he handed me a letter. I wasted no time in taking it out of his hands and reading and with each line, my mouth fell open further. I wanted to see Riley with my own eyes, I wanted to make sure that she was okay and I couldn¡¯t believe that this had been going on for so long and Damien didn¡¯t say a word until now. ¡°I already gave the physician the symptoms to work up a poultice but just in case it doesn¡¯t work, we need-¡± ¡°My blood,¡± I deduced and he nodded. ¡°It is the only way that we can be certain it will work. Please, Cami, I wouldn¡¯t ask this of you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask, of course I will help her. Riley is my sister too, I want to make sure that she is healthy. I¡¯ll give whatever she needs and more.¡± I saw relief settle on Ryker. He looked like someone had taken a huge weight off his back and I immediately followed him to meet the physician. The physician and his son were in their working space when I got there but neither of them would look me in the eye. I could tell there was still a little guilt from the son over what he had told stair and I didn¡¯t know how to tell him that I didn¡¯t me him. I knew he didn¡¯t have a choice and he did what he thought he needed to do in order to stay alive. It was what anyone would have done. Each time I opened my mouth to tell him that, he would scurry away as if terrified that I was going to say something to hurt him. how By the time they were done taking my blood, the son rushed into the inner portion of the room and didn¡¯te out again. The physician finally met my eye and he sighed deeply. He had bags under his eyes like he hadn¡¯t slept in a while and he looked like he had aged ten years since thest time we met. ¡°Forgive him, your majesty, he just needs a little more time to adjust,¡± he said softly. ¡°He will be better by the time you see him next.¡± ¡°He can take all the time that he needs. I just want him to know that I hold no grudges.. He did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°He told your secret to the vampires. The attack yesterday was because of-¡± ¡°It was because of stair. It had nothing to do with your son. I do not hold him responsible and neither should he. I am sorry about what he went through and if he ever needs to talk to someone, there are people all around the pce who would be willing to lend a listening ear, even me.¡± I could see the gratitude in his eyes so I smiled at him and turned on my heels. Ryker followed directly behind me and he waited until we were out of the physician¡¯s office before he pulled me into a bone crushing hug. He pulled me as close to him as our bodies would allow and he buried his head into my neck. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered and if I could answer I would have told him that it was nothing and he would have done the same thing for me if the cases were reversed. I was only doing what the goddess had put for me to do- be useful. It took him a full minute to pull away and there was more emotion in his eyes than I had seen in a very long time. He had been truly terrified and I understood. If something happened to Christine and I wasn¡¯t able to stop it, I would have lost my dam n mind. ¡°I have to ensure that the mixture gets sent out safely, I wille to you after, okay?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°Where will you be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I began slowly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really doing anything in my office and I want to see if there is anything more I can learn about stair. I might be in my father¡¯s room.¡± He nodded and kissed me softly on the lips before leaving. My feet moved of their own ord until I was standing directly in front of my father¡¯s room. Ever since thest time we entered, I didn¡¯t return the key. It hadid neatly in my pocket every day as if I knew I woulde back. I wanted to but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it knowing that he was the reason everything had been going haywire. I pushed the doors open and took in the dusty room once more. We had cleared out that entire spot by the bed but from what I had read, my father was a very cu nn ing man. There was no way that he would keep all his eggs in one basket. He must have had a lot of hidden ces all around his room in the asion that someone found one of them so I began searching. I checked the closet and under the bed but I couldn¡¯t find anything. I checked the bedside tables again and behind the paintings. I was about to give up but I decided to go near the firece. There was something off about it so I started tapping on each of the walls slowly until I got to one that sounded hollow. I smiled to myself as I took a firece poker and slowly pulled out the hollow brick. It came out easily and in its ce was an hiddenpartment filled with letters. I pulled them all out and immediately sat cross legged on the ground so I could flip through them. Most of them were correspondence between him and Eva. I couldn¡¯t help but think to myself about how useful it would have been if I had found them while Frederick was alive. It would have made the entire search easier. He spoke about a ce beyond the creek where they used to meet and I knew from his words that a part of him either really loved Eva or he was just a good liar because it was almost impossible to sit down and pen down the words that he was saying without feeling some form of emotion for them. I put aside his letters to Eva because it felt like I was intruding on something special and then I found them- letters between him and stair. At first, they started innocent with my father mentioning how he bumped into stair on a hunting trip. I would have mistaken them for friends who made it till the end of time if I didn¡¯t already know that the story ended with a betrayal. From stair¡¯s letters, he trusted my father. He told him about his lover whose name was Sienna. It sounded like a beautiful name for an even more wonderful person. He told father about the spot where she died which was supposedly near the pce but I couldn¡¯t figure out where exactly it was because he never mentioned it by name. He spoke about how tiring it was living for so long and the more I read, the more I realized that stair wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad person, from his letters, he sounded like someone who was ready to pass on but he couldn¡¯t because there were things the younger vampires needed to learn from him still. I didn¡¯t know how long I sat there reading until I heard the door creek open and Ryker walked in. He saw the letters in myp and the openpartment and shook his head with a slight curse. ¡°I should have known,¡± he mused more to himself than to me. ¡°What did you find out?¡± I told him everything and just like always, he sat there and listened to me patiently as I spoke. He frowned a little and I knew it was because he could hear the undercurrent of sympathy I held in my heart/for stair. I tried to keep it out of my voice because I knew he would never agree but I couldn¡¯t N?velDrama.Org owns this text. help it. ¡°Do you feel pity for him?¡± Ryker asked finally but I stayed quiet. There was no use denying it. ¡°Have you forgotten everything that he did? He could have killed you, he killed guards, he has killed people all for nothing. Have you forgotten what happened yesterday, Cami? All those people lying on the ground that you had to heal.¡± ¡°I know that, I can¡¯t forget it. It is just that he is hurting. That¡¯s why he is doing all of this. I am not saying that his actions are right but you cannot ignore the fact that he was hurt first and he is justshing out the only way he knows how. He thinks he is doing the right thing whether people will like it or not. It is just like when you killed your father.¡± Ryker was taken aback by my words and the moment they came out, I wanted to take it back. I reached out for him but he held up a hand to stop me. ¡°Those things are not mutually exclusive at all and the fact that you would evenpare them is rming,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°stair is a monster and I will do everything in my power to put him in the ground whether you agree with it or not. Am I clear?¡± When he spoke like that, he reminded me of the feared Alpha that everyone thought he was. I nodded and I saw his shoulders release some tension but the words still hung between us. I opened my mouth to apologize when I caught a sh of movement by the door as it creaked slowly. We rushed to our feet instantly and rushed out to see if we could catch a glimpse of whoever had been spying but the hallway was empty and there was no trace of their scent. We searched around but it was like they had disappeared into thin air. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V We were on edge after that because it meant that someone was onto our n but whoever it was didn¡¯t attention to themselves. By the next morning, we still weren¡¯t any closer to finding out who they were but I was excited because the team that went out to find the night lock were supposed to be returning any day from now. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to use it on stair but it felt good to know that we had a backup n if need be. I knew Ryker didn¡¯t feel the same way, he wanted to get rid of stair as soon and as quietly as possible. We were at breakfast getting Audrey ready for her first day when they returned. I was itching to see the infamous nt that could incapacitate someone as powerful as stair but my daughter was more important. She was terrified about her first day and hadn¡¯t stopped gripping onto mine and Ryker¡¯s hands for dear life. We took the carriage to the school and I could see her bouncing her feet anxiously. I could tell that if given the opportunity, she was going to sprint the other way without looking back. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± I dropped my voice to a whisper and she looked up at me with wide and hopeful eyes. ¡°I promise you, this will be the best time of your life and you are going to love it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked and I nodded. She still looked a little hesitant but at least she had stopped bouncing her feet. ¡°Will youe get me after school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, sweetheart, if we are busy, we might have to send some guards to get you but we will be waiting for you at home if that is anything. We will be counting down the moments until you get back.¡± She didn¡¯t seem happy about it but she nodded. Once we got to the school, there were other students going in at the same time. Some arrived in carriages just like us but others were simply walking in. Ryker helped Audrey out and she looked so small and timid. I was unsure of what else I could say to make her feel better when a little girl walked up to us. She was in the grey uniform that everyone else was wearing. Audrey got hersst night because we were adamant that she doesn¡¯t stand out from the crowd so as not to make her first day awkward. ¡°Hi, are you new?¡± the little girl asked and Audrey nodded slowly. ¡°My name is Maya, do you want to She was a beautiful girl with blond pigtails and bright blue eyes. Audrey hesitated before nodding and taking her outstretched hand. ¡°My name is Audrey,¡± she said slowly and Maya beamed wide enough to rival the sun. III O ¡°You¡¯re really pretty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really pretty too,e on, I¡¯ll show you all my favorite ces.¡± B # 5 0 That seemed to calm Audrey down because she smiled. She waved to us and I watched as she disappeared into the building. Tears burned the back of my eyes and I blinked rapidly to prevent them from falling. It was one thing to know that your child was all grown up but it was another thing to see it and I was seeing it in person. Ryker kept a hand at the small of my back and ushered me back into the carriage. I could tell that he was just as emotional as I was but he was better off at hiding it. ¡°She will be fine,¡± he assured me. ¡°There is no better ce for her than here.¡± When we got back to the pce, I had to push aside all my emotions to focus on what was happening. The guards along with Steven and Kevin were in the training room. They looked exhausted but at least they had changed out of their gear. As soon as they saw us, they got to their feet and bowed. ¡°How was the journey?¡± I asked and Steven sighed deeply. ¡°It was tough but we got it. The mountain was nothing like we had expected. We lost someone on the trail, there was andslide and he got caught in it,¡± he reached into his pocket and brought out a carefully wrapped package. I gingerly took it from him and opened it slowly. It was much smaller than I had imagined and I wondered how you could get someone like stair to take that. I decided that it would be a problem for another day and wrapped it back up. Steven was looking at me with anticipation as if wanting to know if he had done correctly so I smiled. ¡°Thank you, all of you. You have been a great help,¡± his shoulders sagged in relief and I turned to Ryker. He seemed to get the hint so he thanked them too and we walked out together. As soon as we were out, I started speaking. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Obviously he can¡¯t eat it like that, he would never agree. The question is, how did your father manage to get him to ingest it? Did he make it into a powder and throw it on him. Did he incapacitate him first and then force feed it to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t really know about the nt and its properties. It could be possible that my father ate it himself and then got stair to bite him thereby transferring it but I don¡¯t even know if that would work.¡± ¡°It is a good ce to start, the question that remains is where do we keep this? We already know that someone is watching us.¡± I was about to answer when I noticed someone walking behind us. I jumped slightly then let out a sigh of relief once I realized that it was Christine. She raised a brow at my 15:58 Fri, 26 panic. ¡°If you don¡¯t want people listening in, then you shouldn¡¯t have conversations in public,¡± she grabbed my arm and pulled me into the nearest room which so happened to be the dining room. ¡°Now, what is it about ingesting that I am hearing?¡± We exined everything that we had been up totely and if she was upset for not being included, she didn¡¯t let it show. She just listened intently and by the time we were done, she let out a deep sigh. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I think your idea seems the most probable,¡± she said to me. ¡°There is no guarantee that we will be able to incapacitate him long enough to feed it to him by force, but, do you even want to do this, Cami?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked and she shot me a nd look. ¡°When you spoke about it, you sounded weird, almost as if you weren¡¯t fully into it. I¡¯m not trying to put you on the spot but, I mean-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, okay? I just sometimes feel bad for him because he is as much a victim as we are,¡± I said slowly and I felt Ryker tense beside me. ¡°I am not condoning the things he did and I understand that he needs to be punished for his actions but I can feel that and also feel pity for who he was and what was done to him before. Two things can be right at the same time.¡± Ryker wanted to respond but was stopped from doing so when the door creaked open and ra walked in slowly. She had her head bent low and she was wringing her fingers. At first, I thought something was wrong but then she started speaking. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have been listening,¡± she began slowly, ¡°but I heard you talking about him and I just, I¡¯m sorry for eavesdropping.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked as I gestured for her toe closer. ¡°I want to help, in any way that you will have me. He ruined my entire life, he took away my childhood and everything that I know. I don¡¯t want to just sit here and wait for him to be caught. I want to be useful and I know I¡¯m just a random girl from the town and I probably don¡¯t have any skills but I would like to help.¡± I nced over at Ryker because I was unsure of what to say. There was truly nothing she could do to help. I didn¡¯t want anyone digging into my father¡¯s things and unless she could go out with the guards then she was better off in the pce than helping. I shot Ryker a ¡®help me¡¯ look and he sighed. ¡°ra, I understand, but the best thing you can do is to stay safe.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, your majesty,¡± she shot back. ¡°That house was all I had left 15:58 Fri, 26 Jan O of my parents. It was everything to me and he took it. I have nothing left of my family. Please, I will do anything.¡± She dropped to her knees and I saw fresh tears in her eyes. I nced over at Christine who I could see was also moved by her. Maybe it was because she had also lost her parents but we understood her pain and at least I was able to get rid of the person who killed my mother, she wouldn¡¯t get that privilege. Ryker nced over at us and I nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± he said finally and I saw her eyes widen in shock. ¡°There isn¡¯t much that you can do here but there is a guard, Steven, and I am sure he would be more than happy to train you. I will not be putting you out on the front lines but you will be learning how to protect yourself. Is that okay?¡± She nodded and I watched as sheunched herself into Ryker¡¯s arms. He stiffened and cleared his throat and she immediately pulled away. ¡°I apologize, your majesty, thank you, I won¡¯t let down.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I watched as she walked out of the room and I waited until she had shut the door behind her before I turned to Ryker with a teasing smile. ¡°Looks like you have a new fan.¡± He rolled his eyes at me and turned back to the table. ¡°We were discussing something very important before she came.¡± I raised my hands in mock surrender. ¡°I guess it is settled about the night lock. I can¡¯t take it unless we are very certain that we will see him. Where do we keep it until then?¡± ¡°We can keep it in one of the offices or in our room,¡± Ryker began but I shook my head. There was no guarantee that no one would keep it safer than he would, the problem was that everyone else would expect it. ¡°If someone were to go looking for it, that would be the first ce that they would look,¡± I dropped my voice to a whisper in case of any more eavesdroppers. ¡°I think Christine should hide it, probably in the same ce that you hid the map of the tunnels. No one else can know where it is, not even us.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°What if you need to get it and I¡¯m not there?¡± ¡°We will deal with that if it everes to it but right now, I don¡¯t want to risk it getting taken. I¡¯m not saying we have any spies in here but I am just trying to be safe.¡± She thought about it for a second before nodding. ¡°Fine, but what if you kept some in Ryker¡¯s office like he suggested. Just a small amount of it so that if anyone goes looking for it, they will think that they found everything and they wouldn¡¯t expect you to have any more hidden away.¡± I realized that was a brilliant idea and we all agreed to it. Ryker and I took the small quantity of the berries and hid it safely in his office. Fortunately, they had a long shelf life so I wasn¡¯t worried about them getting spoiled within the next week or so. It gave us a little time to figure out how we wanted to do this. If it exceeded a week then I had no idea how we were going to deal with it or handle the situation. Ryker tried to assure me that everything was going to be fine but I couldn¡¯t ignore the nagging feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. He met with the guards while I went out for training, Loris wasn¡¯t out there so I trained on my own. I had about the water that soothed my nerves. It was almost like an extension of myself and I loved it. I didn¡¯t know how long I stayed there, I just knew that I was moving. I felt formidable and untouchable for the first time in a long time. I let the water slide back into the stream and was about to leave when I decided to try something. After Loris had realized I wasn¡¯t making any progress in getting water out of the moisture in the air or out of the ground, he had decided to let it be and he focused on other aspects of my powers. I looked around to make sure no one was looking and crouched down to the ground. I could feel the water- I always had. The problem was that I could never reach it. It didn¡¯t matter how much I pulled or tugged, it just never came within my reach. I closed my eyes and tried to pull on the water but it wouldn¡¯t rise. I could have sworn I felt it move an inch but that was it. I muttered a curse under my breath and huffed as I kicked a small stone in my path. I turned to return to the pce but was surprised to find Ryker standing there. I was surprised that I hadn¡¯t noticed him earlier. ¡°How long have you been watching me?¡± I asked and he shrugged. ¡°Not long, you¡¯re doing much better than before.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t get to it,¡± I gestured off handedly to the floor and he shrugged. ¡°I just never thought it would be that difficult, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get to it sooner orter,¡± he kept his tone soft and encouraging. He reached out to me and I wasted no time in letting my hand slip into his. Just as I did, there was a noise behind us. His hold on me tightened and he pulled me behind him. I could barely see over his shoulder and I think that was his n because he made sure that I was hidden behind him. You wouldn¡¯t have even known I was present if you had walked in. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he held up a hand to stop me. ¡°It was probably just the wind or something. There is no one here.¡± ¡°Yes there is,¡± he said simply and when I opened my mouth to protest he shot me a hard look. I decided to stay silent for the sole reason that he had more experience than I did when it came to people and fighting so he probably knew more. ¡°Walk away slowly and go back to the pce.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? I¡¯m not leaving you out here.¡± ¡°Cami, do you ever listen to me?¡± he sounded annoyed but underneath all of that, there was a hint of admiration. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°I am getting a toothache from just watching you,¡± I turned to the woods and I saw a vampire leaning against the trees. It was the one who had led me into the mountains. I hadn¡¯t seen him in a while and a part of me had hoped he was dead. ¡°You wolves need better protection. You have no idea how easy it was for me to get in here.¡± O D Ryker growled and I saw a sh of fear in his eyes. He even took a slow step backwards. It was good to know that they were smart enough to ascertain when someone was a genuine threat to them and that was exactly what Ryker was. He was the most patient and loving partner on the but that didn¡¯t mean that he still wasn¡¯t the Alpha everyone thought that he was. ¡°You have two minutes to get the f uck out of here before I rip your head off your shoulders,¡± Ryker warned. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt either of you, rx,¡± he held up his hands to show that he meant no harm. ¡°I simply came to ry a message.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested not f uck off. You have just one minute left.¡± ¡°I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to listen. Well, stair is a bit upset that you would consider hurting him when he has been nothing but kind to you over the past few weeks,¡± I raised a brow at his words. Did he really say the words kind when stair had killed more wolves than I cared to count. ¡°He was upset at the number of vampire casualties at your town and he has promised to right the wrong.¡± ¡°You have a lot of nerveing to my home and saying that,¡± Ryker took a slow step towards the vampire who took one back. ¡°What¡¯s stopping me from killing you where you stand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just the messenger. Your fight isn¡¯t with me.¡± Ryker moved so fast that I barely had time to register it. One minute, he was standing by me and the next, he had his hands around the vampire¡¯s throat and was squeezing tightly. The vampire wed at his hands and despite the blood dripping down his arms, Ryker never made one move to let him go. I stood fixated in my spot and unable to say anything. ¡°If you kill me, you will inquire stair¡¯s wrath. I was the first man he turned, I am his closest ally and Original content from N?velDrama.Org. confidante.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a sh it.¡± ¡°You should, we could wipe out this pack in a matter of seconds. You should think about that, stair would not be pleased in the slightest,¡± I could see that he was just trying to buy time to save his life but Ryker wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°He should have thought about it before sending you here. Let this serve as a warning to the rest of you. If any of youes near my home or my family, you will die.¡± I thought Ryker would let him go to deliver the warning but to my shock, he twisted his neck and I watched as the vampire crumpled to the ground. Ryker stood over the body and turned to me. ¡°Get me a torch, now.¡± That forced my legs to move. ¡°Is he dead?¡± ¡°No, you can only kill them with fire or by tearing off their heads. I just twisted it. He will be up in an hour or less and we cannot have that happening.¡± I watched in shock and slight horror as Ryker lit a fire over the body of the fallen vampire. He stood there and watched it burn. I couldn¡¯t even look at the body, my eyes were fixated on Ryker. ¡°You could have kept him for questioning,¡± I began slowly and he shrugged. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He was a threat to you,¡± he said simply. ¡°If you weren¡¯t here then maybe, but I had to think of the possibility that he would try to attack you and I couldn¡¯t risk that. It doesn¡¯t matter now, he is dead, I was shocked by how casually Ryker was saying everything but I took his outstretched hand and walked in step with him. ¡°He said that stair wanted to even out the numbers, what did he mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know and honestly, I don¡¯t think I want to find out.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V For the next two days, I was on edge, I kept waiting for stair to attack the pce and take revenge for the death of his friend but he never did. If anything, he was quieter than before. I began to wonder if the other vampire had been bluffing just so we wouldn¡¯t kill him. I wanted to tell Ryker about my worries but I didn¡¯t want to jinx it. If nothing had happened yet, then I was more than happy to keep it that way. Things were going perfectly, we had the night lock and the guards were training. The town people had be more vignt and there were fires set at every boundary. There hadn¡¯t been any deaths in two days and I found that to be a record. ¡°Damien wrote back,¡± Ryker¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I found him at the door to my office. ¡°He thanked us for the poultice and even asked what was inside. He also mentioned that he was going to try to visit soon because he had been hearing about everything that was happening.¡± ¡°Are you going to respond?¡± ¡°Not right now, there are more pressing things on ground,¡± he shrugged as he made his way into the office. ¡°We need to figure out a way to get rid of stair permanently. I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder wondering if you are safe.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair. ¡°I¡¯m just here hoping that he is going to change. I know it is fantastical and it is not going to happen but you can¡¯t fault me for believing, right?¡± He was about to answer when the bell started to ring. I was out of my chair in seconds and we both rushed out of the room. There were guards already getting ready to ride into town. They were so engrossed in their work that none of them even turned to pay heed. Kevin made to walk past me but I grabbed his upper arm pulling him to aplete stop. us any ¡°What is happening?¡± Ryker asked and Kevin hesitated before speaking. ¡°You¡¯re not mute so don¡¯t start now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the school,¡± he exined slowly and that was all I needed to rush into the stables and grab my horse. I couldn¡¯t even wait for someone else to saddle it for me, I started doing it all on my own. ¡°Cami, stop,¡± Ryker said to me but I ignored him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you there.¡± O r 12:19 Mon, 29 Jan M ¡°I don¡¯t care, my daughter is out there so I am going. You can either deal with it or you stay behind. Nothing is stopping me from going,¡± my eyes burned but I tried to convince myself that she was fine- she was safe. Audrey was not going to die much less at the hands of a vampire. I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head as I thought of stair. We had hit him where it hurt so he was trying to do the same thing. At this point, I didn¡¯t care about anything, if I saw him then I was going to kill him myself. I got on the horse and didn¡¯t even wait for Ryker before I started riding in the direction of the school. I felt the heat before I saw the fire. A good portion of the gate was on fire. No one could go in and out. I could see the guards trying to weave their way in to get the children from inside. I got off my horse immediately trying to see if I could get an opening to go in but there was nothing. Suddenly, I felt Ryker by my side. ¡°I¡¯m going to get her out,¡± he whispered and before I could process what he had said, he literally dashed through the mes. I tried to reach out for him but one of the guards held me back. ¡°Why would you let him go in there?¡± I screamed but I still wasn¡¯t allowed to move forward. I felt a pair of eyes on me and I looked around. It was like a ma directed me to stair. He was standing in the trees and once he saw that he had my attention, he tipped his head forward. There was a sick smirk on his face and I saw a torch in his hands. He was the one who had set the fire. He knew he could have died from it but he risked it just to hurt us. ¡°Good luck,¡± he mouthed before disappearing into the woods and I felt blood bubble up in me. I wanted to chase after him but my major concern was for my family that was currently stuck in the mes. I noticed the guards were rushing in and out of the woods to get the water so I closed my eyes and tried to feel for the source. It took me a few seconds but I felt it- it was a stream with a waterfall a few feet away. it was further than anything I had tried to reach for but I wasn¡¯t going to give up now. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. I pulled as hard as I could and with a scream, I heard the rush of water. Everyone stared in awe as I swirled the entire stream overhead. A few looked at me with awe while others looked at me with fear in their eyes. I figured that I would handle that problemter as I dumped the entire thing over the burning building. The fire was out but I felt so dizzy that I could barely stand on my own. I didn¡¯t know how much energy it would take to maneuver that much water over that kind of distance. I stumbled back a bit but the guard behind me who I realized was Steven kept me O stable. He had a hand on my shoulder and I watched as the other guards rushed in to retrieve the people who were inside. I stood with baited breath watching the people going in and out and waiting to see my family. I saw Audrey¡¯s hair before I saw her. She ran straight from me and despite how tired I felt, I still allowed her throw herself into my arms. Ryker reached me next and he ced a kiss on my forehead. ¡°That was incredible, I saw the entire thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hero, mummy,¡± Audrey whispered and I couldn¡¯t stop the tired smile that grew on my face. I handed her over to Ryker who was more than happy to take her from me. He had soot on his clothes but overall he was fine. ¡°Did anyone die?¡± I asked but he shook his head. ¡°Not from the students, no, I haven¡¯t checked with the guards yet, so I am unsure of that,¡± he stopped mid sentence to look at me. ¡°Are you alright? You look a little green. Do you feel sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, I just didn¡¯t know it would take that much to hold that much,¡± my vision. was hazy but I managed to keep myself upright as I leaned on Ryker¡¯s arms. ¡°I just need a second or an hour or a very long nap to recuperate.¡± ¡°Do you want me to call a carriage for you?¡± he asked but waved him off because I knew shaking my head would be a very bad choice. ¡°I can ride, I promise.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I was going to pass out or anything, I was just tired and everything hurt. Ryker kept his arms around me as he led us back to our horses. He had to help me get on mine because I couldn¡¯t do it myself then he got on his own with Audrey in front of him. We rode back to the pce at a slower speed than the one we did to get to the school and I knew it was for my sake so as not to make the dizziness worse. By the time we got to the pce, I just wanted to get a snack and take a nap. Christine was in front of the pce holding Aurora and Audrey rushed into her arms. I saw relief pool over her features as she embraced her. Ryker took Aurora from her and I leaned over his shoulder at my sleeping infant. I knew how much this issue with stair had pulled me away from her but I was determined to make things work as soon as we got him where he belonged. I didn¡¯t care for peace anymore, he came for my daughter and I was going to make sure that he died a very slow and painful death. ¡°I got you some chocte,¡± Christine produced a bar from behind her back and I thanked her as I took it from her. I wasted no time in biting down as Ryker and I walked O < into the pce. ¡°I need to get something from my office first,¡± he told me. ¡°Do you want to wait here for me?¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± I assured him. After eating the chocte, I felt rtively better. I followed him to his office and right from the door, I knew something was wrong because Ryker never left his door open. He handed Aurora to me and I held her close as he pushed the door open. I braced myself for an attack but what I saw was even worse. The entire room was in disarray, the papers on his table had been thrown all around, his bookshelf had been destroyed and everything was a mess. It was almost as if there had been a fight in there. ¡°Did theye looking for you?¡± I asked but he shook his head. I watched as he rushed towards his dresser and he pulled it open. He muttered a curse under his breath and wiped his hand across his forehead. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They got the berries,¡± he said simply and my eyes widened. ¡°The school was a distraction. He wanted the berries and he got them.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I could see Cami¡¯s confusion and I could practically hear the unasked question that was swirling through her mind. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the entire point of keeping it here to find out if he had someone in the pack?¡± She opened her mouth to speak and I knew that was what she was going to say so I cut her off by speaking directly into her mind. ¡°The halls aren¡¯t safe anymore, someone might be listening. We don¡¯t want to give them a reason to think that there might be more somewhere. Until we are sure that whoever it is has been dealt with, you should speak directly to my mind. Just go with it.¡± I saw understanding dawn on her features and she nodded. ¡°What are we going to do now? We don¡¯t even know who took them or how to get some more, it will take some time.¡± ¡°I will go to the generals and the maids and find out every single person who was in the pce at the time of the attack on the school. Someone must have either seen or heard something or even been part of the people who took it.¡± ¡°You think there was more than one person?¡± she asked and I shrugged. ¡°It could have been a solo mission.¡± ¡°In a pce this big, someone was bound to have seen something or heard something. Even if the other people weren¡¯t directly involved, they definitely had something to do with it,¡± I dropped my lips to her ear and whispered. ¡°Go to Christine and make sure that the others are safe. I wille to you I pulled back and watched as she nodded and disappeared. I looked around the office with a sigh. It grated on my nerves to see it in such disarray but at least we knew to be on edge. The most annoying part about it was the fact that I couldn¡¯t get a hit on the scent. Whoever did it had found a way to keep their scent hidden. They managed toe in, rummage and get out without leaving anything behind. I walked out of the office and made a m ental note to handle itter. I immediately went to the generals for the list of guards who were in the pce at the time. I didn¡¯t tell them what I needed it for, only that I needed it and they didn¡¯t waste any time in producing it for me. Apparently, they had a schedule and he just handed it over to me. ¡°The problem with this is that some people left their duty posts to help with the fires,¡± he exined as he handed the schedules over to me. ¡°There is no way of knowing the exact people who were present and absent at that time but this is the best I can. I can talk to the guards myself and figure out-¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut him off and his brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°I do not want a word of this ||| 07.53 Tue, 30 Jan Kis breathed to anyone else. Pretend like this conversation never happened, am I clear?¡± He nodded, ¡°Of course, your majesty, but if I could just ask, what is this about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it is of any concern to you right now. You have done your part and you have my gratitude for it.¡± I could tell that wasn¡¯t the answer he was looking for but it was all he was going to get from me and he knew better than to argue. He nodded and turned on his heels to walk away. As soon as he was gone, I began flipping through the schedule. There were over a thousand names and I knew there was no way that I was going to interrogate them all. The moment I started with one person, the news was going to spread so I needed to be extra careful with who I focused on. I left the generals and went to the maids. I got the same kind of schedule and the exact same exnation. Because of the fire, a lot of people were forced to leave their duties and help out elsewhere. There was no exact list that could give me what I wanted. By the time I got back to my wrecked office, I was already frustrated and I buried my head into my palms. I took both lists and sat at my desk. I spread them open in front of me and looked through the names. I still recognized a few from when we were looking for Eva. There were some that jumped out to me whose names I could remember but that didn¡¯t mean anything. I decided to call for the guard who was guarding the hallway leading up to my office. He was the safest bet and if anyone saw anything then it had to be him. He arrived in my office less than ten minutester and when he took in the entire room, his eyes widened. ¡°Do you want me to call a maid, your majesty?¡± he began but I shook my head and hist brows furrowed. ¡°They will be able to get it fixed before tomorrow.¡± ¡°You can call the maidster, I want you to take a seat,¡± I gestured to the chair opposite me. I could feel the confusion radiating off him but he still did as I had asked. ¡°You patrol the hallway leading up to here, am I correct?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who came in this way?¡± I watched his face for any trace of emotion but he didn¡¯t let anything slip. It was either he didn¡¯t know anything or he did and he wasn¡¯t saying it. ¡°The thing is, someone took something from here and you are thest line of defense to this ce. I am sure you can see how that looks. So you are going to tell me who took it or you are going to produce what was taken.¡± He threw his hands up immediately. ¡°I have nevere in here, I swear. I had nothing to do with it at all. I didn¡¯t see anyone.¡± ||| Kis D ¡°You are permanently stationed at the hallway. How could you not see someone walk in and out? This doesn¡¯t look too well for you.¡± ¡°I went to see my girlfriend,¡± he blurted out and my brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m seeing one of the girls in the kitchens. She came to me after she heard about the fire and she was freaking out. I left my post for maybe five minutes but I came back right away. I didn¡¯t notice anyone suspicious leaving. I swear, I had nothing to do with it. Please, don¡¯t kill me.¡± I ran my hands down my face in frustration. Of course, he would have taken the time the assant wanted to use as a break to see his girlfriend. I didn¡¯t know if I was upset with him or just frustrated because of the situation. I simply sat there staring at him not knowing what to say. ¡°Get out,¡± I said finally and his eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re stu pid, yes, but you aren¡¯t the person I am looking for. Leave, and if you utter one word of this to anyone, you are dead.¡± ¡°Thank you, your majesty.¡± I waited until he had gotten to the door before I spoke. ¡°Get the maid to fix the office before tomorrow morning.¡± I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to find the person responsible. They had taken careful precaution but at least I had some more information. Whoever was behind the attack was someone who knew the guards well. They must have known that he would go to his girlfriend or that his girlfriend would go to him. They would have watched for a while and that meant being at the pce for a long time. I had been suspecting ra but there was no way she could have figured that out in such a short time, not when her every move was being monitored by me. I let out a sigh of frustration when I heard my office door creak open. I saw ra walk in wearing something simr to what the maids usually wore and my brows rose. Thest time I checked, she had been training with Steven because of her anger towards the vampires. ¡°When did you start working with the maids?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°I just felt like I wasn¡¯t doing much one day so I asked the Queen¡¯s cousin, Lady Christine and she said it was alright. I hope that is fine by you. The others areing soon but they sent me to get a head start and figure out just how messy the office was,¡¯ she looked around as she said it. I figured it was best to give them the privacy to do what they needed so I stood to my feet and made to walk out of the room. Just as ra was trying to walk past me, she tripped over a piece of wood. I reached out to grab her upper arm immediately and somehow, she grasped onto my shoulders and neck to keep herself steady. Her hands on my skin grated on my nerves and I wanted nothing more than to let her go and let her drop on her as s but even I knew that was rude so I allowed her get back to her feet. She still didn¡¯t let go of me immediately and I opened my mouth to berate her when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I knew who it was immediately and I pushed her off. I turned to find Cami standing by the door watching the two of us with a nk expression. I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on in her mind but fear gripped my throat. Thest time she left me, it was over a perceived incident like this. I could only imagine what she would do now when she seemingly caught us together. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a hand to stop me and I cursed under my breath. I was screwed. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I had forgotten the exact reason I came looking for Ryker the moment I saw him with her. I expected some kind of anger, some perceived form of emotion but there was nothing. As I took in the scene, I knew there was something I was missing. Ryker wouldn¡¯t cheat on me, I knew that with every fiber of my being. I wasn¡¯t the insecure child I was all those years ago when I left his pack. We had children and he would never jeopardize that for anything or anyone so I knew there had to be an exnation as to why they were standing like that. He opened his mouth to speak but I held up a hand to stop him, it wasn¡¯t a conversation I wanted to have with her in the room. I tried to get a read on her but her expression was nk. There was remorse in her eyes but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was genuine or not. It was almost as if the more I tried to figure her out, the harder it was for her. ¡°ra, you said you had family in another pack, right?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°I figure now would be a very good time to send a letter to them, don¡¯t you? I presume this entire thing with the vampires will be over soon. We wouldn¡¯t want to keep you away from your family any longer.¡± I saw the moment she understood the true meaning behind my words. She bowed her head in shame and nodded. She awkwardly made to walk past me. She stopped directly in front of me and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but at thest minute, she thought better of it and walked out. As soon as she was gone, Ryker started speaking. ¡°It isn¡¯t what it looks like, I swear. I don¡¯t even know how it happened. I don¡¯t want you to think that anything happened.¡± ¡°I know nothing happened.¡± ¡°I wasing to you and she was slipping so I-¡± he paused and turned to me. ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡± ¡°I said I know,¡± I made my way over to him. ¡°I trust you, I¡¯m not worried about what I saw because I know it was nothing. You don¡¯t have to exin every second of your life to me, honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°You aren¡¯t even the least bit jealous?¡± ¡°Did I enjoy seeing her hands on you? No, of course, not, but I¡¯m not going to overreact because of it. Besides, it is only a matter of time before she leaves, don¡¯t you think?¡± I saw the relief hit him like a ton of bricks and he rested his forehead against mine before kissing me slowly. ¡°Have I mentioned that I love you?¡± ¡°Nottely,¡± I shot back and the corner of his lips tilted up. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. ¡°So much, and when this is all over, I¡¯ll make sure that I show you exactly how much.¡± We were forced to pull apart when we heard footsteps. I saw a maid standing awkwardly by the door and Ryker exined that it was to clean up his office. He held out his hand to me and I wasted no time in taking it. We still had a very busy day ahead because of the school, I still wasn¡¯t sure what we were going to do about it. It wasn¡¯t safe to send the kids back until stair was dealt with and that meant keeping Audrey at home. Christine said she would try her best teaching her at home but I knew that would only work for some time. We spent the rest of the day trying to make sure that everyone was safe from the school. There had been two casualties of guards who were standing outside when the fire was set and were unfortunately caught in it. Ryker and I had to inform the families and it was one of the most devastating things I have ever had to do. I wasn¡¯t sure how you could tell someone their son died like a hero but not expect them to feel that pain. Hero or not, they were people¡¯s family. One of them even had a pregnant mate. My heart broke for them and I wished it was possible to help all of them but I couldn¡¯t. There was nothing we could do except offer financial assistance but even that felt like it wasn¡¯t enough. I was barely able to fall asleep at night despite being wrapped up in Ryker¡¯s arms. It felt like everything was falling apart and I tried to remind myself that the darkest hour always came before the dawn. I could feel Ryker¡¯s steady breathing in the darkness and instead of getting the usual rxation it gave me, I was worried because very little kept him awake at night and this managed to do so. I could tell we were thinking the same thing but neither of us wanted to voice it out. By the time morning came, I was tired of everything and I called for a meeting with the elders. Ryker was shocked when I asked because it had been a while since we sat with them. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± he had asked and I nodded. ¡°What could they possibly do for us right now?¡± ¡°I think we are too close to see this properly. I need an outside perspective and unfortunately, they might be able to offer that to us. We need to put an end to this as soon as possible, Ryker and you know it too.¡± He didn¡¯t protest again after that. The elders were waiting for us in the council room with varying degrees of annoyance and curiosity on their faces. Caius gave me a small smile when he caught my eye and I <3 responded with a curt nod. Ryker and I took out seats opposite them and the room delved into ¡°I need your help,¡± I said simply and many eyebrows rose. ¡°You have seen everything that has been happening so far. I need a means to get rid of the vampires.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to help?¡± one of them asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about them. You have kept your findings a secret from us. Your father would never have done that.¡± I took out my father¡¯s journal and slid it on the table. ¡°Howe none of you knew that thete king had met with the very same vampire who is guing us now? Were you just that unobservant?¡± ¡°He was very secretive.¡± ¡°Or you were just bad at your job,¡± I shot back and they all fell silent. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t have the time or the energy to ment ally spar with you today. There are innocent people dying and I need somebody to ¡°We could attack them first,¡± Caius suggested. ¡°It would be a blo ody war but if we were to do it during the daytime then we would have the advantage. They are considerably weaker in the daytime.¡± ¡°Yes, that could work but the problem is that they live in the mountains. They have lived there for centuries. If we walk into there, we are walking into a ughter house. It is as dark as night there and they will win.¡± They all went silent when I mentioned that, it seemed like they didn¡¯t know. We sat there for what felt like hours but it only seemed like I was getting worse answers than thest. I pinched my forehead with my forefinger and thumb in frustration as I realized that I wasn¡¯t getting the answers I wanted. After a while, I was about to call the meeting to an end when Caius spoke. ¡°What does he want?¡± he asked and I turned to him. ¡°You haven¡¯t told us directly but if I know for certain then he wants you, am I right, your majesty?¡± I nodded. ¡°This might be unorthodox by why don¡¯t you lure him out?¡± I felt Ryker tense beside me but this was the best idea that I had gotten all day so I sat up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants you dead considering the fact that he hasn¡¯t tried to kill you yet,¡± I kept my lips shut about him biting me. ¡°There has to be something that he wants from you. If you could lure him out into an ambush then it would be easier to kill him.¡± As he spoke, a grander idea formed in my head, one where we could use the night lock ed that look in my face instantly. you, Caius,¡¯ he said before turning to the rest of the elders. ¡°You can all leave no.¡± We watched them all file out and the moment thest of them had gone, he turned to me. ¡°I am not allowing you to be used as bait.¡± ¡°it is the only thing that will work. Caius was right, I am the one that he wants. He wants to get revenge on my father using me. If we can lure him out after I have eaten the berries and he bites me then he will be incapacitated. We can kill him and everything will be over.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°It is the only n we have, Ryker, please, I just need you to think about it.¡± I could tell he was going to refuse again but he was saved from responding when the door to our office opened. I expected to see a guard but not Christine. She stumbled into the room with blood stter on her clothes and the side of her face and she looked like she was about to pass out. I instantly stood to my feet and rushed to her side. As soon as I got to her, she slumped into my arms. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The vampires, they attacked us, we were just going for a walk.¡± ¡°Where are the girls, Christine?¡± she passed out before she could answer me Chapter 123 Chapter 123 CAMILLA¡¯S POV I rushed forward to catch her while Ryker ran straight out of the room. I gritted my teeth as I fought to carry Christine¡¯s entire body weight. I dragged her over to the small lounge in the office and gentlyy her on it before rushing out to call the physician. I was torn between wanting to make sure Christine was okay and wanting to find the girls but I figured sine Ryker was already on that then I could handle Christine. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Thankfully, the physician wasn¡¯t upied when I got to him and he wasted no time in rushing into my office to look over her. While he watched her, Ryker returned with both girls in his arms and I wasted no time in rushing over to them. I ran my hands through Audrey¡¯s curls and nced over at Aurora who looked to be fast asleep. I ran my eyes over their body for any obvious signs of injury but I let out a sigh of relief when I realized that they were good. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re okay,¡± I breathed unable to take my eyes off them. ¡°What happened? Are you guys okay?¡± I turned to Ryker. ¡°Where did you find them?¡± ¡°They were in the pce. I don¡¯t think they were with her.¡± I turned back to Audrey to confirm this but she just shrugged, ¡°Aunt Christine said she would be back but she never came back.¡± I hated the fact that relief poured through me. I felt horrible in the seconds after I felt it. I hated what had happened to Christine but I was d that my children were not there when it happened. Underneath all that relief however was concern, I turned to Ryker and saw that he had the exact same expression on his face. stair was crossing boundaries he shouldn¡¯t and he was putting the girls in danger. ¡°Cami,¡± I heard a broken voice from behind me and I turned to see Christine rising slowly. ¡°My head hurts so badly.¡± I rushed over to her immediately and crouched down by her side. She looked fine and I was relieved when the physician informed me that the blood on her body did not belong to her and she just passed out from stress and worry. She looked like c rap and she seemed a little disoriented but other than that, she seemed fine. ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡± I asked and she nodded slowly. ¡°Can you tell me?¡± ¡°They came out of nowhere. There were only two of them but it was enough to terrify me because I only had one guard on me. We went into the woods because I was looking for a pic spot. I know I shouldn¡¯t have been there but I just wanted a sense of normalcy, you know. We fought them but I was worried that they hade into the pce or something.¡± O 10:52 Sat, 3 Feb 0.47% ¡°The pce is well defended. Everything is fine, the girls are too,¡± I assured her and I saw her breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°They¡¯re with Ryker by the door right now, he probably doesn¡¯t want them to see all of this. Do you think you can stand?¡± She didn¡¯t respond but she tried to pull herself to her feet. I had to help her and although she stumbled, she was able to find her footing. She tried to assure me that she was fine but there was no way that I was going to let her go on her own so I stayed by her side and led her up to her room. I couldn¡¯t count the amount of times that Christine had helped me when I was weak or wounded and I would be da mned if I didn¡¯t return the favor. Ryker wasn¡¯t at the door when we got there and I assumed that he had gone to put the girls back in their room. No sooner than Christine got into her room, she was out like a light on the bed. I took a warm washcloth and slowly wiped the blood off her face and skin then helped her out of her dress and into something morefortable. It was a testament to how exhausted she was because she didn¡¯t stir once and I knew for a fact that she was a very light sleeper. By the time I was done, I stepped out of the room only to see Ryker waiting there for me. ¡°How is she?¡± he asked and I shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s good, she will be good at least but, Ryker-¡® ¡°¡± ¡°I know, I heard,¡± he cut me off with a sigh. ¡°He knows they are the object of our focus and he wants to hurt them to hurt us.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine why anyone in their right minds would try or want to hurt a child but then again, stair wasn¡¯t in his right mind. He was a crazy immortal vampire who had no internal moralpass to differentiate between right and wrong. I could see now that there was no reasoning with him or exining things to him. There was nothing that we could do or say save for getting rid of him permanently. ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave them out here where he could easily just get them.¡± ¡°Is there somewhere we could send them away for a few days, at least until we are able to get rid of stair.¡± ¡°Christine once told me about a vacation house that my father had not too far from here. I doubt stair would know about it though because no one did. She said she only found out about it because she followed him one day. We could send them there. What do you think?¡± ¡°Perhaps we should wait for her to wake up first.¡± Christine slept the entire day away and it wasn¡¯t untilte in the night that she finally rose from her slumber and joined us in the dining room for dinner. She looked ?all, shocked that we were still down there waiting for her but the truth was that we had already tucked the girls into bed and just needed a few seconds to ourselves to think. We were not even expecting to see her there. ¡°Thank you for earlier today,¡± she whispered to me but I waved her off. ¡°I am sorry if I scared you with the way I rushed into your office. I was just so terrified and I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I assured her. ¡°But that brings us to a problem and I need your help with it. Do you remember the way to my father¡¯s cabin?¡± She looked at me confused for a second before nodding. ¡°Do you want me to take you there?¡± ¡°I want you to take the girls there,¡± she looked taken aback by my suggestion. ¡°Tomorrow, it will be for a few days. Go in the morning when you are at a lower risk of being attacked by the vampires. Take some guards with you and do not take a carriage, it will be easier to spot. ?? ¡°You¡¯re sending us away,¡± she deadpanned and she almost looked hurt by it. ¡°I am keeping my kids safe,¡± I corrected. ¡°You are the only person that I trust them with and I need to make sure that they are safe. You are the only person who can do that for me. Please, Christine, I don¡¯t want any more idents.¡± She let out a deep sigh. ¡°I guess I better start packing.¡± I tossed and turned the entire night because I knewe the next morning, my daughters would be gone. I didn¡¯t see them much during the day but the knowledge that they were within reach was always good enough for me and I didn¡¯t know how I was going to handle not knowing that. As if Ryker knew what was going through my mind, he held me extra close at night but it still couldn¡¯t stop the ease or difort. I briefly wondered if we were doing the right thing or if I should call off the entire n but when I thought back to the fire in the school, I realized that it was a risk I was willing to take to ensure that I was never that scared again in my life. Sooner than I would have liked, the sun rose and Ryker and I made our way to Audrey¡¯s room. it was the first time in a long time that she had woken up with us already waiting for her and I could see the huge smile that took over her face. It pained me to know that after today, it was going to be a while until I saw her. I pulled her into my arms and carefully exined the situation as best as I could. She wasn¡¯t happy about it. She screamed and cried and begged me to reconsider and it broke my heart each time I had to say no. Ryker sat by me and tried to exin it to her as well but she didn¡¯t want to listen. We spent the better part of an hour trying to calm her down before she agreed more out of anger than anything. 10.32 The n was for them to leave as soon as possible so we got her dressed infortable riding gear and carried her towards the back of the pce. We didn¡¯t want people to realize what was being nned and that was why we chose the early morning to do the transfer. Christine was there with Aurora and I carried her so I could inhale her soft scent once again. ¡°Be safe,¡± I whispered to Audrey who nodded glumly. ¡°I promise this won¡¯t be for too long. I¡¯;; personally I looked over at Kevin and Steven who were riding with them. ¡°Please keep them safe.¡± ¡°With our lives,¡± they answered almost immediately and I reluctantly handed my children over. Tears pri cked the back of my eyes but I forced to keep a small smile on my face. I wiped at a stray tear that broke through the gap and I felt Ryker¡¯s hand on my waist tighten almost affectionately. Christine started to mount her horse but at thest minute, she stopped and walked over to me. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting her to do but I stayed immobile while she leaned her face towards my ear to whisper. ¡°The berries are in the flower pot by my bed.¡± Hidden in in sight. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to tell me that.¡± ¡°You might need it while I¡¯m gone,¡± she straightened. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing Cami.¡± ¡°I hope so too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch over them like they are my own. I promise you, I would have to be dead for any harm to ¡°I trust you,¡± it wasn¡¯t a lie, I knew she would. I watched as she climbed her horse and they disappeared from view. Ryker turned to me with a questioning look but I shook my head. There was no need repeating what she had said until absolutely necessary. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V Throughout the entire day, I felt the absence of my daughters and Christine. It was like a song hidden beneath the walls that called out to my soul. I could feel their absence as clearly as I could feel the walls next to me or the soft wood from my table underneath my fingertips and although I tried, I couldn¡¯t brush off the ashy taste in my mouth that came with feeling so alone. There was no way for us to know when they had arrived, we would just have to wait and hope that everything worked out just the way we had nned. As soon as they left, Ryker and I threw ourselves into work. Their absence was a necessary evil and now we needed to focus and bring an end to this. We needed to find a way to get the vampires out of the equation and draw stair out long enough for us to incapacitate him. We had all the equipment that we needed, we just needed a foolproof n. One that was bound to work and I knew exactly where I was going to get it. I just needed Ryker to agree to it first. That was how I found myself at his door sometime around noon and I knocked slowly. I never knocked so when I pushed open the door, there was concern on his face. I moved with deliberate slowness, maybe it was to draw out the inevitable conversation or maybe it was to give myself some sort of morale- I wasn¡¯t sure. Ryker was on edge as he watched me, like a coiled viper ready to strike at any moment. ¡°I know that face,¡± he began and I raised my brows in shock. ¡°It usually means that you want to ask for something that you know I will refuse. Tell me, Cami, what is it this time?¡± ¡°I know a way we can get stair toe out,¡± I said slowly and I watched as h9is expression went from amused to intrigued in less than a second. ¡°It is a rough n and it needs some work but I believe that this is the only one that we have.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Use me,¡± he opened his mouth to refuse immediately but I held out a hand to stop hm. ¡°He wants me for some reason. At first, it was for revenge but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what it is anymore. This is more than that. He could have killed me that night he attacked the town but he didn¡¯t. There is something that he wants and if we can make him think that he will get it then we might be able to corner him.¡± ¡°How do you n to execute this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always watching, right? I can give him a show. He will be in the forest at night, or his men will be.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to walk straight into the forest when you could be taken. That is absurd, Cami, even for you. There is too much that can go wrong.¡± ¡°It is our only option.¡± ¡°There is never only one option and you know it,¡± he shot back immediately and I knew that there was no way he was going to agree to this. ¡°We will find another way, something else that doesn¡¯t involve you putting your life at risk for a half baked n that is going to shit anyway.¡± I flinched at his words and I saw guilt cross his face. He ran his hands down his face with a sigh and he reached out to me but I made no move to sway from my spot. I understood his frustration and worry- I truly did- but I was trying and right now, there was nothing else that could be used to draw stair out. The fact that he didn¡¯t want to ept it did not negate its truth. We were stuck and that was the only way out. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult you,¡± he stood to his feet once he realized I wasn¡¯t going to him and came to me instead. ¡°You have to think about this, Cami. This isn¡¯t a game anymore, there are lives and people at risk. If this n fails, you will die and everyone in this pce with you.¡± ¡°If I die then you can be king,¡± I joked but his mouth didn¡¯t as much as twitch. He didn¡¯t find it amusing at all. ¡°We need to act fast, Ryker, he will notice sooner orter that the kids are gone and he will Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. search for them. We have no way to reach them there and if anything happens, we will never know.¡± He framed my cheeks with his hands and leaned down to k*ss me softly. ¡°I know, believe me, I do. I thought about sending them away every second of the night and I wondered if it was the right thing to do but we are keeping them safe and that is all that matters. We can handle things from our end and we will. They¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay, what do we do now?¡® ¡°Now, we ask for reinforcements. I sent a letter to Damien a few days ago asking if he could spare some men. If we kill stair, we will be dering war on the vampires. That is a battle that I don¡¯t think anyone is ready for. We will need everything and everyone we can muster.¡± ¡°Do you think he wille?¡± ¡°I hope so, I never got a response but then again, Damien was never good at responding to letters. He wille maybe today or maybe tomorrow. But I will not feel immature move.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I whispered and for the first time, the corner of his lips tipped up. 12:42 Mon, 5 Feb ¡°I am always right. You just need to calm down a little.¡± He leaned down to k i s s me again and I wrapped my arms around his n e c k to deepen it. With everything that was going on, I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I just melted into his arms and enjoyed his presence. The heat from Ryker¡¯s skin felt like bliss against mine. When I moaned into his mouth, I felt the corner of his lips pull up. Someone else. would have called what we were doing unhealthy. We were using each other to forget but I didn¡¯t care. I wanted him in every way, shape and form I could get. He was a healthy coping mechanism and one that I was not going to apologize for. Ryker lifted me by my waist and ced me atop his new desk. It was cold in contrast to the heat that was radiating off him. His hands wrapped into my hair and he tugged sharply eliciting a small gasp from me which he drowned out as his tongue slipped into my mouth. His hands leisurely ran down my body not removing my clothes but burning a path on my bare skin regardless. I wanted to rid myself of the barriers between us. I wanted to feel his skin on mine but when I reached up to touch his shirt, Ryker grabbed both of my hands and pinned them by my side. ¡°Just let me enjoy you,¡± he whispered against my lips. ¡°Let me k i s s you for hours on end until I forget where you start and where I end. Just stay with me in this moment, will you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the answer was quick and it flowed from my lips easily, ¡°Anything.¡± He nudged my knees apart with his leg and stepped between them. He had both of my hands pinned behind my back with one hand while the other trailed to the small of my back and he pulled me flush against him. Our centers touched and I hissed out in pleasure. Ryker moved his hips slowly against mine as he pulled his lips from mine to ster warm and wet k i s s i n g down my n e c k and to my exposed torso over my bodice. ¡°I thought you said just k i s s i n g,¡± my words were barely over a breathy whisper and I felt his lips quirk. ¡°I did, I just never said where.¡± He rocked his hips into me with purpose as his lips continued to trail a path of fire on my skin. He had barely even touched me but I felt like I was losing my mind. I thought I was going crazy and there was nothing or no one that could bring me back to reality. Just as I was getting lost in the movements, I heard a knock on the door. Ryker stilled for a second before choosing to ignore it in favor of k i s s i n g my l i p s once more. The knocking came again, a little louder this time and Ryker cursed as he pulled back. ¡°Someone better be f*cking dying.¡± He stepped back and admired me for a second. I could only imagine how wanted I looked with swollen lips that probably matched his, my skin flushed red and my hair a mess. He closed his eyes as if wanting to savor the image before turning and opening the door slightly so I was obstructed from view. I saw the exact moment that his shoulders tensed and I knew that whatever we had started here would need to be continuedter. I slowly let myself down from the table and righted my clothes in time for Ryker to turn around and hold out his hand for me which I didn¡¯t hesitate before taking. The guard in front of us led us down the hallways until we got to the front of the pce. I didn¡¯t know what we were looking for at first until I saw him. He was one of the guards that had gone with Christine and the girls. He didn¡¯t look unharmed so I chose to take it as a good sign. ¡°Did they arrive safely?¡± I asked and he opened his mouth but closed it again promptly. Fear gripped at my chest. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°He knew about our n. He came so fast. He sent me back to tell you what happened. We tried to fight them but-¡± His words were cut off when Ryker stormed over to him and grabbed the cor of his shirt. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°The vampire king has all of them.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V It took a second for those words to register in my head. I blinked a few times trying to realize if he had said what I thought he had. Ryker snapped out of his haze faster than I did because by the time I came around, he was barking orders at people. I couldn¡¯t hear much save for the ringing in my ears. It was so loud that I wanted to pull my ears out but I knew that wouldn¡¯t go over well. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker turned to me but his voice sounded garbled, almost like he was under water. He stood directly in my line of vision forcing me to meet his eyes. ¡°I need you to go inside. Stay with your guards. Can you do that?¡± ¡°He has the girls and Christine,¡± I repeated dumbly and he nodded. There were a lot of emotions swirling through his eyes and I could very well see that he was a second away from shifting. He was fighting to get his wolf under control and yet he still took his time to try calming me down. Ryker had always been the better one of us, he was fiercer and he worked better under pressure. When he saw that I wasn¡¯t leaving, he grabbed my shoulders and physically moved me towards the door. Once I was within the safety of the pce walls, he turned on his heels and disappeared. I think it was his leaving that finally snapped me out of my reverie and the severity of the situation finally settled on me. I muttered a curse under my breath and turned to follow him but he was already gone. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as I thought of all the possible things that he could be doing to them. I tried not to think about how terrified the girls would be. I knew there was nothing I could do outside so I rushed into my office. I rushed into my office and grabbed the notebook where I had been making notes about everything we found out regarding stair. There was no force on earth that was going to make me wait this out. He had my daughters and I would be damned if I allowed the week end with them still in his grasp. I went over everything we knew to see what I could use then I penned down a letter for Damien. I needed his armies here as soon as possible. I wasn¡¯t sure how he would react to the news about Christine. I wasn¡¯t sure what the rtionship between them was but I simply hoped that for her sake, he would be here soon. Once I had sent the letter, I turned to return to the pce but I saw ra watching me carefully. I stopped in my tracks and met her eyes making her flush pink and look away. I still remembered what I saw in Ryker¡¯s office but now was not the time to dwell on it and I had more important things to focus on. I started to walk away but she rushed towards me and stopped directly in my tracks. I raised a brow in her direction and a small pink hue grew on her cheeks. ¡°Your majesty,¡± she bowed and it took everything for me to not just k away from her. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for what happened a few days ago. That was never my intention. It was simply a misunderstanding and-¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I cut her off and I saw her flinch from the harshness of my voice. ¡°No,¡± ¡°Good, then you can leave.¡± I didn¡¯t care that I was being rude, thest thing I wanted to do was talk with her. I had more important things to handle like my kids being taken by one of the most psychopathic men I had evere across. Hurt shed through her eyes but she said nothing as she bowed and walked away. As soon as she had left, I let out a sigh of relief. There wasn¡¯t much I could do on my end save from running right into stair¡¯s hands and as much as I wanted to do that, I was smart enough to know from the first time that it was reckless so I did the next best thing- I called for Caius. ¡°What do you mean that he has them?¡± Caius asked and I pinched the bridge of my nose before responding. I didn¡¯t know how much clearer he wanted me to make things. I had already exined it the best I could. ¡°He took them while they were leaving to safety. I don¡¯t want the other elders to know yet but now would be a good time for you to give me some brilliant idea. I don¡¯t know when Ryker will return but I N?velDrama.Org owns this text. am not letting the sun set without doing something to find them.¡± Caius looked confused at best but he nodded. I saw the wheels turning in his head and it was obvious that he wasing to the same conclusion that I was. There wasn¡¯t much that he or I could do and I hated it. I hadn¡¯t wanted to face that reality which was why I had called for him. I hoped that maybe I was just too close to it and couldn¡¯t see other alternatives. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered softly. ¡°The only option would be to send a rescue team to get them but he is probably expecting that and will anticipate their arrival. I don¡¯t know what else to do,¡± I let out a sigh and ran my hands through my hair. It was a mass of curls around my face and if it were any other day, I would have panicked because it was very un¨Cqueen like but right now, I didn¡¯t care. A guard appeared at the door to the council room and I immediately knew that Ryker was back. I rushed out to see if he had any luck but as soon as I saw him, I knew. I hadn¡¯t realized just how much time had passed until I got out and saw the dark sky. His clothes were dirty and I could feel the anger and disappointment rolling off him in waves. ¡°I found the ce where he took them,¡± he said carefully as if trying to decide what he should say and what he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°He killed the horses, there was a lot of blood but as far as I know, none of it belongs to them. The trail went cold a few miles off from there but it wasn¡¯t headed towards the cave.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± I asked and he shook his head. That was weird. I would have expected him to go straight to his cave for safety but the fact that he didn¡¯t meant that this was about something else. I thought deeply about it and it hit me like a freight train. ¡°This is about revenge right,¡± I asked and Ryker¡¯s brows scrunched up in confusion as he watched me carefully but he nodded. ¡°He would want to take this to the very same ce where he lost the first time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡± ¡°He might have gone to the ce where my father took him down the first time,¡± I exined and his eyes widened as understanding filled his features. ¡°I don¡¯t remember exactly where that is of course but I can always check. I think he noted it down in one of his books.¡± Ryker grabbed my cheeks with both hands. ¡°You are bloody brilliant.¡± I smiled for the first time today and opened my mouth to speak when the sound of hooves cut through the air. It was loud and fast that Ryker pushed me behind me in a protective stance. A horse was heading straight for the pce and the collective shock had everyone freezing before quickly forming a protective stance around the entrance. A few of them had their spears pointed at the driver and I tried to peer over Ryker¡¯s shoulders to see who it was. ¡°Ryker, move,¡± I mumbled as I tried to look over his shoulder but he wasn¡¯t budging. I managed to peer over his side and I instantly recognized the rider. ¡°Stop, it¡¯s Damien.¡± He turned to me in confusion. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting him until tomorrow.¡± ¡°I sent him a letter. I exined what happened. He must have been closer than we thought for him to get it and be here by now.¡± Ryker frowned but he stepped aside for me to pass and I spoke to the guards. ¡°Stand down, he is an ally.¡± As soon as the words left my lips, the guards put down their weapons. Damien had a cloth thrown around his face probably as protection from the wind. He threw it off and dismounted the horse. I looked around for any sign of his army but didn¡¯t see them. I didn¡¯t care at that moment because it was a relief to see him. I crossed the length of the hall and threw my hands around his mid section and he hesitated for a second before embracing me back. ¡°Thank you foring,¡± I whispered and I felt him nod tensely before I moved back. ¡°Do you want a room to-¡± ¡°When was Christine taken?¡± he asked and I froze. ¡°I got your letter a few hours ago. I left the army and came here. They should be here soon though. I want to know what you have nned to get her back.¡± ¡°I think I might know where he took them-¡± ¡°Good, figure it out so that we can leave now.¡± I was taken aback by his words. I had expected concern but not this- there was real fear in his eyes. I turned back to look at Ryker who hade closer and was now listening to the conversation with something akin to a frown on his face. He took in the entire scene with his usual watchful eyes. ¡°Where is Riley, Damien?¡± he asked the other man. ¡°I left her at home but this isn¡¯t about her, this is about Christine. We can¡¯t leave her there so you either figure out where she is and we leave tonight or I¡¯ll go on my own but either way, I¡¯m not letting the sun rise without doing anything.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ryker calmed Damien down while I just sat in my office scrolling through the books mildly shocked by what had happened. I knew there was something between them but I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it. Damien was mated or at least about to mate with Riley, thest thing he needed was to be having that kind of outburst about another woman. It didn¡¯t matter that a part of me wanted them together, I wasn¡¯t going to do that to Riley. She deserved better. Ryker walked into my office about an hour after leaving with Damien and he looked frustrated. I opened my mouth to speak but no words woulde out. I had never seen him so put off in a long time and I didn¡¯t me him. He already had so much to deal with and thest thing he needed was to be worried about Damien and his sister¡¯s rtionship. ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± he began slowly and I turned to him. ¡°You saw him out there, didn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded. ¡°Did that look like a man who was ready to be mated to my sister?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Yes you can,¡± he cut me off. ¡°Answer the question because I need to know what the fuck is happening. I need to know what the hell kind of mess is going toe out of this and how I am going to fix it. How do I tell my sister that the man she is in love with might quite possibly love someone else?¡± ¡°It might just be the mate bond.¡± ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t he break it?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer that because I had asked myself the same question over and over again. I didn¡¯t have the answers he was searching for and the painful part was that I was also searching for them. I needed those answers as much as he did. It wasn¡¯t just him who had something to lose- I did too. ¡°I found the ce,¡± I decided that changing the subject was a better idea. ¡°He didn¡¯t say much about it but I tried to piece it together from other entries. All he said was they went into the woods but at other times, he spoke about going to a waterfall with stair. I think that might be where he is waiting with them.¡± Ryker ran his hands down the face. ¡°I will brief the men. Damien was right about one thing, we cannot let them be with him until tomorrow. We need to get them out tonight and it might be dangerous so we need to set out the n now. If we make one wrong move then we lose.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get ready then.¡± I went to change because I knew that I was walking into a war and a dress was not the right attire. I changed into my riding leathers and grabbed the night lock berries from Christine¡¯s room. I didn¡¯t take them immediately and instead stuffed them into my pocket. While Ryker briefed the guards I figured it would be a good idea to talk to Damien and see what I could get out of him. I made my way to his door and knocked but there was no answer. I tried again and pushed it open only to see the roompletely empty. I walked in calling out his name but there was no answer. I was about to turn around and leave when I saw a note on the table. It help one sentence but that was enough to have me cursing and taking off in Ryker¡¯s direction. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± I yelled out once I was close enough and Ryker turned to me in confusion. ¡°It is Damien, he left a note and he is gone.¡± Ryker took the note from me and read the words: I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing. He muttered a curse under his breath and turned to the guards. ¡°Ready the horses, we leave now.¡± Ryker turned to me. ¡°You can stay here if you want. We don¡¯t have a n and there is a possibility that this is going to go to shit.¡± ¡°If we do this then we do it together,¡± I reminded him and he nodded. I could tell it wasn¡¯t what he wanted but at least he wasn¡¯t forcing me to stay in. Within minutes, we were out and on our way towards the waterfall. We tracked Damien¡¯s scent in that direction as well and I knew for a fact that he probably overheard Ryker and I talking and decided to take it upon himself to y the hero. It was incredibly stupid as well as brave and for a brief moment, I understood how Ryker felt whenever he had to deal with me. It was dark but we kept moving using only the moon as light. Once we could hear the waterfall, we stopped. I turned to address the guards. ¡°We have to go on foot from here. Vampires have better hearing than us and right now, they might not be able to hear the horses over the waterfall but if we get closer, they might be able to.¡± Everyone understood and instantly dismounted. Ryker split everyone up into three groups and spread them out to attack from different parts. We went with the first group and went straight ahead. As we got a little closer, I saw Damien¡¯s horse tied to a tree. At least he was in the right ce. We stayed close to the trees and the mud to hide our scent and I prayed to the goddess that Damien hadn¡¯t been hurt. ¡°Stop,¡± Ryker whispered harshly all of a sudden and everyone froze. ¡°I think I can hear something.¡± Everyone went quiet and I took out the berries in my pocket and popped them in my mouth just in case it was a vampire. I heard shuffling from the right and I thought it was a vampire too, at least until Damien came rushing out of the woods with his weapon raised. Ryker was quick to intercept it and had his friend pinned against the tree. ¡°Are you fucking crazy?¡± he yelled in his face. ¡°What were you thinking when you came out here on your own?¡± ¡°I was helping,¡± Damien spat and I could tell that Ryker wanted nothing more than to bash his face in. ¡°I already know where he is keeping them. I was on my way in when I heard the noise.¡± ¡°We had a n and you just ran out and ruined it,¡± Ryker pushed him back. ¡°Well then, since you wanted to be so brave, tell us what the hell you found out.¡± ¡®He has a few vampires guarding the waterfall. I think he has them inside of it, there is a cave. I can¡¯t see in so I don¡¯t know if he has more men inside.¡± ¡°How were you nning to get through them?¡± Ryker asked but he stayed silent. ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha now, act like it, and when this is over, there is a lot that we have to talk about.¡± ¡°As long as we save them, I¡¯ll answer whatever question you have.¡± That seemed to be enough for Ryker because he turned his back on him and faced the guards. One thing I loved about Ryker was how easy it was for him to think on his feet. In less than a minute after hearing that from Damien, he hade up with a n and he shared it with all the guards. Once everyone was briefed, Ryker and I stepped out into the clearing. Just like Damien had said, here were a few guards there, 1 could count about four of them. As soon as they saw us, their lips curled up in sneers. ¡°It took you long enough,¡± one of them drawled as he came closer to us. ¡°Put your weapons down and we will take you to our king.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring me my cousin and daughters and we can leave and pretend like this never happened,¡± I offered up with a small smile and he frowned deeply. ¡°You took what was mine and I only want it back.¡± ¡°You have no negotiating rights here. You came to us and in case you have forgotten, we have the upper hand here. You and your mate cannot take all of us so I don¡¯t think that is going to happen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going with you.¡± ¡°We can just take you anyway.¡± ¡°We both know that¡¯s not going to be possible.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re on my turf now.¡± He rushed towards me but I already had my n in motion. As soon as he was close enough, I pulled a tugged the water from the river beneath the waterfall, and knocked him off his bnce. In a second, Ryker had cut his head off with his sword. ¡°Your king probably forgot that I excel in this terrain.¡± I turned to the other vampires with a smile. ¡°¡±Who wants to go next?¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V They seemed to realize that this wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as they thought but that didn¡¯t stop them from blindly charging. This time however, they charged towards Ryker. We had already anticipated that because no sooner than they did, the other guards burst out of the woods in their wolf form. The distraction was all we needed to run in between them and dive into the river. Damien was hot on our heels as we swam towards the inside of the cave. We burst out on the other end and I was shocked at how empty it was. I had expected to see an entire army of vampires but there were only three of them. Two stood next to Christine and the girls while the other was stair. I ignored the king in favor of my children and I ran my eyes over them to check for any obvious signs of injury. They looked rtively unharmed but Christine had crusted blood on the side of her head and she was shivering. ¡°Christine,¡± her head snapped up at the sound of Damien¡¯s voice and I saw many emotions go through her at the speed of light. She stared at him with wide eyes and the relief in them was palpable. ¡°What a beautiful reunion,¡± stair drawled drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°I thought you would be here sooner but it doesn¡¯t matter. Now that you are here, please join us. Keep in mind that any funny business will result in the death of one of those three and I can tell that they mean so much to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ying your game, stair,¡± I told him as I got out of the water. He raised his brows in an almost challenging manner. ¡°You don¡¯t get to touch my kids. They aren¡¯t a part of this.¡± ¡°Everyone in your line became fair game when you father stabbed me in the back,¡± he spat. ¡°Do you know he did it right here? I was the one who found the ce. I picked it because the water countered his fire powers. I should have chosen somewhere else considering the water is your domain but sentimentality trumps it all, I guess.¡± He waved his hands dismissively and gestured to a gathering of rocks. ¡°Sit or not, I don¡¯t care but we are going to talk and if wee to a fair agreement, your kids and cousin can go.¡± ¡°What if we don¡¯t?¡± Ryker threatened and he smiled widely revealing pointed fangs. ¡°Let us hope it doesn¡¯te to that. My men over there are new vampires, they cannot exactly control the blood lust. If one of them happens to take a bite, I don¡¯t think they will be able to stop,¡± he made a sad face that was obviously faked and exaggerated. ¡°Now, are you ready for us to talk?¡± I already knew he was going to do something like this and so did Ryker because his expression was carefully nk but Damien looked pissed. He was a loose cannon and I couldn¡¯t predict him and that was scary in this kind of situation. ¡°We will rather stand,¡± I said finally and stair shrugged as if to say ¡®suit yourself¡¯. I turned to Christine. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She didn¡¯t speak but she gave me a subtle nod. My eyes met Audrey who had her eyes closed. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was sleeping but I genuinely hoped so because thest thing she needed was to witness this entire thing. Once I was satisfied that my family was okay, I turned back to stair. ¡°What do you want? You have us here now. Do you want the deal that my father cheated you out of? If that was what you wanted then taking my family wasn¡¯t the right way to ¡°It was my aim at first but now, I have decided that I want something else,¡± he took a step closer and Ryker let out a warning grow! It only seemed to edge him on more because although he didn¡¯t move, he smiled and turned to face him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed my advisor, aren¡¯t you? I suppose I should hold a grudge for that but he was well overdue to die. Thank you for that actually¡± I realized in that moment that stair was not like any enemy we had faced. He was genuinely insane and he had nothing to lour, that was what made him so dangerous. He had lived for thousands of years and he had learned how not to form ¡°Do you know her name? My beloved, I mean.¡± he asked and I shook my head. ¡°I gathered as much. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard my entire story, Cami, would you like me to tell you?¡± G. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°We don¡¯t want to-¡°Damien began but I cut him off with a sharp re. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. We will sit through your story and not interrupt and you give me my daughters.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the baby,¡± he countered and I realized it was the best I was going to get from him so I nodded. ¡°You have a deal.¡± He pped his hands in glee before taking a seat atop a jagged rock. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard of how she died and I tried to bring her back in exchange for my soul. What you didn¡¯t know was the true nature of the vampire curse. Because I had risked so much for a woman, the gods decided to curse me for it. Every few years, there would be another witch woman born, she was my lover reincarnated. It went on for a millennium and each time I would be cursed to watch her have the same brutal and tragic end where she died with her lover. Do you want to know how I stopped it?¡± I nodded. ¡°I killed her myself,¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting that answer from him. ¡°When the moon goddess saw what I had done, she knew I had be the monster she truly feared. She warned me of a time where she would raise one powerful enough to stop me. I suppose she meant you. I thought it was you father. When he fed me the night lock berries, I thought he was going to kill me but he didn¡¯t. I see now that she was talking about you.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to kill you?¡± I asked and heughed. ¡°No, you foolish girl, I am asking you to join me,¡± he stood to his feet. ¡°Think about it, when have the gods ever helped us? If they cared about you they would have taken me out long ago. I took your family, I have terrorized you for months. I even sent some spies to your mate¡¯s sister to feed her poisoned berries.¡± Damien growled. ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± I shot a quick nce at Ryker who grabbed Damien by the shoulders and stopped him from attacking stair. I could tell that even Ryker was debating attacking him but we all knew that was exactly what he wanted. If he were to strike now, he would die. ¡°You did all of that so that I would join you?¡± I asked again and he nodded. ¡°We will be unstoppable together. With your powers and my long life, I could turn you and we will be the most powerful people on the. You cannot tell me that it doesn¡¯t sound the least bit enticing.¡± ¡°If I join you, will you let all of them go?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°Okay then, I agree to your terms.¡± ¡°No!¡± Damien, Ryker and Christine yelled all at once but I ignored them. Ryker tried to reach out for me but I brought up a wall of water to separate him from me. I took stair¡¯s outstretched hand and I shivered at how cold it was. ¡°If you nned for any funny business, this is a good time to remind you of how fast I move,¡± he whispered in my ear but I kept my face immobile. ¡°Release my family first,¡± I ordered and he let out an exasperated sigh before waving his hands. The vampires dragged Christine and Audrey to their feet and pushed them into the water. stair my eyes but he didn¡¯t seem the least bit fazed, in fact, he looked very proud of himself. ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of our deal. They could have died.¡± ¡°That would have been on you,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Now, say goodbye to your mate.¡± Before I could let out another word, he bit me. r G. I felt the blinding pain first and I wondered if my n had gone to shit but then stair froze and began to convulse. He fell backwards and his eyes held intense hatred as they stared at me. The berries had worked just as I had nned. The other two vampires seemed to realize what was happening and they started in my direction but I mmed the entire force of the river into them and held them there long enough for Ryker to leap over and sever their heads. Once they were dead, I turned back to stair. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you but I would be damned if my children have to deal with you too.¡± Ryker came up to me and handed me the sword. ¡°For what it is worth, we could have been great allies,¡± those were myst words before I drove the sword into his throat and just like that, the infamous vampire king was gone. I looked down at the body and couldn¡¯t even bring myself to feel an ounce of pity for him. ¡°We should get out of here. The vampires will have to regroup without him.¡± Ryker and I walked out of the cave together to where Damien had taken our family out to safety. He was on his knees in front of Christine and the way he looked at her, that wasn¡¯t an innocent look at all I noticed that the guards had ughtered all the vampires save for one. I made my way over to him and dropped stair¡¯s severed head at his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with you anymore and I am sure you feel the same way. If you do not bother the wolves then we do not bother you. We don¡¯t need to be at peace, we just need a ceasefire. Do we have a deal?¡± He sneered at me but knew better than to refuse because he nodded. ¡°Yes, we have a deal.¡± ¡°Good, now get out.¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V You could not have pulled Damien away from Christine even if you tried and believe me- we tried. He was determined to stay by her side and he never let go of her, not even for us to look over her and make sure she was fine. She looked rtively unhurt and she told us she was good but I still wanted a professional to look after her just in case. She rode with Damien back to the pce while Ryker and I got the girls who were wide awake but her quiteted down and were not saying a single word. By the time we got to the pce, the sun was beginning to rise and I was shocked when I noticed who was waiting for us. I nced over at Ryker to see if he had noticed her as well and his jaw was set. There was relief in her eyes when she saw us but that relief quickly turned into hurt when she looked past us and saw Damien and Christine. She stared and blinked twice before disappearing back into the pce and it was at that moment that I knew I was done with everything. With Aurora in my hands, I made my way over to Damien. ¡°You better have a fucking good exnation because you are about to blow this entire thing to filth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin anything to-¡± ¡°Yes you do,¡± I cut him off. ¡°You aren¡¯t ying with toys, Damien, you are ying with people- with lives and you have the rest of the morning to get your story together and figure out what the hell it is that you want because this afternoon, you have to give answers.¡± He looked pissed but he said nothing because he must have finallye to terms with the fact that I outranked him and I reserved the right to order him around however I saw fit. He nodded tensely and he made to go forward with Christine but I held out a hand to stop him. ¡°She goes alone,¡± I ordered and he opened his mouth to protest but then Ryker was instantly by my side. ¡°You have done enough for today, Damien, Christine goes with us and she goes alone. Why don¡¯t you focus on fixing whatever it is that you just broke with Riley.¡± ¡°There is nothing to fix, I did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that or are you just saying that to make yourself feel better?¡± I asked and thankfully, he didn¡¯t answer. We led Christine into the pce and she waspletely quiet. She stayed close to us but she never said a single word. I looked her over and there was just pure exhaustion on her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go freshen up?¡± I asked once we got to the top of the stairs. ¡°I just need to clean up the girls and then I¡¯ll be with you, okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have toe and check on me. I¡¯m fine, just focus on your kids.¡± ¡°I know you are, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll be there in an hour or so.¡± When she realized I was not going to budge, she nodded and I could see the ghost of a smile on her face. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she wanted to be cared for, she just didn¡¯t know how to ask for it. Ryker and I left her side and focused on our girls. I was thankful that Aurora was a child meaning there was a huge likelihood that she would not remember what happened but Audrey was older and she had already been through one traumatic thing. I didn¡¯t want to think about what this could do to her. We didn¡¯t ask her any questions about the vampires because we didn¡¯t want her thinking about it yet but as soon as I started to bathe her, the words began pouring out. She told me how they stopped them and whispered that they weren¡¯t going to hurt them. She told me how she was blindfolded then given something so she would fall asleep and the next thing she knew, she woke up in the water. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I whispered trying to keep the tears at bay. ¡°That must have been so terrifying and I am so sorry that I couldn¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared,¡± she said finally and I raised my brows. ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You have water powers. I knew you would save me. I wasn¡¯t scared at all.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. I couldn¡¯t exin how those simple words brought tears into my eyes and I pulled her into a tight hug which she wasted no time in reciprocating. Once she was clean, I put her into afortable nightdress and carried her to bed. She already started falling asleep in my arms and for the first time since she was an infant, I held her until she fell asleep. Ryker met me holding her, he had Aurora in his hands because he had cleaned her up. Together we held our daughters for far longer than necessary before finally cing them in their respective rooms. Once we were sure that they were sleeping, we quietly made our way outside. I had barely shut the door before Ryker spoke. ¡°How bad do you think this is going to be?¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t referring to the issue with the vampires. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. From the get go, I knew it was a recipe for disaster but it seems worse now because Damien cannot seem to make up his mind.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°He has always been like that, wanting to eat his cake and have it too. I can talk to him if you want.¡± ¡°Later and we will both do it,¡± I cut him off. ¡°For now, I just want to get cleaned and see my cousin. Goddess knows what is going on in her mind right now.¡± It took me another half hour to get cleaned and make my way into Christine¡¯s room. I was in a flowing white nightdress when I knocked on her door and it took her f9ve minutes to open it. I knew she was debating whether or not she should bother but I was relieved when she did. She led me over to her bed and as I looked around, I realized that I didn¡¯t enter her room much- perhaps that was something that needed to be rectified. ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked softly and as soon as the words left my mouth, she broke down in tears. I was stunned because Christine did not cry, she was the strongest woman I knew and yet she had been reduced to a blubbering mess. I wasted no time in pulling her closer for a hug and she leaned into me forfort. ¡°I feel like such a terrible person,¡± she mumbled into my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not, you didn¡¯t ask for all of this. You are the most selfless person that I know. You have done so much for us even without us asking. You are not a bad person.¡± ¡°Yes I am,¡± she pulled back and wiped at her tears. ¡°I should have rejected him myself when I knew he wasn¡¯t going to do it. I should have tried to put an end to this but I didn¡¯t because I wanted him to change his mind.¡± I stilled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I tried to be happy for them, I swear I did, but a part of me hoped that he would look at me and change his mind. A part of me hoped that he would see that I was good for him, you know. I wanted what you and Ryker have and I know that doesn¡¯t make it any better but I wasn¡¯t thinking¡± ¡°Christine,¡± I began slowly and she sniffled. ¡°It is not crazy or wrong of you to want to be loved and I don¡¯t me you for that. You cannot take the sole me for this because you never went out of your way to try to sway his decision. Damien is the one who got into a rtionship with Riley and he is the one responsible for being faithful to her.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I was being biased just because of who she was to me but I didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t going to let her shoulder the me for this. She was not at fault. She tried her best to stay out of their way and she didn¡¯t deserve any of this. ¡°I¡¯m just tired¡± she said after a beat of silence. ¡°I am trying to imagine how Riley feels and I just feel so sad for her? ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be your concern right now. What you need is toest because after what you have been through, you deserve it, okay?¡± She nodded and was silent before asking ¡°Can you stay with me please?¡± I sat by the headrest while shey her head on myp and I stroked her hair softly until she fell asleep. Even after she was sleeping, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave just yet because I knew how much she needed thatfort. By the time I finally left her room, I was drop dead exhausted and I could barely see ahead of me. I got to my room expecting Ryker to be asleep but he wasn¡¯t. He was pacing by the door and as soon as he saw me, he let out a sigh of relief. I opened my mouth to start exining what I knew but he stopped me. ¡°You have spent the entire nightforting people, let mefort you for once, okay?¡± he said and I nodded. ¡°Good, we can talk about all of thister. I know it is a cluster fuck right now but you need to realize that we cannot do anything about it. This is between the three of them and the best we can do is offer advice.¡± ¡°I know, I just don¡¯t want to see anyone hurt,¡± I mumbled as he led me towards the bed. ¡°There are at least two people hurting tonight as a result of this.¡± ¡°I know, baby, but the thing is, this is a matter of the heart, we would be lucky if any of them gets out of it unscathed.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V you Damien had been a permanent fixture in my life from the first day that I could remember. He always did things his way regardless of whether I agreed with it or not. We were very different, both on the surface and in every way that think of. There were times that his actions would piss me off but never to this magnitude. It took a considerable amount of could effort to not drag him by the hair and beat him to a bloody pulp while we all sat in the private living room. For the first time in forever, Riley didn¡¯t make an effort to sit next to him. She was always in his space and begging to be noticed by him. It was a wonder I didn¡¯t notice it earlier but today, she did none of that. She sat on one end of the room, Christine on the other and Damien satpletely alone. At least Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. he had the decency to keep his head down because he knew that he had fucked up badly. ¡°Does anyone want to start talking first?¡± Cami asked from her spot beside me. She was seated upright with her hands folded in herp like a regal ruler. Everyone avoided her gaze. Damien¡¯s eyes met mine and I simply stared at him nkly until he exhaled deeply. He knew I was pissed, there was no hiding it. it didn¡¯t matter that I was lounging on the couch with my arms around my mate, that was simply a countermeasure to prevent me from hitting him. ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡± it was Riley who asked. ¡°There is nothing to talk about. I just want to go back home and get to work. I have so much to do.¡± ¡°If that were true then why did youe?¡± I asked and she narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°If you were swamped with so much work then why did you bother to leave?¡± ¡°Because,¡± she hesitated and I raised a brow. ¡°I heard that you were all in danger and I wanted to help. I got to the camp and they told me that he had run off without an exnation so I came. It isn¡¯t a big deal. Everyone is safe, can I leave now?¡± She started to rise but I shot her a hard re. ¡°Sit the fuck down, now.¡± I had never raised my voice to Riley, not even when she was a teenager and she was the brattiest person in the world. I always believed in talking to her gently and after spending years with a father who did nothing but scream and yell, I was determined to be different but if yelling was what I needed to do in order to get to the bottom of this then I was more than happy to oblige. She sat down but her eyes burned with anger and unshed tears. ¡°This is none of your concern, Ryker. This is my life and my business and I don¡¯t see why you are so interested in it. Are the problems in yours not enough for you? Why do you want to barge into mine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what he is trying to do,¡± Cami spoke softly. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about you anymore, Riley. This is about all of you and it affects us as well. The pack is basically an extension of the pce, we will see you sooner orter and we don¡¯t want this to affect anything.¡± ¡°If this is about professionalism then I can be professional,¡± Riley shot back and Cami turned to me as if to say this was going nowhere. ¡°Look, Riley, no one is upset with you,¡± I cut in because I knew my sister and I knew that was probably her biggest worry. ¡°You did nothing wrong, this is about Damien and his inability to make a fucking choice.¡± In hindsight, I probably should not have said that out loud but I was not going to let my sister shoulder the me for something that she had no say in. She didn¡¯t choose who she fell in love with and she didn¡¯t choose for him to have another mate. Damien was responsible for the chaos that was happening and it only made sense that he should shoulder the me. ¡°That¡¯s just rich,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Put it all on me, would you? I was just trying to get her to safety. I came to help just like you asked and now I am the one at fault? If I knew this was going to happen, I would never havee. I thought I was doing the ¡°We both know that wasn¡¯t your thought process at that time,¡± Cami whispered and he turned to her and opened his mouth to speak but when I let out a warning growl, he went silent. I could tolerate his absurd yelling but if he directed it at my mate for even a second, I was going to kill him and he knew it. He ran his hands down his face. ¡°Look, I made my choice, a long time ago. I chose Riley and we were going to mate with each other. This is not as big of a deal as you are making it out to be.¡± I nced over at Christine to see how she was taking the news. She sat like a marble statue and if I didn¡¯t know her, I would have believed her to be a sculpture. She stared nkly ahead of her but ever so often, I would see a crack in that mask and see the hurt in her eyes. I wished I could protect her from whatever was happening but I couldn¡¯t. No matter how this ended, someone was going to get hurt. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reject her then?¡± Riley yelled out in frustration. Everyone turned to her in shock but I just sighed deeply. I knew an outburst wasing but I didn¡¯t know when. ¡°You tell me that you made your choice and I am the one you want but your mate bond with her is still intact. Are you keeping her as a backup option?¡± ¡°I am no one¡¯s back up choice,¡± Christine cut in speaking for the very first time. ¡°Then why?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she was asking them or asking herself. ¡°I thought I could do this but I can¡¯t. I need to know.¡± Damien stood from his spot and made his way over to Riley. He took the spot next to her and reached out for her but she shied away from him. ¡°Riley,¡± he began slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you feel like a choice. There is no choice, it has always been you. This is just arge mimunication and if it makes you happy then I will reject her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do it because it makes me happy. I want you to do it because you want to.¡± I nced over at Christine and mind linked her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay for this.¡± ¡°That would defeat the entire purpose of the meeting, would it not? You need to close the chapter and my leaving would hinder that. I am fine, Ryker, but thank you for checking in on me.¡± ¡°Christine, you don¡¯t have to pretend and you don¡¯t have to keep hurting yourself by staying here.¡± ¡°I want what belongs to another. I brought this upon myself.¡± She severed the mind link before I could say anything else and I turned to see that Damien still hadn¡¯t spoken or moved since Riley had said what she wanted. There were a million thoughts running through his head and I could almost see the wheels turning. ¡°Let me make this easy on all of you,¡± Christine began as she stood to her feet. ¡°I reject you as my mate, Damien. I would not want to be a hindrance to your love story.¡± She turned to Cami and I. ¡°May I be excused?¡± I had barely nodded when she stormed out of the room. No one dared to speak after she had gone. Damien stared at the door that she had disappeared through and there was hurt shining brightly in his eyes. Riley didn¡¯t miss it because she scoffed. ¡°I think I¡¯m done with this too,¡± she stood to her feet and rushed out immediately after. What hurt the most was that Damien didn¡¯t even try to follow her. I turned to Cami only to find her looking at me and I could see the silent questions in her eyes. Had we made things much worse? Did we just potentially hurt all three of them? I was asking myself the same questions but before I came to a conclusion, I wanted to speak to Damien. Imunicated that with my eyes and she sighed before standing to her feet and leaving. Once she was gone and it was just Damien and I, I began speaking. ¡°Do you know why I made you Alpha?¡± ¡°It was because I was your Beta and the next inmand.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± I said and his brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°In all honesty, Riley should have been the Alpha because she was next in line but she was too young to shoulder that kind of responsibility and she was a free spirit. It would have hindered her and broken her wings.¡± ¡°So I was the next avable candidate, that is what I said.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish. I made you Alpha because although I knew it wasn¡¯t the right time for Riley, I knew she would make a good ruler. I also knew how she felt about you and in some warped part of my mind, I had hoped that by making you Alpha, I would ensure that she would rule too.¡± ¡°I already chose her, she will rule. I don¡¯t see what this is about anymore.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and exhaled deeply. ¡°Fatherhood might have made me calm but do not think for one moment that I will not hesitate to kill you if I decide that is necessary. You need to get your shit together, Damien. Riley is my family, long before ever were and long after you cease to be.¡± ¡°I raised my sister and I love her like I¡¯do my daughters. If you hurt her again, I will kill you and no, it is not a threat, it is a promise. Clean up your act and figure out what you want. If you choose Christine then stick to it and if you choose Riley then stick to it. Just know that whatever choices you make will have consequences and you better be ready to deal with them. as theye.¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 CAMILLA¡¯S POV As soon as I left the room, I rushed over to find Christine. She had gone to her room and locked the door. I knocked but she was content to ignore it. I didn¡¯t quite me her, she wanted to be alone, I would too after everything that happened. I had just considered giving up and leaving when I saw Riley walk up to the door. Her tears had dried but her eyes were atill a little red and swollen. I nced at her warily but she just walked over to the door and knocked. ¡°It¡¯s Riley, please open it.¡± There was silence on the other end of the door for a full minute before I heard the lock turn. Christine pulled the door wide open and I got a good glimpse of her. She wasn¡¯t crying- at least there was so sign that she was- but she looked exhausted. There looked to be a thousand years worth of weight in her eyes. She nced at Riley and I before pulling the door open and letting us both in. ¡°You really need to learn to take a hint, Cami,¡± she drawled once I had walked into the room. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude but I have things that I need to do so if there is a specific reason why you want to be here then-¡± ¡°Can we just call a ceasefire and put down our weapons for five minutes?¡± Riley asked making us both turn to her. ¡°We¡¯re women, we should be supporting each other and not fighting. I just want to talk and once I am done, I will be out of your hair. You do not have to worry about that at all.¡± Christine watched her with wary and narrowed eyes for a second before nodding. She took the seat at the edge of the bed with her hands sped in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I just wanted to apologize. That outburst waspletely uncalled for and I should have never pushed him to making that decision in front of you. It was selfish and aplete disregard of your emotions. I knew what he was going to say and I wanted you to hear it because the truth is that I was jealous. I thought that maybe if he said it in front of you then maybe it would help. That was wrong and I apologize.¡± ¡°There is nothing to apologize for,¡± Christine said after a beat of silence. ¡°I needed the reality check, I rejected him. All he has to do is ept it. I should have nevere between you in the first ce. I should have done this since day one.¡± There was silence and a look passed between the two women. It felt like I was intruding on a personal moment but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to lift my legs and leave. I wanted to be sure that everything was settled under good terms. A fight between the two of them would be disastrous, not just for them but also for everyone else involved. It could wreck the very foundations of our family. ¡°I really hope that you two are happy together,¡± Christine spoke softly and what hurt the most was that I knew she meant it. She was truly going to drop everything and leave them to their devices. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want to be with him anymore,¡± Riley admitted and I turned so fast that I almost got whish. ¡°I just feel like he didn¡¯t respect me enough to make a decision on his own. I wasn¡¯t enough for him to choose and I understand because look at you,¡± she gestured at Christine. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to choose either. I was living off a childhood fantasy and ! think it is about time that I moved on from it.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t want to mate with him anymore?¡± I asked to be sure that I knew what she was saying. ¡°No, I do, but I¡¯m not going to blindly walk into it and pretend like he has no faults which is what I have been doing. I am an adult and I think it is about time that I started acting like it,¡± she exhaled deeply. ¡°I had the best example of what a male figure should be like in Ryker and he would have never done this so if he doesn¡¯t meet the mark then I¡¯ll just let it go.¡± ¡°I like that for you,¡± I whispered and she gave me a small watery simile. ¡°It¡¯s going to be really difficult¡± she whispered with a smallugh but I think I can do it. I¡¯m going to make sure that I do it.¡± ¡°I hope it works out for you,¡¯ Christine told her honestly, ¡°and if you ever need space from him then the pce is open to you. Your brother is a ruler. I don¡¯t think anyone would bat an eye.¡± Riley shook her head. ¡°I think I am done running from my problems for a while. That pack is my home and I¡¯m not going J le to let anything chase me out of it.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thank you for listening to me and talking to me. I really hope that at some point, we could be friends.¡± It took a beat of silence before Christine said, ¡°I hope so too.¡± Riley left immediately after while I stayed back for a minute to check back on Christine and make sure she was okay. Once I was sure that she wasn¡¯t going to burst into a fit of tears, I decided to leave. I pulled the door open when I noticed ra standing a few feet away and walking down. Normally, it shouldn¡¯t have been suspicious but I was already on edge when it came to her due to the amount of times I had seen her lurking in ces she shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Do you need something?¡± I asked and her eyes widened for a second before she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here, at least, I don¡¯t think you are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I was actually just asked to clean a few things,¡± she chuckled awkwardly. ¡°The person who was supposed to do it wasn¡¯t avable and I just stepped up.¡± I hummed under my breath as I watched her squirm. ¡°Well, I am sure it would please you to know that the threat with the vampires has been extinguished. It would be safe for you to leave to meet your uncle soon. Perhaps you coulde with me so that we can pen a letter to him to inform him of your potential arrival?¡± She looked stunned for a second but she quickly nodded with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Of course, that would be amazing Thank you for hosting me this long. I can¡¯t wait to go home. I hope he responds quickly enough.¡± ¡°Well then, shall we?¡± She walked with me to my office where I penned down the letter. I gave it the royal seal and personally handed it over to be delivered. She had been smiling during the entire ordeal but something about her smile didn¡¯t quite sit right with me. It was edgy and almost too perfect. Once we were done, she bowed and excused herself before disappearing into the pce. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her but that was quickly forgotten when Ryker walked up to me holding Aurora in his hands. ¡°This little one was crying and didn¡¯t want to be put down,¡± he mused aloud as he came over to me. The corner of my lips broke out into a smile and a I blew a raspberry at her which made her giggle. ¡°I think that after what they have been through they need a second to unwind, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I think that would be an amazing idea. What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Nothing special or dramatic, perhaps we could just spend the weekend together doing nothing. It has Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. been a very long time since we did nothing.¡± ¡°I think I would like that,¡± I blew another raspberry in Aurora¡¯s direction before straightening. ¡°What about Damien? What did you say to him?¡± ¡°Nothing he didn¡¯t already know or suspect,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I just told him to get his shit together. I hope he actually listens.¡± ¡°When is he heading back?¡± ¡°Soon, probablyter today, he took a lot of guards and with Riley here, the pack is undefended. Linformed him that Riley wouldn¡¯t be going with him though. If she wants, she can leave tomorrow but I don¡¯t want them to be stuck on a journey that long with this unresolved issue between them,¡± I sighed deeply and he reached out for me. ¡°They¡¯ll work it out, somehow.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± I assured him. ¡°I am just worried about how long it will take before that happens and what could potentially be lost on the journey there.¡± ¡°Fortunately, that is not for us to worry about. We have done our parts and the rest is up to them. All we need to do is be supportive no matter what they choose.¡± There was a look in his eye, one that told me he already knew or suspected what the end result would be and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked but he shook his head. ¡°Tell me, please.¡± ¡°I think it is better if we just let things y out,¡± I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. ¡°Come, Cami, we have the entire weekend to ourselves. I want us to spend it with our children and not talking about the weird love triangle going on in our family.¡± I realized he wasn¡¯t going to budge at all so I sighed deeply and took his hands. He gave me a small smile to thank me for not pushing and we made our way further into the house together. ¡°What were you even doing outside?¡± he asked after a minute of silence. ¡°I went to Christine¡¯s room and then your office to look for you but she didn¡¯t know where you were.¡± ¡°I went with ra,¡± his brows raised. ¡°I took her to send a letter to her uncle so that she could leave as soon as possible.¡± He was quiet for a second before nodding. ¡°Good, she hasn¡¯t done anything yet but I don¡¯t trust her as far as I can throw her.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± I admitted. ¡°There is something off about her and I would rather not find out.¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V Damien didn¡¯t really tell anyone when he left and only Ryker and I went to see him off. There was some disappointment on his face at the turnout but he couldn¡¯t really have expected anything different considering what was happening at that point. Once he was gone. I tried to rope Riley and Christine into joining us for some quiet time in the private library with the girls but neither of them wanted to. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. They were more than happy to remain locked in their rooms. I wanted to help him, the problem was that I didn¡¯t know how. I couldn¡¯t imagine how they both felt and I figured the best thing to do would have been to leave them alone. I was fully prepared for her to leave the next morning so imagine my shock when she came to me and begged to stay for another few days. I immediately agreed because I wanted her to be safe and happy. It was thest time I saw her the entire day because while we were speaking, I saw Caius. It was unusual for any of the elders to seek me out so seeing him in the private living room led me to realize that there some something horribly wrong. I quickly mind linked Ryker and he was able to meet me in front of the council room. We walked in and I was shocked to see the other elders there. They were seated as usual but there was something in the air that made it feel more like an interrogation and not a meeting. I nced over at Ryker only to see that he was thinking the same thing I was. He reached out for my hand and squeezed it tightly as we made our way inside. The eyes followed us but I tried my best to ignore them. I was the Queen, there was no reason why I should be worried about overgrown men children. ¡°Is there a reason why you wanted to meet?¡± I asked as soon as I had taken the seat. ¡°Some concerns have been raised in the towns,¡± Caius began slowly with a look at the others. ¡°It started as a whisper here and there but the towns folk are running with it and it might prove disastrous if it is allowed to-¡± ¡°For fuck sake, Caius, just get to the point,¡± another elder snarled before turning to me. ¡°Did you burn the body of the vampire king?¡± I stared at them nkly. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°There are whispers among the people because they think he wille back. You didn¡¯t burn the body.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they know that but regardless, I cut his head off, no one can survive that. If that is all then we can officially call this meeting to a close. I cannot believe you would call me out for something as miniscule and trivial as this. Do you not have better things to do?¡± I started to rise but Caius stopped me with his words. ¡°There is something else, and it is more important,¡± I stopped and took a seat. ¡°There have also been whispers about the vampire king wanting to recruit you before he died. I don¡¯t know where the information came from but the people have been running with it. Some say that you are now a vampire and ruling in his stead while others say that everything that happened was of your nning. We need to know if this is rea I couldn¡¯t respond to them, I turned to Ryker who seemed to have the same confused expression on his face that I did. There were only a few people in that cave including him and Damien. I knew Damien would not say anything and neith would Christine. All the vampires who were there were dead as well so who could have spilled it? Was there someone els the cave that I missed because of my rage? ¡°All you need to know is that I am not a vampire and I was not working with stair Why would I work with the man who tried to kill my children more than once? It makes no sense. Why would the people even believe it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to make sense to them, they are terrified,¡± Caius exined softly. ¡°They are looking for someone to me for their fear and you are the most viable option. Your majesty, you need to be very careful how you proceed after this. Even the slightest scandal can throw this kingdom on its side. We will work to dissuade the people of their beliefs.¡± I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. ¡°What you need to do is find out where and how the rumors started. The people will realize on their own that their rumors hold no consequence. There is a lot that I might be guilty of but fraternizing with a psychopathic vampire is not one of them. If that is all-¡± ¡°About your powers too,¡± he cut me off and I resisted the urge to let out a groan. le 21% ¨C ¡°Is this an interrogation?¡± Ryker cut in. ¡°Is this truly as a result of the people¡¯s questions or is this just to satisfy your own curiosity. Howe we have not heard the whispers? How have they not reached the ears of the pce yet?¡± ¡°They will soon but when they do, it will be toote and our job is to prevent the scandals from happening, not watch them happen, your majesty,¡± even though Caius was telling us off, he was doing it in the most respectable tone possible. ¡°Perhaps you should do something for the people with your new powers, maybe it will remind them of who you are on the inside. If they can see that they have nothing to fear in regards to you then it should help quell their rumors.¡± ¡°My new powers do not work the way you think they do and I will not go into details exining them. Thank you for the information elders, but I think it is time that you focused on your part of the job and allowed me focus on mine. My powers are my business and no one else¡¯s and I refuse to be turned into a show animal for the entertainment of others.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I think we can call it a day now.¡± It was a clear dismissal and they took it for face value because they all stood to their feet and bowed as one. I watched as they exited in a single file. Once they were gone, I turned to Ryker only to find him already looking at me. There was so much at the tip of my tongue but he held out a hand to stop me. ¡°Rx,¡± he ordered. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking and no, it cannot be stair. He is dead and gone. He didn¡¯te back from the grave to spread rumors about you and destroy your kingdom.¡± ¡°if it isn¡¯t him then that means there is someone else that we didn¡¯t take into ount. There was someone else that we missed and we are paying for it.¡± ¡°We will catch them,¡± he assured me as he cupped my cheeks, ¡°when we do, we will make them answer for their crimes. Do not conjure up problems in your head that have not happened yet. Just focus on what you have in front of you and we will make do with that, okay?¡± I nodded hesitantly and he gave me a small smile before kissing me. I immediately melted against him as his tongue parted my lips and slipped into my mouth. I let out a moan to which his hands trailed down to my waist and pulled me closer against him. He was warm and hard and I wanted to feel him underneath the manyyers of clothes that he had on. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking about, he pulled back. ¡°As much as it is a dream to take you over this table, I don¡¯t want to give anyone a view.¡± ¡°We¡¯re alone,¡± I pouted, ¡°and no onees in here anyway,¡± He let out a groan and ced a wet kiss on my corbone. ¡°You make a verypelling argument, Cami,¡± he lifted me by the hips and ced me on the table. ¡°Do you want to know where I really want to take you?¡± I nodded. ¡°On your throne,¡± he whispered as he bunched up my dress around my waist. ¡°I want you to ride me to oblivion on that seat. I want my Queen on my dick, what do you think?¡± I let out a strangled moan once his fingers grazed my slit. ¡°It sounds like an amazing idea. Can we make it happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can think of something,¡± he imed my lips with his once again as his fingers pushed into me slowly. He was spearing me with two fingers and I was so lost in the troughs of pleasure that I vaguely heard him undo his cks. The head of his cock nudged my opening and I hissed. I wanted to see him but due to the manyyers of clothes, it was nearly impossible. He parted my legs even wider for him and trailed his hands down to my ass to give it a squeeze. My legs wrapped around his hips of their own ord and in one move, he gripped my ass and entered me. My head fell forward and I bit down on his shoulder to smother the moan that threatened to rip from my throat. Ryker was holding me close as he started to move. A moan left my lips and he hissed. ¡°You have to be quiet, baby, can you do that?¡± I nodded because words had failed me at that moment. ¡°Good girl, I¡¯m going to fuck you right here then take you back to our room and do it again so that I can feel you against me while I do.¡± His name slipped from my lips. ¡°I would normally take that as approval but today I need your words,¡± he gripped my chin in his hands and forced me to look at him. ¡°Say the words.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 RYKER¡¯S PO.V There was something intoxicating about Cami. Maybe it was because I was hopelessly in love with her or maybe it was because she could do no wrong in my eyes. I loved being able to take my time while exploring her body, I loved being able to hold her close right after and know that there was nothing and no one urgently waiting to get our attention. I loved the pace. Growing up, my father had always told me that a man was defined by what he did during times of war but I disagreed, I believed that a man was defined by what he did when there was peace, how he treated the people around him and how he handled his affairs. I would never delude myself into believing that I was a good man but I treated my family with the respect that they deserved and for me- that was everything. As I looked down at my mate who was curled up by my side with her head lying gently on my chest, I chose to believe that maybe I had done something right and maybe I wasn¡¯t the worst of men. I kissed her forehead softly and she mumbled a few words before continuing to snore softly. I should have been sleeping as well considering how exhausted I was but sleep eluded me. It felt almost impossible to close my eyes and achieve that peace but I was fine with just watching Cami. If that was all I did for the rest of my life then I would die a happy man. I felt a nudge at the back of my mind. It was almost soft and hesitant as if the person was unsure. I instantly pulled down my wall and I recognized the presence as belonging to Riley. I stayed silent not wanting to push her because I knew my sister and I knew that if I pushed her, she would quickly shut down and hide away. ¡°Are you busy?¡± she asked softly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you are I just wanted to know if you were avable so that I could talk to you for a while.¡± I started to speak but she cut me off. ¡°You know what, never mind, I should never have brought this up in the first ce. Forget that I even-¡± ¡°Riley,¡± I interrupted and she went silent. ¡°Do you want me to Oe to your room?¡± There was a pause. ¡°Yes please, I just don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡± I broke off the mind link immediately. I looked down at Cami and while I didn¡¯t want to leave her side, I knew that Riley needed me. I had expected her to reach out to me but she was proud- maybe even more so than me and I didn¡¯t expect her to do it until she was out of options. I must have either overestimated her pride or underestimated how well she thought of 1. I gently pulled myself out of bed and I let out a sigh of relief when Cami didn¡¯t stir. I pulled on my clothes in record speed and rushed over to her room. Her door was open and the moment I saw her, my heart cracked. I closed the door behind me but she didn¡¯t look up from her spot at the edge of the bed. I took the spot next to her and held out my hand but she didn¡¯t take it, instead, she ced her head on my shoulder. It reminded me of when she was younger and terrified of my father. I would spend the night in her room and sit by the edge of the bed. I suppose that was where my insomnia began because I was terrified that if I closed my eyes, he woulde in and hurt her so I would stay awake the entire night. It was taxing and stressful but every time she hugged me and called me the best brother, it made things worth it. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± she asked after a moment of silence. ¡°I trust you more than I trust anyone in the world and I promise that I will do whatever you say.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what to do,¡± I could feel her outrage. It wasn¡¯t the answer she was looking for but it was the only one I could give to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley, but I can¡¯t take your problems away with a wave of my hand. I wish I could, I want to, I don¡¯t think you deserve this at all but there is nothing I can do about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my brother, you¡¯re supposed to give me advice.¡± ¡°I can give you advice but I cannot tell you what to do. Those aren¡¯t the same things,¡± I exined slowly. ¡°I think you are an amazing woman and I know that a man who respects you will never make you feel like an option. I know that you liked Damien from a young age and maybe some part of you feels obligated to go on with it but the thing is, he was your first love, that doesn¡¯t mean he has to be yourst.¡± le ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ap A part of you will always love him, there is nothing you can do about it. I am not asking you to leave him, I would never ask you to do that. I believe that you both might have the tendency to be a good match sometime in the future but-¡± She shot up from beside me. ¡°You think Christine is better for him?¡± ¡°No, I think neither of you should give him the time of day,¡± I admitted and she stared at me with wide eyes. ¡°Damien is my best friend but even I can admit that he isn¡¯t the most emotionally mature person in the world. I think you all have a lot of growing up to do and perhaps you should do it away from each other. Give it a while, Riley and then revisit it.¡± ¡°How long is a while?¡± ¡°I am afraid that only you can answer that.¡± She let out a sigh of defeat. I wished I could tell her more but she was never going to grow if I made all her choices for her. She was an adult now and she needed to get to the point in her life where she was able to stand on her own and face life head on. I already knew what decision she was going to take and the truth was that she knew it too. She just needed a little push in that direction to help her figure it out. ¡°Do you think anyone will be upset if I travel for a while?¡± she asked and I shook my head. ¡°I still have a few packs in Europe that I have never seen before. Perhaps you and Cami can help me reach out to them for passage. You had a lot of reach as an Alpha, imagine what you will have as prince consort.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do and I¡¯ll talk to Cami once she wakes up.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Were you asleep? I am so sorry that I woke you up. You should have told me that you were busy. I would have never bothered you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t bother,¡± I assured her as I stood to my feet. ¡°I am always here for you, no matter what you need.¡± She wrapped her arms around my torso. ¡°Thank you, Ryker. I am so grateful to have you as my brother. I know I don¡¯t tell you always but I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too,¡± I ced a kiss in the center of her head. ¡°Can you do one more thing for me?¡± she asked and I hummed. ¡®If Damien asks, please don¡¯t tell him where I¡¯m going. I don¡¯t want him to be able to contact me.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can consider it done. Take as much time as you need. Everything will still be waiting for you when you get back.¡± I pulled back from her and gave her a small smile which she returned. ¡°You should go back before Cami wakes up.¡± We said our final goodbyes and I decided to take a detour to my office so I could put down a note to check the territories that we had ties with for Riley to visit. I was going to make her trip as long as possible because the longer she stayed away, the better for her. She needed the chance to explore the world and see other things and people. She needed the chance to meet new people and make her own mistakes. After I had made the note, I decided to stop by the kitchen for some fruit slices. I had a feeling that Cami was going to be hungry when she woke up and I wanted to make sure that she had something waiting for her when she did. I arranged an entire bowl for her and a small apple for myself when I heard a crash from outside the kitchen. I immediately rushed out to check what had happened but the hall was empty. I knew something was up because the sound had to havee frem somewhere. I couldn¡¯t smell anyone around so it meant that either my ears were ying tricks on me or I genuinely heard something and the person had disappeared. After checking for a while and realizing that no one was there, I decided to return to the kitchen. Thankfully, everything was where I left it and I took a bite out of my apple. ¡°Your majesty,¡± I turned sharply to the source of the voice and saw ra standing there, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Is there something you need?¡± III le ¡°No, why are you here?¡±. ¡°I was 27%. working down the hall when I heard some footsteps. I even identally knocked down of the shields from the suits of armor,¡± she chuckled awkwardly and I guess it was a good exnation for the crash. ¡°I can help you if you need something.¡± ¡°No thanks, I think I can handle myself.¡± I took a step forward when I felt the room spin. ¡°Are you alright, your majesty?¡± ¡°Yes I just need to-¡± The spinning got worse and I felt her hands on me. ¡°Let me help you.¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I woke up to an empty bed and no Ryker. I assumed he had gone to speak to Riley so I just ignored it and went along with my day. It wasn¡¯t until when night fell and I didn¡¯t see him that I realized that perhaps there was more to it than I could have imagined. I didn¡¯t want to bother Christine or Riley so I went looking for him. I checked his office first and saw his notes but not him. By that time, I was already worrying but I managed to shove it down long enough to approach one of the guards. ¡°Have you see the prince?¡± I asked and they looked at each other awkwardly. ¡°I asked you a question and I expect an answer.¡± ¡°He was in the kitchen at first but then he left with one of the maids,¡± I didn¡¯t miss the insinuation in his voice but I ignored it. The Ryker I knew would never do anything like that with anyone. I walked past them and checked the kitchen but there was no sign that he had been there. The maids were running around trying to clear up the dishes that we used for dinner. Once they saw me, they froze and bowed simultaneously but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to give them a proper response. I just waved them off. ¡°Did any of you happen to see the prince today?¡± I asked and just like with the guards, they nced at each other awkwardly and would not meet my eyes. ¡°I am five seconds away from losing my patience so will someone stop staring so dumbly and give me an answer.¡± ¡°I can take you to him,¡± a maid stepped out. Everyone stared at her with wide eyes almost as if she was making a mistake but she ignored them. ¡°I saw him a few minutes ago when I took dinner to him.¡± Llet out a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally, lead the way.¡± She led me down the halls towards the servants quarters. I had never really been there and I was shocked to see how simple and organized it was. There were whispers as we walked past and I heard the word ¡®prince¡¯ thrown around a few times. It felt like the pce was aze with a secret and I had no idea what it was. The maid stopped in front of a door and bowed. ¡°You should find him here,¡± before I could thank him, she gathered her skirts and practically ran off. Her behavior was strange but I paid no heed to it. Instead, I pushed open the door only to find Ryker lying shirtless on the bed. He looked to be fast asleep and there was a tray of food next to him. I couldn¡¯t for the life of me figure out why he passed out in the servant¡¯s quarters instead ofing back to the room to be with me. I gently shut the door and rushed up to his side to wake him up but he wasn¡¯t rousing at all. I shook his shoulders harder than I normally would but there was still no response. ¡°Since when do you sleep like the dead?¡± I grunted as I tried to shake him awake again. I was contemting sshing some water in his face when I heard some noise from one of the doors in the room. I instantly grabbed the knife on the tray and poised it as a weapon when the door opened and ra walked out. Her red hair was wet and hung down her shoulders with water droplets falling to the ground in a precise manner. She was wearing a simple white nightdress that left almost nothing to the imagination. ¡°Are you awake your-¡± she trailed off when she saw me and I stood there with my brows raised. She immediately cast her eyes to the ground and made to cover herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was you, your majesty. I was just,¡± she nced at Ryker with guilt. ¡°I apologize.¡± I looked from her to Ryker and dropped the knife back on the tray in favor of picking up the ss. ¡°If this is your way of trying to make me believe that you are having an affair with my mate then you are sorely mistaken.¡± I sshed the water on him and he jerked up instantly. He spluttered as he tried to get the droplets out of his face. He saw me first and he let out a sigh of relief but then he took in the room and his panic returned. He shot to a standing position and met ra¡¯s gaze. ¡°What the fuck is happening here?¡± he asked as he ran his hands through his soaking wet hair. ¡°Why am I half naked? Why is she half naked? What the fuck is going on?¡± ¡°Rx,¡± I told him before turning to ra. ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you¡¯re ying here but I am done. I want you out of the pce before noon tomorrow or you will pay with your life, am I clear?¡± Her eyes again.¡± widened and she fell to her knees. ¡°Your majesty, please, it was just one time and it was never going to happen ¡°I don¡¯t care for your half assed exnations, ra. I am done dealing with you. If you are still here by noon then you will answer for your treason,¡± I turned to Ryker and found his shirt lying on a nearby chair. I grabbed it and threw it onto his chest. ¡°Put this on please so we can get out of here.¡± He didn¡¯t protest, he did exactly as I had asked and within a few seconds, we were out of there. The halls were still aze with maids who were watching the scene with wide and hungry eyes. I ignored them and kept my head high but Ryker looked confused. He looked more disorganized than I had ever seen him in my life. As soon as we got to the room, he started speaking. ¡°Cami, I have no idea how I got there and I know how it looks but I didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t so you can stop exining but what I don¡¯t know is how you actually got there because this does not look good and thest thing we need right now is a scandal so you bettere up with a good story.¡± ¡°I was with Riley, she told me that she wanted to travel. After I left her, I went to my office and took a detour to the kitchen but I don¡¯t remember getting there or anything else after that,¡± I knew he was being honest but I also knew that honesty was going to get us nowhere. ¡°That¡¯s not a good enough story,¡± I told him and he frowned. ¡°When I went looking for you, it was almost as if everyone already knew where you were. She couldn¡¯t have dragged you there, you are much bigger than her and she doesn¡¯t have the strength to do that. People are going to say that you walked in there by yourself. It doesn¡¯t align with your story.¡± ¡°My story is the truth.¡± ¡°No one would care about that!¡± I yelled and he fell silent. I ran my hands through my hair and let out an exasperated breath. ¡°I know you are saying the truth and so do you but do you think anyone else will care? I can vouch for you all I want but all people will see is a woman afraid to confront the fact that her mate was cheating.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He seemed to realize what I was saying because he bowed his head in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, fuck, I don¡¯t know how this happened but I am sorry that I put you in this position.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I assured him with a warm smile. ¡°We can get to the bottom of this. ra is leaving tomorrow so it means we have one less thing to worry about. The people will talk but talk can always be dispelled. I just want to go to bed and think about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°I truly am sorry,¡± he repeated again and I gave him a small smile in return. Neither of us were able to sleep and for the first time in a long time, we slept on opposite ends of the bed. Despite the fact that he took a shower and changed his clothes, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie next to him. It wasn¡¯t that I was upset, it just didn¡¯t feel right. By the next morning, I was exhausted but I knew there was a lot to do. I had barely gotten out of my room when Christine rushed up to me. She looked like she had rolled out of bed without bothering to care for her hair which was very unlike her. ¡°There is a rumor aze,¡± she began and I nodded. She gasped when she realized that I already knew. ¡°What is going on, Cami?¡± ¡°We cannot talk about this here. The walls have cars and I don¡¯t want it to carry.¡± She nodded in understanding and managed to keep her curiosity at bay while we walked towards my office. Ryker had left earlier in the morning and I assumed that he was in his. As soon the door to my office closed shut. She turned to me. ¡°They are saying that he walked into the room of his own ord. It does not look good. The people think the monarchy is falling¡± ¡°Everything is fine, I can handle it.¡± . 73%# ¡°This is more than just saying you can handle it. It would have been better if it was just an unfounded rumor but there are multiple eye witnesses.¡± ¡°It is ra, she did this. I don¡¯t know how and I don¡¯t know why, I exined everything to her and she listened carefully. By the time I was done, her eyes were wide. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it though, I already asked her to leave. I can fix it.¡± ¡°I really hope so because the elders have called for a meeting with you and Ryker. I think they mean to discuss it.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 CAMILLA¡¯S POV I barely remembered the walk to the council room. I was so lost in thought that everything else felt inconsequential. My mind was a maze and I didn¡¯t know where the exit was. I found Ryker pacing outside the door and as soon as he saw me, relief poured through his features. He reached out for me and I gave him a small smile in return. ¡°We can handle them,¡± I assured him. I wasn¡¯t used to being the strong one. That had always been Ryker¡¯s role. He was the steadfast and secure one that you could always count on. He never faltered and he never second guessed himself but right now as he stood in front of me, there was no trace of that man. The man in front of me was confused and unsure, he was worried and running on ack of sleep. He was nothing like my mate and it worried me. I had never seen him like this and I didn¡¯t know what to expect. I didn¡¯t know if he would be able to face the elders. ¡°I know we can,¡± he gave me hand a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you after this is over. I¡¯m worried about how this might reflect badly on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I can handle myself,¡± he opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. ¡°All of this doesn¡¯t matter right now. Let us go in and face them like we always do- together.¡± He nodded and pushed open the doors. The elders were already seated and were in deep discussion with themselves. It didn¡¯t skip my attention that ra was also in the room. I raised a brow but none of them would meet my eye. They held their breaths waiting for what we would say or do but I chose to ignore it as we made our way to our seat. ¡°This better be important,¡± I drawled. I wasn¡¯t going to be bullied into anything. I was their Queen. I was their ruler, they answered to me and not the other way around. ¡°You know of the whispers already, your majesty, do not make us repeat them,¡± one of the elders began. ¡°You were both seen and the people are already on edge, this could tip them off. They already have doubts in your rtionship as a result of the earlier rumors.¡± ¡°Everyone will have doubts, you cannot satisfy the public and as for the whispers, it is an out of context rumor. Nothing untowardly happened and especially not with her. If that is all-¡± ¡°That is not what she is saying,¡± another elder cut in and I turned to him. He looked away from me and ced a hand on ra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Remember what we told you, you can speak freely here. No one will harm you.¡± ¡°Do not make promises you cannot keep, elder. I do recall telling her that if she wasn¡¯t out by noon then her head would be on a spike and that has not changed, neither has this meeting prompted me to shift up the deadline.¡± I could see that they were all shocked. I wasn¡¯t the one who dished out threats. Usually, I couldn¡¯t even be bothered to speak but they would be sorely mistaken if I was going to allow her spread false rumors. Ryker couldn¡¯t be trusted to speak because he couldn¡¯t remember anything. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Caius began in a soft tone. ¡°Let the girl speak, please. If you already know the truth then there is no harm in hearing her out. As it stands, she could go to the public and im that you didn¡¯t hear her out and cause them to turn on you.¡± I leaned back in my chair. ¡°You¡¯re just giving her a flurry of ideas but whatever. Go on, ra.¡± She nced over at the elders who nodded before swallowing. She opened and closed her mouth before reaching out for a handkerchief thaty in herp and dabbing the corners of her eyes with it. ¡°I just want you to know that it was never my intention to cause this much drama. I swear it,¡± she sniffled. ¡°I was cleaning yesterday when I heard footsteps. I was so scared that I identally knocked down a vase, you can check to be sure I am telling the truth. I went to investigate after and I saw his majesty there. He looked out of it, he was slurring over his words and he wasn¡¯t very stable I offered to get some guards for him but he refused and asked me to help him.¡± She paused and nced at Ryker then quickly looked away before continuing. ||| O ¡°I was helping him but he wasn¡¯t making it easy. As soon as I reached out for him, he kissed me. He told me that he wanted me and I tried to refuse because I owe the Queen my life. I have so much respect for her. He wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer and as much as I don¡¯t want to admit it, I loved the feeling of doing something forbidden so I agreed. I took him back to my room and that was where it happened.¡± ¡°That was where what happened?¡± I cut in harshly and she flinched. The elders began to protest but I held out my hand to stop them. ¡°Let me exin something about the mate bond, ra. If he has sex with anyone else, I will feel it and vice versa. As you can see, I¡¯m fine, I felt nothing. Your story has plot holes.¡± She immediately shook her head. ¡°We didn¡¯t have sex. I knew that and so did he. We just got each other off. It was more of dry humping if I am being honest.¡± I turned to Ryker because I didn¡¯t know what else to say. I didn¡¯t believe her story one bit but I wasn¡¯t the one who needed convincing- it was the elders. There was nothing I could say that wouldn¡¯t have looked like I was trying to discredit her. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and stared directly at ra. She squirmed under his gaze but didn¡¯t look away. ¡°Are you really going to sit here and say that I did that?¡± he asked and she nodded slowly. ¡°Does it even matter if I say anything? You already fashioned this entire fucking story.¡± ¡°There is no need to get upset, your majesty,¡± Caius began in a patronizing tone. ¡°Just tell us what happened.¡± Ryker remained silent. ¡°If you do then maybe we can figure out the missing gaps and-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened. I remember going to the kitchen but everything else is a blur.¡± The room went pin drop silent. He had just given the admission that they needed to pin him to it. ¡°Is it possible that you were on something? It could be possible that you did it and don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Besides, we should be focused on why I can¡¯t remember. At least there is one Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. constant in our stories, I wasn¡¯t myself. She must have drugged me.¡± ¡°I was with someone, your majesty, I never left my work station until I went to investigate,¡± ra cut in. ¡°I can call her in to confirm if you-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! You have done enough. I think it is time that you packed your bags and left.¡± She swallowed but nodded. Just as she stood to her feet, one of the elders grabbed her arm. ¡°Perhaps you should wait in your room for further instructions. Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave.¡± ra looked confused but she nodded and walked out. I waited until the door had shut before I spoke. ¡°I asked her to leave. That was a direct order from the Queen. You have no right to ask her to stay.¡± ¡°Maybe, but if she leaves now, everyone will assume that you are trying to cover it up,¡± he exined. ¡°I am not going to say that his majesty is lying or that she is lying but we don¡¯t know what happened. There are only two people who do and one of them does not have a story. If they did have sex-¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± I cut in and he inhaled sharply before continuing. ¡°If they had anything close to sex, she could be pregnant. Thest thing you want is another bastard like Fredericking to stake a im to the throne. We have to proceed with extreme sution.¡± I knew he was right but I didn¡¯t want to admit it. Even Ryker did because he ran his hands through his hair. We were stuck between a rock and a hard ce and our next actions could possibly make or break us. ¡°Do whatever you think is right,¡± I said finally as I stood to my feet. ¡°But my order stands, get her the fuck out of this pce. I don¡¯t care where she lives until you are certain that she isn¡¯t pregnant but I do not want to see her. If I even catch a glimpse < . of her, I will kill her, the people be damned.¡± Without another word, I turned on my heels and stormed out. I heard Ryker following behind me and calling out for me but I couldn¡¯t stop. I kept moving until I was in the pce gardens and I let out a scream. The leaves shook as the entire fountain erupted around us. I was soaked from head to toe but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Cami,¡± I heard Ryker¡¯s voice pleading behind me. ¡°Please, calm down.¡± He came up to me and I saw that he wasn¡¯t spared from the water onught. ¡°I am just so upset that one person can cause this much of a problem. What does she stand to gain from all of this? What does she want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± his voice was soft. ¡°It is clear that this is about me and I am so sorry. You should not have to deal with this. If I could-¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault,¡± I cut him off. ¡°it is hers and we will deal with her the same way we deal with everyone else who has stood up against us, okay?¡± ¡°You have to realize that we might not win this. People might believe her.¡± ¡°I know you, and people don¡¯t have to believe you, they just have to forget. Give it a month, it will be a distant memory in their minds.¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V A week passed and I was beginning to doubt whether it was possible for it to die down. No one had said or done anything outright or untoward to us but the story had only circted further and gotten worse. There were now so many absurd versions of what actually happened that I began to wonder if many peoplecked the me ntal capacity needed to think because some of the stories were wild. I heard one where I had caught him with his penis inside of her and had nearly gone crazy and almost beat her up. I thought it was stu pid because if I ever caught him with his di ck inside of someone I was going to kill him and not her but that wasn¡¯t even the problem. The problem was that I just wanted people to shut up. Riley was supposed to leave today and she had already asked twice if we needed her to stay back. I assured her she was fine but clearly that wasn¡¯t enough because she kept shooting me wary looks as we loaded her things into the carriage that was supposed to take her to the port. Ryker was standing by my side looking more solemn than he had in a very long time. Once we were done, Riley turned to us and wrapped her arms around her brother¡¯s torso. ¡°Are you sure that you don¡¯t need me to stay?¡± she asked and Ryker narrowed his eyes at her. He opened his mouth to speak but she quickly held up her hands in mock surrender. ¡°Rx, I already know that you don¡¯t need my help. I just wanted to ask.¡± She pulled away from him and made her way to me. She melted into my embrace and I sighed as I wrapped my arms around her. She didn¡¯t say a single word but I could feel every ounce of worry and fear in her and I hoped for both our sakes that she couldn¡¯t feel mine. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I assured her. ¡°We already sent missives by witches ahead of you. They should arrive within a few days and the letters will be sent directly to you so you know which ces are safe enough for you to visit.¡± She swallowed and took a deep breath before responding. ¡°It isn¡¯t me that I am worried about. I don¡¯t know how this scandal is going to end.¡± I looked up at Ryker who was watching us with soft eyes then lowered my head so I could whisper. It was one thing for him to know we were worried ¨C which he did ¨C it was another entirely for him to hear us worried. I knew it could be emascting and while Ryker never struck me as the type to be worried about things like that, this week had made me see a different side of him. ¡°Your brother will be fine,¡± I whispered to Riley. ¡°He is strong and we all know that ra is lying. We will get to the bottom of this soon, I promise you. The moment we do, I O Chapter 1 35 15 Feb will find a way to get the news to you.¡± 3 ¡°Okay,¡± she nodded as she pulled away from me slowly. ¡°Just take care of him please. He has spent so long taking care of other people and I am worried that he doesn¡¯t take care of himself.¡± ¡°You never have to worry about that, I promise you.¡± She smiled with a teary nod and gave her brother onest hug. She stared at a spot behind me and I turned to see Christine standing beside a pir. She had Aurora in her arms while Audrey ran over to give Riley a hug which she graciously epted. After she promised to send back gifts from every country she traveled, she rose to her feet and waved at Christine who hesitated before waving back. Riley was led to her carriage and we watched as it disappeared into the night. Once she was gone, Audrey was by my side weaving her hands into mine. ¡°I want to travel like her when I¡¯m older,¡± she said in a dreamy sigh. ¡°Do you think I can do that, mummy? I¡¯ll be on the big ship or the train and I will never stop. I will go everywhere in the whole wide world.¡± I chuckled and used my free hand to smooth her hair back. ¡°You can definitely travel. I think it will be fun but what happens when you miss home?¡± I didn¡¯t want to outrightly tell her that traveling the world forever wasn¡¯t in her cards. She was the heir to the throne and unless she abdicated and gave it over to Aurora, her entire life was here. Regardless, if she wanted to travel then I was going to make sure that she traveled as much as she could before she was shackled to the life of a royal. I looked down at her to see her pondering over myst words. It took her a minute before she responded. ¡°I¡¯ll just take you with me,¡± she turned to Ryker. ¡°You¡¯lle with me, right daddy?¡± Ryker looked down at her with a small smile but didn¡¯t say anything. That seemed to be enough Original content from N?velDrama.Org. response for her because she shrugged and steered us both back towards the pce where Christine was still standing. Ryker took our daughter from her hands and I noticed that careful look in her eyes as she watched him. It was the very same way I had been looking at him for the past week but it was also the same look that he absolutely despised. After day two, he had told me not to look at him like that because it meant I thought that he was guilty. I tried to exin that I was just worried but he was having none of it. ¡°Are we needed anywhere?¡± I asked Christine who shook her head. ¡°No, I just thought the girls would want to say goodbye to their aunt. Your schedules arepletely clear for the day.¡± O 09:29 Thu, 15 Feb ti Chapter 13 5 ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled at her before turning back to my family. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a detour before we go back in? Maybe we can take a walk around the pce grounds or we can go to one of the streams.¡± Audrey frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t we leave the pce, mummy?¡± ¡°Not right now, no,¡± we had tried so hard to stay out of the public¡¯s eye so it wouldn¡¯t fuel more rumors but that wasn¡¯t something I could exin to a child. She pouted but didn¡¯t say anything else much to my relief. ¡°We can go another time,¡± Ryker cut in and that seemed to uplift Riley¡¯ spirits because she beamed wide and nodded. ¡°We should go to the private gardens. There is so much that we can do there.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll race you,¡± Audrey announced and then she was gone before either of us could say a word. I noticed her guards rushing to catch up to her and that gave me enough courage to just take a small walk instead. Ryker walked in step with me and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from reaching out to ce a hand on his bicep. He froze for a split second before rxing into my hold. There was so much tension in his body, I wish I could take it away with a snap of my fingers but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Can you try to rx?¡± I asked but he remained silent. ¡°Just forget about all of this for once and spend time with us. Your mind has been anywhere but here for a while now.¡± He let out an exhausted sigh. ¡°I¡¯m trying, Cami, f uck, you know I am. I don¡¯t know how to deal with this. This isn¡¯t like a pack, this is more political and I am not cut out for this sh it. You know that, everyone knows that. I have been thinking of a way to get all of this sorted out but nothinges to mind.¡± ¡°I know, and that is why I suggested this. Just spend time with your daughters, spend time with me. Maybe you just need to remember what exactly matters here and that is us. If we believe you then I don¡¯t care what the rest of the town or pce thinks. They will forget about it soon. Sure, it mighte up every other year but it will fizzle out like it always does.¡± He smiled softy but I could see the disbelief in his eyes. He just ced a kiss to my temple and that was it. I knew there was nothing more I could do except to hope and pray. When we got to the fountain, Audrey was sitting next to it with a sh it eating grin on her face. For the first time in a week, a genuine grin grew on Ryker¡¯s face. ¡°I guess you beat us,¡± he announced and she nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll have to teach me how to run that fast too.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ||| < 09:29 Thu, 15 Feb ti Chapter 1 35 As I watched their exchange, I chose to believe that everything would be okay. We stayed in the garden for the better part of two hours before we were interrupted. I sighted the guard first and I knew that it was over the moment Ryker saw him as well. He came up to us and bowed. ¡°The elders have requested your presence in the council room,¡± he said and my mind immediately began to conjure up the worst case scenarios. Had something happened? Were we going to get in trouble? Those thoughts filled my head as we took our girls to Christine and as we made our way into the council room. The elders were deep in conversation with themselves and from the whispers, I knew it was serious. ¡°We have a problem, your majesties,¡± it was Caius who began. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked but no one spoke.¡±If you are going to call us here then you might as well be ready to speak. What the hell is the problem?¡± ¡°The girl- ra, her name is- she reached out to us today,¡± he cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°She insists that her cycle iste and that she might be pregnant with his majesty¡¯s child.¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 13 6 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V ¡°That¡¯s bulls hit,¡± were the first words out of my mouth. I didn¡¯t even realize I had said it until it was too the physician check to be sure.¡± ¡°It is a bit early since it has only been a week. We need a month at least to be able to confirm her story.¡± ¡°A month!¡± Cami eximed with wide eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want her in this vicinity for another day and you want me to keep her for a month, you have got to be crazy.¡± ¡°I think we are past the stage of wants and needs right now, your majesty,¡± Caius cut in solemnly. ¡°If she goes out with this information, you will both be ruined. She will wreck this monarchy from the roots. She has toe back in. We have to keep a steady eye on her until we can ascertain for a fact whether she is pregnant or not.¡± ¡°How long do you presume that will be?¡± Cami asked with her hands crossed over her chest. ¡°What if she gets pregnant for someone else and pins it on Ryker? There are so many variables to this. Can¡¯t you see that? There has to be an endgame to all of this.¡± ¡°I know-¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± she cut him off. The entire room was silent. She was breathing harshly and I had to ce a hand on her lower back to calm her down. She turned to me and I could see just how shattered she was in her eyes. She looked broken and I wanted nothing more than to pull her to safety and cover her. I wanted to protect her from the sh it show that was bound to happen any moment from now. Her eyes welled up with tears but she blinked them away. She turned back to the elders and I took my time watching them. Caius and another elder looked Original content from N?velDrama.Org. exhausted. They looked like they wanted nothing to do with the situation and would have preferred to end it there and then. The others had varying degrees of eagerness and curiosity on their faces. I could tell that they were more interested in the drama than they were in finding a solution to the problem. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Cami asked after a second and a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want her in the pce.¡± ¡°She has to be here your majesty, if not for our safety then to keep an eye on her. Like you said, she could easily sleep with someone else to pin the me on his majesty. She could be in cohorts with someone outside of the pce or she could be telling the truth. Either way, we want her where we can see her, where we can watch her every move and make sure that she cannot get away with anything. The moment her cycle starts, we will know. If she is pregnant, we will know.¡± I knew he was right, so did Cami because she let out an exasperated sigh and put her head in her hands. My hands were still on her but even I could tell that wasn¡¯t enough. If only I could remember exactly what happened. If only my memory woulde back, maybe I would be able to set these things to rest. I had been trying to remember since the day after but it was almost like the event was wiped out from my brain. I hated it. I hated the not knowing and I hated the confusion. ¡°Do what you have to do,¡± I spoke up because I knew Cami wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Just keep her under constant lock and key. I don¡¯t want her walking around the pce and I don¡¯t want her seeing anyone. I don¡¯t want her within our line of sight either.¡± Caius sighed. ¡°Of course, your majesty, but if I might suggest something?¡± from his tone, I could tell I wouldn¡¯t like what he had to say but I nodded regardless. ¡°Perhaps you could go to her? It seems she has an interest in you since you are the subject of this whole ¨C conflict ¨C perhaps if you spoke to her then maybe you would be able to get something out of it.¡± I risked a nce at Cami who had an unreadable expression on her face. I wanted to know what she was thinking, I wanted to see into her mind but she was hiding from me. She never did that and it had me worrying. ¡°What do you think, Cami?¡± I asked but she shrugged. ¡°I want your advice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know anymore,¡± she admitted. ¡°He has a point but what if she tries something again? If anyone sees you going into her room then this will make the rumors worse. We are looking to squash them and not blow air into a fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is our only choice,¡± Caius said slowly. ¡°She will not speak to anyone who is his majesty. If we have any ns to get answers out of her then it has to be like this.¡± The elders left shortly after that leaving Cami and I alone in the council room. She hadn¡¯t looked at me since they left. She kept her face turned away from me and her spine straight. I could practically see the wheels turning in her mind and for the first time in a long time, her wall was carefully in ce. I reached out for her and she stilled the moment I touched her skin but still didn¡¯t turn to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered not knowing what else to say but she said nothing. ¡°If I could go back in time, I would. I was the one who offered her a ce in this pce. If I could go back then and-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± she cut me off. ¡°Unfortunately, my powers do not transcend into time traveling. Maybe one of our daughters will get the skill but then we would have to wait at least seventeen years so it will be of no use by then.¡± ||| O < 10:11 Fri, 16 Feb G G Chapter 1 36 ¡°You¡¯re upset,¡± I deduced and she just shrugged. ¡°Cami, I know I am not the right person to tell you how to feel but I would much rather prefer your anger to your silence. If you need to scream at me then do it. If you need to hit me, do it. I would take the brunt of that rather than this unfeeling shell you have be.¡± She finally turned to me and I could see the utter sorrow in her eyes. It knocked me back a bit and my breath caught in my throat. She smiled sadly at me and reached out for my hand. ¡°I am not angry with you, Ryker. I am disappointed and upset that we didn¡¯t notice this sooner. How did we not see that this was going to happen? How did we not see that she had a thing for you? How long had she been nning this?¡± ¡°You believe she set it up?¡± I asked and she shot me an incredulous look. ¡°Would you prefer that I believed you got her pregnant?¡± I went silent. ¡°I think you should see her. They were right about one thing, she wants you and if you can get some answers out of her then do it. I don¡¯t care what you have to do, just make sure that this ends quickly. Thest thing either of us needs is to be exining to our daughters why some random woman ims to have a child for you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°If that is the only way we can end this then so be it.¡± That was how I ended up in the private living room waiting for ra. I knew the exact moment she arrived at the pce and the moment she was led to her new room. She wasn¡¯t to stay with the other ser vants but she wasn¡¯t staying with us either. Her room was on an isted corridor and she was to have guards watching and monitoring her every move. I only gave her an hour to rest before I sent for her. She walked into the room with wide eyes. She took in the entire ce and I could see the awe in her expression. It was weird to see her out of her maid uniform but I couldn¡¯t focus on her. The first thing I did was try to get a whiff of her scent, it was still predominantly hers- there was no sign of a baby yet. ¡°It is too early,¡± she said suddenly and I furrowed my brows in confusion. ¡°You are trying to get a whiff of my scent, it won¡¯t be obvious for another week or two.¡± ¡°Take a seat,¡± I ordered and she did as I asked without protest. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset with me,¡± she began not bothering to look at me. ¡°I just want you to know that it was never my intention to cause problems.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± I shot back and she went silent. ¡°I should have known since the day you walked into my office after it was destroyed. I should have known that there was something about you but I chose to ignore it thinking that I was just reading into things. O < 1011 Fri, 16 Feb & GG. Chapter 1 36 How long have you nned this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± 9 70% ¡°But you do,¡± I leaned forward on my elbows. ¡°You waited until I was alone and drugged. You waited until I was in a position where I would not be able to refuse and you decided to act out. Was it you who had me drugged?¡± Her eyes welled with tears. ¡°I would never do something like that. You came onto me. I didn¡¯t refuse because of who you are.¡± ¡°How long did you spend practicing that line? How long have you been preparing to tell that story to whoever will listen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the way this conversation is going. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Okay then, I must have made a mistake. Only someone smart would have been able to do this.¡± I stood up to leave but just as I got to the door, she spoke. ¡°Smart? Sit down, Ryker and let me show you smart.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I knew that I had her right where I wanted her. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that she was a narcissist and chalking up her ¡®achievements¡¯ to luck would have been enough to pis s her off. There was nothing she would hate more than being told she wasn¡¯t smart enough toe up with a n or smart enough to execute it properly. ¡°I suppose I could just tell you everything that happened but I don¡¯t see the fun in that,¡± she mused aloud as I took the seat in front of her. ¡°All I will say is that you are one difficult man to catch unaware. I suppose it should be a thing of joy that you have eyes for only your mate. There are a lot of men who I cannot say the same for.¡± ¡°Why did you do this?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°There has to be a reason. You wouldn¡¯t just get up and try to ruin lives. It isn¡¯t just my life that you¡¯re ying with here.¡± ¡°Did you ever consider that maybe I was just bored?¡± she shot back and my brows furrowed. ¡°You are a very handsome man, your majesty, you don¡¯t even realize the number of maids who wish for a moment with you. Apparently it is a rite of passage for kings and princes to have many mistresses but you have religiously stayed by your mate. It is as endearing as it is annoying. You were a challenge that I wanted to conquer and conquer I did.¡± She smirked and I saw the evil glint in her eyes. I knew she wasn¡¯t telling theplete truth but there was some iota of honesty in her words. She truly did see me as a challenge but whether or not she conquered me was yet to be seen. ¡°We didn¡¯t have sex,¡± I stated simply and she pursed her lips. ¡°Even inebriated you wouldn¡¯t go against your mate. You called out to her a few times and when you realized I wasn¡¯t her, you wouldn¡¯t touch me but do you want to know the beautiful thing about the body?¡± she asked and I hesitated before nodding. ¡°Our bodies are just a bunch of nerves and it doesn¡¯t matter if you want it or not, certain things can happen. It wasn¡¯t exactly hard to get you in the mood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You have a tell when you lie and you are lying right out of your teeth. Why don¡¯t you tell me what really happened and how you got me to be so out of it?¡± She looked pis sed at the fact that I had called out her bluff. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at me again. The thing was, I was done ying her game. I was done doing things her way. If she wanted toe into my home and mess things up, I was going to make sure that she answered to me. 09.39 ¡°I think I¡¯ve given you too much credit so let me make this clear,¡± I sat up straight as I spoke. ¡°You can either give me truthful and honest answers or you can rot in the dungeons for the next two weeks after which it will be proven that you are not pregnant and a liar. When that is sure, I will make sure that your execution is a public affair and best believe I will get off on that.¡± Her eyes burned with rage but she knew I wasn¡¯t bluffing. I didn¡¯t give a shi t what the elders wanted or what the people would think. I would have done it in a heartbeat and she knew it because she let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Fine,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Herbs are very easy to acquire in this part of the world and if you mix the right set of herbs, they can do wonders. Getting you into the room was the hard part because I had a very small window before you became unconscious. I had to feed you some bulls hit lie about taking you to the Queen before you agreed to go with me. The rest they say is history.¡± ¡°What happened? I don¡¯t need a summarized version. I need to know exactly what you did.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t y the victim card, it doesn¡¯t exactly look good on you. You will find out exactly what happened in two weeks when I turn up pregnant with your child.¡± ¡°If you are pregnant, it will not be mine.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the thing,¡± the corner of her lips turned up. ¡°No one except you and me will know that.¡± She stood to her feet and brushed off invisible lint from her dress. ¡°I suggest that you start telling your daughters about their new brother or sistering along. Is that smart enough for you, your majesty?¡± ¡°Get out,¡± I ordered and she made a show of bowing mockingly before walking out of the room. I ran my hands down my forehead in frustration. I was left with more questions than answers but I knew one thing for certain, we didn¡¯t have sex. If we did, she would have been gloating about it. That meant there was something else that spurred her toe back here. She had another goal in sight and she nned to use the next two weeks to achieve it. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was but we needed to keep an eye out for her. I mind linked the guards to stay close to her at all times and make sure she didn¡¯t leave their sight. I wasn¡¯t willing to give her the chance to f uck another man and pin it on me. I got guards I could trust with my life- Steven and Kevin. Once I was sure that they were with her, I mind linked Christine and Cami. They wasted no time before arriving in the room and I gave them a quick breakdown of everything that happened. When I was done speaking, Christine cleared her throat. ¡°What do we know about her so far? She said Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. she had an uncle in another pack, right? Perhaps if we got a hold of him then we would be able to find out some more about her. That might help us get some insight on her and what she might be nning.¡± ¡°I sent a letter to him a few weeks ago. I didn¡¯t get a response. Is it possible that she gave us a wrong address or name?¡± Cami asked and although I didn¡¯t want to admit it, I nodded. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t count on her to give us the right one. Why don¡¯t I go to the pack? I could ask around by myself. Maybe I can get a good answer.¡± I loved the idea but I didn¡¯t want her out of the pce. That seemed like exactly the kind of thing that ra would take pleasure in. It would also look bad in the eyes of the people so I shook my head. ¡°I could go,¡± Christine offered. ¡°No one would even notice my presence. I can take a horse instead of a carriage and be in and out in three days tops. It is a better option than sending the Queen. We don¡¯t want to appear like we are panicking and that is exactly what it will look like if you leave.¡± Cami thought about it for a second before nodding. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get you a copy of the address from my office. Even thought it might not be a real one, it will be a good ce to start.¡± Once Christine agreed, she turned to me. ¡°Now, for the most important question, why you?¡± ¡°I have been asking myself the same thing for a long time. I don¡¯t know her and she doesn¡¯t know me. it seems farfetched that she would just develop a crazy attachment to me out of boredom.¡± ¡°Are you sure that you have never seen her before?¡± Christine asked and I nodded ¡°I am absolutely positive. I never forget a face. I don¡¯t know her. Whatever this is, it has nothing to do with knowing me in the/past. We need to keep a close eye on her. She is nning something big and until we know what it is, we cannot be caught with our pants down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to some of the maids as well and see if they know anything,¡± Christine suggested and I thanked her. ¡°We will find out what it is, sooner orter.¡± Once we had smoothed away the parts of the n that needed smoothing over, Christine left leaving Cami and I alone. I searched my mate¡¯s eyes for any signs that she was upset with me but there was none. She had told me that herself a few times but I still couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking out for it. ¡°You can stop analyzing me, Ryker,¡± she spoke without looking up. ¡°If I was pis sed about this, you would know. In fact, you would have been the first to realize it and I would have probably been on her side.¡± ¡°You would?¡± I asked and she finally looked up at me. ¡°If I thought for even a second that you had sex with her and she could be pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t send her away. I wouldn¡¯t want to rob her child of the opportunity to grow up with its father but as the case it, I know you didn¡¯t so it doesn¡¯t matter now. The more time we spend talking about this, the more she wins. That is what she wants. She wants to tear us apart and you are letting her.¡± ¡°I feel like I failed you,¡± I admitted. ¡°I let her into our lives somehow. Maybe if I were more careful then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to drug me.¡± ¡°We already had one enemy in front of us and we had Damien acting like a hormonal teenage boy. We didn¡¯t know to look for another within our walls. That is not your fault.¡± She stood up from her chair and made her way over to me. I expected her to take the seat next to me but instead, she sat directly on myp. My hands wasted no time before banding around her waist and she stroked the back of her hand against my cheek. ¡°Never forget who the real enemy is,¡± she whispered. ¡°You can hate yourself after she is six feet underground where she deserves to be. Until then, I need your head in the game. I can¡¯t do this without you.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 1 38 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Christine left very early the next morning and if anyone had any questions about where she was going, they kept it to themselves. She assured us that she would be back as soon as possible and it wasn¡¯t until after she was gone that I realized just how much she helped us with Aurora. Audrey was in school but Christine spent most of her time with Aurora and I didn¡¯t even realize it, carrying around an infant while trying to work was another special kind of dedication. ¡°Do you want me to take her for a while?¡± Ryker asked but I shook my head. I was just getting the hang of things and he had a lot more on his te at the moment. ¡°I can take her, don¡¯t worry,¡± I assured him as I looked down at her. ¡°She isn¡¯t as frolicky as I thought she would be. I¡¯ll just put her in a bass while I work.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± there was something in the way that he said my name, something raw and exposed that had me looking up at him. He didn¡¯t say a single word, he just looked at me and I didn¡¯t realize when I handed her over. He needed herfort and presence a lot more than I did and I didn¡¯t even notice. His eyes thanked me when his mouth couldn¡¯t and he ced a kiss on my forehead. It was at times like this that I wished I could help Ryker, times like this that I wished he would let me into his head and allow mefort him the way he does with me but Ryker is nothing if not proud and he loved to do things by himself. He loved having a firm grip on everything including his emotions and it didn¡¯t matter how much I tried and probed, he would only reveal his cards when we were ready. I didn¡¯t know when my hand touched his bicep in encouragement but I gave him a small smile and turned on my heels. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away and all I could do was hope that he would be fine. I had to speak to some of the maids and guards to find out what I could about ra. Christine suggested that it might help. When I got to my office, the head maid was waiting for me. I didn¡¯t know her name and if she had told me then I had forgotten it. She was an older woman with dark brown hair that was tied low at the base of her skull in a bun. Her eyes were kind but sharp and she reminded me of that kind aunt who would give you cookies but also smack your hand if you were ying too/rough. ¡°Your majesty,¡± she bowed the moment she noticed me walk in. ¡°I was surprised to receive your summon. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Please sit,¡± I waved my hand in the direction of the chair and I saw her hesitate. Surely, she had figured out that if it was something little, I would have just asked about ||| O < it but the fact that I asked her to sit meant that it was of importance- at least to me. She sat down and kept her hands sped in front of her. She wouldn¡¯t look me in the §ã§å§ã but I knew that she was definitely paying attention. ¡°You were the one who gave ra a ce to work with the maids, right?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°I was told that it was at the behest of his majesty. If I had known that he didn¡¯t order that then I would have.¡± ¡°He did,¡± I cut her off. ¡°We asked for her to join so she wouldn¡¯t be idle but that isn¡¯t why I am here right now. I want you to tell me about her. There is no one in the entire pce who would know her as well as you do.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t friends, I barely spent time with her outside of work,¡± she tried to exin. ¡°I would only know her in a professional setting.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Not quite, you see, you spend the most time with her because you govern what she does at work and I know that you have been trained to notice tells in people. That is how you know the right people for the right jobs because you have watched them for so long. What can you tell me about ra?¡± She sighed before speaking. ¡°I haven¡¯t known her for very long but she has always been weird. She would always disappear at the oddest hours and I remembered seeing her leave or return from the castle veryte at night sometimes.¡± ¡°When was this?¡± I asked and she wracked her brain for a while. ¡°This was while the discord with the vampires was ongoing. I always thought it was insane and she had a death wish but she always came back unharmed. I assumed she just took a walk around the pce or lingered by the edge of the woods so she wouldn¡¯t get caught.¡± I marinated on her words for a minute. What could ra possibly have wanted outside the pce in the dead of night? It had to be important if she was risking getting killed. by vampires for it? ¡°You don¡¯t have any idea what she was doing?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°I was always curious but not/curious enough to risk dying that is for sure. All I know is that she was also very secretive. She was always passing notes and writing them using lime juice so they couldn¡¯t be read. She is crazy smart and maniptive as well, she would get the other girls to do her chores and never do theirs in return. She had her ways of just convincing everyone that she was good and to an extent, I could argue that she is but that maniptive streak keeps me on edge.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention any of this before?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it O r 16.10 Mon, 19 Feb B Chapter 1 38 have been easier if you didn¡¯t have to worry about her?¡± Q ¡°Your majesty, half of my girls are nightmares. I have dealt with people worse than her. I knew I could handle her.¡± ¡°But not before she drugged my mate,¡± I drawled and she, bowed her head. ¡°Has she ever shown any interest in him in the past?¡± The woman hesitated as if she wasn¡¯t sure if her next words would offend me. ¡°Speak, there is nothing you could say that would shock or throw me off guard right now.¡± She opened her mouth to speak then closed it and leaned across the table. When she spoke, she made sure that her voice was as light as a feather so that no stragglers would overhear. ¡°A lot of the maids have eyes for his majesty, it is nothing new,¡± she began slowly. ¡°Most of the time it is idle talk because everyone knows that he will not look away from you but ra had always said that she felt something between them. I just thought that she was being delusional she wouldn¡¯t be the first one. So many of my girls have tried to flirt with his majesty but he barely even notices and they give up after the first or second try.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± I deduced and she nodded. ¡°You have been of great help, thank you.¡± She stood to her feet and bowed. She walked away until she was at the door but paused with her hand on the kn ob. She turned back to me with a sad smile on her face. ¡°I know that my opinion might not mean much but I would like you to know that I don¡¯t believe he touched her. Most of us do not, we all know her and we know him.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. I was grateful for the vote of confidence and I didn¡¯tpletely feel like an idiot. ¡°Thank you.¡± She walked out leaving me to process everything that she had just said. ra was smart and maniptive meaning that we had to beat her at her own game. Also, if she wrote secret notes then there was a possibility we could find them. However, we only had one chance to do it right. If we messed up and she got wind that we were onto her, she would destroy all of them and thereby destroy any evidence we could possibly have on her. I was about to leave to tell Ryker what I had figured out when I heard some ruckus outside my office. I decided to investigate only to see ra screaming at Steven who was trying to pull her away. As soon as they saw me, they all froze. They bowed although ra¡¯s was more mocking than anything. ¡°Finally, they wouldn¡¯t let me in to see you,¡± she pouted and I raised a brow. ||| O Chapter 1 38 ¡°For good reason too, you can take her away. I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± I turned to go back into my office but she wasn¡¯t willing to go down easily. She fought against their hold and it was her next words that had me freezing. ¡°I thought you would like to bond since we are going to be in each other¡¯s lives forever.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked and she smiled once she realized she had gotten my attention. ¡°I am just saying, our kids will be siblings and that means we will always be around,¡± she was grinning from ear to eat. ¡°It would be better for everyone involved if we could be friends. I don¡¯t have anything against you but it is obvious that you have a bone to pick over what happened. It just happened, you know, passion got in the way and-¡± She trailed off when she noticed meing closer to her. I grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at me. She had a smug look in her eye that pis sed me off. ¡°You seem to have forgotten something so let me make it clear. I am still your Queen and although I might not want to kill you until this dilemma is solved, that doesn¡¯t mean I will not take your tongue if you speak to me like that again.¡± I saw fear sh in her eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, you are too kind hearted.¡± ¡°I think you give me far too much credit,¡± I pushed her off. ¡°Try that again and I will be taking a souvenir.¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 RYKER¡¯S PO.V For the next three days, things were quiet and it had me feeling uneasy because I knew that silence was only a covering for something more sinister at y. Cami tried to get me to focus on the good, on the fact that nothing was happening but I knew better. She spent most of her time with the girls so she couldn¡¯t feel the tension the same way that I did, she couldn¡¯t feel the unease in the air. To an extent, I was d that she couldn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want her to worry more than she already was. She told me that she had an encounter with ra but wouldn¡¯t tell me what it entailed. She just exined that it didn¡¯t end well and since then, ra had all but disappeared into her room and refused toe out. That was what had me worrying because I knew that she wasn¡¯t someone who would take Owned by N?velDrama.Org. a perceived insult lying down. She was nning something and not knowing was the hardest part. On the bright side, Christine was supposed to return any day from now. She hadn¡¯t written us a single letter so there was no way for us to know how the trip was going and if the search was fruitful. I tried not to worry about it but it was hard. It was almost as if everything was turning upside down and I didn¡¯t know what to focus on first. A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and Cami walked in. She looked exhausted but she was still nothing less than beautiful. Her hair was flowing down her back but the sides were pinned away from her face allowing me to see the faint bags under her eyes and her dress was more on the simple side with barely any embellishments. ¡°Aurora is asleep,¡± she eximed as she made her way over to me. ¡°I got one of the maids to watch her.¡± ¡°You look exhausted,¡± I pointed out and she rolled her eyes yfully. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been told never toment on how a woman looks? You just called me ugly.¡± ¡°I said you were exhausted, you couldn¡¯t be ugly if you tried,¡± I corrected and I saw the corner of her lips tilt up. I reached out to her and she wasted no time in intertwining her fingers with mine. She sat on the edge of the table in front of me and just looked down at me with a small smile. I didn¡¯t know what it was about her smiles but they always managed to make everything feel right. For a split second, I didn¡¯t care about ra or Christine or the fact that my life was about to be pulled up from the root. I simply existed in that moment with her and chose to focus on that alone. ||| 16:10 Mon, 19 Feb G B ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she whispered and I shrugged. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± She reached up to touch her face but I stopped her by grabbing her hand. ¡°Tell me, is it bad?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing,¡± I assured her and she narrowed her eyes at me for a split second but chose to believe me. ¡°I was just thinking about how incredibly lucky I am to have you. If it were someone else, they would have left me by now and honestly, I wouldn¡¯t me them. This whole thing is a cluster f uck. Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Thank me after we get rid of her,¡± she crinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Have you noticed that she has been awfully quiet over the past two days? Is it because I finally stood up to her?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but-¡± I was cut off by a knock on the door. Cami was the one who answered and I frowned at her because I was more than content with leaving the person knocking until they got the hint that I didn¡¯t want any interruptions. I was shocked when my door opened and Caius made his way into the office. I immediately stood to my feet. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°It is the town¡¯s people,¡± he exined. ¡°I think you need to see it for yourself.¡± That was how Cami and I ended up rushing to the front gate of the pce. I was shocked at the sheer number of people who were being held back by guards. The people kept watchful eyes on us as we made our way towards them. I recognized some of the people from the town where we met ra the first time. I knew that whatever was happening had to be tied directly with her. As we got closer, the people began to whisper until one woman stepped out to meet us. ¡°What is going on?¡± I heard Cami ask but I couldn¡¯t respond. I didn¡¯t know what was happening and I made sure to keep her behind me in case anything was to happen. ¡°Your majesty,¡± she bowed although I could still see the anger in her eyes. I gave her a curt nod and waited to hear what she would say. ¡°We want you to free ra. She shouldn¡¯t be kept as a prisoner because of your actions.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°My actions? Please tell me what exactly my actions were.¡± I didn¡¯t yell or raise my voice but the deathly calmness was enough to have her second guessing her next words. ¡°I am waiting for a response, you cannot go around throwing usations against the crown and not have proof to back it up. That sounds an awful lot like treason.¡± Her mouth fell open. was a rumor that-¡± ¡°I was was just repeating what we heard from the other towns. There O 16:10 Mon, ? ¡°You took a stance against the crown based off a rumor?¡± I asked in shock and she fell quiet. ¡°That is either incredibly stup id or incredibly brave.¡± ¡°It has to be true. If it wasn¡¯t then you would havee out to deny it.¡± ¡°Did you ever consider the fact that I felt it too stu pid to even talk about?¡± I shot back and she flushed. ¡°Also, what is this business about her being a prisoner? Did you see her in a cell?¡± ¡°No,¡± ¡°Did you see her in chains? Perhaps you saw her being tortured or unfed like the other prisoners.¡± ¡°No, but-¡± ¡°If neither of those happened then where did you get the absurd idea that I was keeping her as a prisoner? Did you imagine it or was it an act of boredom that led you down a line of insane thoughts.¡± The woman¡¯s cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment and I could see the others beginning to doubt whether they were taking the right stand by going up against us. I should have felt bad about embarrassing her in front of everyone but she decided to make a stu pid choice. She signed her warrant, not me. I was going to put an end to this rubbish and I didn¡¯t care if she was a casualty. ¡°I will say this once and make it clear, unless you have heard it directly from the mouths of the crown, do not make stu pid assumptions. It will only look bad on you.¡± I turned to leave when I heard her speak. ¡°I got a letter.¡± I turned back to her instantly. ¡°What letter and who was it from?¡± ¡°It was sent from the pce and although it had no signature, I knew it was from her,¡± she hesitated before saying her next words and I knew that they were definitely not good. I gestured for her toe closer and she obliged. When she was close enough, she dropped her voice into a whisper. ¡°It said to burn immediately after reading so I did but in the letter, it imed that you had forced yourself on her and gotten her pregnant. It said that you were keeping her locked in the dungeons and if we didn¡¯te to protest would kill her.¡± then you ¡°You trusted an unmarked piece of paper and decided it was enough evidence to go against your Queen?¡± I asked and shame filled her features as she realized the extent of what she had done. O 16:10 Mon, 19 Feb CBB. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± she pleaded. ¡°I have a grandson, he is five and I am the only family he has left. It was a st upid mistake and I understand that now.¡± I nced over at Cami who hadn¡¯t said a single word yet. The wheels in her head were turning and I could tell that she was trying to process everything to the best of her ability. ¡°We won¡¯t kill you,¡± she said finally. ¡°But you will fix the seeds of doubt that you nted. You will tell the people that you were bored and jealous and so you decided to make up an¡¯absurd story,¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°They will hate me, I will be an outcast. Nobody will ever trust me again.¡± ¡°You should have thought of that before you came here.¡± I stared at Cami with a mixture of pride and disbelief. She may not know it yet but she was turning into a fierce queen. The girl who stumbled onto my pack terrified and frightful was not the same girl I was looking at right now. The girl in front of me was a full bred royal and she was not afraid to make hard decisions. The woman nodded and bowed. I watched as she went back to the people and gave them the news. I didn¡¯t stick around to see the results, I grabbed Cami by the hand and led her back towards the pce. That was a close call but we needed a permanent solution to ra before she wrecked everything we had struggled to build. ¡°What are we going to do about ra?¡± Cami asked once we were at the doors to the pce and I shrugged because I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°She is only going to cause more problems for us. I say that we just let her go.¡± Before I could respond, the sound of loud hooves filled the air. I turned just in time to see Christine on horseback rushing as if she were being chased. She barely managed to skid to a halt before she hopped off. There was a flush to her cheeks and she looked vastly different from the usual put together version I saw in the pce. Her hair was in a curly mess around her shoulders and she was in breeches. ¡°I found something. You will not believe everything I managed to unearth,¡± she eximed as soon as she got to us. ¡°I know how we can get rid of her.¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V We led Christine into the council room so that we could talk privately. I locked the door behind us and took in Christine. There was something different about her that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. When she noticed me staring at her, she flushed pink and looked away. I took a step closer to her and that was when I got a whiff of her scent. It was hers but mixed with someone else¡¯s. ¡°You met a guy, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked and although she didn¡¯t respond, her cheeks heated. ¡°Will you tell me about him?¡¯ ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything serious. He was the only person who knew of ra personally so I stayed with him. It isn¡¯t what you¡¯re thinking. We just talked.¡± ¡°Talked,¡± I repeated and she nodded. ¡°Is that why your cheeks are red and your mind is racing?¡± she smacked my shoulder yfully. ¡°I am just saying, if he seems like a fun guy then you should pursue something with him.¡± ¡°I think I am done with men for the time being,¡± she waved me off. ¡°Now onto the issue at hand, ra was from that pack but she doesn¡¯t have an uncle there. She was an omega sl ave. She worked with a rich family and from what I heard, she had a nasty streak.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ryker asked and Christine smiled. She gestured for us to take a seat and once we did, she continued speaking. ¡°She slept with two of her masters and their sons,¡± my brows disappeared into my hairline. ¡°She was thrown out of work and had nowhere to go when another man gracefully took her in. It was never confirmed but it was said that she was sleeping with him. No one really cared until one day, the man was found dead and all his property had been transferred into her name.¡± ¡°She killed him,¡± I deduced and Christine shook her head. ¡°Not quite, there wasn¡¯t any poison in his system and there were no obvious injuries so everyone let it slide. They forget about it within a year and she found another victim. The same thing happened to him and that was when the physician realized that the men were being drained of their blood,¡± my mouth fell open and Christine nodded. ¡°Somehow, ra had managed to get a hold of the vampires and she made a deal with them.¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I waved her to a pause. ¡°How do we know that she made an alliance with the vampires? If we are going to use her of something this big, then we need proof.¡± 09:19 Tue, 20 Feb ¨¤$3 92%D Christine nodded in understanding then reached into the satchel by her side. She took out what looked like stacks of empty parchment and I raised a brow at her. She sensed my confusion but didn¡¯t say anything and walked over to the light. She held the paper up so that sunlight streamed directly onto it and I saw words appear on it. I gasped in shocked as I tried to quickly read the words before they disappeared. He will be alone by eleven. I will keep the doors unlocked. Make it quick and make sure it isn¡¯t messy. ¡°How did they manage to preserve this?¡± I asked not wanting to touch the paper for risk of contaminating it. ¡°This one was written a little under three months ago. Herst victim died just a week before the attacks started here. They suspect that she moved immediately she was done there and she knew the people wanted her dead. She found a muchrger target,¡± she jerked her head towards Ryker. ¡°Is this enough proof?¡¯ ¡°More than enough,¡± it was Ryker who responded. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately. ¡°Thank you, Christine. You have been an amazing help. Words can¡¯t even describe how thankful I am right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just d I could help.¡± ¡°Can you rally the elders here?¡± I asked Christine and she nodded. ¡°Get all of them here while Ryker and I bring ra. If ites down to it, will you be able to get him here?¡± She hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he would want that. You have to find proof in her room. This is the best I can do.¡± I nodded in understanding. I wouldn¡¯t want to drag another person into it anyway. We split from there and while she went looking for the elders, we went to ra. She was lying on the bed with a bowl of fruits in her arms and a sly smile on her face. When she saw us, her smile grew even wider and she sat up slowly. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± she asked in a seductive tone. ¡°I heard about the disturbance at the gates. It must be so terrible to have your subjects at war with you. could never imagine being in your shoes.¡± I Ryker ignored her and called out for Steven and Kevin who wasted no time in dragging her up by her arms. She let out a screech that could have given a banshee a run for its money and red at them, ¡°What is this?¡± she spat. ¡°How dare you manhandle ¨¢ pregnant woman this way? I am carrying the prince¡¯s child. I deserve some form of respect.¡± ¡°The only thing you deserve is an execution,¡± I deadpanned before turning to the guards. ¡°Take her to the council chambers and make sure that she is bound. Christine will tell you what to do. Until then, we need an hour.¡± They didn¡¯t ask any questions, just nodded and walked off. Once they were gone, I turned to Ryker. ¡°Do you think we can find something within an hour?¡± ¡°For both our sakes, I hope so.¡± We turned the entire room upside down searching for anything that remotely looked like a piece of parchment but there was nothing. It was almost as if she had anticipated our arrival and either hid or gotten rid of them. Forty minutes had passed and we still had nothing to show for it. Neither of us said a word but I knew that we were losing hope. I ransacked the bed that she was lying on but it was empty and I let out a groan of frustration. ¡°The sly witch hid it,¡± i eximed and Ryker nodded. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We go to the elders and hope that what we have is enough,¡± Ryker said simply and I prayed to the goddess for a miracle because that was exactly what we needed. As we got to the council chambers, we saw the elders already seated. Christine was exining everything she found out during the trip and even showed them the note they had found but from the looks on their faces, I could tell that they weren¡¯t being convinced very well. ¡°Your majesties,¡± one of them eximed as soon as he saw us. ¡°I was beginning to think you were not Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. going to show up. Please tell me that you did not drag us out of bed for this.¡± ¡°This is proof that she is a liar,¡± I pointed at ra who discreetly rolled her eyes. ¡°She was responsible for the deaths of two different men at the hands of the vampires and she swindled them out of all their worth.¡± ¡°That might be true but it has nothing to do with the matter at hand. There is no reason to believe that she is doing the same to you and it doesn¡¯t prove that she isn¡¯t pregnant with the prince¡¯s child.¡± I stared in shock. ¡°You have got to be joking, right? Are you trying to downy everything that is happening?¡± ¡°I am just telling you how this looks, your majesty. She might be guilty of that but it didn¡¯t happen under our watch. If that is all then I am sorry to say but there is no case.¡± I stared in shock. They had a point but that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. ra was smirking as if she had just won the lottery and I wanted nothing more than to bash her face in. Her hands were tied in front of her and she sat there looking high and mighty. I didn¡¯t know what else to say so I just nodded to Kevin to lead her to her feet, ti As they walked past me, she spoke. ¡°This is why you don¡¯t show your cards too early, always keep your cards close to your chest.¡± She started to walk away but something about her words stuck out to me. ¡°Wait! I need everyone to just sit still for five minutes.¡± I walked up to ra and took a deep breath before I started to pay her down. Her eyes widened in rm. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she eximed but I ignored her. She tried to swat my hands away but I kept at it until I felt something embedded into her inner skirt. She knew the exact moment I found it because her face paled. ¡°I found evidence,¡± I announced. ¡°Do you want me to take you into a private room to get it out or should I do it here.¡± She swallowed but didn¡¯t respond. I reached into Ryker¡¯s waistband where a knifey and I split her dress open. Right there tucked into her waistband were stacks of paper. It was big enough to be noticeable now but small enough that she hid it without a problem. I pulled it out and held it up to the light just as Christine did with the others. One by one, the notes began to appear. Some were dating as far back as the first attack. The more recent ones started after we brought her in. it didn¡¯t take long before we realized that she had burned her house down on purpose. It was a n between her and stair to get her into the pce so that she could feed him information. Thest one was a letter from someone I didn¡¯t know. He was talking about a mixture he had given her and he apologized for her bad experience stating that it wasn¡¯t supposed to induce arousal and her inability to have sex with the person in question was not his fault. I felt the relief in the air as soon as I read those words. It was clear that she didn¡¯t have sex with Ryker. ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± I asked but she kept her mouth mped shut. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t talk so much.¡± ¡°I am carrying his child. You cannot kill me while I am-¡± ¡°Save it,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You will have enough time to speak when you are getting Chapter 141 Chapter 141 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V There was a palpable relief that could be felt by everyone once ra was in the cells. For the next three days, there was nothing but peace and calmness. The pandemonium in the towns had been dispelled because everyone was sent copies of her transcripts. The people knew what she had done and they knew that Ryker was innocent. The truth was, I wasn¡¯t as bothered by her alliance to the vampires as I should have been. Thinking back on it, it made a lot of sense. She was always sneaking around and in ces where she shouldn¡¯t be. I couldn¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t piece it together sooner. She must have been the one who told the people about what happened at the waterfall with stair. I was relieved to know that she had been caught but I was more relieved that Ryker was vindicated. I saw how the weight of the usation was crushing him and I couldn¡¯t stand it. He was always helping me and I felt relieved that I was able to y a small part in helping him. There was a visible spring in his step over the past two days. He seemed lighter and he spent more time with the girls. It was great seeing him happy and I couldn¡¯t help but share in his joy, that was why I didn¡¯t tell him about my ns this morning. When I woke up, I simply told him that training might run a bitte. ra¡¯s execution was set for evening but I wanted the chance to speak to her before then. There was a lot I still didn¡¯t understand. After an hour of training with Loris, I called an end to it. I didn¡¯t even bother changing first before I made my way to the dungeons. If the guards were surprised to see me, they didn¡¯t say a word. They just watched me carefully as I made my way to the front of her cell. She looked like a mess with her red hair covered with dust and grime and her pale grey dress. She didn¡¯t turn to me as she spoke. ¡°Have youe to gloat? Is seeing me in a cell up to your standards? After this evening, I will be out of your hair.¡± ¡°For someone who is about to die, you don¡¯t sound very apologetic or worried. Why is that?¡± she finally turned to me and I saw the guards clutch their weapons tighter but she wasn¡¯t a threat. She was behind silver bars and was chained with silver. ¡°Give us a minute.¡± They were stunned by my order. Even ra was shocked because her brows rose so high that they disappeared behind her hairline. The guards hesitated for a second before nodding and exiting in a single file. ra waited until thest of them had disappeared before she spoke. ¡°Is this your way of telling me that I don¡¯t scare you?¡± she drawled out, ¡°I remember a time when I did, I remember when I was the biggest problem in your life. It was a good ||| 10:18 Wed, 21 Feb E run.¡± -3 I ignored her taunt and made my way over to the bench that was close to the wall and sat down. Her eyes tracked my every movement with rapid attention. It was almost as if she expected me to hurt her and was trying to brace herself for it and I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. ¡°I had no ns to hurt you, ra, I am not you,¡± I told her and I saw relief sh across her features before she quickly masked it. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about that. I don¡¯t care if you put a spear through my heart right now.¡± ¡°You can say that all you want but I know better, ra. I didn¡¯te here to argue with you, I just have a few questions that I think you can help me answer. If there is one thing I know, it is that you take pride in your brilliance. You could have easily gotten away with this but you didn¡¯t. Why is that? Why did you ally yourself with the vampires in the first ce?¡± ¡°ttering me will get you nowhere,¡± she shrugged but I could see the small smile growing on her lips. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The only reason you were able to get me was because I made the mistake of telling you where I actually came from. I suppose a part of me hoped that something bad woulde out of your meeting and you would end up wiping the pack. I miscalcted because I was in a panic.¡±. I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, ra. I know you don¡¯t want to die and I can make your death as painless as possible. If you tell me what I need to know then I will ensure that it is over within seconds.¡± I saw her debate it for a minute before turning away. I let out a sigh of defeat. I actually hoped that she was going to agree but since she didn¡¯t, I stood to my feet and prepared to leave. I had just gotten to the door when she finally spoke. ¡°Fine, but this is happening on my terms.¡± I tried to hide my excitement as I made my way back to the bench. She wasn¡¯t looking at me and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was to hide her emotions or just because she could. ra enjoyed power games and with her, it was sometimes hard to know where you stood. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born in that town. I got there when I was eighteen. My parents were deadbeats who didn¡¯t deserve to be parents. When I was six, they dropped me off in front of a vampire cave to be killed. stair found me and took me in. He always told me how much potential 1 had and he raised me. No matter how much I begged, he wouldn¡¯t turn me but once I was old enough, he helped me kill my birth parents. It was the best moment of my life. I was sixteen then and stair made love to me in the living room right next to their dead bodies.¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting but that wasn¡¯t it. My mouth fell open in horror and ISTA 111 O I was grateful she couldn¡¯t see my face because she would have definitely stopped her story. ¡°You were a child and he practically raised you.¡± She turned to me so I could see her roll her eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t groom me if that is what you think. I was old enough to know what I wanted and if you¡¯re going to make assumptions about my life then we might as well just end the story right here.¡± I knew that whatever he had done had tainted her for life and there was nothing I could do about it so I nodded. As much as I knew the story would disgust me, I was prepared to listen to it in its entirety. When she saw that I wasn¡¯t attacking stair anymore, she continued. ¡°When I turned eighteen, he told me that it was dangerous for me to be with the vampires and he convinced me to move into that town. He picked my victims for me, he chose men who had wronged him in the past and my job was to seduce them and create a path for him to kill them. It was very easy and I was good at my job. No one could pin it on me. I was having the time of my life until he asked me toe here. I suppose you already know the rest of what happened. He tried to get you as revenge for what your father did to him but you managed to best him. I¡¯m surprised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not pis sed that I killed your lover?¡± I asked slowly and she shook her head. ¡°Why not? He was your first love?¡± ¡°I outgrew stair,¡± she said simply. ¡°Ryker was supposed to be another target but there was something about him. He was the only person who didn¡¯t look at me like a prized cow. He didn¡¯t look at me as something to be won. He didn¡¯t immediately want to have sex with me and I loved that, I craved it even. I knew I had to have him and more so, I knew that you didn¡¯t deserve him.¡± She spat thest words like a curse and I flinched from the sheer violence of her words. ¡°When stair died, I figured it was my chance to get him to myself.¡± ¡°You failed,¡± I deadpanned and she shrugged. ¡°For what it is worth, ra, I think you have been dealt a terrible hand at life. You grew up with the wrong people but that is no excuse for what you did. I want nothing more than to take you off the execution list and try to rehabilitate you but I cannot guarantee that you will not try this again.¡± ¡°Let me make this easy for you, I will,¡± she stated it simply. ¡°There is no changing me, this is who I am. Now, if you are done bothering me, I would like to get some rest before my execution. Even if I am dying, I need to look good.¡± I was shocked that anyone could be this dismissive but there was nothing I could do except honor her wishes because she had once again turned her back to me. I slowly made my way out not really understanding what had happened. I was so distracted that 111 O I didn¡¯t realize Ryker was at the top of the steps and I bumped into him. I would have fallen backwards if he didn¡¯t reach out to wrap his arms around my waist. I grasped onto his shoulders for dear life. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°I was told that you were with her. Did she say anything to you? Did she do anything?¡± I shook my head but he wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Are you sure? Why did you go? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were going?¡± ¡°Rx,¡± I ordered and I waited until he had taken a deep breath. ¡°I wanted to know some things and only she could tell me. I didn¡¯t want her story to die with her.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯ve always been kinder than the rest of us. What did she say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but not here. I don¡¯t want to spend any more time than I need to. I want to be with you in our space, does that make sense?¡± His featured softened and he leaned down to kiss my forehead. ¡°Of course, baby,e with me. I know the perfect ce for us.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V Ryker and I went for a walk around the pce all afternoon before finally deciding to pick Audrey up from school by ourselves. She was so excited to see us by the and gate let out a shriek that had my ears ringing for minutes after. She was so excited to see us and chattered on about everything that had happened with her at school. It felt good to be able to have a normal day with my daughter and I wanted to cherish that moment for as long as possible but the goddess had other ns because I got to the front of the pce and saw s=a strange man that I had never seen before. He was tall and dark as if he spent so much time under the sun. From his demeanor, it was obvious that he was a free spirit, his hair was reaching his shoulders and blew in the wind behind him, his sleeves were rolled up and the top of his buttons undone. He held up his hands to show that he wasn¡¯t a threat but he seemed like the kind of person who could hold his own in a fight. I ced my hands on Audrey¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go wait inside for us? We just need to handle this.¡± If she was disappointed, she didn¡¯t let it show. She just nodded and I watched her sk ip away into the pce. Once I saw that she was safe, Ryker and I made our way to the stranger. He looked at me first and his eyes ran down my body. It wasn¡¯t in a sexual way, it was more analytical, as if he were trying to Owned by N?velDrama.Org. get a reading on me. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked finally and that seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. ¡°You look like her,¡± he said simply and I immediately knew who he was and what he was referring to. ¡°She told me about you, you must be the Queen.¡± He bowed slightly and offered the same courtesy to Ryker. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here but I heard that an execution was taking ce and I figured it was the right time.¡± ¡°Am I missing something?¡± Ryker asked and I remembered that Christine had only told me about the handsome stranger so I gave him a quick rundown via the mind link. As soon as I was done, Ryker assessed the stranger with a frown and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know you are here then why are you here?¡± ¡°I want to make things right,¡± his exnation was cryptic and that didn¡¯t sit well with Ryker who hadn¡¯t reduced his re one bit. ¡°She left abruptlyst time and I just thought that maybe we could-¡± ¡°If she left abruptly, doesn¡¯t that stand to reason that she doesn¡¯t want to see you?¡± he asked harshly and I turned to him with wide eyes. I had never seen Ryker¡¯s protectiveness up close and I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be embarrassed on Christine¡¯s behalf or to smile knowing that he thought of her as family that needed protecting. O ¡°I understand that you are protective of her but I mean her no harm. You can ask her yourself, she stayed with me while she searched for proof against ra. If I wanted to hurt her, I would have done it a long time ago.¡± Ryker hesitated and I was sure that he would send the stranger packing. After everything that happened, trusting new people didn¡¯te easy to any of us. Just as he was about to speak, I heard a gasp from behind me and I turned to see Christine. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were a bright pink color as she stared at the man in front of us. She looked like she was unsure of whether she wanted to run to him or run away from him. ¡°Juan?¡± she asked and he gave her a soft smile. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to watch the execution of the woman he killed my father,¡± he exined and I saw sadness creep into her expression. ¡°I also came to see you.¡± She blushed harder and I slightly nudged Ryker who was taking in the entire exchange but not the same way I was. He looked hesitant and a little unsure but I was just happy that there was someone who could have her blushing this hard. Christine had always been the strong one and it was a relief to see her looking not to strong. ¡°Perhaps we should take this inside before we give anyone a show,¡± Ryker announced before turning to Christine. ¡°I need a word with you first.¡± While they walked away, I turned to Juan. ¡°Come with me please, I will have the maids show you to a room.¡± Once Juan was settled, I went in search of Ryker and Christine. I found them in her room, she was seated cross legged on the bed while he sat on the chair facing her. She looked mildly annoyed while he looked proud of himself and I braced myself before walking in. Once Christine saw me, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Please tell your mate that I am old enough to handle myself. I don¡¯t need anyone watching out for me or trying to protect me.¡± ¡°Please tell Christine that I don¡¯t exactly trust strangers who show up at my door.¡± Christine let out an audible growl and I couldn¡¯t stop theugh that bubbled out of me. They watched me with varying looks of shock and concern until I managed to calm down. ¡°Ryker, cut it out. He seems like a decent guy but if it makes you feel any better, you can do an in depth search on him,¡± I told him and although he started out frowning, he seemed to like the second part of my sentence. I turned to Christine. ¡°After everything that happened, I think his protectiveness is warranted, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You have a point,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why he woulde here.¡± O < ¡°He already told you why, he came for you. Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± her cheeks heated and I got my answer. I turned to Ryker. ¡°I¡¯m going to need leave us be for a while. We have some girl talk to attend to.¡± you to He mumbled something inaudible under his breath and disappeared. The moment the door was shut, I turned to Christine who pulled me to sit next to her. I could tell it was a big step for her to even consider telling me. She was the kind of person who kept her cards awfully close yo her chest. ¡°It happened the night I got there. After he gave me a ce to stay, I don¡¯t know how it happened. It was almost like I wasn¡¯t in control of myself. One minute I was thanking him for giving me a ce and the next minute, I woke up in bed next to him,¡± she eximed and my mouth fell open. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, I know it was irresponsible.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that, I¡¯m just shocked is all. Was it good?¡± Her cheeks heated before she nodded once. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters I guess. I¡¯m not going to tell you what to do or how to do it but I think you need to be a little less hard on yourself. You had fun, if you want it to end at that then let him know but he wouldn¡¯t I gave her shoulder a small squeeze before walking out of the room. She needed space to think about what I had just told her and I needed to get ready for the execution. I had never attended an execution in my life so I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. I promised I would make it easy for her so instead of being hung like we originally nned, she was going to be executed using a guillotine. It was much bigger than I expected and I tried to stay as far away from it as possible. The turnout of people was also much bigger than I expected. I didn¡¯t think so many woulde to watch her die. Aurora and Audrey were in the pce with some maids. I didn¡¯t want them seeing this at such a young age. Christine was by my side while Juan stood to the side with the guards from the pce. His eyes never left Christine while she tried to pretend like she couldn¡¯t see him. ra was brought out in silver chains and immediately, the people began to yell. Some went as far as to throwing rotten food at her but she never once faltered. She had her head held high like she was a Queen in front of her kingdom. I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. It wasn¡¯t easy to face a crowd of people who wanted you dead. She was led to the guillotine and forced to her knees. ¡°ra, you have been sentenced to death,¡± I had been given a script by the elders. It wasn¡¯t long but it was still hard to say. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± ¡°I do, actually,¡± she announced and she turned to face the crowd with a cruel smile. ¡°It was an honor watching you all burn and I hope that in my next life, I get to see it all [11 O 10:36 Fri, 23 Feb. over again.¡± To say that people were stunned would have been an understatement. She looked around and her gaze locked on Juan. She looked shock to see him but she quickly recovered and smiled before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll say hi to your daddy in hell.¡± Juan wanted to go after her but the guards held him in ce. I could see the pure and undiluted anger on his face. He realized that the guards were not going to let him go to her, so he turned on his heels and stormed out. Christine had turned to him an she was itching to go but I grabbed her wrist. She could go after the execution. I turned to the executioner and nodded. I watched as he put the bag over her head and positioned her but I turned away when the guillotine fell. I knew that until the day I died, I would never forget that sound. I turned to Ryker who I realized watched the entire thing without flinching. I released Christine and she didn¡¯t wait one second before taking off after Juan. ¡°Is it over?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V As per tradition, we had to wait until the ce was cleared out before we could leave. We waited for thest person to return to their house and for the executioner to carry the body away. I didn¡¯t look at it once, I didn¡¯t want to see her body. I didn¡¯t know how but I knew that I was going to throw up if I saw it. I had already told Ryker what I learned from her but unlike him, I still had a soft spot for people and I still felt like if she was dealt a better hand at life, she would have been a better person. ¡°Everything has been cleared out,¡± Ryker told me and I finally risked a nce. The guillotine was still there and I could see the blood coating the de and the floor in front of it. I knew someone would clean it up before tomorrow but I couldn¡¯t help but stare at it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± I asked and he turned to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t what funny, baby?¡± ¡°One second she was terrorizing us and the next, she is dead. It was so easy and yet so hard. She was such a torment but at the end of the day, she was just blood and meat like the rest of us.¡± ¡°I guess that is one way to look at it,¡± he reached out to me and helped me to my feet. ¡°I think we should N?velDrama.Org owns this text. just be grateful that she is gone and that we have no need to worry anymore. This is the first time in a long time that we have even a semnce of peace. We can finally take a break, maybe we can even take a vacation. The goddess knows that we both need one.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Perhaps we could go to my father¡¯s vacation house. Christine and the girls never made it there. It might be good for the two of us. What do you think?¡± ¡°That sounds like a good idea but first we need to actually find Christine. I wonder where she ran off to with that guy.¡± As if on cue, I heard Christine¡¯s voice. It sounded muf fled meaning she was a bit of a distance away but she was clearly yelling. We followed the sound until we got to the private living room. The door was slightly ajar which exined why her voice carried. Juan was standing with his back to us and he was so tall that hepletely dwarfed Christine from our vision. Ryker wanted to go in but I grabbed my hand and shook my head. ¡°No, listen,¡± I instructed and although I could tell that he didn¡¯t agree, he nodded. ||| O 10:36 Fri, 23 Feb. Christine was the first person to speak. ¡°You should never havee here. I should never havee after you. It was a mistake. I told you as much when I left in the morning. It never should have happened.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult your own intelligence by iming it was a mistake, cara mia, you know better than that. You knew what you were doing and it scared you because you liked it.¡± ¡°F uck off,¡± she tried to shove at his chest and although he stumbled back a little. He grabbed both of her hands and kept them pinned. ¡°Let me go, I have nothing I want to say to you.¡± ¡°Good, then you should listen,¡± he instructed. ¡°I don¡¯t know who hurt you or made you feel like you had to put up walls but you don¡¯t have to do that with me. I¡¯m willing to wait as long as it takes for you. I don¡¯t care how long that is, even if I have to wait until the end of my life.¡± ¡°Stop saying that,¡± her voice was barely over a whisper and I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been eavesdropping on their conversation. It was a private moment between the both of them but I couldn¡¯t look away. ¡°Why not? It is the truth,¡± he walked her backwards until she hit the wall. ¡°Let me prove this to you, all you need to do is give me a chance.¡± ¡°I have a mate,¡± she blurted out and I winced slightly. ¡°I rejected him but he never epted it.¡± Juan stilled. ¡°Do you want him?¡± Christine didn¡¯t hesitate before she responded. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good, nothing else matters,¡± I watched as he kissed her and that was exactly what had me looking away. It was their moment and they deserved to have it to themselves. I was surprised that even Ryker agreed because he gently closed the door. I would have expected that he would storm in there and go all protective on her but a small smile was ying on his features. ¡°I guess you approve of him then,¡± I mused aloud once e had gone a few feet away and he nodded slowly. ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t run when she said she had a mate,¡± he said simply. ¡°A lesser man would have gone running for the hills when he realized that he had a littlepetition. The mate bond is a very powerful thing and not many are willing to go against it.¡± ¡°Juan was,¡± I finished for him and he nodded. III < ¡°I still don¡¯t know him enough to like him but I guess that he is doing well enough for himself right now. He still has a lot to prove but for now, I think he has done enough.¡± That was enough for me. Ryker had the best judgment in people most times and if he approved of Juan then so did I. Christine deserved to be happy and if Juan was that man then I would root for the two of them until the day I died. While they spent their time together, Ryker and I decided to spend some time with our daughters. They didn¡¯t know what had just happened and they didn¡¯t need to know. All they knew was that we were safe and that was good enough for me. I didn¡¯t see Christine again until dinner time. She was walking down the hallway towards the dining room. I was holding Audrey¡¯s hand because Ryker had gone ahead of us with Aurora. When she saw me, she smiled wide and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was in an attempt to draw my attention away from the love bite on her neck or simply because she was happy to see me. ¡°You look well,¡± I said simply and her cheeks heated slightly. ¡°Is Juan going to be joining us for dinner?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He isn¡¯t- we aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°If he is giving you love bites then I would believe that you are. What is the excuse?¡± ¡°Mummy, what is a love bite?¡± I had momentarily forgotten that Audrey was with me and I scrambled my brain for a possible response that was age appropriate. ¡°Well, it is when you love someone so much that you bite them,¡± was what I settled on and brows furrowed. ¡°Biting people is wrong, don¡¯t even think about it but some people don¡¯t know how to express their affection for others and end up biting.¡± ¡°Aunt Christine has a friend who bites her?¡± she asked again and her innocence made the entire situation more embarrassing then it should have been. ¡°Why does he do that? Doesn¡¯t he know that bites hurt?¡± ¡°These ones don¡¯t,¡± Christine stepped in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll understandter.¡± She looked up at me with using eyes and I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask him if he wants to join us.¡± ¡°Try not to bete,¡± I called out to her as she walked off and she flipped me off. I walked into the dining room smiling from ear to ear and I could see Ryker¡¯s confused. face as he took me in. I assured him that he would understand soon enough and although he seemed satisfied with that answer, the confusion never left his face. When Juan and Christine walked in a few momentster, understanding dawned on his features. O 10:36 Fri, 23 Feb. Juan looked a little nervous as he took the seat to Audrey¡¯s right. I could tell that he was unsure of how to act. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he hadn¡¯t been around kids or because it was Ryker¡¯s kid and he knew for a fact that Ryker was not his biggest fan in the world. ¡°Thank you for inviting me for dinner. It is an honor,¡± he began but I cut him off. ¡°Pleasantries will get you nowhere in this family. You¡¯re better off cursing us out,¡± he blinked at me in shock and I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, it was no problem. You are a guest and it would be cruel of us to leave you alone while we ate.¡± ¡°Are you Aunt Christine¡¯s friend?¡± Audrey asked and he turned to her with a small smile as he nodded. ¡°My mummy said you bite her. Why do you do that? Don¡¯t you know that biting is bad?¡± Ryker choked on his food as he tried to hide hisugh, my cheeks heated pink, Christine looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole and Juan blinked repeatedly like he wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. ¡°Cami, what did you tell our daughter?¡± Ryker whispered to me and all I did was shrug. He ran his hands down his face and opened his mouth in preparation to talk to Audrey when Juan spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit and I promise I¡¯ll stop. Will you help me?¡± Juan asked and Audrey looked stoked at being asked because she nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m certain that with your help, I¡¯ll be able to reform myself in no time.¡± Audrey turned to Ryker. ¡°I like him, daddy, can he stay here forever and ever?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat first, hm? You¡¯re not supposed to talk at the table,¡± Ryker told her and she pouted but listened and focused on her meal. I looked over at Juan and mouthed an apology but he shrugged. I was relieved that he was taking it so lightly. I would have been mortified if Audrey had asked me the question. He just turned to Christine and winked at her. Her cheeks heated and she promptly looked away. I didn¡¯t know about Ryker but I liked Juan and I had to agree with Audrey on this one, I wanted him to stay. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 CAMILLA¡¯S POV It felt almost weird for things to be this calm. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had such an easygoing day. I woke up in my mate¡¯s arms and there was no rush, I could just lie down and watch him sleep. Most days, Ryker was up before I even thought about stirring but he came intest night and I had already gone to bed. I had no idea what he was doing before bed and as curious as I was, I realized that it wasn¡¯t very important. He looked a thousand years younger when he slept and when his hair fell over his face, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from reaching out to tuck it back. On hindsight, I probably should have left it alone because Ryker was a very light sleeper and the moment I touched him, I heard him breathing change. ¡°Are you watching me sleep?¡± he asked without opening his eyes and I shrugged. There was something about his sleepy voice that had my insides clenching deliciously. He slowly opened his eyes and gave me azy smile. ¡°Good morning, baby.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± was all I was able to mumble back. I realized that my hand was still on his face and I immediately wanted to snatch it back but he held my wrist in ce. ¡°Not yet,¡± he whispered before kissing the inside of my wrist. ¡°What are your ns for today?¡± ¡°For the first time in a long time, I have nothing nned. It was just going to be azy day.¡± A wolf like grin grew on his face and before I could ask what that was about, I was flipped onto my back with him hovering over me. My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him. He waspletely nude which was his preferred means of sleeping while I was in a barely there night gown. I could feel every part of him on me and I swallowed deeply. I opened my mouth to speak but no words would ords wo ¡°Use your words, baby,¡± Ryker teased and I had to squeeze my thighs together. His eyes. tracked the movement and he leaned down to kiss me softly. I moaned against his mouth and the corner of his lips quirked up into a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re awfully responsive today.¡± My cheeks heated and I tried to look away but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. ¡°Eyes on me, love, I want to see you. I can¡¯t remember thest time I just saw you without all the added drama,¡± he pressed a kiss to the side of my lips before trailing down my jaw. ¡°You are absolutely stunning.¡± He punctuated each word with another kiss until he got to my corbone and by then, I. 12 14 Sat, 24 Feb Changer 144 was already squirming against him. He smiled against my skin, delighted with himself that he was able to elicit such a reaction out of me. On a normal day, I would have turned the tables on him but I was far too turned on to think about that. I just wanted to feel him everywhere and he knew it, that was exactly why he was taking his precious time. ¡°Ryker,¡± I moaned when his lips began to trail down my corbone. ¡°Rx, love, I know,¡± his lips ghosted over my nipples and my back arched off the bed. The nightgown was made of the softest silk and I could feel every move he made almost more intensely because of the friction. He did the same to the other breast before closing his mouth over my nipples. The warmth of his tonguebined with the friction of the gown and I could have sworn that I coulde from that alone. It had been so long and I hadn¡¯t realized how long due to how stressed out we both were. His free hand moved up to tweak my other nipple and I couldn¡¯t stop my hands from gripping onto his shoulders for dear life. ¡°Do you want me to take it off?¡± he asked and I nodded. Words had failed me in that moment and I knew all I would be able to produce would be unintelligible moans. ¡°I need an answer, Cami, a nod doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Yes- oh,¡± I moaned when he grazed his teeth over the stiff peak. That seemed to be enough answer for him because he pulled off me long enough to slip the gown over my head and toss it to the side. I waspletely nude underneath and I saw Ryker¡¯s eyes roam my figure. There was pure hunger in them, he stared at me like he was a starving man and I was hisst meal, like I was the ticket standing between him and paradise. ¡°I want to take my time with you,¡± he said more to himself than to me as he ced a kiss between the valley of my breasts. ¡°I want to feel you, I want to hold you, f uck, I love you, baby.¡± My voice was choked with emotion as I spoke. ¡°I love you too.¡± He leaned down to kiss me slowly which was a stark contrast from the fervor he had been using to touch me all morning. As he kissed me, he trailed his hands down my body, down to my as s cheeks where he squeezed and up to my breast. He twirled a nipple between his fingers and I moaned. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from rocking my hips and I hissed when I felt him hard as rock beneath me. Ryker cursed. ¡°F uck, baby, if you do that, this will be over faster than either of us want it to.¡± I could barely hear his words over the thick fog of lust that was swirling around us. I rocked my hips again this time making sure to slide my wetness over his length. His O head bumped my clit and I bit down on my bottom lip to smother a moan. Ryker grabbed my hips and I expected him to stop me but he only guided me better so that I was coating him with my juices. With each thrust, I was left a moaning mess. I could feel pressure building in my lower belly and just as my or gasm was about to hit, Ryker stopped. I let out a groan of protest and tried to move but his hands were firm on my hips. ¡°You¡¯re not going to cum from dry humping my leg, baby. You¡¯re either going to cum with my dick inside of you or my fingers,¡± he punctuated thest word by spearing two fingers inside of me. My back arched on instinct and when he flicked my clit, I came all over him. It was so intense especially since he kept pumping his fingers inside of me despite my or asm wracking through me. He leaned down to capture one of my nipples and sucked hard prolonging the or asm. By the time I managed to get down from my high, I couldn¡¯t speak. No words would have been able to perfectly articte what had just happened. I would have thought that should be enough but Ryker didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping soon. His fingers still moved inside of me and he was content with cing open mouthed kisses all over my torso. ¡°Ryker,¡± I moaned and I felt him smile against my skin. ¡°Please, I-¡± He stopped immediately so he could look me in the eye. ¡°What do you need, baby? Tell me and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± My cheeks heated as I tried to get thest words out. ¡°I want to make you feel good. You make this all about me.¡± ¡°Because making you feel good makes me feel good. If you can give me two more or ga sms, baby, then I will be the happiest man in the world,¡± he ended his statement with a small peck on my lips. ¡°Do you feel good?¡± I nodded trying not to squirm at the fullness of his fingers inside of me despite him not moving. ¡°Then that is all that matters.¡± He kissed down my torso until he got to my opening where his fingers were. His eyes met mine and he Original content from N?velDrama.Org. kept them locked on me as he covered my core with his mouth. Thebination of his fingers and mouth was deadly and it should have been illegal. Ryker had a body made for sin and he knew exactly how to use it. He didn¡¯t merely lick me, he devoured me, with his fingers and his tongue, he turned my entire world upside down in a moment.. His lips closed around my clit and he sucked and that was all I needed toe a second time. I was ¡°Can you give me one more?¡± he asked and I made a small incoherent sound. ¡°You can, do it baby, you can take it.¡± ||| O < He lined his cock against my entrance and I hissed. I was so wet there that he was able to slide in with one thrust. My core pulsed as I felt the fullness of him, my head spun and I could have sworn that I was going to lose my mind. He moved slowly at first, trying to gauge my reaction with each thrust before he began to pick up the pace. I thought I was done for the day but my body had other thoughts because with each thrust, I felt myselfe alive again. My walls mped around him as his hips grazed my clit and he hissed. ¡°You feel so good, baby,¡± he moaned against my ear. ¡°F uck, so good and perfect, you were made for me, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Only for you.¡± His hands wrapped around my throat and he pulled me up for a dizzying kiss that had my toes curling. I pulled back when I needed to catch my breath but he kept his lips hovering over mine so that we were inhaling the same-breath. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered as I felt that familiar pressure building for a third time this morning. ¡°More than you can ever know.¡± I responded with a moan. ¡°Come for me, baby.¡± His hips grazed my cl it on the next thrust ad that was all it took for me toply with his order. Two thrustster and he was emptying himself inside of me. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 RYKER¡¯S PO.V 0.79% There was a nagging voice at the back of my head telling me, I should be more productive with my day but then again, that voice had always been there. Unlike most children, I never got the luxury ofzy days and doing nothing. I was always on the move, there was always something I didn¡¯t do right or something I needed to learn with my father. It was almost like I was on a never ending ride most times and despite my father being gone for more years than I would like to consider, I still couldn¡¯t shake off the effe of some of the things he had done to me. I sat up in bed as I watched Cami who walked around our bedroom with nothing but the sheets wrapped around her body. Her hair was in a mess but it fell loosely down her back just the way I liked it. I knew she wasn¡¯t doing it deliberately to tease me but I wanted nothing more than to pull it off her and bend her over the desk she was standing in front of. As if she read my mind, she stilled and turned to me. ¡°Stop,¡± she warned me and I innocently raised a brow. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, stop it. We just got cleaned, you can¡¯t get us dirty again.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± I asked in almost a challenge and she shot me a nd and unimpressed look. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even doing anything, Cami. I was just staring at my mate. Is that such a problem?¡± ¡°It is when I¡¯m trying to be productive and you want us to just sit inside all day doing nothing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do nothing, I want to bend you over and f uck you until we are both too tired to move,¡± her breath caught in her throat at my words and her eyes darkened considerably. She opened her mouth presumably to respond but just as I had expected, no words coulde out. ¡°Is there something you would like to say?¡± She shook her head. I rose from my spot on the bed and made my way over to her. I was wearing just breeches as I made my way over to her. Her breathing increased rapidly with each step I took and by the time I was standing between her and the desk, I was unsure if she was even breathing anymore. I reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her cars and she gasped loudly. The corner of my lips tipped up at her reaction. I liked when she was on edge like this, not knowing exactly what I had nned and what my next move was going to be. Every cell in her body was alive as she waited for my next move. I could see that her hand gripping the sheets was shaking and I gently covered it with mine. Dreame 26 Feb ¡°Ryker,¡± she warned but I simply ignored her. IF she wanted me to stop, she would have said it by now. The fact that she was only saying my name was more than enough of an indicator that she wanted me.. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± I told her simply as I finally closed the gap between us. She molded perfectly against me just like she always did and I murmured a silent thank you to the goddess for hand crafting the most perfect person I had everid eyes on and giving her to me. ¡°I just want to kiss you, can I do that?¡± She nodded. Normally, I would have asked her to use her words but I was too impatient. I leaned down and closed the gap between us. It was soft and gentle and the moment her hands left the sheets, I pulled back. ¡°If I keep doing that, we¡¯re not leaving this room,¡± I whispered against her lips. ¡°As much as I would like N?velDrama.Org owns this text. that, you need to eat and I don¡¯t think our kids would appreciate being left alone.¡± She blinked back the arousal as my words settled. Her cheeks were a light hue of pink and the truth was that I wanted to finish what we had started but her stomach grumbled loud and I knew I had made the right choice. We both got changed and I made her leave her hair down as we left. The dining room was practically empty seeing as we were more than three hourste for breakfast. The maids were still around and had our meals in front of us within minutes. ¡°This feels different but in a good way,¡± Cami spoke first. ¡°When do we ever have a normal breakfast?¡± ¡°Almost never, you¡¯re right, I love this.¡± She reached out for me with her left hand and I wasted no time in intertwining our fingers. There were many reasons I loved being ambidextrous and this was one of them. I kept her hand in mine through breakfast and it gave me immense pride to know that she had no idea what I had nned for us after. Christine and the girls were already getting ready as we ate and I wondered how she would react to the news. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± she asked after a beat of silence and I turned to her. ¡°I can see the wheels in your head turning. Do you ever shut them off? I haven¡¯t seen you rx in forever.¡± ¡°I am rxing right now.¡± She rolled her eyes at me. ¡°You know exactly what I mean, Ryker. We are meant to be having breakfast and your mind is somewhere elsepletely. Are you sure that Dreame Mon, 26 Feb everything is alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive, I was just thinking about some work I might have to check on,¡± I lied and she frowned. ¡°You have work right now?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°I guess the life of a royal never ends. Can you at least promise to be done early? I was actually having fun.¡± I kissed her softly. ¡°I promise. Why don¡¯t you go for training with Loris after this and once you are done, you cane find me?¡± ¡°Fine, you have a deal.¡± She left soon after and I immediately went looking for Christine. I found her in Audrey¡¯s room in front of a three suitcases. One wasrger than the other and at first, I thought it was hers but on closer inspection, I realized that it was filled with baby things. ¡°Did you get her out?¡± she asked me and I nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll need an hour at least to finish packing for her.¡± ¡°I made things easier for you, I arranged a few of her things by the edge of the closet. You can just put them in the suitcase.¡± ¡°Alright then, thank you,¡± she made her way out the door before stopping. ¡°She is going to love this, I promise you?¡± She left after that leaving me with my daughters who were peering at me with wide eyes. Audrey announced that she was bored first and I knew I had less than ten minutes to do something interesting before I was on the edge of a possible tantrum. I offered to read a book with her but she didn¡¯t want that. After a minute of deliberating, she announced that she wanted to take a walk but she didn¡¯t want to walk, she wanted to be carried. That was how I ended up walking through the halls of the pce carrying two little girls. I wasn¡¯tining though, I never would. I loved my girls more than life itself and if it meant carrying them around the pce for hours just to amuse them, then I was more than willing to do so. We walked to the private living room and back. On our way back, I bumped into Juan. He looked like he was searching for someone and it didn¡¯t take a mind reader to know that it was Christine. ¡°She¡¯s doing something for me,¡± I told him and he nodded in understanding. ¡°You have the next few days alone with her. Cami and I are leaving for a short vacation.¡± His brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Dreame 10:18 Mon, 26 Feb G ¡°Because if you¡¯re going to win her over then now would be the time.¡± * 9 I didn¡¯t know what was going through his head as he looked from me to the girls in my arms and back to me. ¡°Thank you,¡± it came out sounding more like a question. ¡°Why are you helping me though?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you, I¡¯m doing it for her. The best that happens is she agrees to be with you and the worst is that she tosses you out on your as s. I don¡¯t care which way it goes as long as she is happy.¡± ¡°Aunt Christine likes flowers,¡± Audrey announced suddenly, ¡°and she likes chocte but she doesn¡¯t eat it much because she thinks it makes her fat. She also really likes water and snow.¡± He gave her a soft smile. ¡°Thank you for that. I¡¯ll make sure to get her all the flowers that I can.¡± Audrey straight up f ucking giggled and my eyes narrowed. Did she have a baby crush on Juan? Before I could say anything however, I saw Cami making her way back down the halls. As soon as she saw me, relief poured through her features and she made her way over. Juan sighted her and smiled. ¡°I think this is my cue to leave, thank ad you too Audrey.¡± you for your advice, He walked away just as Cami made her way over. Her eyes followed him with an almost questioning look and I shrugged. It wasn¡¯t an important conversation and not one that needed to be repeated. ¡°I went to your office but you weren¡¯t there,¡± she said to me as she kissed both girls on their foreheads. ¡°Hey, Audrey, how are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, I was telling the nice man to get flowers for aunt Christine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awfully nice of you,¡± she turned to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I tried to get into the room but Christine told me there was a problem and they were trying to fix it. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°It is nothing to worry about,¡± I tried to assure her but I could tell that she wasn¡¯t willing to let it go that easily. 111 Dreame ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong, is it bad?¡± I knew there was no use keeping it a secret from her anymore especially since she was freaking out already. ¡°We¡¯re going to your father¡¯s vacation house for the next three days.¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I was stunned to say the least. Ryker had already arranged everything and all that was left was for us to leave. To be honest, we did need a vacation and I was meaning to get to it but I didn¡¯t expect him to already n everything. It was just going to be us as a family and as the carriage drove off from the pce, I couldn¡¯t help but bounce my feet eagerly. Audrey was sitting opposite us while Aurora was arms. ¡°Where are we going, mummy?¡± Audrey asked making me turn to her. ¡°It looks like the same road we went through with aunt Christine.¡± I had somehow forgotten about that trip and how badly it ended. I cursed when I realized how worried she might be. I sat beside her and held her small hand in mine. She wasted no time in squeezing my hand as she looked out of the window watching and searching. I knew the vampires weren¡¯t an issue anymore but she was a child, I couldn¡¯t dismiss her fear especially since I had no idea what they faced. ¡°It is, but we are safe this time, I promise you,¡± I assured her and I could tell she wanted to believe me but she was still worried. ¡°Do you want me to close the curtains? Maybe if you don¡¯t look outside then you¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she whispered and I felt my heart shatter as I pulled her close to my chest. I ced a soft kiss on her head and tucked her underneath my arm. ¡°You¡¯ll protect us right, daddy?¡± ¡°With my life,¡± Ryker didn¡¯t hesitate before answering. ¡°You have nothing to worry about.¡± The curtains remained drawn for the remainder of the trip and Audrey calmed down enough to fall asleep. I couldn¡¯t help but hope that she stayed sleeping until we got to the house. I didn¡¯t want her worrying and I knew there was no way to stop her from doing that. No words were exchanged between Ryker and I, we didn¡¯t need to speak, all it took was one nce from the other person to know what was wrong and what needed to be said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told him and he just hummed. ¡°She¡¯s young, there is a possibility that she will forget about this when she is older. Even if she doesn¡¯tpletely forget, it will be a distant memory. We have peace with the vampires for now and hopefully itsts throughout their lifetime as well. She is safe.¡± ¡°I know that, I just hate that it is even a problem for her. She is so young and she has faced so much. It is a miracle that she is still standing here. There was a reason I never wanted children, I didn¡¯t want any until I was sure that I could protect them from 3 everything. I will never regret my girls but what good am I as a parent if I cannot keep them safe?¡± ¡°You have kept them safe, despite everything thrown at us, they are alive and they are happy, that is all we can ask for as parents,¡± I spoke softly so as not to rouse the girls. ¡°We cannot always protect them from everything but we have done everything in our power to keep them safe, we have tried our best and that has to be enough. You are a great father to these girls.¡± Sometimes our best isn¡¯t enough, Cami, they depend on us for everything.¡± I sighed. ¡°Be that as it may, you protected them from things that you didn¡¯t even cause. Frederick was not your fault and neither were the vampires. We inherited the sins of our parents and we paid for them.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about that, I was referring to ra,¡± he looked up at me. ¡°I brought ra into their lives. She could have hurt them and we would never have been able to figure it out. What good am I if I am unable to keep them safe?¡± I was about to respond when the carriage lurched to a halt. My spine straightened and I looked at Ryker to see that he was just as confused as I looked. Audrey stirred next to me at the sudden stop. ¡°Are we there yet?¡± she mumbled but I quickly kissed her forehead. ¡°No, sweetheart, go back to sleep,¡± I adjusted her so that she was leaning against the window and grabbed the handle of the carriage but Ryker grabbed my arm. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I want to investigate.¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± he all but spat. ¡°We don¡¯t know what is out there. Why would you even think about going there?¡± ¡°You cane with if you want,¡± I winked at him before pulling the door open and stepping out. The coachman was by my side as soon as he saw me. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°There was just an olddy, some of her wares scattered in the middle of the road. If we tried to pass, we would have damaged them.¡± Ryker got out behind me and I smiled at him before making my way to the front of the carriage. He muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like ¡®goddess help me¡¯ but I was barely paying attention to him. Scattered in front of the road just like the coachman had said were bundles of firewood, baskets of herbs and a bunch of other trinkets/that I couldn¡¯t identify. O 11:30 Tue, 27 Feb 0$ 70% 5 I sighted the old woman struggling to load them all into a small cart and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from helping her. She didn¡¯t notice me at first until I took one of the firewood bundles to her cart. Her eyes widened as she took me in. ¡°Your majesty,¡± she bowed low but I was quick to stop her. As soon as I put my hands on her shoulders to steady her, I felt a pulse run through my blood. I didn¡¯t know how but I immediately knew that it had something to do with my healing powers. It was almost like there was something inside of her that called out to my powers, something inside of her that needed to be healed. I could feel the tug almost as if it was fighting to get out of me and into her. I immediately snatched my hand back. Ryker was behind me with his hands at my waist. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I nodded then turned back to the old woman. ¡°Are you by any chance ill?¡± I knew it was an out of pocket question and she blinked at me carefully before bowing her head in shame. ¡°How did you know, your majesty? Has it began to spread to my features?¡± ¡°What ails you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It took my mother and my grandmother. It is a miracle I managed to live this long. The physicians say there is nothing they can do. It ails the women in my family. s I lived a long and full life and I bore only sons. The ailment will die with me.¡± I gave her a sad smile. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°I wish you the same, your majesty.¡± She bowed and dragged her cart across the road. Ryker was still looking between us in confusion and as soon as we got into the carriage, I exined what had happened. I didn¡¯t know how to describe it because it had never happened to me but I did the best that I could. By the time I was done, he just stared at me. ¡°Is that perhaps part of your powers?¡± he asked and I co cked my head to the side in confusion. ¡°Everything is supposed to have a downside, is it not? You have two powers instead of one, perhaps that could be the disadvantage. When you touch people, your powers are drawn to their ailments.¡± ¡°It would make sense but I wouldn¡¯t know until I touch someone else who has an ailment. I spend most of my time in the pce,¡± I ran my hands through my hair with a sigh. ¡°Do you think we should try it out?¡± ¡°I think it can wait. We came here to rx, we can worry about all of this muchter, okay?¡± I nodded. I reached out for his hand and he squeezed. ¡°We should be arriving at III 11:30 Tue, 27 Feb G the house soon.¡± B We were on the road for another twenty minutes before the carriage pulled to another stop. This time, it was the coachman who opened the door for us. I gently roused Audrey from sleep who looked like she was going to fall over if she took a step on her own so I carried Aurora while Ryker took her. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting when I heard about the vacation house but it was not a two-story stone houseplete with a garden by the side, trimmed vines growing up on the walls, a massive space around it and ake to the side. I could have sworn I heard horses as well. A little distance over to the left was a much smaller house that I immediately knew was for the staff and the guards. It was amazing that this ce existed and my mother never spoke of it. As we got inside, I soon realized why. There was no sign on the inside that she had ever been here, it looked more to me like a bachelor pad than anything. It seemed like the kind of ce he would go when he had enough of the pce. The inside resembled a simple townhouse, it reminded me of some of the houses I had seen back at Tyson¡¯s pack. There was arge firece in the center of the living room and a massive kitchen. ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I whispered aloud and Ryker couldn¡¯t help but hum in agreement. ¡°Wee to the manor,¡± a voice behind us spoke and I nearly jumped. I turned to see a butler standing thereplete in a ck set and a white shirt underneath. ¡°I am Mr. Biggs and it is an honor to serve you. My father served thete king as I will do with you.¡± Ryker snapped out of his haze first. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Mr. Biggs smiled. ¡°There are a total of five bedrooms and all your things will be brought in and taken to the rooms. There is a garden out back and a horse ranch if you ever feel the need to ride. Thete king also had a private room where he kept all his antique game sets including a very beautiful hand carved chess set.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I was impressed, I didn¡¯t know my father yed chess. *The cook will have the meal ready in an hour. Would you like me to take you to your rooms now?¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V The rooms wererger than I expected and I was slowlying to the reality that my father didn¡¯t do anything half as sed. This may have been his getaway but he didn¡¯t spare any expense in trying to make things asfortable as possible. There were crystal chandeliers and marble tables. It was amazing what money could do. We all got cleaned and changed into fresh clothes. It felt good to not have the weight of the pce on my shoulders and to be able to focus on myself and my family. There was something different about the air here. It felt like for the first time in my life, I could finally breathe The cook was a beautiful middle aged woman with dark hair and kind eyes. There was something about the way she moved that led me to assume that in her prime, she was a force to be reckoned with. She said she had been working since my father built the ce and to be honest, I could see why. If she was one of his mistresses, I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised. After dinner, I saw Ryker and Audrey whispering to each other while I was feeding Aurora. After a minute of avid conversation and hand waving, she rushed over to me. She had her puppy dog face down to a pat as she gazed up at me with wide eyes. I couldn¡¯t hide my smile as I pretended not to realize that she was trying to butter me up for something that she knew I was going to say no to. ¡°Mummy, can we go y by theke?¡± she asked and I raided my brow. I nced over at the window wanting to be sure that it was open and she could see how dark it was getting. ¡°I asked daddy but he said I should ask you. We don¡¯t even have to go to the water.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste, Audrey, I don¡¯t think we should be around a body of water when neither of us can keep a close eye on you,¡± I exined and she pouted. I sighed knowing she was getting thatke one way or the other so I opted for apromise. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go tomorrow? We can sit by the firece tonight and daddy can tell stories.¡± She weighed it for a second as if trying to figure out whether or not I was ripping her off. She was so dramatic as she put her finger to her temple as if it would help her think harder or better. After a long/minute of deliberation, she turned back to me. ¡°Can we also put a big nket on the floor and sleep there?¡± she asked and I thought about it. We couldn¡¯t let Aurora sleep on the floor, she would need a crib and unless we dragged it out of the nursery that Ryker carefully erected, we would have to leave her upstairs. I was about to refuse but then I nced over at Audrey again. She was a good older sister O 10:25 Wed, 28 Feb GG. and she had never once protested about the amount of time we spent with Aurora. She deserved some alone time with us as well so I nodded. That seemed to be more than enough for her because she smiled wide. ¡°I¡¯ll go grab the book,¡± she rushed up the stairs and I watched her go. I was so busy watching her that I didn¡¯t realize Ryker hade up to me until he ced his hands on my shoulder. I leaned back into his hold while he just stood there silently. The maids had returned to their quarters and Mr. Biggs who was the only person that actually slept on the property had returned to Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. his room for the night. ¡°Do you want me to burp her after?¡± he asked and I nodded. I wanted nothing more than to just lie down and forget about everything. ¡°What do you think of the ce sp far?¡± ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s amazing. It belonged to my father so I¡¯m sure there are a lot of secrets to be uncovered here and I¡¯m not sure if I want to spend most of my time rxing or trying to figure out what he could be hiding here.¡± ¡°We could do both but it might be a bit difficult seeing as we have two kids to watch over but if anyone can do it, it¡¯s us,¡± he joked and I couldn¡¯t stop the smallugh that bubbled out of me. ¡°What is Audrey doing, she should be here by now? As if on cue, she rushed in with not one but three different books. She ced them all on the table looking nothing short of pleased with herself. I nced at Ryker who seemed just as shocked as I was. When I asked her to go, I wasn¡¯t expecting this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get ready for bed while I burp the baby,¡± he took Aurora from my arms. ¡°Good luck.¡± It was more fun than either of us expected it to be. There was a small part of me that felt like a child again in front of that firece. By the time Audrey and I returned, Aurora was already asleep and Zade changed into his own night set. He offered to read the book despite me telling him how I could do it. I sat in between his legs with my back pressed up against him while Audrey sat in between mine. She fell asleep first and while she was sleeping, Ryker and I decided to sit up for a little while longer and I wasn¡¯t sure when I fell asleep because the next thing I heard was Ryker¡¯s soft voice as he spoke to Aurora. He was walking around the living room with her and I realized two things. The first was that it was morning and the second was that I was lying under nkets next to Audrey. ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± I asked making Ryker¡¯s steps falter for a second. He turned to me as I stood up slowly and made my way over to him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°I was already asleep when she started crying. Waking you up would have served no 10:25 Wed, 28 Feb GG purpose other than to bother you,¡± he kissed my temple softly. ¡°The cook is already in preparing breakfast. Should we wake her up or should we just let her sleep in?¡± I nced over at Audrey who he was referring to. ¡°Just let her sleep, she deserves it after everything that happened. Besides. I need to speak to Mr. Briggs and find out what we need before going to the We split up after that leaving Audrey to sleep. I found Mr. Briggs outside by the garden and he was more than happy to answer my questions and even offered to get a pic basket filled for our trip to the disappointment on hearing that. I knew it was illogical but a part of me was pis sed at the man. He was long dead but he had caused so much before he died. I tried to push every thought of him away from mind as I focused on getting back to my family. I thanked Mr. Biggs for his help and I couldn¡¯t help but notice that he seemed genuinely happy to be working and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it got lonely out here and if they had family. I filed that into the back of my mind and made sure to ask about itter. By the time I got back in, Audrey was already awake. We ate breakfast together and she waited until she had gotten dressed for the day before she asked about theke again. I shot Ryker a look as if to say ¡®you see what I mean¡¯ but thankfully, Mr. Briggs was ready with the basket. Audrey practically sk ipped the entire way to theke and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what exactly about theke was so appealing to her. nkets had been set on the ground along with a pic table by the side. It was a warm day and Audrey practically rolled in the grass. It was almost like I was seeing her be a child for the first time. In the ce, she was expected to have a certain level ofposure as the princess but here, she could just be a child. She could run around and chase butterflies with her father behind her and lie face first on the grass. I chose to lie down on one of the chairs that was situated under a tree for shade. Aurora was lying peacefully on my chest and she was happily gurgling and trying to reach for my hair. I watched everything that was happening and couldn¡¯t help but realize just how lucky I was to be able to get this time. Audrey squealed loudly as Ryker threw her over his shoulder and my eyes snapped to them but something behind them caught iny attention. I sat up almost immediately unsettling Aurora who made a smail sound of protest in her throat. I picked her up and rubbed her back absent mindedly as I made my way over to where Ryker and Audrey were ying. Audrey saw me first and she smiled. ¡°Are youing to join us?¡± ! ¡°Not right now, sweetheart,¡± I told her not taking my eyes off what was in front of me. 10:25 Wed, 28 Feb U I got to the front of the tree and ran my fingers down the bark. The markings were intricate and although they were old, the writing on it was clear. Ryker must have noticed that I was staring fixatedly at something because I felt his presence behind me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked and his eyes found the markings because he made a small sound of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s just a name, your father¡¯s name. This is his property.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but thete king doesn¡¯t sound like a juvenile who carves his name into trees for nothing. It is so small that anyone could have missed it. It is almost as if he was trying to hide it.¡± ¡°Why would he want to do that? What are you thinking?¡± I sighed as I turned back to him. ¡°I think there is something here.¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Ryker convinced me that it would be a better idea to dig it up after we put the kids to sleep so I anxiously waited until night time. It was difficult considering my skin was itching and brimming with anticipation. I badly wanted to know what hidden there. As annoying as my father¡¯s past tended to be, his hunts had proven to be a worthy challenge. If they hade at another time preferably when an enemy wasn¡¯t breathing down my neck then I would have enjoyed it more. My only prayer as we waited was that it wasn¡¯t going to be the start to another enemy that he somehow managed to pis s off. Once both kids were asleep in their own beds and I had kissed their foreheads, Ryker and I rushed outside with amp and a shovel that we found in the storage room. We settled in front of the tree and while I was brimming with excitement, Ryker was just there because of me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here,¡± I whispered to him but he ignored me. ¡°I know it iste and we might not find anything. I wouldn¡¯t want to keep you out so long.¡± ¡°Shut up, Cami,¡± his voice held no bite and a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. ¡°I want to be here, I want to help you. If you want to spend the entire night searching then I will. I don¡¯t care if we find anything or not as long as I get to spend the day with you.¡± My cheeks heated and tears burned the back of my eyes. I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to hold him. He was my mate and he was here with me. Ryker was a better man than most and I knew without a doubt that I did not deserve him. He was a better man than me but I couldn¡¯t imagine being with anyone else. After everything that life had thrown at me, Ryker was the start of everything good that hade into my life. From him, I got my amazing children. I held themp while we investigated. There was no indication as to where anything could be buried so we settled for just digging at the base of the tree. I offered to do it but Ryker simply rolled his eyes at me and went to work. It was veryte and the night sky was devoid of stars. He dug for a few minutes before his shovel finally hit something. Ryker pulled it out and I was surprised to see a small hand carved wooden box. It had intricate designs on it and had a keyhole but there was no key. ¡°Well this was a waste of time,¡± he drawled as he tossed the shovel to the side. ¡°Save for us breaking it, I don¡¯t think there is any other way that we can open it up.¡± III The Secret to Making More Money with Loss Effort: Laser O 5 W GG ¡°I don¡¯t want to break it,¡± I said immediately. ¡°Why would your father leave a box without a key? Is it another clue for something else hidden elsewhere?¡± he asked as we looked over the box, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think this is it, whatever it is.¡± He handed it over to me and I stared at it shocked by how beautiful it was. The designs were precise as if they were done by a professional. It would have probably cost a pretty penny. ¡°It looks beautiful. I wonder if he carved it himself.¡± ¡°I believe he did,¡± I nearly jumped when I heard Mr. Briggs¡¯ voice behind me. ¡°I apologize if I scared you. I heard some noise and saw the light and came to investigate. I always wondered where that box disappeared to.¡± ¡°You know it?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°When?¡± ¡°I remember seeing thete king carving it one afternoon at least fifteen years ago. I hadpletely forgotten about it if I am being honest. I never asked what it was for and I never saw it again. It is a sight to behold. He was a talented man but he didn¡¯t like to show it. As far as I know, the king was brilliant.¡± ¡°You speak very highly of him.¡± ¡°He was my king and he spent a lot of time here. There were times his fa?ade would slip and I would see the real man underneath.¡± His words held a double meaning, almost as if they were aimed at me. I wondered if that was his way of telling me to give the thoughts about my father a second chance but I chose to brush it away. I didn¡¯t care about that so I decided to change the subject. ¡°Do you know where he could have kept the key?¡± I asked but he shook his head. ¡°The king was a private man, more than anyone I ever knew and I was just his butler. He wouldn¡¯t have told me even if I had asked but knowing him, he probably left clues as to where he could find it. He had a thing for treasure hunts and once told me that he hid so many things in life that he always left a clue on where to find them should he forget. I am sure you will see something.¡± ¡°Thank you, we might be out for a while.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he bowed. ¡°Have a wonderful night, your majesty.¡± The Secret to Making More Money with Leas Effort: Lanar O hu, 29 Feb He turned on his heels and walked away leaving Ryker and I alone. Ryker watched his retreating figure with rapt attention and concern. I wanted to ask what it was that he saw that caused his haunches to rise but I chose to stay silent and just observe carefully. It wasn¡¯t until Briggs disappeared that Ryker finally turned back to me. ¡°He was lying.¡± he said simply and I raised a brow. ¡°Not about everything, he was lying when he spoke about your father. When he said he was just the butler, he looked away, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t telling the truth. He knows more than he is letting on. Perhaps he and your father were even friends.¡± I looked back at the direction he had gone through. ¡°It could be a possibility but we can handle that It iste, Cami, we can alwayse back tomorrow morning when the sun is up. For now, I think it is best if we called it a night, don¡¯t you?¡± I hadn¡¯t realized just how tired I was until he started speaking. I sighed and nodded in agreement. We covered up the area we had dug together and took the box back into the house with us. The key could even be somewhere on the box, I just needed a clear head and the light of the morning to observe it properly. Ryker went to wash his hands while I changed into my nightgown. I didn¡¯t even realize he had returned and was standing by the door of the room until I turned back. I jumped and my heart pound wildly in my chest when I noticed him watching me. ¡°You scared me,¡± I whispered with my hand over my chest and instead of apologizing, he just hummed and walked over to me. He has gotten rid of his shirt and was just wearing pants. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying yourself, right?¡± he asked and I immediately nodded. ¡°Of course I am, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°Well because it seems like we are about to go on one of your father¡¯s treasure hunts and I don¡¯t want it to get in the way of our time off. I don¡¯t want anything with the potential to stress you out.¡± I sighed and closed the distance between us. I cupped his cheeks with both hands and ced a soft kiss on his lips. It was meant to be a peck but Ryker had other ns because he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me impossibly closer to him until our skin was flush against each other. He groaned into my mouth as he deepened the kiss and just that sound had me growing impossibly wetter. By the time he pulled back I was panting for breath and my entire body was alight with 111 The Secret to Making More Money with Leas Effort: Laser O Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. 10:27 Thu, 29 Feb UGG pleasure. His lips were swollen and he ran his thumb across his bottom lip as he watched me as if there was something I was supposed to say. I couldn¡¯t even remember the conversation we were having before. I wanted him inside of me immediately but something told me we were talking about something important before. ¡°What were we saying?¡± I cleared my throat and asked. Ryker just smiled softly to himself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I already got my answer.¡± I woke up to an empty bed the next morning and just as I was about to get out of bed, my door opened to reveal Audrey and Ryker behind her. Ryker had a tray of food in his hands while Audrey was holding a small ss of what looked like orange juice. ¡°We brought you breakfast,¡± she eximed and I couldn¡¯t stop my smile. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°I love it,¡± Iughed softly. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± She climbed into bed next to me after cing the ss on the counter and I kissed her forehead. ¡°I assume this was your idea, right?¡± She giggled. ¡°It was daddy but I helped. I helped a lot.¡± ¡°Well then, thank you so much,¡± I looked up at Ryker who had ced the tray on the bedside table. He grabbed my chin with one hand and kissed me deeply making Audrey giggle. She was watching us with wide eyes and an ear splitting grin. ¡°That¡¯s so weird,¡± she eximed. ¡°Why do you do that?¡± I realized she was talking to Ryker so I allowed him respond. He hesitated for a second before responding. ¡°Because I love her and that is one way you show people that you love them.¡± Her brows furrowed in confusion so I decided to step in. ¡°When you grow older and you find your mate, he will do it too.¡± Her nose crinkled. ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t want anyone touching me. Men are gross and Maya says that they have germs.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. She was four years old and already talking about boys and germs. I didn¡¯t know whether to be impressed or shocked. It was a mixture of both but Ryker seemed to be filled with all degrees of happiness. He had a satisfied smirk on his face and nodded. ¡°Good girl,¡± Ryker whispered as he kissed her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re too good for any man. PS!¡± ||| The Secret to Making More Money with Lass Effort: Lase O < 10. nu, 29 reD Stay away from them until you¡¯re forty.¡± I shot my mate a re and he simply raised his hands in mock surrender. After breakfast, I went to Aurora and fed her before carrying her outside for some fresh air while I burped her. I didn¡¯t realize I was going towards theke until I found myself in front of that same tree again. I looked around wondering if there would be something else but there was nothing. ¡°Back so soon?¡± this time I didn¡¯t jump because I had already sensed his presence. I didn¡¯t even turn back and just waited for Briggs to make his way to my side. He was staring at the tree with a sense of longing and sadness. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± I asked and he stilled. ¡°He was your friend, why did you say he was just your butler?¡± He opened his mouth to speak then sighed deeply. ¡°Being friends with a butler would have been the scandal of the century and your father knew it. I wasn¡¯t always a butler, I was a lowly maid in the pce but we bonded and I saw past the asshole prince who couldn¡¯t keep his di ck in his pants.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at that. ¡°I¡¯m sure you told him that at least once.¡± ¡°I made sure to tell him every chance I could get,¡± he winked at me and I smiled. ¡°He was a good man, he just made some very stu pid decisions. I loved your father and it was almost like he knew when things wereing to an end. He spent more time writing, almost as if he didn¡¯t want to forget anything. He carved this box and although he didn¡¯t tell me, I saw him bury it. I don¡¯t know where he kept the key.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to exin,¡± I opened my mouth to say more but I heard Ryker call out to me. ¡°I should probably go before he starts looking for me.¡± ¡°He loves you,¡± he said simply and I nodded. I knew it was true. ¡°I only saw your father look at one woman that way.¡± ¡°Eva? I know about her and her son. He proved to be a real pain in my as s if I am being honest.¡± He snorted. ¡°Not Eva, she was nothing but a distraction for him, not that I am supporting what he did. I never liked her if I am being honest and I made sure to tell him that but your father was as stubborn as nails and he wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± He shook his head almost as if he was remembering something fond, ¡°There was a girl when he was younger, she was amoner and your father was The Secret in Making More Money with Less Effort: Laser Chapter 149 Chapter 149 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I felt a shudder go through me as I let out a ragged breath. My knees buckled beneath me and the only thought going through my head was of my daughter who was in my arms and how I didn¡¯t want to drop her. I didn¡¯t even realize when Ryker instantly appeared by my side and took her from me. I fell to my knees momentarily dislodging Briggs¡¯ hold on me and I gasped at the sudden relief. I wasn¡¯t sure how many seconds had passed since Briggs put his hands on me but it felt like an eternity. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he reached out for me but I brushed off his touch a bit too harshly. ¡°Was it something I did? Do you need me to bring something for you?¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t the cause of the issue, he looked more confused than I had ever see anyone but I wasn¡¯t going to risk that kind of rush again. I felt like I was going to pass out if it happened again. I tried to pull myself to my feet but I couldn¡¯t even stand. My limbs felt like jelly and it was almost like I had lost all control of my body. ¡°No, I¡¯m,¡± I stopped to catch my breath. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest and there was a sheen of sweat on my brow. ¡°Are you ill?¡± He looked taken aback by my question. I realized it was a weird thing to ask someone especially considering the context. There were a million ways it could have been taken but I didn¡¯t care enough to do small talk. I needed to know what was causing all of this and how to stop it. I needed to know if there was a way that I could shut it off. ¡°That is a very out of pocket question, your majesty,¡± he responded slowly. ¡°We can focus on my health at ater time when you don¡¯t look so sick. There is a physician in the other quarters. Would you like me to-¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut him off and he fell silent. ¡°All I need right now is for you to answer my question as quickly and as honestly as possible.¡± He looked over at Ryker who had his eyes fixated on me. He looked poised to grab me if anything were to go wrong. Aurora nestled in his hand oblivious to what was going on and for a split second, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what it would be like to be a child again, even if it were just for a few minutes. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± he joked as he rocked on his feet slightly. ¡°I have a condition, it rarely affects wolves seeing as we have a much better immune system than anyone else but I suppose my grandfather is to me. He was careless in his youth and somehow managed to contract a N?velDrama.Org owns this text. regenerative disease. It affects our bones and they don¡¯t quite get to full strength.¡± I let out an exasperated breath and decided to test my strength once more by trying to 175 Mar 5 get to my feet. Ryker was instantly by my side helping me up and I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Briggs was still standing away from me as if terrified to touch me now. His exnation offered some insight but it still wasn¡¯t enough to understand exactly what was happening to me. A crazy idea formed in my mind and I knew I had to do it quickly before I managed to talk myself out of it. ¡°Is it alright if I try something?¡± I asked and he nodded. Ryker was by my side and he wrapped his arm around my elbow. ¡°Are you insane?¡± he whisper yelled. ¡°You could pass out. This isn¡¯t the kind of experiment you should not be trying. What the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I tried to assure him but he shook his head at me. I simply gave him a soft smile. I was going to be fine. I turned to Briggs who was taking in our interaction with careful eyes. ¡°Whatever happens, please do not grab me or you might just make it worse.¡± ¡°What are you doing, your majesty?¡± he asked but I didn¡¯t respond, I slowly held onto his arm and waited. I felt the lurch again, this time like a tug in the center of my gut and it was somehow even worse than thest time. It felt like someone had ripped a hole in my center and the power was just flowing freely. I closed my eyes trying and failing to see if there was a way I could mp the hole shut but no matter what I did, it kept ripping free. It was Ryker who grabbed my arm and pulled me off Briggs. ¡°I think that is enough experimenting for an entire day,¡± he sounded a little annoyed and on a normal day, I would have rolled my eyes at him or something but I was exhausted and barely standing. I felt faint and dizzy and I was almost sure that if Ryker moved even an inch away from me, I was going to fall t on my face. ¡°Are those part of your powers?¡± he asked in a soft voice almost as if he didn¡¯t want anyone to overhear. ¡°I know about your lineage having powers and I might have seen your father use his a few times but it never had this effect.¡± ¡°I suppose it likes to manifest differently,¡± I attempted to joke but it turned into a wince when my head began to pound. I let out a groan of pain and all but fell against Ryker who wrapped his arms around my waist to keep me upright. ¡°Are you sure that she doesn¡¯t need anything. She is starting to look green,¡± I knew he was talking to Ryker and not me. I was grateful for that because I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to stand. ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Ryker shut him down immediately. His hands were bound around my waist and I heard his voice in my head. ¡°Can you stand or walk? I need to take you back in but I have Aurora in my arms.¡± Fri, ? I couldn¡¯t even form a response in my head, that was how weak I was. Ryker must have realized that because he cursed. I faintly heard him converse with Briggs although I couldn¡¯t make out the exact words. All I knew was that one minute, I was struggling to remain upright and the very next, I was being lifted into Ryker¡¯s arms. I tried to protest but my tongue felt heavy and my head spun. I tried to stay awake but the darkness overtook me and everything went ck. When I woke up, the sun was already starting to set. I sat up straight in the bed keeping a hand on my head that was still pounding furiously. I was alone in the room but Ryker¡¯s scent was everywhere and I knew he had left not too long ago. I managed to pull myself out of the bed and dragged my feet into the living room. I had to keep my hand on the wall to keep my bnce because I was still out of it. I heardughtering from the kitchen and I immediately recognized it as Audrey¡¯s. I found her sitting on the counter while Ryker made funny faces at her as they cooked. Audrey saw me first and she made a sound that was a cross between a scream and a squeal. She leaped from the counter and rushed over to me. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she squealed. ¡°Daddy said that you were resting because you got hurt. Do you feel better?¡± ¡°Yes, sweetheart, I do,¡± I leaned down to press a kiss to the mass of curls on her head. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We were trying to make something for you. I wanted to make a cake but dad said no. He said fruits would be better,¡± she scrunched up her nose at that. ¡°Fruits are boring.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myugh at that. ¡°We can get a cake when we go back home, okay?¡± That seemed to be a good enoughpromise for her because she nodded and dashed out of the kitchen. I wanted to ask where she was going but she was fast and disappeared before I could even get the words out of my mouth. I sighed and turned to Ryker who I realized hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off me since I came downstairs. He was watching me intently as if worried that I was going to break. I couldn¡¯t me him considering everything that happened but I couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed. I made my way over to him and simply rxed my head against his upper arm. He wasted no time in cing a lingering kiss to my temple and just holding me there. His arms always managed to make me feel safe and loved which was exactly what I needed. ¡°Do you want to exin what happened out there?¡± he asked but I couldn¡¯t respond. The truth was that I had no answer. I couldn¡¯t tell what happened because the truth was that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°You need to be more careful with this new development. You could have gotten badly hurt. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I just wanted to get a firm grip on what was happening, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I let out a resigned sigh. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why this is happening now of all times. Does this mean I 11:55 Fri, 1 Mar ti have to avoid touching people now? I thought the healing magic was in my blood.¡± ¡°I thought so too but it almost seems like it is growing. It was just in your blood but now it is everywhere and you need to be careful unless you want to live in a stic bubble for the rest of your life.¡± I let out a frustrated groan. I had no idea why things couldn¡¯t just be easy for us. We had to work and fight for everything we had now and yet there were still more problems. It was exhausting and there were moments I just wanted it all to end. I wanted to take a break from living. This was supposed to be a vacation and not another quest to discover my powers- powers I didn¡¯t even ask for. ¡°They should have left,¡± I muttered aloud and Ryker turned to me. ¡°What should have left?¡± ¡°My powers- why didn¡¯t they leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following, baby,¡± he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the ¡°I¡¯m not following, baby,¡± he crossed h counter. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to exin this to me.¡± ¡°I was told that my powers were meant to even out the bnce that stair¡¯s bite caused. Everything should have a cure and this was it. But the problem is that stair is dead now, there is no more bite. Why didn¡¯t it disappear when he died? Doesn¡¯t this mean that the world is out of bnce again?¡± ¡°Honestly, Cami, I don¡¯t know,¡± he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. ¡°This is incredibly irresponsible of me to say but I think we should file this away forter. The problems aren¡¯t going to disappear, we can always handle themter.¡± I wanted to refuse but Audrey came barreling in at that moment. I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying but she was excited and that seemed to be enough for me. I was going to spend this time with my family and make the most out of it. Ryker was right, I could always face my problems in the future. We had dinner together and we watched with baited breath as Aurora tried to crawl. It was amazing being able to witness these milestones in her life first hand especially with Ryker here. He missed everything with Audrey and I could tell that he treasured these moments with Aurora. I was incredibly lucky to be blessed with two amazing daughters and I wasn¡¯t going to give that up for the world. Audrey passed out not long after dinner leaving Ryker and I to clean up. He was adamant on doing it himself so I reluctantly let him. I was about to go up to bed when I nced out of the window and found myself staring at theke. I nced over at Ryker in the kitchen before making my way out of the house. He would know where I was and I knew he woulde after me. 11:55 Fri, 1 Mar i G. I didn¡¯t know what it was about it but I knew there was something I was yet to figure out. I found myself going back there until I was just standing in front of the tree with my father¡¯s name carved into it wondering what it was that I was missing. There had to be more. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I stood there until I felt Ryker¡¯s presence behind me. ¡°What are we looking at?¡± I nearly jumped but his hand was on my waist holding me in ce and calming me. He ced a soft kiss on my shoulder de and inhaled deeply. I couldn¡¯t help but lean back into his arms and let my head fall against his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I just feel like we are missing something important. Why would he keep the box here and not the key? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Maybe the key got lost or maybe he put it somewhere else because he never wanted it to be opened,¡± he offered but I shook my head. My father was more careful than that. There was no way he would allow it to get missing. ¡°It¡¯s night, Cami and it is cold, what you need right now is a warm bed.¡± I was going to agree, the response was at the tip of my tongue when I noticed something there. There was a hole at the side of the tree, the kind where squirrels would burrow into. It was dark and I couldn¡¯t see into it so I did the next thing I could think of, I stuck my hand inside. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Ryker asked. ¡°There could be a wild animal in there.¡± I ignored him and felt around. ¡°Cami please, you could get hurt. We cane back to this in the morning.¡± I was about to give up when I felt something foreign, it felt like a piece of string. I pulled it out and dusted it off only to scoff. I turned and showed it to Ryker. He looked just as stunned as I felt as he scoffed. He reached out for it almost blindly as if he were shocked at what he was seeing. I wouldn¡¯t have med him because I was too. ¡°A key,¡± he breathed. I nodded. ¡°How much do you want to bet that it fits into that box?¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I couldn¡¯t keep my excitement at bay until the next morning, Ryker and I immediately rushed up the stairs and with only amp as a source of light, we opened the box. The key fit perfectly and within a second, the box was open. I was terrified for what I would find or not find. It had been buried in the ground for years and there was a possibility that the elements had gotten to the items inside but to my shock, the bound papers were in pristine condition almost as if they had been put there only a few days prior. I undid the ribbon holding it together and was shocked when I saw that the first letter was addressed to me, not by name though, it read ¡®to my daughter¡¯. I nced at Ryker with scrunched eyebrows wondering what to make of it but he simply shrugged. I lifted themp to get a closer look at the box in case I had missed something and that was when I saw it. It was scribbled all over the inside of the box as if someone had taken a small carving pen and etched it- a single name. It wasn¡¯t one I had ever heard before but it was clearly one that had haunted my father for him to have written it like a prayer. ¡°Who is Ate?¡± I asked but Ryker shrugged. ¡°My mother never mentioned anyone by the name of Ate. Could that be the woman he loved, the one who got married to someone else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡± I remembered he wasn¡¯t there and exined what Briggs had told me. When I was done, he hummed to himself. ¡°Ate could be that girl. I am surprised that he thought of her after all this time.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never know until you read them. They¡¯re all addressed to you.¡± ¡°I can get to them tomorrow,¡± I said in a failed attempt to shrug it off but Ryker wasn¡¯t having it. He could clearly see through my bulls hit because he grabbed a hold of my upper arm. ¡°I think this is the part where you stop pretending not to care about your father,¡± he whispered and his Original content from N?velDrama.Org. worse struck such a deep chord in me that I had to look away. ¡°I know exactly what it is like to have a father who is aplete and utter failure and I know that you are disappointed in who yours turned out to be but I would like to believe that he isn¡¯t the worst.¡± ¡°How do I forgive him for everything? How do I read this knowing everything he has caused for us- for my mother. He cheated on her for the entirety of their marriage. How do I live with that? How do I live with myself if I read this and forgive him?¡± ¡°It is possible for someone to be a great father and a terrible husband. It is possible for terrible people to do good things and for good people to do bad. Your mother would never have wanted you to hate him because of her. That is one of the reasons she kept all of this from you. It is up to you to make your own choices about him. You can toss this away and pretend like you never saw it but it will eat you for the rest of your life.¡± I hated how much his words rang true. I hated how much I wanted to know him, not just from what people said to me but because I knew him personally. I hated how much I cared and if I could erase ¡°If you had one chance to talk to your father, to get an exnation, would you take it?¡± I asked and he hesitated before shaking his head. ¡°My father was a terrible man and I came to terms with that a long time ago. I made my peace with him when I buried him and I said everything I wanted to say to him when I drove my knife into his gut. I have made peace with that but Cami, my father is not yours. You cannot hold them to the same standards.¡± ¡°Do you think I should read it?¡± ¡°I think you should do whatever you think is best. I think you should do what would leave you the least regrets.¡± with I sighed because I knew what I had to do. I undid the ribbon holding the pieces of paper together and I could count at least six. I handed the first one to Ryker. ¡°Will you read it to me?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said without hesitation. He pulled me into him so he was sitting against the headboard and I was lying with my back pressed to his chest. Themp was by the bedside offering us what little light it could. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Absolutely positive.¡± He cleared his throat before starting. ¡°To my daughter, it has been five years since you went missing and not a day goes by where I do not miss you. I know my time is near but I want to see you before I go. I loved you since the moment you drew your first breath. I looked into first breath. I looked into your eyes and I knew that you were mine. When Eva had Frederick, I hadn¡¯t wanted much to do with him. I suppose that could make me a bad person considering I didn¡¯t im one child and I did another but there was something about you.¡± ¡°When I held you in my arms, I was enamored by you. I never wanted to be parted from you. You were my daughter, my little girl, you were my heir and I was proud to be your father. When you disappeared, it felt like my entire world had shattered. Today would have been your fifth birthday and I am spending my days imagining the things I would have done if you were here. I don¡¯t know what name you¡¯re going by now but in my heart you will always be my little Ate-¡± ¡°Stop!¡± I cut him off with a harsh groan. My chest felt like it was being wed apart. It felt like someone had taken a hot knife and was ripping my insides out and putting them on disy. ¡°How could he do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Ryker¡¯s voice was soft and probing. ¡°How can he do this to me? He says he loves me and he couldn¡¯t love Frederick. Why would he do that? Why would he choose me? What was it about me that made him stay? What was it that made him write these? Was it because he knew he was dying and wanted to fix his mistakes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it seems very likely,¡± Ryker admitted and I hated his honesty. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted him to just hold me or if I wanted his advice. All I knew was that I wanted him. ¡°Whatever it is, Cami, you have the opportunity to think of your father as a good man. You have the privilege of not seeing his ugly sides. You have the privilege of knowing you were loved, even if it was a temporary bout of madness.¡± ¡°So I should ept it and forget everything he has done?¡± ¡°No, you should ept it, treasure it and move on from it, Cami. You cannot spend the rest of your life hating your father. You will make yourself sick, baby, you will drag yourself down. You deserve better than that.¡± ¡°So did my mother and Eva and Frederick.¡± ¡°Yes, they did, but Cami, you cannot fight for everyone. You cannot change the past but you can ept it. You don¡¯t have to excuse the things he has done, just ept his apology and forgive him. You are the one carrying bitterness in your heart, he is dead and gone.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest but didn¡¯t respond. He sighed in exasperation before tapping my shoulder and standing to his feet. I didn¡¯t know what he wanted or where he was going but I followed him. I allowed him take my hand and lead me towards Audrey¡¯s room. She was fast asleep in her bed and we stood by the door watching her. He opened the door next to hers revealing Aurora¡¯s nursery. ¡°Look at them,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°Look at your daughters and tell me whether they deserve a mother brimming with anger and bitterness.¡± I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. ¡°No, you¡¯re going to listen to me, Cami. Our daughters deserve the best of us. We didn¡¯t have the best fathers and I understand that but we don¡¯t have to be our parents. We can be exactly what they deserve.¡± I looked at my children fast asleep. They had been through so much as a result of me and my father¡¯s actions. There was a part of me that hated that and wanted to harbor onto that anger but I understood what Ryker meant. They deserved a mother who loved them and a mother who wanted to be with them. They deserved a mother who modeled forgiveness and love to them. ¡°I¡¯m just tired, Ryker,¡± I said softly and he pulled me into his hold. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a soft kiss to the center of my head. ¡°Why can¡¯t things be easy?¡± He chuckled to himself. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t them it wouldn¡¯t be life, baby.¡± He shut the doors to both rooms before leading me back to ours. I watched as he rolled up the rest of the letters and ced them back in the wooden box. I nced at my name or what was meant to be my name etched onto the inside of the box. ¡°Why do you think my mother never told me about my name?¡± I asked and he stilled. ¡°She could have made me stick to the name Ate. She could have forced me to at that moment and I would have done it.¡± ¡°Your mother was not the easiest person but if there was one thing she loved, it was identities. Cami was who you were, it was the life that you had lived and it was the name you had grown. 5 into. Ate is nobody, Ate would have been the girl who grew up in the pce surrounded by guards and rules. Cami is the girl who survived for years, she is the girl who fought for herself. Cami is who you are and she knew that.¡± I wiped away the stray tear that had leaked down my face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can forgive him now. I don¡¯t know how long it will take until I can.¡± ¡°I know, baby,¡± he whispered. ¡°Take as long as you need, just make sure that you do it.¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V It was ourst day at the vacation house and I could clearly see that what started out as something fun had now turned into a source of stress for Cami: She walked around with her head in the clouds and a million different things on her mind. I wished it was possible to take all her troubles from her but it wasn¡¯t. She liked to act strong especially when she wasn¡¯t and this was one of those cases. She was morefortable pretending like nothing was wrong when in reality, she was hurting. I had originally nned the best paddle ride across theke for us but I wasn¡¯t sure if that was going to be possible. Just being near theke meant being right next to that tree and I knew she would start a downward spiral so I had another thought. I woke up around five a.m. and made my way over to the fields. I knw Briggs took a walk there every morning, I had seen him a couple times. I was curious as to why but I also knew that it was none of my business so I never asked. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he bowed once he sighted me. ¡°How nice of you to join me, is there any way that I can be of help?¡± ¡°I was thinking of going out for a ride with the girlster today. Can you set things up at the stables? I want it to be a surprise, Cami doesn¡¯t know anything about it.¡± ¡°Of course, that won¡¯t be a problem. Everyone wakes by seven and we can have everything arranged before nine if that works for you. I guarantee that you will love the horses that we have here. They have been carefully bred and selected.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he nodded and I started walking away when I heard him speak. ¡°I know it is not my ce but I have seen the Queen looking out of it sometimes. Am I wrong to presume that it is because of me?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he was implying at first until I remembered the incident we had with him by the tree when he touched her. We had never addressed it again and it did seem like the most likely reason and as much as I wanted to lie and say that was it, I didn¡¯t want him to worry so I shook my head. ¡°That is long forgotten, fear not,¡± I assured him. ¡°She has a lot on her mind but I assure you that she holds no grudges in regards to you.¡± ¡°Is it about the box then?¡± his voice was soft and almost careful as if he didn¡¯t want toe across as probing. ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen her around the tree anymore. I thought it would be safe to assume that she found a way to open it.¡± I turned to him and crossed my arms over my chest. Briggs had been on these grounds since her father was alive. He was a friend to him and privy to a lot of things that others were not. He saw the box and there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know where it was kept. I found it hard to believe that a box. was buried at the base of the tree and he never realized it for twenty years. ¡°What do you know about the box?¡± I asked and he opened his mouth to defend himself but I cut him off. ¡°I want the truth.¡± For the first time, he hesitated almost as if there was something he wasn¡¯t supposed to be saying. I watched him carefully with raised brows as he weighed his options in his head. Finally, he exhaled deeply and gestured for me to walk with him. There was no one else outside but us but I chose to oblige him after all he knew the entire ce better than I ever would. He led me towards a small bench under a tree. It was facing the stables and I could hear the horses. ¡°This is where I was sitting when he brought the box to me,¡± Briggs began slowly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was inside because he had already locked it. He hade here for a week and at the end, he handed me the box and said he wasn¡¯t sure if he was ever going toe back. I would like to think that he knew he was dying and wanted to make things right.¡± ¡°How long ago was this?¡± ¡°Eight years ago, the king died not too long ago, honestly. He lived to her majesty¡¯s sixteenth birthday but I guess he couldn¡¯t take the heartbreak. Before he died, he stopped ruling, Queen Leanor did everything on her own. That was part of the reason it was easy for the people to ept her as their ruler, they were already used to her.¡± ¡°He gave you the box and then what?¡± ¡°He handed me the key as well and told me it was for his daughter. He had hopes that she would return someday and he wanted her to have it. I tried to remind him that she might never be found but he was a stubborn old man and wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I had clear instructions. If she never came here, I was to take it to her although it would have defeated the entire purpose of the hunt.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He smiled at thatst sentence and shook his head as if thinking up a fun memory. ¡°He loved the hunts and it was simple. I was to bury the box for her to find and hide the key as well. I know if he were alive he would have made it a little harder but I was never as good as him at hiding. Truth be told, I wanted her to find it quickly, there is so much obvious in regards to her father. There is so much hatred and I know he wasn¡¯t the best good friend to me. I suppose that makes me just as bad as him bate know him the way I do.¡± ¨C s but he w she I sometimes I wish could a When he was done speaking, I was quiet. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do or say in response to this. I wasn¡¯t sure how Cami would react to this news, she was unpredictable when it came to things regarding her father. She might have seen it as lying but to Briggs, he was honoring his dead friend¡¯s final wish. I ran my hands through my hair as I exhaled deeply. ¡°Do not speak a word of this to her,¡± I warned and he immediately nodded. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to know the mechanics behind how the box got there. All she needs to know is that it is from her father.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he bowed before turning his attention back to the sun that was beginning to rise. ¡°He always loved the sunrise. In thest years of his life, it was the only thing that would bring him calm. He said it reminded him of his powers, it reminded him of the truth and beauty behind the ¡°He gained perspective,¡± I deduced and Briggs nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but I heard grass crunching beneath feet and I looked up to see Cami making her way over. She was still dressed in her nightgown but had arge coat over it. Briggs gave me a small smile once he saw her approaching and stood to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll have the stables set up for you.¡± He walked off making sure to bow to her as he did. Her eyes tracked his movements as she finally came to stand in front of me. ¡°What was that? Is everything okay?¡± I hummed as I reached out for her and pulled her into myp. ¡°I was just nning today¡¯s schedule. What are you doing out here?¡± Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she spoke. ¡°You weren¡¯t in bed so I came looking for you. Are you watching the sunrise, Ryker?¡± ¡°Do you want to watch it with me?¡± I didn¡¯t give her the chance to respond before I pulled her closer to my chest so that she was pressed up against me. She buried her head in the crook of my neck and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°We have to go back in so the kids don¡¯t wake up scared.¡± I knew she was right but I didn¡¯t want to move. ¡°Five more minutes.¡± We didn¡¯t end up leaving until half an hourter and thankfully, the girls hadn¡¯t woken up yet. I was able to get breakfast done while Cami handled the kids. It was thest day and I wanted us to act like a normal family for five seconds. I wanted to have breakfast without maids running around, wanted to sit down with my kids without feeling like there are multiple people watching us. There wasn¡¯t something we could I was something intimate about it and I knew they all loved it as well, watching us. There have at the pce but here, we were just us. After breakfast, Audrey and I decided to take a small walk around the grounds while Cami got dressed. I had asked Briggs to watch Aurora while we went on the horses. She was too young and I didn¡¯t want any idents involving her. I hadn¡¯t told Cami what we were doing but that didn¡¯t stop her from asking me questions every other second. I was lifting Audrey to pick a pear from the tree when Cami spoke. ¡°Please tell me that you are at least going to wash that before eating Audrey giggled with the pear close to her lips and shot her mother a bashful smile. Cami walked over to us and took the fruit from her hands before handing it over to a passing maid. ¡°We can get a washed one for youter,¡± she made sure to emphasize the word ¡®washed¡¯ before turning to me. ¡°What is the n for today other than trying to feed your daughter with a dirty fruit?¡± Her tone was teasing and she had a small smile on her face that led me to realize that she was just joking. I reached out for her and she took my free hand. ¡°So,¡± she asked again. ¡°What are we doing? You¡¯ve kept it a secret since. You might as well just tell me now.¡± I gestured to Audrey who was clutching my other hand. ¡°We are going to teach our girl to ride.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V There were times in my life where I doubted the decisions that I had made but one decision I knew I would never doubt was choosing to mke Ryker the father of my children. He was kind and loving and he treated the girls like adults. He was always willing to push theirfort zone a little but never to the point where they felt terrified. He was a natural with the girls and I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud to be his mate as I watched him saddle Audrey onto the horse. He had her on a small brown pony and I could see her being a little scared at the prospect of going at it alone but Ryker was by her side the entire time. She watched him with wide eyes, taking in everything he said and trying to act ordingly. It was times like this I wished I could immortalize images and have them etched into eternity forever. ¡°Your majesty,¡± I nearly jumped when I heard Briggs¡¯ voice behind me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scared you. I was wondering if you would want to join them on the ride. There are many horses to choose from.¡± I started by shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want to yet. I think I¡¯mfortable watching them from over here.¡± ¡°Perhaps it would be more encouraging for her if she could see you do it. She is doing amazing already but it might help with the confidence boost.¡±, It was obvious that there was another reason he wanted me to pick a horse but I didn¡¯t want to dwell on it or start up a conversation that I would probably end up hating so I focused on the reason that he gave and nced over at my daughter. I thought about how fun it would be for her and sighed in resignation before turning back to Briggs. ¡°Show me the way,¡± I said finally and I saw the smile that he was desperately trying to hide. Excluding the pony that Audrey was riding on, there were four otherrge horses two of which were a chestnut color while the others were grey and ck. They were in individual stalls and I slowly made my way up to each one. I was always careful when choosing a horse. The ck one didn¡¯t particrly like being touched so I ignored it and focused on the others. The first one to reach out to me was the grey one. It nuzzled into my palm and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling as I slowly stroked its coat. I could see Briggs watching me with fascination and a wide smile that had me feeling on edge. I hesitated to ask him my next question because I knew I wasn¡¯t going to like it. Regardless, I shoved down my qualms and turned to him. ¡°Whose horse is this?¡± I asked without looking at him and his grin got even wider if that was possible. ¡°It is yours,¡± he said with excitementcing his tone and I turned to him with scrunched brows. ¡°What do you mean? I just arrived here, how could I possibly own it? I meant who used to ride it before I arrived.¡± ¡°I understand what you meant but she was ridden only to prepare her for you,¡± he must have seen how confused I was because he exined. ¡°Shortly before your father died, a few of our older horses had foals and this was one of them. He took one look at it and dered that she should be III 10:48 Tue, 5 Mar M M given to you. Her name is-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I cut him off aware of just how rude I sounded. I didn¡¯t want anything to do with my father and simply touching the horse now rought a bad taste to the back of my mouth but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to choose another. ¡°It a ride, we will be out of here by tomorrow is jus morning. There is no need for me to get attached to her only to leave her again.¡± He knew I was lying but he didn¡¯t push. He bowed and walked away leaving me alone with the horse. She watched me with eyes that seemed to innocent for her breed and I hated the small part of me that was excited at the prospect of being loved enough by someone that on his death bed he still thought of me. I didn¡¯t want to feel this much but I did. The other came over to saddle the horse momentarily snapping me out of my thoughts and I decided to focus on Audrey who was beaming from ear to ear when she saw me. Ryker¡¯s eyes met mine and immediately he knew something was wrong. I felt a soft caress against my m ental walls that I had ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked and I hummed. ¡°Did something happen back there? Do I need to talk-¡± ¡°No,¡± I said immediately. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just needed a second. I promise you, it is nothing to worry about.¡± He sighed. ¡°You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate because it was true. If there was anyone I wasfortable baring my entire heart too, it was Ryker. He always listened, he always understood, even when I was being unreasonable and stu pid, he managed to get it. ¡°Let¡¯s ride, shall we?¡± We didn¡¯t go back in until the sun began to set although I had to take a break twice to feed Aurora. By the time we got back to the house, Audrey was ski pping and grinning from ear to ear. She chattered on about her favorite parts and how she wanted to go back there again. She had forgotten we were leaving tomorrow and neither of us had the heart to remind her. I didn¡¯t want herst night to be filled with tears about the inevitable, I wanted her to enjoy it to the best of her abilities. ¡°I have something else nned for the evening,¡± Ryker whispered to me making me stop by the foot of the stairs. I turned to him with a raised brow and a small smile but all he did was shrug. ¡°Can you help clean the girls up while I get everything ready?¡± ¡°Do I get any hints as to what we are getting dressed for?¡± I asked but he shook his head. ¡°Just befortable, it is dinner, and also dress warm.¡± After his cryptic message, he gave me a soft kiss on my forehead and disappeared down the halls. I opened my mouth to speak a few times but didn¡¯t know what to say so I simply focused on wrangling Audrey into the bath, When I told her it was something her father had nned, she was adamant that I give her a pretty braid and I had no objections to it. After finishing with her, I went to get cleaned and when I returned, I found her peering into Aurora¡¯s crib and whispering some words to her little sister. When she sighted me, she ced her fingers over her lips as if warning me to be quiet. I slowly made my way over to her and sat next to her. 10:48 Tue, 5 Mar MM ¡°Mummy look,¡± she gestured to where Aurora was gripping two of her fingers tightly as she slept. Audrey was beaming as if she had just won the lottery, her joy was pure and I couldn¡¯t help but wish she could stay this young and happy forever. ¡°This means she loves me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it does,¡± I assured her with a soft kiss to her hair. ¡°Aurora loves you and she is extremely lucky to have you as her older sister.¡± Her smile grew impossibly wider and I swore it was brighter than a thousand suns. We sat there in silence for a few minutes just enjoying the peace of the moment before Ryker knocked on the door and ushered us out. He held Aurora but made sure Audrey and I were blindfolded as he led us outside. I felt the slight chill in the air and despite asking a million times, he wouldn¡¯t tell me where we were going. We finally stopped and I held my breath as he slowly undid the blindfolds. When I saw the borate set up, I gasped in shock. He had turned the small pic table into a sight to behold with fairymps hanging everywhere and a small tent to turn it into a private and intimate moment. I opened my mouth but no words came out, only a small tear that Ryker immediately reached out and wiped away. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he whispered in my ears but no words could be spoken. I just nodded and I could feel the pride swelling from him. ¡°Come, let¡¯s end the night the right way, shall we?¡± It was a bit chilly inside but it was a lot warmer because of the lights. Audrey clung to her father¡¯s side and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. It was good to know that she had something I never did and as I watched them, I couldn¡¯t help but think and wonder if I would have been a daddy¡¯s girl had Lgrown up in the pce. ¡°You would,¡± Ryker answered in my head and I stilled. ¡°You projected your thought down the bond but I think you would. From what we have seen and heard about your father, he would have spoiled you rotten.¡± ¡°He was a bad person.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We are all bad people to a certain level but he would have loved you and you would have never doubted that. I think two things can be possible at the same time and it is possible to love him as your father and hate his actions as a person.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I knew he was right and I knew what I had to do. I thought back to the letters I had shoved into the bedside table and made a decision. I was going to see what he had to say. Chapter 153 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V There were a total of fen letters in that envelope and Ryker sat with me as I read each of them. It was like hearing my father speak directly to me. It was like having him directly beside me and I could have sworn that I felt his arms around me,forting me and offering me unwavering support. I couldn¡¯t go through them without the tears running down my cheeks and by the time I was done, it felt like I had been scrubbed clean from the inside out, like someone had taken sandpaper to my heart and left me out to dry. Ryker said no words, he just held me as I cried and clutched the letters to my chest. He muttered sweet nothings in my ears while kissing my temple. I must have fallen asleep in his arms because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the nkets wrapped around me and to Ryker seated by the edge of the bed as he stroked my hair softly. He smiled down at me and I managed to give him an identical one despite the pounding in my head and the soreness around my eyes. ¡°We have to leave soon,¡± he whispered and I felt a pang in my heart. ¡°We can alwayse back another day. It might make for a good yearly vacation spot.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d like that,¡± I agreed. He helped me to my feet and we made our way down the stairs to prepare onest breakfast for Audrey. I doubted she still remembered we were leaving today and I feared the tantrum that was alreadying. Thankfully, Ryker offered to get her up and break the news to her. I didn¡¯tbat him because I was willing to do anything to avoid it. I heard the exact moment he told her because her scream was loud enough to shake the walls. Aurora started crying almost immediately after and I cursed. It took us half an hour to calm both of them and by that time, my pounding headache was much worse. Breakfast was such a tense affair. Audrey refused to speak once, she just sulked into her te. I wanted tofort her but I knew there was nothing I could do. I understood where she wasing from and to an extent, I felt the same. I didn¡¯t realize I would enjoy it here as much as I did. It was apletely different experience, one that I didn¡¯t realize I needed until I had it. There was something about this ce, it was in the air and under the ground, it was a safe haven, it was peace and it was love. It had seeped into the air and the walls. It was in the trees and the chairs, it was obvious that this was a ce well loved and I knew there was only one person responsible for that. After breakfast, we packed up what was left of our things and were in the carriage long before noon. Aurora was fast asleep in my arms while Ryker and Briggs loaded our things into the carriage. Audrey was standing next to me and clutching onto the sides of my dress. I smoothed a hand through her hair and she nestled closer into me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked and she nodded but I could tell from her eyes that she was anything but. ¡°Do you want a hug?¡± ¡°Yes please,¡± she mumbled and I pulled her close into me. She sniffled as she buried her face into my skirts. I ran my hands through her hair as I tried not to Owned by N?velDrama.Org. draw attention to her. We weren¡¯t at the pce where she had to pretend or put up a persona, she was a child and it was alright for her to cry. I caught Ryker staring at us with a questioning look but I shook my head. She was fine, she just needed to get her emotions out. I would have very much preferred that she cried than shoved them down. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey asked and I looked down at her. She had her eyes cast down on her te as she yed around with her food. ¡°When can wee back?¡± ¡°Soon,¡± I assured her with a soft kiss to her temple. ¡°I promise, we wille back very soon. I¡¯ll make sure wee here at least once a year.¡± That seemed to be enough for her because she got into the carriage with no hesitation. I felt hands on my waist and I nearly jumped but Ryker¡¯s scent filtered into my nose and I rxed into his hold. ¡°How is she?¡± he sounded genuinely worried and confused as if he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°She will be fine, don¡¯t worry about her.¡± He ced a lingering kiss on my temple before taking Aurora from me so I could get into the carriage. I was just about to when a throat was cleared behind me. I turned to see Briggs looking at me awkwardly. He was shuffling his feet but wouldn¡¯t look me directly in the eye. Ryker seemed to get the hint because without another word, he got into the carriage. ¡°It was an honor to meet you, your majesty.¡± ¡°Please, call me Cami,¡± I cut him off and he gave me a small smile. ¡°It was an honor to be here. You have done so much for this ce. Do you stay here all year round?¡± He nodded. ¡°This is the only life I have known.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family? Don¡¯t you ever miss them?¡± He gave me a small smile. ¡°I never got married, your- Cami, and it never appealed to me. There is a town behind this house, just a few miles off. It is a short distance. If we ever miss humanpany, we know where to go. You don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± I felt relieved to know that they were notpletely isted for the entirety of the year. I couldn¡¯t imagine having to do that. ¡°Have a good journey, Cami,¡± he reached out to shake me but quickly remembered thest incident that took ce and sna tched his hand back. ¡°I hope to see you again soon.¡± He bowed and walked towards the door. I watched him disappear into the house and stood there for far longer than I should have,before getting into the carriage. Ryker gave me a questioning look but I shook my head. It was fine, The ride back to the pce was uneventful. I stared out the window allowing my thoughts fly. Audrey slept off halfway through the ride leaving just Ryker and I but neither of us knew what to say. My attention was split between what was happening at the pce and the small box that was carefully wrapped in my luggage. The carriage pulled to a stop before I even realized it and I blinked out of my thoughts to find that we were in front of the pce already. I nced out of the window only to see the sun already setting. Time had gone by so fast that I hadn¡¯t even realized it. I barely had time to gather myself before the door was pulled open and Christine stood there with a wide smile. She looked different but in a good way, she reminded me of how she looked when she first returned from Juan¡¯s ce. Her hair was down in their natural waves, her eyes were bright with happiness and her cheeks were flushed. She looked rxed for the first time in a long time and I could see the dark bite on her neck that she was trying to hide with her hair. ¡°Do not say anything,¡± she warned and I raised my hands in mock surrender. ¡°I missed you.¡± She all but pulled me out of the carriage before wrapping her arms around me. I rxed into her hold and inhaled her familiar scent. I hade to associate it with the scent of home and it felt amazing to just feel her once more. She released me slowly but her eyes caught on someone behind me and she all but shoved me away to pull Audrey in her arms. I watched her spin my daughter and I saw the first smile grace Audrey¡¯s lips since we left the vacation house. It was amazing just how good Christine was with her and I knew I could never have done this without her. Ryker was thest person to step out and he handed our youngest over to me. She was already awake but thankfully, she wasn¡¯t stirring or crying. ¡°How was your vacation?¡± Christine asked finally and I shrugged. ¡°How was your time alone?¡± I shot back and her cheeks flushed into a deeper color. I raised a brow at her and she smacked my hand. ¡°I just asked a question, you¡¯re being violent.¡± ¡°There is nothing to say.¡± about mine if you tell me a bo ¡°I¡¯ll tell you yours,¡± I offered and she debated it for a second before taking my outstretched hand. I looked over her shoulder only to see Juan leaning against the door and watching us or rather her. His eyes were fixated on her and I watched how he looked at her, it was like she was the only person in the room, like she was the brightest light in a dark sky. A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips before he finally pulled his eyes away from her and towards me. I raised a brow at him and he tipped his head towards me. Christine noticed my attention was somewhere else and she turned to find Juan. I saw the heat in her eyes but she quickly looked away and tried to hide it. ¡°You can go to him,¡± I told her and her brows furrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here with us. We had a long trip, we are probably going to bed now, anyway.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Go, Christine,¡± it was Ryker who spoke. I hadn¡¯t even realized when he stepped up behind me. ¡°We can take care of ourselves, you deserve to be happy.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± her voice was soft and almost scared. I ced my hand on her shoulders and forced her to look at me. ¡°No one deserves it more than you do. Go with him, he¡¯s waiting for you.¡± She debated it for a second before smiling and making her way over to him. The moment she was within reach, his hands wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. She whispered something that had himughing before he kissed her. I couldn¡¯t stop my smile as I watched them. ¡°She¡¯ll be safe with him.¡± ¡°Yes, she will.¡± chapter-154 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V: A FEW MONTHS LATER Aurora was turning one and the entire pce was inplete disarray as we struggled to get everything in motion. One would think that a child¡¯s first birthday would be a small and intimate moment between family but she was the princess, nothing was done in moderation. I remembered Audrey¡¯s birthday and how despite wanting it to be kept hidden, it still managed to be avish event. ¡°Is the cake decorated yet?¡± I asked as I poked my head into the kitchen. The maids were fussing over the cake that still hadn¡¯t beenpletely iced yet. ¡°What the hell have you been doing? It is almost time for the party, I asked you to do this ages ago.¡± ¡°It will be done soon, your majesty,¡± one of the older maids bowed. I knew I was a nightmare to be around in this time but Aurora was my child and I wanted this to go smoothly. I left the kitchen to check on the decorations. The party was going to be held in the park just behind the pce. Everyone was unofficially invited and I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how I felt about that but it was tradition and there was little I could do in regards to it. Her subsequent birthdays could be kept smaller but this one had to be extravagant. ¡°Cami,¡± I felt hands wrap around my waist and Ryker pulled me to a stop. I hadn¡¯t even noticed him approaching because of how busy I was. ¡°Have you considered taking a step back and letting everyone do what they are good at? You have done everything you can do, just let them deliver.¡± ¡°Someone is going to mess something up, I can feel it,¡± I grumbled knowing exactly how insane I sounded but not caring. Ever since I woke up, I had this nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong. It was the very reason I went to everyone individually to ensure that they were doing exactly what they needed to. Everything seemed to be going ording to n but my feeling hadn¡¯t left me. It was like a noose around my n*eck that tightened with each passing second. It could have just been nerves but I was not willing to leave anything to chance. Everything had to be perfect. He sighed and took the checklist I had created from my hands. He ran his eyes over it and shook his head to himself. I expected him to hand it over to me once he was done but to my surprise, he just folded it and put it in his pocket. I tried to reach out for it but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me flush against him. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes trapped mine. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± his voice was soft and filled with quiet reassurance. ¡°You haven¡¯t even spent the morning with your daughter. She hasn¡¯t stopped calling out for you.¡± Guilt filled my entire being as his words settled. I let out a sigh and agreed to follow him. He led me towards the private living room where the girls were seated with Christine and Juan. Over the past few months, Juan and Christine had gotten closer and they officially mates less than two months ago. I had never seen Christine look so happy. She still lived in the pce but there was an entire wing dedicated to her, Juan and any future family they might have. Juan was deep in conversation with Audrey and I saw her crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. They got along the most or the least depending on the circumstances. They always hadthe most absurd arguments ranging from whether choctes were nice to what kind of animals would make the best pets. I could only imagine what they were talking about but I knew she was in safe hands. My eyes found my youngest who had a wide grin on her face as she waddled over to me. She took her first stepsst month and it was the greatest thing of my life to be able to watch it with Ryker next to me. Once she was close enough, I picked her up and k*ssed all over her cheek. ¡°Mama,¡± she garbled and my heart swelled even more. As she spoke, Audrey¡¯s eyes found mine and she sprinted across the room and buried her face into my thighs. ¡°Where have you been? I was looking for you.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was trying to do something for the party.¡± Both girls were dressed in borate princess gowns. Audrey¡¯s was a light pink color with glitter all over the skirts while Aurora¡¯s was a bright yellow color that looked like it resembled the sun. I caught Ryker¡¯s eye and I could tell that he was thinking the same thing I was- how lucky we both were. ¡°We have a few hours until the party, don¡¯t we?¡± I asked and Audrey nodded. ¡°Well then, you can tell me all about the conversation you¡¯re having with Juan.¡± It turned out to be just as absurd as I thought and by the time they managed toe to an amicable agreement, I already had a small headache. The only reason they stopped their argument was because a maid came to inform us that everything was ready. Audrey was more excited for the party than anyone, she was the most amazing big sister and she hadpletely taken up everything pertaining to her little sister, she all but pulled Ryker and I out of the room and towards the front of the pce where a carriage was waiting for us. The venue was not far but I didn¡¯t feel like walking in the massive dress I was wearing. By the time we got there, I was stunned. All my worrying had been for nothing because it was pure perfection. We had gone for a sun themed party, everything was bright yellow even down to the massive birthday cake. I couldn¡¯t stop my l*ps from pulling into a smile as I took it in. Ryker was holding Aurora who was trying her hardest to grab whatever was within her reach. The whispers started as soon as we arrived. People were straining for a glimpse of her. Just like I did with Audrey, she rarely stepped out to see the people and it was more for her safety than anyone it was more for her safety than anyone else¡¯s. Seeing them was always a privilege to the pack and I could tell because of how enamored they were by her. She seemed to flourish under the attention and smiled at everyone who came remotely close. Things seemed to be going perfectly but I couldn¡¯t brush off that uneasy feeling in my chest. ¡°Cami,¡± I nearly jumped until I realized it was Christine that was standing next to me. ¡°You¡¯re on edge, are you alright? You haven¡¯t seemed yourself since this morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s my daughter¡¯s birthday, I just want everything to go fine,¡± I lied. If she didn¡¯t believe me, she didn¡¯t let it show, she just hummed and nodded. ¡°I wanted to tell you something, but you have to swear not to tell anyone, not even Ryker, I don¡¯t want Juan finding out until I tell him myself,¡± she began and my eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± I whisper yelled and she took an rmed step back. ¡°No,¡± she said quickly with a small awkwardugh. ¡°Juan and I said we were not ready for that right now. I probably shouldn¡¯t have started my sentence the way,¡± she ran her hands through her hair. ¡°It is rted to that though, I was considering going off my tonic. I just didn¡¯t know how he would react to it.¡± I sighed and ced both hands on her shoulders. ¡°Juan loves you and that man is amazing with children. I am sure that he would want a family with you. Just talk to him, Christine. If this is something you want then he would be more than happy to listen.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°You can talk to him now if you¡¯d like but I think he is rather preupied by a group of children,¡± I gestured to a spot behind her where Juan was sitting in the midst of ten kids showing them magic tricks. I saw her features soften as she took him in. ¡°You deserve this, Christine. You deserve everything, down to children of your own.¡± I squeezed her shoulder once more before walking away to find Ryker and our daughter. The party actually went well despite my uneasy feeling. We cut the cake and Aurora blew out her candles. We were returning to the pce with two sleeping children and I had to admit that my unease was probably my worry. Ryker¡¯s hands were intertwined with mine and my head was nestled against his shoulder as the carriage moved slowly so as not to wake the girls. ¡°I¡¯m kind of d it is over,¡± I mumbled and I felt rather than heard himugh. His chest shook as he tried to smother the sounds. ¡°I had forgotten just how tiring kids birthdays are.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be tired just yet, we have another in about six months.¡± I nearly groaned. ¡°Who told us that having two children was a grand idea?¡± Heughed. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a whine that came directly from Audrey. Our eyes snapped to her as we noticed her starting to stir in her sleep as if she were having a nightmare. I immediately gathered her into my arms trying to calm her down. She had never gotten a nightmare in her life and yet, here she was thrashing in my hold. ¡°You¡¯re fine, sweetheart,¡± I cooed as I stroked her hair. ¡°Mummy is hair, please wake up. She let out an ear splitting scream that roused Aurora before she jerked awake. It was a chilling sound that I felt directly in my bones, one borne of undiluted fear. When she noticed me, she threw her hands around my shoulders and began to so b. ¡°It was so scary, mummy.¡± ¡°What was scary?¡± ¡°The person.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you baby, what is wrong?¡±| ¡°Someone ising, I saw them.¡± Chapter 155 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Caius said after we had told him everything that happened. It was almost impossible to get Audrey back to sleep. We had conceded to having her sleep in our bed and the moment she was out, Cami and I went in search of Caius. We tried to convince Audrey that whatever she saw was a to us and it was more terrifying tha, Shtmare but she was that it was not. She exined it what her five year old brain should have been able to cook up. There was only one other exnation- it was a vision- but Caius didn¡¯t seem to agree. ¡°She is a wolf, not a witch and wolves don¡¯t have visions,¡± he exined. ¡°It also cannot be her powers because she is five and not twenty one.¡± ¡°Well what do you expect that we tell our daughter?¡± Cami asked with her hands crossed over her chest. ¡°She was genuinely worried. There has to be some truth in what she said. She would not make up something like that.¡± ¡°Children lie,¡± he offered but I shook my head. ¡°Not Audrey, she has everything she could ever want, there is no reason for her to lie.¡± I was d that I had spoken before Cami because hse looked ready to blow a fuse. Her hair was in a tangled mess around her head from the number of times she had ran her fingers through it. She looked as frustrated as I felt and I wanted to reach out to console her but I didn¡¯t even know where to start. She turned to me in exasperation as if pleading for me to say something but the truth was that I didn¡¯t know what to say, I didn¡¯t even know where to begn. ¡°What would you suggest that we do then?¡± Caius asked looking confused. ¡°We cannot tell anyone about this because it will only bring more questions than answers and the way I see it, neither of us has any answers. All we can do is just sit and watch things unfold.¡± ¡°She is terrified!¡± Cami eximed. ¡°Do you expect that we just leave her?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of options right now your majesty,¡± Caius¡¯ voice was soft and almost patronizing. I reached out for my mate and ced one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder. She immediately rxed into my hold and I rested her head against my shoulder. Caius¡¯ eyes met mine and I gave him a simple nod of dismissal. There was nothing left to be done or said, he had done his best and for that I was grateful. He bowed before walking away and once he was gone, Cami groaned in frustration. I could feel the effects of that sound in my bones, I felt the same way but in times like this, one of us had to remain strong. There were times where she held things together for both of us, the least I could do was extend the same courtesy to her. We stood there for a few minutes, just standing in the silence and feeling each other. No words were spoken but nothing needed to be said that hadn¡¯t already been through our actions. After a long silence, Cami sighed and turned to face me. ¡°We should better check on Audrey. We have to make sure that she is okay.¡± I immediately agreed and we were on our way towards the room. I opened the door and the first thing I realized was that Audrey wasn¡¯t on the bed. Panic seized my insides until I realized that she was sitting by the window. She was sitting under it with her legs pulled up to her chest, her cheeks were wet with tears and pain gripped at the corners of my heart because I wasn¡¯t there for her. I immediately rushed over to her and pulled her into my arms. She buried her face into my shoulder and grabbed onto me like a ko. ¡°Where were you?¡± she sobbed into my shoulders. ¡°You weren¡¯t here when I woke up. I called for you but you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I hated the way my voice cracked on the end. ¡°I am so f ucking sorry, princess. I should have been here, you¡¯re right. I won¡¯t leave again.¡± Audrey choked back a s ob and I felt moisture gather in my eyes. She was so little and yet so much had happened already. My eyes found Cami who was standing to a corner with her hands wrapped around herself. She was already crying and I could see that her hands itched to hold Audrey. I smoothed my daughter¡¯s hair back. ¡°Do you want some chocte?¡± I asked and she nodded. It was an insane idea to give that to her thiste at night but I didn¡¯t quite care. I wanted to make sure that she was happy and settled. With her on my hip, I walked over to the kitchen. Cami followed close behind and made hot chocte in a small mug for Audrey. Audrey had stopped crying by now but she still didn¡¯t want to be let down and I understood. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be left alone either if I were her. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what she might have seen. By the time we got back to the room, everyone was rtively calm. I ced Audrey on the bed but she refused to move from her spot between my legs. She leaned back against me as she drank her beverage and snacked on the little bro wnie that Cami had ced for her. ¡°Audrey,¡± I began slowly and she hummed. ¡°Do you want to tell me what scared you so much when you woke up?¡± She stilled before shaking her head. I had expected that kind of response but that didn¡¯t mean I was going to let it slide. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared princess, but I need to know so that I can help.¡± She sniffled. ¡°But it was scary and I don¡¯t want to be scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be scared, I am scared a lot of times but I find that talking about my fears help me. I always talk to your mum and it makes me not so scared anymore.¡± ¡°Are you really?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°But you¡¯re big and big people don¡¯t get scared.¡± ¡°Should I tell you a secret?¡± I waited until she was looking up at me with her wide eyes before I spoke. ¡°Big people get scared the most. We are scared most of the time. I was scared when I saw you like that on the ground, I was scared when the vampires attacked and I was terrified as hell the first time I saw you.¡± Her brows scrunched. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my little girl and I want to protect you. I knew that I was going to need to step up my game so I could be a good dad to you,¡± she didn¡¯tpletely understand what I was saying but she understood the general message. ¡°What scared you so much?¡± She was quiet for a second as if weighing her thoughts and instead of pushing, I waited. I gave her the space to make that choice for herself because while I could have pushed and gotten the answer I wanted, it was a sure way to ensure that she never trusted me again. ¡°It was very dark,¡± she began slowly. ¡°I was in this ce and I knew I was sleeping but I couldn¡¯t¡¯ wake up. There were so many things and they were moving so fast. I saw you with blood on your hands, I saw Rory but she wasn¡¯t breathing and mummy was screaming. There was this other woman there too, she was very pretty but she was scary. I couldn¡¯t talk to anyone. It was terrifying.¡± I pulled her into me because her lower l*p had started to wobble again. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯re safe. I am fine, so is your mummy, okay? Everyone is okay, Rory is asleep, no one is hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just scared!¡± she eximed and it hurt that all I could do was hold her. She sobbed into me for a full minute before finally calming down. Her shoulders shook with each s ob and by the time she managed to rx, I saw that she was already asleep. I didn¡¯t want to let her go immediately, I wanted to hold her, I wanted to rid her of all the nightmares and bad dreams. I wasn¡¯t sure if they were just nightmares but I sure as hell hoped they were. What else could they have been? ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Cami who just shrugged. ¡°it isn¡¯t a memory from the past.¡± ¡°it is probably just her subconscious bringing up fears because of what happened to her in the past,¡± she exined but I could tell that even she didn¡¯tpletely believe that. ¡°We just have to assure her that everything is fine. It happens.¡± ¡°Why did it happen now?¡± I asked and she couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°If this was because of everything that happened before then it only stands to reason that it should have happened since. Things have been calm for months, why would this suddenly just start up like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± her answer was almost choked. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about what the other alternative is right now. We haven¡¯t gotten my powers under control, thest thing we need is a five year old with powers. People will go crazy for that.¡± She was right. Her healing powers still tended to react when she was in contact with sick people and for the past few months, we had done anything possible to keep her away from people. She always wore gloves in public and she never touched people. It was difficult to maintain but we managed to do so.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No matter what happens, we can handle it,¡± I told her but she said nothing, ¡°Cami, do you trust me?¡± She nodded, ¡°Trust that we can handle all of this, we can take care of our child.¡± ¡°I want to believe that, I really do.¡± ¡°If we made it this long then you have to believe that we can make it until the end,¡± I nced down at Audrey who was still sleeping soundly and gentlyy her on the bed. ¡°She will be fine, I swear it.¡± Chapter 156 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Two dayster and Audrey was still sleeping in our room because the bad dreams kepting. They were getting worse and more graphic and we had done so much to try and reduce them but it only seemed to be getting worse. We did all the herbal treatments we could think of but now Audrey was terrified to sleep. It was terrifying watching her move around like a zombie each day with pure exhaustion and fear in her eyes. Neither of us had slept properly in the past two days and I knew I had to find a permanent solution. ¡°Cami!¡± I didn¡¯t realize Christine was speaking to me until she had to yell my name. I blinked twice before turning to her. She had a soft look of worry on her features. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Horrible,¡± I admitted feeling the familiar acid taste of guilt climbing up my throat. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even sleep, Christine. She doesn¡¯t want to. I haven¡¯t seen her smile in about four days. I want my daughter to be healthy and happy, not whatever is happening to her right now.¡± She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°Have you considered that maybe it is her powers? It hasn¡¯t happened before but a lot of weird things have happened with your family. You have two powers instead of one and one is out of control. It wouldn¡¯t be shocking that your child got hers early.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it is early or not, I just want it to stop.¡¯ She frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that unhealthy? She needs to learn to control it. It doesn¡¯t matter if ites now or when she is twenty one, she will have the same reactions to it.¡± ¡°At least she wouldn¡¯t be a child then,¡± I eximed and her brows furrowed. ¡°At twenty one, she is an adult ready to take on the f ucking world. Right now, she is a five year old who is terrified out of her mind every second of the day. I don¡¯t know about you but that is not the life I want for my child. At twenty one, we can work together and deal with it but right now, I just want her to have her childhood.¡± I ran my hands down my face after my short speech. Christine was staring at me with a mix of pity and worry. If it were another day, I would have told her off but right now, I was more focused on Audrey. Speaking of my daughter, the door opened and Juan walked in with Audrey in his arms. She was asleep for the firsttime in almost twenty four hours. She was clinging to him and he didn¡¯t seem to mind as he made his way in. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I rushed to my feet once I noticed them. ¡°I can take her from you if you would-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± he assured me hoisting her up higher in his arms. ¡°You look like sh it. I think you need the break more than I do,¡± I gave him a small tired smile in response. ¡°Look, I know this really isn¡¯t any of my business but I think I have something that might help. This isn¡¯t set in stone or anything and there is no guarantee that she will be able to help. I just know that she always has her ways.¡± ¡°I am willing to try anything at this point.¡± I was aware of how desperate I sounded but the truth was that I was desperate. I needed an answer and I needed it fast. There wasn¡¯t much I wasn¡¯t willing to risk in order to get her back to the child I knew. ¡°There¡¯s a seer, she used to work with my dad. She warned him about ra but my father was a proud man and he never liked to listen. If there is anyone that can help you with Audrey then it has to be her. I can give you directions to her or I can take you there. I hadpletely forgotten about her until Christine came to mest night.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I didn¡¯t realize when my eyes started tearing up until a few drops sl*pped out and down my face. ¡°When can we see her?¡± ¡°We can leave now but we will get to her cavete at night. I don¡¯t know how long we will be there but we won¡¯t return until tomorrow morning. Does that work for you?¡± I nodded. ¡°Of course, let me just talk to Ryker.¡± I stood to my feet before quickly remembering something. I turned to Christine. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind helping me watch Aurora, right?¡± She waved me off. ¡°Of course not, go help Audrey. We will be here waiting.¡± I thanked her before rushing off towards Ryker¡¯s office where he was seated over a stack of papers. I told him everything Juan had said and the relief that grew on his face was palpable. His shoulders sagged a little and it was obvious that I wasn¡¯t the only one carrying the brunt of the stress. Within minutes, we were saddled on horses and ready to leave. Juan offered to take a carriage because Audrey wassleeping but Ryker was adamant on horses as it would have been faster. The seer¡¯s ce was a distance away from the pce. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that pinprick of unease as we rodete into the night. Even though the vampires were not a problem anymore, it didn¡¯t stop me from feeling anxious about them. I was so relieved when Juan said we were at her house. It wasn¡¯t what I had expected. It was a fairly sized cottage with ivy growing on the sides and weird looking nts in front. The ce had an aura, one I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. It was obvious that there was magic in the air, I could feel it rolling over my skin and I could feel my powers reacting and pushing as if they wanted to expel straight from my skin. I had my gloves on but that didn¡¯t stop the electric feeling from running over my entire b*dy. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ryker reached out for me but I shook my head and took a quick step back. ¡°Don¡¯t, please, I feel unstable right now. There¡¯s a lot in the air.¡± His brows furrowed and I realized that I was the only one who could feel it because I had powers. I nced over at Audrey who had woken up during the ride to see if she felt the same. Her eyes met mine and she broke away to look over the cottage. ¡°I feel funny,¡± she mumbled with a frown. ¡°I know, baby,¡± I ced a soft k*ss on her temple. She had refused to get out of Juan¡¯s hold and he didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by that. ¡°We are going to fix that.¡± We had barely taken two steps towards the cottage when the door opened and the most stunning woman ever stepped out. Her hair was cut short by her chin and it was as dark as the night sky, her eyes were a light brown color that seemed almost unnatural and her skin glowed like ivory. She was bare faced with a simple long ck dress. The corner of her l*ps kicked up in a small smile. ¡°Hello Juan,¡± she never took her eyes off him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you. I saw that you dropped everything behind.¡± ¡°What can I say? I found something else worth living for,¡± he shrugged and her l*ps pulled up into a wider smile. She looked away from him before settling her eyes on me. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you, Cami and I have been expecting you. Come on in, I have some tea set.¡± I nced over at Juan with worry in my eyes. I was aware that she was a seer but did that really mean she was privy to my name? Juan gave me a small nod of assurance and I chose to trust him by forcing my feet forward. The inside of her house was warmer than the outside. She had trinkets hanging all around and sure enough in the center of the room was a table with a tea pot and three cups. I nced over at Ryker to see that he had the same suspicious look in his eyes. ¡°I am not going to harm you. I doubt I could even if I wanted to. I am a seer, not a normal witch or a fighter. My powers lie solely in what I am able to see or discern. I have knowledge in potions as well but not as much as a potions master would have,¡± she spoke without even looking up at us and when she did, her Audrey. ¡°I didn¡¯t see her. Who is she?¡± eyes fell onContent rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She is why we are here,¡± I said simply and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve never seen someone before,¡± she turned to Audrey and held out her hand. ¡°What¡¯s your name, sweet girl? I¡¯m L, I¡¯m from a long line of seers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Audrey,¡± her voice was soft as she took L¡¯s hand. I expected some form of recognition on L¡¯s face but there was nothing. If anything, there was confusion. ¡°Are you going to help me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try but I can¡¯t see you. I¡¯m touching you but I can¡¯t reach you, almost as if someone or something is blocking you from me.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ryker cut in and L sighed. your office powers and ¡°The way my powers work is that I see things. For example, I saw you in when she told you about me. I can see Cami and her out of control the mess that they are going to causeter,¡± I subconsciously pulled my hands closer to myself. ¡°I see your other daughter, there is so much about her that you don¡¯t know but this little angel right here is hidden from me and I don¡¯t know why.¡± My mind was running a mile a minute from the words she had spoken. ¡°What do you mean by mess and what about Aurora?¡± I asked not wanting her to gloss over it. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the future, Cami, otherwise it will be set in stone. The future is a fickle things prone to change. If I tell it has to happen and believe me when I You say that you do not want it to happen.¡± Chapter 157 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Her ominous warning rang in my head. I couldn¡¯t even open my mouth to speak anymore. I felt Ryker wrap his arm around my waist in an attempt to calm me down but it did little to actually make me feel secure. I couldn¡¯t stop conjuring the worst case scenarios. I couldn¡¯t stop wondering what was in that future that she didn¡¯t want me to see. Was it simr to what Audrey had seen? Were they the same? ¡°You will drive yourself mad trying to figure out the future,¡± she said suddenly making me turn to her. ¡°Many people spend their lives facing the future and the past that they don¡¯t enjoy the present.¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking in riddles,¡± Ryker cut in. ¡°Can you tell us what is wrong with our daughter and how to fix it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what is wrong with her. I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong either,¡± she ran her hands down Audrey¡¯s curls softly. ¡°The world is out of bnce, Cami and this is its messed up way of trying to right it again.¡± ¡°How would this make it right? Shouldn¡¯t it create some kind of opposition to my own? That would make it right, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes and no, your powers are unstable, to create a direct opposite would be to make one as unstable as yours or one so secure and powerful that nothing can destroy it,¡± she sighed and ced her hands in herp. ¡°I do not im to know all the secrets of the universe, I see only as I am allowed to but if I were to make an educated guess, I would say that your daughter is like me- a seer. Even with us witches it is unusual for seers to develop their gifts this early. The earliest I have seen is ten years old,¡± ¡°What do we do then? I want this to stop.¡± ¡°I can make a talisman to keep the dreams froming. It will only keep them at bay for a while and believe me when I say that once it expires, she will experience the full force of everything we have been shoving down. It is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. What I would suggest is to send her away to people who can-¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m not sending my daughter anywhere. If she is going to be Dreame N?velDrama.Org owns this text. O 15:21 Mon, 11 Mar 10 trained it will be done in the pce. How would the training work?¡± ? 50% ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know for children. For adults, we are kept in a room and made to see until we get used to it. It is a terrifying experience for most, one that never leaves you for the rest of your life. The visions be yourpanions of sorts, It is the only thing that you know.¡± The thought of subjecting my child to that had my hackles rising. How could anyone with any form of morality or humanity do that to another person? Surely there had to be another way, right? That couldn¡¯t be the only way and even if it was, it was insane. Why hadn¡¯t anyone fought it since? Why were they content with letting each other suffer that way. I didn¡¯t know what the future held but one thing I knew for sure was that there was no way I was going to sit back and let anyone do that to my child, at least, not while I was alive. ¡°Make the talisman,¡± I said finally and I felt Ryker¡¯s approval. It might be a temporary solution but it would have to hold until we found a more permanent way that didn¡¯t involve isting a child. L hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? In the future it might-¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Ryker cut her off. ¡°We have made our decision. We will face whatever the future brings. What matters most now is our daughter¡¯s safety. That is all that should matter.¡± ¡°You should be more concerned with life than with safety,¡± L whispered more to herself than anyone. I opened my mouth to ask what she meant but she had turned away from me in favor of Audrey. ¡°Alright, sweetheart, I¡¯m going to need you to sleep.¡± She waved her hand over Audrey¡¯s head and immediately my daughter passed out. My breath caught in my throat and I had to force myself to stay seated. I didn¡¯t want to risk jeopardizing whatever she was doing but it was not easy. Every fiber in my body screamed that my child was in danger and I was sure I would have leaped across if Ryker was not holding me. Outwardly, he looked calm but I could see the raging battle in his eyes. He was having an even harder time staying immobile. ¡°I need to catcher her in the middle of a vision for it to work. I assure you it will be over in seconds,¡± L exined. We waited for a full minute before Audrey started to twitch. I had to look away because I wasn¡¯t sure I could watch it again. I heard L speaking but I couldn¡¯t Dreame 0 make out the words and all of a sudden, it felt like all the cold air had been sucked out of the room. I felt goose bumps climb up my arm. Ryker ran his hands up and down my back until the feeling receded. ¡°You can look now,¡± he whispered and I risked a nce over my shoulder to see Audrey snoring peacefully but on her wrist was now a simple threaded wrist band. It looked tight, like it was almost molded to her skin. ¡°It will grow as she does. She is not to take it off, she wouldn¡¯t be able to even if she tried,¡± L exined but I could barely hear her. I was more focused on my daughter who was sleeping normally for the first time in days. ¡°I am obligated to warn you though, there is no set time for things like this. Her powers will step develop although dormant and once they outgrow the protective detail on that talisman, it will fall off.¡± ¡°What happens then?¡± Juan asked and she gave us a small smile. ¡°Then, the visionse back.¡± We wanted to leave after that but it was much darker than we had anticipated and Audrey was still asleep. L offered us a ce to sleep and although I didn¡¯t want to take it initially, I realized that it would be incredibly st upid to refuse. We were given our own room while Juan stayed in another. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleep, I just sat at the edge of the bed watching Audrey who hadn¡¯t stirred once. ¡°it feels like a fever dream that I am going to wake up from,¡± I admitted to Ryker once he was out of the bathroom. ¡°She¡¯s fine, she is asleep and she isn¡¯t screaming. Why does it feel too good to be true?¡± ¡°Because you are used to the worst happening,¡± he kissed the center of my head. ¡°We got a win this time, baby, just take it as what it is.¡± I mulled over his words and realized that he was right. I was too busy focusing on the bad that I didn¡¯t bother to think about the good. My daughter could have a childhood, one that she desperately deserved. Everything else could take a back seat, it was all inconsequential. I leaned over and ran my hand through her hair just trying to make sure that she was real and it wasn¡¯t just a dream. ¡°Come sit with me,¡± Ryker said from behind me and I turned to see him seated in arge chair facing the balcony. I didn¡¯t realize when my feet started moving of their own ord. Once I was within reach, he pulled me into hisp and buried his face into my neck. ¡°Everything will be fine. We have this moment to ourselves, Dreame 15:21 Mon, 11 Mar 0 let us take it, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I answered without hesitation. I fell asleep in hisp but woke up in bed. By the time I arose, Audrey was gone from the bed. I quickly got cleaned and dressed only to find my daughter with Ryker and Juan as they saddled the horses. 1% ¡°You should have woken me up,¡± I mumbled but Ryker waved me off. I looked over at Audrey who looked well rested and happy. ¡°How do you feel, sweetheart?¡± ¡°Good,¡± her smile widened. ¡°Daddy said we are leaving now.¡± Yes we are,¡± Ryker agreed from behind her. I noticed L walking out of the house. She had a small pic basket and from the scent, I knew it contained food. ¡°For the journey.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to,¡± I began but she pushed the basket into my for everything.¡± ¡°Of course, but be careful, Cami. A lot is going to happen.¡± hands. ¡°Thank you Before I could ask what she meant by that, she walked away. The others didn¡¯t hear her words and I didn¡¯t feel like rehashing them so I kept it to myself. I pondered over those words the entire ride home. I was so lost in thought that Ryker offered to stop a few times but I didn¡¯t want that. I wanted to be home, I wanted to get into my room and know that I was safe. Her words had elicited a fear so raw I had never felt it before. Every sound was a potential attack, every rustling leave was a potential death scare. I was more jumpy than I had been in my entire life but no one knew why. I could feel Ryker trying to ess the mind link but I kept my wall firmly shut. As we arrived at the pce, I couldn¡¯t help but notice something different. It wasn¡¯t physical but it was in the air, it smelled almost stale and old. Christine was pacing by the entrance and as soon as she saw us, she rushed over. My suspicions were only confirmed when she rushed past Juan in favor of Ryker and I. ¡°Something happenedst night, where were you?¡± ¡°We had to stay behind because Audrey was asleep. It doesn¡¯t matter, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 158 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Anxiety bubbled through me as we took the carriage into town. Christine was a bundle of nerves with how she was anxiously biting her nails and twiddling with her fingers. Even Juan¡¯s presence did little to calm her although I could clearly tell that he was doing his best. She was torn up over something and it didn¡¯t matter how many times I asked, she repeated the same words- you need to see it. By the time we got to town, I was already thinking up the worst case scenarios. Christine was the first person out of the carriage and I watched as Juan went after her whispering words in her ears until her shoulders cked and she was rtively calmer. He held her shoulders and guided her through deep breaths. I didn¡¯t realize I was smiling and staring at them until I felt Ryker¡¯s presence behind me. ¡°It is rude to stare,¡± he reminded me and I rolled my eyes yfully. ¡°He is a good man, to her at least.¡± ¡°She deserves it,¡± I said simply before turning to face him. ¡°When does Riley return?¡± He thought about it for a second before shrugging. ¡°I honestly do not know. I haven¡¯t gotten a letter from her in two weeks. I know that she is fine, she just wants to take some more time away I guess. Don¡¯t worry about my sister, she is stronger than any of us realize.¡± A throat cleared in front of us and I looked forward to see Christine standing there. She looked a lot calmer than she did before with her shoulders squared and her spine straightened. Sometimes I wondered how she managed to do that so easily, she was always so put together and compartmentalized. She could be sobbing one second and the next, she is the perfect imagine of a princess. It used to scare me and a small part of me was jealous knowing I would never be as good as her at that. ¡°You should brace yourselves,¡± she warned before leading us towards what looked like a farm. I could smell the animals and the dung and it took everything for me to not cover my nose. We walked past what seemed to be a pig sty and I almost threw up. I seemed to be the only person that was bothered by the scents. As we got closer, I felt my powers begin to buzz under my skin. I was not wearing my gloves so I quickly intertwined my fingers with Ryker¡¯s. His eyes shot to mine E O immediately with worry and concern but I shook my head. Now was not the time to talk about it. A part of me hoped that if I ignored it then it would go away but it only seemed to get worse. I felt the buzz closer to the surface of my skin, as if it was crawling to get out. It pushed against every boundary and border I had until my head was pounding in my skull. We suddenly came to a stop and I blinked in confusion when I saw a farmnd or what should have been a farmnd. All the crops were dead. I wasn¡¯t sure how possible it was for all the crops in a single field to be dead at the same time but that was what I was looking at. The buzzing under my skin had intensified but I was too confused to pay attention to it. ¡°Why are we looking at a field?¡± Juan asked voicing everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°If his crops died then maybe he should try a new fertilizer or some dung. I smelled some on the way.¡± ¡°He says that they were fine yesterday but he came out this morning to this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Ryker cut in. ¡°Crops don¡¯t just die overnight. They must have been dying for a while and he either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care. There isn¡¯t much we can do about this. They¡¯re already dead. It was probably an oversight on-¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut him off and everyone turned to me.¡± ¡°Something happened here. I can feel it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ryker asked but I paid no heed to him. I took a step closer and touched the pad of my finger to a single leaf. The immediate lurch I felt had me doubling over. The power raced out of me and would have continued had Ryker not pulled me away. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I was dizzy and out of focus. It took me a full minute to get my mind back in order and get back on my feet. Ryker wouldn¡¯t release me though and I could see the fear and worry in his eyes. There was also slight annoyance towards me for putting myself in danger but I needed to be sure. The moment I felt that tug of power, I knew that whatever happened here must have been magical, I just needed to confirm it. ¡°Someone used magic to drain the life from these,¡± I exined aloud. ¡°That is why the moment I touched it, my power went out of me. It is healing magic and that is exactly what it was doing, look.¡± I gestured to the single leaf and in front of our eyes, the nt unfurled and stood 10:16 Tue, 12 Mar strong and healthy further confirming my suspicions. 3 ¡°Why would someone attack the crops with magic? That sounds like a waste of time,¡± Christine mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Do they n to starve the kingdom to an early grave? There are better ways to attack.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is about an attack,¡± I whispered softly. I didn¡¯t want to voice the rest of my thoughts but when I nced over at Ryker, I could see that he was thinking the very same thing. The other two were confused and I decided it wasn¡¯t their battle. ¡°We should return. Offer the farmer our condolences and tell him that we will look into it. Make him believe that it was a parasite.¡± Christine looked suspicious but she nodded nheless. ¡°Are you sure? What if he doesn¡¯t believe that?¡± ¡°Make him believe it,¡± I shrugged. ¡°You can be very persuasive when you want to be. I have a feeling this will not be the only attack. If he believes it is a parasite then it makes it easier to convince the rest of the people.¡± ¡°What is going on, Cami?¡± she asked but I shook my head. ¡°Nothing worth mentioning, we will be waiting for you in the carriage.¡± Ryker and I walked away leaving them whispering between themselves in confusion. Once we were alone, he finally turned to me. ¡°Do you know who did it?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I have never felt magic that strong before. It didn¡¯t feel like my powers were being drawn, it felt like my entire life force was being fed on.¡± ¡°You need to learn how to control this, Cami. I can find a witch or something, anything that can help you. This is absurd.¡± ¡°My powers aren¡¯t something that people are ustomed to. We can ask Loris to help but I doubt there is much he can do. He is used to dealing with elementals. This is out of his pay grade.¡± ¡°Well we cannot just sit around, can we? Whoever did this, could they have known about your issues?¡± I thought about it for a second before shaking my head. ¡°No one but us knows, not even the elders. We have been very careful about this. They probably just killed the crops to scare us. I doubt this was done because of me. It could also be that it was done because of a perceived slight done by the farmer.¡± The more I spoke, the less I believed it but I desperately wanted it to be true. It was easier to believe that this was a single isted event than it being a full blown war on the brink or h orizon. ¡°What could a farmer do to pis s off a witch that strong?¡± Ryker asked but I couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know and I am not sure if I want to know.¡± Christine and Juan returned a few minutester and the ride back to the pce was quiet. No one dared to speak for fear that they would say the words that no one wanted to hear. As soon as we arrived, I excused myself to my office where I began making notes. I started after we returned from the vacation house a few months ago, it was my way of being closer to my father. He had kept tons of journals so I started keeping one too. I hoped that someday they would be of use to my children and hopefully not because they were on the brink of a war. I started making notes about the nts and my powers when I heard the door to my office creak open slightly. I looked up to see Ryker with a small smile and a mug of what smelled suspiciously like hot chocte. ¡°I figured we could just use a second to rx,¡± he offered and I nodded immediately. He let out a sigh of relief and closed the door behind him. ¡°It is almost like we can never catch a break here.¡± I took the mug from him and took a small sip. I couldn¡¯t stop the small moan that left my lips. ¡°This is amazing,¡± ¡°Cami, baby, you cannot pretend like your problems don¡¯t exist. Something is happening here and you know it. I would like to nip this at the bud before it grows into something we cannot handle.¡± ¡°It is hard to fight something that you do not know. The only person who did was Audrey and I¡¯m not putting her through that again. We are as blind as bats right now and all we can do is sit and wait for something to show up.¡± ¡°Nothing ever shows up without casualties.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I admitted softly. ¡°Is it wrong to sometimes wish that wasn¡¯t queen? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love it on a good day but there are days, like this one that ¡°The way I see it, I get to give my children the best life they can ever ask for. I get to make sure that the world they live in is a perfect ce. I think that¡¯s worth it all, don¡¯t you?¡± 0 Chapter 159 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V There was an underlying tone of panic ru There was an underlying tone of panic running through the pce over the next two days. We had kept the issue with the crops nder wraps but Cami was working herself to death trying to find a way to control her powers. She had been trying for months but so far was only able to stop it if the tug was slight- whatever that meant. I hated that I didn¡¯t understand what was happening because it meant I couldn¡¯t help. She barely came back to bed unless she was too exhausted to move or passed out and I had to carry her in. It didn¡¯t matter that she was working herself to an early didn¡¯t care. She felt solely responsible for everything that happened and no matter how many times I told her that she wasn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t listen. grave, s This morning, she managed to sleep in and I didn¡¯t wake her up. When the maid arrived to rouse her for training, I sent her away. She slept well into ten a.m. before she finally woke. I was seated by the edge of the bed with a tray of breakfast ready for her. I saw the confusion on her face get reced with a small smile for one full minute before the panic kicked in and she leaped from the bed like one being chased. ¡°Cami, stop,¡± I said softly but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. Her attention was elsewhere as she tried to gather her bearings. ¡°I canceled all your training for the day. I sent Loris home and I asked the maid not to make you.¡± every She stilled in a way that was soical, I would haveughed had it not been a dire situation. She turned to face me slowly and her face was devoid of emotion as she spoke. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Because you need a break, have you taken a second to look at the bags under your eyes?¡± ¡°That is a weird way to tell your mate that she looks beautiful.¡± I sighed as I stood to my feet, abandoning the tray of food on the bed. I crossed the length of the room until I was standing in front of her, I wasn¡¯t sure who made her night gowns but they were a dream. They flowed to the floor unhindered but somehow managed to give a perfect silhouette of her curves. Every time I saw her in them, I was blown away and grateful that I was the only man who got to see her like this. I ran my hands up her shoulders softly until m fingers tangled in her hair. I tipped O < her head back so that she was staring into my eyes and I heard her breath hitch in her throat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I whispered ignoring her question. ¡°You always have and you always will but I also need to tell you that you need to rest, Cami. You are exhausted and if you continue like this, I can guarantee that you will not be avable to help when you are needed the most.¡± ¡°I am getting closer.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± it wasn¡¯t meant to discourage her, it was just the truth. What she wanted to learn would take years at least, something had messed with her powers and she couldn¡¯t fight the universe, she couldn¡¯t fight nature. ¡°At this point, it is best to just take precautions.¡± ¡°I can do more,¡± she argued. ¡°I know I can, you know I can.¡± ¡°I know that you are doing your best and that should be enough for now,¡± I walked her over to the bed and led her to sit gently. ¡°Rx, eat, you have a day off and goddess knows how many you will be able to get in theing days.¡± Her brows furrowed as suspicion climbed up her spine. ¡°Why did you say it like that? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing of importance right now,¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°The elders asked us to meet with them but they can wait. This is about you, alright?¡± I could see her hesitate so I leaned forward and kissed her. She froze for a second but in no time, she melted against my lips and I felt her shoulders sag with relief. It was a dream to feel her rxed against me. I reluctantly pulled back and the desire in her eyes knocked me back. I forced myself to swallow the lump in my chest and cleared my N?velDrama.Org owns this text. throat. ¡°Eat, baby, please.¡± She smiled slyly as if she knew exactly what she was doing to me. ¡°Okay, sit with me, will you?¡± When she asked with those wide eyes of hers, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say no. We didn¡¯t end up leaving the room until after noon. The elders were quick to assemble in the council room although they didn¡¯t look pleased about it. We had formed a sort of cordial rtionship where we only met when things were dire, we mostly tried to stay out of each other¡¯s way because it was not a hidden secret that we didn¡¯t like them and vice versa. The only elder we got along with was Caius and wed Chapter 159. ? that was because he wasn¡¯t a self righteous asshole like the others. ¡°Your majesties,¡± one of them drawled as Cami and I made our way in. ¡°We were under the notion that this meeting would hold in the morning.¡± ¡°It is holding now,¡± was Cami¡¯s quick response. ¡°What do you want?¡± THE ¡°There have been someints from the towns folk. It was a downright pity about the crops that died. People are worried that there will not be enough food for the year. That farmer was one of the biggest suppliers and his entire-¡± ¡°See to it that the people have enough to eat. We have store houses filled with to eat. We have store houses filled with grain, I am sure that some can be taken out for the people,¡± I cut him off and he frowned. It was clear that was not what he would have chosen but he knew better than to argue. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°Then we would have to bid you-¡± I was cut off when the door flew open. At first, I thought it was Christine because only a member of the royal family would dare to throw open the council doors like that. I was shocked however when I saw a common guard. There was pure fear etched on his face as he made his way inside but something else was buried underneath- something akin to worry, only more potent. I vaguely heard one of the elders yelling but I lifted my hand to silence him. I turned to the boy. ¡°What is the matter? You look like you have seen a ghost.¡± ¡°There is a man, outside, he is walking but he is dead, you have toe see him.¡± The boy looked like he was about to pass out so I quickly gestured to one of the guards to go to him. He had barely reached when the poor boy slumped. He was still breathing but it was clear that whatever he had seen had spooked him. I watched him being led away before grabbing Cami¡¯s hand tightly in mine and leading her towards the front of the pce, Christine and Juan caught up to us with curiosity and worry etched on their faces. It was clear that news of whatever this was had already spread round the pce. It also meant that we needed to nip it at the bud because rumors never made things easier. By the time we got to the front door, it was packed with guards. They were standing in a circle around something but they made a path once they saw that it was us. By the time we got to the center, I was stunned. I pulled Cami behind me ¤Ë gently because I had no idea what we were dealing with and thest thing I wanted was for my mate to be within reach of it. The man in front of me- if he could be called that- looked like death on legs. His- skin was a sickly pale shade so light that I could make out his veins. His eyes were red and bulging and he looked like he was one second away from keeling over. His lips were white and ashy and his entire body trembled yet he looked sentient enough to be standing upright. ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked and he turned his attention to me. ¡°When did this start?¡± ¡°I woke up this way,¡± his voice shook and his entire body moved as he spoke. ¡°Please help me.¡± ¡°Where is the physician?¡± I yelled and as if summoned, I saw him rush through the crowd with his son at the side. He gently guided the man into the pce and I saw the guards split open a passage for them as if scared of being infected. The whispers began almost immediately and I couldn¡¯t even me them. This was terrifying at best and a prank at worst. I had never seen something so terrible in my entire life. ¡°What are you doing standing here?¡± I yelled towards the guards once the man was gone. ¡°Return to your posts, now! If I heard even a word of this breathed, the offender will be punished.¡± They immediately cleared leaving just the four of us. Once they were gone, I noticed the stricken look on Cami¡¯s face and immediately turned to her. ¡°What is it? Do you know him?¡± I asked but she shook her head. ¡°Then tell me.¡± ¡°It was my powers, I could feel it calling out to him.¡± My brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°What do you mean it was calling out to him? How does that work?¡± ¡°You know the tug that I feel? Imagine that but intensified. It felt like a mate bond, like whatever was inside of him or wrong with him was a distant rtive to what is inside of me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I told her and she groaned. ¡°I know I am not making any sense but that is what I felt. I need to see him.¡± Chapter 160 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V Two things went through my mind at the exact same time. The first was that we needed to get a grip on things and the second was that Cami had to be suicidal or crazy to think I was letting her within range of the man who looked like death on legs. She started to move before I even realized what was happening. I reached out to grab her but she was faster than I had ented for. I muttered a small AT curse under my breath before following after her. It didn¡¯t take long for me to catch up to her and slide in front of her making here to a quick halt. ¡°Where the hell do you think you are going?¡± I asked crossing my arms over my chest. She tried side stepping me but I was quick to stop her. ¡°I love you, baby, but there is no way in hell you are going to him. He is one foot away from door¡¯s death.¡± ¡°If you ask me he is already in,¡± Juan mumbled alerting us to his presence. Christine jammed her elbow into his side and all he did was smile widely. ¡°I am just saying what we are all thinking.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said about my powers?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°That should exin why I need to see him. There is something about him that is tied to my powers.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know if he is contagious. Think about yourself and the girls, your lives are more important than finding out about your powers.¡± It was a low blow to use our children but if it was the only thing that would get her to sit still then I was willing to do it. She fell silent not saying a word and I felt the air stretch between us as I waited to see her reaction. After a long beat of silence, she sighed. I let out a sigh of relief thinking she was going to drop it especially when she reached out and grabbed my hands. She gave me a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll never know until I ask. Besides, if he is contagious, we probably already caught it by now.¡± I was too stunned by her words to notice when she slipped her hand out of mine and rushed towards the physician¡¯s office. Christine¡¯s expression mirrored mine but Juan looked¡­ proud? I didn¡¯t have the time to assess his expression as I was chasing after my mate. She effortlessly slipped into the physician¡¯s quarters. I didn¡¯t want to go in just in case whatever that man had was contagious but the truth was, Cami was right. I muttered enough expletives to make a sailor proud before walking in after her. O Thu, LJ The physician was talking but stopped once he saw me. ¡°Your majesty, I was just exining to the Queen the anomalies I found in the subject.¡± ¡°He is a man, not a subject,¡± Cami corrected and the physician had the decency to look a little embarrassed. ¡°Right, of course, I apologize for the inconsideration,¡± he cleared his throat before turning his back on us so that he was facing the man. ¡°He seems perfectly healthy if you ignore the paleness of his skin and the fact that he obviously looks sick.¡± I frowned. ¡°I am not following.¡± ¡°He has the reflexes of a healthy man, something is tricking his brain into thinking he is sick. I have never seen anything quite like this in my entire life. I can say with great confidence that this has to be the work of something powerful.¡± ¡°A witch perhaps?¡± Cami cut in and he hesitated before nodding. ¡°Do you think he is contagious?¡± ¡°I see no reason to believe so.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Cami shot me an ¡®I told you so¡¯ look and all I did in response was roll my eyes. I peered over the physician¡¯s shoulder at the sick man. He was lying on the bed, he looked to be asleep but every breath he took lookedbored. It was as if he were struggling to stay alive. I wasn¡¯t sure why he was still trying. If I were in his position, I probably would have given up. I immediately knew he had something worth fighting for. No man would risk that much unless he had a family. ¡°Can you excuse us?¡± I asked aloud and the physician didn¡¯t ask any questions before bowing and walking out. I made my way over to the man. I wanted a closer look at him. The moment I was within reach, he reached out and grabbed me. ¡°Help me,¡± he whispered. For a sick man, he had a surprisingly tight grip. ¡°My mate, my son,¡± he coughed as he spoke. ¡°I need to go back to them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick, what you need is to get better. You are no use to them if you are dead,¡± I said simply as I pulled my hand out of his grip. He let out a loud wail and reached out for me again but this time, I was faster. ¡°Please, they will die if I don¡¯t return. I know they will. I have to get better, help me get better. I know she can.¡± He said thest sentence while looking pointedly at Cami and I frowned. I had seen men w after desperate attempts at life but this wasn¡¯t it, this was a man who was certain that he was right. Someone or something had told him that Cami [I] O could help him and it made my hackles rise. 3 ¡°How do you know that?¡± I asked but he fell silent. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up so he was half hovering over the bed. ¡°Tell me how you know right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he yelled finally. ¡°I can just feel it. It is like a tug in my bones, something about her is drawing me closer. She can feel it too, I know she can.¡± I turned to face Cami and there was something akin to pain on her face. I knew he was right and she did too. I could see er inching closer and I knew what she wanted to do but before she could, I pressed down slightly on a spot in his neck. He immediately passed out. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± Cami eximed as she came closer but I stopped her. ¡°He said that I could help him. You know I can.¡¯ ¡°Not at your detriment, Cami. If I have to make a choice between a random man and you, I will choose you, always.¡± ¡°He has a family. He has a son, you heard him.¡± ¡°You have a family too and I am sorry to say but his son means nothing to me. They will have my heartfelt condolences and nothing more.¡± I felt no ounce of guilt for my decision. My mate was always going toe first, before the kingdom, before my position and before the people. Some would say that made me a bad ruler but I didn¡¯t care. What good was I as a ruler if I couldn¡¯t protect the people I loved the most? ¡°Please, Ryker,¡± she begged. ¡°Just let me try, if you feel it is too much then you can pull me away. I will never forgive myself if I don¡¯t at least make an effort.¡± ¡°To what end?¡± I asked and she coc ked her head to the side in confusion. ¡°Why does this matter to you so much?¡± ¡°I was given these powers to help people, allow me help them, please.¡± I wanted to refuse, it was at the tip of my tongue but I knew that she would hate me for a very long time if the man died so I hesitantly nodded. I saw the relief flood her body instantly. She took slow steps forward showing that she was as worried and anxious as I was. I watched her nce over at the door and I immediately knew what she wanted. I was quick to lock it, so far, no one knew how her powers had developed and I O ? wanted to keep it that way. We were unsure if her blood still possessed healing abilities or if it was now just on her skin. This would have been a good time to try it but Cami was as stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be and she wanted to do this her way. She sat at the edge of the bed before leaning forward and holding his hand. At first, nothing happened and then I saw it. I had seen it a few times and it never got easier to watch. The way her body lurched was unnatural and the expression in her eyes was one of pure pain. I watched her double over for a second before gritting her teeth and forcing herself into a sitting position. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she managed out. ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad as the others. I think it recognizes us as kin spirits or something. I promise you, it is okay.¡± It went on for what felt like hours but in reality was only a few seconds and I saw some of the spots on his arms begin to clear. I wanted to pull her away but she shook her head. I didn¡¯t know why I was just standing back and watching her, it was almost like I wasn¡¯t in control of my own body. Finally, I watched as she lurched back from him. His hand left hers and I was immediately by her side. She swayed as she fell into me and I pushed her hair back so that I could see my face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked and cursed when she didn¡¯t immediately respond to me. ¡°I should have never let you do this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she mumbled as she tried to wave me off. ¡°What happened, Cami?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin it,¡± she nced over at the man on the bed who looked a lot healthier than he did when he first arrived. ¡°It was almost like whatever was in him wanted my powers. I felt it take and take until it had enough and it pushed me off.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± She hesitated before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Chapter 161 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The physician was instructed to keep us in the loop and from what I heard, the man was doing better. He was still weak and couldn¡¯t walk on his own but he was healing. Ryker was still pis sed about my little stunt and wouldn¡¯t let me see the man. I could have pushed but I knew better than to do that. His worry was not baseless or unfounded neither was he being overbearing. He wasn¡¯t preventing me from going anywhere, he just ensured that I stayed under the heavy and watchful gazes of Steven and Kevin. The only other person who knew what had happened was Loris and it was only so that he could help me train my powers, so far though, we wereing up empty. ¡°I think I want to stop,¡± I said after another failed attempt and he frowned. He had gotten a single ear of corn from the affected farnd and that was what we used to train. Whatever was in those nts was a lot stronger than me and I hated the constant reminder. I crossed my arms over my chest when I saw Loris¡¯ disappointed gaze. I should have been bothered by it but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. ¡°If you give up all the time, how do you expect to gain control over it?¡± he asked and I rolled my eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten full control of my elemental powers. Thest thing I need is to have something else to master.¡± ¡°Quite the contrary I believe, I think it is exactly what you need. Have you even used your powers in recent times?¡± he asked and I shook my head. He gestured forward and it took me a minute to realize that he wanted me to try. I immediately shook my head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m done for the day.¡± ¡°We still have five minutes until your traininges to an end. Unfortunately your majesty, until those five minutes are up, I am in charge.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°That is a bold statement to make.¡± ¡°It is the truth, go ahead, do something.¡± I flicked my wrist and theke rose up into arge wall. I nced over at Loris who had the audacity to look unimpressed. I twirled it into the shape of arge horse and he yawned. I let it drop and crossed my arms over my chest before turning to 11:47 Fri, 15 Mar C look at him. ¡°Water out of the ground,¡± he instructed and I scoffed. ¡°I would like to believe that I am doing something right in my teachings.¡± ¡°I could argue that you aren¡¯t,¡± I dusted the dirt off my pants. ¡°Your five minutes are up, Loris. I will see you tomorrow, or not.¡± I started to walk away and he said nothing until I had gotten towards the entrance of the pce. ¡°Fearing your powers will do nothing for you, Cami. You need to try. Failing doesn¡¯t mean you are weak, it is the only way you will grow.¡± I didn¡¯t turn back or say a word. I just walked away. Steven and Kevin were instantly nking my sides but I ignored them. The only thoughts in my mind were of Loris¡¯ words. Was he right? I wasn¡¯t quite sure but I just needed some space. I wasn¡¯t scared of my powers or of failing, I just had a lot to worry about right now and mastering water was not one of them. ¡°Your majesty,¡± a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see an unfamiliar man walking up to me. Steven and Kevin made their way closer but I held out a hand to stop them. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t remember me,¡± he chuckled lightly. ¡°Thest time you saw me, I was one foot away from door¡¯s death. You saved my life, thank you.¡± As I looked at him longer, I noticed the simrities between him and the almost dead man who stumbled into the pce. He looked a lot better now that his skin had some color and he was standing on both feet without a hitch. He also wasn¡¯t struggling for breath anymore. ¡°How are you?¡± I was still so stunned by the developments. I had no idea what I was expecting once he was better but this was not it. ¡°Also, I shouldn¡¯t be the one you thank. The physician did most of the work. We were able to find some herbs that worked-¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t lie to me,¡± he cut me off and I went silent. I cleared my throat and turned to the guards behind me. ¡°Excuse me please.¡± ¡°Your majesty, we were told that you should never be let out of our sights.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a request,¡± I cut them off and they hesitated for a second before nodding and walking off. Once they were gone, I turned to the man in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you, the physician, is responsible for your health.¡± ¡°You have powers,¡± he said simply. ¡°There was something inside of me, it was like a virus, it was eating at me, it was almost in control. I was there, I could feel, I could think but I couldn¡¯t act. It told me that you could heal me and if I got better then it would be because of you. I know you are the only one who could have done it.¡± ¡°You should know better than to listen to your own inward ramblings while sick. There was ni talking virus, it sounds like the thoughts of a man close to the doors of death.¡± He let out an exasperated sound. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my thoughts, I know what I am saying.¡± I feigned ignorance. ¡°You should return to your family, you said you have a wife and a son. I am sure they are eagerly waiting for your arrival. I have things to attend to.¡± I walked away without another word and I briefly got a glimpse of his frown before I walked away. Steven and Kevin were waiting a distance away from me and once they sighted me, they started following me again but I wasn¡¯t focused on them, I needed to see Ryker. I made my way over to his office and walked in. He was talking to a guard when he saw me. He took one look at my expression and dismissed the younger boy. I waited until the door was shut before I started speaking. I told him everything that man had said and once I was done, he fell silent. He ran his hands down his jaw in deliberation. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked finally and he shrugged. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have healed him, I will stand and die on that hill,¡± he said simply and I frowned. ¡°What did you expect me to do? Did you want him to die?¡± ¡°If what he is saying is true, then that wasn¡¯t normal, it could have been the witch lurking and controlling him. What do you think will happen once the witch realizes that you can truly undo what he or she has done?¡± I stayed silent but it was a rhetorical question because he answered. ¡°They wille for you, they will try to take you. I would prefer to let one man die than to have you on some witch¡¯s radar.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know if that will happen.¡± ¡°I do,¡± his voice was soft. ¡°Look, there is no need talking about this. We just have to wait and see. He just went home, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°All we can do is wait. Things O Fri, 15 Mar are only going to get worse from here, Cami, I can promise you that.¡± Ryker¡¯s pessimism could be annoying a few times but the truth was that he was almost always right. I hoped that this wasn¡¯t one of those times because I wasn¡¯t sure how many people I could heal before burning myself out. Healing that man had taken so much of me, if there were more then it was a sure way to drain myself to an early grave. After my discussion with Ryker, I busied myself with work. Audrey had returned to school and I had Aurora ying in the center of my room while I worked. Christine wanted to watch her for me but Juan had organized a date for them. It was a secret and I didn¡¯t want to put a stopper in their ns. Aurora fell asleep sometime around noon and I left her in a small bed by the foot of my table while I finished up my work. A knock on my door snapped me out of my work and I looked up only to see that it had gotten a little dark. I didn¡¯t realize I had been working for so long. My door opened and Caius made his way in. He looked concerned and that was enough to have my spine straightening. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°If it is bad news, you might as well just take it away right now. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±. He smiled softly. ¡°It isn¡¯t bad news, don¡¯t worry. It is about the man who was sick.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He goes around telling everyone that he owes his life to you. Of course, I have sent men to put a stop to it and tag his ramblings as those of a sick man. I just assumed this was something that you would like to know. Is there a reason he says this?¡± I thought about it. I could have told him everything regarding my powers but Caius already knew too much. He knew about Audrey¡¯s powers and I didn¡¯t want to risk anything by telling him more. I simply shrugged. ¡°He had been saying that since he was here. Like you said, it is probably just the ramblings of a sick man. There is no need to pay heed to it.¡± It was obvious that Caius didn¡¯t trust me because he frowned. ¡°You know that you can trust me, right, your majesty?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I responded almost immediately. ¡°But the truth is that there is nothing to be said. If you would excuse me, I have some work to attend to and I have to take my daughter back.¡± 11:47 Fri, 15 Mar & GE Q He pursed his lips but said, nothing and nodded. I picked Aurora up rousing her a little before walking out of the room behind him. I was making my way towards the stairs when I heard somemotion a few feet away. I started making my way over there but Steven was quick to jump in front of me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should go there, your majesty,¡± he said simply and I raised a brow. ¡°Is there any particr reason as to why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just,¡± he began but trailed off. ¡°You¡¯re with your daughter and it might be a bit loud.¡± Kevin scoffed before speaking up. ¡°There is a long line of people standing there asking to meet with you so that you can heal them. Apparently, they believe the ranting of the sick man. They want your magical healing touch.¡± Çú Chapter 162 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I didn¡¯t go out to see the people, it was a fool¡¯s mission. I figured the best thing to do was to ignore them and they would leave but by the next morning, they were still there. ording to the I from the guards, the line had increased reports HEF considerably and a few of them had slept there overnight. It was insane to say the least and it didn¡¯t matter how many people came out to tell them that I couldn¡¯t heal them, no one wanted to listen to it. If I was being honest, I didn¡¯t me them, they were terrified and this was the only slither of hope that they had. It was cruel to rip it away from them but it was a from them but it was a necessary evil. They were too disruptive and they were causing a lot of concerns around the pce. Even the elders were worried, that much was obvious the moment they called Ryker and I for another emergency meeting. ¡°You have to find a way to get rid of them,¡± one of them said. He tried to hide it but he was tapping his feet anxiously and wringing his fingers. ¡°They cannot be allowed to stand there for so long. If they stay, they will overpower us.¡± ¡°What do you suggest I do?¡± I asked folding my hands in myp. ¡°I cannot just throw them away. I am one woman, and I don¡¯t have the capabilities to heal them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± he asked and I raised a brow. ¡°Is there something that you are insinuating?¡± ¡°How did the man get healed so quickly? We know you could heal people from the time of the vampires. You have been suspiciously quiet about your abilities since then. You know how to heal them, why don¡¯t you just do as they ask and get it over with?¡± I stretched out my hand to him. ¡°If you want to take the blood right out of my veins then go ahead but I hate to tell you that it will do you no good. My powers died with the vampire king. They were given to me specifically to outsmart and thwart him. The moment he died, there was no use for it anymore.¡± It was a huge bluff but one that I was willing to take. Under the table, I felt Ryker slide his hand over my thigh. It was a simple gesture but one that meant the world to me. I kept my eyes fixed on the elder almost taunting him to say something. He was quiet for a full minute before sighing. ¡°We need to find something else then, something to make them believe that they are healed. Perception can be a far greater tool than reality,¡± he offered. ¡°If you 11:12 Sat, 16 Mar could just pretend to heal them, if you could bless them then maybe they will leave.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± asked. ¡°What happens when they return to their homes and they are not healed? What happens when they realize that it was nothing but a sham? They will turn on, and I will be the brunt of their anger. Angry people make for terrible subjects and I will not be the center of a mob¡¯s rage. Feel free to do it if you want.¡± He frowned. ¡°You are the one they want.¡± The other elders began to whisper in agreement. ¡°You need to do something to appease them.¡± ¡°I am not a prized cow meant to be milked at the desire of the public,¡± I shot back and everyone fell silent. ¡°I will not be pulled around like a puppet on a string. Your job as elders is to keep the peace, so do it and do not bother me until it is done. If there is anyone with a legitimate condition that seems out of the ordinary, bring them to the physician and he will heal them to the best of his abilities, if it is not then send them away. I do not care how it is handled, only that it is handled. Am I clear?¡± No one dared to speak, there were sca ttered nods all around the room and I turned to see Ryker looking down at me with a proud and amused expression on his face. Once I was sure that they understood, I stood to my feet and Ryker followed suit. We walked out without another word and it wasn¡¯t until we were safely out of the council room that I let out the breath I was holding. Ryker was leaning against the wall with a small smirk ying on his lips and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from laughing out loud. He followed suit soon after and we stood there like children giggling in the hallway of the pce. The sounds of ourughter echoed off the walls with no one to share in it but us. ¡°You definitely put them in their ce,¡± he mused after he had calmed down. ¡°I guess they won¡¯t be coming to you for advice anytime soon.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I just want the people to go back home. We worked so hard to keep this under wraps, thest thing we want to do now is risk anyone finding out that I still have them.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem if you hadn¡¯t healed the man like I suggested,¡± I didn¡¯t bother responding because I knew his words held no bite. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now anyway, this is what we have been dealt with and we have to make the best of it. Let us hope the elders are able to send the crowd away. I don¡¯t want to have to exin to Audrey why she cannot go to school tomorrow as well.¡± I grimaced as I thought about how sad she was when she got the news today. I couldn¡¯t risk her safety by sending her out in a carriage with the others. There was no telling what an angry mob would do to a child and I didn¡¯t want to risk it. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± I mumbled more to myself than him. I hoped that by saying it, I would believe it. ¡°We have a lot of work to do today, will you walk with me?¡± It took over four hours but the elders were finally able to clear the crowd. I didn¡¯t know what they said to them and I didn¡¯t ask because some things were better off left unsaid. I was just relieved when I looked out the window and there was no longer a long line of people waiting for me. It turned out that most of them were just paranoid, they weren¡¯t actually sick or dying- just terrified. Once I was sure that the people were okay, I sent out some spies to keep an eye out for the man that I had healed. I wanted to be updated on his whereabouts, what he did and who he spoke to daily. From the feedback I got, he spent most of his time- indoors with his family. A few people had tried to visit him but he hadn¡¯te out all day. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. I tried not to focus on it too much but it was hard. I wanted to know how it was possible for news to spread that quickly and why he spread it despite me asking him not to. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I went through the night time. motions on autopilot. I didn¡¯t even realize when I had finished dinner or taken both daughters to their rooms. It wasn¡¯t until Ryker put his hands on my shoulders and steered me to a stop that I realized what I was doing. ¡°I think you need to rx,¡± he muttered and before I could ask, he started pulling me forward. ¡°Come with me.¡± I tried to ask where we were going but he didn¡¯t answer me. He led me down the stairs and out through the back door. I could see the confusion on the faces of the guards but none of them dared to ask us any questions. Ryker led me deeper into the forest until we were far enough from the castle that no one could identally walk in on us. ¡°Whenst did you go for a run?¡± he asked as he undid the buttons of his shirt. ¡°You have been strung up tightlytely. I think it has been two weeks to a month?¡± It was three weeks but I didn¡¯t want to tell him that, it would only further solidify his theory. I simply stayed quiet and crossed my arms over my chest as he took off his clothes. It wasn¡¯t until he was down to his underwear that I finally blushed and looked away. ¡°Take a run W She said and I scoffed. ¡°What is the big deal, Cami? It isn¡¯t hurting anyone. No one is here. Why won¡¯t you do it?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Even you don¡¯t have a good excuse, I¡¯ll race you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re faster.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smaller, you can weave through shortcuts.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I debated it for a second before sighing. ¡°What do I get if I win?¡± ¡°Anything you want,¡± I raised a brow but he quickly cut in. ¡°If I win, I also get anything I want. Do we have a deal?¡± It was a fool¡¯s errand but I was feeling highlypetitive so I nodded. ¡°Deal.¡± The corner of his lips tipped up as I quickly pulled off my dress. It was a nightmare to maneuver but I managed to do it. He turned his back to me once I was down to my underwear and I quickly shifted. It felt good to be in my wolf form, it was like taking a stretch after being cooped up in a carriage for a long time. Ryker¡¯srge ck wolf sauntered over to me and he nuzzled my fur with his nose. I let out a small whine and sat as he licked my fur affectionately. ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked down the bond but I didn¡¯t respond. I waited for the right moment before pushing him onto his back and taking off. I felt himugh. ¡°Game on, Cami.¡± Chapter 163 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V The wind whipped through my fur as I ran, I wasn¡¯t going my fastest because if I did, the game would be over in seconds and I wanted to draw it out as long as possible. The chase was the most fun part of everything. It made catching her all the more worth it. I saw her light fur as she weaved through the smaller trees. She was truly taking my words into consideration and taking paths I didn¡¯t recognize but she didn¡¯t realize I had a better memory than she did, I came into these woods more than her and I knew them like the back of my hand. I took a right and I felt her confusion down the bond because that was thepletely opposite direction from where she was going. Regardless of that, she kept running. I could still see her out of the corner of my eye, my wolf vision was something to be rivaled. I wasn¡¯t sure if it had improved since bing prince but it was almost as if my senses were sharper Once I started hearing the sound of the stream, I took a sharp left just as she wasing out of the trees. She ran into me but I turned us over at thest minute so I would absorb the impact of the hit. She let out a whine while Iughed. She was on top of me sporting what looked like a small frown and I leaned up to lick her face- technically, my wolf did but in this state, we were one and the same. Our thoughts were always the same when it came to her, I never had to fight him, we just wanted her happy. A lot of people found it hard to control their wolves once shifted, it was the reason most people didn¡¯t do it often but I had learned from a young age how to be one with my wolf. We rarely argued or had differences, it was like having another living, breathing soul with the same thoughts and ideas.. ¡°You cheated,¡± Camiined still lying on top of me. I immediately flipped us over before slowly getting off her and nudging her towards theke. ¡°You ambushed me.¡± ¡°There was nothing against going through a short cut. My job was to catch you and I did.¡± She huffed and turned away from me. She wasn¡¯t truly upset, I knew that much so I waited until she had finishedpping up the water before I nudged her back to the ground and wrapped myrge form around her. At first, she tried pulling away . but she soon realized it was fruitless and she actually wanted it because she rxed into my hold. The moon was high in the sky and we justy there wrapped up in each other as the breeze it our skin. It was a different kind of bliss, one that couldn¡¯t be expressed in words ¡°Ryker,¡± she spoke softly down the link and I hummed. ¡°Thank you for this. I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed it until you brought it up. I feel more rxed than I have in weeks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I nuzzled her side. ¡°We all need a break now and again. You work too hard and you work yourself too much. Come out for a run once in a while.¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°I will, but I have a question. How are we going to get our clothes back, I don¡¯t even know where they are right now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find it.¡± I wasn¡¯t bothered about clothes in this moment. I had my mate in my arms, I had my family safe in the pce, there was nothing more that I needed. Everything else was calmly situated in the back of my mind where it belonged. At least, it was, until I heard a twig snap. My spine stilled and my ears twitched as I tried to figure out where the sound came from. Cami tried to rise but I put a paw on her side and let out a low growl warning her to stay down. Even in her wolf form, she rolled her eyes at me. She had a problem with my over protectiveness, she always did but until I found out what that was, I wasn¡¯t letting her go anywhere near it. I lifted my nose in the air trying to take a sniff but what I got back nearly had me throwing up. It smelled like rotting flesh and death. Death didn¡¯t have a particr scent but if it did, this would be it. It was pungent and horrible, as if all the bad in the world hade together. ¡°What is that smell?¡± Cami asked but I didn¡¯t respond. She rose on all fours but I nudged her until she was behind me. ¡°If I tell you to run then you run, am I very clear on that?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± I would have hounded her more about that but some leaves shook in the clearing on the opposite side of the stream. I let out a loud growl warning whoever it was to stay the f uck back but to no one¡¯s surprise, they didn¡¯t. When the leaves cleared I was not expecting to see a man there. He looked even worse than the first man we healed, his skin was ck, as if every cell in it had died. His eyes were hollow and they looked empty, he was fixated on Cami and he stretched out a hand to her. ¡°Help me,¡± he pleaded and the next thing I knew, he was falling into the stream. Cami tried to go after him but I stopped her. ¡°Get our clothes and get back here. I¡¯ll save him.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Now!¡± this time she didn¡¯t hesitate, she took off in the opposite direction while I jumped into the stream. It wasn¡¯t hard to retrieve the man but he felt heavier than a person was supposed to. I managed to get him onto drynd and thankfully, he hadn¡¯t drowned yet. He coughed out water and looked around as if expecting to see Cami. ¡°Where is she? Please, I need her help. She said that she could help me. She said that the Queen was my only hope.¡± I nudged at his mind. If he was from the pack then I could ess his mind link. His mind was different than most others I hade to rte with. It was like a deserted hallway filled with cobwebs, the scent of death lingered even in his mind also. I had never experienced anything like that before. I wanted to pull out of his mind but I needed to know. ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked. ¡°Who told you that the Queen could help.¡± ¡°The woman who did this to me,¡± he responded with a voice softer than a feather. ¡°She said that only the Queen could heal me. She said it was a test, she said she was helping her grow and I was practice. Please, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Cami returned with our clothes in her mouth. I reluctantly pulled away from the man so I could get dressed behind a tree. I was done first and went back to him. He hadn¡¯t moved an inch, he looked too exhausted to move and that led me to question how he managed to get through the woods alone at night. ¡°What were you doing here?¡± I asked but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°How did you manage to get here? Did she drop you off?¡± I could feel Cami¡¯s confusion but I made a m ental note to exin it to herter. My attention turned back to the man who managed to look at me. ¡°No, she left me in the, town. I came here on my own. I needed- I tried-¡± even speaking seemed to be hard for him. Cami reached forward to touch him but I grabbed her wrist. ¡°No,¡± I warned and she frowned. I exined everything the man had said down our bond. ¡°Whoever this woman is, she is baiting you, you aren¡¯t going to fall into her trap.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let innocent people die either. She is not going to stop, people are going to keep coming in the number and it will be our fault that they died. I am not like you, Ryker, I cannot live with the knowledge of that on my chest. Just let me touch him.¡± ¡°No, it drains you too much, why don¡¯t you try using your blood?¡± I asked and I saw her hesitate. Since we discovered this new development, we never saw need to try her blood. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it still worked. ¡°Just try it, Cami, there is no harm in knowing.¡± She pursed her lips but realized there was no other way I was going to let her try it. She found a sharp rock and sliced her palm open on it. Watching that alone was hard but I stayed close to her as she lifted her hand over his lips and allowed the blood drip freely. I knew her hand would heal within seconds but hopefully it was enough to heal him. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. At first nothing happened, he justy there quietly when he suddenly started to convulse. His body shook badly and foam started to gather in his mouth. Cami tried to reach out to him but I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away from him. She screamed and fought trying to get to him but I couldn¡¯t risk her life for a stranger. It might have been cruel but it wasn¡¯t something I would do. ¡°Ryker if you don¡¯t let me go, I swear I will never forgive you,¡± she cried out and I hated hearing her like that but I still wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°He is dying and this is my fault. Just let me make it right, please.¡± ¡°You have given too much.¡± She let out an ear splitting scream. ¡°Please, that is someone¡¯s son. If it were our girls, we would want someone to help them. Just let me do this one more time. Please, whatever I did is killing him. I am begging you.¡± Tears were free flowing down her cheeks and she looked at me with raw pain. I hated to see her like that, I wanted to take her as far away from this as possible but I knew her better than anyone and I knew she wasn¡¯t bluffing when she said she Chapter 164 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Panic rushed through me like flood as I rushed over to the man. I grabbed his wrist willing that gut wrenching reaction to take ce but it didn¡¯t. It felt like I waspletely empty but I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, I could still feel the power thrumming beneath my skin, I just needed a small push and he wasn¡¯t giving it. I concentrated all I could on that raw bright power inside of me, it was like a raging storm willing to erupt and I pushed. I willed it to flow out of me and into him and surprisingly it did. This time however, it didn¡¯te with the pain or the nerve wrenching experience. Maybe it was because I had finally controlled it for the first time but it flowed out of me easily, like a small stream. I watched as the man¡¯s skin illuminated slightly and I prayed to the goddess that he would be fine. There was a nudge in the back of my mind that told me when it was enough and I pulled my hand away from him. His skin was still ck but it was slowly turning back to its right color. My head swam as I struggled to bnce myself. I felt arms wrap around me from behind as Ryker pulled me to a standing position. I had to lean on him because of how weak and fragile I was. ¡°I hope that was f ucking worth it,¡± he mumbled and I immediately knew he was pis sed at me. I couldn¡¯t me him considering everything that had happened. ¡°What do we do now?¡± I asked and he scoffed. ¡°We don¡¯t do anything. We are leaving and we will pray that when he wakes up, he doesn¡¯t remember us.¡± I dug my feet into the ground to stop him from moving. ¡°You can¡¯t expect us to just leave him here. What if something bad happened to him?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t our problem anymore,¡± I opened my mouth to protest and he let out a groan of frustration. He turned to me and ced both hands on my shoulders the way he would with a child. ¡°I¡¯m going to say this once and very slowly, I don¡¯t give a s hit what happens to him. Imagine he wakes up with us right next to him, he will assume that you had something to do with it. We already had a problem with the people and trying to convince them that you don¡¯t have healing powers. Thest thing we want now is for them to start up again.¡± I knew he was right but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t worried about the man. There was a possibility that what I did didn¡¯t work. If that were true then it meant he would die all alone and no one deserved to die that way. However, I knew how risky it could be if we were found here so I nodded and allowed Ryker lead me away. I couldn¡¯t help but watch the man until we had gotten out of range. When we got to the pce, the guards watched us with varying degrees of confusion. We left smiling and happy and returned deep in thought and contemtion. Ryker hadn¡¯t said a word to me since we left the woods and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how pi ssed off he was at me. His wall was firmly in ce, I couldn¡¯t sense any of his emotions and neither could I read him. He rarely did that unless he was in danger or he had something to hide. We had gotten to our room when I finally spoke. ¡°Please say something. I hate the silent treatment.¡± He stilled as if debating his next words then chose not to say anything and instead made his way into the bathroom. I wanted to follow him and demand a response but I knew I didn¡¯t hold that privilege anymore. After the stunt I pulled today, doing that would have been a very stu pid move. When he returned, he had changed out of his clothes but his stoic expression hadn¡¯t eased one bit. He walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Christine. I wasn¡¯t sure when he mind linked her but she held a small tray of fruits in her hands. He thanked her and brought it over to me. He gestured to the bed and I didn¡¯t even realize when my limbs started moving of their own ord until I was seated. ¡°Eat,¡± he said simply cing the tray in myp. ¡°You used up a lot of your energy. You need to replenish it.¡± ¡°Can you at least say something,¡± I whispered but he said nothing. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re upset and for good reason to. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to-¡± ¡°Upset?¡± he cut me off with a humorlessugh. ¡°I¡¯m not upset, Cami, I¡¯m worried. I am worried about whether I can trust you not to make st upid decisions like these when you are alone.¡± ¡°What are you- ¡°I know you want to help everyone, believe me, I do. I don¡¯t understand why but I know it is who you are. You have to realize that you cannot help everybody. Not everyone needs to be saved. It is like a game of chess, you have to sacrifice some pieces to win the game.¡± ¡°He is a person, not a piece in a game.¡± ¡°We are all pieces in someone¡¯s game,¡± he shot back. ¡°Someone is pulling the strings and you are going along with it like her puppet. Listen, Cami, I want to protect you, I swear, I do but you are not making things easy for me.¡± I hated when he spoke like that, there was always an underlying sense of guilt that came with it. Did I understand what he was saying? Of course I did, I just didn¡¯t have to like it. I wanted to help everyone and I truly believed that everyone could be saved. Maybe it was a fantastical way of thinking, I didn¡¯t care, I just wanted to make sure that I did my best. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. I knew this conversation was going nowhere because of our vastly different beliefs on the subject. I didn¡¯t want to spend the time arguing when he had a wonderful evening. I put the tray on the bed and moved over until I was seated directly beside him. I intertwined our fingers together but he still didn¡¯t look at me. His eyes were fixed on the wall in front of us like it was the most interesting thing he had seen. ¡°I can¡¯t promise not to try to heal everyone,¡± I whispered. ¡°I mean, why was I given these powers if I wasn¡¯t meant to help everyone? Why was I made into who I am right now if I wasn¡¯t meant to make life easy for people?¡± ¡°You can make life easy when it is not at your own detriment.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡± I asked and he raised a brow. ¡°I can¡¯t heal everyone, I am sure about that but anyone that is in dire need of healing, I will help.¡± He opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off. ¡°When I say dire, I mean the person is on the brink of death with something that we can identify. If there are too many suspicious healings, people will notice.¡± He debated it for a second before nodding. ¡°Deal.¡± It was a good way to end the night especially since we weren¡¯t pis sed off at each other. After eating, I changed into my night dress and crawled into bed by his side. It was a rtively dreamless sleep at first until sometime in the middle of the night, I heard my name being called. I didn¡¯t recognize that voice, it sounded old and distant. I pinched myself to be sure I wasn¡¯t sleeping and although I felt the sting, my body didn¡¯t rouse. I was bathed in pure darkness, I couldn¡¯t even see what was in front of me. It was terrifying at best but I knew I was asleep, nothing could hurt me in my ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± the same old and distant voice asked. ¡°You should be wondering how I managed to get here in the first ce?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± I called out hating the way my voice echoed as if in a cave. Instead of the echoes getting lower, they got louder to the point where I had to m hands over my ears. my There was augh, it was condescending and filled with mirth. I felt the presence of whoever was speaking, there was something ancient and dark about it, something almost primal. I could feel the power radiating from them, it was raw but also warped, as if it had been tampered with and was now made into something that it shouldn¡¯t have been. ¡°You are not fit to know my name, Cami, but be rest assured that I know yours,¡± I recognized the voice as female but nothing more. ¡°You have done better than I imagined you would. You are growing into a wonderfully strong young woman. I thought my tests would be too hard for you but you passed with flying colors.¡± ¡°You sent the gues,¡± I deduced and although there was no verbal response, I knew I was right. ¡°What do you want with me? I don¡¯t want any problems. Just leave us alone and no one has to know about it.¡± ¡°Oh, my darling girl, I am just getting started,¡± I felt a phantom hand run down my cheek gently and I tried to swat at it but there was nothing there. ¡°We are going to have so much fun together. I cannot visit you this way again, but trust me when I say that we will be meeting soon enough and when we do, it will be the reunion of the century.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you want or who you are.¡± ¡°You will soon, but you have been asleep for too long, people are starting to worry,¡± before I could protest I felt an entire hand on my head. ¡°Now, wake.¡± Chapter 165 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I awoke with a gasp. The remnants of what was my dream swirled around my head ready to be taken away with the morning wind. I reached blindly for the dresser until I found my journal and ink and I started writing. I wrote down everything I could remember in a hurry. The sun was standing in the middle of the sky but I might as well have still been in the dark with how disoriented I was. I furiously scribbled until the nk pages were filled with words, half of which didn¡¯t make a lot of sense to me. ¡°Baby,¡± I looked up to see Ryker staring down at me with concern in his eyes. I I wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been standing there, all I knew was that there was worry in his features. He looked like he wasn¡¯t sure whether he wanted to pull me away ore to me. I slowly set down my pen and gave him the most easy going smile I could muster but that did little to ease his worry. He moved slowly, as if he were scared of spo oking me. I tracked every movement with my eyes until he was standing directly in front of me. He stretched out his hand to me and I took it. it wasn¡¯t until our skin connected that I realized just how cold I was. ¡°F uck,¡± he cursed as he pulled the nearby nket and draped it over my shoulders. ¡°Are you alright? You are ice cold. Do you want me to run you a hot bath?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said too quickly and his brows furrowed. He was clearly taken aback because that wasn¡¯t the response he was expecting from me. ¡°Can you just sit here with me?¡± in I didn¡¯t want to admit it but the truth was that I was terrified. I never had nightmares like that, it felt so realistic, like whoever that person was, she was truly my head. I had never felt so vited in my life and I wasn¡¯t sure how I was meant to react to it. I could still feel the coldness of her presence and the echo of her voice in the stillness around me. It was cold and eerie, like death itself and I recognized her presence, it was the same I felt in the withered crops and in the first sick man. Ryker didn¡¯t know what to do with me, I could feel his confusion and concern as he sat by me. He wrapped his arms around me and all I could do was ease into him. He whispered soft words into my ears and although I couldn¡¯t make out most of them, his presence was more than enough for me. I wasn¡¯t sure how long we stood there, it felt like hours but in reality, I knew it wouldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes of us just intertwined with each other. O 19 Mar ÊýÁã62% ¡°Are you going to tell me what this is about?¡± he asked and I shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you like this in a very long time, Cami, please don¡¯t make me push for an answer,¡± I exhaled deeply and told him everything. it sounded absurding from my lips and if it were a different person, I would have found it incredibly hard to believe. Words couldn¡¯t properly capture everything I had experienced but I tried my best. As I spoke, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was how Audrey felt after her visions. If it were, then I was d that we locked her powers. No one deserved to go. through this, it was a nightmare. By the time I was done speaking, Ryker was quiet and contemting. I risked a nce at him wondering if he thought I was crazy but there was not a single ounce of judgment on her face as he took me in. After a moment of silence, he leaned down and ced a kiss in the center of my head. No words were spoken but that was the loudest disy of solidarity that I had ever gotten in my life. His hands ran up and down my back in a calming motion. ¡°I believe you,¡± he said finally, ¡°and I am right here.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I didn¡¯t know how much I craved to hear those words until he had actually said them. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you didn¡¯t. I can¡¯t do this alone.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to,¡± he assured me with a soft smile. ¡°However, I am unsure if we can get extra help. It would be difficult to exin this to anyone else. For now, we are all we have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± It might have sounded cheesy but it was true. I didn¡¯t need anyone else. We had dealt with so much and I knew we could do it. We stayed in the room for anoth4r half hour before finally deciding to get ready for the day. By the time I got to my desk, there was a mountain of paper work to be done and I was grateful. Thest thing I wanted was to spend the rest of my day lost in my thoughts and trying to analyze the effects of my nightmare. I was so lost in my work that I missed both lunch and dinner. It wasn¡¯t until I got a knock on my door that I realized just howte it was. The door opened to reveal Audrey with Ryker walking directly behind her. She was struggling to bnce arge tray in her hands but her tiny face was screwed up in concentration. I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that grew on my lips as she got closer. ¡°I brought this for you,¡± she eximed as she tried to lift it onto my table. I had to O Tue, 19 H help her with it so it wouldn¡¯t tip over. She didn¡¯t look happy about that but she managed to stay silent about it. ¡°You didn¡¯te for dinner with us. Daddy said it was because you had a lot of work and you forgot.¡± I tried not to feel guilty but it was impossible. That familiar disgusting feeling of guilt was already crawling up my arms as I took in my daughter¡¯s innocent face. I nced over at my mate who was holding our youngest and he gave me a soft look of encouragement. He wasn¡¯t holding anything against me and neither was she, instead of fighting, I might as well just make amends and enjoy the opportunity I had been given. I turned back to Audrey. ¡°I did forget, I am sorry for that but thank you foring to find me. You are the most amazing little girl ever.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I kissed her forehead and she giggled. ¡°Can I sit with you?¡± Instead of responding, I lifted her and ced her on myp. Ryker took the seat opposite us while we ate. She stole pieces of fruit from my tray and sips of my drink. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to mind because simply being with them was enough for me. She told me about her day at school and I listened eagerly. It was great to hear that she was having a good time adjusting and was making a lot of friends. Her school experience was the direct opposite of mine and for that I was grateful. I wouldn¡¯t wish my experience on my worst enemy, much less my own child. I wanted her to blossom and be happy and everything I had done so far was for her benefit. She was oblivious to what could be brewing at the surface. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to regret my decision to have children but sometimes I wondered if maybe I should have waited until the world was a better ce first because they somehow always ended up getting tangled in the web. ¡°Mummy, are you listening?¡± Audrey¡¯s question snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her with a small smile. ¡°Of course, I am, I always listen to you,¡± I tickled her and she burst into a fit ofughter and squeals. It was a joyous sound, one that I hoped I would be able to listen to for the rest of my life. It was a sound of carefree joy and it was times like this that made me grateful that I had children. I couldn¡¯t imagine being stuck in such a dark world without a beacon of light and hope to keep me going and that was exactly what they were. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pulling Audrey into a tight hug. She didn¡¯t know what it was for but in her innocence, she just wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into me. I let out a sigh of relief as I inhaled her scent. ¡°I love you mummy,¡± she whispered and I was so emotional that I couldn¡¯t repeat the words back. There was another knock on the door that had me stilling. It waste at night, not many people would have dared to visit me at this time. Ryker went to open the door and there was a guard standing out there. He looked terrified as he stood there. He opened and closed his mouth a few times but no words woulde out. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that his eyes were more focused on Ryker than they were on me. ¡°What is wrong?¡± I asked but he couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°Can you take me to it?¡± He nodded and turned on his heels. I lifted Audrey on my hip and followed him. I didn¡¯t know what we were going to see but I wouldn¡¯t risk leaving her alone. The guard expertly weaved through the halls until he led us out of the castle. Steven and Kevin were following behind me but that did next to nothing to ease my worry. As we stepped out of the castle, I noticed a horse that seemed eerily familiar and standing next to the horse was a hunched figure. I reached forward but when the person turned to face me, I nearly stumbled over with a curse. I stood there in shock not believing what I was seeing. Their skin was as white as snow and there were pores all over, I almost didn¡¯t recognize them. ¡°Help me,¡± even the voice didn¡¯t sound human. It was shaky and croaking, almost as if it was a chore to speak. ¡°Please, I can¡¯t.¡± The person swayed and Ryker immediately rushed over to steady her with one hand. I was frozen in my ce as I watched. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey asked unsure. ¡°Why does Aunt Riley look that way?¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Ryker had his hands full with Aurora and Riley. I put Audrey on the ground and reached out to grab her sister from his hold. The moment I did, Ryker steadied his sister and carried her into the pce. Audrey was asking questions that I couldn¡¯t a minute. I held onto her hand and pulled her into the safety of the pce. I needed to be with Ryker right now but for that, I needed to make sure my kids were safe. hear because my thoughts were going a mile was asking I moved blindly until I was standing in front of Christine¡¯s room. I knocked harsher than I should have and waited impatiently. It took her two minutes to open the door and when she finally did, her hair was disheveled and the sleeve of her dress was pulled down lower than it should have been. Her cheeks were pink and she was breathing exceptionally hard. I should have felt guilty for interrupting her but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. ¡°I need you to watch them for me, please,¡± I begged and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was her general kindness or the desperation in my eyes, but she nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, what¡¯s wrong?¡± her voice wasced with concern and that spurred some movement from behind her because suddenly, Juan was at the door. He looked just as disheveled as she did. He looked down at Audrey and gave her a small smile. ¡°Hey pretty girl, what are you doing here?¡± he asked and she shrugged. ¡°Aunt Riley is sick and I think my mummy is worried about her. Daddy is with her right now,¡± she offered up so innocently. Christine turned to me with a raised brow but I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to discuss it, especially not in front of the girls. ¡°Well then,¡± Juan broke the silence with a small smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let your mummy go do her work? Come in, I¡¯ll show you a new game that I got.¡± I watched as Audrey was led in by Juan. Christine took Aurora from my arms without another word. The look in her eyes was encouragement enough and I forced myself to blink away the tears that had gathered there. I couldn¡¯t imagine what I would do without Christine. She was more than ready to drop her needs for mine all the time. It was a beautiful and selfless thing that sometimes I feel like I take advantage of. 1/5 11:24 Wed, 20 Mar S Chapter 166 ¡°Go and be with ¡°Thank your mate,¡± she whispered and I nodded. you, Christine, I won¡¯t forget this.¡± Christine, 66% +5 She waved me off and I rushed down the halls until I got to the physician¡¯s office. Ryker was pacing in the room when I got there while the physician was speaking to him. He didn¡¯t look like he was listening, he was lost in thought and it was obvious that he was one wrong word away from punching the physician. I cleared my throat to make my presence known and they all turned to me. h ¡°How is she?¡± I asked the physician and from his expression alone, I could already tell what he was going to say. ¡°I have never seen anything like this in my life. It could be something she contracted during one of her trips. I have given her something for the rash and something for the paleness, but these are merely symptoms and I don¡¯t think they will handle the underlying cause.¡± I hummed in understanding. ¡°Just give her whatever you can and let her rest. It just might be exhaustion from her trips and like you said, something she contracted. I am sure a night in the pce will do her some good.¡± He bowed and moved on to do as I had asked. I watched him fuss over Riley and prepare a potion for her. Ryker stood still by the corner but I noticed he kept tapping his feet anxiously. He watched as the physician fed the potion to his sister but all the while, he never said one word. I stood next to him just for support but he didn¡¯t even acknowledge me. Even when I tried to hold his hand, he immediately pulled away. He hated beingforted, it was something I hade to learn. I thought that he was getting better but it seemed I was wrong. There were certain things that would never change and it seemed like this was one of them. When the physician was done, he bowed to us and excused himself to give us some privacy. I knew Ryker wanted space as well so I slowly made my way over to the bed where she sat and sat by the edge. What she had wasn¡¯t like what the other two did, but I was certain it was done by the same person- the one in my dream. She was peacefully sleeping and I reached out to hold her hand. Like the second person, there was no tug of magic in my gut, just silence. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was getting a hold of my powers or if it was an effect of what had been done to them. ¡°I could try to heal her,¡± I offered up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how that would work because I 2/5 < Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 166 don¡¯t fully have a grip on these powers but I promise, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Ryker still didn¡¯t say a word and I turned to see that he hadn¡¯t stopped staring at her. There was something in his eyes akin to despair. It was rare to see him so broken, but here he was. He slowly moved from his spot at the wall and came to stand directly behind me, his eyes never once moving from his sister. 66% ¡°I practically raised her,¡± he whispered. ¡°When my mother died, my father couldn¡¯t care less about her. I fed her, I cleaned her and I bathed her, I taught her to read, I saw her first steps and I had to convince my father to send her to school because he didn¡¯t think that females should be educated.¡± He hadn¡¯t told me this part of their story yet. I knew they were all each other had but I never knew it was this bad. ¡°The only reason I knew I would be a good dad was because of her, because I felt if I could do a good job with her then I could do a good job with my own kid,¡± his eyes finally met mine and the sheer force of the emotion there nearly knocked me off my feet. ¡°Please, don¡¯t let her die. She cannot die. There is still so much for her to live for. She is the only other family I have left.¡± I nodded as I tried to blink away my tears. ¡°I will do everything in my power.¡± As I turned back to her, I muttered a small prayer to the goddess. If Riley died, I would never forgive myself, if I couldn¡¯t heal her, I would never recover. I healed two random strangers, I should be able to heal her. I closed my eyes and focused on the thrumming power inside of me and I willed it to flow out. I focused on pushing as much as I could into her. My powers were like light and a gently flowing stream but like the water, it hated to be controlled. Lucky for me, I had more than enough experience wielding water and I knew just how to apply pressure. I pushed hard and let out a gasp as I felt it leave me. It flowed in controlled waves and as power went from me to her, I realized that I had just learned to control it. I peeled one eye open and watched as the spot between our hands glowed a bright white. I just watched it flow until I figured it was enough. I didn¡¯t know how I knew, there was just an awareness in our subconscious and I severed the connection. I pulled my hand away from hers and the dizziness hit me at once. Ryker was immediately by my side with his hands around my shoulders. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked and I nodded which proved to be a terrible mistake 25 11:25 Wed, 20 Mar SS Chapter 166 66% because my head began pounding even more. ¡°Do you think she will be alright?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted softly. ¡°I did what I could but there is no way to know until she wakes up or- I trailed off because I didn¡¯t want to say the words but Ryker understood. He nodd and helped me to my feet. ¡°Thank you, regardless, you did your best and you tried to save her. I cannot begin to tell you just how grateful I am.¡± ¡°She is my sister too,¡± I assured hi,. ¡°I would do the same for anyone else.¡± +5 I managed to rise to my feet but I swayed. Using my powers took a lot out of me and I was yet to recover. Ryker picked me up bridal style before I could even realize what was going on and walked me up the stairs towards our room. I tried to protest that I could walk but I could barely form a single sentence without my head feeling like it would split open. When he got to the room, he gentlyy me on the bed. ¡°Will you be okay on your own here or do you need help changing?¡± I waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you can go and stay with her. I know you want to and I know she would be happy if she woke up with you by her side.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± he looked a little hesitant. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling okay, I can stay here. I should stay here. She might not wake up tonight but you need my attention.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± I groaned as I sat up straighter. ¡°Go to your sister, I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± He hesitated for a split second before pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead and rushing out. I watched him disappear and waited for the moment the door mmed shut before I stopped pretending and flopped against the bed. I managed to undo my dress and was about to dump it when I felt something drop on the floor. I looked down and saw blood. Another drop fell and I felt something run down my nose. I reached up to touch wary of what I would see and gasped when my fingers came back red.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 167 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I sat in the physician¡¯s quarters with Riley. She looked so peaceful as she slept, hershes fell to her cheeks and the steady rise and fall of my chest was the only thing that signified to me that she was alive. I watched the tiny movement for what felt like hours fearful that if I even blinked too long, she would never wake. The physician hade in a while ago to check on me but when he realized I wasn¡¯t going to leave, he excused himself and turned in for the night. A normal person would have done the same considering there were guards outside the room and Cami had healed her but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave. Just the thought of being away right now filled me with dread. I was the only family she had left and I wasn¡¯t going to leave her at a time like this. For as long as I could remember, it was me and her, that was how it had always been and I would be da mned if I allowed it change at such a perilous time. ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken in a while and I thought I would catch you up on things,¡± I began remembering something Cami had told me about being able to hear while in aa. ¡°You already know about Juan and Christine, ording to Cami, they¡¯re contemting starting a family. I think Christine would be an amazing mother if she decides to go down that path. I am also thinking of making Juan the second inmand. The official title is duke and I know he hates titles but I think he would like it.¡± She didn¡¯t move or even breathe deeper to show me that she heard. I should have stopped talking but I couldn¡¯t. Going silent would have meant that I was giving into my thoughts, it would have meant me thinking about everything that was going wrong. For a second, I wanted to pretend like I was speaking to my sister, like we were having a normal conversation and things were great. I wouldn¡¯t have to think about the possibility of her never waking up again. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here now, you¡¯ll be able to see Aurora walking. She prefers. to be carried like the little princess that she is but she walks now. It is a nightmare trying to make sure that everything is out of her reach because she has very fast and grabby hands,¡± I paused for a second before sighing. ¡°I missed you, I know why you had to leave but da mn, I wish you didn¡¯t. I can¡¯t wait for you to wake up and tell me all about your adventures until I think my ears are about to bleed. For one, I really hope you can hear me because you¡¯re not allowed to leave. You are the only good thing I got out of that shi t hole and I am not letting you go so easily.¡± I didn¡¯t realize my eyes had started to water until a lone tear slipped out. I wiped it away quickly and squeezed my sisters hand softly. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Just wake up, Riley, please,¡± I whispered beforeying my head on the edge of the bed. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to a hand on my shoulder. I jumped immediately thinking it was an intruder but there was pure shock on my face as I looked up at Riley. Her eyes were open and although she wasn¡¯tpletely healed, there was some color back on her face and her eyes didn¡¯t look as dull or as dead. I blinked twice hoping that it wasn¡¯t an apparition and she was really awake. ¡°Ar¨¨ you going to sit there staring at me all day? For someone who ims to have missed me you are doing a sh itty job at showing it,¡± she croaked out. Her voice was h oar se fromck of use and exhaustion but she still managed to have a small smile on her face. I pulled her into a hug and she let out a slight groan of pain before rxing into my hold. It felt surreal, even holding her, I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed it. A part of me had resigned to the fact that she might have died seeing as Cami couldn¡¯t say for sure or not if she was healed. I could almost picture Cami¡¯s excitement at knowing that she was awake. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked as I pulled back and she nodded. ¡°How do you feel? Do you think you¡¯re getting better?¡± She nodded immediately. ¡°Yesterday I felt like death itself, today, I feel amazing. I still feel drowsy and a little weak but it feels like someone breathed life into my body. Was it Cami? Did she heal me?¡± ¡°Yes, but not the way you¡¯re thinking,¡± I exined everything that had happened recently and she listened with rapt attention. By the time I was done, her eyes were wide and her mouth was open. ¡°We don¡¯t really know how it works but I think she is getting the hang of it now.¡± ¡°Your mate is so cool,¡± Riley said finally and I couldn¡¯t stop the slow smile that on my face. ¡°Where is she? I would like to thank her personally. I feel greatpared tost night.¡± grew ¡°I¡¯ll go get her but first, do you remember how this happened or who did this to you?¡± At that, her entire face fell and her body stiffened. I immediately knew something was wrong and took the seat in front of her. I held out my hand to her and held onto them tightly. She wouldn¡¯t meet my eye and as much as I knew I could force her, I also knew it would be better to let her juste to terms with it on her own ||| O < and speak to me whenever she was ready. A faraway look took over her and after a full minute of silence, she finally turned to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how exactly it happened. It was slow, I think. It started with a little white patch and some general weakness. I called off my trip immediately I started to feel weird and the day I arrived, I woke up looking like that. I was barely able to get here. The coach men on the train thought I was a ghost.¡± I thought about it for a second before humming. ¡°Was there anything different about the day the first symptom happened?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can barely remember what happened. All I know is that I had a weird dream. It was pitch ck but there was an eerie feeling there, as if someone was watching me. When I woke up the next morning, I had the white patch on my arm and somehow I knew that I had toe home. It was like something was driving me back here, to you guys. It was probably just my subconscious.¡± I didn¡¯t buy that it was just,a subconscious thing for one bit but for her sake, I hummed in agreement. I cleared my throat and stood to my feet needing to talk to Cami immediately. She was the only one who would understand the millions of thoughts going through my head at the moment. ¡°A maid will bring you something to it. I¡¯m going to call Cami,¡± I turned to leave but she stopped me. When I turned to her, she didn¡¯t speak, almost as if she was embarrassed about her next words. ¡°You didn¡¯t really think I was going to die, did you?¡± I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I don¡¯t n on leaving anytime soon, you¡¯re my family, I would at least give you a goodbye first.¡± I knew without a doubt that she had heard me. I leaned forward and ced a soft -kiss on her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I went to get the maid first. Christine was already in the dining room with the girls and the moment I mentioned Riley¡¯s name, Audrey let out a loud screech that shook the chandelier. I raised a brow at her and she flushed pink while reminding herself to use an inside voice. I assured her that she could see Riley but after she got the chance to rest and eat. She didn¡¯t like that but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. I was a bit confused as to why Cami wasn¡¯t at breakfast with the others but I figured that she was just taking ate morning, after all, she used up a lot of her energy to heal Riley. I debated on whether I should check on her or just leave her O 11.12 Thu, 21 Mar G GA to rest and at the end of the day, I settled on thetter. I freshened up in one of the guest rooms and took from a pair of the casual clothes lying around after which I went to my office. Riley was taking a nap and I just assumed everything was fine until there was a knock on my office. Juan walked in looking a bit confused and on edge, I was immediately worried because it took a lot to unsettle Juan, he was the most care free person I had met in a while. If he was uneasy then it meant there was something wrong. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked immediately I noticed his expression. ¡°L just arrived and she is demanding to see you.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°Are you talking about the seer?¡± he nodded and I immediately stood to my feet. ¡°What does she want? Did she say why she is here?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t talk to anyone but you.¡± I immediately rushed out of the office after him. L was pacing in front of the pce and yelling at the guards who wouldn¡¯t let her pass. She kept screaming something about me and Cami but I couldn¡¯t make out her words. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked as soon as I was close enough and she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally, I have been waiting for you. Where is your mate?¡± she had her arms crossed over her chest and she was tapping her foot anxiously. ¡°She is resting.¡± ¡°Have you seen her today?¡± she asked and I slowly shook my head. Her eyes widened and she cursed before taking off into the pce. Chapter 168 RYKER¡¯S PO.V The guards made to grab her but I stopped them. I didn¡¯t know why I did that, it just seemed right as I took off after her. I didn¡¯t know how she knew where to go but she was expertly weaving through the intricate halls as if she had lived here all her life. I followed Susu her, not wanting to interrupt whatever was happening but also wanting to keep a close eye on things. She finally stopped in front of the door to our room and ran her hands down the wood. ¡°This is it, this is the one I saw,¡± she turned to me. ¡°I need you to brace yourself.¡± ¡°What the f uck is going on?¡± I asked but she said nothing as she pushed the door open. Everything looked normal, at least until I realized that Cami wasn¡¯t in bed. I¡¯ muttered a curse immediately thinking of the worst. Did someone grab her? Did she leave somewhere without telling me? Was she hurt? I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t realize her scent was still in the room. It wasn¡¯t until L walked over to the other side of the bed and cursed that it dawned on me. I rushed over to see what she had found and my entire world came to a screeching halt as I took in Cami. She was lying on the ground with crusted blooding out of her nose. She was still in her clothes from yesterday meaning this happened at night. I felt like a failure for not realizing something was wrong earlier. I pushed past L and picked her up slowly. She was breathing but barely and she was cold to touch. Iy her on the bed unsure of what to do next. ¡°Cami, can you hear me?¡± I asked but I got no response and I cursed. I didn¡¯t know what happened so I didn¡¯t know what to do. The first thing I did was clean up the crusted blood from her nose and check for any signs of a head injury or something that could have made her bleed but there was none. She was fine, her breathing had evened out now that she was in bed but she wouldn¡¯t wake. Her skin was still a bit cold to touch but that was the extent of it. I became aware of L¡¯s presence again when she moved to stand next to me and in a second, I had her pinned to the wall by her throat. ¡°How did you know she was lying here like that?¡± O A ¡°I¡¯m a seer remember,¡± she didn¡¯t look panicked despite the fact that I held her life in my hands and could snap her neck at any second. ¡°I know you¡¯re panicking but let me help her, please. I saw it for a reason, I am here to help, I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°How do I know that I can trust you?¡± before,¡± she reminded me. ¡°If I wanted to hurt you both, I would have done It my roof and helpless. Why would I wait to do it now?¡± ¡°Because I helped your do then when you were under She had a point whether I wanted to admit it or not. I released her and her hands. immediately flew to her throat. She didn¡¯t look upset with me, merely annoyed and ufortable. She straightened up and dusted invisible lint off her clothes. I turned to Juan who was still standing by the door. He had followed me earlier but he made no move to walk into the room. He raised a brow in my direction silently asking if I was okay and I shrugged. I wouldn¡¯t be okay until Cami was fine. She had been lying here helpless for the entire night and I didn¡¯t even notice. She could have been hurt more, she could have died, she could have been taken and I would have never known. I was so busy with my own thoughts that I didn¡¯t realize what was happening to my own mate. It was so confusing that the mate bond didn¡¯t recognize or alert me to the fact that she was hurt. It was normal for me to feel her every emotion and whenever she was in pain so it didn¡¯t make sense that I couldn¡¯t even figure out that she was lying unconscious. ¡°It isn¡¯t physical,¡± L said suddenly making me turn to her. ¡°I can¡¯t read your mind, it is just obvious what you were thinking and the answer is because what happened to her wasn¡¯t physical. It is more like a tear on the inside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I tried to warn you before. I said there were numerous paths to the future and I couldn¡¯t say anything then so as not to solidify them and make them happen but this was one of them. Her powers are fragile at best and explosive at worst, you think she has the powers to heal but she doesn¡¯t, what she holds is far greater than that and with great responsibilityes great sacrifice. It is all about the bnce of the world. She cannot hold such power and not pay the consequences for it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking in riddles,¡± I cut her off. ¡°if you have something to say then say it directly. I have no time for all this rubbish. Tell me what is wrong with her and how to fix it?¡± A ¡°There is nothing you can do to fix this, she needs time to heal and special attention. I will prepare a poultice. I am not the best at potions but I know how to do this. She will be fine before tomorrow. She will wake but you need to be very careful. The person you are fighting against isn¡¯t one to be trifled with. I haven¡¯t seen them yet but I can sense their power. You are walking into something you don¡¯t even understand.¡± ¡°Then help me understand, walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. ¡°Tell me what it is that I need to know in order to keep my mate safe.¡± ¡°Cami doesn¡¯t hold the power to heal, she holds the power of life. The very essence of it seeps into her soul and her spirit. That is why it manifested in her blood all those months ago,¡± my jaw went ck. Of all the things I thought she would say, this wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°When the vampires came to be, it was as a result of trifling with death. The first turned became the embodiment of death because he had lost his soul. Tobat that, the goddess gave her the gift of life, now that the vampires are gone, she needs to bnce it out.¡± ¡°Life is a powerful thing and if she controls it, that makes her equally powerful. To bnce it out, she made the powerse with a price. For each person she heals, she takes something out of herself, a chunk of her own life force you could say. I cannot see how many she has healed in the past but those were experiments. In those cases, she wasn¡¯t giving the life, it was being taken from her. She healed someone yesterday, did she not?¡± I nodded slowly at her words unsure of where she was going with it. ¡°That was my sister.¡± ¡°Well, when she deliberately healed your sister, she was willingly giving life and it came with a price. It is the same way when the vampire willingly gave life back to his lover, it took something out of him. If she continues to heal people, she will reach a point where she exerts herself and she loses her entire soul.¡± After her cryptic and almost terrifying words, she went with Christine to get some herbs from the forest. I made sure they had some guards with them and I sat in the room with Cami. She was still sleeping peacefully, from just looking at her there was no way you would have realized that she was trying to recuperate from the missing part of her soul. The entire thing was bizarre and insane. I couldn¡¯t understand why the goddess would do something like this. Wouldn¡¯t it have been more worth it to just take the powers away? ||| O A ¡°Ryker?¡± Riley¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. She was leaning against the wall for support and I cursed when I realized she was one wrong move away from falling over. I immediately grabbed her and led her to the chair. She sank against it with relief and I frowned at her. Rile ¡°What are you doing here? You should be resting. Don¡¯t you realize that?¡± I asked but she said nothing. for f ucks sake, I love you but you need to go back. If you don¡¯t want to be in the physician¡¯s quarters anymore then I can have you moved to another room but you need to rest.¡± ¡°Is this my fault?¡± she asked quietly and I stilled. ¡°I overheard Juan and Christine while I was still in the physician quarters. They said something about Cami being hurt because she healed me. I thought it was a joke because you had said she was fine. I knew I needed toe here and find out. Is it true?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I stayed silent not knowing how to respond to her. I always prided myself in being able to tell the truth no matte the situation but this was one of those times where it seemed like a lie would be a better option. It wasn¡¯t her fault, but there was no denying that it happened because she healed Riley. If anything, it was my fault, I allowed Riley leave putting her within firing range of whoever was behind these attacks and I asked Cami to heal her. ¡°It is the fault of whatever which was behind this,¡± I said finally but she didn¡¯t look too convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry about this. We have it covered. All you need to focus on is getting better. Cami will be fine and when she is, she wille to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered but I shook my head. There was nothing to apologize for. ¡°Maybe I should just go back home after this, I seem to be causing a lot of trouble here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± I assured her, ¡°and you¡¯re not leaving until we figure out who is behind this for real. For now, go back and rest, I¡¯ll have a guard take you.¡± Just as I was about to leave, L walked back into the room. She looked at Riley first and there was something about her expression that I hated. Before I could ask, she turned back to me. ¡°I got the herbs.¡± Chapter 169 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I was standing in apletely dark room and I came to the conclusion that I hated it. I was standing in front of a mirror and when I looked up to it, I saw myself but with a gaping wound in my chest. Out of instinct, I reached up to touch my chest but there was nothing there. My brows scrunched as I took in the mirror, the image wasn¡¯t moving, the mirror was solid, so why was there a hole in my chest when I couldn¡¯t see one? I had spent what felt like forever trying to figure out what the hell was going on. When I started bleeding from my nose in the room, I had tried to call out for Ryker down the bond but for the first time in a long time- I couldn¡¯t. It was like something was blocking me from my wolf. I tried to get to the door hoping I could find a guard to call for him but I passed out before I made it two steps. At first I was worried but I knew that Ryker would find me sooner orter, it just might take a while because he was with Riley. Tain was After spending more time analyzing the mirror, I decided that it was broken and e mirror, I decided that it was broken and took a seat cross legged on the floor. It slowly driving me mad and that was thest thing I needed. I needed to concentrate on waking up. I closed my eyes and willed myself back into my body. I tried to cold ground, I There was a slight tingling in my toes but that was it- I didn¡¯t move. I cursed and tried again and again but nothing. I was just about to give up when I heard a voice. It was familiar but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. I tried to listen out for it hoping to hear more but nothing. pictured the smell of the room and Rare my body on the Scent ¡°Hello?¡± I called out hoping they could hear me but I got no response. ¡°Please help, I want to leave.¡± hands Only my voice echoed back to me. I let out a groan and ran my my hair. I turned back to the mirror and was shocked to see that the hole in my chest was healing itself, almost knitting itself closed. I watched with equal parts horror and fascination until it became as small as a penny but it didn¡¯t closepletely. It remained open just a little and it stopped. I didn¡¯t know how, but I knew that hole would never close no matter what I did. ¡°She should be awake soon,¡± I heard that same voice from earlier. ¡°I can tell she is trying to wake.¡± 7 O < A 10:51 Sat, 23 Mar GU ¡°Who are you?¡± I yelled out but I got no response. ¡°I¡¯m trying but I can¡¯t wake up. Tell me how!¡± I came to realize that it was a one way street. I was probably hearing what was going on outside of my body and they couldn¡¯t hear me. I let out an exasperated sigh wondering how the hell I was going to do this. Just as I was giving up, I saw a bright light appear overhead. I had to shield my eyes from the brightness. There was no essence in the light, no sign of life, it was just light. I knew I was to reach out for it so I did, my fingertips barely brushed it when I felt myself getting sucked into it. There was a sharp pain in my head and my body and I let out a groan. I felt something soft like feathers beneath me and I forced my eyelids open only to find a face staring down at me. It took me a second to realize it was Ryker. He let out a sigh of pure relief as he took me in. I was back in our room,id on the soft bed and surrounded by pillows. I knew there were other people in the room but my attention was solely on him. He looked like he had been through hell, his hair was sticking up at the ends and his eyes were heavy as if he hadn¡¯t slept. ¡°You found me,¡± I croaked out and he nodded. ¡°I took far longer than I should have and I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if not for L,¡± he admitted and I turned to the side confused as to who L was for a second until I saw her. She was the witch who had helped Audrey. As soon as I recognized her, fear gripped my heart. I sat up straight despite the pounding in my head and the protests from Ryker. ¡°Is something wrong with Audrey? Is the protection already wearing thin?¡± ¡°Your daughter is fine,¡± she assured me and my shoulders immediately went ck with relief. ¡°I am here about you, Cami. You are toying with things that you do not understand. Every witch within a knowledge of the arts has been able to feel what you have been toying with.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I groaned cing my hand on my head in an attempt to ease the splitting headache that was forming. I barely managed to hide a wince when it started to get worse. Ryker noticed andy me back gently in bed. I realized I had been changed out of my dress and into a morefortable nightgown and I couldn¡¯t have been more grateful. He walked into the bathroom and returned with a warm washcloth that he ced on my forehead. It did notpletely take away the pain but it eased it a lot. A ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, what am I toying with?¡± ¡°Life and death,¡± she said simply. ¡°Someone has been bleeding death into thend and you, my dear child, are bleeding life. This is more than a witch, this is the embodiment of death and you are trifling with it like somemon adversary.¡± ¡°Did youe here to tell me to stop?¡± I asked. ¡°If you did, you¡¯re toote because Ryker has been asking me to do that for days now.¡± ¡°Yet he asked you to heal his sister, did he not?¡± she shot back and I went silent. Even Ryker stilled next to me, I could feel the guilt radiating off him but he kept his expression carefully neutral. ¡°I will only say this once, Cami. I don¡¯t care who is dying next, you cannot heal them. You cannot toy with life and death, there will be consequences and it might be something that you cannot pay.¡± It was obvious that her words were not empty. There was something she had seen or something she knew that prompted this kind of response. Was there someone else I would want to heal? Was Christine or someone close to me going to get hurt? I stared at her trying to get a read on her but she was good at keeping her emotions at bay. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked but she stayed silent. ¡°Can¡¯t t you at least just give me a hint?¡± ¡°If I tell you then it has to happen. The best I can give is a warning, Cami, I hope you do right by it,¡± she bowed. ¡°I will be staying in a cottage just outside the town. I have a feeling I will be needed here more than you might think.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She walked away leaving both Ryker and I alone. I tried to speak to him but he cut me off by demanding I rested. I wanted to refuse but he handed me a ss of water. I drank it and immediately began to feel drowsy. It took me a minute to realize he had drugged me but before I could protest about it, I was out like a light. I woke up a few hourster with the sun about to set. My headache was almostpletely gone and I felt a lot better than before. The room waspletely empty which I found a little weird but I managed to drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom. The bath was already full which I found suspicious but I was too tired to ask questions. I dipped into the tub and rxed. The warm water hit all the right tendons leaving me a mess of bones inside. I was so rxed that I didn¡¯t realize when I started to drift off. It was a panicked shout that had me jerking up in the tub. Ryker poked his head into the bathroom and when he saw me, he let out an audible sigh of relief. I was so stunned that I O < A didn¡¯t realize what had just transpired. ¡°I thought something had happened to you,¡± he admitted as he made his way over to me. ¡°I left to find something for you to eat when you woke up and you were gone when I returned.¡± ¡°I just felt filthy,¡± I mumbled but the tension still didn¡¯t leave his shoulders. He helped me out of the tub, his eyes never once straying down to my body. He wrapped the robe around me and led me back to bed. ¡°I need to get dressed though.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving the room, don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured me. He handed me a steaming tray of food and my stomach grumbled. I hadn¡¯t eaten sincest night and my body was reminding me of the consequences of my decision. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the one that got hurt, Cami. I see no reason why you should be inquiring about my own well being. I am fine, I am alive.¡± ¡°Why did you drug me?¡± I asked and he stilled. There was no use beating about the bush, he had crossed a line by drugging me and he knew it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered. ¡°I just needed you to rest and I knew you wouldn¡¯t unless you had to. You have risked so much of yourself already, I did the only thing I knew how.¡± His words were thick with self loathing and guilt. It was almost hard to hear. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault,¡± I said but he wouldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Ryker-¡± ¡°I asked you to heal her, I made this happen. Say whatever you might, but this was my fault.¡± Chapter 170 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I stared at my mate incredulously. ¡°I healed two people before her despite you begging me not to. Healing Riley alone couldn¡¯t have caused whatever just happened. If I had listened to you earlier when-¡± He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t, Cami, don¡¯t try to take the me for this. What happened is done and now, all we can do is try to fix it before it gets worse. You cannot use your powers under any circumstances. Am I clear?¡± I didn¡¯t like the order in his tone but I knew he was only doing it to protect me so I nodded. He leaned forward and ced a lingering kiss against my forehead. He smelled just like himself, but he looked like he had been through hell. When he pulled back, he exhaled deeply as if he had been waiting for a chance to do that. He pushed the tray closer to me as if trying to spur me to eat. I took a bite and nearly moaned. I noticed him watching me intently so I decided to bridge a different topic. ¡°Is L still here?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°Did she say how long she was staying?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t asl. I just made sure she wasfortable and I came back to you. I haven¡¯t done much of talking to anyone if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°What about the girls? Are they okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t know what is happening. Audrey thinks you were just taking a long nap because you weren¡¯t feeling good. I told her that she coulde see you after dinner. She wasn¡¯t happy about it but she came to terms with it.¡± I wanted to go and see her immediately but I still felt weak and out of sorts. It was almost like I was a stranger in my body. Something inside of me felt hollow and empty, like it would never be filled again. I thought back to the small hole in my chest that I saw in the mirror and instinctively, my hands went up to my chest and I rubbed softly. It wasn¡¯t until I noticed Ryker¡¯s eyes on me that I realized I had been doing it. I dragged my hand down and turned away to hide the flush building on my cheeks. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked but I shook my head. I hadn¡¯t told him about what I saw yet. I hadn¡¯t wanted to give him more of a reason to worry. ¡°You know better than to lie to me, Cami. Does your chest hurt? Do you want me to call the physician?¡± ¡°There is nothing that he can do for me,¡± I whispered softly and concern grew on [11 < his face. ¡°Please, Cami, you¡¯re making me worry.¡± ¡°A part of myself is missing,¡± I said finally knowing how absurd it sounded. Ryker sat there staring at me in concern and waiting for me to borate so I did. By the time I was done, he looked lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that is what it is but that is what I understood by it. it doesn¡¯t matter anyway, it is a tiny piece, I barely noticed it.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°Are you lying for your benefit or mine?¡± I hesitated before shrugging. ¡°Probably both,¡± I chuckled dryly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be iplete, Ryker. I don¡¯t want to walk around while permanently missing something. I can¡¯t live my life like that. It will heal, it has to. If I don¡¯t use my powers for a while then it will. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself but it wasn¡¯t working. We both knew that it was never going to heal. I was stuck this way because I chose to be careless with powers that I didn¡¯t understand. I was stuck this way because I wouldn¡¯t listen and I allowed my stubbornness take control. Ryker looked like he wanted to speak. He opened his mouth to say something when there was a soft knock on the door. It opened slowly to reveal Audrey running in. Behind her was Aurora who slowly wobbled on her feet. Despite the initial sadness and damper on the room, a smile broke out on my face when Audrey leaped onto the bed and into myp. Ryker and I were barely able to move the tray of food aside before shended. Her hands wrapped around my waist as she buried her face into my robe. I stroked her soft curls marveling at the feel of them under my fingertips and her mere presence in the room. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I thought your dad said you couldn¡¯te until dinner?¡± I asked and her cheeks flushed pink. I raised a brow in her direction and she promptly looked away. ¡°Audrey Valentina Caine, what did you do?¡± ¡°Dad didn¡¯t say when I had to have dinner so I had it now. I already had dinner, you see,¡± she eximed trying to make me see the logic in her reasoning, ¡°Are you mad at me? I just wanted to see you. Daddy said you were tired and I got you flowers.¡± She gestured behind her and I noticed that Christine held a bunch of multicolored flowers. The stems weren¡¯t cut evenly and I knew without a doubt that she had picked them herself. Regardless, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen O < and I took it from her. I made a show of inhaling their scent before cing it on my bedside table. ¡°That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.¡± I kissed her hair before turning to Aurora who was squirming in Ryker¡¯s hold and trying to get to me. I reached out for her and she wasted no time in coming to me. ¡°Did you help with the flowers too?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a baby, mummy, she can¡¯t understand you,¡± Audrey eximed as if she were talking to a child and I bit down on my bottom lip to smother my child. ¡°Besides, she can¡¯t touch the flowers, they have thorns and thorns are very sharp. She just sat down while I did all the work.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she was impressed with herself or pis sed off at Aurora for not helping. If I was being honest, it seemed like a little bit of both. I wasn¡¯t sure how to handle that so I just hummed and nodded slowly. Aurora reached for my hair and I had to pull it out of her grip before she could put it in her mouth. Audreyughed and as I sat there with my children, I realized that it didn¡¯t matter if some part of me was missing, I had everything I needed right there in front of me. I had a loving mate, I had wonderful children and I had the kind of life most people were dreaming about. I was fulfilled andplete where it mattered and that was the most important thing. The girls fell asleep in the room and Ryker and I took them back to theirs. Ryker didn¡¯t want me to come with but I wanted to walk around and exercise my legs because I hadn¡¯t moved in over twenty four hours. As we walked back to our room, we took a leisurely stroll. The pce was quiet and you could hear the crickets chirping from outside, the moon was in the sky and the breeze blew through the deserted halls. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out?¡± I asked and Ryker turned to me with confusion etched on his features. ¡°Instead of returning to a stuffy room, why don¡¯t we take a walk? We can just sit on the bench and enjoy the moonlight.¡± He frowned. ¡°Cami, I¡¯m not sure if that is a good idea. You need to rest.¡± ¡°I have done nothing but rest all day. I just want a second where nobody is treating me like I am damaged goods. If you want me to believe that everything is fine then act like it.¡± He pursed his lips for a second before nodding. I let out a sigh of relief because I truly hadn¡¯t expected him to agree. We walked out together marveling at the brightness of the moon. It was peculiarly high and brighter than usual. Ryker led ||| < us towards the bench by the fountain and on instinct I reached out to move the water. It was almost like second nature, I had done it for so long that I barely even realized I was moving the water until Ryker¡¯s hand mped around my wrist. The small wave I was making crashed and I turned to him with a frown. ¡°That was a big one,¡± I argued but he didn¡¯t even seem fazed. ¡°You need to be resting, Cami. Using your powers does not equal rest. It is your powers that got you into this position.¡± ¡°Quite the contrary actually, using my healing abilities got me into this mess. My water powers were given to me when I turned twenty one as they should have. There is no issue with me using them.¡± He didn¡¯t look amused by my exnation and I knew he wasn¡¯t going to budge anytime soon. I let out a sigh and turned to him. I ced my hands in his and for a second there, I just stared at the size difference between our hands. Mine were soft and dainty with minimal scars and his were a pr opposite. ¡°I am fine,¡± I told him and he opened his mouth to speak but I held up a finger to cut him off. ¡°I am here, I am alive and you don¡¯t have to worry right now. You don¡¯t have to coddle me, you don¡¯t have to monitor me.¡± ¡°You could have died,¡± he whispered finally and I knew he was getting it off his chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what happened to you, I didn¡¯t check. If L hadn¡¯t arrived when she did, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to check for you. You could have been lying dead there and I wouldn¡¯t have known.¡± ¡°You would have,¡± I was sure of it. ¡°What matters is that you found me. It doesn¡¯t matter where or when, it just matters that you ¡°No, I failed you, again. That is the only truth.¡± did.¡± Chapter 171 RYKER¡¯S POV Cami imed to be better the next morning and in all honesty, I wanted to keep her locked up in the room where I was sure she could be protected but even I knew that was impossible. She was the Queen and it didn¡¯t matter what was happening in her personal life, she had to show up. I hated it and I wouldn¡¯t have minded da mning the consequences but she wanted to prove something, she wanted to show that she was good, she told me point nk that she didn¡¯t need my permission and was returning to work whether I liked it or not. There wasn¡¯t much I could do in regards to that so I let it slide. It didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t keep a close eye on her though. I had Kevin keeping watch over her and reporting back to me. He did it discreetly because I knew that if she was aware, she would be nothing short of pissed. If I had my way, I would have trailed her myself but I had something else I wanted to do that she didn¡¯t need to find out about. ¡°I was expecting to see your mate here and not you,¡± L began when I walked into her room. ¡°What can I help you with, your majesty?¡± ¡°You have seen the future, yes?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°I know that you cannot tell me what the future entails but can you tell me how to ensure that it ends in a good way for everyone involved.¡± ¡°You know as well as I do that isn¡¯t possible,¡± her voice was soft and soothing. I wondered how many years it took her to learn to speak to people like that. She must have found that people didn¡¯t take to hearing their future and developed the calm persona as a wall to hide behind. ¡°I am not allowed to interfere in the affairs of humans. I have already risked so much bying here and I know that I will be punished for itter.¡± it De because you are ¡°Then why did you?¡± I shot back and she went silent. ¡°if you are risking your life and potential punishment, why did you do it? Surely fond of us. Was there something you saw that made youe?¡± She looked away and that was enough of an admission of guilt for me. I pushed off the door that I was leaning against and walked over to her. She tried to avoid my gaze but she was squirming, I had her exactly where I wanted her and she didn¡¯t even know. I sat in the spare chair next to her making sure she felt the entire weight of my presence. L was powerful but she was still a person, she had been was isted for so long and I knew without a doubt that I was making her ufortable but it was a necessary evil. III O < ¡°Tell me, L.¡± I probed. ¡°What was so important?¡± ¡°The goddess asked me to,¡± she blurted out before pping her hands over her mouth and muttering to herself about speaking too much. She looked frustrated but I couldn¡¯t focus on her, I was more intrigued by her words. ¡°What do you mean the goddess asked you to? How did she do that? Did she appear to you?¡± ¡°Please, your majesty, I have already said too much.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern our future, it concerns the past which has already happened,¡± it was a loophole and she knew it. There was nothing prohibiting her from talking to me about it now. ¡°You should suffer no punishment if you tell us considering it has alreadye and gone.¡± She sighed when she realized I had her hands bound behind her back. ¡°She appeared to me in a vision. She said that the queen would be in danger soon and I needed to leave immediately if I was to save her. I left two days before I arrived.¡± ¡°She told you about it before it happened,¡± I deduced and she nodded. ¡°Why would she do that? Wouldn¡¯t she have stood to gain more if she had just let her go?¡± The words burned my throat like acid but I needed to know. I needed to understand what I was dealing with if I was going to stand any chance of getting out of it alive. L shrugged in response to my question. She seemed uneasy and if I were a better person, I would have let her go and stopped with my questions but I was willing to make her as ufortable as possible as long as it meant that my family would be safe. Nothing else mattered to me besides them as terrible as that sounded. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said finally. ¡°I don¡¯t ask questions. I am simply a se rvant, I am a tool. If the goddess says to go then I leave, if she asks to jump then I ask how high, please do not ask questions I do not have the answer to, you will only make this hard for me.¡± It took me a second to realize that she wasn¡¯t frustrated or ufortable, she was scared. Her entire body shook as fear coursed through it and I could practically taste the tanginess of it in the air. She couldn¡¯t meet my eye and she kept looking around as if she expected something to fly out and hurt her. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who or what terrified her so much. I ced a hand on her shoulder and she let out a loud shriek and jumped further solidifying my thoughts. She cleared her throat and attempted to straighten her dress but I had already seen enough. = Compter 373 ¡°Who hurt you?¡± I asked but she stayed silent. ¡°Was it the goddess?¡± ¡°She is my sovereign ruler and leader, everything she does, she does it for my well being and the betterment of the wolves. She leads with love and loyalty and. warmth in her heart.¡± It sounded like she was repeating a phrase she had heard over and over again. I noticed that she was also picking at her nails. I wanted to reach out tofort her but somehow I knew that I was only going to make things worse, the only thing I could do for her was to give her space which was what I did. I cleared my throat and stood to my feet, she took a step back as if wary of me touching her. ¡°Thank you for all your help,¡± I said in a softer tone than I normally would have used. ¡°Please enjoy the rest of your day.¡± I could feel her eyes on me as I walked out of the room. Even after shutting the door, I could feel the weight of her gaze on my shoulder. There was more to the story, more that she wasn¡¯t saying. There was something or someone that had her turning into a terrified child and I wanted to know who it was, I wanted to know how big of a threat this person was. A part of me thought it was the goddess but there was no way for me to prove it, there was no way for me to know and these were not the kinds of usations one went around throwing without proof. The goddess was known to be the symbol of kindness and love but legend also told of her exceptional cruelty when wronged. I forced all thoughts of it out of my mind, it wasn¡¯t my problem. I had more important things to worry about. I checked on Cami first and once I was sure that she was happily working away. I made my way back to my of work to attend to that I had office. I had a sh it ton put aside because of what happened to Cami and Riley. I didn¡¯t realize how much work it was until I started sorting through all the files and the people I had to meet with. I was going through it when I heard a soft knock on my door and it opened to reveal Riley. She was much better now, her skin waspletely clear although she still had the asional dizzy spell and she couldn¡¯t do as much as she used to. She spent most of her time inside because the sun was too harsh on her skin. ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± she asked but I immediately shook my head and ushered her inside. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t spoken about this yet but did you tell Damien that I was back? Does he know that I was sick?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him anything,¡± I answered slowly wondering where she was going with O 11:17 Mon, 23 Mar. Chiper 171 it. I couldn¡¯t imagine her wanting him to know especially after what happened since she left and I figured if he wanted to know, he would have sent a messenger to ask me. ¡°I was just wondering why he hadn¡¯t sent me any more letters.¡± ¡°Any inore?¡± I asked and her cheeks heated. ¡°Riley, what did you do?¡± ¡°He started sending me letters a few weeks after I left. He somehow knew where I was and although I never responded, I never stopped. I responded two weeks ago and told him to stop because I was leaving and going somewhere else. I guess I wanted to see if he would find me.¡± I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What are you doing, Riley? I thought you wanted space from him? You don¡¯t get space by keeping and responding to his letters. You are either all in or all out, if you keep doing this then you¡¯re going to get hurt:.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. ¡°I didn¡¯te here for a lecture from you, I just came to ask a question but forget I even said anything.¡± She stormed off and I tried to call her back but she had enough of me. She pulled the door open only to reveal a guard standing there. He looked confused especially when she groaned very loud and stomped off. He shot me an inquisitive look, silently asking if he should go after her but I shook my head. Riley always threw tantrums, it was only a matter of time before she realized that I was only helping her. ¡°What do you need?¡± I asked the guard and he cleared his throat. ¡°There is mail for you, your majesty,¡± he said and my brows rose. How ironic it was that we were just talking about messages and I got mail. I took it from him and thanked him, immediately going through the stack. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Most were the usual, mails from nearby packs, announcements from the heads of the towns but there was one that stood out and caught my eye. There was an unfamiliar seal on it, I had never seen it before. I wasted no time in tearing open the envelope. Once I read the contents, I cursed and rushed to my feet after the guard. I found him turning the hallway and I grabbed him by the cor of his shirt. ¡°Tell me where you got this.¡± Chapter 172 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I had never felt as panicked as I did in that moment. For a split second, I had deluded myself into thinking that everything was going to be fine, that it would pass over us and be like a fever dream that was long forgotten. I wasn¡¯t sure how the letter came to be but I was da mned well going to find out. The guard looked terrified, like he was a second away from pissing his pants. The pungent scent of fear floated through the halls, wrapping around us and choking the goodness out of the world. His eyes were wide with panic as his mouth opened and closed a few times to no avail. ¡°I asked you a f ucking question,¡± I growled and he made a sound that was a cross between a squeak and a so b. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he managed out. ¡°All the letters are brought by the mail man. I don¡¯t know where they came from. I swear I don¡¯t even know what that is. I just brought it the way it was handed to me. Please, don¡¯t kill me.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He squeezed his eyes shut and it hit me just how unreasonable I was being. The poor boy was terrified, he didn¡¯t know what was happening. It was my anger and my paranoia that was making me see things where there weren¡¯t any and making it hard for me topletely reason what was going on. I released the guard and took a step back and within a second, he had sprinted down the hall for dear life. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration before letting out a harsh curse and mming my fist into the wall. I unfurled the letter that I had scrunched up in my rage induced haze and read the words over again wondering if they were going to change and disappear but it was the same as thest time. It said: I have only one demand. Bring me Cami and all of this will end easily. Refuse and watch me ruin everything you hold dear and take her anyway. That was a clear and concise threat. There was no bullshi tting or joking around, whoever wrote this knew what they wanted and they were not straying from it. I knew refusing would have disastrous results but I didn¡¯t care, I was not giving up my mate to some deranged witch. I turned over the envelope in my hand to stare at the seal that was used on it. I had never seen it before but I figured it was a good start into finding out who was behind this. If they put the seal then it was clearly because they wanted us to know- but why? If I were in a better state of mind, I would have thought about that. I would have thought about why they were not operating in secret anymore but I was much too worried about Cami. I made my way back to my office before mind linking Kevin. He was very efficient, he arrived at my office within ten minutes. ¡°You sent for me, your majesty,¡± if he was curious, there was no trace of it on his face. He was the epitome of professionalism and ording to what I learned from Leanor before she died, he was in charge of protecting Cami and she trusted him with her life which meant I could trust him too. L S & MMM BBB 600 000M B B B B §Ó 72% 11:35 O ¡°I need you to do something but I expect it to be treated with the topmost concern,¡± I saw a brief emotion sh across his face. He understood exactly what I was saying and that brought some concern to his eyes but he nodded slowly. ¡°You are not to leave Cami¡¯s side for any reason. Keep a distance from her so that she does not know but I need you and a pair of trusted men to have eyes on her at all times. You will report to me hourly, is that clear?¡± He nodded but I could still see the worry in his eyes. ¡°Is she in danger? Is that why you want us to be discreet about it?¡± ¡°The reasons behind my requests do not matter. All I need is to ensure that she is safe and protected at all times. Can you do that?¡± He straightened and nodded. ¡°Of course your majesty, as you wish. I could begin today.¡± ¡°Good, you may leave.¡± He bowed and walked away. I watched him leave and once he was gone, I let out an exasperated breath. I knew Cami would be nothing short of pissed if she found out that I did this behind her back but I was past caring. The only thing that mattered was her safety and well being. I could take her anger, I couldn¡¯t take her getting any more hurt than she already was. The door to my office gently creaked open making my head snap up and I looked up to see Cami. ¡°I just saw Kevin leaving, is everything okay?¡± I nodded and when she nced over her shoulder, I discreetly pulled the letter into my drawer so that she wouldn¡¯t notice it. When she turned back to me, she had a small smile on her face. She crossed the length of the room and came to sit on the table in front of me. She seemed more at ease than she did this morning but I could still see the emptiness behind her eyes. It was small, something you wouldn¡¯t have noticed unless you were actively searching for it. It was clear that she was missing something- some form of joy maybe. I couldn¡¯t stop the feeling of guilt that tugged at my heart. She was oblivious to it however because her eyes were on the stack of papers in front of me. She wasbing through them and I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that I had taken the letter away while I still could. ¡°I went to see Riley,¡± she said finally and I hummed. ¡°She was upset with you to say the least. Is there a reason for that?¡± ¡°She wille around, don¡¯t worry?¡± I barely looked away from her as I spoke, my eyes analyzing her every move. She sighed after a second and met my eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like I am going to break, Ryker. I feel fine.¡± She knew I didn¡¯t believe her because she didn¡¯t bother trying to convince me anymore. She just turned away from me and wiped her hands on her thighs. The letter was at the back of my mind. and a part of me urged me to tell her, to be truthful with her. I had promised her no lies a long A BBB B 72% 11:35 time ago and that was exactly what I was doing to her, however each time I tried to convince myself to speak, I couldn¡¯t form the words. ¡°Why did youe here, Cami?¡± I asked finally and she stilled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t I have juste to see you?¡± ¡°You could, but you didn¡¯t?¡± she knew I was right because she exhaled deeply but she still didn¡¯t turn. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was fear that was keeping her from looking at me or worry. ¡°What is wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you consider it weird that nothing has happened yet?¡± she asked but I stayed silent. ¡°First it was the crops, then the two men and then Riley. I would expect that she would do something even more drastic. She has been quiet for a few days now, I¡¯m worried that she is nning something.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t thought about it. It is unusual.¡± ¡°Did she perhaps do something and you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± her voice was soft almost as if she were trying to sound unassuming but we both knew better. The knowledge of the letter burned in my mind but I refused to think about it. ¡°If you did, I don¡¯t me you for it, I probably would have done the same but I think I should know so I won¡¯t be too surprisedter.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything,¡± I lied. The words tasted like ash on my tongue and the feeling of guilt got worse when she let out a sigh of relief. She trusted me so blindly and yet I had lied to her face. I tried to convince myself that I did it for a good cause but even that wasn¡¯t enough to assuage my guilt. ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± sheughed almost awkwardly. ¡°I probably should be running off, you look like you have a sh it ton of work.¡± She stood to her feet and kissed my cheek softly. ¡°We will be waiting for you at dinner.¡± She walked away and I sat there staring at the door for what felt like hours after she had gone. Once I managed to gather my bearings, I took the envelope that contained the letter and walked out of the office with it. The first person I went to find was Caius, he was deep in conversation with the other elders and they looked to be ying some kind of game but I didn¡¯t care. He immediately followed me and I led him towards L¡¯s room. She opened the door with furrowed brows. ¡°Is something wrong, your majesty?¡± She wasn¡¯t so eager to let me into her room after ourst conversation but I didn¡¯t care. I brushed past her and walked into the room with Caius in tow. I waited until she had shut the door behind her before I spoke. ¡°I got a letter today and it came with a seal. You,¡± I began pointing at Caius, ¡°are one of the oldest people I know, and you, L, are a witch. I need one of you to identify the seal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about coven seals but I can try my best,¡± L began anxiously. I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and showed it to them. ¡°Does either of you recognize it?¡± Their brows furrowed in deep concentration but they ended up shaking their heads. ¡°Well then, find out where it is from.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caius asked making me turn to him. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, just find it or we are all dead.¡± Chapter 173 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V *2077% 1011:09 Over the past two days, Ryker had been acting weird. I knew there was something up but no matter how many times I asked, he would just calmly and quietly shut me down or change the subject. I tried so hard to snoop or eavesdrop on him but I never got anything concrete. It was driving me mad because at every second, he looked to be lost in thought which wasn¡¯t normal for him. He would zone out during meals and sometimes while with the girls. Everyone else had noticed it and not just me. He had just walked out of lunch after murmuring a few words under his breath when Riley turned to me. ¡°Is there something wrong with him? Is something going on that I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been asking myself the very same thing,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Something is definitely bothering him but he will not tell me what it is no matter how much I try to ask.¡± She hummed and crossed her arms over her chest. She was in a much better ce than she as when she first arrived. She looked healthier and happier but she still refused for us to inform Damien. It wasn¡¯t my ce to ask why so I chose to respect her space although I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she tended to avoid Juan and Christine. If they were in a room, she would make up an excuse and leave or turn the other way. I had been meaning to ask her about it but the right time never came up. When Christine and Juan walked in, I realized it was perfect. They were whispering between themselves and ! saw Riley stiffen. She tried to look anywhere but at them and she was failing badly because her eyes would ultimately end up settling on them. ¡°I should go,¡± she muttered under her breath finally standing to her feet. ¡°I can try talking to Ryker. I might be able to glean something.¡± Before I could respond, she had walked out of the room. Christine turned to me with raised brows in confusion and I just shrugged. I was as confused as she was but I was determined to find out so I followed her. I watched her run her hands through her hair as she made her way towards the side entrance to the pce. She either didn¡¯t notice me or didn¡¯t care as she walked into the garden. ¡°I just need a second, Cami,¡± she mumbled when I made my way over to her: ¡°I¡¯m still recovering from whatever that witch did to me and sometimes I need some fresh air.¡± ¡°You will have toe up with something better if you are going to get rid of me,¡± I drawled and she exhaled OX Emergency calls only deeply. ¡°Is there a reason you are avoiding Christine? Did someone say something to you?¡± ¡°No, and I am not avoiding her. I just needed some space.¡± *3077% 11:09 ¡°When she walked in,¡± I finished but she wouldn¡¯t speak. She took a seat on the bench and I slowly walked over and took the seat next to her. ¡°Tell me what the problem is, Riley.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said and I could sense the sincerity in her tone. ¡°I just feel so st upid when I look at her, you know? I was so angry with her because of Damien but now she has someone else and she is happy. It almost feels like bad karma, like I viinze her so much and now she has everything and I have nothing. She probably hates me.¡± I snorted. ¡°No she doesn¡¯t. Christine doesn¡¯t have a mean bone in her body despite what she might tell you. She feels nothing for you but mutual respect at sharing family members. She doesn¡¯t feel that way, I swear.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Riley asked and I nodded. ¡°I would deserve her hatred. I took her mate away from her. I made him choose between us. I embarrassed her time and time again.¡± ¡°If she was to hate anyone, it would be Damien but I don¡¯t think she hates him either. If Damien hadn¡¯t chosen you, she never would have found Juan. The way I see it, it was a win-win situation. The only person who feels any sort of way about this is you. You need closure from this, Riley?¡± Her voice was soft as she responded. ¡°How do I do that?¡± ¡°You see Damien, you talk to him and you figure out if you are going to try again or move on. You cannot hide out here forever.¡± She opened her mouth to respond but before she could, a guard rushed over to us. He was panting as if he had been running for a long time. He took a second to catch his breath and I considered dousing him in water because he was sweating profusely. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he bowed once he managed to catch his breath. ¡°The town needs you, there have been some- I can¡¯t exin it, you just have to see.¡± I gave Riley a small smile ignoring her look of confusion and followed the guard. I was about to ask about Ryker when I saw him at the front of the pce. The horses were already prepped and I tried to catch Ryker¡¯s eye to ask what the hell was going on but I noticed that he was avoiding me. My brows furrowed in confusion and I couldn¡¯t stop that sickly creeping feeling from crawling up my spine. Did he know something about this? 1 X Emergency calls only 11:10 *2077% I wasn¡¯t able to ask him any questions until we got to the town but all thoughts died out when I took in the environment. The first thing I realized was that it was empty. There were no people on the roads or in the fields, it looked almostpletely deserted. I was so stunned that I couldn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t until I felt a warm hand on my thigh that I realized I was the only person still mounted on my horse. Ryker gently helped me off not once letting go of my hand. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± I asked aloud but even he could not respond. The guard that had called me led us towards what looked like a massive town house. ¡°You have to prepare yourself, your majesty,¡± he mumbled before reaching into his satchel and producing two face masks. I was left confused wondering what was happening but put it on any way. He pushed the door open and I was stunned to see not one but at least ten different people who looked deathly ill. The scent of death stuck to the walls and the air, it wed at my insides and I felt my powers rise to the surface as if begging and beckoning me to heal them. I stumbled at the entrance not knowing if I would be able to control myself if I were to walk in. Ryker turned to me in confusion but I simply shook my head- I was fine. We were led in and that was when I noticed the physician and his son standing in the center of the room. I turned to the guard. ¡°When did they get here?¡±. ¡°They have been here since yesterday afternoon when the first case broke out. We think it is contagious because how else do we exin that it is rapidly spreading. The rest of the town is locked in their homes terrified that they will contract the strange illness.¡± We were walking past the people when a hand reached out and grabbed me. The guards sprung to action but I held up my hand to stop them. It was and it took all my will power to not all woman, no older than twenty five probably. She looked terrible and it took all my will power to not allow my power flow into her. ¡°Why?¡± she groaned out, her voice barely over a whisper. I leaned down wondering what she meant by that. ¡°You should have given yourself up like she asked. This wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Ryker muttered before pulling me away. I noticed there was an unnatural stiffness to him and he was avoiding my gaze. He steered me away from the woman but her words echoed in my ears. I waited until we had walked out of the house before I turned to him. ¡°What was she talking about and don¡¯t lie to me?¡± he stayed silent. ¡°Ryker, so help me if you don¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°I got a letter two days ago from who I assume is the witch. She asked me to give you up and it was N?velDrama.Org holds this content. that I wasn¡¯t going to agree to that.¡± no brainer X Emergency calls only *D77% 11:10 ¡°Didn¡¯t you think to tell me?¡± I asked but he crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Those people in there are dying and it is my fault.¡± ¡°No, it is the witch¡¯s fault. I already have L and Caius trying to find out who she is. I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to bother you.¡± I let out a groan of frustration and stormed off towards my horse. I could feel eyes on me but I didn¡¯t care, I was pissed. He had no right to hide that from me. He tried to follow me but before he made his way over, I was already gone and heading towards the pce. I arrived before him and immediately went into thefort of our room. It took him about half an hour before he walked in too. ¡°Cami, you¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± I raised a brow in his direction but said nothing. ¡°The letter came to me and it was my choice to decide whether or not I wanted to tell you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said simply. ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°Are you truly doing this right now?¡± he asked but I didn¡¯t respond. He muttered a curse under his breath before walking out. He didn¡¯t return that night which was good for me because sometime around eleven, I got myself dressed in riding gear and arge dark coat. I snuck into the stables and took one of the horses then quietly rode out into the town. I waited until I saw thest light go off signaling that everyone was asleep before I dismounted and made my way out of the bushes where I was hiding. I snuck in through the back door and gently knelt beside one of the sick people- a young teenager. I sped his palm and with a deep breath, I tunneled my powers into him. Chapter 174 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V 047% 10:55 I healed as many as I could until I felt drained and dizzy. With each person I tunneled power into, I could feel something leave me, I could feel a part of my essence being stripped away but I couldn¡¯t stop. I knew that I was meant to heal them, it was my fault they were in this position anyway. Whoever this witch was, it was me they had a problem with and not the innocent pack members. The least I could do was to ensure that no one died Original content from N?velDrama.Org. because of me. I wasn¡¯t sure how I managed to ride back to the pce and not slip off my horse. I could barely hold on and I had to lie t against it. By the time I arrived, I noticed Kevin pacing around the stables. He saw me and rushed over almost as if he had been searching for me. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he whispered. ¡°Where did you go? I have been looking for you for an hour now. Are you alright?¡± He helped me off my horse and I nearly slumped to the ground. If not for him grabbing onto me to hold me up, I would¡¯ve fallen. He was clearly concerned, I knew that much as he looked me over for any obvious signs of injury. ¡°What do you want me to do, your majesty?¡± he asked. ¡°Do I take you to the prince?¡± ¡°No,¡± I ground out immediately. If Ryker saw me like this, he was going to be pissed. I had at least until later this morning to keep my secret. ¡°Can you help me to my room please? I don¡¯t want anyone finding out about what happened here tonight.¡± He pursed his lips but nodded and led me into the pce. He made sure to take the lesser traveled halls which meant a longer walk but I didn¡¯t mind. It was a battle to keep my eyes open but I somehow managed to do it. Once we got to the room, I almost moaned in relief. My bones hurt and there was something in the center of my chest- a burning feeling that I could not get rid of. Kevin didn¡¯t want to walk into the room but it was obvious that I couldn¡¯t go in on my own. He led me to the bed and gently helped me into a sitting position but I couldn¡¯t even hold that for long before I flopped backwards. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered and he nodded. He didn¡¯t leave immediately though, he stood there in the center of the room watching me carefully. ¡°Are you sure that you are alright? It would not take long to get the prince here.¡± Your dream we of fantastic Bens Joyread Google y OPEN Emergency calls only * 047% ? 10:55 ¡°I am fine, leave Ryker to whatever he is doing,¡± I mumbled trying to hide my hurt at the fact that he didn¡¯t even try to return to the room. Kevin obviously didn¡¯t agree with me but he nodded and turned on his heels then walked off. I heard the door click shut and I let go of the facade I was holding onto and groaned. Exhaustion burned through me and for the first time in my life, I felt like I couldn¡¯t move. My head was spinning, my limbs felt like lead and my mouth tasted metallic with a tinge of ash. I closed my eyes hoping to just take a deep breath but I didn¡¯t end up re-opening them. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I found myself in front of that same eerie mirror as before. It was a bitrger this time with intricate designs in the metal stand. I tried to make them out knowing they told a story butt my head hurt too much and my focus was on the reflection. I was bleeding but instead of leaking red blood, something white and clear was oozing out. It wasn¡¯t justing out of one hole, there were many all over my body. I watched as some of those holes closed up but a few never did. It was a clear warning, I was risking too much, doing too much and I let out an exasperated sigh. I didn¡¯t want this, I just wanted my pack to be happy. I turned away from the mirror,y t on my back and closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop what I had already done. The past was in the past. I only hoped that Ryker would be able to. find who was responsible before Ipletely destroyed myself. I felt the brightness of the sun against my skin and soft murmuring by my ears. There was warmth all over my body, as if I were lying in the middle of ake. I managed to peel my eyes open only to find Ryker and L standing there. L looked relieved but Ryker on the other hand was nothing short of pissed. His lips were turned down in a frown and he had his hands crossed over his chest. I knew what this was about but I decided to feign ignorance. ¡°Hello,¡± I began with a yawn and a long stretch. ¡°Is something wrong? Why are you hovering around my bed?¡± ¡°You were healing again,¡± L¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°I tried to speed it up using a potion so you would wake up. How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No,¡± not physically at least. The only hurt I could feel was om the inside and it was never going to be fixed, not until I died. ¡°Thank you, L, but I am fine now, you don¡¯t have toe to me whenever I am asleep. I¡¯ll definitely wake up on my own.¡± ¡°You will, but it might take days and unfortunately days are-¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Ryker said calmly and we both turned to him. I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so direct but he wasn¡¯t even looking at L, he was looking at me. When no one moved for a minute, he spoke again. ¡°Thank you for your help, L but I need you to leave so that I can converse with my mate about making irresponsible and stu pid decisions.¡± L shot me a small smile of encouragement before walking out of the room. She had barely shut the door behind her when Ryker exploded. To say that he was pissed would have been an understatement, the tips of his ears had turned red and he was yelling- he almost never yelled at me. No matter what I did, he spoke quietly and calmly but this time was different. ¡°Are you insane?¡± he eximed. ¡°What were you thinking by healing them all? Didn¡¯t you listen when L told you the first time that you were taking parts of yourself? Do you care so little about your own life that you feel the need to put it in danger all the time.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m doing,¡± I mumbled but he simply shot me a disbelieving look and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let them die. It was my fault that she attacked them in the first ce. Besides, you said you were close to finding out who she is, what is a few more people when we will soon have her?¡± He ran his hands through his hair. ¡°I never said we were close, Cami, and even if we find out who she is, we don¡¯t know where she is or how to defeat her. You are putting yourself in unnecessary danger. I should have known that Kevin would do a s hit job.¡± ¡°¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°What does this have to do with Kevin?¡± he didn¡¯t respond but I knew he had heard me so I repeated my question again. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Ryker.¡± ¡°I asked him to watch you after receiving the letter but clearly I should have known better. Would it help if I actually locked you in the f ucking room? Would you sit still if I did that? For f ucks sake, Cami.¡± ¡°I was just helping.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that!¡± he all but screamed. ¡°You went out there alone and used your powers. I have seen how weak and exhausted that makes you. Did you ever stop to consider that maybe she was banking on that? What would have happened if you used your powers and you couldn¡¯t make it back home? What would have happened if she took you?¡± I stayed silent because I hadn¡¯t thought about that. I was so concerned with helping them that I never once stopped to consider the threat to my own life. I couldn¡¯t help but feel st upid for the first time today. I couldn¡¯t even meet Ryker¡¯s eye anymore. He let out a deep breath before taking a seat next to me. ¡°I just need you to be honest with me, Cami. We cannot do this if you are not honest with me. I cannot spend every waking hour of my day worrying about your Your dreams of fantastic fictions ¡°You¡¯re right and I am sorry, I just felt bad because they were hurt because of me. They were hurt because I wouldn¡¯t give myself up,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Maybe I should just surrender. We could possibly try to ambush her with a surrender, don¡¯t you agree? It might work.¡± ¡°No, we are not bargaining your life,¡± his voice held no room for discussion. ¡°We don¡¯t know the extent of her powers. She isn¡¯t the kind of person that you just make a jump on. We have to carefully n this. We can worry about thatter, for now, you need to rest.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else after that, just sat with me in the room for the rest of the day. I knew he was still pissed but he was saving the brunt of his anger forter. He made sure I was fed and rested and wouldn¡¯t even let me take a step out of the room. It was annoying to say thest but I figured it could have been worse and was just grateful that it wasn¡¯t. Sometime around evening, I was getting annoyed with being in the same ce for the entire day but I was trying my best not to argue. Ryker ced a soft kiss on my forehead and muttered something about going to get some water. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long that gave me to leave the room and get some fresh air. He had just gotten to the door when it flew open revealing Christine. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he asked and she nodded. ¡°Caius and L- I never thought I would ever say that- they need to see you. They say it is urgent.¡± Chapter 175 It didn¡¯t take much convincing to get Ryker to let me go with him. It was a relief to finally be out of the room, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the reasons were good at all. We were led to the council room and needless to say, it was a weird pairing to see Caius and L whispering together in hushed tones. When we arrived, they immediately jumped apart. ¡°We found it,¡± they said together and my brows furrowed. I was confused as to what they were talking about but Ryker seemed to understand because his eyes widened in shock and relief. ¡°It took a shi t ton of time but we did it.¡± Ryker took the seat opposite them and I followed suit. ¡°Tell me everything.¡± Caius brought out a single piece of parchment and on it was what looked like a sigil. It was hard to distinguish at first because it just looked like a badly drawn circle but on closer inspection, I saw that it was a snake eating itself. I had never seen something like that in my life and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they would be looking for it. ¡°I knew it had something to do with the witches so I reached out to a few of my friends but none of them know,¡± L began. ¡°I thought we were simply too young to know of it so I asked Caius and he happened to know some friends who are a bit older and have ties to the witch world. One of them was able to identify this.¡± ¡°it is the seal of a long forgotten witch coven,¡± Caius continued. ¡°They used to be so powerful in the days of my youth. They were considered ser vants of the goddess. They would offer sacrifices to her and speak directly to her. It was believed then that the goddess used to walk amongst them. They were favored and blessed until one day, things started to go wrong. They started hearing strange things from the goddess- things she would never have said on a normal day,¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t smart enough to realize that they had beenpromised. Instead, they kept sacrificing, kept praying,¡± L cut in. ¡°A few of them started to realize that things were not as they used to. Their crops were dying, they were not getting older, they started to investigate and they found that their coven leader had diverted from praying to the goddess. She started to dabble in dark magic, she fed off the life force of theirnd which was connected to the goddess- she was powerful. They tried to stand against her but there was a battle. It was long and it is was blo ody and by the end of it, their cover was razed to the ground.¡± I felt goose bumps on my skin as her words settled in the air. She had a faraway and sad look in her eye. I figured the story hurt her more seeing as she was a witch. ¡°What happened to the leader? Did she die?¡± I asked but she shrugged. ¡°No one knows. By the time the battle was over, no one was recognizable. Legend says that a few of them managed to escape and merged with the other covens, their powers were long forgotten and the goddess never walked the earth again. Other legends say that they all died and put an end to their lineage forever.¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± I asked and she went silent. It was clear she was not expecting that question from me. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am qualified to speak on the subject. I wasn¡¯t born when it happened and my mother would have been a child. Even she wouldn¡¯t have known-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask what you know or what you are qualified on. I asked what you think,¡± I corrected. ¡°Think about it and give an opinion.¡± She sighed. ¡°If the coven leader was as powerful as history says she was, she wouldn¡¯t have gone down that easily. She would have made contingency ns in case things went south. She couldn¡¯t have assumed she would be able to lie to them forever. I think she lived past the battle and if she was able to continue her practice, she would be young forever. She could still be alive.¡± ¡°You think she is responsible for this,¡± I deduced and she nodded. ¡°Does your history mention her name?¡± ¡°No, but it does mention where their coven used to be.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± She grimaced before speaking and when the words finally left her mouth, I was dumbstruck. Against his wishes and better judgment, we ended up riding out of the pce that morning. Ryker was pissed about it to say the least but even he realized just how close we were to getting to the bottom of this. I could have sent a guard but I didn¡¯t want to risk anyone else¡¯s life. It was obvious that I was the one she wanted, she wasn¡¯t going to risk killing me. Ryker, L and I set out to what used to be their old coven. If I had been given a chance to think about where it could have been, I never would have guessed. The ride was quiet, everyone was lost in their own minds but I could tell it all centered around the same thing. No one knew what they were walking into, none of us knew just how bad things could be. ¡°I have a question,¡± I asked suddenly making all eyes turn to me. ¡°If she is alive, why doesn¡¯t she just take her old covennd back?¡± ¡°Well, there are a lot of stories about what happened after. Some say that after the war, the goddess cursed thend so that no witch can inhabit it anymore. Others say that the very essence of thend cries out against us. No one has ever thought to try it out since then. If it is true, then that would exin why she didn¡¯t go back for it.¡± I hummed as I mulled over those words. It gave me an answer but it wasn¡¯t enough, there were still so many questions that I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever get the answer to unless I asked her directly- whoever she was. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was following us right now, tracking our every move and trying to figure out the best way to attack. I looked over my shoulder and at the trees lining the sides of the roads almost imagining her jumping out and putting a halt to our expenditure. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your majesty,¡± L¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. ¡°I hope I am not crossing a line but if I might ask, what are you nning to do when you get there? Do you want to summon her?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I said immediately and she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I want to leave her a little¡­ message.¡± No words were exchanged again until we got to the massive house. It looked exactly the same as I had left it and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why out of all the ces avable, my father chose this spot for his vacation home. I took in what now was and tried to imagine what it looked like when the coven was here. If I were to judge by what I had seen with L, they would have been minimalistic and down to earth. I got off my horse expecting to see Briggs but instead, I was met with someone else- another young maid I had seen in passing before. She gave me a warm but worried smile as she rushed over to us. 2 ¡°Your majesties,¡± she bowed. ¡°We were not expecting you. Would you like me to prepare your rooms for you?¡± ¡°Where is Briggs?¡± I asked. ¡°I need to see him.¡± Her answering grimace gave me cause for worry. I risked a nce over at Ryker who I could see was sporting the same look in his eyes. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Briggs has been ill for a while. We fear there is nothing to be done. I could take you to him if you would like,¡± I was barely able to nod before she led me towards the serv ants building. Most of them were in ck, already mourning the loss of a man who was alive. His room was on the first floor at the far end of the corridor. She stopped at the door but I could tell she didn¡¯t want to go in. Ryker pushed the door open and I could barely recognize the man in the bed. He looked like old age had crept up on him and drained the life right out of his bones. There was barely any flesh on his skin and every breath lookedbored. ¡°Hello Briggs,¡± I said softly as I took the seat next to him. He managed to peel his eyes open and when he saw me, he smiled as best he could. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Your majesty,¡± he managed out, his voice sounding hollow and breezy. ¡°I never thought I would see you before I passed. I am afraid the illness snuck up on me faster than I would have liked. The doctors are trying their best but there is no hope for me.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about who thisnd used to belong to?¡± I asked and I saw awareness in his eyes. It was clear that he knew but he was too sick to talk. I turned to Ryker and dropped my voice to a whisper. ¡°Let me heal him.¡± ¡°Are you mad?¡± he spat. ¡°He knows something that he might be able to tell us. This is out only chance. If I do this, I swear on the goddess that I will not use my powers again,¡± Ryker¡¯s frown didn¡¯t move. ¡°Please, this is the only way.¡± ¡°This is thest time, correct?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°Fine, do what you must.¡± I let out a sigh of relief and turned to Briggs. He had closed his eyes again but he was still breathing. I slowly took his frail hand into mine and with arge breath, I focused on pushing my powers into him. Chapter 176 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V 057% 10:57 It was like there were two warring parts of me. One side wanted to step back and allow Cami make her choices, allow her do the thing she thought to be right which included healing Briggs despite the repercussions it might have on her. The other part of me wanted to protect her from everything and everyone- including herself, especially herself. She didn¡¯t realize it yet but she was her own greatest adversary. She put herself in danger more than any foe we had faced and sometimes it scared me. As I watched her pushing a part of herself into Briggs, I had to dig my feet into the ground to prevent from going to her. I never thought that after everything, it would end with us back here. Of all the ces for the coven to have stood, it just had to be this ce. Sometimes I wondered if the goddess had a sick sense of humor or if thete king was just a meddling asshole who set his own child up for failure. Every single thing almost always came back to him. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. I had to look away from Cami and my gaze fell on L. She was staring at the scene in front of her with a mixture of sadness and hope. It was almost as if she was staring through them. I cleared my throat and she turned to me. She tried to hide her expression but it was already toote. I had seen what I needed to. She gave me a small smile in an attempt to pretend but when she saw that I wasn¡¯t buying it, she sighed. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± I asked but she shrugged. ¡°This is one of the thin you saw, isn¡¯t it?¡± her silence was enough of an answer for me, especially when she looked away. ¡°How does it end, L? Tell me and I will do everything in my power to prevent it.¡± ¡°If I tell you, it will happen.¡± ¡°It is already happening, I can see it in your eyes. This way, I can prepare for it, I can fix it or at least try to. If you tell me, I will do everything I can. You know I will.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I am bound by my oaths to the goddess. If I say it, I will die. I cannot risk my life like that. Besides, the future is filled with many different paths. This is one of the things I saw, yes, but there are still many roads in the future, there are still many alternate endings.¡± ¡°How many of them end happy?¡± I asked and she looked away. ¡°How many end with everyone happy and intact? Tell me, L, I deserve to know. On this path that she has taken, what is the likelihood that we alle out alive?¡± Emergency calls only 057% 10:57 Her voice was soft, quiet, barely over a whisper that if I wasn¡¯t standing so close to her, I would not have heard it. ¡°One.¡± A gasp cut out conversation short and I turned to find Cami trying to stagger to her feet. On the bed in front of her, Briggs looked healthier, he wasn¡¯t breathing as hard and he seemed to be resting peacefully. I rushed over to Cami and as soon as I reached her, she leaned into me as if it was too much of a strain to hold herself up. Her nose was bleeding and I cursed as I put a handkerchief to it. She was weak and one second away from passing out if I was judging by her drooping eyes. Õä°® ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I asked and she nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to carry you into the main house, can you stay awake from me until then?¡± she didn¡¯t respond but I didn¡¯t need her to. I lifted her bridal style and walked out of the room with L following close behind me. There was a maid in front of Briggs¡¯ door and she made to go in when I stopped her. ¡°No one goes in to see him until I say so, am I clear?¡± To say she was shocked was an understatement but she nodded. ¡°Of course, your majesty, whatever you say.¡± She turned on her heels and walked off. I didn¡¯t wait to see where she was going before I rushed towards the main house. Cami was not speaking at all and I could tell that she was barely awake. I moved on autopilot, the only thoughts going through my mind were about her. By the time I got to the room, she wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore but that didn¡¯t mean she looked any better. ¡°Is she going to be okay?¡± I asked L who nodded slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t need a half assed answer, I need facts, L. Will she be fine?¡± ¡°Yes, she will,¡± she sounded more self assured. ¡°She just needs to rest and right now, you are hovering. You aren¡¯t doing her any good like this.¡± I realized she was right so despite the war in me, I nodded and took a slow step backwards. I ced a soft kiss on her forehead and watched as her eyes finally drooped closed. It was hard to do nothing but it was what I needed to do. She looked miserable and I didn¡¯t want to leave her but I forced my legs to lead me out of the room. It felt like my chest was tightening more with each step I took further away from her. ¡°She will be fine,¡± L said and I hummed. ¡°I cannot tell you much but I can tell you that.¡± Î÷ ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that,¡± I ground out a little more harshly than I would have liked. ¡°If you want to talk to me, then talk about something else. If not, I would much rather sit in silence.¡± She was silent for a full minute. I turned away from her pacing the length of the living room. A part of me thought she had actually left until I turned and found her seated on the couch. Her hands were crossed in front of her and Emergency calls onlyOf 057% 10:57 she was staring at the open firece. There was a faraway look in her eyes as if she were here but not here. ¡°Did you know that this was where the witches would offer sacrifices?¡± she asked and I furrowed my brows in confusion, ¡°This very spot where we are staying is where they would stay while the leader would stand by that firece and make the sacrifices to the goddess.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± I looked around trying to see if there were any carvings or markings that could have told her as such but there was nothing. It was a brand new house. ¡°I can feel them,¡± she exined. ¡°That would exin why the witch herself wouldn¡¯te here. The presence of the witches that died is heavy here. They are angry and sad, I can almost taste their emotions. If she were toe here, she would run mad or die, or perhaps both.¡± She turned to me. ¡°Do you mean to say that you cannot feel it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Everything looks and feels normal. I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I suppose it is because you are a wolf, I guess. Your kind has never been in touch with the spiritual side of things. You are more brutal, more into bloodshed. If you took some time to just smell the you would be shocked at what you would discover.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of smelling the grass.¡± ¡°If Cami was awake, she would be able to feel it.¡± grass, I went silent again as the mention of Cami brought back the earlier tension. I couldn¡¯t help but nce over my shoulder and up the stairs. I wanted to be next to her, I wanted to be with her but I wasn¡¯t helping from there, there was nothing I could do except pace and worry. ¡°You are sure she will wake up, right?¡± I asked L and she gave me a pitying smile. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what it was like to be her. She had no family and no obligations except her work. It was a lonely life, but it was also a simple one. ¡°She will, I swear it on my life.¡± L and I didn¡¯t speak after that. I stayed in the living room for half an hour before I gave up and made my way over to Cami¡¯s side. I held her hand making sure to stroke it softly as I spoke to her. I wasn¡¯t sure if she could hear me but I wanted to try anyway. I never wanted her to doubt that I was with her and by her side. I sat there until the sun began to set and she didn¡¯t stir once. L tried to get me to go down for dinner but I Emergency calls only : 057% 10:57 wasn¡¯t going to eat a thing until I was sure that my mate was fine. Her words managed to ease some of the tension but I couldn¡¯t trust her. L was a blind follower and like she had said, she was bound by her duties to the goddess. She would risk lying to me if she thought it was what the goddess wanted and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. A small knock on my door had me looking up. L walked in with a small smile on her face and I immediately knew what it was about. Instead of having her hovering around me, I had asked her to monitor Briggs. He was the entire reason we were in this mess and I had to be sure that he was healing well. ¡°He is awake,¡± she whispered trying and failing to hide her grin. ¡°He is up and talking and he is asking for her. He says he has something important to say.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She was grinning from ear to ear and a part of me couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had somehow forgotten that Cami was still knocked out. There was no way they could converse if she wasn¡¯t even awake yet. ¡°Is he healed? Is he breathing properly?¡± I asked ignoring thetter part of the sentence and she nodded. It was good to know that Cami¡¯s sacrifice wasn¡¯t in vain. ¡°Good, when Cami is awake we can tell her.¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± a small voice asked. Chapter 177 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V 057% 10:57 My head was pounding and I was a little groggy but I otherwise felt fine. For the first time since I started using my powers, I didn¡¯t get to see therge dark room with the mirror. I didn¡¯t know what that meant for me but I could only hope that it was something good. Ryker turned to me and the relief in his eyes was palpable. I tried to give him a small smile, tried to tell him that I was fine but he just shook his head and blinked back moisture from his eyes. I could see that he was hurting, this whole endeavor was hurting him just as much if not a lot more than it was hurting me, he just didn¡¯t know how to show it especially since most of the attention was on me. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked, his voice as soft as cotton as he stared deep into my soul. It was almost like he was searchin for injuries below the surface but his eyes weren¡¯t deep enough to see the injuries that marked my soul. ¡°Would you like something to eat or do you want something?¡± ¡°Some food would be nice,¡± I managed out after trying to pull myself up into a sitting position. ¡°Could I have some fruits with that please and some water? I am famished.¡± He nodded and nced over at L who immediately rushed out of the room leaving us inplete silence. Ryker helped me sit up and ran his hands through my curls in aforting manner. His eyes were cold as usual but underneath that wall of ice he had erected for himself was sorry and anger although I couldn¡¯t tell who it was pointed at. I wanted to ask but I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get a response, at least not from him. ¡°What were you talking about earlier?¡± I asked. All I was able to hear was my name and I was already assuming the worse. I tried not to jump to conclusions but sometimes it was very difficult especially at a time like this. ¡°Is there something wrong with me?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said almost immediately. ¡°Briggs is awake and he was asking to see you.¡± My eyes widened in shock and I immediately tried to get out of bed but Ryker grabbed me. His hand was firm around my waist as he pulled me back into bed. He stared at me as if I was out of my mind. I tried once more but he was faster. ¡°I will tie you to this fucking bed if I have to, Cami. You are in no shape to go out to see anyone. You need your rest and Briggs does too. If he feels better, he cane up here but I am sure you can wait a few hours for the answers that you want.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance but he had no ns of letting up. He was used to my stubbornness, Emergency calls only 057% 10:57 more than anyone if I had to assume. He knew how to handle it and he knew how to ignore it. He indulged me a few times, more than he should have and more than any other mate would but there were certain things he was never going to budge on and this was one of them. I let out a sigh and just sat in bed knowing that he wouldn¡¯t let me leave any way. We waited in silence for L to return. It took her almost half an hour and she returned with a tray filled with food. She gave me a small smile and ced it gently on myps. There were oats, fruits and a lot of other things. ¡°I cannot possibly eat all of this,¡± I mumbled as I picked up the fruits first. ¡°Thank you, L, You have done so much for us. You didn¡¯t need toe here.¡± She just shrugged and gave me a small smile. Neither of them left the room and although it was ufortable to eat in their presence while they weren¡¯t eating, I was too hungry and tired to think about it. It wasn¡¯t until I had finished eating that I even realized that they were both looking at me with attentive eyes. I tried to hide from their gaze but soon came to realize that there was no hiding from it. I cleared my throat and looked out the window. ¡°Where is Briggs? Is he still awake?¡± It was L who responded. ¡°He is, he ispletely healed but he doesn¡¯t want to rm the people. He would prefer if your meeting was secretive. He to ease the others into his recovery. There is no rush to see him, he doesn¡¯t mind waiting.¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut her off immediately. ¡°I need to see him right now.¡± I couldn¡¯t exin why I needed to see him. There was an unease around me, it was something about the air. I didn¡¯t know what it was but it had the hair at the back of my neck standing on edge. There was something about this ce that just had me feeling like I needed to be quick and get out of here. It was almost like I was being watched, I couldn¡¯t exin it, it was just there. I knew Ryker didn¡¯t want me leaving the room but if I stayed here for far longer than necessary, I was going to run mad. ¡°I know,¡± L said slowly and I furrowed my brows. She sounded like she was reading my mind but I had known her long enough to know that was impossible. ¡°I feel them too, I was talking to your mate about it before you woke up. It is the presence of the witches who had died here. Their presence is strong because of their anger. The coven leader¡¯s rise must have triggered them.¡± ¡°That exins it,¡± I mumbled as I turned to face Ryker. ¡°I cannot be here for longer than necessary, please. I just want to get in and get out. Leaving the pack unguarded was dangerous, anything could be happing. She has us by our tails right now, I want to be back by tomorrow.¡± Emergency calls onlyOR He sighed deeply but I could tell he still didn¡¯t agree. ¡°Alright, let us do this.¡± 057% 10:57 He helped me out of bed and together, we went to Briggs¡¯ room. It was empty just as Ryker had ordered before we left although a maid was outside the room pacing. When she saw us, she rushed over with a sigh of relief. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to take dinner to him yet,¡± she exined. ¡°Your orders were very clear and you haven¡¯t been around all day. Can we take it to him now?¡± ¡°Give it to L, she will bring it for him, is that okay?¡± I asked L who just waved me off. She didn¡¯t seem to mind one bit. I gave her a small smile before walking into the room. It was amazing just how quickly the effects of my powers came to be. Briggs looked even better than he did thest time we were here. He was seated up with a wide smile on his face and he was breathing properly. Before, he had a small hunch to his shoulders but it waspletely gone now as if it were never there. ¡°You look amazing,¡± I told him and he smiled. ¡°You look like s hit,¡± he countered and my eyes widened as a small smile yed on my lips. Not many people got to talk to me like that since I became queen, I never realized just how much I missed it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to me, but thank you. I feel young again. There was a permanent ache in my bones but it is gone. Did you know that? It is almost like you breathed life back into me.¡± I didn¡¯t tell him that was exactly what I did. Instead, I just shrugged and took the seat in front of his bed. He knew I was here for business because slowly, the smile slipped off his face and was reced with a serious expression. ¡°Is everything alright? I presume that your visit here isn¡¯t just because you wanted to see me,¡± he joked and I gave him a tight smile. ¡°What is wrong, Cami? How can I help?¡± ¡°When you were sick, I asked if you knew what this house was built on and you said yes,¡± his face darkened considerably. ¡°I need answers in regards to that. It is a matter of life and death. Tell me everything that you know.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He sighed and stood to his feet. He paced the length of the room until he was standing in front of his dressing mirror. L chose that exact moment to walk in but barely anyone acknowledged her presence. My eyes were fixated on Briggs who looked to be struggling with his words. ¡°When I was a young boy, we lived in the town not far from here. My father had told me stories about the witches who lived up the hill. He spent a lot of time with them. They were kind and loving, they were s ervants of the Emergency calls only : 10:57 goddess and every month, they would bring food to the vige. Everyone loved them and their visits were the highlights of the town¡¯s year.¡± ¡°I feel the need to preface this by saying everything I say is what I heard from my father. He was alive when it happened. He said that one day, they brought some food in baskets but that evening, they were all filled with maggots, rotten to the core. That was when they knew that something was wrong. They took it to the coven leader, her name was Reina but she didn¡¯t seem to care. If anything, she dismissed the humans.¡± It was a relief to finally have a name to the woman doing everything. I hated having to call her the witch in my head. Anonymity bred fear but now with a name, she was just a person like the rest of us. ¡°After taking it to Reina, the visits stopped. The witches isted themselves. I cannot tell you what happened between them. All I know is that the people saw fireing here and the entire coven was burned to the ground and Reina was missing.¡± Chapter 178 ¡°What do you mean that Reina was missing?¡± I asked in confusion. ¡°The bodies were burnt weren¡¯t they? How would you have been able to identify her?¡± ¡°The witches wore different robes to signify their positions. There were three levels in the coven. There were the ser vants who ran errands for the others, they wore simple robes that were burnt to a crisp in the fire. The next level was the coven priestesses. They were involved in the rituals and the sacrifices. They were bright red robes with some embellishments on them. You could make out the designs, even in the fire. It wasn¡¯t hard to seeing as they were etched into the fabric.¡± ¡°And Reina?¡± I asked. Her name felt like ash on my tongue and simply mentioning it had the air in the room growing colder. I remembered L¡¯s words about the souls of the other witches and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were feeling angry about the fact that we were openly speaking about her. I tried to put myself in their shoes. I would be furious, beyond a reasonable doubt. She not only led them down the wrong path, but she betrayed and killed them all- for power. It was disappointing but it was the way of life. Cruel people did whatever they could to remain in power- it was their way. I blinked away all thoughts of them realizing I was getting swarmed by it and turned back to Briggs. ¡°Her robe was pure silver as if it had been spun from moonlight. My father said it was embellished with precious stones and it looked like it was worth a fortune. Around her neck, she wore a talisman shaped in a crescent moon that she used tomunicate directly with the goddess. After the fire, people stormed the coven grounds in search of her body so they would steal the stones but she and her robes were gone.¡± ¡°She set the fire and escaped,¡± I deduced and he nodded. ¡°So there is a possibility that she is the one doing this to us.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t a possibility, your majesty, it is a fact. If there is anyone who has the power to do this to a person- it is her. Besides, I saw her.¡± My eyes widened in shock and I stared at Briggs with my jaw ck. It wasforting to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was stunned by his admission. Ryker and L were staring at him with varying Emergency calls only u D77% 11:25 degrees of shock on their faces. I would never have expected to hear that. No one in the past had ever mentioned seeing her, not even Riley. Why would she choose now to appear to Briggs? What was she ying at? ¡°What did she look like?¡± I asked and he opened his mouth to respond but I cut him off with more questions. ¡°What did she want? Why did she appear to you? Did she say what her n was? Did she say why she was attacking us?¡± ¡°One question at a time, please,¡± Briggs held out his hand to stop me but I was too agitated. There was so much that I needed to know. ¡°I was walking in the gardens trying to get some herbs when I wandered into the forest. I came across a young woman, I immediately knew she wasn¡¯t meant to be there. She was beautiful with silver hair and eyes so dark they looked unnatural but there was something about her aura that was off. It was almost dead. It felt like she was radiating death.¡± because it aldr many ¡°I tried to leave but she called out my name and told me that she had a message that she needed me to. deliver. I offered to take her in but she refused. She said that she couldn¡¯t set foot on those grounds bad memories for her. I hadn¡¯t even put two and two together when she grabbed me. It felt like I was dying, I could almost feel the life seeping out of me and before my eyes, she grew younger. She told me to pray that you came this way because you were the only one who could save me. Then she said to tell you congrattions on passing her test because you are now ready for the endgame.¡± ¡°What does she mean by endgame?¡± Ryker asked but no one answered. I could tell that Briggs didn¡¯t know and neither did I but L knew. Something dark passed through her eyes and she had to turn away from us. Ryker took a step forward but I stepped in front of him. She already told us a million times over that she couldn¡¯t talk to us about the future. She could risk her life and I wasn¡¯t going to demand that of her. She had already been a great help to us and that was more invaluable than knowing how this was going to end. We had already fought so many enemies, maybe not on the same scale as Reina but that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t defeat her. I trusted that we would, it was just going to take some time and nning. ¡°Thank you, Briggs,¡± I ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You have been an amazing help to us. You should go back to rest. We will be leaving tomorrow but I wille to see you before I go.¡± I turned to leave when he grabbed my arm. ¡°Wait, I think there is something that might be able to help D R ReelShort D ReelShort Emergency calls only u 077% 11.25 you in your uing war. I would get it for you but I don¡¯t want to give the people a scare. Is it alright if I describe it for you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I said immediately. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is per say, I never opened the box. It is in the attic, there is arge carved box in the center of the room. It was the prized possession of the witches. My father saw it and stole it. There were some writings on it but it was in Latin. He was too terrified to open it for fear of incurring the wrath of the goddess. You might want to check it out.¡± I thanked him once more before rushing towards the attic with the other. A part of me was already braced for disappointment but the other part of me hoped for a better oue. We needed all the help we could get and if this could help us then it was going to be a relief. We found the attic and the box very easily. It wasrger than I imagined, reaching above my knees. It was burnt around the edges but otherwise unchanged. It was carved from wood and oveid with gold. I could understand why Briggs¡¯ father stole it- it looked expensive. I ran my fingers over the words on the box and turned to L. ¡°Latin is thenguage of witches, is it not?¡± I asked and she nodded slowly. She looked hesitant and unsure as she made her way over. She went to her knees beside me and trailed her hand over the writing. She exhaled deeply before speaking. ¡°For every beginning, there is an end and for every start there is a finish, to the goddess we are born and to her we shall return. That is what is written there.¡± ¡°What do you think it is?¡± I asked Ryker. ¡°It talks about beginning and end, life and death, do you will tell us how we can kill Reina?¡± think it ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted running his hand down his jaw. ¡°There is only one way to find out.¡± He stood in front of the box and turned to me. ¡°I need you to take a step back. I don¡¯t know what is inside this box and I will not risk your life.¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°Now, Cami!¡± Before I could protest, Lyly grabbed my arm and pulled me away. She shook her head slowly telling me that it wasn¡¯t worth it. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched. The box was apparently locked and there was no obvious key. I watched Ryker try to pick the lock but it wouldn¡¯t budge. The longer I stared at the box, the more I realized that there was something different about it. It was almost pulsing with¡­ life? ¡°This is going to sound absolutely insane,¡± I began making Ryker turn to me. ¡°But could you cut your thumb and put it in the keyhole?¡± he looked at me like I had grown five heads. I knew how absurd I sounded but something told me it would work. ¡°Just try it, please.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He muttered something about witches under his breath before doing as I asked. The moment his thumb came in contact with the keyhole, the lid flew open. I couldn¡¯t stop my smile as it grew on my lips. Ryker stared in shock and confusion as I rushed towards the box. There weren¡¯t many things in the box, in fact, there were just two. There was a piece of parchment paper with some writing on it and a smaller box. I picked up the small box and opened it feeling grateful that I didn¡¯t have to cut myself for it. Sitting inside was a single dagger. It was simple with a golden hilt and a de that glistened under the sun. There were writings on the de but it was too tiny to make out. I closed the lid and turned to Ryker who was holding the piece of paper in his hands. His eyes moved over it fast as he tried to digest the words as quickly as possible. ¡°Does it say anything?¡± I asked but he held out a hand to stop me. I waited two minutes for him to be done. ¡°Apparently you are holding the only known weapon that can kill the priestess of the goddess,¡± he said simply and my eyes widened. ¡°It cannot be wielded by another witch. That dagger is the only thing that can kill Reina.¡± Chapter 179 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V A We were ready to leave the next morning and despite not wanting to scare the others with his fast healing, he came out to see us off. I was a bit terrified of what we were going to meet at home. I couldn¡¯t I I keep myself from fidgeting the entire ride. I hadn¡¯t heard from Christine or the kids and I was worried about them. Ryker intertwined our fingers the entire ride. He didn¡¯t say a word but I could feel his presence. I could feel hisfort and his reassurance. By the time we got to the pce, I didn¡¯t even wait for the carriage toe to a halt before I rushed out. Christine was already waiting in front of the pce with the girls and they rushed into my arms. Despite the persona I was to hold as a Queen, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care about that, I rushed to my knees and pulled them into my arms. I pulled them impossibly closer and let out a sigh of relief when I realized they were fine. I had not realized how much I missed and wanted them to be fine. Audrey was telling me about everything she did while we were gone and in all honesty, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to her words, I just wanted to hold her. Ryker walked over to me and they immediately pulled away from me to embrace their father. He picked them up with ease and I watched as he whispered kind words into their ears. ¡°I take it the trip was sessful,¡± Christine hummed from beside me and I nodded. ¡°Come on, I made lunch for you, we can talk over lunch.¡± We walked into the pce and I couldn¡¯t help but look around anxiously almost expecting something bad to have happened. Everyone was all smiles which to me was weird. Reina had never gone this long without hurting someone first. I couldn¡¯t help but think back on Briggs¡® words. What was her endgame? What was she nning? Had she already done it or was she waiting for me to return before she did it? No matter how I thought about it, it still looked bad and I was exhausted. I didn¡¯t realize how hungry I was until I walked into the living room. The smell of food assaulted my nose. and I rushed over to the table and piled my te high. I heard Ryker chuckle beside me but He didn¡¯t say a word, he just simply joined me. Audrey and Aurora kept babbling on and despite how tired he was, Ryker listened to them patiently and whispered small answers to them. I felt a pang of jealousy that they preferred their father over me but I at the same time, I also didn¡¯t mind. I enjoyed watching their rtionship with him. It was something I never had and I wanted them to have it. ¡°Did anything happen while we were gone?¡± I asked Christine and she shook her head. I felt relieved but there was something else underneath it, something akin to worry. ¡°It has been perfectly normal if I am being honest. I was bracing myself for some kind of trouble but nothing happened. There have been no unrecognizable illnesses, no dead crops, nothing. She may have just given up.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t,¡± I cut her off and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°She said I was finally ready for her endgame. I don¡¯t know what that means but I know it isn¡¯t anything good. Something bad ising, I don¡¯t know what it is but it has to be something bad. It has to be worse than whatever it is that she has done right now.¡± Silence descended over the room as my words settled in everyone¡¯s hearing. I hadn¡¯t meant to bring fear but I needed to say it. I couldn¡¯t have them walking around in ignorance before the worst hit. We We were in the dark before the storm and whatever we did now was going to shape the future. I turned to L who was looking at me with a sad smile, there was something deep in her eyes that, out, something I couldn¡¯t make out. The longer I watched her, the more annoyed I got. Of having a seer if she couldn¡¯t even help us. couldn¡¯t make whatice was She med it on the goddess but why would the goddess willingly keep information from us? It made no sense. She was of zero help to me right now and only seemed to make my anxiety worse. She opened her mouth to speak but I turned away from her. I didn¡¯t want to hear her proverbial stories that had no discernable meaning. The most important thing for me now as to make sure that everyone I loved was safe and was braced for the hit. A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Riley walk in. She looked exhausted, like she had just woken up from sleep and she did a double take when she saw us. She rushed over to her brother first before finallying to embrace me. As I held her close, I realized just how much danger she was in by staying here. She pulled away from me with a small smile and I knew she would hate me for my next words. ¡°You have to leave,¡± I said and she stumbled back. All eyes tuned to me and I saw Ryker raise a single brow in my direction. ¡°I love you and I love having you here but you need to return hom now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Ryker. ¡°Are you being for real, right now? You¡¯re both just going to chase me away from here. You¡¯re my family and we are meant to stick together. I don¡¯t want to see Damien, I don¡¯t want to be around him.¡± ¡°She is right,¡± I knew the words pained Ryker to say. ¡°Something is going down here and you do not need to be around when it happens. You should be safe at home and if that means being with Damien N?velDrama.Org holds this content. then so be it.¡± She stared at the both of us in shock. The room waspletely quiet, even the girls had stopped speaking as if they understood the gravity of the situation. I hated having to put Riley in that spot, I hated having to send her away. She wasn¡¯t ready to see Damien, she wasn¡¯t ready to face the truth but that truth was better than whatever was about to go down. I didn¡¯t know what it was but I could tell that it was going to be disastrous. I could feel it in my bones. ¡°You w what, fuck you all,¡± she spat turning on her heels. She stomped over to the door then paused and looked over her shoulder at us. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think family is but this is not it. Family is meant to stick to ther despite the storms. I would have stayed.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I answered saving Ryker from the pain of having to. ¡°That is exactly what makes us family because we don¡¯t want you to. One day, you¡¯ll understand.¡± She flipped me off and stormed out of the room. Once she left, it was obvious that she took a portion of the warmth in the room with her. No one could speak or even move. The first person to break the spell was Juan, he slowly stood to his feet and took both girls from Ryker. They didn¡¯t protest once and allowed him lead them out of the room. Christine followed closely behind him and I watched as they left the room leaving just us and L. ¡°It was bound to happen that way, there is no path you had taken that wouldn¡¯t have ended like that,¡± L whispered and I whirled on her. ¡°A little heads up would have been nice, don¡¯t you think?¡± I spat and she flinched. ¡°Your job has been to sit there and give us shit after things go south. What use are you as a seer if you cannot help us avoid the bad?¡± ¡°I already told you, even if I wanted to help you, I couldn¡¯t, the goddess would-¡® ¡°Enough with the goddess bullshit,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You are of no help to me or anyone else here for that matter. All you have done is follow us around for some excitement. I am done amodating you, you can get out now.¡± She opened her mouth to speak but at thest minute, she decided against it and stormed off. I watched her disappear as guilt filled me. I should never have spoken to her like that, but I was furious, I was angry and she was the closest person that I could take my anger out on. As soon as she walked out, Ryker opened his mouth but I cut him off. ¡°I know, that was insensitive and rude. I will talk to her tomorrow and apologize. Right now, I just¡­ I just need a break. It is too much all at once. I don¡¯t know if I can do this.¡± ¡°You can,¡± he whispered reaching out to ce his hand over mine. ¡°Part of being Queen is making the hard choice. Riley doesn¡¯t have to agree with your choice but you did it for the greater good. It was a hard as fuck one but it was the right one, I can talk to her for you if you want, try and calm her down¡± before tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll appreciate that.¡± He gave me a small smile and leaned over to kiss my temple. ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job, Cami. Everything you have done has been to protect this kingdom and this family. No one might have told you yet but you are a damn great Queen.¡¯ I sniffled. His words weren¡¯t meant to make me cry like that. ¡°Thank you, that means a lot.¡± ¡°No, thank you, Cami,¡± he gave my shoulder a small squeeze before rising to his feet. ¡°You should probably go up to bed. You¡¯ve had a very long morning. Everything else can wait. I will meet you there.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Now, Cami, I wasn¡¯t asking.¡± Chapter 180 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Riley left the next morning. Ryker had tried his best to speak to her and exin that it wasn¡¯t about her but the situation, she wasn¡¯t even willing to listen. She was furious and while I couldn¡¯t me her, I did the right thing for everyone¡¯s safety and I wasn¡¯t going to regret it. Despite her being pissed at me, I still stood by the entrance of the pce to see her off. She pointedly ignored me in favor of the girls and Ryker and I kept my face stoic so as not to show her hoe much it hurt. When she departed, Audrey slowly walked over to me and tugged my arm. ¡°Aunt Riley is very mad at you. Did you try telling her sorry? Sometimes sorry makes people feel better.¡± I smiled down at my innocent daughter. ¡°Yes, baby, I did, but sometimes sorry doesn¡¯t fix things because your feelings are hurt. Sometimes some people just need some time to get used to it.¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°But daddy said that if you say sorry, it makes everything better.¡± How I wished she was right. The world would be such a better ce if you could just say sorry and be done with things. Regardless, that wasn¡¯t how things worked. I gave her a small smile and led her back into the pce. I could see the wheels in her head turning as she tried to figure out how and why the world wasn¡¯t a picture perfect ce. A part of me was happy that despite everything that happened, I was still able to keep her in that fairytale world that every child lived in. I was happy that it hadn¡¯t been tainted for her and that she still had a few more years to enjoy herself in. The other part of me was sad, upset that one day, this spell would be broken and that one day, she would be just like us, cynical, cold and unbelieving. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was that changed. What was that thing that made us go from hopeful children to cruel adults? Was it a force of nature or was it our own prejudice? ¡°Don¡¯t you have school today, Audrey?¡± I asked cutting her off and she gave me a sheepish smile. I rolled my eyes at her and nudged her towards the stairs. ¡°Come, you¡¯re alreadyte, we barely have five minutes to get you dressed.¡± She made a sound between a squeal and augh before running up the stairs and leaving me to follow after her. Within ten minutes, she was dressed, her hair was tied in a neat bow at the back of her head and she was sent off with the deeply. It was guards to school. Once she was gone, I let the smile fall and exhaled getting hard to put on a persona for them but I needed to. At least now that she was gone, I could focus on the other things like Reina. She was still quiet. I stayed up almost the entire night waiting to hear that she had done something. It Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. pissed Ryker off to no end but he stayed up with me. The truth was that he was just as anxious as I was but he managed to hide it better. By the morning, I half expected a guard to tell me that someone had died or something but it was quiet, almost too quiet and I wasn¡¯t sure if I was overreacting but I was confused and a bit scared. ¡°Cami,¡± a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see Christine. Her brows were furrowed in concern a she took me in. She was standing in the middle of my office and I didn¡¯t even know when she had walked in. ¡°Are you alright? You look a little lost. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing happened, that is the problem,¡± I ran my hands through my hair. ¡°I cannot be the only one who thinks it is weird that she has not said a thing or done anything yet. This isn¡¯t like her, there was one attack a day.¡± ¡°Maybe she knows you have the weapon that can kill her. She could be bidding her time over it.¡± I thought back to the weapon currently in Ryker¡¯s possession. I didn¡¯t trust myself to hold it or keep it safe so I asked him to hold onto it. I didn¡¯t know where he kept it and for good reason to, I couldn¡¯t trust myself not to let it slip if I were to heal someone and get weak. Besides, it was better that way if only one person knew of the whereabouts. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is about the weapon,¡± I mumbled crossing my arms over my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t think she even knows about it. If she did, she would have demanded that we give it to her, don¡¯t you think? Something else is at stake here and I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°Have you considered asking L? She is a seer after all, she might know what¡¯s going on,¡± I snorted. ¡°Come on, Cami, she could be of help.¡± ¡°She could but she will not. She keeps saying that the goddess doesn¡¯t want her to and I think it is a bullshit excuse. She isn¡¯t of any use to us.¡± Christine frowned. ¡°I know this is exhausting for you but what if she actually cannot tell you. We don¡¯t know how these things work but there could be consequences.¡± ¡°People are dying, those are enough consequences.¡± Christine sighed and stood to her feet. She looked just as exhausted as I felt. This thing was weighing down on every single person in the pce. ¡°Maybe just enjoy the silence, Cami. We don¡¯t know how long it is going tost and goddess knows we could use some silence in our lives.¡± She turned to leave but when she got to the door, she paused. ¡°By the way, Ryker asked me to tell you that he got called away urgently to one of the towns. It isn¡¯t anything serious, just some people trying to I not be back untilto and he asks that you stay in. You don¡¯t need to go get some work done. He might on out to help him.¡± I flushed pink at that. It was funny how he knew exactly what was on my mind. I was already rising slowly to meet him there but at thosest words, I flopped back into my chair. She gave me a warm smile before walking out of the room. I stayed in my office well into evening waiting for Ryker to return but he didn¡¯t. I tried mind linking him a few times but his wall was up. It rarely ever happened but there were times when he was busy and didn¡¯t want any interruptions. I was so lost in my thoughts about him that I didn¡¯t realize where I was going and bumped into someone rounding a corner. I realized it was Kevin when he began profusely apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your majesty, I should have been looking where I was going,¡± he began but I waved him off. ¡°I was actuallying to find you. The Prince asked me to send for you. He said he might be a while and he could use yourpany.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I said immediately as relief coursed through my veins. I was already thinking of the worst case scenarios before now. ¡°We can take one of the horses and leave right away.¡± *He nodded and we rushed outside towards the saddles. He was prepping the horses when someone walked in through the stable doors. It was L and she looked a mess. Her hair was messy as if she had pulled at it one too many times and there were bags under her eyes fromck of sleep. She looked between Kevin and I with worry and skepticism. I turned away from her when she finally spoke. ¡°You cannot go with him,¡± she announced and I stilled. I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off, ¡°I know he fed you some bullshit story about Ryker and fuck, I am not meant to be here but you were right. I shouldn¡¯t just sit and watch, forgive me goddess. He is lying.¡± I stilled wondering what the hell was going on. ¡°What do you mean? Kevin is one of my most trusted guards.¡± ¡°She is rambling, your majesty,¡± he walked over in front of me blocking my view of L. ¡°We need to leave right now¡± ¡°He is working with her- with Reina,¡± she eximed and my eyes widened. ¡°I saw them together in a vision. I didn¡¯t realize it was him at first but he is going to-¡± Her words died on her throat as Kevin walked up to her. At first, I didn¡¯t realize what had just happened until I saw blood drip from the side of her mouth. I gasped in shock and rm as Kevin stabbed her over out a blood curling scream but Kevin turned out a blood curling scream and over again until her body slumped to the ground. // to me brandishing the knife he had used to kill her. ¡°If you say a single word, I will kill you as well. She might hate me for it but it saves my life,¡± he warned and I stilled. I couldn¡¯t help but nce over at L¡¯s body. She wasn¡¯t moving or breathing. ¡°Eyes off her, you areing with me.¡± I dug deep trying to reach the water in the stalls and he notices the flick of my hand because he laughed. ¡°It won¡¯t work, Reina nned ahead of that. The walls of this building are spelled. As long as you are in here, your powers will not work. I don¡¯t want to do this the hard way, you just need toe with me. Reina isn¡¯t as bad of a person as you think.¡± At that moment, I decided to make a run for it. I had barely gotten far before Kevin grabbed the back of my dress and pulled me hard. He mmed me head first into the wall of the stables and everything we ck. Thest thing I remember was him standing over me with a cruel smirk on his face. Chapter 181 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V Cami was working when the call came in for us to meet at the border. I could have asked her to go with me but I figured she could use the rest and went on my own. A part of me had hoped it would just be a simple problem that could be resolved within seconds but I had never been more wrong. For starters, I couldn¡¯t exin what the actual hell was happening. The guards in charge of patrol has gone missing after going to investigate a strange sound and we found them in apletely different part of the woods confused and without any prior knowledge of how they got there or what they were doing. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, I heard the same sound they did. It was a scream, a child¡¯s scream, small, high pitched and full of fear. I followed it as best as I could with guards by my side but it was almost like the closer we got, the further it actually was. It took me less than an hour to realize that it was probably a trick from Reina but why would she waste her time trying to scare the guards? It made no sense except she just wanted to instill fear and that meant she had to be close by so we set out looking for her. The less people who went with me, the better, I took only five people who I thought would cause less trouble for me and we set out trying to find Reina. At first, it seemed like we were just going around in circles because we kept trying to follow the sound of the screams. We followed it for about half an hour before I realized that we were wasting our time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the opposite, your majesty?¡± one of the guards asked after we had juste out of a cave with nothing to show forth. ¡°It seems the more we get close, the further we actually are. What if it is a trick and we are meant to go in the opposite direction?¡± As soon as he was done speaking, he looked away as if scared of offending me. I thought about his *suggestion and it didn¡¯t make sense to the average person but I hade to find out that it was mostly the things that didn¡¯t make sense that always worked out in the end. ¡°I think it is worth trying,¡± I said finally. ¡°Would you like to lead?¡± He smiled like he had won the lottery and nodded eagerly. The others whispered underneath their breaths, shocked that I had agreed in the first ce and even more shocked that I allowed him to lead, It was an honor to be in charge of a search and I had given it to him without as much as a fight. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ?????? ¨C?- I was exhausted already and couldn¡¯t wait to be done with all things Reina. She was a thorn in my side at best and the bane of my existence on a bad day. I tried not to think about all the things I could have been doing with Cami at the moment, instead I was in the middle of the woods with a bunch of strangers because Reina decided that she wanted to y a game of hide and seek. I tried mind linking Cami but her wall was firmly in ce, It didn¡¯t matter how many times I tried to coax it down, it didn¡¯t budge. I assumed she was busy and resigned myself to try againter when I heard an exmation from the man in charge. I still hadn¡¯t bothered to learn his name and I doubted I would in the long run. I made my way over to him and he pointed to a cave just a few feet ahead of us. ¡°It ispletely silent from where we stand,¡± one of the other guards said, a hint of jealousy audible in his tone. ¡°If anything, the screams are going to be on the opposite side of the forest. You led us on a wild goose chase for nothing. This has been a waste of our time.¡± I turned to him. ¡°Repeat those words, will you?¡± His eyes widened. He was probably expecting me to agree with him but the thing was, I was already in a shitty mood and he just got on myst nerves. I had agreed to this and in his fit of jealousy and rage, he forgot that. I usually didn¡¯t care what soldiers said to themselves but this was my order and it was essentially me that he had just disrespected. ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡± he swallowed. ¡°Your majesty, I was just saying that we have been going in circles since he started to lead us.¡± ¡°Did I ask him to lead us?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°Good, and you heard me say that, did you not?¡± his answering nod was punctuated by a loud gulp. ¡°You are relieved of duty, you may return home.¡± The shock that rippled through the air was palpable. There was an audible intake of breath as everyone ¡®waited to see what he would do or say in response. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it almost immediately and turned on his heels. He had taken a few steps before he finally found the courage to face me again. ¡°Is it just for today?¡± he asked. ¡°Am I allowed into work tomorrow?¡± ¡°You are relieved indefinitely.¡± I rified and he swallowed deeply. I could tell he was not pleased with me at all but he bowed and walked away. I watched him leave before turning to the others. ¡°Does anyone else have anything to say?¡± there was silence all around. ¡°Good, now lead us into the cave.¡± The cave was dark and empty, the air was punctuated with a chill and the smell of something old and almost rotten. A part of me wondered if truly we had been on a wild goose chase or if we were going to find something. I prayed for thetter, I prayed for something tangible to leave with or else I risked looking like a cruel ruler. We walked further into the cave using only our eyes and the asional filter of light from some cracked walls as guidance. I was about to give up when a chill and ear splitting scream cut through the air. It was shrill and I had to ce my hands over my ears to protect myself from it. ¡°What is that sound?¡± someone yelled but over the screams, it sounded more like a whisper. ¡°Where the hell is iting from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, juste with me!¡± I instructed and to their credit, they followed close behind me. The further into the cave we got, the louder it got until it got to the point where I felt like my ears were about to be ripped off. Hell, I wanted to rip my own ears out at a point. The sound got almost unbearable until we got to the middle of the cave and then I saw it, or at least what I thought it was. It was a tiny shrub, erected in the middle of the cave and it vibrated with each scream. My only weapon on hand was a small dagger so I was going to have to get close. ¡°Stay here,¡± I instructed the guards. They looked confused and a little relieved at my order. I swallowed deeply before making my way over. As I got closer, I could have sworn my ears began to bleed. It was almost ironic that something this small was doing so much damage. I took out the dagger and sliced the shrub clean down the middle. Almost immediately, the screaming stopped and I let out an audible sigh of relief. I nearly copsed to the ground in relief but I had to keep myposure in front of the others. *¡°Fu*ck,¡± I heard someone swear behind me. ¡°My ear drums are ringing.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree. I heard them whispering behind me but my main focus was on the small slip of paper lying beside the now dead shrub. I picked it up and turned it over. There were only four words on it but those four words had me panicking and muttering prayers under my breath as I cursed and ran out of the cave. I could feel the confusion of the guards behind me but I didn¡¯t care much about them. I had a goal in mind and that included getting to the pce. The sun had almost finished setting and the moon was high in the sky already. I couldn¡¯t help but notice it was a full moon. It only seemed befitting in a way. I rode as fast as I could trying to reach Cami as I did but her wall was up. It seemed like everyone¡¯s walls were up. I tried more times than I could count and each time I met that stone structure, I nearly screamed. By the time I got to the pce, I rushed over to Cami¡¯s office. Her scent was already stale there meaning she hadn¡¯t been there in a while. e..! I muttered a loud curse when I heard footsteps behind me, I saw Christine and Juan approaching and rushed over to them. ¡°Where is Cami?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Christine and slowly. ¡°Have you tried her office?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Christine reds ¡°Yes, she isn¡¯t there,¡± I ran ny hands through my hair. ¡°How could we fu*cking lose her?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t lost,¡± Christine began but I tossed the note to her. I already knew the four words written on it. How is your mate? She opened her mouth presumably to tell me not to jump to conclusions but I wasn¡¯t interested. I walked away before she even started speaking and started making my way to the stables. I needed a faster horse. I got close enough when the scent of blood filled my nose. I rushed in only to find L on the ground in a pool of her own blood. She wasn¡¯t breathing. I cursed ready to call the guards when I noticed something written in the ground in what looked like blood. Chapter 182 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I groaned at the constant rocking motion. It felt like I was riding a horse but that didn¡¯t make sense considering the fact that I was asleep, right? I tried to sit up but realized that I couldn¡¯t. Something was holding me down and the more I tried to fight against it, the worse it got. I finally managed to open my eyes only to realize that I truly was on a horse. I had been thrown over and tied down so I couldn¡¯t escape. It was as if the more I tried to fight, the worse it got. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I heard a voice behind me and it took me a second to realize that it was Kevin¡¯s voice. ¡°You cannot get out of those knots on your own. You can keep trying but you are only going to hurt yourself. This will not take long, I swear, Rena just wants to meet with you.¡± I scoffed at his words trying to ignore the sting of betrayal deep in my chest. I was so concerned with what was happening outside and with Reina that I didn¡¯t even realize that there could be someone on the inside who was plotting against us. The idea of there being a mole was so foreign to me and Kevin would have been thest person I suspected. I wasn¡¯t sure whether tough or be disappointed. ¡°Why?¡± I asked but he said nothing. ¡°We gave you everything, we treated you right and you have lacked for nothing. What did she offer you that we could not?¡± ¡°Nothing, I did this because I wanted to,¡± he said finally and my brows furrowed. ¡°Reina is a visionary. She has thoughts and ns for the world that are truly amazing. She believes that the goddess is a cruel dictator and she has proof to back it up. She wants to take back power and control.¡± ¡°You sound insane,¡± I spat. ¡°Can you even her yourself? She wants to go against the very being that holds our life in her hands and you are stupid enough to join her. You will die.¡± ¡°Reina is more powerful than you think. It doesn¡¯t matter now, I suppose, we have all yed our parts. For what it is worth, I truly wish that it didn¡¯t have to end this way, you could have been a great queen.¡± Before I could utter any other words, the horse pulled to a halt. I couldn¡¯t see much in front of me but I could make out some trees and the mouth of a cave. I heard Kevin dismount the horse and walk over to me. I heard him stop abruptly and couldn¡¯t help but wonder why until I saw an unfamiliar pair of boots in my line of vision. It went without saying that the boots belonged to Reina. My thoughts were further I was hesitant t get up. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had any ulterior motives. People like her didn¡¯t do anything without reason and the fact that she just stood there not saying a word had me worrying even more. I looked around slowly, it was just the both of them, if my powers had returned then I could possibly break free and run away. ¡°You cannot use your powers,¡± her voice was a breathy whisper that carried with the wind. ¡°I know all that you are capable of, Cami. Do you really think I will give you an avenue to use that?¡± I finally looked up at her and despite having a description from Briggs, I was still thrown off guard by her Owned by N?velDrama.Org. appearance. Her hair was left to flow down her back. It was pin straight and was truly the color of spun moonlight. Her eyes were pitch ck, there was almost no light in it, it felt like looking into an endless abyss of darkness and death. It was terrifying at best. Her lips were painted a bright red and curled up to the side in a cruel smirk. ¡°Wee, Cami, we have a bit of a distance to cover before it is time,¡± she exined reaching out to help me but I ignored her hand in favor of getting down on my own. I looked between her and Kevin trying to find a way to escape. She seemed to realize where my mind went because she sighed and turned to Kevin.. ¡°You know what to do.¡± She touched his hand gently and blew out a gust of air. I smelled it before it hit him and it smelled like rotten flesh and a grave. The gust of air hit Kevin straight in the face and before my very eyes, his skin paled and his hands withered slightly. I was stunned that what took so much out of me to heal was created so easily. ¡°I will heal you once you return,¡± she promised and he bowed before getting on the horse and running off. Once he was gone, I turned to her with a raised brow. We both knew she couldn¡¯t heal him, only I could. ¡°By the time he returns, I will have control of you. I could heal him if I want.¡± She snapped her fingers once more and the same bindings she took off me wrapped themselves around my wrists. ¡®Come, we have a bit of a distance to cover and not enough time. The blood moon will be in the sky soon.¡± On one hand, I could have refused to go with her but I knew she would simply force me. I forced my feet to move beside her at a steady pace. For someone so old, she looked so young, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she managed to keep her youth. In fact, there were so many questions about her in my mind. I figured it would be a good idea to ask them. She seemed like someone who had the tendency to be narcissistic, getting her to talk about herself would be a good way for me to keep the attention off me and figure out a way to get away. ¡°How does someone who used to serve the goddess get to this point?¡± I asked and she stayed silent. ¡°You used to be her priestess. What made you go into dark magic? You reek of death and destruction.¡± ¡°It beats rainbows and gardens, does it not?¡± she mused aloud with a small smile but I didn¡¯t match her expression. ¡°I found that there was more to life than what she was showing us. She had so many rules, so many things we could and couldn¡¯t do. I found something without rules, something without borders. I found freedom and I don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°You left the goddess because you didn¡¯t want rules?¡± I deadpanned and sheughed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand considering you are still trapped within her ws. Let me tell you a story little girl. I was wandering the woods looking for herbs for a ritual when I came across the spell book. In there were spells I never knew existed, rituals she had never told us about. I found the truth, I found reality. She tried telling me to throw it away but I wouldn¡¯t so she left me. She said she would choose someone else but it was toote, I had already turned everyone else.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it have been their choice?¡± I asked but she just shrugged. It was clear she felt no remorse for what she had done and nothing I said would change that so I changed the subject. ¡°How are you still alive? You should be dead.¡± ¡°It was a little trick that I learned,¡± she mused aloud and before my eyes, I saw her transform into an old woman. There was something familiar about her ck cloak and the way she was hunched over. It took me a second but I finally recognized her. She was the same old woman that we saw when we were on our way to the vacation house for the first time, the one I had touched who caused my powers to bleed out of me. She took note of the awareness on my face and smiled. ¡°Yes, I knew there was something special about you that day so I started looking in, I watched you for months until your guard was down and then I attacked. If it is any constion, I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt anyone, I just want what she put inside of you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you are the only one who can undo what I have nned, you are the only one with the power to put a wedge in my ns and I cannot have that. She has been looking for a way to end me for years and I have always been one step ahead of her. I never knew about you because you were nothing for the longest time. It was my mistake for not looking thoroughly but I have looked now and I promise you that nothing will stand in my way.¡± She looked away briefly and that was all I needed. I let the rope fall to the ground before kicking her shin and kicking up dirt into her eyes. While she was briefly incapacitated, I turned on my heels and ran. I heard her swear behind me but I didn¡¯t pay her any attention. I still couldn¡¯t use my powers but I could use my legs. I had no idea where I was going but I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted to get away from her. ¡°You are going to regret that, Cami,¡± I heard her callout but I ignored her and pushed my legs to go faster. ¡°This will be so much easier on you if you just surrendered now. I don¡¯t want to hurt you but make no mistake about it, I will if I need to.¡± I didn¡¯t respond, I pushed myself to move faster. I didn¡¯t realize how fast I was going until I realized what was directly in front of me. The words died on my tongue and panic built up in my chest as I realize what I was looking at. I swallowed deeply not knowing what to do about the massive cliff in front of me. ¡°Finally you stopped,¡± I turned to find Reina standing behind me.¡°Here I thought you would be more of a challenge.¡± Chapter 183 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V L had written one word in the sand. I tried to imagine how much pain she was in and what it took out of her to use her own blood to write in the sand. I had no idea what it meant but at this point, I was ready to take anything. It was one simple word written so sloppily that you needed a special skill to be able to read it- hill. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a clue as to where Reina was keeping Cami or a clue into the future, whatever it was, I was searching the hills first. I rushed into the pce ignoring the others behind me as I rushed to search for the weapon we had hidden. If I was to find Reina then I needed to do it fast. I didn¡¯t know what she had nned for Cami but I knew that it couldn¡¯t possibly be good. Once I found it, I stashed it with my other weapons d that it easily blended with them. I was on my way out when Christine positioned herself in my doorway. ¡°Wait, you need to see something,¡± she told me and it took everything in me not to lose my cool. ¡°I have immense respect for you as Cami¡¯s cousin and as family,¡± I began slowly, ¡°but if you do not get out of my way, I will make you and we both do not want that.¡± I made to side step her but once again she stepped into my path. ¡°I just need you to listen to me for five seconds. You don¡¯t even know where you are going and I might have the answer to that.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Can you suddenly see the future now? You better have something good or this will not be a pleasant experience.¡± ¡°Kevin was found in the woods and he doesn¡¯t look good. I think he might have had an experience with Reina. He looks the same as the others, like he was touched by death¡¯s hand.¡± Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn¡¯t one of them. I hadpletely forgotten that I had instructed Kevin to watch over Cami. I muttered a curse under my breath before taking off towards the front of the pce where Kevin was fighting furiously against the hold of the other guards. I couldn¡¯t make out much of their conversation but I could tell that he was trying his hardest to ensure that he was not taken to the physician¡¯s quarters. ½Ö ¡°My duty is to the queen,¡± he spat fighting against the numerous hands holding him down. ¡°If we leave now then we can get her, we can find the witch and put an end to it.¡± ¡°Leave him,¡± I ordered. I didn¡¯t yell or speak louder than I normally would but somehow, they all heard my words and took slow steps away from him. Kevin turned to me and breathed a sigh of relief. He truly looked terrible. His skin was pale, ky and withered. He looked worse than any of the other men we hade across. It was like her magic was bing worse with each person that she touched and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. His body shook with each step that he took, as if it were straining his entire body. Before he got to where I stood, he stumbled and a guard had to rush to steady him. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t care for much except the whereabouts of my mate. I wanted to know how possible it was that she went missing under his watch and no one in the entire pce was able to notice. ¡°She wanted to see you and she told me that I could either go with her or go alone,¡± he whispered softly and I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Cami had always been stubborn but this was another level entirely, even for her. There was no reason for her to demand to see me when I was alreadying home. It was something she could do and when I found her, I was going to tie her to the bed and make sure she understood the importance of her personal safety. It was almost as if she preferred to disregard it in favor of everyone else. ¡°What happened next?¡± I managed out through gritted teeth. ¡°Where did Le in? Where the fuck is my mate and where avej Deen?¡± He swallowed. ¡°We were on our by when L came in yelling that we shouldn¡¯t leave. The Queen wanted to return but she appeared. It all happened so fast, one second we were there and the next, L was bleeding on the ground. I tried to run out with the Queen but she cast some spell on me and when I woke up I was like this. I did everything that I could and I ept full responsibility for this.¡± He bowed his head in shame and some illogical and irrational part of me wanted to me him for everything, wanted to make him pay but he had nothing to do with it. My issue was with Reina and I was going to make sure that she suffered for everything that she had done. I sped his shoulder and gave him a firm nod to let him know that I didn¡¯t me him. I turned to Christine. ¡°Get the guards ready, no one sleeps, eats or drinks anything until Cami is back in this pce. I don¡¯t give a shit how long it takes. I want half the guards here guarding and the other Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Drama R halfbing the forest, am I clear?¡± She nodded and rushed off immediately I finished my sentence. I turned to Kevin. ¡°You need to rest so get Steven and have him watch my daughters. I don¡¯t care who walks into that room to see them, kill first and ask questionster.¡± He nodded in understanding and I turned to Juan who was already waiting for me. I knew nothing I would say would change his mind so I didn¡¯t bother. Within minutes, we were on our horses and rushing towards the forest. There were at least five different hills that I knew of. L¡¯s message was cryptic at best and while having everyone in one ce would have been ideal, it meant we would be slower so I split us up. I hated every second of doing it but it was necessary that we found Cami as soon as possible. The n was to mind link the others if we happened to find Cami but I knew I wasn¡¯t going to do that. Reina was powerful, I wasn¡¯t sure about exactly how powerful she was but I knew that she could wipe us all out if she wanted. There was a reason she took Cami alone and I wanted to know why. Webed through the woods in silence. I didn¡¯t want to risk alerting Reina to our presence. The best thing we had was the element of surprise. She didn¡¯t know that we had an idea where she was. Hell, we truly didn¡¯t have an idea, this was a hunch and I prayed that it was a good one or else we would have wasted hours of our timebing through empty woods. I had to ditch the horses the closer we got to the hills and follow up on foot. I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in my chest telling me that it waste and I was wasting my time. I prayed for even a hint of her scent or something to tell me I was going the right way. I was so close to the edge when I got a whiff of something. it wasn¡¯t Cami¡¯s scent but I immediately knew it would lead me to her because it smelled like pure death. ¡°Stay behind me,¡± I instructed the guards as I followed it. The closer I got to it, the more the trees looked withered and the stronger it got. I couldn¡¯t make out anything but that scent. It was horribly suffocating and I had to pull my shirt over my nose just to be able to stand it. The scent led me to the opposite edge of the same cliff and that was when I saw her- Reina. She was just as surprised to see me as I was her. I looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of Cami but I couldn¡¯t see her so I quickly sent a mind link to the others. ¡°I found Reina, Cami will be nearby. Search for her and tell the others.¡± I knew it would take a while for the others toe and I secretly hoped I would be done with it all by the time they arrived. I wanted to say more but I quickly realized that I couldn¡¯t ess my mind link anymore. Reina smiled cruelly at me and I knew she was the reason. I pulled out a dagger but she flicked her hand and it was like every bone in my body was on fire. The dagger slipped free and with another flick, vines reached out to wrap around me. ¡°You should know better than to bring weapons to this kind of fight,¡± she clicked her tongue before stepping back and that was when I saw Cami, she was bound with the same vines in front of what looked like an altar. ¡°We just have some party guests that we are waiting for. They should be here soon.¡± ¡°My guards will be here first,¡± I warned. ¡°You¡¯re done, Reina.¡± She cocked her brow. ¡°Well then, I think it would be best if we kept them a little bit busy. Did you know that there was once a great battle here?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡± Sheughed. ¡°You silly man, it has everything to do with this. You wolves have never been able to see past your own noses, have you? It will be the death of you.¡± Before I could ask what she meant, she closed her eyes and stretched her hand out. She exhaled deeply and I watched as the ground began to rumble and a skeletal hand shot through. Chapter 184 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I watched in pure horror as more skeletal hands began to pop up through the ground. Some even climbed up the edge of the cliff. There were too many of them to number and I watched them walk in a single file into the forest. They were headed for whatever backup that Ryker had nned. I fought against my bindings but it was no use, she had tightened it so much that I couldn¡¯t move an inch. I could feel hope slowly start to dete as the reality of the situation seemed to dawn on me. I was going to die here and Ryker was going to witness it. ¡°That should keep your friends busy for a while, don¡¯t you think?¡± she hummed before turning to me. ¡°I hate to ay it, Cami, but I expected more from you. You are after all the most powerful person on the net right now and here you are stumped by a simple spell. It is disappointing to say the least but it works for me. Now, where are our guests?¡± She seemed impatient and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who or what she was waiting for. She paced for a bit before focusing her attention on the altar that she had set up. She wouldn¡¯t tell me much but I knew she nned to sacrifice me and take away my powers. I looked over at Ryker who seemed lost in thought. He was biting the inner corner of his cheek and refusing to look at me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he couldn¡¯t or because he wouldn¡¯t. I knew Ryker would be no help from where he was so I improvised. I found a sharp edged stone and started to cut through the bindings. It was torturous and slow and I felt like I was doing more damage to my hands than to the vines but I couldn¡¯t stop. I needed to get out of here and I needed a n before whoever she was waiting for arrived. I was halfway through my bindings when I heard footsteps and a familiar scent filtered into my nose. I saw Ryker stiffen meaning he had noticed it too. I turned to Reina. ¡°This is some kind of sick joke, right?¡± She just smiled cruelly at me. ¡°I thought it would be good to have a family reunion, don¡¯t you think? I would never leave children as orphans. I am fair to all.¡± I watched as Kevin breached the clearing with both my children and a growl erupted from my throat. Ryker looked hurt and betrayed and I realized that he hadn¡¯t known that Kevin was behind it. He must have lied his way into the pce and of course Ryker believed him- he trusted him. ¡°If you hurt my kids,¡± I warned but she simply waved me off. I watched her carefully as she sashayed over to my daughters. She stopped in front of Audrey who was staring at her with hatred in her eyes. ¡°Hello, little girls.¡± ¡°I know you, I saw you,¡± Audrey said and my brows furrowed in confusion. Even Reina looked intrigued by her words. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± That seemed to please Reina. ¡°Good, because this would have been a lot harder if you did.¡± She reached out to touch her but Audrey was faster, she kicked Reina in the shin and ran to Ryker who was closer. Reina was pissed to say the least, her face burned a bright red and for a second, I feared she was going to do something. I was poised and ready to strike if she did but after a second, she exhaled deeply and smiled. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Run if you must girl, I will find you, I suppose giving you some time with your father is no harm. Kevin, put the baby on the altar and get me the things I need. We barely have fifteen minutes to get this right. Time is of the essence.¡± I watched Kevin hesitate. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You said you would heal me,¡± he said slowly and I saw a sh of something in her eyes, something akin to anger but it was gone within a second. She made her way over to Kevin and took Aurora from his hands. I worked on my bindings faster wanting her ckened hands off my child. She ced both hands on Kevin¡¯s cheeks and smiled. I didn¡¯t know what was happening at first, but suddenly, he screamed. I watched as more life bled out of his cheeks. He fought against her hold but there was nothing that he could do about it. I watched the very essence of him bleed out until he was nothing but a lifeless shell that crumbled to the ground. For someone who had just taken a life, Reina looked unfazed. She simply wiped her hands clean and walked over to the altar where she gently ced Aurora. I waited until she had taken a few steps away from my daughter before I broke free of the bindings on my wrists and worked on the others. She had her back turned to me so I had the opportunity to work a lot faster. By the time I was done, I took a protective stance in front of my daughter. ¡°This is how it is going to work,¡± I began slowly. ¡°You and I are going to talk like adults and my family is going free.¡± She raised a brow in amusement. ¡°It is amusing that you think you can beat me but I will humor you this once. I¡¯ll give you a minute head start. I have a few to spare before I kill you. Do your worst sweetheart but I¡¯m not dropping the spell.¡± She kicked Ryker¡¯s fallen knife towards me. I could see that Ryker wasn¡¯t pleased with my idea but he knew what he had to do. There were too many people who could get hurt here. I knew the exact moment he got free. Audrey had been helping him undo his knots and Reina was too proud to notice it. ¡°Run,¡± I whispered to my mate and he grabbed our daughter. Reina noticed as soon as Ryker stood to his feet and she cursed. She raised a hand towards him and I knew she was going to use her powers on him. In that moment, I felt a panic stronger than I had ever felt in my life. I didn¡¯t even realize when the scream erupted from my lungs punctuated by a ringing in my ears. There wasplete silence at first and then the roaring of water as it exploded from beneath her feet. She was thrown into the air and even Ryker stopped to look back at me. I couldn¡¯t believe that I was responsible for that, I refused to believe it. Ryker turned with our daughter and took off. There was a cave nearby that he could drop her before coming back for Aurora. My hands shook with the force of the water I was holding up but I only needed it for a second. Once Ryker was out of sight, I let it drop and Reina fell to the ground with a loud thud. She coughed out water and turned to me with eyes burning with rage and hatred. She slowly stood to her feet and I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to get it easy from her. ¡°I see you managed to break free of the bonds. Why don¡¯t we make this even, hm?¡± she asked before swirling her hands and revealing two balls of ck fire. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a little fun?¡± Before I could process what was happening, she threw them both not at me but at Aurora. I barely had enough time to erect a wall of water that broke on impact. She was terrifying at best with her eyes as ck as coal. She threw ball after ball in quick session and it didn¡¯t take me long to realize that she was just trying to wear me out. ¡°Where is your precious mate, Cami?¡± she teased. ¡°He left you here by yourself. How does that feel knowing that he doesn¡¯t give a rats ass about you?¡± I pulled up water from beneath her feet making her fall on her ass. There was a river beneath us that I could easily pull from. I just needed to get her close enough to the edge to push her into it. she was a strong fighter and an even greater witch, it wasn¡¯t going to be easy to get her there especially not as I was trying to defend both myself and my child. I looked around wondering where Ryker was. It shouldn¡¯t take him this long to get back. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Reina,¡± I offered up as she slowly stood to her feet. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this. We can end this peacefully.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so bad because I want to hurt you. I want to watch you plead for death and not get it. Most of all, I want to hurt your pretty little goddess, I want her to know that I took out her favorite soldier and there is nothing she can do about it. I am going to make it hurt and I am going to love every second of it.¡± She opened her mouth and ck smoke started to rush from it. I knew what it was immediately- it was death. There was nothing my water could do against it. Just as I had decided I waspletely helpless, I felt something begin to buzz beneath my skin. My hands shook and the more I looked at them, the brighter they got until what looked and felt like warm heat burst out from my finger tips and hit her directly in the chest. She was thrown back by the force and I saw the ck smoke dissipate into thin air. That singr hit seemed to have done so much damage to her because she struggled to get back to her feet. There was shock and slight worry in her eyes. She never expected me to be able to do that. ¡°I-¡± she began but was cut off by the glint of a knife by her throat. ¡°I would be careful how you finished that sentence,¡± Ryker warned and I let out a sigh of relief when I recognized the dagger in his hands. Chapter 185 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Reina stilleding to the realization that she was cornered. If she made one wrong move, Ryker was going to slit her throat and she was going to die. He was going to do it either way and I was sure she knew that too because I saw anger fuel her expression. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how one person could be so hateful. How could one human possess so much anger? It seemed like a sure way to be bitter and vengeful and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what got her to that point. I took slow and deliberate steps towards her and I felt my power thrumming beneath the surface, as if it were pulling me closer to her. Ryker watched every move I made carefully as I stopped in front of her. I could feel the darkness emanating from deep within her bones, I wanted to reach out to touch her but when I tried, she snarled and tried to bite my hands. ¡°If you push your powers anywhere near me, I promise you, I will fill you up with so much darkness that you will burst,¡± she warned and I immediately snatched my hand back. A light glow dropped on us and I made the mistake of momentarily looking away at the moon. That was all the time she needed to ce a hand over Ryker¡¯s and he let out a pained groan as she seared off the skin on his hand. The dagger fell and before I could grab it, she kicked it away towards the edge of the cliff. I could have either rushed for her or Ryker but in that moment, my mate was the most important. I hadpletely forgotten about whaty behind. I looked at my mate and the ugly dark burn on his hand. She had seared off the entire skin leaving nothing but cartge and bone behind. It was horrible to look at and it smelled even worse- like burned and rotten flesh.¡± Ryker tried to wave me off and assure me that he was okay but I wasn¡¯t buying it one bit. He looked like he had just gone through hell. I tore a fraction of my dress and wrapped it around his arm when I heard Reina clear her throat behind me. I nned to ignore her until I heard a cry. I whipped my head around only to see her smirking as she held my youngest in her arms. Aurora was sobbing, her cheeks wet with tears and a bright red color. Reina looked pleased with herself as she watched the helpless expressions on our faces. I didn¡¯t need to be a witch to know that this was what she wanted all along. ¡°Let go of my daughter,¡± I said slowly but she just scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t want her, you want me. I¡¯m not fighting anymore, just give me my daughter.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± she mused bouncing Aurora on her hip but my daughter wouldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°The blood moon is high in the sky right now and do you know what that means? It means that I can perform my ritual. You would have been an excellent candidate but a child, one devoid of any blemish would be even better.¡± ¡°No.¡± I warned but she ignored me. ¡°I heard something while I was in hiding about your children, that was why I wanted them here. One of them apparently holds powers that could rival mine. I would have liked to have both so that I could test the theory but one will do.¡± Before I could ask what she meant, she pulled out a dagger from her side and stabbed it into Aurora¡¯s chest. It felt like time had gone still for me. One second, my child was crying and the next she was still. Reinaughed as a blood curling scream left my throat. Ryker snapped out of his reverie first but with a snap of her fingers, he was thrown back against a tree hard. ¡°Do you want to try next?¡± she asked as she unceremoniously dropped my daughter on the altar. I rushed for my child ignoring her. I couldn¡¯t feel a pulse on her skin neither could I feel any form of life coming from her. I refused to believe it. My daughter couldn¡¯t be dead. I had saved people I didn¡¯t know, I saved people unto my own detriment. I was going to save my daughter even if it meant crawling into the depths of the earth and getting her back. ¡°Come back to me, Aurora,¡± I whispered digging in for my powers and pushing them into her but it seemed to find its way back into my body. ¡°You are not going to die.¡± ¡°She is already gone, Cami. Unfortunately, even you don¡¯t have the power to bring someone back from the dead. You have the power to heal, you need the power of life to do that and you don¡¯t have it. Even if you did, bringing someone back would tear you apart from the inside, you would die. Do you want that?¡± Her words settled in my mind and I couldn¡¯t help but remember a conversation I had with L. She said I had the power of life. Reina didn¡¯t know that. All this time, she had been fighting me for mere healing powers not knowing I had so much more. I picked up my daughter and ced her on the ground while kneeling next to her. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I focused on the lull of the wind and the roaring of the sea behind me. I focused on the shining moon above me and exhaled deeply. I opened my eyes and I saw her- the goddess- standing in front of me. I knew she wasn¡¯t truly there because she stood beside that very same mirror I had seen so many times. The gaping holes were worse than before and something white leaked from my body- my essence. ¡°If you do this,¡± she began in a warning tone. ¡°I might not be able to save you. You cannot tamper with life and death.¡± ¡°If you had dealt with her then I wouldn¡¯t have to. She was your responsibility and you let her go free. You did this.¡± She exhaled deeply. ¡°Reina was my child just as you are mine. I cannot hate my own. I cannot kill my own. I made an oath and I cannot interfere. I sincerely apologize, Cami, I know what you have lost.¡± ¡°No,¡± I shook my head vigorously. ¡°I haven¡¯t lost a thing because my daughter is going to live. She has so much ahead of her. I cannot watch her die. Tell me how to heal her.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡± I wanted to scream. I looked at the mirror in front of me, at the girl kneeling in front of a bleeding baby and the tears running down her face. It took me a second to realize those were not tears, they were silver like whatever was leaking from my body. I was crying out my essence and suddenly it all made sense. ¡°Whenever I healed those people, I gave them a part of my soul,¡± I said and her face nched. ¡°Every single one of them carries something of me inside. If I want to heal her, raise her, I have to give it all.¡± ¡°Cami, you can have more kids.¡± ¡°So can you,¡± I shot back before closing my eyes and willing it all into my daughter. The goddess faded away and so did everything else except my child in front of me. It felt like I was ripping myself from the inside out. I heard a scream and it took me a second to realize that it was coming from me. I felt a phantom hand on my shoulder and a small voice in my ear whispering. ¡°You are so strong. I couldn¡¯t have picked anyone better.¡± The voice disappeared after but not before I felt something hot enter my back. I couldn¡¯t focus much on it because my child was still in front of me. I pulled the damn dagger out and watched as her skin knitted itself up.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No,¡± I heard Reina say from behind me. ¡°What the hell is happening? What the hell are you doing?¡± I turned to her and raised a hand throwing her back with a wall of water that materialized out of thin air. My limbs shook and I heard Ryker¡¯s voice but I couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. Everything was blurry and muddled in my ears. Just as quickly as I started, I felt the power drain out of me and I had never felt so empty in my life. I knew I had barely minutes to finish things. I managed to get to my feet, trying to stand on wobbly legs. I watched my daughter, willing any sign of life and then I saw it, her chest rising and falling. I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± I said more to myself than any. I turned to Reina who was watching with shock on her face and stumbled towards where she stood by the edge of the cliff. I had barely gotten close enough when my legs gave out and I fell on my face. ¡°You foolish girl, you killed yourself for a baby, a baby that you could have had again. Look at your mate, how will he live with that child knowing it killed you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t die trying to save my child,¡± I managed to get to my feet. ¡°I died trying to kill you.¡± Without warning, I plunged the dagger into her chest. Her eyes widened in shock and I saw the red patch form on her skin. Her mouth opened and she tried to speak but no words woulde out, only gurgled blood. She tipped backwards and I thought it was over until she grabbed a hold of my dress almost taking me with her. I slipped over the edge managing to grab a hold of the ledge. ¡°Ryker,¡± I screamed and within seconds my mate was at the ledge trying to hold me up but his arm was badly burned and it didn¡¯t matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t pull me. ¡°Please.¡± My vision was blurring and I couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer. ¡°You are not dying,¡± it sounded more like an order. ¡°You cannot die right now. We have to go home to our girls. Just hold on a little longer, okay? The guards areing. Someone is going to pull you up.¡± Tears gathered in my eyes. ¡°I love you, so much, you have no idea.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, it sounds like a goodbye. Don¡¯t f**king say it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this isn¡¯t your fault,¡± I whispered before my hand slipped out and I fell. Chapter 186 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V There are moments in your life when something happens and it feels like you have been changed forever. As Iy by the edge of the cliff watching my mate¡¯s body fall to the bottom, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that maybe this was one of those moments. I couldn¡¯t hold her up, I watched her fall. The thoughts swirling in my head made me want to reach in and pull my own brain out of my head. It was too much. I had to jump in after her. I rushed to my feet ready to go in when I felt a hard mp on my wrist and I was tugged back from the edge. I fought against Juan¡¯s hold but he was not willing to budge. ¡°Let go of me or I swear I will make you regret it,¡± I threatened but he didn¡¯t release me one bit. ¡°I have to find her. She is down there waiting for me.¡± ¡°Ryker, if you jump, you will die,¡± he warned but his words didn¡¯t register in my head. The only thing I could think of was my mate pale and in pain as she fell. ¡°Look, your daughter is right here waiting for you, you have to go to her.¡± ¡°I have to go to my mate.¡± I fought against his hold but he wouldn¡¯t let me go. I knew nothing save for incapacitation was going to make him release me. If I wanted that, I was going to y dirty but Juan looked like he was expecting everything. He was too level headed to let me do something as drastic as jumping off a cliff. ¡°What if it was Christine? Wouldn¡¯t you go in after her?¡± ¡°I would go down like a normal person and search for her. I already mind linked the guards and they are looking for her as we speak. Your daughter is crying on the floor behind you, your other child is waiting in a cave with some other guards. You need to snap out of this and be their father.¡± I stilled. He was speaking like Cami was dead but she wasn¡¯t. I could still feel our bond in my chest, it wasn¡¯t gone- she wasn¡¯t gone. ¡°She is alive.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± he began slowly but I shoved him off. ¡°I am just trying to be realistic here. That fall could kill a person.¡± ¡°I know what I feel,¡± I pushed past him. He followed closely behind me as if worried that I was going to have a mental break. I walked over to Aurora who was squirming on the ground in tears. I slowly picked her up and she wrapped her arms tight around me. ¡°Cami is alive and it is only a matter of time. I need to get the girls home so that I can begin looking for my mate.¡± He pursed his lips- a clear sign that he did not agree with me whatsoever but he knew better than to argue. He simply walked me over towards the cave where I had kept Audrey for safety. I couldn¡¯t afford to go too far, Cami needed our help. If I had only been faster, I could have taken both girls, I could have slit Reina¡¯s throat when I had the chance. I wasn¡¯t sure why I hesitated. I never hesitated, it was not in my nature. ¡°Daddy!¡± Audrey eximed when she saw me. She threw herself into me and I felt moisture gather behind my eyes. ¡°Where is mummy? Is sheing?¡± I swallowed deeply. ¡°Your mum is a bit hurt but you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I need you to go home with Juan so I can find your mother.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t happening and you know it,¡± Juan whispered. ¡°I am not leaving you alone when you are clearly not in the right frame of mind. You wanted to jump off a cliff.¡± ¡°I am not jumping and right now, you are the only person I trust with my daughters. You can monitor me after but please take them home and leave them with Christine- only Christine. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I find Cami.¡± He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest but nodded stiffly. I let out a sigh of relief and slowly handed Aurora over to him. My arm hurt from the burn and holding her up but I tried not to let it show. I couldn¡¯t have them seeing just how bad things potentially were. Once they were safely in his hold, I gave them a warm smile and pressed soft kisses to the tops of their heads. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, I promise you and I will be back with your mum.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± Juan¡¯s tone was disapproving. ¡°What is-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t finish that sentence,¡± I cut him off with a warning growl. ¡°Your business is with my children. Focus on it and don¡¯t say another f**king word.¡± Without another word, I turned on my heels and ran down the hill. I shifted despite the ache in my arms, ripping my clothes in the process. I healed faster in wolf form and my sense of smell was better. I was so concerned with thetter that I forgot to gauge how bad the wound would be in wolf form. I nearly stumbled over my own paws when the blinding pain hit me in wolf form. I let out a howl of pain and came to a rough stop at the base of the woods. I looked at my front left paw which had a horrible burn. It didn¡¯t make any sense that it wasn¡¯t healing. Even if it .. was a recent wound, due to my Alpha genes, it should have started healing. It looked normal, if anything, it looked a little worse. I should have gone to check it but I didn¡¯t, instead, I rose on all fours making sure to keep my weight off it and starting my search for Cami. I tried to ignore the fact that her scent wasn¡¯t even in the air. She had fallen from the top of the cliff, her scent had disappeared the moment she hit the water. It was nearly impossible to search for someone that you couldn¡¯t smell or reach out to. Her wall was firmly up and I knew it was because she was probably unconscious. If I was to find her, I had to do it on my own. ¡°Your majesty, your leg,¡± one of the guards began but I growled lowly. He swallowed deeply and took a step back. ¡°Juan told us-¡± I opened up a link between the two of us. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that Juan was the king. Get the f**k out of my way before I make you.¡± He was smart enough to not test me. He hurriedly stepped aside leaving me to search for my mate. Everyone stayed out of my way but I could feel their worried and pitiful nces in my direction. None of them believed she was alive, none of them believed she was going to be found and there was nothing I hated more than the negativity. ¡°Get the f**k out!¡± I saw each of them still the moment I spoke into their minds. ¡°Drop whatever it is you are doing and walk away. I can do this on my own.¡± No one moved. ¡°Did I f**king stutter? Get the hell out right now.¡± They moved in synchrony. I waited until thest person moved before I let out a growl loud enough to make the ground shake. If I was going to find my mate, I didn¡¯t need people who were negative around me. it was going to be much harder searching by myself especially when I had an injured leg but I could do it, I was damn certain that I would or I was going to die trying. I searched in silence for what felt like hours, my leg kept getting worse but I ignored it. There was still no sign of Cami but that didn¡¯t mean I was going to give up. I could hear a waterfall in the distance and I headed towards it wondering if she had somehow drifted over that way. I was almost there when I heard a huff behind me. I turned to see a sandy brown wolf and I didn¡¯t need any introductions to know it was Juan. ¡°You can search the other end of the river,¡± I said down the link but he didn¡¯t move. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand in my way, Juan, do something.¡± ¡°Your hand is bleeding like a bitch,¡± he said simply and I looked down at my hand. I hadn¡¯t realized just how bad the bleeding had gotten. The skin was open and oozing blood profusely. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, it will heal.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it is healing. If you keep going this way, you will infect it.¡± ¡°Do you need something, Juan or are you here to bother me? We have to find Cami. The longer we stay here speaking, the more time we are going to waste here. She could be hurting somewhere.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± his voice was slow and patronizing. I hated the tone because it bode badly for me. He took a slow step back and I saw the dagger, the same one that went into Reina. It was lying on the floor with a scrap of fabric that looked like it came from Cami¡¯s dress. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s good, it means she is close by.¡± ¡°No, Ryker, I found it stuck in the branches by the edge of the waterfall. Even if she survived the fall, she can¡¯t survive that.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I know what I feel. The mate bond is intact, she is alive. I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. You can go back if you think she is dead but I will not allow you make me fear the worst. You can get the f**k out of my way.¡± I tried to take a step forward but my leg gave out and I fell. I let out a growl of frustration and attempted to stand but Juan was by my side in an instant and he growled. He never growled, he never raised his voice, he was never confrontational. ¡°Look, if you want to spend the rest of your life out here looking for her, that¡¯s fine, I would do the same if it were Christine but your daughters are in that pce waiting for their father and you are going to die if you don¡¯t get that treated. They cannot lose two parents in a day. If you won¡¯t do it for you, do it for them.¡± Chapter 187 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V I went back to the pce albeit reluctantly. Whether or not I wanted to admit it, Juan was right. I had two daughters who needed my help but I didn¡¯t want to abandon Cami. She was alive somewhere and she was probably scared and waiting for me to find her butI couldn¡¯t. My hand hurt so badly that when I shifted, it started bleeding profusely. Juan and I had to wrap it in his shirt and hold it until we got back to the pce because it just wouldn¡¯t stop. When we arrived, the physician was waiting out there for us. A small part of me had expected Christine to be there too but I was grateful that she wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to look her in the eye after what had just happened. How did I look someone like her in the eye and tell her that I wasn¡¯t smart enough or fast enough to stop her cousin from going over a cliff. It was insanely stupid at best and careless at worst. ¡°His hand is badly hurt,¡± Juan exined and I rolled my eyes. ¡°I can speak for myself,¡± I muttered with disdain as the physician made his way over to look at my hand closer. ¡°It isn¡¯t anything bad, I just need you to wrap it up so that I can see my girls.¡± The physician pursed his lips. ¡°Your majesty, this needs more than just wrapping. You are not healing from it. I don¡¯t know why that would happen and I need to find out.¡± I turned to him with narrowed eyes. ¡°Let me make one thing clear. I came here for my girls. As soon as the sun rises in the f**king sky, I am out of here to find my mate. I don¡¯t care what you do or how you do it but you better f**king do it before then. Am I clear?¡± He swallowed deeply and I could smell the tangy scent of fear as it emanated from him. I wasn¡¯t like this on my best days and it should have said something about me that I was like this today but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. The physician nodded in understanding and gestured for me toe with him. We made our way to his quarters which was already prepared for me. I made a point to ignore the bed that had been perfectlyid and sat on the chair. There was nothing that was going to make me spend the night in this room. I didn¡¯t care if my hand was dangling off by a tendon and about to fall off. I would rather have one hand than both hands and my mate still be missing. ¡°It looks like a very deep burn, your majesty,¡± the physician exined as he dumped rubbing alcohol into the wound. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from hissing out in pain. The wound was at risk of infection or so he kept mumbling under his breath as he tried his hardest to clean it out. Juan stood a few feet to the left. He was pacing quietly and I wanted to tell him that his presence was doing more harm than good but on second thought, I realized that it was best if I had someone here because he was giving silent emotional support whether I wanted to admit it or not. This wasn¡¯t the best time to be alone but admitting that meant admitting that something was wrong and as far as I was concerned- nothing was wrong. ¡°Where are my daughters?¡± I asked once the physician started to dress the wound. I didn¡¯t ask earlier because I hadn¡¯t wanted them to see me like that. ¡°I need to see them. I came here for them after all.¡± Juan pursed his lips but nodded. He wanted me to rest, that much was certain but he also knew that save for tackling me to the bed, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. The exact moment the physician finished wrapping up my hand, I shot to my feet. I was a bit dizzy and it took Juan discreetly holding me up for me not to keel over. ¡°I believe it is my duty to inform you that whatever was done to your hand is preventing it from healing at an elerated rate,¡± the physician began. ¡°I am of the opinion that it will heal but at the rate a human does so we are looking at two months at least. That burn bit far into your skin. I rmend a lot of rest because you lost a lot of-¡± ¡°Stop,¡± I cut him off. ¡°Thank you for dressing my hand. That is all that matters.¡± I turned on my heels and walked off before he could say another word. Out of the corner of my eye, I managed to catch a glimpse of his expression and I would have preferred if there was annoyance or anger but instead I saw pity. I didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s pity, much less him. ¡°I am going to see my daughters,¡± I said aloud before storming out of the room. I could hear Juan rushing behind me but I barely paid any attention to him. He called out my name but I didn¡¯t stop. When he got close enough to me, I felt his hand reach out to grab me so I spoke in a cold and soft voice. ¡°If you touch me, I will break every bone in your fingers.¡± His hand stilled mid air. ¡°I am just trying to help, Ryker.¡± ¡°If you were helping, you would let me be out there looking for Cami,¡± I said simply. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have this conversation over again like we have been doing. It has gotten time consuming and exhausting. I didn¡¯t stop you from following me around but the least you could do is be f**king quiet.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I didn¡¯t hear him speak after that because he turned on his heels and walked off. I should have felt bad for running him off but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to. I made my way up the stairs to the girls¡® rooms only to find them missing. Panic had already began climbing in my chest when I felt a nudge to check mine. Bristling with worry and anxiety, I slowly made my way over and pushed the door open. When I saw both my girls lying in my bed, I let out a sigh of relief. Aurora was asleep but Audrey was wide awake. She was curled up on her side and whispering to Christine but when she saw me, her eyes widened and she leaped into my arms. I had to use my non¨C injured arm to grab her and I held her as close as I could manage. I looked up at Christine whose eyes were red rimmed with tears. I didn¡¯t want to stare at her but I couldn¡¯t look away. There was something utterly damaged about her. I wanted to tell her that Cami was fine, that I could feel it but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the words. They felt like lead on my tongue and ash in my throat. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a moment,¡± she said finally before giving me aforting tap on my arm and walking away. I watched her disappear and it was only after the door shut behind her that Audrey turned to me. ¡°Where is mummy?¡± she whispered and it felt like someone had taken ws to my heart and raked them over. ¡°Is sheing up soon? I want to see her.¡± ¡°Your mum is,¡± I trailed off not knowing how to exin, ¡°your mum will be here soon. You just need to be a bit patient for her, okay?¡± She nodded. ¡°What about the scary woman? What happened to her?¡± I sat on the edge of the bed with my daughter in myp and slowly stroked her hair back. She was clean physically but the mental repercussions were what I was worried about. She was looking up at me with a mixture of fear and curiosity as if the mere thought of Reina was scary which considering how young she was, I could understand. ¡°Your mum got rid of her,¡± I answered finally and her eyes widened to the point of saucers. ¡°Your mother is so brave and she managed to kill the witch. She can never hurt you again.¡± ¡°I want to be like mummy when I¡¯m older,¡± her little voice held awe. ¡°Will you tell me how she did it?¡± I looked out at the window. It was still pitch ck and I knew I had to be out there. ¡°Maybeter, right now you need to rest.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± she asked but I brushed her off. I carefully tucked her into bed but when I was about to leave, she grabbed my arm. ¡°Can you stay with me until I fall asleep? I¡¯m scared.¡± When she said it like that, there was no way that I could refuse. I climbed in between her and Aurora and held them both as close as possible. I looked at my youngest whose heart had stopped beating on that cliff edge. The raw pain I felt in that moment couldn¡¯t be quantified and Cami had used up all of herself to bring her back to life. I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around what had happened. It seemed insane to me. At some point, I was going to have toe to reality about everything that happened on that cliff edge but I was only going to do it when I was with Cami, I couldn¡¯t face it alone. I sat there with Audrey waiting patiently for her to fall asleep. Her eyes had started to drift close when the door opened and Juan walked in holding a steaming cup of what smelled like coffee. He handed it to me without looking and my brows rose in confusion. ¡°If you are going out there, you need your strength,¡± he muttered and I shot him a grateful look as I took the cup from him and downed everything. He stood there by the corner of the room just waiting and watching. Once Audrey was asleep, I made to leave but it felt like my entire body was spinning on its axis. I couldn¡¯t even get to my feet. I turned to Juan. ¡°Help me up, will you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I cannot do that,¡± he didn¡¯t move from his spot. There was confusion at first before my eyes fell to the empty coffee mug. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill yourself if you go out there like this. You need to be better for your kids. You are all that they have.¡± ¡°You bastard,¡± I snarled but he just turned away from me. He stopped with his hand on the door. ¡°You¡¯ll thank me for thister.¡± Chapter 188 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V There was darkness and my head was pounding in my skull. My entire body felt like it was being weighed down by a couple thousand tons and it didn¡¯t matter how much I tried to lift my hands, I just couldn¡¯t. I could smell dampness and hear the rushing of water but that was just about it. The more aware I became, the more my surroundings began to make sense. I could feel something soft beneath me, like cotton and I could hear footsteps but they were soft and gentle, almost cautious. ¡°I don¡¯t know, look, I cannot think properly right now,¡± I heard someone whisper. The voice sounded feminine and a little older. ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t know? There is a stranger in your home. Are you insane? She could be a murderer, she could be dangerous,¡± the second voice was also feminine but much younger- I would have guessed early twenties. ¡°She isn¡¯t dangerous,¡± the first voice shot back with a scoff. ¡°Look at her, she doesn¡¯t look like she can hurt a fly.¡± ¡°She had blood on her when she came in. There was blood on her hands too. She could have killed someone.¡± I forced my eyes open at that moment and it took a second for me to adjust to the brightness of the room. The room was fairly small with only a single bed that I was lying on and a table and chair in the room. My head was still pounding but I tried to drag myself into a sitting position. My movements caught the attention of the people in the room and they immediately rushed over to me. There were two women there and it was obvious that they were mother and daughter. The older woman had salt and pepper hair that was tied neatly behind her neck. She had a warm smile on her face and she looked genuinely worried about me. The other girl had hair the shade of the sun with sharp and suspicious blue eyes. She red at me with her hands crossed over her chest and I immediately knew she didn¡¯t want me there. Regardless, I managed to give them a warm smile. ¡°How are you, my dear?¡± the older woman asked. ¡°Do you remember anything?¡± I shook my head which proved to be the wrong move because my head pulsed. I lifted both hands to try and stop the pounding but it did little to nothing. The older woman rushed over to my side immediately with a wet wash cloth and ced it directly over my forehead. ¡°We found you in theke, I presume you came from somewhere upstream. You took a nasty fall somewhere because you had some bruising on your temple but you healed very well. My name is Peggy and this is my daughter, Marie.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell her our name,¡± Marie hissed but Peggy waved her off. It was clear that Marie was distrustful of me and I couldn¡¯t me her, I would have done the same if I saw a strange woman at my doorstep. ¡°She isn¡¯t going to hurt us.¡± Marie ignored her mother and turned to me with narrowed eyes. ¡°I have my eyes on you. If you try any funny business, I will gut you like a fish. Am I clear?¡± ¡°I have no intentions of hurting you or your mother. I don¡¯t think I could even if I wanted to. I can barely stand up on my own.¡± Marie stared at me for a second longer before turning on her heels and storming out of the room. She mmed the door hard and I flinched from the sound. Peggy shot me aforting smile and her eyes brimmed with unspoken apologies. Neither of us said a word, me because I didn¡¯t know what to say and her presumably out of embarrassment. ¡°Well then,¡± Peggy cleared her throat as she stood to her feet. ¡°You must be hungry. Would you like me to get you something to eat? I can bring it up for you or you can go down.¡± ¡°I think I would prefer to go down, thank you.¡± She gave me a warm smile and helped me to my feet. My legs buckled from the weight of my own body and I would have fallen over if she hadn¡¯t kept her hands wrapped around me. The outside of the room was just as small as the inside, it held a simple living room with two couches, a small dining table and a kitchen to the left. It was a quaint house but it still had a homey feeling to it. Marie was gone, the front door was left ajar and I saw Peggy sigh. I hated that I was causing some difort between them, it was never my intention. I just wanted to take some time and heal a little and then I would be on my way. Peggy led me to the dining table and helped me into the seat then disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a te of toasted bread and eggs. ¡°I have some orange juice if you want,¡± she offered and my eyes nearly watered. ¡°Thank you so much, Peggy, you have been kinder to me than anyone has in a very long time,¡± I tried to blink back my tears as I spoke. ¡°My name is Cami, I realize I hadn¡¯t said that when you introduced yourself earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, darling, just focus on your food and we can talk about the restter, okay? I know you¡¯re not a danger to me. It is Marie that needs a little more convincing. She doesn¡¯t trust people easily, my little girl. She always sees the worst in people.¡± ¡°I could understand why,¡± I mumbled under my breath and she raised a brow at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was a bit too much. You have been so good to me.¡± ¡°A lot of people aren¡¯t good, believe me, I understand,¡± she squeezed my hand in aforting grip. ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish up your food? We can always talkter.¡± She walked out of the room leaving me to eat alone. By the time I finished, I felt stronger than before and I managed to stand on my own. I did the dishes and waited in the living room for Peggy to return but she didn¡¯t. I got antsy and decided to go out to check for her. I heard some noiseing from the back of the house and I went to inspect it not expecting to find Marie there instead. She turned to me with hateful eyes and I raised both hands to show her that I meant no harm. ¡°I was just looking for your mother. I didn¡¯t know you were here and I don¡¯t want to disturb you. I think I¡¯ll just-¡± ¡°Wait,¡± she called out and I froze. I turned to her and she crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to face me. ¡°What do you want with us? We don¡¯t have any money, we don¡¯t live with the rest of the pack. If you wanted to spy on us or steal then I am sorry to say that you came to the wrong ce. The most expensive thing we own is a craved table and it doesn¡¯t even cost much.¡± My brows furrowed in confusion and then slight embarrassment as she listed off all the reasons why I shouldn¡¯t bother stealing from them. I tried to interrupt her a few times but she kept cutting me off. I understood her skepticism but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little insulted at her opinion of me. I wasn¡¯t a thief and I would never try to hurt someone who had been nothing but kind to me. ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and she immediately went silent. ¡°I have no ns to steal from you, you have nothing to worry about. Your mother is one of the kindest people I have seen in a while.¡± ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡± she cut me off. ¡°No one stumbles here by ident, no onees looking for us. We are on neutral territory, we are rogues, what could have brought you here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I lied and she scoffed. ¡°All I can say is that I didn¡¯te here looking for you, I don¡¯t even know how I got here. Your mum says I must have washed up stream. I must have fallen when I was running.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I pped my hands over my mouth when I realized what I had said. Marie didn¡¯t miss my words however and her spine straightened. She crossed her arms over her chest and took slow steps until she was standing directly in front of me. ¡°What do you mean by running?¡± she asked but I stayed silent. ¡°You are a criminal, aren¡¯t you? You crazy bitch, you are going to bring trouble to our doorstep. You need to f**king leave, right now.¡± She grabbed my arm and began to pull me away when Peggy finally found us. She was walking into the house with a basket of herbs when she saw Marie dragging me unceremoniously. She dropped the basket and rushed over to us blocking our way. ¡°Marie, this is not how I raised you,¡± Peggy hissed. ¡°She is our guest, she is still healing. You cannot throw her out like that.¡± ¡°She is a criminal. She is running away from people and we have enough to worry about without having another mouth to feed especially when that mouth is a criminal.¡± I could feel the air tensing as neither woman wanted to back down. Guilt filled me as I realized that I was the reason for their fight. I never wanted this, I just wanted to get away. ¡°Stop, please,¡± I whispered and both women froze. ¡°Marie is right, I should leave. I never intended to come here and I am grateful for all that you have done for me. I am d I showed up at your door and not anyone else¡¯s. For what it is worth, you were more than good to me.¡± I started to walk away but Peggy walked in front of me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave, Cami. Tell me who you are running from, we can help you.¡± ¡°No, we cannot,¡± Marie cut in but Peggy ignored her. ¡°Tell me, Cami, please.¡± I debated it for a second. Saying it felt like it would finally be real but I managed to swallow down my words. ¡°I am running from my mate, he rejected me.¡± Chapter 189 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V After I had told Marie and Peggy everything that happened with Tyson, they were very sympathetic- well Peggy was. She offered me the option to stay with them for as long as I needed and Marie didn¡¯t protest once. I didn¡¯t want to but the truth was, I couldn¡¯t get far on my own. I was still healing and I had no idea where I was going. Everything seemed fuzzy to me. All I remembered was running, I couldn¡¯t remember theke or how I fell.i didn¡¯t even know whre exactly I was, but I was safe and that was all that mattered to me in that moment. After about a week of staying with them, Marie walked into my room early in the morning. She had her hands crossed over her chest and for a second, I thought she was going to ask me to leave the house but she just stared at me for a full minute before speaking. ¡°If you¡¯re going to stay here there have to be some ground rules.¡± I sat up immediately knowing that was as much of an eptance statement I would get from her. She proceeded to exin how she lived with her mother on the outskirts of a neutralnd and they work in the town. She exined that I would have to help them if I wanted to stay. I honestly didn¡¯t mind because I had spent so long working as an omega, it felt like a good change to be doing something not because I was being forced to. The longer we spent together, the more I realized that Marie wasn¡¯tpletely a bad person. She was just very tough and protective of her mother. She never spoke about her dad but it wasn¡¯t farfetched to say that he was not in the picture. She was tough as nails and very snarky. On my first few days of working with them in the bakery, I was terrified of everyone who walked in. She snapped at me a few times but I knew she wasn¡¯t trying to be malicious. She just preferred to give tough love. She wasn¡¯t outrightly trying to kick me out of her house and I did hear her defend me to a few customers sol knew she didn¡¯t hate me. We barely spoke to each other outside of when necessary but we were almost always around. It was a good schedule that worked for the both of us in the month I had been here and she taught me a lot of things just by watching her. I never imagined I could be anything but an omega but she taught me otherwise. She grabbed me one day at the store and took me to the back after I had cowered when a man had yelled at me. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what happened in your old pack so I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I messed up her order and-¡± ¡°Will you f**king stop apologizing?¡± she hissed. ¡°You¡¯re not an omega here. Everyone here is equal. You have to f**king stand up for yourself or you cannot stay here. Everyone is going to try to take advantage of you if you don¡¯t grow some f**king balls.¡± Ever since that day, Marie made sure to put me at the forefront with the difficult customers. It was difficult at first but I slowly got the hang of it. Marie never said anything about the new development, but I saw her smile a bit one afternoon after I had put a rude customer in their ce. ¡°Cami,¡± Marie¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. ¡°Is there a reason you are standing in the back and doing nothing? I need you to run home and get some spices from mum. I¡¯m almost out and I need to do a fresh batch of cookies.¡± I nodded and rushed out. For a small bakery, they had a lot of sales most days of the week. I was sure it had more to do with the fact that everyone knew Peggy. She was that kind old woman that everyone grew up with. She always went out of her way to help people and make them feel wee. In my short time living with them, I had noticed that she never passed by an opportunity to help without doing something about it. The house was a ten minute walk from the shop and Peggy was waiting for me in the rocking chair outside the house, a small basket settled on herps. The n was to take it and run back but Peggy wouldn¡¯t let go. She tapped the seat next to her and I hesitantly sat down. I anxiously looked out onto the road as if Marie was going to find me. I could already imagine how much she would scream at me. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked her and she nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t look okay. Do you want me to get Marie?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said immediately and almost too quickly. My brows furrowed in suspicion and she sighed. ¡°I just wanted a littlepany for a while and I wanted to ask how the transition was. Do you feel safe here?¡± I nodded. ¡°Safer than I have in a very long time. Sometimes though, I worry that he will find me.¡± ¡°If you tell me his name then maybe I can help you look out for him. I can let you know if he ising or not.¡± I shook my head abruptly. ¡°Thest thing I want to do is put you in danger. You don¡¯t know him like I do, he will hurt you and you have been nothing but kind to me. I appreciate the concern but I can handle myself and I can handle him.¡± ¡°Just because you can doesn¡¯t mean you have to,¡± she whispered softly cing her warm hand over mine. ¡°Allow us help you, even Marie is worried about you despite the fact that she refuses to show it. She is worried about you.¡± I gave her a warm smile and stood to my feet. ¡°You have done more than enough.¡± I took the small basket from her hands and she let me. ¡°I¡¯ll be back at the end of the work day. Please try not to get into any trouble.¡± She didn¡¯t miss the fact that I had changed the subject but she also didn¡¯t push more on it. She just gave me a small nod and allowed me leave. Her words filled my thoughts as I walked back to the bakery. It would have felt good to just tell them that I was running from Tyson but I couldn¡¯t. If I did, I could risk putting them in danger. Peggy liked to see the best in everyone and I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to go looking for Tyson just so that she can talk to him and I couldn¡¯t see that ending well for anyone. By the time I returned, Marie was thigh deep in customers. She saw me and let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°It took you long enough. What the hell have you been doing all this time? Can you stay here and ensure everyone gets what they want. Try not to get screamed at.¡± She didn¡¯t give me a chance to process what was happening before she grabbed the basket from my hands and went out into the back. I swallowed deeply before making my way over to the counter to take care of everyone. It was difficult to say the least and I had no idea how Marie was able to do it on her own. There were screaming customers, impatient ones and the asional flirty ones. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I managed to clear out the area within forty five minutes and I was right on time too because Marie returned from the back. I could only guess that the cookies were baking. She helped me clear out the last customers and I let out an exhausted sigh. ¡°It was very full today,¡± I mused aloud trying to make some conversation and she just shrugged. ¡°Okay, I know you don¡¯t like me much but can we at least try to be friends? We practically live together. I don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡± She turned to me with her hands crossed over her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you and you should be less worried about what I think and more concerned about yourself.¡± ¡°You act like you hate me,¡± I shot back and she sighed deeply. ¡°I just want to be civil.¡± The door opened at that exact moment. ¡°You can be civil by attending to the next customer while I go to check on the cookies.¡± The customer in question was a middle aged man and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t a supernatural. He didn¡¯t quite have the scent for it. I gave him a warm smile and struck up conversation with him while I packed up his pastries. I was in the middle of handing it over to him when I noticed something on the news paper in his hands. Somehow, in the past two months that I had been here, I had never asked for the date. It just never seemed important to me and also because I wanted to pretend like I was in another world. I was staring at the small numbers on the paper and blinked slowly. ¡°That cannot be right.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t be right?¡± ¡°I think there is a typo on your newspaper. It is six years ahead of when it should be.¡± The man furrowed his brows at me. ¡°Is that a joke? I don¡¯t quite understand the punch line.¡± ¡°is everything okay?¡± Marie asked as she made her way over with a steaming tray of cookies. ¡°Cami, give him the pastries and let the nice man leave.¡± I handed it over to him and he unceremoniously snatched it out of my hand before turning to Marie. ¡°I think you should take her to a doctor or something. She sounds insane.¡± He stormed out and Marie turned to me with raised brows. ¡°There better be a good exnation.¡± ¡°When I left Tyson, it was 1827.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right. It isn¡¯t 1827. It hasn¡¯t been for six years.¡± Chapter 190 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I felt like I had been thrust underwater. Marie was speaking but I couldn¡¯t hear her. I saw her mouth moving but it came out garbled and like white noise. She apologized to the customer for the disruption and while they were talking, I took that as an excuse to walk away. The day wasn¡¯t over and Marie would have a lot to deal with but she could handle it. I just needed some space. I didn¡¯t know where I was going to, all I knew was that I needed to go. I heard Marie call out to me but I ignored her. I needed some space to process everything had just happened. How could six years pass and I wasn¡¯t aware. It made absolutely no sense to me. I was running from Tyson, that was thest thing I remembered doing. How could it be that six years had passed and I was only realizing it now? I felt a hand wrap around my bicep as Marie pulled me to a stop. Her cheeks were red and her hair was a mess. She was breathing heavily as if she had been running and I noticed that she had the keys to the store in her hands. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a hand to stop me as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°You walk very fast,¡± she managed out through staggered breaths. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have waited a f**king second? I wanted to lock up the store. Are you alright?¡± ¡°You can go back,¡± I said turning away from her. ¡°I just need some space right now, okay?¡± ¡°You just found out that you lost six years of your life. I don¡¯t think space is what you need. Except you were joking and that was some borate scheme to-¡± ¡°Do I look like someone who wants to spend her time on borate schemes to prank you?¡± I turned on her and she went silent. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t even like me, so you should have no problem returning to the shop. I just need to figure out what the hell is wrong and I don¡¯t need you breathing down my neck while I am doing it.¡± She raised her brows in amusement. I had never snapped at her like that before, not even when she was being horrible to me but my patience was at an all¨Ctime low today. I had too much to worry about and I didn¡¯t need or want to waste my time arguing with her. I turned to leave but I didn¡¯t expect her to keep walking in step with me. I tried to ignore her at first but after a few minutes, I turned to her ready to rip her a new one when she cut me off. ¡°I don¡¯t have to like you to know that you need someone right now,¡± she whispered softly. ¡°Just let me do this, it would help with my crippling guilt.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the corner of my lips from curling up into a small smile. When she realized that I wasn¡¯t going to protest, she winked at me. As much as I hated to admit it, walking with her made things a little easier to handle. It made me feel less alone as my thoughts went round in circles. I had no idea what this meant, what I was doing and what I was going to do but at least I had someone. When we got to the house, Peggy was nowhere to be seen. Marie and I sat in the living room and I watched as she made me a mug of hot chocte. She ced it in front of me and gave me a small smile that I couldn¡¯t help but return. The hot chocte warmed something inside of me and a feeling of nostalgia warmed over me which I found weird considering I never had hot chocte in Tyson¡¯s pack. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was somehow rted to what I was doing over the past six years. ¡°So,¡± Marie began slowly. It was shocking to see her at a loss for words. She never hesitated and she never doubted, but for the first time in a long time, she was confused. ¡°You truly thought this was 1827?¡± ¡°I could have bet my life on it,¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°How could it be? I remember running from the pack. Everything about it is blurry though but that¡¯s all I remember. I thought maybe I had gotten hurt and wound up here.¡± ¡°Okay, where is the pack?¡± I stilled at her question. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to tell me who your mate is and you don¡¯t have to but if you tell me where the pack is then maybe we can find a way to get you back home.¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut her off sharply. ¡°I am not going back there. You have no idea what it was like for me there. I won¡¯t willingly go there, not for anything. He will still be there and if he gets a hold of me.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she raised both hands in surrender. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back and I respect that but it might give me some idea as to where you came from. I just need a name Cami. I need to know what to avoid in case he is still looking for you which I doubt because if it has truly been six years, he should have moved on.¡± ¡°He would have, yes, but if he sees me again, he will do anything to get even with me for running away,¡± I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Marie was trying to be helpful but she wasn¡¯t going to understand. ¡°He raped me. He rejected me but he came to my room and raped me. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he used me of trying to trap him and publicly ridiculed me.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her mouth fell open in shock and anger. I could clearly see the hatred swirling in her irises. ¡°What a bastard. Now I want the name so that I can beat his f**king a*s.¡± Iughed. ¡°Thanks for the offer but I¡¯m good. I just want to forget that part of my life ever existed.¡± ¡°I can respect that,¡± she said finally as she squeezed my hand softly. ¡°I¡¯ll go find something to do. You look like you could use some space.¡± I gave her a curt nod, it was the best I could do without actually saying any words. It was one of those situations where words weren¡¯t necessary, they would never have been able to fully express the length of my gratitude. I sat there in the living room for the majority of the day. For the better part of it, Marie avoided me and stayed out of my way. I waited for Peggy to return but she didn¡¯t and by the time the sun was setting, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she had gone. She didn¡¯t leave the house so often and even if she did, she always found a way to tell us because Marie tended to worry. It struck me weird that Marie hadn¡¯t asked once for her mother so I made my way into the kitchen where she was working. The smell of pie wafted through the air and she turned to me when she heard me clear my throat. Her hair was in a messy bun and she looked a tad bit unfocused. ¡°I see you¡¯re out of your self imposed exile,¡± she mused aloud. ¡°Are you ready to join us yet without me having to throw you a pity party?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Where is Peggy? I haven¡¯t seen her since the afternoon. Did she tell you that she was going anywhere?¡± Marie was confused for a full minute before turning to the window and when she saw how dark it was getting, she cursed. ¡°Can you check out back for me please? Sometimes she goes out there and loses track of time. It is gettingte and I don¡¯t want her getting hurt in the dark.¡± I nodded. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To check everywhere else,¡± she was already running out of the room when she said that. It took me a second to get my bearings together and once I did, I ran towards the back of the house calling out Peggy¡¯s name but there was nothing but pure silence which was weird because the woods were never silent. There were birds and there was rustling of trees but this time, there was nothing. I called out to Peggy louder hoping that maybe she hadn¡¯t heard me but I still came up with nothing. I cursed when I got to the base of the tree by theke. ¡°Peggy, where the hell are you? If I return to that house without you, Marie is going to skin my ass. You know she doesn¡¯t like me, let us not make this worse, shall we?¡± I was about to leave when I saw a ripple in the water. It was subtle but it was there. At first, I thought I imagined it until I saw it through the bubbles, it was a scrap of grey fabric. I let out an ear splitting scream, one that I didn¡¯t even realize I was capable of. ¡°She is here!¡± I yelled out hoping that Marie hadn¡¯t gone far and could hear me. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I wanted to go in after her but after knowing I was found in water, I didn¡¯t want to take that risk. I heard footsteps and Marie rushed to stand beside me. ¡°Get here!¡± she eximed. ¡°She¡¯s right there.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you get her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to f**king swim!¡± she screamed at me and my skin prickled as the weight of the decision settled on my shoulders. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Marie was still screaming at me to get her mother and in that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but just wish that the water would somehow part and spit her out or something. Just as quickly as the thought dropped into my head, there was a disturbance in the waves. Chapter 191 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V I was a mess. That was the only urate way I could describe myself. It had been almost two months and if I wished, I could have given the exact number of days and even hours but I was so strung up that most times I could barely remember where I was. Everyone watched me like a coiled spring ready to snap. Maybe it was because I hadn¡¯t spoken about it to anyone or maybe it was the fact that thest time they tried, I forbade anyone from speaking. The only people who got to see me smile were my daughters and even then it felt forced. I wasn¡¯t sure how to do this whole ruling ting without Cami and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what exactly was stopping her from.returning. I knew she wasn¡¯t dead, I could feel the bond, albeit a bit smothered probably due to distance but I could feel it and I knew that she was alive but I didn¡¯t know where she was. It didn¡¯t stop me from looking for her every second I could spare. My days were filled to the brim with pce work, my daughters and trying to find Cami. Juan and Christine helped out where they could but I could tell they did it more out of pity than anything. Even I could see how it could potentially look pathetic but I knew what I felt and I knew that Cami was alive. There was nothing that could make me stop believing that. I shook my head to clear the thoughts out and stacked up my files as neatly as possible. It was sometime around seven if I were to guess and I knew it was only a matter of time before Audrey came to me to tuck her in bed. She had been suspiciously quiet since Cami disappeared. She asked for her mother every day for a week and I exined as best as I could to a child her age. Her mother was missing. To say that she was distraught would have been an understatement but she didn¡¯t fight me on it, she didn¡¯t even cry. I found her in her room seated cross legged on the bed. She was already in her pajamas and she was struggling with the fish braids on her head. I immediately rushed over to assist and she reluctantly let me. She didn¡¯t say a word, only kept her eyes fixated on the moon in the sky. ¡°Do you think mummy is staring at the moon too?¡± she asked and I shrugged. ¡°I like to think she is.¡± ¡°I would like to think she is too,¡± I whispered in agreement. ¡°She will be back, I promise.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t say a word as I brushed her hair, she simply shrugged. I wanted to reach out to her but I didn¡¯t know how. I tried all that I knew to do. Cami had always been better at these things than I was. I didn¡¯t know ¡± how to offer verbal support, I just knew how to be there and so I was. I stood there brushing her hair until she leaned backwards into my arms and then I picked her up. My skin itched with the need to be out there searching for Cami but my daughter needed me. It was clear from the way she clung to my neck and wrapped herself around me. I let out a deep breath when I felt the first tear drop on my shoulder. It broke my heart to see her cry and it hurt even more when I realized she was trying to stay quiet. She was a child, she had no reason to smother her cries. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I assured her. ¡°You can cry, it¡¯s just me and you.¡± She sniffled into my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m right here. I am not going anywhere until you are fine.¡± ¡°I knew she was going to die,¡± she whispered and I stilled. I pulled back so that I could look her in the eye. ¡°Your mother is not dead. I don¡¯t care what you heard or what anyone may say, she is alive.¡± ¡°I saw her,¡± she cut me off. ¡°She fell off the cliff with the mean woman. I saw it. I saw the blood and Aurora and mummy-¡± Her voice cracked on the end but there was only one thing that bothered me and it was the fact that Audrey was nowhere near present when any of those things happened. She was in the cave where I had kept her safe. I reluctantly pulled away from my sobbing daughter and ced her on the bed. I sat down in front of her and sped her hands in mine. Her eyes were still cast down and tears dripped freely from her cheeks. ¡°I need you to listen to me, Audrey, and you are going to answer me, okay?¡± I asked and she slowly nodded. I wiped her cheeks clean. ¡°What do you mean by you saw it happen? You were in the cave, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was,¡± she agreed. ¡°Then how did you see it? If you were not there then how did you know?¡± ¡°I saw it in my dreams,¡± she exined and my brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°I told you before when we met L the first time. I didn¡¯t remember until after mummy went missing.¡± It took me a second to realize what she was talking about and when I did, I ran my hands through my hair while muttering curses under my breath. I hadpletely forgotten about the dreams she had. It seemed like a lifetime ago. I had pushed it into the corners of my mind because L said when she did the spell that she erased her memories. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Wait, you remember?¡± I asked and she nodded slowly. I ran my hands down my jaw and forced a small smile on (+5 my face. I ced aforting kiss on her forehead and pulled the covers up to her chin. ¡°It¡¯s okay, your mum is alive and everything will be fine, I promise.¡± I turned to leave but she called out to me. ¡°Daddy, can you do something?¡± ¡°What is it, princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mummy,¡± she began slowly. ¡°Please find her.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I walked away from the room and the moment I was gone, I went in search of Juan and Christine. They were the only two whopletely understood everything that was happening. I didn¡¯t have to search for them long because I found them outside the council room. ¡°Thank the goddess that you are both here. There is something that we need to talk about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Christine began awkwardly. ¡°We want to talk to you too.¡± It was the tone of her voice that had me taken aback. There was something off about it, almost careful as if she didn¡¯t want to risk offending me. I narrowed my eyes between her and Juan and that was when I noticed that they were both fidgeting. ¡°Spit it out,¡± I frowned. ¡°You¡¯re going to piss me off either way so you might as well just go along with it.¡± Christine sighed. ¡°We are worried about you. All of us, including the elders and they havee to the decision that you need to take over from Cami officially until Audrey is of age.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dead.¡± She opened her mouth to speak but Juan cut her off. ¡°Let¡¯s say that I agree with you- they do not. You have been searching for two months. Everyone is just about ready to move on. I know it is absolutely f**king terrifying but the world needs to move on and so do you.¡± ¡°I am not leaving her out there alone. She is alive and I am going to find her.¡± ¡°We just wanted to warn you so they don¡¯t spring it up on you tomorrow,¡± Christine interrupted. ¡°We are on your side, Ryker. I have watched the girls while you went looking for her and Juan has helped you search for her. I want her to be alive more than anything, if not for you then for the girls. They deserve their mother.¡± ¡°Then help me convince the elders. I need more time. I will find her if I have more time,¡± she opened her mouth to interrupt but I cut her off. ¡°Audrey¡¯s visions areing back. She remembered one of the old ones. She told me exactly how Cami fell off that cliff.¡± They both stilled. Neither one of them said a word. I looked in the hallway to make sure no one was there before pulling them into the council room with me. Once we were alone, I exined everything that had happened in Audrey¡¯s room. By the time I was done, they looked just as shocked and terrified as I felt. ¡°L isn¡¯t here anymore,¡± Christine spoke first and I nodded slowly. ¡°If her visionse back, none of us will be able to control it.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I whispered. ¡°We need to find Isabe. Audrey is going to need her mother during this. There has to be something that we can do to buy me more time.¡± ¡°I can try to talk to them,¡± Christine didn¡¯t sound convinced even as she spoke. ¡°There was an old tradition. It stopped over two hundred years ago but it was a three to five week long mourning process for the ruling monarch before the next ruler was announced. I can try and convince the elders to host it for Cami but it will only buy you approximately a month.¡± It wasn¡¯t ideal but I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get a better option than that so I nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll have to do. I will keep looking. I have searched the towns around theke. I am going to extend the area just in case she wandered off a bit too far. Thank you, Christine.¡± I turned to leave when she spoke. ¡°If she is alive, then why didn¡¯t shee back home?¡± I stilled. ¡°Surely, you have thought about that.¡± ¡°I have,¡± I admitted. ¡°Cami loves her family, and you know it. If she were alive, she would have rushed back here, so why hasn¡¯t she?¡± Chapter 192 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The water began to move, almost as if someone were controlling it. It started with a small wave that quickly grew angrier. Marie was screaming some words but I couldn¡¯t hear her. I could hear the roaring of waves in my ears. The waves rose highly and with them did Peggy¡¯s body until the water was almost lifting her out and washed her onto the shore. Marie and I stood there for a full minute, no one dared to speak or move as we tried to process what had just happened. I broke free of my spell first and rushed over to Peggy. She wasn¡¯t breathing and she looked paler than I would have preferred. I wasn¡¯t sure how but I knew exactly what to do. I dropped to my knees in front of her and started to push hard on her chest willing her awake but she wouldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t at it for long when Marie¡¯s hand came onto my shoulder and she pushed me back almost harshly. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± she yelled out loud as she took over from me. I wanted to help but she shot me a scathing look. ¡°What was that back there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. She looked terrified and I should have been too but I felt more curiosity if I was being honest, I stared at the water again trying to ignore the soft tug I felt in my chest towards it. ¡°Are you going to stand there or are you going to try to help me?¡± Marie snarled and I turned back to her. She was furiously pumping her mother¡¯s chest but there was no change in Peggy and I cursed. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I could barely remember my own life, how was I expected to know how to help Peggy? I froze in ce staring at Marie¡¯s grief stricken and panicked expression. Peggy was her only family and she was so close to death¡¯s door, I could almost smell it. The best I could do was utter a small prayer to the goddess hoping that the same way she heard my prayer about the water, she would hear this one. ¡°Don¡¯t just f**king stand there!¡± she eximed. ¡°Help me you bitch. She saved your life, soe over here and help me pump the f**king water out of her chest goddamit.¡± She was crying now and her movements were bing sloppy. I gently pushed her away from her mother¡¯s body but she wouldn¡¯t move. She was clutching her like her life depended on it. I knew I couldn¡¯t do much about that, so I maneuvered around her and took over. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could last pumping her chest but I could try and try I did. My eyes welled up with tears and I repeated the same prayer under my breath until my throat was sore. ¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦É 174 ¡°Please,¡± I whispered, my voice cracking on the end. ¡°You cannot die right now.¡± As the words left my lips, Peggy¡¯s body seized. It was slight and I thought I had imagined it until I heard Marie gasp beside me. She asked a few questions but I couldn¡¯t focus on her words. My eyes were fixated on Peggy and the tug beneath my fingertips. I could feel something tugging at my wrists and it felt like muscle memory as my hands moved. I didn¡¯t know what the hell I was doing but I watched as Peggy¡¯s mouth opened and water flowed out almost following the movements of my hands. My eyes widened inplete and utter shock. My finger shook and Peggy coughed snapping my attention back to her. The water sloshed over me and before I could even figure out what had just happened, Marie pushed me to the side. She took a protective stance in front of her mother and narrowed her eyes at me in slits. ¡°What the f**k are you ying at?¡± she spat with narrowed eyes. ¡°You can bend water?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I nced down at my hands unsure of what had just happened. ¡°I can¡¯t- I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Did you push her in there?¡± she asked and my eyes widened in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. What the hell do you want me to think? One second you are here and the next you are pulling her out of the water with powers that you didn¡¯t tell us that you had.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had the powers!¡± I eximed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell is happening. This is as terrifying for me as it is for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± she snarled. ¡°You¡¯re a witch aren¡¯t you? Get out of my house or I will make sure that you leave in a body bag.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Leave or I will tell the entire town that you are a witch.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by a groan that came from Peggy¡¯s lips. Marie turned away from me to focus on her mother. Her hands were gentle as she stroked her hair which was a sharp contrast from how she had spoken to me a few seconds ago. ¡°What is all the yelling about?¡± Peggy groaned but Marie waved her off. ¡°Don¡¯t yell at Cami, she had nothing to do with this. I fell in while I was trying to touch a lily pad. I knocked my head on something and cked out.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a witch,¡± Marie tried to exin but Peggy waved her off. ¡°She smells like a wolf, Marie, she isn¡¯t a witch. Listen, can we talk about thister? I am freezing my ass off and I would like a warm cup of tea first, okay?¡± Marie nodded and helped her mother to her feet. She kept her eyes on me as if worried I would do something. I couldn¡¯t help but scoff at the stark contrast to how she treated me in the afternoon. It took less than half an hour for her to hate me more than she did when I first arrived. Due to her stares, I couldn¡¯t even find it in myself to go after them. They were almost to the front door when Peggy stopped and turned to me. ¡°Are you going to stand there? Come in.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. I could tell that Marie wasn¡¯t pleased but in that moment, I was just relieved that Peggy was not upset with me. Still, I kept a respectable distance so as not to piss anyone off. Peggy was dried off and brought back to the living room where a nket was slung over her shoulder and she was sporting a cup of tea. ¡°Now,¡± she began sping her hands together. ¡°Is someone going to tell me what the hell happened outside?¡± I opened my mouth to speak but Marie beat me to it. ¡°She controlled the water. She made waves so big that they spat you out and she controlled what was inside of you. Do you know how insane that is? Why would she keep it a secret? How could she hold that kind of power?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had those powers,¡± I tried to reason but Marie ignored me. ¡°If I did, I would have told you. All I wanted was to get her out. I had no ulterior motives.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she snorted but Peggy held up a hand to silence her. ¡°Cut her some ck, Marie, she cannot remember thest six years of her life. Even if she remembered and forgot to tell us, it isn¡¯t her fault,¡± Marie crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. ¡°She didn¡¯t hurt me, she rescued me. If anything, you should be thanking her.¡± ¡°No one should have those kind of powers.¡± ¡°It is unwise to fear everything that you cannot exin,¡± Peggy whispered and Marie opened her mouth to protest but changed it at thest minute and stormed off. I heard the door to her room m and Peggy winced. ¡°Please, forgive her, she is a very untrusting child. She has been that way ever since-¡± ¡°Since?¡± I asked and she hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it is my story to tell.¡± Ipletely understood that. There were some things that were better heard from the lips of the one who experienced it. I nodded and gave Peggy a small smile as I stood to my feet. I wanted to give her some privacy and was almost at the door to the kitchen when she spoke. ¡°She loved a boy, we do not speak his name anymore. They went out into the woods for a night out under the stars. The girl she considered her best friend had nned with the boy to betray her. They wanted to be with each other and thought to get rid of her. She overheard them and was able to run away.¡± I stilled. ¡°That must have been horrible.¡± ¡°It was and when she tried to tell people, no one believed her. She is fine now but some scars are not visible. Give her some time, she wille around.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a walk outside. You should rest.¡± I stayed outside, not because I needed fresh air but because I just needed to be away. I stared at my hands shocked that such little things were capable of housing such power like the one I saw earlier. Before I could stop myself, I found myself walking back towards theke and sitting cross legged in front of it. I felt stupid as I reached out over the water but I needed to know for sure if it was a fluke of nature of if truly I had these powers. I exhaled deeply and focused on the movement of the water, I listened until it had settled in my soul, until my heart moved with it in one slow beat. My hands started moving before I even realized what was happening and I heard the sloshing of the water as it moved with me. I cracked one eye open shocked to see that the water truly was following the movements of my hands. I stared in disbelief which quickly turned into glee as a smallugh left my lips. ¡°Oh my goddess,¡± I whispered watching the water. I had never felt as alive as I did in that moment. It felt like every nerve cell in me was on fire. ¡°I can control water.¡± ¡°For someone who ims not to have known, you sure are good at it.¡± Chapter 193 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I let my hands drop slowly and so did the water. I turned to Marie who had her hands crossed over her chest and a frown on her face. She still looked upset with me but at least she didn¡¯t look like she hated me. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a hand to stop me from speaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t trust you when you first came and goddess knows that I still don¡¯t trust you but I was starting to and youe out of nowhere able to bend water and you say you didn¡¯t know but for someone who imed not to know, you sure are damn good at it.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°It justes out of me. I don¡¯t know how else to exin it, Marie. It feels like muscle memory. My hands just know what to do even when my mind doesn¡¯t. The water- it¡¯s a part of me.¡± ¡°That part of you almost killed my mother. She could have drowned and you just- we just stood there staring. I couldn¡¯t jump in because I couldn¡¯t swim and you- you froze.¡± ¡°I was just as scared as you were, Marie. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Would you have jumped?¡± she asked and I stilled. ¡°If for some reason, you couldn¡¯t control the water, would you have jumped in to save her or would you have stayed there while she died?¡± ¡°I-¡± I wanted to say I would have. I wanted to tell her that I would have done everything possible to make sure that I got Peggy out but the truth was that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question, Marie and you know it. I froze and I panicked and I shouldn¡¯t have but you cannot control how the body responds to stress and you cannot me me for doing the exact same thing that you did. We both froze and that doesn¡¯t make either of us bad people.¡± Sheughed humorlessly. ¡°That¡¯s the problem, don¡¯t you get it?¡± she asked. ¡°I am not mad at you. I am mad at me. it was my mother and I, that was how it had always been but then you had toe in and you had to make her believe that we could be a family. You had to make me believe that maybe you could fit in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite following- what does this have to do with anything?¡± ¡°I was looking to you!¡± she eximed. ¡°If you were not here, if it was just both of us, I would have figured something out. I would have found something to do but because you were standing next to me, I figured that you would have helped and that was my mistake. It is my mother and I, that is how it has been and that is how it will continue to be. I forgot that and I won¡¯t forget it again.¡± Before I could say anything, she walked away leaving me in the darkness. I stared out at the calm waves and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if things would have been different had I been unable to control the waves and she was unable to get out. The longer I thought about it, the more I felt like I was going mad. With onest longing stare at the waves, I stood to my feet and walked away. I couldn¡¯t push away the feeling that there was something I was missing. I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. I woke up by three and was unable toy in bed anymore. Instead of just sitting in bed doing nothing, I decided to go down into the kitchen and find something to do. I ended up cleaning the entire house twice and starting with breakfast. I moved around the kitchen with no thought in mind, my head waspletely empty and that was the problem. I needed something to fill it with. ¡°Cami!¡± I had to shove my hand into my mouth to smother a scream. Peggy stood behind me with a nket wrapped around her shoulders. She cocked her head to the side in confusion and I gave her a small smile. ¡°Why are you awake so early?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Why are you awake? You had a near death experience.¡± ¡°I find that those make it hard for you shad a near death experience.¡± joked as she made her way over to me. As she got closer, I smelled something almost metallic and slightly pungent, like dried blood. I didn¡¯t want to ask out rightly so I just ran my eyes down her body subtly. She wasn¡¯t making it easy for me because she kept moving around the kitchen trying to figure out what I was making. ¡°Do you want to take the nket off?¡± I asked and she turned to me with unfocused eyes then shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a little hot in here. You might want to put it down.¡± There was something in her eyes as she shook her head. She turned away before I could get a good look and I realized that I needed to pull it off her and figure it out as soon as possible because the smell of blood was getting worse. She busied herself around the kitchen and when I got closer, she would move in the other direction. I let it slide for the first few minutes thinking I was overreacting until I heard footstepsing down the steps. Marie walked into the room rubbing sleep from her eyes. There was a small smile on her face but when she saw me, it quickly faded away. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything around here anymore, Cami. I can take care of myself and my mother.¡± ¡°Marie,¡± I began but she turned away from me. ¡°I¡¯m here right now, just let me help, please. If you want, I can be out of your hair within a month. Just give me some time, Marie. Don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Marie,¡± Peggy scolded but Marie had already turned away from both of us. Despite the frown on her face, she still walked into the kitchen and took a bite from the sandwiches I had made. ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± Marie asked and we both turned to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is from the food, it smells like blood or something. Is someone hurt?¡± When Peggy turned away and tried to sneak away, I knew immediately what I had to do. I wrapped my hand around the nket and tugged. She tried her best to keep it on but it tumbled to the floor and in the process, exposed her red and bleeding arm. It was healing by the second and she was making it worse at the same time. She was scratching it and by the looks of things, she had been doing it for a long time. ¡°Mum?¡± Marie¡¯s voice was soft and almost broken but Peggy wouldn¡¯t look in her eyes. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°I keep seeing the water,¡± her voice was almost broken. ¡°I keep seeing my life sh before my eyes. This is the only way I can remind myself that I am alive- that I didn¡¯t die there.¡± ¡°Why would you-¡± Marie began but I cut her off. ¡°I understand,¡± I whispered. Both eyes turned to me and I linked my hand with Peggy¡¯s. She was still picking at her skin, I held onto her hand tightly and gestured for her toe with me. She was fidgeting in my hold and I could tell that she wanted out of my grasp but I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. I walked with her to the chair and let her sit beside me. Marie was watching me with narrowed eyes but I ignored her. I didn¡¯t care about her approval for this, I didn¡¯t need it and neither did I want it. This was about Peggy and I. She could be pissed all she wants but that didn¡¯t mean I was going to leave the woman who had taken me in to suffer when I could help. ¡°Sometimes, it feels like I am in a tunnel with no way forward,¡± I began slowly. ¡°I have nightmares that I can barely remember. All I know is the water that I was found. These powers are meant to give me some form of reprieve but they only remind me of the fact that I was found half dead in ake and I don¡¯t know my past.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± Peggy began but I cut her off. 0 Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°They say water holds memories and some days, I hope that is true. Some days, I want to go in there, go under and note back up until I remember but it doesn¡¯t work like that, does it?¡± she gave me a small smile. ¡°I know how you feel. I know how hard it is toe back but this,¡± I gestured at her bruised hands. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to fix anything. You are going to hurt yourself and you will still remember.¡± She shook her head but the tears were already falling down her cheeks. ¡°I am an old woman. I should be the one giving you advice and not the other way around.¡± I couldn¡¯t help theugh that bubbled out of my lips. I sped both of her hands in mine and locked eyes with her. ¡°It gets better, I promise.¡± With onest smile, I stood to my feet and made my way out to give the mother and daughter some space. I was almost at the door when Marie rushed up to me and she grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Does it?¡± she asked and my brows furrowed, ¡°get better, I mean, does it get better? You told her that it does and I¨CI¡¯ve been through some things.¡± I knew she was talking about her experience with her best friend and the young man. I hesitated, thinking about my next words. ¡°I hope it does because if not, then I just lied to a sad old woman.¡± Chapter 194 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V The elders sat in their usual formation around the council table. Their eyes held pity and slight disgust as they stared at the empty chair behind me. Cami¡¯s presence was obviously missed and it stood out like the elephant in the room. I crossed my arms over my chest waiting for the man who would have the balls to be the first to address the situation but no one dared to say a word. ¡°Did you call for a meeting just for me to sit here staring at you?¡± I asked unable to keep the sarcasm out of my tone. ¡°There are more important things that require my time and attention.¡± ¡°Like searching for the Queen?¡± someone asked and I raised a brow. He turned away in embarrassment and his cheeks tinged pink. He looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him and truthfully, it would have been a better alternative than me getting my hands on him. ¡°It has been a while, your majesty.¡± ¡°I am aware of how long it has been. If that is what you came to talk to me about then we might as well put this whole thing to an end. I know how long my mate has been missing.¡± There was a collective wince at my choice of words. They all believed she was dead and I couldn¡¯t me them, if it were someone else, I would have probably believed the same thing but I knew better. I could feel her. ¡°The Lady Christine came to us and suggested a funeral ritual. It is customary that wee to you on that. You ultimately have the final say on it,¡± it was Caius who spoke and his voice was soft and careful. ¡°You would have to sign a legally binding contract that states that you know she is dead. You cannot back out from it at any moment. It is for your safety as well as ours because most often than not, mates find it hard to admit-¡± ¡°Admit that their partners are dead,¡± I finished for him and he nodded. I knew what he was getting at and I desperately wanted to remind them that she was alive but I knew it would only solidify what they were saying. ¡°I understand and I am ready to sign it.¡± The words felt like ash on my tongue and I could see the shock on their faces. That wasn¡¯t the response that they were expecting from me and as the paper was slid over to me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was failing Cami. This was giving me at most six weeks to find her and there was a nagging voice at the back of my mind telling me that I was going to fail. It felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and it felt like everything was bearing down on me as I signed my name across the pages. As I stared at the drying ink on the page, I couldn¡¯t believe that I had done it. I heard Caius speaking but his words barely settled in my ears. I made an unintelligible statement before rushing to my feet. All eyes were on me but in that moment, I could not bring myself to care. I had signed away every right I would have after the next four to six weeks. ¡°If you will excuse me,¡± I began clearing my throat. ¡°Now that this has been signed, I presume my assistance is no longer necessary.¡± ¡°Your majesty, due to the sensitivity of this issue we are going to fast track everything and try to round up within two to three weeks,¡± I turned to the elder who had spoken and the intensity of my gaze had him looking away. ¡°The people have gone on for too long. It has been two months. She deserves to have the best and her memory needs to be preserved.¡± ¡°You want to rush things?¡± I repeated dumbly. ¡°Would it kill you to do things the right way? What if I demand that it has to be done in six weeks?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, your¨Cmajesty, the only person who has the authority to do that is the Queen. As she is not here, the power lies with us. The decision has been made. It is unhealthy for you and for the princesses to live like this. You have our deepest condolences.¡± I didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest of his statement, I just walked out of the room. I could hear their whispers behind me but I didn¡¯t give a shit. They deliberately refused to tell me about the sped up time line because they knew I would never have signed it. My blood boiled with rage and frustration. I wanted so badly to scream but I kept every emotion bottled up as I walked out of the pce. The guards nced at me in concern and confusion when I ignored their bows and greetings. ¡°Ryker,¡± I heard Christine call out to me but I ignored her. Her brows furrowed and she started to follow me. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about something. Were you able to talk to the elders? Do you have any idea when you are going to start-¡± ¡°Just stop!¡± I ground out as I whirled on her and her spine straightened. ¡°I do not want to speak to anyone right now. I am not in the mood for a heartfelt conversation so this is the part where you walk away before I say something that we will both regret.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. She looked taken aback. ¡°I am just trying to help here. I have no idea what is going on and you¡¯re just offloading on me. We are all worried about her.¡± ¡°You all think she is dead,¡± I shot back and she pursed her lips in anger. I turned away from her and kept walking towards the woods. What I needed was a long run to get rid of the frustration building up under my skin. I had walked a few feet thinking that Christine had returned to the pce when she suddenly walked in front of me blocking my path. I tried to side step her but she was quick to step in front of me. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I warned. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you.¡± ¡°Good, then you can listen because I have a lot to say,¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if it was her bravado or the fact that I knew standing in front of me scared her that had me staying still. Nothing scared Christine, but I could see the slight tremor in her stance. ¡°I know this is hitting you harder than it is hitting the rest of us. I understand that you feel likeplete shit but you cannot take this out on me.¡± ¡°I am-¡± She held up a hand to cut me off. ¡°Just let me finish, goddamit.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest and gestured for her to keep going. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think that she is dead. Do you really think I want to be here without her? Cami is the only family that I have left. Do you think I want to be telling the girls stories about their mother? Of course not. I want more than anything for her to be alive but her being alive would mean that something is wrong, something is keeping her away from home. Call me selfish, but I would rather she be dead than she be suffering somewhere. So yes, I think she is dead but that is because I just want her to be happy. She has been hurt so much, she deserves at least this much.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. On one hand, I understood where she wasing from and if I were selfless enough, I would think the same but I never pretended to be a good man. I never imed to be a better person- that was her. I was going to be selfish and I was going to fight tooth and nail to bring her back. ¡°You are a better person than I am,¡± I said simply and that was all she needed to know that I wasn¡¯t going to drop this. She let out an exasperated sigh and buried her face into her hands. ¡°I have to go, I don¡¯t have enough time.¡± ¡°You have six weeks.¡± ¡°I have two,¡± her mouth fell open. ¡°They decided that too much time has been wasted. I have two weeks to find my mate and bring her back home so excuse me if I don¡¯t have the time to discuss with you right now. There are towns I have to visit and it is going to take the entirety of the two weeks. I might not even be able to get them all.¡± ¡°Let me help,¡± she began and I opened my mouth to refuse but she cut me off. ¡°If Aurora is who you are worried about then someone can watch her while we search, you need all hands on deck for this one. You cannot do it alone. Let Juan and I help you.¡± I ran my hands through my hair as I debated what to say. On one hand, she was right but on the other hand, I didn¡¯t want to leave my child alone. ¡°You know you need our help.¡± I opened my mouth to ept when I felt a sharp pain in the center of my chest. It felt like my chest was being ripped open with a hot knife. Thest time I felt pain like this was when Reina burned my skin. It took over a month for it to heal and the scar remained. I fell to my knees and Christine was by my side immediately. ¡°What is going on?¡± I heard her ask but I couldn¡¯t make out a response. ¡°Do you want me to call the physician? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Cami?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I ground out as the pain subsided. I managed to get to my feet but my body felt weak from what had just happened. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Christine looked genuinely spooked. ¡°You looked like you were in pain.¡± ¡°You know how I told you the mate bond was there but dormant, as if something was keeping it muted?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Well it isn¡¯t dormant anymore. Something just triggered it.¡± Chapter 195 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V Ever since Peggy¡¯s incident with theke, I found myself returning to that exact spot every night to practice my newfound powers. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was just a natural talent or if I had learned all this in my six year mind gap and it was just slowlying back to me. Whichever it was, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine just how cool it must have been for me to own these powers. I felt unstoppable. Marie had let go of her grudge and sometimes sat down by theke with me and watched me practice. She said it made her feel safer being around theke knowing I was there and could pull her out if need be. I wasn¡¯t sure if that made us friends but I was d that she wasn¡¯t trying to run me out of the house. Speaking of the house, I had to move out soon. I hadn¡¯t told either of them but I didn¡¯t want to be a bother anymore and it seemed like everything was going haywire. I didn¡¯t want another situation like the one where Mariepletely hated my guts. I didn¡¯t want to make anyone ufortable and I had already started searching for a new job without saying anything to them. it was proving to be difficult considering we lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I knew it was only a matter of time before things got out. ¡°Cami,¡± my my door mmed open and Marie walked inside with her hands crossed over her chest. For a split second, I thought she had found out about the job but she simply looked me over. ¡°What are you still doing here? We have to be in town in a few minutes. Today is market day or have you forgotten.¡± I muttered a small curse under my breath and leaped to my feet. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I forgot we had something else to 1. do. I shoved my journal under my pillow and grabbed the basket by the foot of the mat. She rolled her eyes when she saw me scrambling but didn¡¯t say a word. The market was a considerable distance away from where we lived which was why we limited market errands to once a month. It was a hassle walking the entire way there and back and in that moment, I would have killed for a horse but only the rich were able to afford them and rich wouldn¡¯t have been the right words to ssify us. We were barely above water as it was. ¡°We have to be quick,¡± Marie whispered to me. ¡°I want to be in and out before mid- afternoon. You know that is-¡± ¡°That is when the market bes rowdy. I know, Marie, you have repeated this to me more than five times in the past two days alone,¡± I drawled and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up? I can handle a portion of the list and you can handle another. That way, we can get it done in half the time and you can return home as early as you want.¡± I saw her turning my words over in her head. It was hard for someone like her to concede control. She loved being able to watch over everything but unless she wanted to be in the market for far longer than necessary, then my way was the best way. She debated it for far too Th 09:50 Mon, 22 Apr .. long and I sighed. ¡°Delegate, Marie, you cannot do it all,¡± I whispered and she let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Fine, but we meet at Joe¡¯s caf¨¦ once we are both done, okay?¡± I nodded. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The market was a small but busy ce. Everyone was talking, everyone was moving, it could have been overbearing to the wrong people but to me, it felt like a breath of fresh air from the unusual quiet of the house. The smells shed against each other and sometimes, it gave me a pounding headache but I still loved it. It sounded like the beginning of a toxic rtionship. I made sure to meticulously check everything off my list. I didn¡¯t want to give Marie a reason to hate me or get pissed off. I was getting the flour which so happened to be thest thing when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned to see one of the older women in the town. I didn¡¯t know her name, but I knew she owned a cleaning service and she was one of the people I had approached for a job. ¡°Cressida, is it?¡± she asked and I gave her the fakest smile I could muster. ¡°It¡¯s Cami,¡± I corrected. ¡°Do you need some help?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to know why you were leaving Peggy,¡± she muttered the name with some disdain in her tone. ¡°She is all perfect, so why would you want to leave? Is there something that we don¡¯t know?¡± She resembled a predator looking for fresh meat. Her eyes were alive with the potential of possible gossip and I knew without the shadow of a doubt that she was not the kind of woman I wanted to be working for under any circumstances. I gave her a small smile and slowly removed her fingers that had latched onto my other arm. ¡°I just wanted a second job,¡± I lied. ¡°I had no ns of leaving Peggy. She truly is as amazing as you think she is. There is nothing to be told and if that is all¨C? ¡°I came to tell you that you got the job,¡± she cut me off. ¡°But on the condition that you stop working for Peggy and work for me only. What do you say about that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Thank you for the offer though.¡± She looked taken aback. She was what you would call wealthy and although she still underpaid her workers, she paid more than Peggy would ever be able to pay me but I couldn¡¯t betray her like that, especially not to someone who looked at us like we were dirt at the bottom of her shoe. Her mouth was agape with shock so I gave her a warm smile and turned on my heels only to bump into Marie. Her expression was carefully nk and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of the conversation she had heard. I opened my mouth to exin but she beat me to it. ¡°I was looking for you. You spent way too much time on your part of the list even though I gave you the shorter one.¡± ¡°I got roped into a conversation.¡± She nced over my shoulder at the woman. ¡°Clearly; are you done now? I want to grab something to eat before we return home.¡± She was acting weird but I couldn¡¯t say anything. I wasn¡¯t sure what she knew and I didn¡¯t want to risk telling her more than necessary. We made our way over to Joe¡¯s caf¨¦ and she ordered scones for us and some warm chocte. We sat on a chair outside which I noticed was a bit secluded from the others and she waited until our order arrived before she finally spoke. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± she asked and my brows furrowed. ¡°That is what you were talking to her about, wasn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t y dumb with me, I just want to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Then why were you talking with her? Why was she offering you a job?¡± I let out a sigh and exined everything. I started from the beginning and by the time I was done, she had a frown on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be in your hair too much so I thought a job would-¡± ¡°No,¡± she cut me off and I was taken aback by the sheer determination in her voice. ¡°I am not letting you leave. If you want to be paid then we can pay you. It won¡¯t be much because we cannot afford what she can but you aren¡¯t leaving.¡± ¡°Marie-¡± ¡°Mum brought you in! I let you in. You cannot just pack up and leave when you see fit. This is not a matter of payment or not, this is family, you do not leave family. I know you have only been with us for a little over two months but you are still family and I am not letting you leave. If you want to, then you are going to have to fight me.¡± I stared at her for a second. She had her hands crossed over her chest and she tried to feign indifference but I could see through her disguise. ¡°I am not leaving. When she offered me the job, I knew I couldn¡¯t. There is nowhere better.¡± She seemed surprised but she quickly wiped it away. ¡°Good.¡± She wanted to say more but was cut off by a gasp followed by the sound of hooves. I was taken aback because it sounded like an entire army. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I managed to get to my feet but so did everyone else as the horses finally made their way into the market. There were at least five and the men on them had some sort of sigil on their upper arms. I couldn¡¯t make it out but Marie let out a gasp and she grabbed my arm tight enough for it to hurt. 09:50 Mon, 22 Apr. ¡°That is the sigil of the royal family,¡± she whispered in my ears. ¡°I have never seen any of them before. They nevere this way. What could they want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, now please stop squeezing my arm, you are cutting off my air supply.¡± She released her hold as one of the horses came closer and I realized that the rider was a woman. Her hair was a simr shade to mine and she looked somewhat tired. She looked around and her eyes landed on me. There was something akin to recognition in them and her hand flew over her mouth. I felt awkward from the way she was staring at me so I took a step back. ¡°I think we should go,¡± I whispered but Marie wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°Is she staring at us? Why is she staring at us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but I want to-¡± The woman dismounted and everyone parted for her as she made her way over to us. I watched with apprehension and baited breath. She was gorgeous and she looked a tad bit intimidating but I kept my shoulders squared. Once she reached me, she threw her arms around my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you.¡± Chapter 196 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I took a step back and eyed the stranger with a wary look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but who are you? Why have you been looking for me?¡± She opened her mouth to speak but at thest minute, she decided against it and cleared her throat. Marie was clutching my arm and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was for my sake or hers. The stranger looked familiar but that was all, I couldn¡¯t put a name to her face and I couldn¡¯t tell if I had actually met her before. ¡°My name is Christine and I am a representative of the royal family. You have toe with me,¡± she announced and my spine straightened. I turned to Marie in a panic and she pulled me closer to her. ¡°Why do you want to see her?¡± Marie asked, her voice shaky but fierce. ¡°You cannot juste in here and demand to see her for no reason.¡± Christine raised a brow and I saw a small smirk grow on her lips. I could have sworn I saw something sad in her expression but I blinked and suddenly it was gone. ¡°I could have you taken by force or you cane with me free of charge. Either way, you wille to me, how it happens is your choice.¡± Marie pursed her lips and I knew she was going to defend me again so I gently released my hand from her grip and turned to her with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just go!¡± she eximed but I didn¡¯t want to make more of a scene. We already had the entire market staring at us and I didn¡¯t want to make matters worse. She pulled me down so she could whisper. ¡°What if your mate is the one who sent them? What if they are here to take you back to him?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back,¡± I responded simply. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a part of this, you should goOwned by N?velDrama.Org. home.¡± I handed her my basket and turned to Christine. ¡°Lead the way.¡± She seemed surprised that I agreed to go with her. I was led towards the horses and I was stunned when one of the guards dismounted his horse for me. I blinked at them. wondering if it were some kind of mistake. Guards didn¡¯t just dismount for random people but neither of them blinked and I just assumed it was some kind of courtesy. I struggled to get on but by the time I was seated, the rest came almost naturally. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I had done it sometime in the past six years. The ride was quiet and tense and I noticed Christine ncing over at me every few seconds. I wanted to shrink away but I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong so I kept my shoulders squared and pretended not to notice her. if her tactic was to scare me then she was going about it the wrong way. We arrived at their residence and I was stunned. It was one of therger inns in the town and from what I could see, they were the only ones who stayed there. I could see the maids and the footmen watching with varying degrees of curiosity and amusement. Most of them already knew who I was from Peggy¡¯s bakery. I was led into one of the rooms and before I could say another word, the door was shut behind me leaving me alone. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I sat there alone but it felt like hours before Christine joined me. Up close, she was slightly intimidating but there was also something fragile about her. I looked her over and noticed the tie around her wrist and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling softly. ¡°Do you have children?¡± I asked and she cocked her head to the side so I gestured to the tie. ¡°It seems like something a child would make.¡± ¡°A child did make it but she isn¡¯t mine. She¡¯s my niece,¡± she exined and my eyes widened in understanding. ¡°You must be close to your sister. Where is she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted finally before gesturing for me to take a seat. I hesitated before doing so. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t already know,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Look, I know Tyson sent you. I appreciate you coming all this way to look for me but I am not going back to him. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re the royal family or not. I will run the first chance I get.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Tyson?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°Tyson has been dead for almost two years now. You should know that.¡± I sat there trying to marinate her words. Tyson was dead. It sounded insane, it sounded crazy to think. He was alive, he should have been. He was the entire reason I had stayed put. He was the one thing that I feared. To hear that he was dead was a breath of fresh air but it also made the hair at the back of my neck stand up because herst sentence finally dawned on me. I turned to her with furrowed brows. ¡°What do you mean by I should know that?¡± I asked. ¡°Was I there when he died?¡± ¡°What do you mean by were you-¡± she cut herself off mid sentence and cursed. ¡°This is why you didn¡¯t come home. You don¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°Home?¡± I asked but she was saved from responding when a guard burst through the door. He was talking too quickly for me to piece together his words. I could have if I tried but I was more focused on her slip up. Did I know Christine? What did she mean by home? There were too many things in my mind and I was learning too much too quickly. My head was starting to hurt and I just needed a second to myself so that I could breathe. While I was still trying to calm my raging pulse, two more people burst through the room and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Peggy and Marie. ¡°You cannot take Cami!¡± Peggy eximed with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°She has done nothing wrong. She has been with us for the past six years. Whatever you think she did-¡± I was stunned that they were defending me and lying for me. I was a stranger and yet they were going through such extents for me. The corners of my eyes welled up with tears and I tried to discreetly wipe them away. ¡°No one is taking or hurting anyone,¡± Christine seemed frustrated. ¡°Can everyone just take a breather and allow me speak for a second. Goddess help me.¡± Peggy and Marie nced at each other but stayed silent. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt Cami. I came to take her home.¡± ¡°You are not taking her back to that deranged bastard who tried to hurt her. You are a woman yourself, why would you even do that?¡± Marie sounded disgusted as she spoke. ¡°You are part of the royal family and you should be protecting all the wolves and not-¡± ¡°Will everyone shut up!¡± Everyone went silent. It felt like even the air had stopped to listen to Christine. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration and turned to me. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have a lot of time to exin because Ryker will be here soon and he is not going to be as patient as me.¡± ¡°Who is Ryker?¡± She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by some heavy footsteps. She muttered a curse under her breath and rushed towards the door. I could hear her talking but I couldn¡¯t hear who she was talking to. Marie and Peggy turned to me with furrowed brows but I was just as confused as they were. I heard Christine shouting after someone and the voices started to get closer. Marie must have seen the panic on my face because she rushed over to stand in front of me. She intertwined her fingers in mine and in that moment, I knew what it was like to have a sister and a friend. She gave me a small smile and despite the fact that she was just as terrified as I was, she stood facing the door waiting for the threat to emerge and when he finally did, I was left mouth agape. He was hands down the most handsome man I had ever seen in my life. His eyes were a stormy grey and as he took me in, I saw a thousand different emotions go through him. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out and he ran his hands down his five o¡¯clock stubble. ¡°If I were you,¡± Christine began in a soft voice with her eyes fixed on Marie, ¡°I would take a step back because you don¡¯t want to be in his way.¡± Marie ground her teeth but refused to move and a warning growl erupted from the man¡¯s chest. I assumed he was the Ryker that Christine was talking about so I ced my free hand on Marie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± She was not happy to say the least but she nodded curtly and stepped away. Ryker¡¯s eyes never left mine but I could tell that he had noticed her movement because some of the tension bled out of his shoulders. I could feel my wolf stir inside of me which was weird because I hadn¡¯t shifted while in Tyson¡¯s pack. It must have happened during my six year gap. Ryker took slow and deliberate steps towards me, his eyes running over me like I was an apparition and he was scared that I would disappear. He reached a hand up to touch my cheeks and I felt sparks erupt from where his skin touched mine. ¡°Cami,¡± my name on his lips was like a prayer and I saw raw and undiluted hurt in his eyes. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been right here.¡± ¡°Fu*ck,¡± he cursed before cupping the back of my head and pulling my lips to his. It was one touch but it was electric and it solidified everything I needed to know. Tyson was dead and the man in front of me- Ryker- was my mate. Chapter 197 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V On hind sight, I shouldn¡¯t have kissed her like that but I was too impatient. I hadn¡¯t seen. my mate in months and seeing her standing alive in front of me was like a breath of fresh air. I had tried to believe that she was alive but a part of me had started to lose hope and finally seeing her standing there with her warm eyes, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Her lips were soft to touch and she stiffened against me. For a split second, she kissed me back then it was as if something mmed into her because she pushed me off. ¡°What the hell?¡± she eximed taking a step back from me and my brows furrowed. I turned to the others in the room and the two women who I assumed were mother and daughter were staring at me with wide eyes. Christine had a sad look on her face. ¡°I get that you might be the king or whatever, but you cannot go around kissing random people.¡± ¡°I am the king? No, baby, you¡¯re the Queen, I¡¯m your consort.¡± Her eyes widened to the point of saucers and she opened her mouth to speak but Christine jumped in. She cleared her throat and grabbed my arm. ¡°Is it okay if I pull you away for a second?¡± She pulled me away before I could even ask any other question. She pulled me to the corner of the room and her next words threatened to snap my reality. ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She was asking me about Tyson. She thought he sent me to get her,¡± she exined and I saw just how much this was hurting Christine. Her eyes were welling with tears and she managed to wipe them away before they dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened when she fell off that cliff but she might have lost a part of her memory. I don¡¯t know if it is short term or not but she has no idea who we are and that means she doesn¡¯t know the girls. either.¡± I cursed loudly before turning back to my mate. She was whispering with the other women and I felt a pang of possessiveness and jealousy in my chest. I was the one she whispered with like that, I was her confidante and now I wasn¡¯t anymore. I turned back to Christine. ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked. ¡°The elders need to know she is alive or they will go on with the ceremony. We have a few days left. She has to return to the pce.¡± ¡°I know, I just don¡¯t know what we can do. She might not even agree toe with us. She seems to like her life here.¡± I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something else.¡± I made Owned by N?velDrama.Org. e my way back to the center of the room and I didn¡¯t fail to notice that Cami took few discreet steps back from me. I tried to pretend like it didn¡¯t hurt, but there was a hole. in my chest that I knew only she could fix. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms but I couldn¡¯t. I was going to scare her if I tried that. ¡°I apologize for kissing you like that. I was under the impression that you remembered everything. It was never my intention to make you feel ufortable,¡± I began slowly and I saw the guarded expression rx a little. ¡°As it is right now, I am about to upend your life here because you cannot stay here.¡± ¡°And why not?¡± the younger woman asked and I leveled her a look that had her shrinking back. Once I was sure that she wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore I turned to Cami. ¡°You are the Queen, Cami, and the kingdom needs you. You have been missing for a few months and they are about to dere you dead and hand it over to the next person. You need to return to your subjects.¡± ¡°Who would it go to?¡± she asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it go to some Stant rtive?¡± ¡°It would go to our daughter but seeing as she is too young to rule, I it until she is old enough.¡± have to hand She blinked twice before cing her hand against the side of her head. ¡°I think I need to sit down for a while.¡± I helped her into a chair and to her credit, she let me help her. She ced her head into her hands and for a full five minutes, she didn¡¯t say a word. I began to panic that something had gone wrong but Christine kept me in one ce. That didn¡¯t stop me from watching her carefully and trying to discern what it was she needed. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to return?¡± she asked carefully and I stilled. ¡°Being Queen seems like a lot of work and I don¡¯t remember anything. I might just make things worse. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I just continued pretending to be dead?¡± I had to breathe deeply before responding. ¡°What about the girls?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember them. I don¡¯t know thest thing about being a mother. I think they will be better off without me. They have you and her,¡± she gestured to Christine. ¡°I¡¯m sure they love you both. They¡¯ll be fine without me.¡± Even as she was speaking, I could feel the hurt in her words. She had on an iron d expression but I could feel the longing deep in the mate bond. I cocked my head to the side and analyzed her. She might not remember us but the truth was that she still felt for us. Nothing could possibly change that no matter how much she wanted to. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal,¡± I offered and she turned to me. ¡°You get toe back with us for a year. All I am asking for is one year and if you don¡¯t remember anything or want to stay then you can leave. We will fake your death or whatever and you can return to this life.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything but I could tell that she was seriously contemting it. ¡°You swear that I will return and you will nevere looking for me again?¡± ¡°I swear it on our bond,¡± the words hurt to speak and I could feel my wolf moring in my head but I locked him out. I had no intentions of letting her go. She was only speaking like this because she didn¡¯t remember. I was certain that a month in the pce was more than enough for her to regain her memories again. It was just a matter of time and I just needed her to agree toe with. She turned to the other woman and a look passed through them. While they silently spoke, I tried to analyze the other women. The younger one reminded me a lot of Christine. She had that fierce and protective nature about her. It was clear that she wanted to protect Cami but would otherwise do whatever she wanted. The older woman was a lot harder to get a read on. She had a neutral expression on her face and her eyes were cold towards us but warm whenever she looked over at Cami. ¡°Fine,¡± Cami said after a moment of deliberation. ¡°But, I have a condition.¡± ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°Marie and Peggy have toe with me. I won¡¯t leave them here. If I have all this power that you say I have then they deserve to partake in some of it. After all, they have been watching over me since I was pulled out of the water.¡± ¡°Fine, they cane. I suggest you start packing your things. We leave for the pce tonight.¡± She swallowed deeply and nodded. I watched her leave with the women and I had to fist my hands to my sides to stop myself from reaching out to drag her back. As soon as she was gone, I buried my face into my hands and sunk into the chair she had just evacuated. Her scent was everywhere and it was both a blessing and torture. Her scent had been stuck in my head for the past few months, now it was around me and I couldn¡¯t even touch her. ¡°Ryker,¡± Christine began but I held up a hand to stop her. I just needed a second to bask in the scent. I exhaled deeply after a minute and looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure this is a wise idea?¡± she asked. ¡°The girls will not know the difference. They will not understand that their mother lost her memory. They will be expecting Cami. What will we do about that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Christine, for fucks sake. I don¡¯t always have the answers. I am trying to take this one step at a time. I have never dealt with a mate who lost their memory before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t trying to put any pressure on you,¡± she ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure everything will sort itself out. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± I didn¡¯t move from that spot until evening. Christine left to purchase extra horses for our new companions. It wasn¡¯t until I was told that Cami was around that I finally dragged myself out of the room. She was a sight to behold but I could see that she was a bit worried. I couldn¡¯t me her. She was going to a life that she couldn¡¯t remember and it was daunting. When she saw me approaching, she tried to hide her fears but I had already seen it. Marie and Peggy were a few feet away so 1 knew we had a bit of privacy. ¡°It was brave of you to agree, thank you for that,¡± I told her and she smiled. ¡°I can definitely see why I would have picked you. You are nicer than most of the males I remember,¡± she said simply and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling. It was refreshing to see her with a bit of a bite. ¡°I¡¯m not going to act like I am not worried as hell. You said we have a daughter. How do I do this? I don¡¯t remember her.¡± ¡°We have two daughters actually,¡± I corrected and her eyes widened. ¡°But I will be here the entire time. You and I will be together and I will remind you of everything you need to know as the need arises. Before we return however, I need to tell you about some¡­ powers.¡± ¡°I can control water, yeah, I found out,¡± she threw it out like it was no big deal. ¡°If we do this, do we have to pretend like we are actually mated?¡± ¡°You know we are mates,¡± I said dumbly and she nodded. ¡°I can feel the bond. It feels weird but it is there. Do we have to-¡± she trailed off. ¡°We only do whatever you want to do. We take this at your pace, okay?¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay then, let us do this.¡± m Chapter 198 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The ride back to the pce was tense and difficult to say the least. I could feel Ryker¡¯s eyes on me the entire time and it wasn¡¯t just him, it was everyone. I felt like a prized cattle on disy and it was exhausting to say the least. Ryker wanted us to get to the pce as soon as possible so there was no room to pause and breathe. With each step our horses took, I felt like the noose around my neck was tightening and I couldn¡¯t breathe. I didn¡¯t know the first thing about being Queen or about being a mother and here I was being told that I had two daughters and I had been ruling for the past two years. I couldn¡¯t do it and it felt like everyone was counting on me and waiting for me to actually do it. I wasn¡¯t queen material. ¡°Cami,¡± Marie¡¯s voice was soft and almost probing. I turned to her and I realized that she was trying to whisper. I nudged my horse closer to her. ¡°How did you learn how to ride like this? I feel like I am about to fall off.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°It almost feels natural to me. It must have been something I knew how to do before my¡­ ident, I guess.¡± She hummed and I knew there was something more that she wanted to say but she was holding herself back. ¡°Just ask, Marie.¡± wanted to say but she was holding h minute you were in the town ¡°How do you feel about all of this?¡± she asked and I shrugged. ¡°One and now you are on your way to being Queen. It seems like a fairytale.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice in the matter, do I?¡± I joked and she frowned. It was clear that wasn¡¯t -the answer that she was expecting from me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer your question, Marie. I don¡¯t know how to feel about all of this. I am trying to take this one day at a time or I will explode. I will lose my mind. Try asking me in a few weeks after I have figured out the kids and the mate. Ruling is thest thing on my mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± her cheeks heated with embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t ven ask about that. How are you going to deal with the children? Are you going to pretend to remember them? Are you going to ignore them?¡± ¡°I have to pretend. They don¡¯t deserve any of this. They are innocent and they at least deserve their mother, even if I don¡¯t remember who she is.¡± Marie gave me a soft smile. ¡°You are a better person than I am. I would have taken off for the hills if all of this was thrust on me.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing. I felt Ryker turn towards me but I did everything possible not to look at him. His gaze was always piercing and there was something about him that had the hair at the back of my neck standing on edge. Even if I couldn¡¯t remember him, the mate bond did and I could feel it working overtime trying to pull us closer to each other. ¡°I want to run, believe me,¡± I said in response to Marie¡¯s earlier statement. ¡°What good would it do though? I want to remember my past. I want to know what happened to me and there is only one ce I can find that out. It is daunting but I can do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side every step of the way if you need my help.¡± ¡°Thank you, Marie, that means a lot to me.¡± Ryker¡¯s stare started to be overbearing and I could feel Christine¡¯s alongside his. I gave Marie a small smile and turned to face forward not saying another word. I knew the exact moment we were almost at the pce. The roads seemed familiar and some part of me knew that I could lead myself there but I stayed silent. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my memorying back because I couldn¡¯t connect any event to the roads, I just knew them. I didn¡¯t want to say anything so as not to give anyone false hope. I didn¡¯t want Ryker thinking he was getting his mate back and then it turned out to just be a fluke of muscle memory. ¡°The girls will be in their rooms,¡± Christine exined to me the closer we got to the pce. ¡°I can hide your appearance from them for today but Audrey is sneaky and if she hears that you are here, she will come find you.¡± ¡°How old are they?¡± I asked not wanting to be hit with surprise when I saw the children. ¡°Can you also give me a breakdown of their personalities? I want to know how to rte to them.¡± ¡°Audrey is four years old. She is the sassiest little girl you will ever meet. She adores you but she loves me more,¡± Ryker seemed in love with her as he spoke. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling. He was definitely a great father, that much was certain. ¡°She is very emotional as well and she-¡± He trailed off on thest word and I saw a dark look cross his face. He shared a nce with Christine and I couldn¡¯t help the pang of jealousy I felt at that which I thought waspletely irrational. I didn¡¯t even know him, what right did I have to be jealous? ¡°Aurora on the other hand is one year old. She walks but she loves to be carried. She loves you and since you disappeared, she has been extremely frolicky. Her first word was mama and you adore them both,¡± I didn¡¯t miss the fact that he didn¡¯t finish whatever it was that he was saying about Audrey. ¡°They will be excited to see you and Audrey might be a little much at first. I¡¯ll be there to try and keep them calm in case you get overwhelmed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I was telling him or myself. I just knew that the words had to be true. I couldn¡¯t risk breaking down in front of everyone. ¡°What kind of a queen was I?¡± ¡°A good one,¡± it was Christine who responded. ¡°Everyone loves you. You saved them countless times and you have done everything possible to ensure that the people are protected. You are a good Queen, Cami and I know you will continue to be one.¡± I couldn¡¯t say a word mainly because we were standing in front of the pce. It lookedrge and daunting in person and it took everything in me not to turn the horse around and hightail out of there. I was in over my head when I agreed toe, that much was certain because there was no way that I was going to make it. There were guards in front of the pce and I saw varying degrees of shock on their faces as we got closer. They looked confused on what to do but as soon as we stopped the horses, they all bowed embarrassingly low. My cheeks heated but I quickly remembered that I was meant to be Queen and queens did not blush at the sight of servants kneeling to them. I lifted my chin and tried to keep my face a carefully neutral mask. ¡°Your majesty,¡± one of them finally whispered. ¡°I thought we all feared the worst. I have to tell the elders. They need to stop the ceremony.¡± Ryker made his way over to me and held out a hand to help me off the horse. I hesitantly took it trying to ignore the sparks that danced across my skin where we touched. With one hand in mine, he ced the other around my waist and helped me down. I expected him to let go of me but instead, he pulled me closer and dropped his lips to my ear. ¡°That is Steven, he is one of your most trusted guards. He watched over you when you first arrived. Your mother put him in charge of you,¡± I stilled at the mention of my mother. I couldn¡¯t remember her. How could I have a mother that I couldn¡¯t remember? ¡°I will exin everything to youter. For now, everyone is watching.¡± He pulled away from me keeping one hand on my waist and I turned to Steven with a smile. ¡°It feels good to be back,¡± I lied with a smile on my face. ¡°I have missed you Steven. You have no idea.¡± ¡°Do you want me to get the princesses?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said almost too quickly before clearing my throat. ¡°You should inform the elders. I want to make sure that when I see my daughters, I will not be interrupted.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Steven bowed and I was led away by Ryker. If I thought the stares outside were terrible, I was in for another treat inside because everyone was looking at me. I felt so self conscious that it proved a challenge for me to keep my head up high, If not for Ryker¡¯s hand around my waist, I would have taken off, that much was certain. ¡°I will take Peggy and Marie to their rooms,¡± Christine announced and I nearly panicked. I wasn¡¯t sure how I would deal without them much less when I was alone with Ryker. ¡°Ryker will take you to your room where you can change into your clothes. The elders will want to see you and you would want to be dressed for that. They can be a bit much.¡± I swallowed deeply. I wanted to refuse but she walked away without another word. Marie turned to me and I knew if I had asked her to stay, she would have but I could see in her eyes that she wanted to explore. This was a lifetime opportunity for her. I shoved my prejudices aside and gave her a curt nod. I saw relief fill her features as she mouthed. ¡°I¡¯lle looking for youter.¡± I watched her disappear with Christine leaving me alone with my mate. Against my better judgment, I turned to face Ryker only to find that he was already staring at me. There were so many emotions in his eyes that I feared I would lose myself trying to figure out them all. ¡°I take it we shared a room,¡± I began slowly and he nodded. ¡°Yes, but I can have another room prepared for you if you you want.¡± ¡°It would raise shoulders, would it not?¡± he nodded again. I exhaled deeply before squaring my shoulders. ¡°Then no, one room is perfect. Lead the way.¡± Chapter 199 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V The room was beautiful to say the least and the bed was massive but I took note of arge chaise lounge by the corner. It seemed like a good ce to sleep. I was sure I could get my hands on some extra nkets if it proved to be ufortable. Ryker led me towards arge wardrobe and I stared nkly at the clothes in there. ¡°I don¡¯t know thest thing about royal fashion,¡± I began slowly. ¡°Do you think Christine can help me or something?¡± ¡°Christine is dealing with the elders right now. I don¡¯t know if your wall is up but they have been mind linking me non¨Cstop,¡± I cursed. ¡°I can help you if you want. I think I know enough to be able to pick a decent outfit.¡± ¡°Will you help me put it on as well?¡°my cheeks heated as I asked those words. It was clear he had seen me naked before. We had two children but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t ufortable and apprehensive at the idea. ¡°I can direct you on what to do. You¡¯ll only need my help for the corset.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. That seemed like a better idea and as much as I hated to admit it, I loved how considerate he was being. He didn¡¯t have to do all of this for me but he chose to and I found that to be such a beautiful thing to do. It took us almost half an hour to get me dressed but just like he predicted, I needed his help with the corset. My cheeks were ming as I made my way over to him but he lookedpletely unfazed. His eyes never moved lower than where they were meant to and he was careful as he pulled on the ropes of my dress. ¡°Tell me if it is too tight,¡± his voice was huskier than usual and it was directly by my ear. I hated the way my body reacted to it and I tried to ignore it but it was almost as if he already knew because he cursed loudly. ¡°Cami, I-¡± His words were cut off by the door mming open and a little girl rushed in. It was like looking at a younger version of myself- excluding the eyes, she had Ryker¡¯s eyes. Before I could process what was happening, she rushed over to me and threw her arms around my legs. I stilled for a split second not knowing what to do until I heard her sniffling. I felt my wolf stir and it was like something in me was awoken. I lifted her into my arms and it proved to be the right thing to do because she wrapped herself around me like a small monkey. I felt wetness on my shoulder as she sobbed into me. ¡°Where did you go?¡± she asked but I couldn¡¯t form the words necessary to give her a response. ¡°I asked you toe back every day and you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. I assumed this was Audrey and as much as I didn¡¯t remember her, my heart still broke for her. There was no denying that she was mine and just knowing that I ? O find my way back.¡± She sniffled and pulled back as if to gauge my expression and whatever she found there must have been good enough because she smiled. She turned to face Ryker. ¡°You brought her back, daddy.¡± I felt Ryker smile at her. ¡°I did, but you need to give your m¨´m some time to rest, okay? She was hurt and she needs to get better.¡± Audrey pouted but she listened to her father and untangled herself from me. I watched her exit the same way she came and once she was gone, Ryker spoke. ¡°I am sorry about that. I expected her toe find you but not this soon.¡± I cleared my throat trying to get rid of the emotion lodged deep inside. ¡°It¡¯s fine, can you just finish with my dress.¡± His hands moved quickly as he tied it up neatly. It felt snug but not tight and as much as I wanted it to feel right, it didn¡¯t. It felt ufortable and different from what I was used to. It would take some getting used to. ¡°I know I have to see everyone,¡± I began slowly. ¡°But I cannot risk looking stupid. I reckon we have a little time before everyonees looking for us. I would appreciate it if you told me everything I needed to know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s six years worth of knowledge,¡± he reminded me and I nodded. ¡°We have less than half an hour to cover it all. I don¡¯t want to dump too much information on you. It might overwhel you.¡± ¡°I would rather be overwhelmed with information than go out there and risk looking like a fool.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t ou just tell everyone that you don¡¯t remember?¡± he asked and I scoffed. ¡°I might remember much but I know enough to know that no one wants a ruler who doesn¡¯t even know who she is. No one can know about this. That is my decision.¡± I noticed that the corner of his lips was tilted up in some sort of smile so I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°What is it? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, you just spoke like a Queen,¡± he said simply. ¡°You might not remember, Cami, but your mind does. Your memories will return in no time but if you want me to tell you everything, then so be it.¡± We spent the next half hour discussing everything and by the time he was done exining everything, I just sat there stunned. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had a life that was that exciting. He glossed over most of the details and I had the sinking feeling that he was hiding something from me but it all seemed unbelievable. ¡°I did all those things?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°How?¡± He smiled sardonically. ¡°I can see that your self depreciating hasn¡¯t stopped even with the 10:20 JU, 25 memory loss,¡± ¡°It just- I¡¯m just surprised is all.¡± ¡°You are an amazing queen and you are powerful, Cami. You were able to do those things simply because you had the power to.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by a knock on the door. It creaked open to reveal Christine and when she looked between Ryker and I, I leaped to my feet. I wasn¡¯t sure why I did that especially when I knew we weren¡¯t doing anything untowardly but it still felt like being caught by a parent or a disapproving older sister. ¡°The elders want to see you,¡± she said with her eyes fixed on me. ¡°I can try to dissuade them but they are persistent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll see them.¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced and she looked to Ryker for confirmation. I tried to pretend that it didn¡¯t affect me. ¡°If she wants to see them then she will. It is her choice,¡± I was shocked at those words and turned to Ryker but for once, his eyes were not on me, they were on Christine. ¡°Don¡¯t coddle her. I know you want to protect her but I believe that she has proven time again that she can protect herself.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Christine wasn¡¯t happy about it at all but there was nothing that she could do. ¡°They¡¯re in the council room.¡± Despite my earlier bravado, I was terrified to see the elders. From what Ryker had told me about them, they were not the nicest people. The only one who seemed decent was Caius but that only happened in private. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ryker asked as I stood in front of the council door and I nodded. I feared that if I were to say any words, they would die on my throat. He gave me onest lingering look before pushing the door open and I was greeted with arguing. The elders went silent as soon as they saw us and all their mouths fell open. I looked at their faces trying to figure out who Caius was when Ryker leaned down to whisper. ¡°He is at the far left,¡± I saw him immediately and whispered a thank you back to him. He straightened and turned to the elders. ¡°Are you done arguing or can wee in?¡± There was some murmuring but no one said a word. I walked on shaky legs towards the chair at the head of the table and slowly sat down. I had barely sat when questions started being thrown at me. I hadn¡¯t been with then for an hour and I was already sporting a headache. ¡°Can you ask your questions one at a time?¡± I asked louder than intended as I pressed my fingers to my temple. ¡°You are giving me a headache.¡± 1 Everyone blinked and no one spoke until Caius cleared his throat. ¡°We were all just ||| O wondering where you were all these months and why you didn¡¯t return.¡± ¡°You brought me here to ask a stupid question?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. I was pissed to say the least. I had enough on my te without grown men making it worse. ¡°I was hurt and healing, not that it concerned any of you. You didn¡¯t even bother to ask how I survived a fall like that.¡± ¡°Your majesty-¡± one of the elders began but I cut him off with a hand. Inside I was shaking but I couldn¡¯t deny that a part of me loved the power that I wielded. It felt amazing to know that they were all at my beck and call. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this, honestly. I am here now and that is what matters. You should be focused on putting an end to the funeral ritual you were holding for me because as you can see, I am not dead,¡± I stood to my feet before anyone else could say a word. ¡°Is that all?¡± No one dared to speak so I turned on my heels and walked out of the room. I could feel Ryker¡¯s pride as he walked out in tow with me and as soon as we were out of the door, I let out the breath that I had been holding. ¡°How did I do?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I asked but a part of me sought his approval. ¡°Honestly, that was amazing. I told you that you could handle yourself as Queen.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right about that. I thought I was going to throw up in there.¡± Heughed. ¡°Wee back, Cami.¡± Chapter 200 RYKER¡¯S PO.V For that one split moment, I thought I had my mate back. It was amusing to say the least how I could have her and not have her at the same time. She stillughed the same way, she spoke the same way, hell, she even walked the same way but I knew deep down that this was someonepletely different. She was still the woman I had fallen in love with but she also wasn¡¯t. The part of her I knew was buried deep down somewhere and I didn¡¯t know how to get her out. I had hoped that bringing her to the pce, bringing her around Audrey would spark something in her but the only thing that came to light was how awkward and ufortable she looked holding our daughter, the same daughter that she loved fiercely and would have died protecting- she couldn¡¯t remember her. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°When do I have to meet the rest of the pce?¡± she asked snapping me out of my thoughts. It was a testament to how different she now was that she could not remember a thing. ¡°I presume I will have to give an announcement sooner orter to exin why I haven¡¯t been around.¡± ¡°Yes, but that can be arranged for a few days from now. You might want some time to-¡± ¡°No,¡± she cut me off. ¡°I want to do this once and for all. I don¡¯t want to spend any more time thinking about it or I will psych myself out. We can do it tomorrow.¡± I raised a brow in shock but said nothing. If there was one good thing that was going toe out of this it was that Cami wasn¡¯t afraid to say her mind anymore. Before she would have cowered or agreed simply to make things easier for everyone else but now she was putting herself first. It was undeniably s exy to say the least. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± I agreed finally. ¡°It is your choice but the pack aside, you have to see the girls. You don¡¯t have to but it would be the right thing to do. I know Audrey is excited to see you.¡± Just like that, her face fell and tension returned to her shoulders. I knew it was a lot to put on her shoulders but something told me that the longer she spent with the girls, the more likely she was to have her memory back. She just needed a little push, she needed something that was going to spark a memory. I thought she was going to disagree. She looked obviously ufortable and out of ce but after a moment of deliberation, she nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t avoid it for so long, can I?¡± We started to leave when the door to the council room opened and Caius walked out. Before he shut the door behind him, I didn¡¯t miss the sight of the other elders arguing. Caius looked between Cami and I before finally settling his eyes on me. ¡°Can I borrow you for a moment, your majesty?¡± he asked and I looked to Cami for confirmation. She just waved me off and walked over to stand awkwardly in a corner. I turned to Caius who was looking at me with a mixture of sadness and pity. ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember anything, does she?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I might be old, your majesty, but I am not blind. She looks confused and out of ce. She is sticking out like a sore thumb. It might not be obvious to the naked eye but it is in every move she makes. Your secret is safe with me but you need to keep an eye on her. This isn¡¯t something that you would want to get out.¡± I gave Caius the best confused look I could er. ¡°I appreciate your concern Caius, but once again, I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± An understanding look shed across his eyes and he gave me a nod. ¡°Of course, your majesty. I must have been confused when I spoke. Please, pardon me.¡± He walked away before I could say another word and I immediately went to Cami. She had questions in her eyes but I had no intentions of telling her what had just happened. There was no need to make her panic more. She was already having a hard time adjusting, I didn¡¯t need her watching her back every other second. ¡°The girls are with Christine and Juan in Aurora¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± her voice was soft but it was enough to have me halting in my tracks. ¡°I cannot be in an isted area with all of you. It is going to overwhelm me. Can I have Marie there at least?¡± I frowned. That was not the response I was expecting from her at all. I wanted to refute but she cut me off. ¡°Look, I have done every other thing you have asked of me. I am here against my better judgment and I am trying. I cannot do this alone. I need my family.¡± ¡°We are your family.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember you. I don¡¯t know a thing about you save for the fact that you are meant to be my mate. This is a lot to put on someone. One second, I was running from Tyson and the next you are telling me stories about witches and vampires and a family that I cannot remember. I want to do this but it will only happen on my terms.¡± I let out an exasperated sigh before waving her off. I watched her take off before finally realizing that she had no idea where to go. She slunk back over to me and silence hung in the air as I called for a guard and sent him to retrieve Marie. It felt childish and stu pid to be jealous of a girl that I didn¡¯t even know but she had somehow won Cami¡¯s trust in a way that I knew I was going to work for. Cami sought her approval and loved her, she considered her family. I wasn¡¯t sure what she did to gain that or what I would have to do to gain it too. Once Marie arrived, it seemed like a weight had been taken off Cami¡¯s shoulders. She looked relieved and more at ease and even my jealousy couldn¡¯t deny that she made her feel more secure. ¡°As I said earlier,¡± I said wanting to change the subject fast. ¡°The girls are with Juan. Remember, they have no idea what is going on and the moment you start to feel overwhelmed, I can step in.¡± ¡°Who is Juan?¡± ¡°Christine¡¯s mate,¡± I exined before walking ahead of her. I could feel her curiosity down the bond and I knew it was selfish of me not to wait and answer her questions. Regardless, I walked over to Aurora¡¯s room and pushed the door open. All eyes turned to us and I could see Audrey trying to keep still. Christine must have told her something because she kept ncing at her every other second. I kept my gaze on Cami, trying to figure out what she was going to processing everything before finally tako. She stood there for a full minute, as if a step forward. I watched with baited breath as she crossed the length of the room and made her way towards Aurora who was being held back by Christine. Once Christine saw where she was headed, she let go of our daughter and I watched as she wobbled over to Cami. ¡°Mama!¡± she eximed and I could have sworn I saw a sh of recognition in Cami¡¯s eyes but it was gone before I could decipher what it was. Cami picked her up with ease and smoothed her hair back. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve grown so big, I think,¡± she sounded a bit awkward. ¡°You look just like me.¡± Cami tore her eyes away from her and to Audrey. ¡°What are you still doing there? Don¡¯t you want to give me a hug?¡± That was all it took for Audrey to leap off the ground and into her mother¡¯s waiting arms. For someone who seemed tense, Cami seemed to be handling herself well. She made sure to stand next to Marie the entire time and she barely spoke. The kids didn¡¯t seem to notice, they just wanted their mother. Nothing else mattered. The others in the room had their eyes on me- especially Juan- and I hated it. I could almost feel his pity and I didn¡¯t want any part of it. I knew the exact moment he stood to his feet and I knew he was headed for me. I wanted to get up and leave but it would have meant taking Cami out of my line of sight ¡°She will remember,¡± Juan whispered but I ignored him. ¡°She seems to be handling her own with the girls. It is only a matter of-¡± ¡°Please,¡± I cut him off. I didn¡¯t need any of his positivity at the moment. I just wanted to watch my family and pretend like it wasn¡¯t going up into mes. ¡°Mummy,¡± Audrey¡¯s voice cut through my conversation with Juan. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe back? Did the bad woman hurt you?¡± ¡°She did, but I¡¯m fine now,¡± Cami beamed wide. ¡°Can you see? I don¡¯t have any injuries at all.¡± Audrey wrapped her arms around Cami¡¯s legs. ¡°I love you.¡± Cami stilled. ¡°I-¡± I could tell she wanted to say the words but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to. Instead, she looked up at me and I saw pure panic in her eyes. I leaped up immediately steering Audrey away from her and handing Aurora over to Christine. ¡°Mummy has to do something right now.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say she loves me back,¡± Audrey pouted and I pressed a kiss to her head. ¡°You know she loves you,¡± I whispered turning over my shoulder to look at Cami but she was already high tailing it out of the room. I rushed after her and managed to grab her by the arm. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she managed out trying to even out her breathing. ¡°That little girl wants her mother and I am not her mother. I cannot lie to her, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that you love her,¡± I began but Cami shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryker, I really am. I can do the whole Queen thing but I cannot lie to that girl.¡± Chapter 201 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I couldn¡¯t stop myself from fidgeting as I walked out of the room. I had never felt so at war with myself before. I knew that girl- at least, my body did- but my mind could not conjure up a single memory of her. I knew fiercely in my heart that I loved her, I knew that if I had said those words, they would be true but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say them when I didn¡¯t even know who she was. ¡°Cami,¡± Marie wrapped her hand around my bicep and pulled me to a stop. ¡°I cannot keep running after you. You need to stop.¡± ¡°Did you see that?¡± I asked and she shrugged. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°She looks like you,¡± I shot her a hard look and sheughed. ¡°If I had any doubts that those were your children, they have been mate and away. It was like looking into your past. Damn, Cami, you have daughters, you have a mate and a cousin, you have a family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, I don¡¯t remember them,¡± I whispered harshly not wanting anyone to overhear me. ¡°I feel like an imposter. I feel like they w want like an imposter. I feel like they me to be this person and I cannot be her because I do not know her. I am not the girl they think I am and that has to be one of the most horrible feelings because I would give anything to be that girl.¡± Her eyes softened and she pulled me in for a hug. I was surprised because Marie was not the affectionate type. She was the kind of person cared about someone and yet here she was, embracing me like her life depended on it. Her shoulders were stiff and her arms were a bit cold, but it was contact nheless and it was something I needed. O would rather put her hands into the mouth of a bear than actually show that she We stayed there for a full minute not speaking or even breathing too loud before she finally pulled away. ¡°That is all the warmth I have in me for the next year or so.¡± I couldn¡¯t help theughter that bubbled out of me. ¡°Thank you, Marie. You don¡¯t know how good it feels to know that I have at least one familiar face here. If you and Peggy weren¡¯t here, I would lose my mind and it has barely been forty eight hours yet.¡± ¡°You will get used to being Queen, Cami. This is who you are and I am sure that one year here will show you that.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is something I will ever get used to. I don¡¯t know if I canst an entire year. I just want to go back to the town. I want to go back-¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I was shocked by the venom and anger in her voice. I looked up only to find her features contorted into a frown. ¡°You want to give up all of this.¡± ¡°In case you haven¡¯t realized, Marie, I am not cut out to be queen.¡± ¡°Stop with the woe is me pity party, Cami. It was good for a few days but now this is getting embarrassing,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°You have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. So many people will kill for the chance to just get out of that town and live in a pack. You got the chance to be Queen and you want to throw it away?¡± ¡°Marie-¡± ¡°No!¡± she cut me off and I frowned. ¡°I never pegged you as a quitter, Cami, I thought you were better than that but apparently I was wrong.¡± She stormed off before I could form any words and I let out an exasperated sigh. I wanted to go after her but knowing Marie, she needed some time alone. This wasn¡¯t just about me, it was clear that there was more to the story than she was letting on to. I decided to give her some time toe to terms with her emotions on the matter before turning on my heels and walking straight out of the pce. I let my feet lead me. The guards whispered as they watched me, I tried to pretend like it didn¡¯t affect me but it did. I kept my head high and briefly acknowledged each of them as I made my way out of the pce. I walked down the side until I got to what I realized was a beautiful fountain. It stood there in the middle of the open garden and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange pull towards it. Before I could stop myself, I was seated cross legged on the floor in front of it. I reached out a hand and willed it the water toe to me. It flowed so easily and I let out a sigh. Despite it being the thing that almost killed me, was the one thing that managed to give me some form offort. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, your majesty,¡± the water sloshed to the ground as I nearly jumped from the strange voice. I turned to see an older man wearing a coat. He had salt and pepper hair and his eyes were kind. ¡°It is good to see you back here.¡± ¡°It is good to be back.¡± ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, I was one of the few who truly believed you to be dead. It would have been a Chapter 20L shame for someone with such raw power to lose herself before she got to the extent of it,¡± he said as he took the spot next to me and I immediately knew he was Loris. Ryker had told me about him. ¡°Although, I did hear that you managed some impressive feats on that cliff. I was proud.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the cliff.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he looked a little sheepish. ¡°I have never really had a filter and I never learned how to streamline my thoughts before saying them out loud. What you went through must have been traumatic for it to have taken you over two months to recover from it. Did youe here to train?¡± I thought about it for a second before shaking my head. As appealing as training sounded, I just needed some time to myself. I wanted to think and this seemed to be the only ce where someone wasn¡¯t looking for me or expecting me to be Queen Cami. ¡°Well then, I suppose I will take my leave,¡± he bowed. ¡°Whenever you feel the need to get back into it, you know where to find me.¡± he started to walk away but at thest minute, he stopped and turned over his shoulder to look at me. ¡°If you are looking for a challenge, then I don¡¯t think animal shapes is the way to go. You can do those in your sleep.¡± Iughed. ¡°Fishes have always been the easiest.¡± ¡°What?¡± I turned to see Ryker staring at me in shock and confusion. Loris bowed and walked away leaving me with my mate who was staring at me with apprehensive eyes. He made his way over to me and there was something predatory in his gaze that had my spine straightening. He stopped directly in front of me and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking away. ¡°You¡¯re standing too close,¡± I whispered but he made no move to leave. ¡°You said that fishes have always been the easiest. How would you know that?¡± ¡°I was just making conversation, Ryker. I know you want me to remember and some part of me does too but I don¡¯t. I was just saying something I thought I normally would,¡± I whispered but he still wouldn¡¯t stop staring at me. ¡°I am sorry that I didn¡¯t say I loved her back. I was just overwhelmed and I ran. I seem to be doing a lot of that recently.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything. I thought he would walk away and leave me but to my surprise, he just sank to the ground next to me. Our knees were brushing and every fiber in me screamed at me to get loser. There was something about him that was weing and called out to me, I wasn¡¯t sure what it was but even I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight it for long. ¡°Did we love each other?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myse§ê [01|| asking unu nothing about us. Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to tell you that you love me, Cami,¡± he sounded tired as he ran his hands through his hair. ¡°I could tell you in a million different ways that I love you. I could tell you that it started the moment you stumbled on my pack while running away from Tyson. I could tell you all the stupid things I did that nearly drove you away from me. I can tell you about me but I will not tell you about us.¡± ¡°I love you, it hasn¡¯t changed and it won¡¯t change because you don¡¯t remember. I can tell you that every day if you want but I will not tell you that you love me. I will not remind you of how you felt because deep down, you know. You might never be the woman I met before and that is fine. I don¡¯t need you to be her. I need you to be you. You are the one I love, Cami, and if you are ever going to feel something for me ever again then I want it to be of your own ord.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. His words had cut through whatever walls and defenses I thought I had put up. I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly but no words woulde out. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± I asked finally. ¡°What if I never feel anything for you? What if you cannot bring back those emotions?¡± He leaned forward and ced a lingering kiss on my forehead. ¡°If I have to make you fall in love with me a second time then I will. I will cross every ocean, climb every damn mountain and I wille for you, Cami. I don¡¯t care if the gods themselves want to keep us apart. You are my mate.¡± With onest chaste kiss to my temple, he stood to his feet and walked away leaving me with a bunch of emotions that I didn¡¯t think I would need to handle so soon. Chapter 202 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V Ryker never came to the room at night. I spent the entire time fiddling with my fingers and anxiously waiting for the moment he woulde. I had no idea what to expect from sharing a room with him but he never came. I should have been excited about it but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to fall asleep. I just sat cross legged on the bed the entire night while I waited. He didn¡¯t return until sometime around four a.m. and he looked even worse than I felt. His eyes were tired and I could tell that he hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep either. He was trying to sneak into the room but when he saw me awake, I saw shock take over his features. I gave him a small smile trying to hide the fact that I hadn¡¯t slept a wink but he noticed- I knew he did. It was in the way his eyes narrowed at me and the way he crossed his hands over his chest. ¡°Rough night?¡± he asked and I shrugged. Words wouldn¡¯t have been able to describe it. ¡°I thought you would feel morefortable on your own. Afterst night, I figured you would want some space from me so I slept in my office.¡± I hadn¡¯t asked but for some reason, I was grateful he gave it to me. My mind had conjured up the worst case scenarios and even though it wasn¡¯t something I should have been worried about, I had been wondering if he was seeing someone. My wolf was convinced he could never, I wasn¡¯t sure how she knew that but I decided to trust her on it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Everything just feels so different yet so familiar and it is a very overwhelming feeling,¡± Iughed humorlessly. ¡°Do I have to do the speech to the town today?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. That is the beauty of being Queen, you could call it off right now and no one will fault you for it. What you went through was-¡± ¡°I want to do it,¡± I cut him off running my hands through my hair. ¡°It just- will you be there?¡± ¡°I have to,¡± I tried to hide the relief on my face. I needed someone who knew what they were doing next to me so that I didn¡¯t mess up. ¡°I¡¯m always going to be there, Cami.¡± My cheeks heated and I forced myself to look away. He sighed softly before standing to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on everything for the speech. I can send Christine up to help you get ready.¡± ¡°Can you also send Marie or Peggy?¡± He pursed his lips at my request and I knew he didn¡¯t like it but he nodded. I was barely able to whisper a thank you before he walked out. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing but I hoped I wasn¡¯t making things worse. Marie arrived first and to say she was in awe of everything would have been an understatement. She spoke about the food and therge buildings and in all honesty, she was making my anxiety worse. I understood her excitement, I would have been as excited as she was if I didn¡¯t feel like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I had asked for her in the hopes that she would understand what I needed and she would be able to offer me silent support but she was in too much awe and she couldn¡¯t see past that. ¡°Can you stop?¡± Christine spat with a frown. Marie froze, her cheeks turning pink as embarrassment filled her. ¡°You are making even me antsy. Have you ever tried shutting up for five seconds?¡± She was being rude, that much was certain but in that moment, I was relieved. There was peace and quiet for the first time since Marie walked into the room and it felt like I could finally hear myself think. Marie turned to me with wide eyes as if asking if I was going to let that slide. All I did was shrug in response and she scoffed. ¡°I was talking to Cami,¡± Marie mumbled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to mind at all. She understands. Just because you grew up in a pce all your life doesn¡¯t mean-¡± Christine turned to her with a harsh look. ¡°For once will you just shut up, please?¡± I cannot think over the sound of your yapping. Cami has an important speech to give today and you haven¡¯t once asked how she feels about that. All you have done is to sit there and yap about the big buildings and the servants waiting on you hand and foot. If you even cared about your friend, you would be trying to case her anxiety but what do I know, I just grew up in a pce?¡± She put the brush down that she was using on my hair. She gave me a small smile that I couldn¡¯t help but return. I was grateful for her outburst whether I wanted to say it or not.. ¡°Ryker will be here to call you when it is time,¡± she told me before walking out of the room. The minute she walked out of the door, Maric erupted. ¡°Who does she think she is? How dare she talk to me like that and use me of not caring about you? I was trying to distract you from everything going on and take your mind off things. I am a good friend. Why didn¡¯t you talk to her?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Honestly, she was right,¡± I mumbled and Marie looked offended. ¡°I just- everything is happening so fast and I need something to keep me grounded. I am freaking out about the speech and how everything could possibly go wrong. You didn¡¯t even ask.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had to ask. If you had a problem then you could have just told me. Why would you sit there and allow me look like the bad person?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do. I just wanted some peace and quiet,¡± Marie scoffed. ¡°Come on, Marie, you cannot seriously be pissed about this.¡± ¡°I am not pissed about this. I am pissed that you wouldn¡¯t just use your words and tell me when you are upset with me. I understand that you think you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and what not but I am also finding this hard. I left everything I knew toe here to support you. I left my life and my job that I loved to be with you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯tpare that to having to be Queen and ruling over a bunch of people,¡± I muttered before I could stop myself and her eyes widened. ¡°I see, have a good day, Queen Cami,¡± she gave me a mocking bow and before I could stop her, she had stormed out of the room. She tried to m the door shut behind her but Ryker was already standing there. He held it open and shot me an inquisitive look but all I could do was shrug. It wasn¡¯t important anymore and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time thinking about it. ¡°Is it time?¡± I asked changing the subject and to his credit, he didn¡¯t push or force me to answer any questions, he just nodded. ¡°Good, let¡¯s go.¡± mec. I tried to keep some sense of false bravado during the journey but by the time I saw how many people were gathered to hear speak, it all evaporated from me. I thought I was going to throw up or pass out and it made matters worse that there was no one I remembered around. Marie had refused toe after our argument and Peggy chose to stay with her daughter. She told me she wasn¡¯t upset with me but she didn¡¯t want Marie to think she was choosing sides. I understood where she wasing from, that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± I whispered when I saw the number of people standing out there and waiting for me. ¡°What am I to them?¡± Christine just shrugged. She looked uninterested and bored. ¡°I am freaking out.¡± ¡°I know and frankly, I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°If that is your idea of an encouraging speech then I hate to say it but-¡± I began but she cut me off. your tail ¡°You can do this, you know you can, it is the nerves talking and if you allow them, you will run out of here with between your legs. You have two options/that has never changed, you can either do this or you can run. It is up to you, Cami. The goddess knows that you have been very proficient at running in the past so I will not balk if you decide to do it again.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked but she ignored me. ¡°The clock is ticking. If I had to guess, I would say that you had about five minutes or less before you are called out onto that stage. If you want to run, now is a good enough time to do it. What do you choose?¡± I was silent for a full minute trying to digest her words. If it were anyone else, I would have thought they were being rude and condescending but somehow, I knew that wasn¡¯t her aim. The words were harsh but they came from a good ce. She seemed like the kind of person who practiced a lot of tough love- rough on the exterior but soft on the inside. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of rtionship we had before this. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you are terrible at words of encouragement?¡± ¡°I believe you may have said something along those lines once or twice,¡± she shrugged. ¡°When you need to be coddled, I will c¨®ddle you but we both know that isn¡¯t what you need right now, you need to be pushed. You are the Queen and whether or not you remember that, it is who ou were born to be. You can do this so shut up, stop whining and get on that stage before I push you on.¡± Before I could respond, Ryker made his way over to us. He had been talking to some of the elders so he wasn¡¯t privy to our conversation. He looked between Christine and I, a crease forming on his forehead. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°They are ready for you whenever you are.¡± I nced over at Christine before clearing my throat. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Chapter 203 RYKER¡¯S PO.V I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know that Cami was worried. She always had her tells and it was good to see that her memory hadn¡¯t changed that. She was fiddling with her fingers and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from tapping her feet. She was also looking everywhere but at the crowd that she was to speak to. It was subtle but it was there and anyone who knew her well knew that she was anxious about this. I softly and discreetly nudged her when we got there. A part of me felt cruel for this entire exchange. The truth was that she didn¡¯t have to speak to them herself, she didn¡¯t need to be here. We could have sent someone to read out a letter to the people but I wanted to put her on the spot, I wanted to see if something about this would jog her memory. Thest time we did something like this was incredibly traumatic and although I didn¡¯t want to traumatize her again, I wanted her to remember. ¡°First of all, I want to thank all of you for taking time out toe here. I want to thank you for mourning me when you thought I was gone. It might sound slightly narcissistic but it makes me believe that I did something right,¡± she joked before clearing her throat. ¡°I am grateful for all your support and I would just like to let you all know that this is an open tform.¡± I turned to her in confusion. She had never done that before and I wasn¡¯t quite sure why she chose to. Open tforms tended to get messy. You couldn¡¯t give everyone the right to speak and not have some people take advantage of that right. Soon there were going to be people yelling at the top of their lungs and saying things that they shouldn¡¯t. Regardless, I said nothing and just let her lead. It was her speech, it was her choice. ¡°I know that you have a lot of questions,¡± she began after a deep breath. ¡°I know you are all eager to hear what happened but the truth is that nothing happened. I was away for a while because I was healing from extensive injuries. I couldn¡¯t havee back even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°If?¡± someone in the crowd asked and she stilled. ¡°Did you not want to return, your majesty?¡± ¡°That is not what I meant,¡± I could see the nervousness beginning to return. She was already out of it and panicking. ¡°What I meant was that I couldn¡¯t return. I was badly hurt and unfortunately it took longer than I thought it would to get healed. I was also in a small town that I didn¡¯t even know existed. I had no way of knowing how to get home.¡± The man who asked the question looked content and she let out a sigh of relief when she realized she had handled that. Despite knowing I shouldn¡¯t, I ced my hand on the small of her back. It was a gentle touch but to her credit, she didn¡¯t still or shy away from it. I wanted her to remember that I was here. I was her support if she needed it. ¡°If that is all,¡± I began ready to bring an end to it when someone cut me off. It was a woman, she looked no older than thirty and she had her hands crossed over her chest. ¡°How could your healing have taken time when you healed everyone else?¡± she asked and Cami turned to me looking a tad bit lost. I hadn¡¯t told her about her healing powers mainly because I thought that no one else knew. I had hoped that it would have died when she fell off that cliff because there was so much that I couldn¡¯t exin. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Cami began but I squeezed her waist softly. It was best if I handled this.¡± ¡°What the Queen means is that those were unfounded rumors. She had nothing to do with the healing of all those people. It was the brave work of the physician that allowed each of those people to walk.¡± ¡°I saw her,¡± she yelled. ¡°That night in the town house, she snuck in and she went to every single person, she knelt over each of us and she put her hands on us. I felt life rush into me after she left. She was responsible.¡± ¡°The Queen prayed over you,¡± I knew I was making her look like a crazy person and if I were a better person, I would have felt bad for it but this was my mate and the mother of my children. I was going to do anything possible to keep her away from any controversies. ¡°Anything you felt must have happened inside your head.¡± ¡°I am not insane.¡± ¡°I never said that you were. I simply said that you were misjudging a situation because you were sick. You didn¡¯t have properprehension over what happened because you were at the doors of death and it was taking some time for the medication the physicians gave to kick in,¡± I kept my voice cold and uninterested. ¡°I understand the need to believe that something greater went on and I hate to say this but your healing was purely medical.¡± everyone was staring and Her cheeks flushed pink and I saw tears gather in the back of her eyes when she realized that whispering. A few went as far as to point in her direction. I felt bad for her but there was nothing I could do as she turned on her heels and ran. Beside me, I could feel Cami¡¯s anger and frustration. She must have felt the same way I did but between the two of us, I was better at hiding it. Everyone was quiet once she disappeared so I took the opportunity to call things to a close. ¡°Thank you all for your time. The Queen and I are nothing short of grateful for the support that you have given us. It is an honor to serve you.¡± Without another word, I led Cami behind the curtain. She said nothing the entire time, just let me lead her like a doll. Christine met my eyes once we were safely behind the curtain but I shook my head, this wasn¡¯t the time for questions. Normally, we would have waited a while as the elders wrapped things up but I knew that Cami needed to get away so I called for our carriage and in less than five minutes, we were on our way back to the pce. She didn¡¯t say anything the entire ride and a part of me began to worry. It was clear that she had a lot to say, whatever her reason was for choosing not to say them could only be bad. I watched her the entire ride home which on hindsight did sound a little creepy but I was worried about her. She didn¡¯t say a word as we walked up to our room. She just kept in sync with me and kept her eyes fixated forward. It wasn¡¯t until I closed the door behind me that she finally whirled on me. ¡°Is there anything else that you haven¡¯t told me or are you going to wait until we are in public so that I can embarrass myself again?¡± she asked. I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off by raising her hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t done. Do you know how stupid I looked and felt up there? Apparently I have healing powers and I don¡¯t even know. Don¡¯t even try telling me it was a rumor because I know you were lying to her.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I sighed deeply. ¡°Yes, you had healing powers. I can admit that. The only reason I didn¡¯t say anything was because I don¡¯t know if they still exist.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Whenever you used your powers, you gave a bit of yourself out and when we were on that cliff,¡± I shuddered just thinking. about it. ¡°On that cliff, our daughter was stabbed. You poured all of yourself into her, you should have died, but you didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if it was your powers that saved you or if it was the goddess. I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t want to talk about things that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I deserved to know.¡± ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t regret not telling you and I will do it again. I made what I thought was the best choice for the both of us. You would have gone out there trying to find people who were sick so that you could heal them.¡± ¡°I would not have. You can¡¯t pretend to know what I would have done.¡± ¡°I can because I know you!¡± I eximed. Do you realize how difficult it was watching you thest time? You would go out of your way to heal every single person who came by even after knowing it was to your detriment. You were killing yourself and your memory might be gone but that is still who you are at your core. You put everyone else¡¯s life over your own so screw me if I decided that keeping it from you was the best thing because I would rather those powers were gone.¡± She looked stunned by my outburst and I couldn¡¯t me her. I didn¡¯t lose my cool. I prided myself in being able to properly regte my emotions. I ran my hands through my hair and stepped closer to her with the intention of apologizing but she Mon, held up a hand to stop me. ¡°You think you know me because in some past life I was your mate,¡± her voice was a soft whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t know that girl that you that you knew but she is not me anymore. I get that you want your mate back but I¡¯m here to tell have been good with you keeping things from me before but if you do that right now, I will walk ¡°What are you saying?¡± you never will. I may ¡°I am saying that whatever you thought you knew about me before, you don¡¯t anymore. Wipe every prejudice you had. I am not your mate, Ryker. I will never be that girl again.¡± ¡°If that is what you want then so be it.¡± What hurt most weren¡¯t her words, it was the fact that I could see that she meant it. I scoffed and turned on my heels making sure to m the door behind me. Chapter 204 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V I felt bad for speaking to Ryker that way but it was important that he realized. It was important that he didn¡¯t get his hopes up too high. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him in the long run but the truth was that he was already hurting. He expected me to fit into this carefully curated box that he had ced for his mate but I couldn¡¯t. I could barely get through the day, much less be the woman he wanted me to be. Still, that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling bad for him. In a second, he had lost everything and now, he had the chance to get it all back. If I were in his shoes, I probably would have done worse. It was so exhausting, more tiring than I realized it would be and I wanted to be her- sometimes I thought it would be easier- but how could I be someone I didn¡¯t even remember. Sometimes it felt like I was getting a sh of memory but it would be gone before I could even process what was going on. I remembered the rooms, I remembered the paths but I couldn¡¯t remember the people and somehow, that felt like the worst punishment. A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to find Peggy standing by my door with a small smile on her face. She made her way inside and I didn¡¯t realize how little time I had spent with her until she actually walked in. Luxury looked good on her, she looked well taken care of and less stressed than she did back in town. I tapped the spot next to me and she didn¡¯t hesitate before taking it. ¡°I just had to listen to an angry rant from Marie a few hours ago and I saw that fine man storming out of here,¡± she began and I exhaled deeply. ¡°I am not here to scold you, Cami. Honestly, I don¡¯t you. Cami al know if I have the right to do so. Do you want to tell me what happened?¡± ¡°Everyone expects me to be happy about this. They think I should just be grateful that I am Queen and that it fell into myp when it is what people would kill for. Why would I do that? I didn¡¯t ask for all of this. I didn¡¯t want all of this. It just feels like no one understands the pressure that is on my shoulders right now.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t expect them too. Only the person who wears the shoes knows exactly where it pinches,¡± i didn¡¯t respond and she wrapped an arm around my shoulder in aforting manner. ¡°Everyone has expectations of you. You should have known that the moment you agreed to do this. To these people, you are their Queen, their family, their mother, their mate, their sister and you cannot expect those expectations to go away. The minute you came here, you resigned to being the woman that they know.¡± ¡°I only agreed to one year.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Did you really?¡± she asked and I stilled. ¡°Did you think that you would be able to leave after a year? You are smarter than that, Cami, don¡¯t insult your own intelligence. You know exactly what you signed up for and this is it. It is hard and it is scary and I cannot pretend to understand what that feels like but you are in this already. There is no backing out now.¡± ¡°I had powers,¡± I said suddenly and she fell silent. ¡°I was this Queen who saved everyone first. I was this person who put my life in danger for others. I wouldn¡¯t do that now. I wouldn¡¯t heal people at my own detriment especially if I knew I had kids toe home to. I am not that girl.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that girl. People change and people grow. Imagine the old Cami as a ¡± caterpir, you are a butterfly. You have grown and you have changed but deep down, you are that girl. You just became better.¡± Iy my head on her shoulder in a silent thanks. My mouth couldn¡¯t form the words so I hoped my actions would. She wrapped her arms around me and we sat there inplete silence for a full minute. I didn¡¯t realize just how much I needed someone to validate my feelings. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn¡¯t overreacting and that it was normal to be scared. By the time I finally pulled away, I knew exactly what I had to do and Peggy did too because she gave me a soft smile and squeezed my hand softly before walking out. I had two ces to be but I went to the lesser of two evils first which was Marie. She was in her room seated cross legged on the bed. She looked excited to see me at first but it was as if she remembered the fight and turned her back to me. ¡°I am not going to apologize because I stand by what I said, you don¡¯t understand what it is like to be in my shoes.¡± ¡°If you are not here to apologize then what are you here for? I have nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°Then listen,¡± I cut her off. ¡°This is all you have ever wanted- a life of ease, a wonderful life and I will not fault you for that. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to want anything. I am still trying to find my footing and remember what happened in the past six years but I cannot. I don¡¯t just have the life of ease, I have kids now and a mate and it is hard to navigate on my own. All I am asking for is my friend to support me.¡± ¡°I do support you.¡± ¡°No, you support me as long as I stay in this life. Would you support me if I decided to leave? If I said I was done and I wanted to fake my own death and go back to that small town. If I said that was the life that I wanted would you support me?¡± Her silence was enough of a response. ¡°I need my friend, Marie. I don¡¯t need you pushing me to take the choice that best aligns with your dreams. I need a friend who is going to stick by my side and let me know that no matter what, it is me and her against the world, not her against me because I don¡¯t want what she wants.¡± ¡°But why wouldn¡¯t you want this?¡± she asked. She sounded almost confused and a little hurt. ¡°Why would you look at this life and say that it wasn¡¯t for you? You have everything you could ever want. You have a mate who scoured the ends of the earth to find you, you have children who adore you and you have a life of ease. I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to,¡± I whispered and she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t want it. I just said that I needed some time toe to terms with it. I am not going to be the picture perfect person within days. It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± There was a moment of silence before she sighed. ¡°Fine, I support you. Whatever it is that you choose to do, I will have your back.¡± ¡°Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I have one more thing that requires my attention.¡± I could feel the confusion in her gaze but I didn¡¯t bother waiting to exin it to her. I walked slowly, almost dragging my legs in the direction of that room. With each step, I felt heavier than thest but I was determined to see this through. I needed to do it before I lost the courage, I needed to face the fear and embrace the new chance at life that had been given to me. I pushed open the door slowly and everyone stilled. It was just Christine, Ryker and the girls. It felt like everyone was holding their breath and waiting to see what I would do. They regarded me as one would a wounded animal that they were scared would run but I ignored them and headed straight for Audrey. I took a seat cross legged in front of her and gestured for her toe to me. It required no hesitation on her part before she immediately walked into my hands. I pulled her so that she was sitting on me and she brushed her hair out of her face. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your hair in a braid if you don¡¯t like it in your eyes?¡± I asked and it was Ryker who responded. ¡°She wanted you to do it.¡± He was gauging my reaction but instead, I lifted Audrey and ced her in front of the vanity while I retrieved the brush and began braiding her hair down. I could feel the confusion in the room but, I tuned them out and focused my attention on the little girl in front of me who was grinning from ear to ear. I looked over my shoulder at Aurora who was straining in Ryker¡¯s hands toe to me. ¡°Do you want me to braid yours too?¡± I asked and she nodded. I wasn¡¯t sure if she couldpletely understand me but I hoped she could. Once I was done with Audrey¡¯s hair, I pressed a soft ki*ss to the center of her head. ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered and it was like someone had lit up a beam in her eyes. She threw her arms around me and squeezed tightly. I tried to ignore the pit in my stomach as I held her the way I would have wanted to be held as a child. ¡°I knew you would say it back,¡± she whispered before pulling back to smile at me. She turned to Ryker. ¡°Did you hear that daddy? She said it back.¡± Ryker wasn¡¯t looking at her, his eyes were fixated on me. ¡°I heard, princess, I told you she would say it back.¡± Chapter 205 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V I could feel their eyes on me the entire time, carefully watching as if expecting me to blow up any minute. I tried to ignore the feel of Ryker¡¯s gaze on my skin, it was piercing and I felt it all the way down to the tips of my toes. I focused on the girls in front of me. I braided Audrey¡¯s hair and made a show of brushing Aurora¡¯s and holding it up with a pretty bow before kissing her head. ¡°I need to borrow your mother for a second, okay?¡± Ryker said the moment I released Aurora and without any warning, he grabbed my upper arm and began to pull me out of the room. I didn¡¯t even bother protesting, I knew it was going toe sooner orter. To his credit, he didn¡¯t take me very far, we just moved a few steps away from the room before he turned to me. His hands were crossed over his chest and he had a look on his face that was wary and apprehensive. If I thought having him looking at me with love was ufortable, I wasn¡¯t prepared for this one. I didn¡¯t know why but having him guarded around me seemed even worse. ¡°What are you ying at?¡± he asked but I stayed silent. ¡°Those girls are not toys to be yed with. You cannot go to them as you see fit and run away as you see fit. I am on your side, I always am but I am also on theirs and they deserve better.¡± ¡°If you would just-¡± ¡°I am respecting your wishes and your desire to be left alone. I am respecting the fact that you don¡¯t remember and all of this is too much for you. I can respect all of that but I am asking for you to not. ¨C y with the emotions of our children. They are too young to understand what is going on and with them, you have to either be all in or all out. There is no in between and they are going to get hurt. They are already hurt.¡± ¡°Ryker-¡± ¡°Do you know how difficult it was to keep them distracted thest few months? I felt like I was losing my goddamn mind. I had to tell them that you were gone even though I kept searching for I didn¡¯t want them to hope in vain and now you¡¯re here. They don¡¯t understand it, hell, I don¡¯t even understand it and I am an adult so for their sakes will you-¡® you. ¡°Stop!¡± I cut him off and he went silent. ¡°If you would just let me speak for one second you would hear that I am not trying to y with anyone¡¯s emotions. Goddamit, Ryker, you have been talking about how you feel for ages so why don¡¯t you let me speak for once?¡± He fell silent and I saw a slight sheen of embarrassment creep up his ears. I understood, I really did and even though I didn¡¯t know what it meant to be protective of someone to that degree, I could somewhat rte to where he wasing from. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to y with the emotions of my children, I wouldn¡¯t want them to be hurt. He was a royal but he was still a man at his core, he still hurt and he still felt. He was willing to put his own hurt aside for the children and that was one of the most endearing things I had ever seen in my life. ¡°I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. It was a cheap shot and I know it. I was- it doesn¡¯t matter what I was. It is an excuse and I shouldn¡¯t be making excuses for my behavior,¡± I began slowly but he didn¡¯t say a word, he just watched me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be the woman that you want me to be and I think that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be anyone, I just want you to be you. I don¡¯t care what version of you that it is, as long as it is you, that is all that matters. Don¡¯t you get it? You want to be someone you¡¯re not so badly and that is what is causing all of this tension.¡± ¡°But everyone needs-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what everyone needs,¡± he cut me off. ¡°This is about you and no one else. You are the one who has to go through this, you are the one who has to work your way around it. You are the only one who matters.¡± I could see how I could have fallen for him before. He was a kind man, soft spoken and warm. He seemed like the kind of person who would hold your hand through a difficult time and talk you through some of the worst moments of your life. I could see myself falling for him again and I couldn¡¯t tell whether that was going to be a good or a bad thing. ¡°Anyways,¡± I cleared my throat to change the subject. ¡°If we are going to do this, we need to set some rules. I don¡¯t want anyone getting disappointed or feeling like the other person isn¡¯t doing enough. It was my fault for not setting rules in the first ce.¡± He cocked a brow before crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± I was shocked that he was agreeing so easily. A part of me had thought that he would need some convincing and hade up with an entire speech in my head but everything suddenly flew out the moment I heard him agree. I opened my to speak but no words woulde out. It was like someone had taken a knife to my vocal chords. mo HE ¡°Do you want to sit down first?¡± Ryker suggested and I nodded. He led me to a nearby bench and helped me into a sitting position. He held my hand while doing so but even after I had sat down, he wouldn¡¯t let go and I didn¡¯t do anything to take my calming about hands out of his. He was warm and the Wa rush me to speak, he just sat down beside me, my hand wrapped in his and he waited patiently until the first words left my lips. knowing that he was with me, so I left it. He didn¡¯t push, he didn¡¯t ¡°I need to know everything,¡± I told him and he nodded slowly. ¡°I will not I need to know myst schedule, how I worked, what I did, what I said 80 out looking like a fool. ¡°Done, is that all?¡± everything that happened- I I shook my head. ¡°I need some time to get used to the girls, okay? I care for them, I don¡¯t know why but I do and my wolf knows they¡¯re ours but I need some time. I want to help out with them but I want you to be there. I don¡¯t want to mess things up because like you said, they don¡¯t understand, they don¡¯t deserve this.¡± ¡°Okay, is that it?¡± he asked and I nodded. Those were the main things. I just wanted to take things at my pace. I didn¡¯t want to be rushed. I needed time. ¡°I have one rule of my own.¡± I stilled. ¡°You do?¡± he hummed. ¡°Is it something crazy?¡± ¡°Not really, I want one date every week,¡± I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. ¡°I will take everything at your pace, you will be in charge but I want a fighting chance here.¡± ¡°Ryker-¡± ¡°Do you want to know the most messed up thing about all of this?¡± he began. ¡°It isn¡¯t that you don¡¯t remember, I could deal with that. It isn¡¯t that you are different now because in all honesty, I love it. The most difficult thing about all of this is the way you look at me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How do I look at you? I didn¡¯t realize that I was doing-¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t the way you think. Thest time I saw you, you looked at me with so much love in your eyes and now you look at me like a stranger. You look at me with caution, apprehension and sometimes it¡¯s like you want to run the other way. I understand though, you don¡¯t remember who I am but I would give anything for you to look at me the way you used to.¡± I opened my mouth to speak when the door to the room opened. Without realizing what was happening, I pulled my hand out of Ryker¡¯s grip. I felt his disappointment but I couldn¡¯t look him in the eye, I didn¡¯t want to see it. I didn¡¯t want to see how much I was hurting him. Christine looked between the both of us and I could see a silent question in her eyes but I ignored it and stood to my feet making sure to dust off imaginary dirt from my skirt. ¡°The girls are asking for you,¡± she said after a beat of long silence. ¡°Aurora is half asleep and she keeps crying for you- Cami.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± I told her and she looked between Ryker and I before turning on her heels and walking back to the room. When she was gone, I finally risked a nce at Ryker and his expression was carefully neutral. ¡°Ryker-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ept the dates,¡± he cut me off. ¡°Respecting your boundaries also means respecting the ones you put in ce against me. I understand that this is all new for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind the dates, that isn¡¯t the problem.¡±¡± ¡°Then what is?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± I admitted and he waited for me waiting, he sighed and walked towards the doo borate but I didn¡¯t. After a full minute of His hand was on the knob when I finally spoke. I ¡°It isn¡¯t that I¡¯m scared of you or of you hurting me. I am scared because I can see why I would have fallen for you in the first ce and if I do this, it isn¡¯t a matter of if I will love you again, it is a matter of when and that scares me.¡± Chapter 206 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V I hadn¡¯t brought up Cami¡¯s confession in a week. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was cowardice on my part or if it was because I didn¡¯t want to jeopardize what little civility we had formed with each other. She acted like nothing happened and somewhere in the back of my mind, I decided that it was the right way to go so I said nothing N?velDrama.Org holds this content. about it either. Despite my silence, I didn¡¯t forget that she had agreed to the date and already started working on something. I wasn¡¯t sure if her general likes and disliked had changed but I hoped they hadn¡¯t because her newfound ¡®family¡® was of no help at all. There was something off about them- especially the daughter- and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she didn¡¯t like me or if there was something else at y that I didn¡¯t quite know of. A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up just in time to see Christine make her way in. ¡°A letter came from your sister and Damien. They want toe visit-¡± ¡°They can¡¯t right now,¡± I cut her off and she rolled her eyes at me before continuing. ¡°If you had let me finish, you would have heard where I said that I told them now would not be a good time. They still don¡¯t know that anything happened so I made up an excuse about the workload being too much and promised to let them know when they can visit.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I ever doubted Christine, she was one of the most efficient people I knew. When Cami went missing, she didn¡¯t hesitate to pick up most of the ck and even now, with Cami present, she still did a lot of work because she felt it was better to slowly integrate Cami back into the work space instead of dumping everything on her at once. ¡°Have you seen Cami?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re the one that sleeps in the same room with her, why are you asking me?¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°You can check with Marie or Peggy. If she isn¡¯t in her office then she will be there. Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Can you help me get her in an hour?¡± she raised a brow in amusement. ¡°I have something nned for the both of us. She doesn¡¯t know what it is about, so don¡¯t tell her. I just need her.¡± She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it and made her way over to my desk. She took the seat opposite me and looked me square in the eye as she crossed her arms over her chest. Christine had a naturally terrifying gaze about her. I wasn¡¯t sure where she got it from or how it came to be but it came so easily to her. It was the kind of look that could make a grown man cry for his mother. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked and I cocked my head in confusion. ¡°All of this that you are doing to win her over, are you sure? I love my cousin and my loyalties will always be to her. I want her to be happy with you but most importantly, I want her to be happy. Cami runs, it is what she does best.¡± ¡°For someone who loves her, you have such little faith in her. Cami used to run, she doesn¡¯t anymore. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have even agreed to stay. She is different now.¡¯ ¡°¡± ¡°She is still Cami,¡± she cut me off. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to chase her away because you want her back. I would much rather have her here as someone who hates us than not have her as all.¡± I pursed my lips suddenly feeling bored of the entire conversation. I didn¡¯t expect everyone to understand my reasons for doing the things I did, but I at least expected from support from Christine. Cami had changed and it seemed like I was the only one who could see that. She wasn¡¯t going to run, she wasn¡¯t going to hide. ¡°She will get her memories back.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± she asked. ¡°What happens when she is unable to ever glean them back? Will all of this stop then? Will you stop trying to fight for her? If all of this is about her memories then this might be a good time to stop.? ¡°If she never regains her memories then we will make new ones. I am making new ones and if you were just able to get rid of your fears for five seconds, Christine, you would want to make new ones too.¡± She clicked her tongue before standing to her feet and I knew I had hit a nerve. She turned on her heels without another word and headed straight for the door. I didn¡¯t expect her to say anything but at thest moment, she turned to look at me. ¡°I might be scared and I might be the one that¡¯s running, I can admit that, but you also need to admit that you are scared shitless too and that is why you are doing this. You can see exactly what I can and that is that Cami isn¡¯t ours anymore. She hasn¡¯t been since the moment I found her.¡± She mmed the door shut behind her as soon as she was done speaking and I cursed as I ran my hands through my hair. Her words were like a gue, like a slow acting poison that threatened to carve me from my insides out. I didn¡¯t want to give them much leverage but they hadtched onto my insides and threatened to wreck everything I had struggled hard to build. It was difficult to concentrate, difficult to think, Christine¡¯s words floated around in my mind unhindered and I couldn¡¯t take it for more than half an hour before I pushed to my feet and decided to take a walk in the pce gardens. I needed the fresh air and I was alone, or so I thought until I heard someone murmuring curses under their breath so quickly they would have made a sailor proud. I followed the sound despite my initial need for sce and found Marie there struggling and failing to grab an apple from the top of the tree. Expletives were leaving her mouth faster than I would have ever thought possible and she was so fixated on her task that she didn¡¯t realize I had walked over to her until I reached up and grabbed that fruit she had been struggling with. She stilled and as if in slow motion, she turned to face me. Her cheeks heated and she couldn¡¯t look me in the eye as I handed it over to her.¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You are more than wee. How long had you been at it?¡± ¡°Long enough for it to be embarrassing. If I had any self respect or dignity I would have let it go but I would rather die than let a stupid fruit get the better of me. It is a fucking apple for goddess sake.¡± ¡°You have a rather colorful vocabry,¡± I mused and her cheeks heated once more. ¡°Do you always speak like this?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said too quickly before clearing her throat. ¡°I really apologize. I should never have-¡± I held up a hand to stop her. ¡°I have no interest in crucifying you for yournguage. I only came here because I could hear you from the other side. If there is nothing else that requires my assistance then I can-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± she yelled out halting me in my tracks. ¡°It is about Cami. I just wanted to ask a question. I hope I am not over stepping any boundaries.¡± She looked sheepish which was a stark contrast from the woman who was swearing the ce down. I wasn¡¯t *sure if it was worry or something else that was in her eyes but simply because I had heard Cami¡¯s name, I found myself waiting. She took a few breaths to calm herself before finally speaking. ¡°She is nevering back, is she?¡± he asked and I stilled. As much as I wanted to say no, it was not my ce to do so. I would much prefer for her to never go back but the truth was that Cami was her own person and I couldn¡¯t control her any more than I could control another. I could implore her to stay and I could find her if she ever ran away but that wouldn¡¯t get me her loyalty and that would not be able to get me her love which was ultimately what I wanted. ¡°I think you should discuss that with Cami. Her staying or leaving remains her choice.¡± ¡°Just drop the political stance for one day, your majesty. ¡°You can call me Ryker,¡± I told her and she stilled ¡°Cami¡¯s friends are my friends and she sees you as family. That makes us family by extension.¡± ¡°Ryker,¡± my name sounded strange on her tongue. ¡°The thing is, she cannot just walk away from this. This is an entire kingdom, they wille for her if she tries to vige will be the first ce they check. She eave and o has a duty here.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but it still remains her choice.¡± ¡°She will not leave. I know her well enough to make that assumption,¡± she chuckled under her breath. ¡°I guess that means we have no business here anymore. If it is alright with you, my mother and I would like to return to our vige.¡± I thought about it for a second and I understood her desire to leave but I couldn¡¯t have that yet. ¡°If it pleases you, would you mind staying a little while? Cami doesn¡¯t understand the pce yet. She still feels like a stranger. It might make her feel better if she has people she knows around. We can make a home for you here if you so desire but if you do not, we will just keep you a while and send you on your way.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°I can see why she loved you and if you keep this up, she will again.¡± She bowed low. ¡°Thank you, Ryker. The weather does look pretty out here. I am sure Cami would love to see it. I should tell her about it.¡± Chapter 207 CAMILLA¡¯S P.O.V The moment Marie started trying to get me out into the garden, I knew there was something else going on which was part of the reason why I wasn¡¯t surprised to see Ryker there. We hadn¡¯t spoken since I somewhat agreed to the dates and I expected some kind of heads up before he nned anything but it seemed I was wrong because he stood therepletely stoic in front of a fruit tree. His back was to me but I knew he was aware of my presence. It was obvious in the way he was unnaturally still. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I decided to break the silence and he turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s not beat about the bush with each other, please. I would very much prefer if we were just honest. Did you ask Marie to get me?¡± ¡°No,¡± I could tell he wasn¡¯t lying but he also wasn¡¯t telling me the truth. I crossed my arms over my chest and he sighed. ¡°I helped her with something and we had a conversation. She decided toe get you, I didn¡¯t ask her. to. If anything, I had asked Christine to get you in a few minutes time.¡± ¡°The date,¡± I deduced and he nodded I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it. Some part of me wanted to stay, wanted to experience it and see what was going to happen. I wanted to be brave, I wanted to take risks but at the same time, I was also scared. No one ever realized how scary it was to not know who they are. It was the one thing that drove us and sure, I knew I was using it as a crutch but I needed something totch onto and I didn¡¯t have that. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to,¡± he began but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just trying to mentally prepare myself.¡± ¡°We can reschedule it for another day. We don¡¯t have to do anything.¡± ¡°Audrey is in school, Aurora is asleep and everyone is busy. I think this is the best time that we will get to ourselves,¡± I joked and the fact that he didn¡¯t disagree with me led me to know that I was right. ¡°It is a harmless date, I can handle it. Lead the way.¡± I saw relief settle on his shoulders and for the first time, it hit me that Ryker was also having a hard time. I never stopped to think about just how difficult this could be for him. He had his mate but couldn¡¯t completely have her. I wasn¡¯t the only one suffering as a result of my lost memories- we all were. Us, the children and everyone else involved who had to deal with the fallout. It was terrifying and to me, it resembled the blind leading each other. Ryker didn¡¯t say a single word as he led me into the woods. I would have thought that there would be some form of fear at being alone in the woods but the truth was that I had never felt as protected. There was something about Ryker, something that led me to know that under no circumstances would he allow any kind of harm toe to me. He wasn¡¯t doing anything extraordinary, he was just holding my hand as he led me deeper but I had never felt so safe in my life. ¡°Are you okay back there?¡± he asked snapping me out of my thoughts and I turned to him. ¡°You have been deathly quiet. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said almost too quickly. ¡°I was just thinking about something but you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Where are you taking me?¡± I knew he noticed the change of subject but to his credit, he didn¡¯t push or delve on the past topic, he embraced the change. ¡°Why tell you when I could just show you ¡°You do realize that you are leading me into the woods and it would bepletely normal for me to assume that you wanted to kill me.¡± He stopped, turned to me and burst outughing. ¡°Did we trade your memories for a sense of humor?¡± ¡°It would seem so.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I think it¡¯s a fair trade,¡± he winked and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes yfully. ¡°Just tell me where we are going already.¡± ¡°if you were not so impatient, you would realize that we were already here.¡± Ryker pulled back some leaves and I was struck with one of the most beautiful sights in the world. There was a small waterfall that emptied itself into a clear stream. There were flowers littered all over the ce and a pic *table had been erected. There was something awfully familiar about it but I could not ce my finger on it. I turned to Ryker only to find him already staring at me with a mixture of anticipation and worry. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, although I feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vuing on. Have I been here before?¡± ¡°We had a thing here once with the family. My sister was here along with Damien. It was a while ago, I hoped it would spark some memories.¡± I gave him a sad smile. ¡°Nothing, unfortunately, I just know it seems simr. I know that isn¡¯t what you want to hear but-¡± ¡°That is more than enough,¡± he cut me off before leading me over to the pic table. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is your powers but you have always loved ces like this. You loved the nts, you loved the water, there was always just something, you know? I never really put two and two together.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± I asked and he turned to me. ¡°Do you like ces like this or did you only tolerate them because of me?¡± ¡°I never minded anything if I am being honest. Seeing you happy has always been worth it so the answer would be yes, I liked them, but it was mainly because you liked them.¡± ¡°That is such a non answer,¡± I mumbled trying and failing to hide my smile. Ryker was a good man, that much was certain. He was gentle and kind and he was the kind of man that anyone would kill to have. Every few I Conds, I would nce at him out of the corner of my eyes, he was handsome, only a fool would have been unable to see that and I was no fool. He was seated so close to me that I could smell his scent and it bordered on on whelming. ¡°How about a swim?¡± I asked after a minute of trying and failing to ignore his scent that was all over my space. I didn¡¯t wait for him to respond before I got to my feet and made my way to the edge of the water. ¡°Do you think we can swim inside of it?¡± tha I knew I was acting weird but I also knew if I didn¡¯t get away from that scent, I was going to end up doing something absolutely stupid. I wasn¡¯t sure if he knew why I rose abruptly but he didn¡¯t protest as he came to stand next to me. ¡°We can but there are no swim clothes, Cami. Do you want to risk getting your entire dress wet? I know have powers over the water but even with that, you might drown¡± you I scoffed. ¡°I can swim with my undergarments,¡± I offered and he hesitated for a second before finally nodding. He was stiff as he helped me undo the ropes on my dress. If I were a better person, I would have asked but I was so transfixed on his hands that were movie against my spine. He never touched my bare skin but just the heat from his body behind me was enough for every thought in every thought in my head to fly out. He helped me out of my dress and corset leaving me in just my undergarments. It was scandalous at best and he turned away to give me some privacy as he took off his clothes. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing and I found Emergency calls onlyMus myself asking what the hell I had started but I didn¡¯t have an answer for that. 0045%? 11:08 I got into the water trying to ignore the goose bumps that showed up on my skin or the way my nipples perked up from the cold. It could easily be hidden so it wasn¡¯t much of a problem- or at least, it wasn¡¯t until Ryker made his way over to the stream in nothing but his briefs and they were perked up for another reason entirely. ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± I mumbled sounding almost stupid and he raised a brow at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you swim all the way over there and I can stay here and we can.¡± Before I could form one more word, he made his way over to me and grabbed both my arms. He pulled me flush against him and I could have sworn that in that moment, I felt nothing- nothing but him, the feel of his skin against mine, his warm breath and in that moment, in the swirling cold water, I felt like I was on fire. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Cami,¡± he began and I bit down on my bottom lip. ¡°Please don¡¯t say my name like that,¡± I whispered and he had the audacity to look confused. ¡°You¡¯re here, and you¡¯re touching me and you¡¯re saying my name and I cannot think. I need to be able to-¡± He pulled my hair back out of my face and cupped both my cheeks. ¡°Cami.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he mumbled before kissing me. I stilled for a full minute and then it felt like fireworks had exploded all around me. it felt like everything was suddenly right in the world and despite knowing that I shouldn¡¯t, despite knowing that it was incredibly stupid to do so, I kissed him back. One of his hands moved to my waist as he pulled me impossibly closer and I felt just how hard he was underneath the water. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he could feel everything else as well. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± he mumbled against my lips before biting down on my bottom lip and I released a soft moan. Everything was perfect, for one split second it was perfect and then I felt it. I pulled away from him and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. He reached out for me but I moved out of reach. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t have happened,¡± I whispered despite knowing how much it broke me to utter those words. ¡°I¡¯d like to go back now.¡± He looked confused but atst, he nodded. ¡°Okay, we can leave now.¡± Chapter 208 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V +5) I couldn¡¯t look him in the eye as we packed up to return home. I was soaking wet but I couldn¡¯t be bothered as Iced up my dress, I just needed to get into the pce and get away. I could feel Ryker¡¯s eyes on me soft but questioning and as much as I wanted to give him an answer for my actions, as much as I wanted to let him know that this had nothing to do with him, I couldn¡¯t, because the truth was that it had everything to do with him. The walk back was tense and filled with unspoken words and anxiety. Every few seconds, Ryker¡¯s hands would brush mine and I knew he wanted to intertwine our fingers but I couldn¡¯t- I wouldn¡¯t. I pulled my hands closer to my body and wrapped them in tight fists. To say he wasn¡¯t annoyed would have been a lie but to his credit, he managed to keep it hidden. We got to the pce and I was just about to rush in when Ryker grabbed my upper arm pulling me to a stop. He stared at me for a split second and I thought he was going to speak so I cast a wary nce at the people around. There were guards and maids who could potentially overhear our conversation. They were already staring at us with varying degrees of curiosity. Ryker noticed that as well because the next thing he did was ce both hands on my waist and step close to me. I could feel every ridge and contour of his body and his scent was all over my nose. I shut my eyes trying to keep a level head despite my senses threatening to overwhelm me. His hands didn¡¯t move an inch from their position and I could feel the heat from them searing into my skin. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he shook his head slightly. ¡°People are staring.¡± ¡°We are mated, let them stare,¡± he said simply before dropping his lips to the side of my ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you pulled back suddenly at theke, I don¡¯t know what changed but I know like I know my own name that you felt that.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the point,¡± I mumbled and he scoffed. ¡°What I felt was wrong.¡± ¡°Is that what you want to tell yourself to make yourself feel better? You are a lot of things, Cami, but a liar is C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. not one of them,¡± his voiced wasced with amusement. ¡°You felt that, you felt us, I know what it feels like to kiss someone who isn¡¯t willing and that was not you.¡± I tried to turn away from him but he wouldn¡¯t let me. His fingers wrapped around my chin and he forced me to look at him. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to keep my expression stoic but there was something in his eyes, something that stopped me from being able to hide how I felt. He was reading me like an open book and for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t tell why it was so hard for me to hide. ¡°Why?¡± he asked and I cocked my head to the side in confusion. ¡°Why are you hiding from me? Why are you pulling away from me?¡± I debated telling him. In that moment, I was willing to damn it all to hell and speak but when I opened my mouth, I heard something like hurried footsteps behind me. The momentary distraction was all that I needed to pull away from Ryker and smooth down my dress. I turned to check the source of the distraction and it was Marie. She looked between us with wide eyes and an amused gaze. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± she asked with a small smirk on her face. ¡°I coulde backter if you want. I¡® was just searching for-¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t,¡± I cut her off clearing my throat. ¡°I was just leaving. Can youe with me please? I need some help working on the ties on my dress.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said trying and failing to hide her smile. 5 I couldn¡¯t look at I I Vker as I walked away but I could feel his eyes boring holes into my spine. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had almost shot everything to shit. There were certain things that should never be spoken and I had almost broken that rule. Marie said nothing the entire way to the room but I could tell that she was buzzing with excitement. To her credit, she remained quiet until we walked into the room and she turned to me with raised brows. ¡°Tell me everything,¡± she whispered, her voice brimming with excitement and glee. ¡°How did it go? Was he nice? Did you like it? Do you like him?¡± ¡°One question at a time, please, if someone were to see, they would think you were the one who went out with him based on how wide you are grinning,¡± I mused and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you help me take off the dress ¡®please?¡± She mumbled a few choice words under her breath before helping me out of my clothes. It was a relief because the undergarments were still wet and it finally felt like I could breathe. She raised a brow but didn¡¯t say anything at least not until I had changed and was in a pair of clean clothes. ¡°Are you going to exin now?¡± she asked and I sighed deeply. ¡°Nothing serious happened, we just ate and swam a little,¡± I shrugged keeping the most important detail to myself- the kiss. it wasn¡¯t something I wanted to share yet, it was private and intimate and I wanted to keep it that way. ¡°I got tired because the water was cold and I asked to return early. It is no big deal.¡± She stared at me unblinking for a full minute before scoffing. ¡°That is so boring. You didn¡¯t even try to kiss him or anything? The man is gorgeous and he is literally eating out of the palm of your hands.¡± ¡°You sound like you want him,¡± I drawled and her cheeks heated. I stilled and raised a brow in her direction. ¡°That was a joke.¡± ¡°I know it was,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I am just saying that it would be nice to have someone who was as concerned with me as he is with you. He obviously feels for you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re mates, of course he does,¡± I was getting annoyed with the conversation and it wasn¡¯t something I could hide for much longer. ¡°I have some work to attend to so I think I¡¯ll go do that now. Thank you for helping me with my dress.¡± I turned on my heels and walked out without another word leaving her in the room. She was shocked by my abrupt departure but she followed after me calling my name. I refused to stop so she grabbed my arm and made me look at her. ¡°I was kidding, Cami,¡± she said but I remained silent. ¡°I would never think about trying anything with him. Why would you even assume that I would?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you would do anything. I don¡¯t know what this is about.¡± ¡°This is about you being jealous,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°You like him, don¡¯t you? You are trying to hide it but I can see that you do or else why would you be jealous?¡± ¡°I am not jealous. You are seeing things,¡± the lie slipped effortlessly off my tongue. ¡®The words felt like ash in my mouth but I needed to make it believable for her. I didn¡¯t want to give her any reason to think otherwise. She stared at me as if she were trying to see into my soul and for the first few seconds. it was ufortable. Just as I was about to tell her off, she shrugged. ¡°You must be harder to please than I thought. If I had a man drooling over me the way he was, I would have folded a long time ago,¡± she made to walk away but she stopped next to me and dropped her voice to a whisper. ¡°For what it is worth, I think he is a good man and you should give him a chance.¡± Without another word, she walked off leaving me alone in the hallway. I finally found my way into my office and buried my head into work all day. It was meant to help me forget about everything that had happened by theke but it did the direct opposite. Being alone gave my thoughts room to fester, it was almost like nothing I could do could stop them and soon I was burying my head into my arms in an attempt to calm my mind. A knock on my door had me looking up and it opened long enough for Audrey toe running in. She threw herself on myp before I could even process that she was the one. She had a wide smile on her face and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from forming one in response. ¡°How was school?¡± I asked smoothing her hair out of her face and she shrugged. ¡°When did you get back? Who brought you here?¡± ¡°I did,¡± I turned to find Ryker walking into the room. Every nerve in my body stood on end as I watched him make his way inside. ¡°She wanted to see you and I figured it was a good chance for me to do the same.¡± I swallowed deeply before turning my attention back to Audrey. ¡°Are you hungry? We can go have lunch together out in the garden. What do you think?¡± It was clear that she was excited because she squealed and rushed out of the room before I could say another word. I tried to ignore the fact that it was just Ryker and I in the office and made to side step him but he had my way blocked. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he cut me off by brushing his lips against mine. I was transfixed and unable to move. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not giving us a fair chance, so I¡¯m not going to y fair either,¡± he said simply before taking a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at lunch.¡± Chapter 209 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. Chapter 210 CAMILLA¡¯S PO.V He kissed me and all I could think of in that moment was how much I didn¡¯t want it to end. I could have pushed him away, he gave me more than enough time to do so but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to utter the words stopped because as much as I pretended not to, I craved him. I wanted him in a way that I could not understand. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the mate bond or something else but I couldn¡¯t find Ryker. I neither had the energy nor the willpower to do so. There was something captivating about Ryker and it went past the mate bond. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was how gentle he had been with me, how patient he was or how he strived to push me without crossing my boundaries. He was the perfect man and I knew he could have anyone he wanted but he wanted me. He patiently waited for me. That alone was more than enough reason for me to kiss him back. His hands settled on my hips as he pulled me impossibly closer to him. I was gripping the cor of his dress shirt for dear life as his tongue slipped into my mouth. A moan left my lips and he devoured the sound with ease. His kiss was a im, it was a brand and if any part of me doubted that I belonged to this man, it was gone like the wind. Itpletely disappeared. My hands found themselves moving of their own ord as they slipped up his chest to his shoulders before finally wrapping themselves at the back of his neck. He let out a groan as my nails grazed the hair there. That sound was like a catalyst, I wanted more of it so I repeated the motion again. He cursed against my lips before pulling back from me. I was panting as I stared deep into his eyes that were now no less than bottomless swirls of lust and desire. He ran his thumb down my bottom lip ever so gently before pushing it into my mouth. ¡°You¡¯re fucking gorgeous,¡± he whispered as his eyes grazed my lips. I was sure they looked just as red and swollen as his did. The image of it in my head alone was enough to have me clenching my thighs. Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my lips around his finger and sucked on it hard. His answering groan reverberated round the room. He pulled back like I had burned him before walking us backwards until my knees hit the edge of the bed and then he paused. His self control was admirable because I couldn¡¯t have brought myself to stop if I were him, I didn¡¯t want him to stop. There was no other thought in my head right now except for him. I felt like I was on fire and yet he somehow had the know how to pause. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Cami,¡± he said my name like it pained him to do so, like it took a considerable amount of strength. ¡°The goddess knows how much I want this but I need to be sure. I need to know that you will not just run out on me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I assured him but he shook his head. ¡°I need you to say it. I need you to tell me this is what you want or I swear I will stop. I don¡¯t want to do this until I am very sure that this is what you want. I need to hear your words.¡± It was admirable that he was heavy on the topic of consent. He wanted this badly and it would have hurt him to stop but I knew he would have, he never joked with the idea of consent. ¡°I want this. I want you and I am not going to run from you.¡± He uttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like thank the goddess before kissing me again. His hands were anywhere and everywhere all at once eliciting a path of mes as they moved around my body. I felt him work on the knots behind my dress and in record time, he had it pooled on the ground beneath us. I barely had time to recover from that before I heard a loud ripping sound. I pulled back long enough for the chemise I was wearing to give way. Without thinking, my hands came to hold it up. I waspletely naked underneath it. It was thest remaining barrier between us and he was fully clothed. He was looking at me like he wanted to devour me and while I didn¡¯t quite have a problem with that, I couldn¡¯t stop the instinctual nature. He frowned at my hands but did nothing to pull them apart. Instead, he slowly turned me around sq¡¯that my back was pressed into his chest. I could feel just how hard he was and my eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head. I tried to keep my gaze on the bed in front of me knowing exactly what was going to happen on it but all thoughts flew out of my head when he pressed an open mouthed kiss to my corbone. I hissed arching my back into him as he continued to pepper the length of my neck and corbone with kissed. ¡°Ryker,¡± I moaned and his hands gripped onto my waist tighter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Kissing you, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± his words wereced with mirth and amusement but there was nothing remotely amusing about the way he lit my skin on fire. His lips closed around ny mark and a loud moan left my lips. My hands that were previously holding onto my chemise for dear life let go as I lifted my hands to wrap around his neck. That was exactly what he was looking for because no sooner than the moment I did that, he trailed his hands up my sides and cupped my breasts. He let out a shaky breath by my ear and I felt my core weep in response. ¡°Fuck, you feel even better than I remember,¡± he whispered as he tweaked my nipples ever so slightly. He was barely touching me and yet I felt like I had been wound up so badly. I want you in my mouth.¡± Before I could process what he had said, he turned me around beforeying me t on the bed. He pulled what was left of my chemise off my feet before climbing over me and iming my nipple into his mouth. His teeth grazed against the hard bud and I could have reached my orgasm there and then. I felt so starved and he was like a drug pumping through my veins at record speed. It felt too good, too much and I couldn¡¯t have enough. While he sucked on one stiff bud, hevished the other with attention from his fingers. All I could do was grip his hair while trying my hardest not to cum from just his mouth on me. Ryker seemed lost in the motions because soon he was cing open mouthed kisses all over my torso and stomach. With every kiss, he moved lower until he was nipping at the skin of my thighs. I had a faint idea of what was coming next but I didn¡¯t fully process it until he parted my legs and licked me. ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I screamed. I felt Ryker chuckle from his position between my legs. He pulled back to watch my face and my cheeks heated in embarrassment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I didn¡¯t want to,¡± he said simply before burying his face in my thighs. He feasted on me, never giving me more than a few seconds to catch my breath. It was clear that what he was doing was more for his pleasure than for mine. He enjoyed what he was doing which somehow made the thing more erotic than it should be. He sucked on my clit hard and I could feel myself reaching for that bliss but before I could get there, he pulled back. I whined in protest as he stood to his feet but I noticed that he was shedding his clothes. ¡°The first time you cum today will be on my cock, do you understand me?¡± my mouth dried up so all I could muster was a nod. He leaned forward to grab my chin. ¡°That¡¯s not enough, I need words, Cami.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I managed out. My voice was barely over a whisper but that was enough for him because he kissed me softly before pulling back long enough to shed his clothes. Ryker had a body built for sin. He looked like a man hand carved by the goddess herself and my mouth watered as I stared at him. As soon as he shed thest of his clothes, I couldn¡¯t stop myself for reaching for him. His surprise was palpable, he had been the one to take the lead and yet this time, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Our kiss was a sh of teeth and tongue. I wanted everything and I was tired of pretending I didn¡¯t, tired of pretending like this man was not the absolute love of my life and the man that I wanted. I needed to tell him the truth. ¡°Ryker,¡± I mumbled pulling away from the kiss. ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± ¡°Tell me after I have my dick inside of you,¡± he groanedying us both on the bed. ¡°Ryker- oh,¡± the words died on my throat when I felt him nudge my entrance. I was soaking wet and there he was, hard and proud. He pushed into me ever so slowly stopping when the head was in. ¡°What did you want to say?¡± he asked and I nearly punched him. All thought had died out of my mind. ¡°This is yourst chance to say something, Cami. I like to pride myself on my self control but even that isn¡¯t unbreakable.¡± ¡°Just shut up and fuck me,¡± I muttered and he whispered something that sounded like thank fuck before pushing into me in one quick and blinding thrust. ¡°Whatever you want, baby.¡± Chapter 211 RYKER¡¯S P.O.V We were knocked out right after. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the intensity of it all or the blinding emotions but we fell right asleep. It felt good to not have her running away from me and to not feel like I was struggling to hold onto her. Everything about falling asleep with her felt familiar, the softness of her skin, how she felt against me and the warmth of her pressed into me. I slept better than I had in a long time. I woke up feeling refreshed and better than I had in a while until I realized that Cami wasn¡¯t in bed with me. I sat up straight and looked around the room hoping she had just walked out of bed and into the bathroom but her scent was stale meaning she had been gone for a while. I didn¡¯t want to panic, but I almost couldn¡¯t help myself. This was the woman that I loved and she just left after having sex, there was a lot to panic over. I forced my emotions into a tightly concealed container as I got dressed and left the room in search of her. The sun was set and I could tell that it was sometime around eight. I checked her office first but she wasn¡¯t there. I started making my way outside to check the garden when I was interrupted by Juan. ¡°There you are,¡± he exhaled in relief as he rushed up to me. I was a bit annoyed that he had interrupted me but I forced myself not to react. ¡°Audrey refuses to go to sleep until youe to tuck her in and she is keeping Aurora up as leverage. You need to handle your girls.¡® ?? Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m,¡± I hesitated before cursing. I couldn¡¯t just leave the girls. Juan was watching me with concern in his eyes. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need me to do something for you? Is this about Cami?¡± ¡°I think she might be in the garden,¡± I said simply not wanting to talk about whatever happened. ¡°Can you go and get her? Audrey might want her there as well.¡± I could tell that he wanted to know more but somehow, he knew better than to argue so he simply nodded and turned on his heels. I watched him walk away and it wasn¡¯t until I waspletely certain that he was going to find her that I finally made my way towards Audrey¡¯s room, I was greeted by noise the moment I walked in but it immediately quieted down as soon as Audrey noticed me. ¡°There you are daddy,¡± she leaped to her feet in bed. She was wearing her favorite pink night dress. ¡°Where is mummy? I thought she woulde with you.¡± ¡°You should be asleep,¡± I chided ignoring her earlier question. ¡°Why are you still up and why are you keeping Aurora up?¡± H I turned to Christine who was holding Aurora. I could tell my youngest was tired and so was Christine. She looked like she was half a second away from losing her sanity so I mouthed the word thank you to her and slowly took my daughter out of her arms. As soon as her arms were free, she walked out of the room without looking back. ¡°Lie down, Audrey, let me tuck you in,¡± I told her and although she pouted, she obliged and did as I asked. ¡°Why did you want me to be here? Did you want me to tell you a story?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I just wanted to see you and mummy. Where is she?¡± Before I could respond, the door opened and at first, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that it was Cami but instead, Juan poked his head inside. He gave me a small shake of his head and I saw the sad look in his eyes. I bit back a curse and just gave him a nod of acknowledgment. I turned back to Audrey who was looking at me hopefully and waiting for a response. I couldn¡¯t tell her that I didn¡¯t know where her mother was. ¡°Your mum is asleep, like you should be right now,¡± I lied as I ced a soft kiss on her head. ¡°If you go to sleep right now then she will be here when you wake up. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°Do you promise?¡± I never liked to make promises, I hated the feeling whenever I couldn¡¯t fulfill them. It would have been stupid to make that kind of promise considering I didn¡¯t know where Cami was but I trusted that she wouldn¡¯t run, my wolf knew she was somewhere within the pce and the truth was, I wasn¡¯t going to let her get away from me again. I hooked my pinkie finger with Audrey¡¯s and nodded. ¡°I promise,¡± I assured her and that was all she needed. She smiled wide and pulled her covers up to her chin. ¡°Goodnight princess.¡± ¡°Goodnight daddy.¡± I turned out the lights and carried a sleeping Aurora back to her room. Once I was sure that both my girls were asleep, I made my way back to Juan who had never left the hallway. ¡°She wasn¡¯t there?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°Did you ask the guards? Perhaps one of them saw her or she was in a corner of the garden that you didn¡¯t check. That is the only part of the pce that she knows.¡± ¡°She could be with Peggy or Marie,¡± he offered but somehow I knew she wasn¡¯t there. Still, I couldn¡¯t take it off the list until I was absolutely sure. ¡°I will go to their rooms and ask.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell them you are looking for Cami,¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I wanted to hide it- I just did. ¡°Just tell them you wanted to check if everything is okay. I don¡¯t want anyone knowing that I cannot find Cami.¡± He raised both brows in suspicion. ¡°Did something happen? Do you think that maybe she could have run away? if that is possible then we should contact the border patrol and talk to the guards who are at the entrance to the-¡± ¡°No one should know,¡± I cut him off and he must have heard the urgency in my voice because he nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t find her, just mind link me. You don¡¯t have toe find me.¡± He went to do as I had asked while I tried searching everywhere else I could think of but I couldn¡¯t find her. A few minutes after departing, Juan told me she wasn¡¯t with either Peggy or Marie and that was when I started to panic. I couldn¡¯t find her and her wall was up so I couldn¡¯t reach her either. I was just about to give up when my wolf perked up. ¡°I can feel her,¡± he exined to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will work but I can try to track her through it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± I mumbled after a moment of hesitation. I allowed him lead me through the pce and up the steps until I was standing by a familiar pair of double doors. They were unlocked and for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t understand who would be in Leanor¡¯s room or why Cami would be there. I pushed it open and found her seated at the edge of the bed. Her eyes were watery and she tried to hide her tears but I had seen them. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked but she simply shrugged in response. ¡°I have been searching for you. The girls wanted you to tuck them into bed but-¡± ¡°I could do it right now,¡± she rushed to her feet and tried to side step me but I grabbed her upper arm. It was clear that she was looking for any excuse to avoid having the conversation but I wasn¡¯t going to let her leave with tears in her eyes. I needed to know why she wa crying and if I had somehow caused it. I also needed I to know what possessed her toe to Leanor¡¯s room and how she got the key because as far as I knew, the door was locked tight. She wouldn¡¯t look at me and I knew nothing I said or did would change that so I simply led her by the arm until we were seated on the bed. I didn¡¯t let go of her despite knowing that I probably should have and instead sat in silence with her. I wasn¡¯t going to push, I didn¡¯t care if we had to stay silent for the entire night until she felt ¡°It wasn¡¯t about you or because of you, I know that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking,¡± she whispered. ¡°I just needed a few minutes to myself. Everything tends to be overbearing sometimes and I just needed to be alone.¡± ¡°Why here?¡± I asked and she stilled. ¡°How did you get the key?¡°. ¡°You would be surprised how much the maids are willing to do for me simply because I am queen,¡± I snorted. ¡°1 simply said I wanted to see my mother¡¯s room and was directed to where all the keys are kept.. They looked at me like I was crazy for not knowing but it worked.¡± She was lying. There was some truth to her statement but it wasn¡¯t thepete truth and I needed to know exactly what it was. I had no idea why she would want to lie to me but she had been doing it so much more often and I needed her to be honest with me. I cupped her cheeks and forced her to look me square in the eye. ¡°Why were you crying?¡± I asked and she tried to turn away but I wouldn¡¯t let her. ¡°Tell me, Cami. What was wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just- I just needed to get myself together. I needed to be alone.¡± ¡°What color is my shirt?¡± She looked taken aback by my question. ¡°It is grey, what does that have to do with anything. You can look at your own shirt and-¡± ¡°Why were you crying?¡± I cut in sharply and this time she didn¡¯t even hesitate as she spoke: ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it would hurt so much being in her room. I haven¡¯t been here since she died and-¡± she pped her hand over her mouth when she realized exactly what she had said. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 212 CAMILLA''S POV A part of me hoped that he hadn''t heard my slip up or that it flew over his head but I knew that was wishful thinking We were talking about Ryker and he was quite possibly the most attentive man I knew. There was no way he missed I judging by his expression and the fact that he took a slow step away from me. I opened my mouth to defend myself but he held up a hand to stop me. ¡°How do you know that you haven''t been here since she died?¡± he asked and I hesitated before responding. ¡°You told me,¡± I lied but he shook his head. ¡°Come on, Ryker, don¡¯t you remember? When I asked you to exin everything to me, you told me that I didn¡¯t take my mother¡¯s death well and that I-¡± ¡°Don''t lie to me,¡± he cut me off harshly. ¡°I can take just about anything from you right now but do not lie to me. It seems like you have been doing enough of it already. I want the truth, Cami and I want it now or so help me, I will walk out of this room and that will be it.¡± Ryker had never given me an ultimatum before and that was how I knew that he was being serious. Despite the fact that he wasn''t yelling, I could tell that he was pissed and I knew that what I was going to say next could possibly make it even worse but I had to. I swallowed deeply and made my way over to the door that had been left slightly ajar. I made sure to look around to be sure that no one was watching before slowly closing it. Ryker was watching me the entire time but he didn''t say a word. I tried to ignore the look in his eyes, the one that said he didn¡¯t trust me anymore and tapped the side of the bed next to me. In his anger, he had rushed to his feet and I needed him seated for the conversation. ¡°Cami-" ¡°Please, just do this for me,¡± I whispered and he sighed before obliging. I took a deep breath before finally speaking the words that I knew could potentially wreck us. ¡°I remember.¡± His breath caught in his throat but there was no surprise, he had already made it out with my slip up. I never nned for him to find out this way, I never nned for him to find out at all. I just needed a little time and I wasn¡¯t sure if my admission was going to make things worse. His eyes held betrayal and anger and I wished I could take it all away but the truth was that I had betrayed him- I had lied to him. ¡°How long?¡± was his only question after a moment of silence. ¡°I can understand if it was yesterday or a few days ago. ¡°I got my memory back the night I returned,¡± I admitted and he stilled. ¡°It started toe back after I used my powers for the first time but it didn''tpletelye back until after¡± Ryker remained silent. He just sat next to me staring at me like I was a stranger. No words were spoken and there were so many things I wanted to say but I couldn''t bring myself to utter the first words. I had already done so much damage, I needed him to make the first move but he was taking so long to do so. ¡°Why did you pretend? Why did you lie to each and every one of us?¡± he asked. I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off. ¡°Was it for attention? Was there something you wanted that I couldn''t give you? I don¡¯t understand wh you would put all of us through hell for nothing.¡± ¡°Please stop yelling,¡± I implored looking around in a panic. ¡°Il will yell if I goddamn want to because you have been lying to me!¡± he eximed. ¡°If for whatsoever fucking reason you didn¡¯t want to tell the others, then you should have told me. I am your mate for f***s sake and you always do this. What will it take to get you to f*****g trust me and realize that we are a team?¡± ¡°I know we are a team but you need to please calm down. I will exin everything. Hell, I was going to exin everything when you woke up. I didn¡¯t n for it to happen like this, I needed to be sure but I wasn''t sure, I''m still not sure.¡± ¡°Not sure of what?¡± ¡°Marie and Peggy,¡± I whispered and he turned to me with a confused look. ¡°What are you talking about? Did they do anything to you? Did they say anything?¡± It was endearing how quickly he could switch from upset to concerned. He was still pissed at me, that much was certain but his concern outweighed the anger and that was how I knew I made the right decision and was mated to the right man. ¡°Since I got my memory, I noticed something weird. I found it unusual that they wanted me to move here so badly, especially Marie. She wanted it too much. At first I thought it could be something else but it''s more- there is more. I don¡¯t know but there is something off about her, and Peggy too because she just agrees with whatever Marie says or does, almost like Marie is pulling the strings.¡± ¡°So what, you nned to fake your memory loss until you were sure about them?¡± he asked. ¡°You could have told me. I would have helped you, I would have supported your decision. I have supported every crazy fucking decision that you have made, even the one that almost cost me you. What do I have to do to let you know that you can trust me?¡± ¡°I do trust you,¡± I reached out to him but he brushed off my touch. ¡°Ryker, I know you''re upset but you have to understand. This was the only way I could keep you all out of it. I could be wrong but I also could be right and if I am right then they could be dangerous. I didn¡¯t want to put anyone else in the firing line.¡± ¡°So once again you took the heat of it,¡± he scoffed and stood to his feet. ¡°I had hoped that after what happened, you wouldn''t be so keen on putting your life on the line for others. You did it and it cost you a part of your soul. You almost died on that cliff. How are you even still alive? I saw the life leave you.¡± ¡°I don''t know. If I did, I would tell you, I swear.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think that''s true,¡± he brushed invisible lint off his clothes. ¡°I''m done ying your game, Cami. I cannot keep chasing after someone who does not want to be caught. I cannot keep up with all of this. I love you but cannot keep doing this if you don¡¯t trust me.¡± He started to leave and in that moment, I panicked. I grabbed his arm and I knew if he wanted to leave, it wouldn''t have taken him any ounce of energy to brush me off but for some reason, he stilled. He turned to me and I could see just how tired he was. The truth was, if I were in his shoes, I would have felt the same way. I understood where he wasing from but I needed him to understand me. ¡°I put other''s lives above yours and the girls,¡± I began. ¡°I know that now and looking back, I probably would not have done it but I will always put your life over mine because that is what a good mate does. I wanted to keep you and th girls safe and I will not apologize for that. It killed me having to do what I did. It killed me having to pretend I didn''t know you when all I wanted was you but they were always there. I couldn''t have told you if I wanted to.¡± ¡°What about theke? I kissed you and you kissed me back. You could have told me.¡± ¡°I could, I wanted to but I saw Marie.¡± Thinking about it alone had shivers washing over me. I was prepared to tell Ryker everything when I smelled her. I had gotten used to Marie''s scent and Ryker must have been so fixated on me that he didn¡¯t notice. I saw her hiding behind a tree watching Ryker and I. She didn¡¯t notice that I saw her and I needed to pretend so that she wouldn''t grow suspicious and that was the only reason I pushed him away. I exined it all to him and by the time I was done, he was staring at me in deliberation. I could tell there was a war going on in his mind. He believed me, I could always count on him for that but there was obviously something else bothering him. ¡°That isn¡¯t enough,¡± he said finally. ¡°That was one time. There were plenty other opportunities.¡± ¡°I promise you, there were not. I have felt her everywhere. I am risking everything by telling you this but I know that she isn''t aware of this room which is why I came here. I just needed to think. I swear, I never nned to hurt you, I love you." ¡°I know you do,¡± he whispered before cing a soft kiss on my temple. ¡°I love you too which is why I am doing this. You need to learn to trust people and until you do that, I am not ying this game with you.¡± ¡°Ryker please,¡± I begged but he held out a hand to stop me. ¡°I will pretend with you. I will keep up with this simply because I don¡¯t want to be the reason something happens to the girls if you are right. I will look into Marie and Peggy and I will try to find out what I can about their life but it ends there. You need to prove that you aren''t just going to run away again and act out when things get hard.¡± ¡°How do I do that? How do I prove that to you? Tell me what to do and I will do it¡± There was an almost sad expression on his face. He ran his hands up and down my arms in aforting manner before resting his forehead against mine. He stayed like that for a full minute before taking a step back. ¡°That is something you have to learn for yourself,¡± he whispered. ¡°I will see you in the room, Cami¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 213 CAMILLA''S POV For the rest of the day, it was like living with a stranger. He wouldn''t look at me for longer than a few seconds and th tension between us was so thick that it could have been cut with a butter knife. I had hoped that before the day would be over, he would forgive me but nothing changed. When we went to tuck the girls in, he pretended to be his usual self but the moment we walked out, he was back to pretending like I didn''t exist. The honest truth was that I couldn''t even me him, it was my fault after all. When we got to the room, hey on the lounge with his back turned to me. His breathing was even to mimic sleeping but I knew he was wide awake. I couldnt sleep either. I justy in bed staring at his resting figure wondering how different things would have been if I had just told him. I honestly thought I was doing what was best for us all and now that he knew, I was on edge hoping that neither Marie nor Peggy figured out that something was up. ¡°I can feel you staring at me,¡± he drawled and my cheeks heated as I looked away. The air was thick with silence for a full minute before I heard him shuffling on the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Cami, I''m not even upset with you.¡± ¡°It seems like you are. You barely even look at me.¡± ¡°I know, and it isn''t for the reason that you think. I need you to trust me and if that means letting youe to me or your own then that is what I will do. I need you to realize that you don¡¯t have to do this yourself. You could have just told me.¡± ¡°I couldn''t,¡± I whispered. ¡°I told you, they are always there. I can feel someone watching me the entire time. I cannot see them, but I know someone is there. I don¡¯t know how else to exin this. I didn''t want to do this. If I had my way I would have told you from the beginning but I couldn''t. I know you don¡¯t believe me but it¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°I have to believe you, Cami, you''re my mate, I am obligated to believe that you won''t lie to me but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you didn¡¯t try. You could have dropped hints, you could have said something but you didn''t meaning you didn¡¯t mind doing this alone. What happens if you were right and someone had hurt you? I would neve have known that you remembered us." I sighed. ¡°I''m sorry, Ryker. I know that isn¡¯t enough but that¡¯s all that I can offer right now.¡± I wanted him by my side. I felt grossly overwhelmed and I just wanted my mate by my side and it dawned on me that my actions had brought me to this ce. Visit Job n i b .cO m to read theplete chapters for free. He wasn¡¯t going toe to me, he had made that much clear but I couldn''t help but wonder if he would stop me from going to him. I hesitated for a minute before slowly sliding out of bed. I saw him tense, he was lying on his back but when I got clos enough, his eyes settled on me. ¡°Can you just hold me, please?¡± I whispered scared that he was going to say no. ¡°You can go back to ignoring me tomorrow, I just-" My words trailed off because the honest truth was that I had no idea what to say. He watched me for a few seconds and it felt like minutes ticking by. Just when I hade to the conclusion that my demand was ludicrous and I was about to apologize, he stood to his feet. He ced his hands on my shoulders before stepping closer to ce a kiss on my forehead. It was soft and I honestly felt like I could cry. ¡°I just wanted you to ask,¡± he whispered against my skin before walking me over to the bed. As soon as he was settled in, I wasted no time in curling up into his side. He wrapped his arms around me and for a second, all the tension was gone and it was just me and my mate. ¡°Ask me, Cami, that''s all I want from you."Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I''ll try,¡± it was the best I could offer at that moment and he knew it too because he didn¡¯t push, he just traced small circles across my back until the sleep finally took me. When I woke up, Ryker was out of bed and his side was cold. I tried to hide the disappointment on my face but I clearly wasn''t doing a good job at it. It was still very early and I found myself going out into the gardens. I didn¡¯t expect Loris to be seated there in front of the fountain. I hadn''t mentioned anything about wanting to start training. ¡°I figured it was only a matter of time before you showed up,¡± he mused. ¡°Have you been practicing or are we going to have to start over? Because from what I heard, you had a great disy of power up on that cliff¡± I turned my face down into a confused expression. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be modest,¡± he waved me over and I took a few steps towards him. ¡°We can work on attack patterns, I am so excited to move forward with this.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t it be better if she showed you what she could do, just to be sure that she can?¡± I stilled when I heard Marie''s voice from behind me. I had sensed her around, I just didn¡¯t know when she was going to show up. I turned to her and gave her what I hoped was my best relieved expression. She came to stand next to me and thread her hand through my elbow. Loris was looking at her with confusion and I could tell that for some reason, it slightly annoyed her. ¡°l am sorry, but who might you be? I don¡¯t think we have ever met before.¡± ¡°I''m Marie,¡± she held out a hand to him and he shook it. ¡°Cami asked me to be here with her today. She wanted somepany, right, Cami?¡± I nodded slowly. I couldn''t tell her to leave or it would have raised suspicion. She smiled triumphantly at Loris who looked a little uneasy about the situation but seeing as I had agreed, there was little to nothing that he could do. Once she was sure that no one was going to send her off, she pulled away from me and went to sit by the bench close to the fountain. There was an eager look in her eye, as if she wanted to know just how far my powers went. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try pulling the water from underneath us?¡± Loris suggested. ¡°I heard that you managed to bend the water at the bottom of the cliff from where you stood. It must have been an incredible feat¡± ¡°It was probably a spur of the moment thing,¡± I lied but he waved me off. ¡°You''ll never know if you don''t try.¡± ¡°He''s right, Cami,¡± Marie cut in making Loris frown. I could tell that he hated having her here. ¡°You should try, you would be surprised at what you can do.¡± I knew I could do it, I could feel the waves thrumming beneath my feet but I wasn¡¯t going to. I made a show of kneeling and cing my palms t on the ground. I closed my eyes but did nothing, I didn¡¯t try to summon the wate or pull on it, I just stayed still making sure to squeeze my eyes every few seconds so it looked like I was trying. Despite my eyes being closed, I could feel Marie''s disappointment and when I finally opened my eyes to look at her, thought of the most embarrassing thing I could think of so that my cheeks would ting pink. ¡°It''s alright,¡± Loris broke the silence first. ¡°Your adrenaline was probably working overtime that evening. I am sure we will get back to there in no time. Today, we can focus on the basics just to be sure we are all caught up on it.¡± I went through the basics of training trying to avoid Marie''s piercing gaze but there was nothing I could do about it. As soon as Loris announced that it was over, she grabbed my upper arm and began to pull me towards the pce. I tried to ignore the fact that her grip was tighter than usual and that she looked a bit disappointed. ¡°I thought you would be better with your powers,¡± she drawled. ¡°The way he spoke, it sounded like you were some master at it. What did he mean by what you did on the cliff? I didn¡¯t quite understand it.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ryker said that there was some kind of battle but he didn¡¯t go into specifics. I could ask him if you really wanted to know.¡± She shook her head. ¡°If that is part of what caused your memory loss, I think it is best if we leave it be for now. We don¡¯t want to bring up any adverse memories instead. Speaking of Ryker, how is he? I tried looking for youst night but I was told that you were with him." She had a sly grin on her face and her eyes were alight with curiosity. I knew what she was expecting to hear but instead of answering, I just shrugged. ¡°Come on, Cami, that man is head over heels for you. You should take advantage of it. You are Queen but imagine having a man like that in love with you. It is something you should take hold of with both hands. If I had someone like that who wanted me-" She trailed off and I tried to mp down on my irritation. She had said this exact phrase before and it wasn''t any less irritating. He was my mate, not hers. ¡°I''m just saying, Cami you might want to snatch that man up before someone else does. Men like him don¡¯t wait forever¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 214 RYKER''S POV It was a wonder how Cami could keep a secret of this magnitude. It had only been a few days and yet I badly needed someone to talk to about it but I couldn''t. I had promised to keep her secret until we could find proof that put her fears to rest. I still didn''tpletely understand it but with Cami, I barely understood. I had learned over the years to just go with it and hope that it made sense by the time we came out on the other side. ¡°You called for me.¡± Christine announced as she walked into my office. I gestured for her to lock the door and her brows furrowed in confusion but she did as I asked. ¡°Is everything alright with Cami? Does she need something?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t about Cami,¡± although it was but I couldn''t tell her that. ¡°I need you to do a deep dive on Peggy and Marie. Find out whatever you can without them knowing. Send spies back to their vige and get as much information on them as possible.¡± Her brows rose. ¡°Is there a certain reason for this or is this an order that I cannot question.¡± In the months where Cami was gone, I had grown closer to Christine than I would have imagined and in that moment, I wanted to damn everything to hell and tell her what was going on but I noticed something under my door it was a shadow, as if someone had situated themselves outside. It was barely noticeable and if I wasn¡¯t on edge, I probably would not have noticed. I held my hand to my lips and quietly walked over to the door. Once I was there, I pulled it open quickly and I noticed Marie walking past my office. She turned to me and gave me: warm smile as if she hadn''t just been snooping. I could feel Christine behind me as she came over to investigate. ¡°Hello, Ryker,¡± Marie curtsied slightly, her smile never dropping. ¡°Were you just passing by?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Il wanted to go out for some fresh air, the pce tends to be a bit overwhelming sometimes,¡± she chuckled softly. ¡°I wouldn''t want to keep you, I should be going.¡± ¡°Perhaps I should get a guard to go with you, so you don¡¯t get lost.¡± She shook her head almost too quickly. ¡°I will be fine. I wouldn''t want to bother anyone or have them babysitting me when there are more important things that they could do with their time.¡± ¡°It would be an honor for any of the guards to watch over the Queen''s own visitors,¡± Christine cut in and Marie went silent when she realized we were not going to drop this. She nodded simply but I could tell that she wasn''t pleased. ¡°A guard will meet you at the front gate and they will make sure to watch over you safely.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ryker, and you too, Christine,¡± with one final curtsy, she turned on her heels and walked away. I watched her walk away and it wasn''t until her figure hadpletely retreated that Christine finally spoke. ¡°I take it that it has something to do with that¡± I didn¡¯t bother denying, I just nodded. ¡°Does Cami know about this? She might not be pleased knowing that we are looking into the people that she considers family.¡± She spat thest word like it was a curse and I could tell that this entire situation was taking a toll on Christine. She deserved to know and it wasn''t my ce to tell her but I was going to do my best to convince Cami to do so herself. The first rule of a family was ¡°no lies¡¯ and it was about time that she started living by that. ¡°It was her idea actually,¡± I said in response to her earlier question and her eyes widened considerably. ¡°You have to be discreet about this. I don''t want anyone figuring out what is happening. Also,¡± I dropped my voice to a whisper. ¡°be careful about what you say and where you say it. I may have caught her now but who knows how many times we haven''t?¡± A dark look crossed her features and she nodded. ¡°I will get that information as quickly as possible. The spies will be out within the hour¡± She walked away and before I could stop myself, I called out to her. She stopped and looked at me over the shoulder! but I couldn''t bring myself to say the words. Cami was still my mate and I owed her my loyalty. Instead, I cleared my throat. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said instead and she gave me a sad smile as if she knew there was something else. ¡°You don''t have to thank me, we are family.¡± I watched her walk away and once she was gone, I went in search of Cami. I knew she was going to be in her office but that was not the ce I wanted to have the conversation. She looked shocked to see me but I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her chair. She made a yelp of surprise but otherwise didn''t try to fight me and allowed me pull her down the halls. I could feel the maids looking at us with varying looks of amusement and curiosity but I couldn''t care less about any of them as I led her up the stairs. Once we were at the door of the room, I pulled her inside and locked it behind us. Still, I didn¡¯t want to risk someone hearing us so I dragged her into the bathroom. ¡°Can you take one second to talk to me instead of pulling me around like a rag doll?¡± she asked once I let go of her arm. ¡°l would have agreed to talk to you there¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to risk anyone overhearing and I am sorry if I hurt you by pulling you around,¡± she waved me off and I hesitated before saying my next words. ¡°You need to tell Christine.¡± I didnt need to borate, she knew exactly what I was talking about and she was very quick to shake her head. I reached out for her but she took a step back holding her hand out to stop me. I knew I was going to get this kind of reaction but that didn¡¯t mean I was prepared for it.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Cami-" ¡°No,¡± she cut me off. ¡°I already put this entire thing at risk by telling you, I cannot tell her too. I don¡¯t want to, Ryker and please do not make me look like the bad guy by refusing to say something.¡± ¡°She is your family and all of this is hurting her badly. She misses you and she cannot be with you because she thinks you don¡¯t remember her. You know how she is, she doesn¡¯t know how to start over. She is trying but she is hurting, Cami and that isn''t fair on her¡± ¡°This entire situation isn''t fair,¡± she eximed and she must have realized how loud she was because she expelled a heavy breath of air. ¡°I want to tell her, I swear, I do but I can¡¯t. Do I just go up to her and say that I remember her and I have been pretending?¡± ¡°You said it to me.¡± ¡°You can''t hate me, Ryker and despite that, you have been avoiding me. Christine will never forgive me if I do that¡± ¡°She will never forgive you if she finds outter. I will not force you to do anything but you know what you have to do. It is not an easy choice but it is the right one and you know it. We need all hands on deck for this and no one car keep a secret like she can.¡± She knew I was right, I could tell from her expression, all she needed was a little push. I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around her shoulders as I pulled her into my chest. I felt all the tension bleed out of her as she just smoothed herself against me. She felt like bliss and I couldn''t help but wonder why I ever thought I could stay away from her. ¡°l wasn''t avoiding you because I was pissed at you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I was avoiding you because I couldn''t believe that didn¡¯t notice. I was avoiding you because I should have known better. Christine might be angry for a while but she will get it and she will forgive you. You just have to tell her¡± She was silent for a second before nodding. ¡°Okay, I will tell her¡± I made to move back but she held me tighter. ¡°Can just have this for a few minutes more, please? I just- I can¡¯t have this in public anymore and I just wanted to-" ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself to me,¡± I whispered cing a soft kiss on her forehead. ¡°We can stay here for as long as you want.¡± We ended up standing there for what felt like twenty minutes before I heard a faint knock on our door. I gently pulles away from her much to my displeasure so that I could answer it and I found a guard standing there with his eyes cas to the ground. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°Well, then you better have a good reason foring to bother me.¡± ¡°There is someone waiting for you at the doors of the pce, your majesty, I think it best if youe and see for yourself¡± I nced back at Cami who hade out of the bathroom and was watching the scene with apprehension. We followed the guard and all the while I tried to think of all the possible people who could be there but my mind kept drawing up nks. I heardughter and squealing before I saw any faces and I knew who it was. My first thought was Cami and I turned to her. ¡°Will you be able to-" I began but was cut off by someone clearing their throat in front of me. I looked forward to see my sister with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Since you wouldn''t invite me,¡± Riley began, ¡°I thought it would be best if I invited myself.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 215 Riley stood there with a wide smile on her face embracing her brother and I stilled. I wasn¡¯t prepared for this and I had no idea how we were going to navigate the now very tricky situation. I caught Christine''s eye over Riley''s body and she immediately rushed over to my side while Ryker attended to his sister and best friend. ¡°Riley is Ryker¡¯s younger sister, Damien is her mate although I''m not sure if they are mated as of now,¡± she exined ¡°Thest time we saw them, they had a huge fight of sorts. I don¡¯t know if it has been resolved.¡± The fact that she still took time out to exin to me had me feeling guilty and I remembered Ryker¡¯s earlier words. ¡°Christine, I need to-" ¡°Whatever you want to say, you can talk about itter. For now, just focus on not letting them know that you don''t remember,¡± she took a step back from me as Riley''s eyes finally found mine. She rushed over to me and I allowed myself to bask in her embrace. I was aware that I was meant to be putting on a show but Riley was like my sister and I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could pretend. I remembered how things ended the last time and I was just grateful that she was here and not pissed off at us. She pulled back from me with a smile before turning to Ryker. ¡°I am still pissed that you sent me away thest time. What were you even thinking?¡± ¡°I was keeping you safe,¡± he said simply and when she opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off. ¡°Let''s take you inside, okay? We have a lot that we need to talk about.¡± He turned to Christine and Juan. ¡°Do you think you can take the girls inside? There are a few things we have to discuss.¡± Christine nodded and I watched as they ushered my children inside. Ryker and Riley walked ahead and I let them have their moment. I never had siblings so I couldn''t tell how hard it was for them to be apart but I was willing to give them their space. Visit Job n i b .cO m to read theplete chapters for free.It also gave me the chance to think about how we were going to navigate this mess we found ourselves in. Were we going to tell them I had lost my memory or were we just going to watch things y out?¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± o nearly jumped when I heard Damien''s voice by my ears. He was standing next to me with a concerned look on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. You just looked lost in your own mind right there. Is everything okay?¡± I nodded and gave him the best smile I could muster at the moment. ¡°I''m good, I am just thinking about a few things.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I could tell there was more that he wanted to say so I stayed quiet to give him the chance and opportunity tc do so. It took two minutes for him to finally speak up again. ¡°When Riley told me that you both sent her back, I knew something was wrong. I tried to reach out but I didn¡¯t get any answers back.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°We had a lot going on at the time,¡± it was a simple and vague response. ¡°I think you should talk to Ryker if you want any questions answered. We just didn¡¯t want Riley here while we tried to fix our shit. I think it worked out well seeing as you both came together¡± At my words, a small smile graced his lips. ¡°Yeah, I finally got my own head out of my a*s long enough to see that she was the only person I needed. I didn''t want toe here in the first ce, I don¡¯t know how she is going to react to me being here with Christine but I wanted to put an end to things officially.¡± ¡°You came to reject her,¡± I deduced and he nodded. ¡°We aren''t officially rejected yet but the bond is so strained that can barely feel her. I just want to make sure I have a clean te when I start over with Riley.¡± ¡°I think that''s a beautiful thing,¡± I gave him a small smile. ¡°You are not the same person who came here thest time and that is a very good thing.¡± We arrived in front of the room and I took a step back so he would walk in after them. I made to leave but noticed that Ryker hadn''t gone in yet. He gave some excuse to Riley about giving her time to rx and meeting up again at dinner then he made his way over to me. I looked around trying to see if Marie or Peggy was around. I couldn''t see either of them but I couldn''t shake the feeling that I was being watched. ¡°Are they here?¡± he asked and I shrugged. ¡°I don''t know, they might be.¡± I hadn''t realized how difficult it would be to do this until today. He sighed and turned me to face him. He reached ou to tuck a strand of hair away from my face before suddenly pinning me against the wall. The breath was knocked out of my throat and he leaned down so that his lips were brushing mine. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I whispered. I couldn''t concentrate, my mind was moving a mile a minute. ¡°No one can see us this way. They''ll probably think I''m trying to seduce you or something,¡± he drawled. ¡°Do you want me to tell her that you lost your memory or what?¡± ¡°No,¡± I decided and is brows furrowed. ¡°If I had truly lost my memory, I wouldnt want anyone to know and that includes her¡± ¡°This is moreplicated than it needs to be,¡± he sounded slightly annoyed and I couldn''t me him. If I were in hi: position, I would have been annoyed to. ¡°We are in over our heads, Cami, we need to find something and we need to find it soon or this entire thing is going to blow up.¡± He pulled back from me before I could respond and walked away. It took me a full minute to regain myposure and get the redness out of my cheeks. I needed to get out of there as soon as possible and was rushing towards my room. I wasn''t paying attention to where I was going and bumped into Christine. She was holding a ss of water that shattered on the ground and spilled all over both of us. ¡°l am so sorry,¡± I apologized but she waved me off. I bent down to retrieve the pieces but she grabbed my upper arm and gestured to one of the maids who was already rushing over. While the maid was cleaning, she leaned in and whispered. ¡°You are Queen, Cami, you cannot be picking up piece: of ss.¡± She turned back to the maid with a smile. ¡°Thank you." She pulled me away before I could say another word and I realized that we were well and truly alone. I could have told her but I couldn''t help but be terrified of her response. Christine was a terrifying person even when she didn''t want to be. ¡°I can feel you staring at me,¡± she drawled. ¡°What exactly is the problem? Do you need something?¡± ¡°No, actually, I wanted to tell you that-" The words died on my lips when I noticed Peggy making her way over to us. She was chatting animatedly with a guard who seemed more than happy to keep herpany. It didn¡¯t seem like she was eavesdropping but it was a weird coincidence that she managed to show up just as I was about to speak. I wasn''t sure if it was the goddess¡¯ way of telling me to stay silent or if it was a mere happenstance and I was reading too much into it. ¡°Cami,¡± Peggy smiled when she saw me. She thanked the guard and waved him off. Once he was gone, she turned to me. ¡°I heard there was a new visitor. Apparently she is rted to you? I didn¡¯t know you had such a family.¡± ¡°She is rted to Ryker, actually,¡± I corrected. ¡°She is his little sister and she is here with her mate.¡± ¡°Does she know about-" she trailed off and I knew what she wanted to ask. I shook my head and Peggy gave me a sad smile. She reached out to ce a warm hand on my shoulder and that wa all Christine needed to make up some weird excuse and walk away. I wanted to ask her to stay but I couldn''t find it ir myself to form the words. ¡°Did I do something to upset her?¡± Peggy asked but I shook my head. ¡°Oh, I see, you were having a moment and I interrupted it. I understand, she is your family and she is probably not used to having to share you with other people¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that is it.¡± Sheughed. ¡°She is family, Cami, she is jealous and rightly so. We are intruders and she probably just wants her sister back. You should go find her, I am not going anywhere. We can talkter¡± She gave my hand a warm squeeze and I watched her walk away. I waited until she was gone before I went in search of Christine. She wasn''t in the offices or in the gardens. Her room was thest option and I knew that if I met her eyes, I was going to chicken out so I had it all worked out. Once I got to her door, I took in a deep breath and pulled I open. I shut the door behind me and blurted out the words. ¡°I remember everything. I have been pretending that I hadnt gotten my memory back but I cannot hide it from you and I know you''re going to hate me and I am sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± My eyes flew open when I realized it was Juan''s voice I heard. My cheeks flushed as I took in Christine with the covers pulled up to her chest. I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know what exactly had been going on before I walked in. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. I had never been so mortified in my life. ¡°I think I''ll just wait outside,¡± I mumbled before rushing out as quickly as I could. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 216 CAMILLA''S POV I ran my hands down my face trying to wash away the images that were now permanently etched into my brain. Seeing Christine like that was not on my bucket list of things to do and I couldn''t help but wonder if some how I had made everything worse by storming into the room when she was with her mate. I waited a full five minutes before the door opened and Juan stepped out. I didn¡¯t want to meet his gaze for fear that there would be some kind of anger or betrayal in them but then he cec his hand on my shoulder in a warm andfortin manner and I couldnt stop myself from looking up. His eyes didn¡¯ hold any of those emotions, he just gave me a warm smile. ¡°She is waiting inside,¡± he said softly and I made to move but he held me in ce. ¡°She can be a bit unreasonable and I don¡¯t know why you chose to do this but I believe it was for a good reason. She wille to understand it, sooner orter.¡± I didn''t know how much I needed to hear those words until he had said them. I blinked back the moisture that had gathered in my eyes and with onestforting smile, I watched him start to walk away when I changed my mind and called out to him. ¡°This will seem like an absurd statement but can you stay?¡± I asked and his brows furrowed. ¡°Not inside, I just want to know if you can stay close by to make sure that no one is eavesdropping or listening in¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°Does someone always listen in on your conversations?¡± ¡°I don''t know, sometimes I think so and I don¡¯t want anyone to overhear this. I know it sounds stupid but you have t trust me on this. I also don¡¯t want anyone knowing that Christine and I are speaking. It might prove to be-" He waved me off. ¡°I''ll be here, don¡¯t worry and no one will know.¡± I silently thanked him before finally making my way into the room. Christine was seated on the bed but this time she was dressed in one of her night gowns. Her hands were crossed over her chest and her face was carefully nk and devoid of all emotion. I hated it because it meant I had to guess how she felt, I had to guess how hurt or not she was ¡°Christine-" I began but she held up a hand to stop me. ¡°Let me get this straight, you have been lying to all of us the entire time,¡± I wanted to refute her words but it was the truth and I wasn''t going to put Ryker in trouble by saying I had told him earlier. ¡°So this is why Ryker asked me to look into them. I thought he was just being worried but in truth, you had lied to us and he knew about it ¡°He didn¡¯t, I only told him a few days ago. It hasn''t even been up to a week since I did, I swear,¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she believed me especially considering she just turned away from me. ¡°I wanted to tell you, I hated hiding it from you but-" ¡°But why and you better have a fucking good exnation for this because Cami, I am five seconds away from asking you to get the hell out of my room and never looking at you again. I have mourned your loss every single day since you walked into this pce wondering if I would ever get you back and you were just pretending the entire time. How could I have been so stupid?¡± ¡°Something is up with Marie and Peggy.¡± She snorted. ¡°Even I could have told you that¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± I exined everything to her as best as I could and she was silent the entire time. I wanted Christine to understand me, I couldn''t bear having both her and Ryker pissed off at me, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to survive it. He was my mate but she was my best friend, she was my sister and I couldn''t do this without her. It was one of the reasons I wanted to keep her safe, I didn¡¯t want to include her in whatever mess was forming. I didn¡¯t mince any words and exined as best as I could. By the time I was done speaking, she had her hands crossed over her chest and her lips were turned downward. ¡°I know it is a stupid excuse, Ryker told me as much when I told him but I truly do believe that something is wrong and I need to get to the bottom of it before I start making any obvious decisions. Please tell me that you understand.¡± ¡°As a member of the royal family, I understand,¡± I let out a sigh of relief but she stood to her feet and came to stand directly in front of me. ¡°But as your sister, I am pissed off as hell that you wouldn''t talk to me about this. I have kept all your secrets, I have fought all your battles, what made you think that I wouldn''t be willing or able to fight this one.¡± ¡°Because you''re pregnant,¡± I whispered and she stilled. She took a slow step back and nced at the door but I shook my head. ¡°It is like you said, you are my sister and I noticed. I knew you wanted to tell me and that was more of a reason why I wanted to hide it from you. I knew you would demand to be involved and Christine, what you need right now is to be happy and focused on yourself¡± I had figured out about her pregnancy less than a week back into the pce. Her movements were subtle but I always caught her rubbing her hand over her belly softly and then ncing at me after as if she wanted to say something to me. I noticed that she was more tired than usual as well and I just put the pieces together but I didn''t want to say anything until I had confirmed it which I just did. She ran her hands through her hair and sunk back into the bed. ¡°You still should have told me. I can help without being involved. You did stupid as hell things while pregnant too.¡± ¡°I did,¡± I answered with a smallugh. ¡°That is exactly why I know I don¡¯t want you doing the same. I want you and that child safe and I will not apologize for lying to you about it.¡± She opened her mouth to speak but a knock on the door cut her off. She turned to me in confusion but I held a hanc to my lips as Juan started speaking. ¡°Sweetheart, you really need to get dressed faster. I don¡¯t know why you won''t le me be in there.¡± ¡°What is he-" she began but I cut her off. ¡°Someone is close by and might be listening,¡± I responded in a slow whisper. ¡°Can you open the door and poke your head out so it doesn¡¯t seem like anything is going on in here?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She nodded and did exactly as I had asked. Juan met my eye through the slightly open door and gave me a discreet nod. I knew he was going to handle everything and when she shut the door, Christine turned back to me. ¡°I guess you weren''t really overreacting.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Marie was outside,¡± she exined. ¡°Apparently she was looking for you.¡± Once Marie was gone, I snuck out of the room after Christine had promised to try and get as much information as possible as soon as she could. I should have gone looking for Marie after but I didn¡¯t want to be around her just yet. needed a few minutes to myself to figure out what was going on so I made my way into Audrey''s room. She was seated cross legged in bed and when she saw me, her eyes widened to the point of saucers and she rushed over to me. ¡°Hey, sweetheart,¡± I whispered carrying her in a front piggy back as I made my way over to the chair overlooking the balcony. ¡°I missed you.¡± ¡°I missed you too,¡± she whispered against my shoulder and without missing a beat, she started telling me everything she had done during the day. I just sat there listening to her talk and it was amazing how much it did to calm me. I didn''t realize just how much I had missed being able to just be with my daughters. It had been maids and work and I saw her every day but it didn feel enough. We just sat there together on that chair for what felt like mere minutes but in reality was about two hours before the door creaked open revealing Ryker. He looked between Audrey and I and I saw his eyes soften considerably. ¡°Aurora is right next door, if she had waken up, I wouldn''t known,¡± I exined but he didn¡¯t seem to need it. He just made his way over to me and ced both hands on my shoulders. ¡°Are you still upset?¡± ¡°Why is daddy upset with you?¡± Audrey jumped in and Rykerughed. ¡°I''m not upset with your mother. I just needed some time to clear her head because she was keeping secrets.¡± ¡°Secrets are bad,¡± she frowned and Ryker hummed as he ced a soft kiss in the center of my head. ¡°Your mum knows that now and I am fairly certain that she won''t do that again,¡± he reached around me to take Audrey from my arms. ¡°Come, princess, we have dinner to get to and you haven''t told me about your day yet. ¡°I told mummy.¡± ¡°Now you get to tell me.¡± They were still talking when the door flew open and both Christine and Juan rushed in. Christine had an eager look on her face and Ryker must have seen it too because he handed Audrey over to Juan and promised to be there soon. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked once Audrey was gone and she held out what looked like a sealed letter. ¡°I wrote to the mayor of the town about Marie and Peggy. I just heard back from them.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 217 CAMILLA''S POV As much as I wanted to hear what Christine had to say, I couldn''t do that immediately. We still had dinner to attend to and so I sat at that table anxiously waiting and tapping my feet wondering what the hell she could have figured out to make her excited like that. It was incredibly hard to keep up pretenses when my mind was anywhere but the dinner and I muttered a prayer to the goddess that I didnt slip up or do anything to jeopardize my carefully crafted n. After dinner, I picked up Aurora with the intention of going to put her in bed when I heard Marie calling out to me. I froze mid-step and muttered a small prayer under my breath before turning to her. She was running to catch up to me and when she finally got there, she had a hand on her chest to calm her breathing. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°If you would like to sit down for a second then-" ¡°I have been looking for you all day, didn¡¯t anyone tell you?¡± she asked and I shook my head. ¡°I checked your room and your office, hell, I even went to Christine to check for you but something seems to be up with her and her mate. They have been acting a little weird.¡± I feigned confusion. ¡°What do you mean by weird?¡± ¡°Are you sure that they are actual mates? He was outside while she was changing or some shit like that. It just seemedpletely awkward. I think they might be hiding something.¡± ¡°I can try to ask but I can¡¯t remember if they are,¡± I forced my expression into one of sadness and confusion. Marie ced both hands on either side of my shoulder and smiled. ¡°It''s fine, we can figure it outter. It isn¡¯t the most important thing right now,¡± she nced over at Aurora in my arms. ¡°I see you are getting used to the children. How does it feel being a mother?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don''t know, I''m trying to get used to it. Ryker says that I used to tuck them in and now they don¡¯t sleep unless I am the one doing it. I keep hoping it would spark some memories but I am getting nothing.¡± It was almost scary how easy it was for me to lie and how easily she was eating it up. She reached out to touch Aurora and in that moment, I knew I was going to pull back. It was going to cause some suspicion on her part but the thought of her touching my daughter didn''t sit right with me. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to because footsteps began making their way towards us and she pulled back of her own ord. I let out a sigh of relief but that was short lived when I saw Riley make her way over to me. ¡°If I didn''t know better, I would say that you were avoiding me,¡± she mused. ¡°Can we take a walk?¡± I nced over at Marie silently pleading with her to stay. I would have rather taken her over Riley because with her, I knew how to act. I wasn''t sure how to put on a show for Riley but she gave me a sad smile before slowly slinking away. Riley was still watching me with a question in her eyes so I sighed and nodded. ¡°I have to meet with Ryker and Christine, we have a few things we need to talk about,¡± I exined and she frowned. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± she asked and my brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°If this is about thest time then I am so sorry. I know I said things I shouldnt have but I was just angry, I didn¡¯t know what was happening, I didn¡¯t want to see Damien and I thought I was being chased away by the people I considered family. Please, I just need you to stop avoiding me.¡± ¡°I''m not, Riley.¡± She snorted. ¡°I might be younger than everyone in this pce but I am not stupid. You haven''t stopped to speak to me and right now it seems like you would rather be anywhere but with me. I know what I said before and I know that words can be difficult to forget but you are my sister, Cami and I am sorry.¡± I paused in my tracks and turned to her. ¡°It isn''t about you, I swear. A lot has happened since you let and-sometimes time takes its toll. I am not avoiding you, this is your home, and you can be here as much as you want.¡± That seemed to get rid of whatever fears she had because her eyes watered and I saw her discreetly trying to wipe them away. She reached out for Aurora and this time, I didn¡¯t hesitate and handed her over. I trusted Riley with my life, I trusted Riley with my daughters, they knew her and they loved her. ¡°Do you want to tell me how you and Damien came back together?¡± I asked and her cheeks heated. ¡°You don''t have to tell me now, it is a story I would like to hear at some point in time.¡± ¡°l will tell you, I just-" she trailed off. ¡°I want to talk to Ryker about it first. I was undeniably rude to him thest time and I think he deserves to know first.¡± ¡°That''s fine, let''s go put Aurora to sleep so I can find Christine before she kills me.¡± We walked in silence and for the first time in a long time, things felt normal. I felt like myself again walking with Riley She didn¡¯t know any of the bad things that had happened and she was just a bundle of sunshine. She held Aurora al the way to her room where both Christine and Ryker were already waiting. They looked at us with varying levels of concern but I tried to tune them out. At least for the next few seconds, I still wanted peace. ¡°Perhaps we can talk tomorrow,¡± Riley suggested once Aurora was down for bed and I nodded. ¡°I''d like that, thank you.¡± She gave me a warm smile before leaving and the moment she was gone, Ryker turned to me. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, she doesn¡¯t know or suspect a thing,¡± I gave him my version of a smile. ¡°Can we go somewhere more private tc talk about this? I don¡¯t want anyone to overhear.¡± ¡°I have the perfect ce,¡± Christine announced before leading us towards the secret library. I had forgotten the ce even existed. It looked untouched and it was a great ce to speak because first of all, no one knew about it and second, it was well hidden that no one would overhear us. I wasn''t sure if Ryker or Christine had called for Juan but he was seated on one of the armchairs just watching me. I cocked a brow and he just smiled. ¡°You really fooled us,¡± he mused. ¡°I thought you had seriously lost your memory.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I did lose it, I just got it back and didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Is there a specific reason? I don¡¯t want the bullshit you gave them about not knowing. Something made you apprehensive of them.¡± ¡°It was the day I pulled Peggy out of the water. It just seemed too perfect, you know? She has lived in that ce her whole life and she has never fallen in. How could she live there and not know how to swim? It just seemed perfectly set up. After I got my memory, that part stood out to me and I got suspicious forck of better words.¡± He stared at me unblinking for a minute before humming. ¡°That makes sense I guess. Don¡¯t worry, I''m not as pissed as the others that you lied to us.¡± ¡°That''s because you''re an unfeeling robot,¡± Christine shot at him before turning to me. ¡°So, are we going to talk abou this letter or not?¡± everyone immediately went silent and she handed it over to me. ¡°We can read the letter or I can just summarize what I found out to make things easier¡± I gestured for her to go on. I would have loved to read it myself but I wasn''t sure I would be able to sit down long enough to make out any of the words. Neither men reached out for it either so she cleared her throat and began exining. ¡°The spies went to them to ask about Peggy and Marie and they had enough to say about Peggy, but not enough about Marie,¡± my brows furrowed in confusion but she continued. ¡°Apparently, Peggy is a single mother that everyon loves but her daughter was not the brightest tool in the shed. I couldn''t get specifics but there was an incident concerning Marie.¡± ¡°I know about that,¡± I cut in. ¡°Peggy told me that Marie liked a boy and he along with her best friend took her into th woods and tried to attack her?¡± ¡°Tried?¡± she asked opening the envelope and pulling out a piece of paper. She slid it over to me. ¡°They didn''t try, they assaulted her. They cornered her and beat her within n inch of her life. They also fed her a very heavy dose of wolf''s bane.¡± The thought of them doing that to someone, it was enough to have me nearly throwing up. I couldn''t hear any more, just wanted to know she got justice. ¡°What happened to them after that?¡± ¡°I don''t know, there was no proof that they did it but spection says so. All I know is that ording to that letter, Marie was badly hurt and had been in the hospital for years until a few months ago when you happened to walk into that pack, she died¡± I scoffed. ¡°What are you talking about? Marie is right here in the pce with us. I just spoke to her a few minutes ago¡± ¡°Not ording to their hospital reports. ording to those reports, Marie is dead. I don¡¯t know who the hell is in thi pce with us but it is not her¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 218 RYKER''S POV Of all the things I expected to hear, a dead or rather undead person would not have been my first few guesses. I stared at Christine wondering if she had misread but her expression didn¡¯t change. Juan and Cami were asking questions but I took the envelope out of her hands and started reading through it expecting to see something different from what she had said but it was the same thing detailing the situations around Marie''s death. ¡°If she has been dead this entire time,¡± I began cutting everyone off and making them turn to me. ¡°How did you not realize? The people should have been concerned seeng a dead person walking around the town, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Everything seemed normal,¡± Cami looked like she had just been thrown for a loop. ¡°I swear it, if I felt anything wa amiss, I would have said it a long time ago. Everyone spoke to her, it doesn¡¯t make sense that they would say this now. She was with us the entire time.¡± ¡°She is right, I was there for a few hours but if someone saw a ghost, they would have mentioned it¡± ¡°So what are you saying?¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Either this report is false or something was going on while you were in that town. How else would an entire town be able to forget that someone is dead especially if they died in a way as brutal as this?¡± I tossed the envelope on the table between us. No one dared to speak and as I ran my hands through my hair, I realized just how truly amusing the entire situation was. We had dealt with vampires, other werewolves and practically everything you could think to deal with. I wondered if the goddess was seated and watching us while laughing. I wondered if she had more in store or if she was finally going to look at us one day and decide that we hac enough and it was time to give us a break. ¡°Magic,¡± Cami¡¯s voice was barely over a whisper and I would have not heard her if she wasn¡¯t seated next to me. ¡°What happened to magic?¡± I had a feeling I knew where she was going but it wasn¡¯t something I wanted to consider. ¡°You asked what could possibly make an entire town forget that someone died and there is only one answer- magic. That is the only thing powerful enough to make an entire town forget and I know one witch who is-" ¡°NO! I cut her off. She was taken aback by how vehemently I was against it. I hadn''t meant to yell at her but the mere thought of Reina being back was not something I wanted to entertain. It had almost cost me everything thest time we had to face her. Besides, she was meant to be dead. ¡°Ryker, it is the only logical option at this point,¡± she whispered reaching out for me but I brushed off her hand. ¡°What is logical is that Reina is dead,¡± I shut her down. ¡°You stabbed her with the knife, it was meant to kill her, I saw her bleed, I saw her fall, I saw you-" I choked out on thest part. ¡°You both fell, she should be dead.¡± ¡°I should be dead too but I am here and I am alive. She could be too. I don''t want her to but-" ¡°I found her body,¡± I cut her off and she fell silent. ¡°A few weeks after you went missing, I found her body downstream. It was in the opposite direction from where we ended up finding you. It was her body that made me centralize my search because I hoped that since I found her there, it also meant that I would find you there.¡± I hadn''t meant to be that blunt but I needed her to know that. I needed her to realize that this wasn''t Reina and I wa all the more happy for it because I couldn''t imagine having to deal with Reina again. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i¡¯''b. I didn¡¯t want to deal with any witch but Reina was a special case. Just the thought of her was enough to have me breaking out in worry. ¡°How about we rx before jumping to conclusions about who she is?¡± Christine cut in. ¡°I can try to look into them more but I doubt I will find anything. Why don¡¯t we just confront her about it?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? Do you want me to just walk up to her and say ¡°hey, Marie, I know you are secretly dead and you are a witch?¡¯ I am sure that will go over well,¡± Cami snorted and Christine narrowed her eyes. They rarely argued but I could feel this turning into one so I decided to interrupt. ¡°What if you talk to Peggy? She might still be under the effects of the spell. If there is any way to break the spell, she might be able to tell us more.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± ¡°Maybe try asking her about the situation in detail and keep pushing the fact that Marie died. It might spark a memory, you never know,¡± Cami still didn''t seem convinced so I grabbed both of her shoulders and turned her to face me. ¡°I know this is an extremely sensitive thing to ask of you but I need you to do this. You are the one that has a rtionship with them and you are the one that they will listen to.¡± ¡°I can try,¡± she said finally and that was all I needed from her. I ced a kiss on her forehead and I felt her melt into my hold. She stayed like that for a few minutes, no one spoke or even dared to breathe loud until she pulled back. ¡°I should go, Marie might start looking for me anytime soon. She is already suspicious of me because she thinks I am avoiding her¡± I wanted to ask her to stay but she walked out of the room without looking back and I knew it had more to do with avoiding me than it had to do with meeting Marie. Once she was gone, I turned back to Christine and Juan who were still standing in the quiet room. ¡°Do you think it is Reina?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, we found her body and-" ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I asked,¡± I cut Christine off and she sighed. ¡°I think there is so much we don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t want to jump to conclusions until we find out the truth. I am tired, Ryker and I don¡¯t know if I can do this so please, I don''t want to think about Reina or anyone else right now.¡± I had never seen Christine look so fragile and worried. Juan reached out for her and for once, she didn¡¯t hesitate, she just sunk into her mate''s hold. That was how I knew something was definitely wrong. ¡°What is it?¡± she opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off. ¡°Don''t lie, I don¡¯t want you to lie¡± ¡°I''m pregnant,¡± she whispered and I froze. There was a little guilt in her eyes meaning she had known for a while and she still chose to hide it from me. ¡°l wanted to tell her first. I didn¡¯t want to hide it, I just wanted her to know first. She is my sister.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°You will be an amazing mother, Christine. You should go rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± she frowned. ¡°I know that look because Juan has that look. You are not going to cage me up and prevent me from helping just because I am having a baby.¡± I was not going to admit or deny it. Instead, I cleared my throat and turned on my heels. It wasn¡¯t until I was by the exit that I spoke. ¡°Goodnight, Christine, you should rest.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. I didn¡¯t need to look at her face to know that she was upset but I didn¡¯t care, she was going to rest whether she wanted to or not. She was pregnant and I didn¡¯t know. There was anger and frustration on my end for not even noticing. If I had dragged my head out of my a*s long enough, I would have seen it. I would have noticed the signs. I was so wrapped up in my own guilt that I didn¡¯t notice someone yelling out my name until a hand touched my shoulder. I reacted so fast but the owner of said hand was equally as quick. I frowned at Damien. ¡°I''m sorry, I kept calling out for you but you didn¡¯t stop. I figured you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± I ran my hands down my face trying to hide the obvious frustration. ¡°It iste, Damien, do you need something? Shouldn''t you be with Riley?¡± ¡°I should, but I couldn''t stay there, I needed some air,¡± I just hummed knowing he was going to tell me what the problem was regardless of whether or not I asked. ¡°Do you know where I can find Christine?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°It is almost midnight. What the hell do you need Christine for?¡± ¡°l- I want to do it before I have to see Riley. I couldnt do it at dinner and I have been trying to find her¡± ¡°Did you consider the fact that she was with her mate like you should be right now?¡± he flinched like I had hit him. ¡°Look, you are trying to be honorable but you need to go back to that room and be with her. You can see Christine tomorrow.¡± He frowned but he knew I was right. ¡°Fine, but why aren''t you with Cami? Shouldn''t we all be with our mates?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you focus on your love triangle and leave me to worry about my mate, hm?¡± I tapped him on the shoulde in a slightly condescending way. ¡°Go to bed, Damien and please, don¡¯t go looking for strange women in the middle o the night. It is weird.¡± He flipped me off and I couldn''t hide my smile as he walked off. I watched him leave and was on my way back to the room when I heard a sound, something akin to footsteps. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 219 CAMILLA''S POV I checked Marie''s room first and I found her lying face first on therge bed. She always slept like the dead which I found ironic knowing now that the real Marie was supposed to be... dead. I wanted to go in and check on her but at the same time didn¡¯t want to risk waking her. There was still a lot I didn¡¯t know and I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to control my emotions around her. I took a step back and made to leave when I got a whiff of something so bad, it smelled almost rotten. The smell nearly knocked me off my feet and I was about to take a step in to investigate when someone cleared their throat next to me. I looked up and found Peggy. She had a warm smile on her face as she analyzed me. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked and I nodded slowly. ¡°If you want to see Marie I think you are better offing tomorrow. You know how she can be once she falls asleep. I wouldn''t want you to wake her up and have her go bat shit crazy on you.¡± I forced a small smile on my face. ¡°Of course, just let her know that I came looking.¡± I noticed she was still staring at me. ¡°How long has this smell been in your room?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I don''t know a few days maybe,¡± she shrugged dismissively. ¡°I was going to look into it but I lost track of time and I never seemed to be able to get to it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it,¡± I ced a hand on her shoulder and gestured to the wideness of the hallway. ¡°You are in a pce and you are lucky because apparently, I am Queen. I''ll have someone look into it tomorrow. I don¡¯t even know how you manage with this, it is horrible.¡± ¡°Thank you, Cami, you are amazing.¡± I gave her a warm smile and a tight bear hug before finally walking away. I felt her eyes on me until I turned down th next hallway and I stopped the first maid I saw to give her the order. I knew they wouldn''t be able to do it tonight, but at least I had done my part and delivered the instruction. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b. I was exhausted and just wanted to climb in bed and fall asleep. I was desperate for a few seconds of ignorant bliss where I could just forget about everything and be trapped in my own dream world. I was making my way up the stairs when I noticed Rykering the same way I was. ¡°I thought you would have gone to bed by now.¡± ¡°lI would have but I saw Peggy walking the halls. It seemed like she was looking for something but she told me she was looking for you,¡± my brows furrowed. ¡°I told her that you had probably gone up to sleep.¡± ¡°That''s weird because I saw Peggy. I went to Marie''s room and Peggy met me there. She didn¡¯t say anything about looking for me. She even asked me toe backter to talk to Marie,¡± I ran my hands down my face in frustration. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°This is one of those times that I wished I had an answer for you. We just do our part and try our best to figure out what is happening.¡± I ced my fingers on either side of my temple and exhaled deeply. We were already at the door to our room but I felt so exhausted that I wasn''t even sure if I could take the next steps by myself. Ryker didn¡¯t push, didn''t say a singls word, he just ced his hand on the small of my back and gently led me in. Once we were in, he helped me out of m clothes and put me into one of my mostfortable night gowns. He pulled the pins out of my hair and carried me into bed. All I had to do was curl up into his side while he ran his fingers through my hair. The air was thick with silence and worry as both our thoughts swirled like dark clouds over us. ¡°I''m sorry that I didnt tell you I got my memory back,¡± I whispered. ¡°If I did, perhaps we could have gotten to the enc of this sooner.¡± ¡°It''s okay,¡± he pressed a kiss to my head. ¡°What is done is done, all we can do is focus on what we have right now anc we can make do with it¡± ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± Ryker was out of bed by the time I woke up. I managed to drag myself out of bed and towards the field for training. Thankfully, Loris was the only one out there and I could finally train properly without having anyone asking a million different questions. It felt good to be able to let go of my powers and explore the true extent of it. ¡°I knew you were pretending the first day,¡± Loris said after training and I raised a brow. ¡°I know you, your majesty, an I have been training you for years now. I know what your powers look like, I know what you look like when you are trying. You were not trying that day at all. You didn¡¯t even look like you moved an inch.¡± I gave him a small smile and a shrug. ¡°I didn''t feel like showing off. I had no reason to do so.¡± ¡°Is it really about showing off or you just didn¡¯t want her to see?¡± he asked but I stayed silent. We both knew the answer to that and I had no intentions of giving it to him verbally. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, what matters is that yo were able to train today. Your powers have grown incredibly.¡± ¡°Thank you, I have a very good teacher¡± ¡°You are a very good student,¡± he dusted his clothes as he stood to his feet. ¡°If you would agree, I would prefer if our training sessions remained private. Your powers have grown inexplicably and I think we would need a bigger and more private ce¡± I knew part of it was because he knew I wanted to be alone during training. He was never going to answer if I had asked him directly but we both knew what it was. I gave him a small smile and gave a curt nod to show that I appreciated it. Without another word, he bowed and walked away leaving me alone in the garden. Once he was gone, I made my way into the house fully prepared to throw myself into work when I saw Peggy walking down the halls. I realized it was a good enough time to catch her unawares and ask a few questions so I rushed over to her. I was aware that I was still in my training clothes but I didn¡¯t want to risk losing her. ¡°Hey, do you have a second?¡± I asked and she nearly jumped. She ced a hand on her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. ¡°I am sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. It''s just been a while since we sat down to have a conversation Do you think we could talk over breakfast?¡± She had a small smile on her face and nodded without hesitation. We walked to the dining room and I was relieved when I found it empty. She took the seat next to me and all the maids were quick to ce our food in front of us. ¡°How have you been enjoying the pce?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°I know I have been really busy. I never realize just how hard it was to be Queen. I just wanted to check up on you... and Marie.¡± Her brows furrowed and she stilled slightly. ¡°We are good. Marie is getting used to the pce life. I keep telling her that we will have to return but she isn¡¯t very happy about that. You may have noticed but she doesn¡¯t exactly like the town.¡± I was grateful for the opening and I jumped in before it passed. ¡°Is it because of what happened to her?¡± she stilled. ¡°I know you don''t like talking about it but I am Queen now and I could get justice for her. If you told me what happened then maybe I could-" ¡°I don''t think Marie would be happy if I told you. I already said too much before and we are lucky that she doesn¡¯t know about it¡± I could see her already pulling back but I couldn''t have that. I stood from my seat and grabbed both of her hands in mine as I squatted in front of her. If any maid were to see us like this, it would be the gossip of the century. I was the Queen, I knelt for no one but in this situation, I was willing to overlook it as long as I got what I wanted. ¡°Marie is your daughter and you want to protect her but she is my sister,¡± the lies burned my throat but I needed to get them out. ¡°l want what is best for her and she will be d in the long run. They don''t deserve to get away with what they did. They hurt her and I want to make sure that they pay. That is why I was given this position.¡± She sighed but I could see that I was winning her over. ¡°Let me help, Marie. Let me make it right for her¡± ¡°l already told you the summary of what happened. They took her into the woods and my girl was not the same. She was beaten within an inch of her life, she was-" her voice caught in her throat. ¡°It was a miracle that she managed to run because of how badly she was hurt¡± ¡°I thought you said she was beaten,¡± I cut in and Peggy froze. ¡°if she was beaten then how did she run? Was she found instead? Did someone take her to the hospital?¡± She seemed confused. ¡°What are you saying? She wasn''t found, she was- she was hurt. She was beaten, no, she was in the-you''re confusing me.¡± ¡°Peggy,¡± I reached out for her but she pped my hand away hard and I hissed. ¡°I just want to-" ¡°I cannot talk about this,¡± she stood to her feet abruptly, ignoring the food she left behind. ¡°I am sorry, Cami. Som things should be left to rest.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 220 CAMILLA''S POV ¡°She just walked out without saying anything else?¡± Christine asked after I had finished exining everything that happened with Peggy and I nodded. ¡°Was she confused or something? Maybe she didn¡¯t understand what it was that you were trying to ask.¡± ¡°She understood,¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°Her story didn¡¯t align. At first she said that she managed to run away and get to the hospital then she said she was beaten within an inch of her life. I think that whatever made the people forget is making her mix up the stories. I don¡¯t know if it is weaker or she was just remembering the truth but something is up.¡± There were sighs all around. We were in the private library which has somewhat be our meeting point. Juan was sitting next to Christine and holding her hand, they were better at hiding their emotions on a good day but I could tell that they were worried about this. This wasn¡¯t something we were experienced in and neither of us knew where or how to start. ¡°Perhaps you could try talking to her again,¡± Ryker suggested and I nodded. It was the only option we had. She was the only one who could tell us what was happening without us rousing suspicion. ¡°In the meantime, I have guards keeping an eye on Marie. She hasn''t done anything suspicious yet, she just stays in her room.¡± I exhaled deeply before turning to Christine. ¡°Did you find out anything about them from their town? Was there any suspicious news?¡± She shook her head. ¡°The answers are still the same. They don¡¯t even remember you. It is as if thest few months were wiped out of their brains. I have done everything save for going there myself. I don¡¯t know what else to do. If you want me to-" ¡°No,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You have done more than enough. We just have to put more pressure on Peggy. She definitely has something and she can tell us. I trust her, I just need to know how to get the information out of her. In the meantime we just do what Ryker said and just try to avoid suspicion. I don''t want her knowing that we are aware. There is too much at stake here with the girls and-" I trailed off not knowing if Christine had told Ryker yet about her pregnancy. She gave me a warm smile before nodding letting me know that it was alright. ¡°She is within the pce walls and has ess to us and the kids. Riley is here too and I don¡¯t want anyone getting hurt when they don¡¯t have to,¡± I said finally. ¡°Let us try to keep this as discreet as possible, okay?¡± There were nods all around and we finally stood to our feet. There was a lot of work to attend to and we couldnt be away from the pce for too long without rousing suspicion as to where we were. ¡°I have to meet with the guards,¡± Ryker whispered to me. ¡°Juan ising with me and I don¡¯t want to get him worriec but can you keep an eye on Christine? Damien wants to speak to her about the bond and I don¡¯t want her to be alon when that happens.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. My eyes widened. ¡°He told me he was going to do it and I believed him but I didn¡¯t think he would actually-" He shook his head warning me to be silent and to say I was stunned would have been an understatement but I was also relieved. It was about time that he started acting like a man worthy of Riley. I couldn''t stop my small smile. I would have liked for everyone to be with their mate just like Ryker and I but the truth was that I was happy because everyone else was happy. It worked out for everyone. ¡°She might not be happy to see him,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Remember how things ended thest time? He didn¡¯t ep her rejection. He is the reason they are still bonded.¡± ¡°I know, let us just hope that he does the right thing now for everyone involved.¡± He kissed my forehead and I watched him disappear with Ryker. Once they were gone, Christine spoke. ¡°Do you think he will be a good father?¡± ¡°Juan?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°I do, actually, I know he is great with Audrey, I can only imagine how he will be witt his own children.¡± ¡°Do you think I will be a good mother?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Christine, sometimes I worry that you are more of a mother to Audrey than I am because how often I am incapacitated or busy. You will be amazing and you will love this child. You will fail sometimes but that''s the thing about being a parent, you aren''t perfect, you just have to try your best.¡± A weight seemed to disappear from her shoulders. I couldn''t help but wonder how long she wanted to ask that question. It seemed like it had been guing her for a while and I was grateful and relieved that I was able to help her out so much. I couldn''t help but think back on Ryker''s words and a part of me knew that this was not the right time for Damien to speak to her. She had so much on her mind already and yet there was not much that I could say or do as we walked out of the library. I prayed that we wouldn''t bump into Damien and for a minute, it seemed like my prayers were being answered until I saw him turn the corner. I tried to shake my head at him but his eyes were fixated on Christine. When she saw him, she stilled and turned to me with wide eyes. Her hand was clutching mine for dear life and all I could do was give her a small smile. She was not going to run, I knew her well enough to know that Christine never backed down from a fight. It didn¡¯t matter if that fight was going to ruin her, she was going to stay. ¡°Hey, I was wondering if maybe we could talk,¡± he went straight to the point without missing a beat. I knew he wante me to leave but I had zero intentions of doing that especially not after I had promised Ryker that I wouldn''t. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you much, I just, I have to do this.¡± ¡°Cami stays,¡± I was surprised when she said that. I would have thought that she would have sent me away. Damien looked shocked by her words but he nodded and that was how we made our way into the nearest hallway. It was deserted. ¡°Get to the point, Damien, I need to find my mate.¡± He sighed but said no words. I couldn¡¯t imagine how difficult it was for them to stand in front of each other knowing everything that had happened. I felt like a third wheel standing awkwardly to the side. I would have stepped back to give them privacy but Christine was holding my hand in a tight grip and she didn¡¯t seem to have any ns of letting go. When Damien didn¡¯t speak, she frowned. ¡°Did you call me here to stare at me?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Does Riley even know that you are here? I am finally happy after everything and I do not want a repeat of what happened thest time. I don¡¯t want any trouble with you. I already-" ¡°lI wanted to apologize,¡± he cut her off and I could see the surprise in her features. ¡°What I did before- I was stupid. I didn¡¯t realize that I was hurting two very amazing women and I am sorry for that, Christine. I had time to think and time to grow and I know now that you always deserved better, you both do. I just want to apologize.¡± It was clear that she was taken off guard. ¡°I ept your apology.¡± ¡°I also wanted to officially put this to an end. It was disrespectful of me to not ept your rejection in the first ce You don''t need that baggage holding you down and if I have any hope of a future with Riley, I don¡¯t need it either, so I ept your rejection Christine.¡± I wasn''t sure if it was because she was already mated to Juan but the pain didn''t hit as hard as it should have, still, I saw the hurt sh in her eyes and she took a slow step back from him. I watched them carefully and the moment her hand slipped from mine, I took a step back to give them a semnce of privacy. ¡°Thank you for doing that,¡± she whispered softly and he gave her a curt nod. ¡°I wish you nothing but the best with Riley. You both would be amazing together.¡± ¡°I could say the same about you and Juan. He makes you look rxed, you don¡¯t look like you have a stick shoved uf your a*s all the time.¡± Sheughed. If someone had told me that Damien would be making Christineugh, I would have called them insane yet it was all unfolding in front of me. He gave her a warm smile and I watched as they shook hands. It was the first interaction had ever seen them have and she took a step back from him. ¡°Have a good day, Damien, I''ll see you around,¡± he gave her a slight bow before walking away and once he was gone, she let out a deep breath and ced her hands on the walls. I immediately knew something was wrong and rushed over to her side. She leaned against me without protesting an I realized she was breathing heavily. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need me to call Juan?¡± She shook her head. ¡°The pain, it just took a while to hit. It is an entire bond breaking, it doesn''t feel so good. At least it is over now, I can officially get mated to Juan. My baby will not be born out of wedlock.¡± She seemed to be getting paler. ¡°Forget about the baby for a second, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she stood up straight and tried to smile at me but the smile faltered and before I could even process what was happening, her eyes fluttered shut and she copsed into my arms. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 221 RYKER''S POV There were times when I seriously doubted the sanity of the guards in the pce and today was one of those times because I found it absolutely insane that I needed to be called to handle something as miniscule as an innocent rogue. By the time we got to the border and I realized exactly what the problem was, I was just about ready to strangle someone to death. It was the kind of matter that didn¡¯t take minutes to handle. ¡°Are they always like this?¡± Juan asked as we left and I couldn''t help but roll my eyes. ¡°No, they''re not, which is why I''m more annoyed about this,¡± we rode our horses at a fair pace. ¡°I don¡¯t know what th f**k they were thinking when they called me out for this. They are adults, they should know how to handle f*****g rogues.¡± Heughed andfortable silence settled over us. It remained that way for the next few minutes until Juan clearec his throat. I turned to him and noticed that there was something anxious in his gaze, as if something were guing him but he wouldn''t say a word. ¡°Since when did you get shy, Juan?¡± I drawled. ¡°Ask whatever it is that you want to ask. I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities.¡± ¡°Were you terrified?¡± he asked and my brows furrowed in confusion for a second. ¡°When Cami was pregnant, were you terrified? Is it normal to feel this way? I am happy, don¡¯t get me wrong, I am f*****g ted but I cannot sleep or think, I don¡¯t know how to do this, I don¡¯t know if I will be able to do this, so were you scared?¡± I wasn''t sure how to answer that but I figured that honesty would be the best thing. ¡°When Cami was pregnant the first time, I wasn¡¯t there. We had an issue, there was some mimunication and she left. When I found her again, Audrey was already a little grown but to answer your question, it was fucking terrifying. I didn¡¯t know the first thing about being a father and I didn¡¯t know if I would be good to her or not, my father was an asshole.¡± He snorted. ¡°You can say that part again.¡± A small smile grew on my face. ¡°When Aurora came, I was equally as terrified. I didn¡¯t know how to handle an infant, I thought I was going to be crap about it." ¡°But you already had Audrey by then,¡± his brows were furrowed in confusion. ¡°Why would you be scared if you already had Audrey?¡± ¡°Because the thought of having children in itself is terrifying and part of that is what shows that you are a great parent. The fact that you are scared of doing wrong by them, you are scared of hurting them, that is what makes you a good parent. The worry is what helps. I would like to say that the fear gets easier but I don¡¯t think it does. The closer she gets to delivery, the worse it might actually be but you are going to be fine, Christine will be fine. You have an amazing support system and you will not have to be alone.¡± ¡°Essentially what you are saying is that if I f**k up, you''ll bash my face in." I reached out to tap him on the shoulder. ¡°Exactly, now you get it¡± once I saw he smiled, I knew my work was done. ¡°You will both be great parents. Christine is an amazing person and you are amazing with our girls. I can only imagine how great you would be with your own.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he exhaled deeply. ¡°Now can we get back as soon as possible? I need to-" His words cut off when I felt a presence at the back of my mind. My wall was always up except for Cami. She was the only one who had ess to my mind at all times and the moment I felt her, I knew something was wrong. Her worry as palpable, it was so thick that it felt like I could almost reach out and grab it. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked, her voicedced with concern. ¡°On our way back, why? What happened? Are you okay?¡± ¡°l am okay,¡± she trailed off. ¡°Does Juan know?¡± ¡°Cami, baby, I am going to need you to get to the point and do it fast. What is the matter?¡± ¡°Christine passed out, she is with the physician. I don''t know what happened. Damien epted her rejection and sh seemed to be fine but then she had the wind knocked out of her and said she didn¡¯t expect the pain. She was fine and then she passed out in my arms. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°We are on our way, just stay close to her and perhaps tell Riley to keep Damien away for now.¡± I cut off the mind link and turned to Juan who was oblivious to the whole thing. They were not officially mated yet sc he couldn''t feel it. I wasn¡¯t sure how to tell him out here so instead, I cleared my throat. ¡°Something happened at the pce, Cami needs us,¡± I said and without waiting for a question for him, I spurred my horse to go faster. Juan had a million questions by the time we arrived at the pce but I didn¡¯t know how to answer any of them. I couldn''t have even if I wanted to. All I did was ask him to follow me and the moment we got to the front of the physician''s office and he saw Cami pacing, he knew that something was wrong. ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked but Cami couldn''t respond. She was biting her nails with worry. ¡°What the hell happened to her, Cami?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. I knew she wouldn''t be able to speak so I exined everything she had told me. By the time I was done, he was furious. I could practically see the steaming out of his ears. ¡°I will f*****g kill that bastard,¡± he snarled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he just stay the hell away from her? What was he thinking? Wha the hell is his problem?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even fucking think about it,¡± I warned and Juan turned to me with an incredulous look. ¡°Your pregnant mate is in that room. Do you really want to leave her to go pick a fight with Damien? He didn¡¯t know this was going to happen, he thought he was doing everyone a favor so they could both move on. I get that you are upset but your main priority right now should be the girl in that bed and not anything else.¡± I could see a war going on in his eyes but I knew he would do the right thing which was why when he cursed and stormed into the room, I wasn¡¯t surprised. I simply took my eyes off him and focused on my mate who looked seconds away from falling apart. The moment I opened my arms, she rushed in and began to sob. I hated seeing her cry, it felt like with each tear, someone tightened a noose more and more around my heart. Still, I knew there was nothing I could do save for just holding her until she had finally calmed down. ¡°You told me to watch her,¡± she whispered and I pulled back from her to be sure I had heard correctly. ¡°I was watching her. I don¡¯t know what went wrong. She was fine and then she was not. I should have watched her better¡± ¡°You brought her here and you called me. You did everything you could.¡± ¡°If I still had my powers, I could-" she began but I cut her off. I cupped her cheeks and ced my forehead against hers just letting her breathe with me until she was a lot calmer than she was. ¡°If you had your powers, I would have dragged you the hell out of here because I would be damned if I ever let you use them again,¡± I told her and her eyes widened. ¡°She is not badly hurt, she is not dying. Christine will be fine, sometimes rejections take a lot out of you. She will be good. She is pregnant, her body just was not prepared for the stress that came with it.¡± I could see her digesting my words and turning them over. I knew it wouldn''t be enough to settle whatever guilt she had built up inside- nothing would until Christine was fine- but it was a start. I ced a lingering kiss on her forehead and when I looked up, I was shocked to see someone standing at the far wall. My heart jumped in my chest because I wasn''t expecting anyone. Cami must have felt it because she turned to follow my line of sight and when she saw Marie, her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wanted to see you,¡± her answer sounded off slightly, it sounded more like a question. ¡°Why are you both standing out here? Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Christine got hurt but it is fine, she will be okay soon,¡± I could tell that Cami was trying to downy the entire situation. Marie just hummed and looked at the door to the physician''s office. I expected her to ask a question or even feign worry for Christine. I looked through her eyes expecting something akin to concern or even sadness, but her eyes remained nk and expressionless. ¡°Well she is in there and you are out here so that means you can spare a few minutes, right?¡± she asked and I could tell Cami was taken aback by how careless her words were. I wasn''t sure if she just didn¡¯t care or if she was doing i to get a rise out of Cami. I noticed Cami about to snap back so I jumped in. ¡°You''re right, she can go with you. I''ll stay here.¡± Cami turned to me with wide eyes and I ced a lingering kiss on her forehead during which I spoke directly into her mind. ¡°If you had lost your memory and Marie was your person, you would go with her. I''ll keep you updated. Keep your guard up and be careful. There will be guards trailing you.¡± I pulled back and watched the moment her mask slipped into ce. She turned to Marie. ¡°Let''s go." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 222 CAMILLA''S POV Marie was whispering on about something but my mind was back at the physician''s room with Christine. I hadn''t gotten any updates from Ryker and while I knew I could very well just ask; I didn¡¯t want to rouse any suspicion from Marie. She didn¡¯t seem to be worried at all, in fact, it seemed like Christine was thest thing on her mind. ¡°Do you think she is badly hurt?¡± I asked and she stopped mid rant to turn to me. ¡°Christine, she just passed out like that. She could be badly hurt. What do you think?¡± ¡°I think she has the best physician in the world looking after her so she will be fine,¡± she said it so dismissively. ¡°I cannot imagine how considerably lucky she has to be to have the best staff on hand ready to attend to her every need. Most people don''t have the privilege of having a physician waiting for them when they pass out.¡± ¡°True, but at least she is getting help. Isn''t that what matters? She could be hurt and we should just be happy that she is receiving medical attention.¡± She snorted. ¡°What matters is that I don¡¯t care about her. She has the physician to do that. Do you know how many people would kill to have a physician who was at their beck and call? Do you know how many people die because they don''t have ess to healthcare?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with Christine passing out and being hurt?¡± ¡°It has everything to do with that,¡± he spat. ¡°She and all the other royals are just living in undeniably luxury while the rest of the world suffers.¡± It sounded like there was a hint of jealousy in her tone and it hit me that Marie was jealous of the people in the pce. It didn''t matter that she was living in here now, it didn¡¯t matter that others outside would see her like they would see us, to her, she was different. If you are not reading this novel on Jobn''i¡¯ b, some sentences are iplete. To her, we were privileged and entitled and she wanted that for herself. ¡°Il am a pce girl, Marie,¡± I drawled and to her credit, her cheeks flushed pink. ¡°It feels good to know that is how you think about me.¡± ¡°Come on, Cami, you know I was not referring to you. You are not one of them.¡± ¡°Aren''t I?¡± I shot back. ¡°I am the Queen after all, I am the most royal of them all¡± She seemed to be having trouble choosing her next words. She opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. She seemed frustrated but it wasn¡¯t directed at herself, it was pointed outwards at everyone else. I found the nearest bench and took a seat on it while waiting for her to finally say something. ¡°You don''t get to me me for what I said,¡± she said finally crossing her arms over her chest and I raised a brow. ¡°You saw how we lived out there and you can see how life is here. Can you see the gap in the way of life? They have too much, why can¡¯t you see that? They should be giving it all away. No one should live like this.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted with a shrug. ¡°But if they gave it away then how do they pay the guards that protect the cities? How do they send resources to packs in need? I may not know much but from what I know, the money here is not jus thrown around on frivolous living. What is wrong with you anyway? We are talking about a person who is in a physician''s bed and you are not even worried?¡± She shrugged. ¡°When I needed a physician''s bed, I didn¡¯t get one so screw me if I am not feeling particrly hospitable.¡± I was shocked that she had bridged that topic and even more excited now that it meant I could finally ask. ¡°What do you mean? Are you okay?¡± She snorted. ¡°Please, don''t pretend like my mother has not already told you. She does not know how to keep her mouth shut. Everyone in the town knows. I will not be surprised if you did.¡± ¡°All she said was that you were attacked by someone you considered a friend,¡± I lied. ¡°She said it made it hard for you to trust people.¡± ¡°I was not attacked. They nned every second of it,¡± she spat. ¡°They lured me into the woods and they would have killed me too. Iy there on the floor bleeding out and dying. I would have died too had someone note to find me. I was taken to the physician and even he didn''t want to treat me because we didn¡¯t have any money so yes, I am being prejudiced and yes, I am being a terrible person but I have a right to do so.¡± I was more concerned about the story than her outburst. It waspletely different from the one that her mother had told me. ¡°Peggy said that you walked to the physician.¡± She looked up at me and in the most boring tone, she said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°lI don''t,¡± I tried to lie but she held up a hand to stop me. ¡°I don''t want to talk about this anymore,¡± she stood to her feet and brushed imaginary dirt off her dress. ¡°I should never have spoken in the first ce. She is your cousin after all and you are right to defend her. I hope you figure ou what is wrong with her so that it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± With that, she walked off and I couldn''t help but think back on herst words. it didn¡¯t sound like an ordinary greeting, it sounded like a warning, like a clue. Before I could stop myself, I found myself sprinting down the halls until I was in front of the physician''s office.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ryker was still there and he tried to get me to speak but I couldn''t. I pushed the door open ignoring the physician who was standing at the foot of the bed and Juan who was holding Christine''s hand. My attention was solely fixated on my cousin who was awake but looked very weak and tired. ¡°What did you do in thest twenty four hours?¡± I asked and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Humor me, Christine, what did you do? Where did you go?¡± ¡°l was in the pce. I ate, I slept, I hung out with your girls and I attended the meeting that we had. What is this about? I have a headache and I really cannot be bothered to think about my schedule over thest-" ¡°It will happen again,¡± I cut her off and her eyes widened. I felt Ryker still by my side. ¡°It was a passingment but it sounded like a warning. She said she hopes we figure out what is wrong so it does not happen again. Something is wrong.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± it was Ryker who whispered and reached out to hold me gently. ¡°She could have just been expressing concern. Who is she anyway?¡± ¡°Marie,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think she was. You have to trust me on this one. It sounded like a warning. She might have done something to Christine.¡± ¡°I think you might be reading too much into-" ¡°I believe her,¡± Christine cut Juan off. ¡°Even if she is wrong, there is no reason why we should not take our time to fin out if something was done. I don¡¯t want this to happen again.¡± I looked over at Juan who sighed after a beat. ¡°Fine.¡± Once that was settled, the physician started to speak to them about the possible tests he would have to run. Ryker grabbed my bicep and slowly pulled me out of the room. No one noticed our sudden exit and he made sure the hallway was empty before he started speaking. ¡°What is this about?¡± he asked but I said nothing. ¡°Tell me what you both spoke about, Cami, for f***s sake.¡± I broke down the entire conversation with her and by the time I was done, Ryker was just staring at me. He ran his hands down his face in obvious exhaustion and frustration. ¡°I think she might suspect something,¡± I said softly and he cocked a brow. ¡°She acted weird, Ryker. You didn¡¯t see he! but I know she suspected something. I don¡¯t know what she did to Christine but she did something.¡± ¡°If you believe that then find out¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Find out, find a reason to search her ce. Find something to hold her with. I trust you, Cami and if you say that she did something wrong then she did, you just have to find out. You should go, I''ll be here.¡± I debated it for a second when an idea popped into my head. I couldn''t believe I didn¡¯t think of it earlier. I grabbed Ryker''s face and kissed him softly and rushing off. I headed straight for Marie and Peggy''s room. It was connected vic a shared door and the moment I walked in, I was hit with that god-awful smell again. It took me a second to gather my bearings and once I did, I realized that it was only Peggy in the room. ¡°If you are looking for Marie then she-" she began but I cut her off. ¡°I didn¡¯te here for Marie, I came here for you." ¡°I don''t want to talk about what happened to my daughter anymore, Cami. That part of her life is better left in the past. Please, I would ask that you dropped it as well¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here to speak about that. I came here to find out if this smell was still here.¡± ¡°The maid said that it would go out in a few days. It has gotten better.¡± She was right but she didn¡¯t need to know that. All that mattered was the smell was still there and that was enough of a reason to get the ce checked. ¡°I think it is worse. I will get some guards to search the entire ce and make sure nothing died here.¡± ¡°That is not necessary,¡± she began but I held out a hand to stop her. ¡°Please, Peggy, I insist.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 223 CAMILLA''S POV I was able to have guards in the room within minutes and needless to say, they were turning the entire ce upside down. They already had orders to take anything that looked suspicious. Peggy was not happy about it but there was little she could say or do withouting off as suspicious. There was definitely something in that room and I needet to find it. I needed a reason to be able to pin Marie so that I could get on with my life. ¡°What is this?¡± I heard Marie ask as she made her way towards the room. To say that she looked pissed would have been an understatement. ¡°Is there a reason that our room is being taken apart? Are we under investigation or something?¡± ¡°Something died in that room, can¡¯t you smell it? I just want to find the source of the smell and help you get it out,¡± I took a step close to her but she held out a hand to stop me. ¡°You have done more than enough, thank you very much,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Call out your guard: I do not want them snooping around my stuff and treating me like I am some sort of criminal. My only crime was eve coming here¡± She was throwing a tantrum that was not proportionate to the situation at all and that was how I knew that she was hiding something. She should have been happy that I was trying to rid the smell from the room. It made no sense that she would be fighting me tooth, nail and w when I was on paper trying to make her life a little more comfortable and perfect. ¡°You just need to calm down,¡± Peggy interrupted before I could say anything. She ced a hand on Marie''s shoulder. ¡°It seems like there is some anger hidden somewhere underneath all of this. Why don¡¯t you both take a deep breath and try to figure out what exactly is causing this? Cami is only trying to help.¡± Marie snorted. ¡°That is all she ever tries to do. She wants to help everyone as long as they are not us. Can you see al those guards, mother? They arebing through our room.¡± ¡°They are trying to find what died in there so that we-" I was cut off from my sentence when one of the guards cleared his throat and gestured for me toe with him. I followed him in, Marie and Peggy were close behind and he led us towards a spot behind the massive wardrobe where not one, but two dead birdsy unmoving. It was clear that the smell had originated from there considering the fact that the birds were half way into dposition. I turned to Marie with a raised brow and her cheeks flushed pink. ¡°I hope you can see now that all I was trying to do was help.¡± I turned away from her and back to the guards. ¡°Thank you for taking the time out to do this. Please put the room back in order and have someone clear that out.¡± I walked out of the room without looking back knowing fully well that Marie and Peggy would follow. I deliberately led us far away from the room and chose not to turn back when I noticed Ryker walking in after the guards. They would update him on anything weird and he would update me after. It was the perfect n and no one was the wiser. Once we were in a deserted hallway, Marie reached out to grab my arm. ¡°I am sorry, okay? I was jealous and angry and I know it does not make sense to you but it does to me and I really hope that you will understand.¡± I turned to her. ¡°Make me understand, then. If you say that it is important to you then you should be willing to help me understand.¡± She sighed and you would have thought that I asked her to cut her off own leg. ¡°This ce, it is different for me. I don¡¯t belong here and every day is an indicator of that. I don''t feelfortable in these dresses, I don''t like the fact that I cannot walk out in the sun. I miss theke, I miss the market and the people. I miss the vige, okay? This ce isn¡¯t for me and I look at you and you fit in. You look like them, you talk like them and for f***s sake, you act like them. You are one of them and seeing you care about that girl, it just reminds me that you are one of them- not one of us.¡± I exhaled deeply. If I was being honest, I did not buy her excuse one bit but Peggy did and if I truly had lost my memory then I would too. I sat on the nearby bench and gestured for her to sit next to me. She hesitated before doing so and I took her hand in mine. Her hands were colder than usual but I chalked it up to the fact that her dress had very short sleeves. I gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand softly. ¡°Maybe I do belong here,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe you feel like you do not but that does not change anything. I am still Cami and you are still Marie. These people are supposedly my family and sometimes I get shes of what I assum are memories.¡± I paused to gauge her expression and I saw her eyes widen in shock but there was no other emotion. Her eyes seemed dead and bored. I nced over at Peggy who I could see had wide and more expressive eyes but I couldn''t focus on her because I wanted to get an emotion out of Marie. I wanted to know exactly what she thought and felt. ¡°I will probably remain here for the rest of my life,¡± I said simply. ¡°You might choose to leave for whatsoever reason but that does not change anything about us. You will always be wee here. You will always be part of my family.¡± I waited for her response and all she was able to say was, ¡°You are getting your memory back?¡± ¡°I don''t know if I would say that,¡± I lied. ¡°I just get shes sometimes of me walking in the halls or I get a feeling of d¨¦ja vu. Nothing concrete has returned and honestly, I dont think I would be particrly bothered if nothing return: I enjoy the new memories that I am making.¡± ¡°You mean you enjoy Ryker,¡± she deadpanned and my cheeks heated. She looked like she wanted to say more but as if on cue, Ryker walked up to us. She wagged her brows at me in a suggestive way and I smacked her shoulder yfully. Ryker made sure to give her an acknowledging nod before turning to me. ¡°Is it alright if I borrowed you for a minute?¡± he asked and before I could respond, Marie all but pushed me to my feet. ¡°Please take her,¡± she said with a small giggle. ¡°We can have this conversationter, Cami,¡± she leaned into my ear before whispering. ¡°We will have this conversationter.¡± I gave her a small smile and waved before going off with Ryker. We made sure to keep a distance that was deemed respectable but also showed that there was interest. What I hated most about my n was the fact that I had to pretend around Ryker. I liked the way things were with us- easy and stress free- but ever since I started this, every move we made was psychoanalyzed and had to be done with careful precision. ¡°Is there a reason they looked like that?¡± he asked once we were away from them. ¡°Yes, I told them I was having shes of memory,¡± he stilled in his steps. ¡°I wanted to get a reaction out of Marie. I wanted to see how she would react but her eyes were so emotionless and cold.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think I would have loved to know about this?¡± he didn¡¯t sound annoyed, merely frustrated. ¡°It was a spur of the moment thing,¡± I exined before dropping my voice to whisper. ¡°I am sorry. I should have told you. If it makes you feel any better, I didn¡¯t get anything out of them. Marie didn¡¯t even look fazed, she seemed excited but nothing else.¡± ¡°Peggy looked like you had kicked her cat,¡± he mused and my brows furrowed. ¡°You were so focused on Marie that you didn¡¯t even look at Peggy. When I walked up to you, she looked a tad bit annoyed and maybe a little frustrated.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, maybe you saw it wrong. Besides, she was angry with Marie and I because we were fighting. That was probably what you saw.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± he shrugged. ¡°l wasn''t close enough to hear the conversation or decipher any bit of it and I guarantee we have maybe a few minutes at best before they return to their room.¡± ¡°You found something?¡± I asked and he nodded. I couldn''t help the excitement that bubbled up inside of me as he led me towards the room but that excitement quickly died down when I realized what was on the ground in front of me. I heard about them but I had never seen one in person and I never thought that this would be the first ce that I would see oneContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°What is that?¡± I asked wanting to be sure it was exactly what I thought. I reached out for it but Ryker was quick to grab my wrist in a tight grip. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it,¡± he warned. ¡°We have taken the others away. Whoever owns it will not out rightly ask for it, but we will begin to realize that the effects are wearing off." It looked like a miniature doll. It had no facial features but there were pins in it. I had heard enough about them to know what they were. ¡°They were found underneath the bed. There are at least four more of them. I believe the appropriate term is voodo doll.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 224 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.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 225 CAMILLA''S POV I was anxious. I had woken up that way and since the moment I got out of bed, it had been bubbling under my skin. My entire body felt alive and poised for the moment something were to happen. I didn¡¯t know what I was waiting for or what that something could be but it was like my subconscious knew and was forcing me to prepare for it. I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one because I passed Christine in the halls and she was so lost in thought that she didn''t even stop to acknowledge me. Something feltpletely off and I knew it was only a matter of time until I figured out what it was. I made sure to keep a close eye on Marie and Peggy but the truth was that neither of them had left their rooms sincest night. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker''s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡± We were on the dining table and I had been absentmindedly pushing my food around my te. I gave him a confused look and he gestured over to Riley who I could see was staring at me expectantly and waiting for a response. ¡°Could you repeat the question?¡± I asked and I saw her smile falter a little with worry. ¡°I had zoned out for a hot second.¡± ¡°I was wondering if Ryker told you about my offer. We haven''t been able to spend time like a family and I don¡¯t want things to be awkward between us. I was hoping we could just take a day off and just have fun. It is alright if you don¡± want to.¡± A refusal was at the tip of my tongue but looking at her, I couldnt bring myself to say those words. It reminded me of kicking a bruised puppy. I turned to Ryker with a raised brow because one thing I didn''t miss in her statement was the fact that Ryker knew about this and didn¡¯t prepare me for the question. His lips didn¡¯t move but I heard his voice clear in my head. ¡°l wanted to refuse her too but you know how hard it is tc say no to Riley. She thought we were avoiding her because of what happened between Damien and Riley.¡± ¡°That isn''t true.¡± ¡°Do you want to try exining that to her? I cannot tell her what is happening and unless I have a good reason as to why we don¡¯t want to spend time with her, it feels like we are. It''s just a few hours of one day, we can spare the time for family. Besides, the girls dont have school today, it would be fun.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Okay,¡± I said and he sighed I relief but I stopped him. ¡°What about Juan and Christine? In what world do you think that Juan would agree to this? He doesn¡¯t want to see Damien after what happened.¡± ¡°I''ll talk to Juan, you just focus on everything else.¡± ¡°This better not go to shit,¡± I warned before cutting off the mind link and turning to Riley. She had been watching us with fear and apprehension in her eyes. ¡°Today seems like a fine day to go out. We wouldn''t want to veer too far fron the pce so I was thinking we could have lunch on the terrace. There is a beautiful view up there.¡± I told Christine about the lunch after breakfast and she just stared at me with nk eyes. I exined everything tha happened in detail hoping that it would make the news easier to swallow but her expression remained neutral. ¡°Say something¡± ¡°Is there anything I can say?¡± she asked and I sighed. ¡°I''lle for the lunch if that is what she wants. I have nothing to hold against her but good luck convincing Juan. He doesn¡¯t want to see either of them. He tends to hold grudges.¡± ¡°Ryker said he would handle it. Look, I know this isn¡¯t the best thing in the world and it is probably thest thing yot wanted to hear- me too- but we have to do this for her. You don¡¯t have to, Ipletely understand if you refuse because she isn''t your family but I have to.¡± ¡°I already said I woulde, Cami,¡± sheughed pushing to her feet. ¡°She might not be my family but she is yours and she is Ryker¡¯s and that makes her important to me too. I just need a few minutes to get changed. I''ll meet you al up there.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered clutching her hands in relief. ¡°I have to go get the girls ready. We will wait for you.¡± I left her alone and got the girls ready. Thankfully, it didn''t take a lot of time seeing as their excitement on spending time with everyone was enough to keep them seated long enough so I could dress them. Audrey insisted on wearing a massive princess dress and I didn¡¯t even have the heart to refuse her. There was very little I could say no to if she asked. By the time we were ready, it was already five minutes after the start time and we made our way to the terrace. I was surprised to see Ryker and Juan already there. Christine was already seated behind them and it was clear that she was anxious. Juan had a frown on his face and his hands were crossed over his chest. His frown cracked a little when Audrey went skipping over to him to show him her dress. He looked up at me for a second in between talking to my daughter. ¡°I want to preface this by saying I do not want tc be here¡± I sighed. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°But if everyone stays in theirne then this might just go well. I don''t want him looking at or speaking to her¡± ¡°Juan,¡± I began but he cut me off. ¡°I''m dead serious and you know it. I don¡¯t want to see him especially not after he sent her to the physician''s office.¡± ¡°I thought we already established the fact that she was sent to the physician''s office because something was done tc her and not because of the rejection.¡± ¡°I established nothing. I''m doing this as a favor and the moment he pisses me off, I''m out and so is Christine.¡± I didn¡¯t get the chance to respond because Riley and Damien walked in. There was a bit of tension in the air but ther was nothing I could do about it. We sat Damien as far away from Christine as possible but it was still a small table and all one had to do was lift their eyes and they would be looking at each other. It was clear that they were both trying not to nce over and I could see Riley fidgeting in her seat as if realizing what a bad idea this was. I wanted to assure her that it would be fine but she wasn¡¯t even seated next to me. I nced over at Ryker. ¡°This will be a disaster. I can smell iting¡± ¡°It will be fine,¡± I wasn''t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself. The meals came out and that was enough to get everyone''s attention off things. Audrey filled the air with her chatter as usual and for a few minutes, there was some peace and serenity to the dinner. I actually started to believe that maybe things were going to be fine until Riley spoke. ¡°How are you, Christine?¡± Christine stilled at her words. ¡°I just- I know you had to see the physician and I wanted to know if you were okay.¡± ¡°I''m... fine,¡± her response was curt and to the point. It was clear she didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. ¡°Do you know what happened to you? The maidse up with the most absurd pieces of gossip and I just wanted tc ask you personally.¡± ¡°Riley,¡± I whispered in a silent warning. If Christine answered, there was a tendency that the entire dinner might blow to shit. ¡°It ispletely alright if she doesn¡¯t want to answer it,¡± Riley ignored my warning. ¡°I just wanted to know what happened. I was worried about you.¡± Christine dropped her fork and leaned back in her chair. ¡°My body was unprepared to handle the rejection and I passed out. It was nothing, I just needed a minute to regroup and I am fine.¡± ¡°What rejection?¡± she asked momentarily confused. ¡°I thought-" she trailed off when she finally realized what was going on. Her eyes widened and she turned to Damien. ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Riley,¡± this time it was Ryker who spoke. ¡°Now is not the time please. You can have that conversation muchter¡± Awkward silence nketed the table. No one said a word- not even Audrey or Aurora. I wanted to get the hell out an thankfully, I got the chance when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned to the source of the noise and found a guard there holding Peggy back froming towards us. She looked scared and frantic. ¡°Excuse me please,¡± I whispered not even waiting before rushing over to her. She looked pale, her forehead was covered in sweat and she was fidgeting with her hands. ¡°Are you alright? Is everything okay?¡± ¡°I remember,¡± she whispered and my brows furrowed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she opened her mouth but her words were unintelligible. I grabbed both of her shoulders and led her towards the wall. What I did was insane but I sat on the floor with her. I could feel the eyes of the guards on me but in that moment, I didn''t care. Peggy looked like someone had sucked her soul right out of her. I heard Ryker''s footsteps and smelled him the moment he got close to me. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± I admitted before turning back to Peggy. ¡°You have to tell me what is going on and you have to make yourself as clear as possible while doing it. What exactly is wrong?¡± ¡°I remember what happened to Marie. That girl, that person, that isn''t my daughter. My daughter is dead.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 226 CAMILLA''S POV Ryker stilled behind me at her words and I knew the dinner was over. It took less than a minute to call it off and there were sighs of relief all around the table. Peggy stood to the corner while I tried my best to ensure that the girls were taken care of and every few seconds, I would see her shiver and pull her hands closer to her chest. Once I was guaranteed that Riley was going to put an eye on my girls, I pulled Peggy to the closest private room which happened to be the private living room. Ryker and the others came with me and we made sure the door was bolted shut before we even started speaking. ¡°Tell me everything,¡± I said as soon as I was sure that we were alone. ¡°How did you remember? What happened?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± she admitted. ¡°I have my memories of everything that has happened in the past few months but it is hazy, almost as if I am watching through someone else¡¯s eyes. Before this, thest thing I can remember is being forced to n for Marie''s funeral-" her voice choked on thatst word. ¡°I was distraught. I had no idea what I was doing. Marie is my life, my daughter was my everything and she died and the bastards responsible were going to go free¡± It was clearly taking an emotional toll on her and I wanted tofort her and tuck her into a bubble where she didn¡¯t have to talk about any of it but the unfortunate trust was that I needed her to speak, I needed to know everything so we could handle it the right way. I opened my mouth a few times but no words woulde out. I nced over at Ryker for help and he didn¡¯t hesitate before taking the seat next to me. ¡°Peggy, I can only imagine how terrifying this must be for you,¡± he began in a calm andforting voice. ¡°We are going to need you to calm down and tell us exactly how you remembered all this. Can you do that?¡± She nodded before taking a deep exhale. ¡°Marie had been on edge all through today, she imed she was sick but I knew that was a lie. She kept snapping at me and I had no idea what the hell was going on so I stayed to give her some emotional support. I left to get some food to eat, and she tried to stop me, In hindsight, I can see why. If you are not reading this novel on Jobni ;b¡¯, some sentences are iplete. It was as if the moment I was out of her reach, it all mmed back into me at once. I was so confused at first because it felt like I had two different lives trying to take root in my head. I couldn''t tell which one was real or not.¡± ¡°How did you end up knowing which was real?¡± Christine asked from her spot behind us and all eyes went on her. ¡°How did you realize that it wasn''t just a figment of your imagination?¡± ¡°Because I remembered how my heart broke the moment I saw my child lying on that hospital bed. I remember how it felt like my world hade to an end,¡± she gave a sad smile. ¡°There are certain emotions that you cannot fake, certain emotions that cannot be replicated and this- this, is one of them.¡± She looked away and wiped the tears that had leaked from the corners of her eyes. I knew exactly how she felt because for a brief second on that cliff, I had lost my child. I reached out for her and squeezed her hand tightly and she gave me a small smile. She was still visibly shaken up but she looked a lot better and a bit calmer. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. ¡°Do I go back and pretend like I don¡¯t know what is happening? Do you want me to get information on her? I could try.¡± ¡°No,¡± I cut her off. ¡°There is no need to do that. It will only make matters worse in the end. We know she is dead, we know she isn''t who she says she is and there is no use amodating her to make the rest of us ufortable. I have a n, but I need your help.¡± Once we had finished discussing the nature of the n, Peggy and I made our way to the room. Marie was still inside she was seated cross legged on the bed. When she saw us walk in, she stilled slightly and sat up straight. Whoever she was, she had a very good poker face, she acted like she knew nothing was going on as she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Is this an intervention?¡± she asked with an amused drawl. ¡°I said I didn''t feel well, is this the part where you want me to say that it was a lie? I don''t need you toe check on me. I am not sick, I will be fine in the next twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t why we are here,¡± I said simply and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°I took the seat in front of her all the while she watched me with careful suspicion. ¡°Do you remember that incident in the woods?¡± She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that, Cami. I think it is time that you dropped it. There is no reason for you to keep pushing even after-" ¡°You died,¡± I cut her off. ¡°Although, you already knew that because you aren''t Marie.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She stared at me for a second before snorting. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you are on but I think I am done ying the game,¡± she turned away from me but I could see the slight fear in her eyes. ¡°l don''t want to hurt you but I will if you don¡¯t tell me what the hell you want and why you are here¡± ¡°I think it is time for you to leave,¡± she announced turning to me. ¡°I think it is absolutely ridiculous that you would use me of something like that knowing that-" She didn¡¯t even finish her statement, she pushed past me and made a run for it. Peggy screamed in fear but I knew she was going to get caught, the others were outside waiting. We had nned for this, for the moment she would rut so I was not surprised when she was suddenly pushed to the ground. She let out an ear splitting scream as she fought against the hold of the guards. Her screams echoed across the walls of the room and I saw the exact moment that Peggy shattered. I rushed to her before she hit the ground and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Ryker was by the door silently asking with his eyes if everything was okay but I couldn''t answer because I didn¡¯t know. The truth was that I couldn''t begin to imagine the pain that she was in. ¡°It sounds just like her,¡± Peggy managed out. ¡°I know that isn''t my daughter but it sounds like her. It looks like her. Can''t I just keep her? We can leave and we will nevere back. I could keep her¡± ¡°Peggy,¡± I coaxed trying to keep my voice as soft as possible. ¡°That person will never be your child. We don¡¯t even know why the person is parading in your child''s body. They probably mean more harm than good.¡± ¡°But I would have Marie back.¡± ¡°You will never have Marie back,¡± it was a hard pill to swallow but it was true. ¡°Marie is gone and she wouldn''t want you to hold onto this stranger in the guise of holding onto her. I know it hurts-" She pushed me off and I saw burning anger in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this feels like. You can pretend to know but you never will. Your children are tucked in bed with their nannies and maids watching over them. Your children have never seen a day of sorrow in their lives so do not tell me you know what it feels that my child is dead.¡± ¡°It might not seem that way but I do know,¡± I said and she opened her mouth to refute but I held up a hand to stop her. ¡°My oldest daughter was kidnapped and almost burned alive in a house, it is the same ce that I lost my mother. Once again, she was kidnapped by vampires and she could have drowned. I know what it is like to have my child in danger, Peggy, I know what it feels like to see the life leave your child''s eyes. Both of my children have almos died in my arms.¡± ¡°How did-" she trailed off. ¡°You have your memories back. I gave her a small smile before nodding. ¡°I do, but that is not important right now, what matters is that you stay here and rest. What happened today was awfully traumatizing and it will take a toll on even the best of people. I will have guards outside your door to keep an eye on you and keep you updated.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered but her eyes said so more. I squeezed her hand in silent solidarity before slowly making my way out of the room. Once I was finally away, I let my shoulders sag and I leaned against the wall for support. Ryker was instantly by my side, his hand on my lower back and his eyes roaming my body for any signs of an injury. I wanted to tell him that I was fine, that I was okay, but my lips couldn''t move. It was almost as if my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. ¡°Cami,¡± he pushed my hair out of my face and turned me to face him. ¡°Do you need me to call you the physician? Do you need to sit down? I could carry you to-" ¡°No,¡± I cut him off but his worried expression did not ease. ¡°I just need a second. Those are memories I did not see myself having to relive for a while. It just- everything is too much. I just need a second.¡± Understanding filled his features and instead of asking any more questions, he just pulled me close and wrapped hi: arms around me. His scent filled my nostrils and I felt all the tension begin to leave my body as he ran his hands down my spine. ¡°You can sit this one out if you want,¡± he whispered. ¡°I can talk to Marie- or whoever- alone. You don''t have to be there with me.¡± ¡°I owe it to Peggy to be there,¡± I cleared my throat and pulled away from him. ¡°I am fine, I can do this.¡± ¡°Cami-" I cut him off. ¡°Lead the way to the dungeons, Ryker. We have an imposter to interrogate The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 227 CAMILLA''S POV Marie was seated in the cells and if I were being honest, it made me a little ufortable to see her that way. I knew it wasn''t her, I knew everything I previously knew was a lie but that didn¡¯t mean that it was easy. I had a bond with Marie, I had seen her like a sister and finding out that everything I knew was a perfectly orchestrated n was not easy toe to terms with. We stood in front of the cells and my steps faltered. She had her back to us but it was clearly her. I didn''t even know how to start, I didn¡¯t know what to call her. I turned to Ryker and he gave me shoulder aforting squeeze. I had asked to be here, I didn''t have to be and that meant that I needed to get my head in the game and keep my emotion in check. ¡°Why Marie?¡± was my first question because I honestly wanted to know. ¡°Why did you choose her? Why did you pretend to be her? Why did you stay?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. She just shrugged and didn¡¯t turn to face me but I wasn''t willing to let it slide. ¡°You could have pretended to be her and left. You could have let the entire town live with the knowledge that she was dead. Why did you stay? Why did you make everyone believe you were her? How were you even able to do that?" ¡°If you came here simply to ask questions then unfortunately I think I should tell you that you are undoubtedly wasting your time,¡± she looked over her shoulder at me. Her eyes were dull and lifeless and I couldn''t help but wonder if they had always been like that and I hadn''t noticed or if it was a new development. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly feel like being interrogated right now.¡± ¡°I don''t want to interrogate you either. I just need answers.¡± The corner of her lips tipped up into a smile. ¡°If it is answers that you want then you will have to find them elsewher because I guarantee that you will not get them from me. Did you really think you would just walk in here and I would start singing like a bird?¡± ¡°Honestly, no,¡± I admitted and her brows furrowed in confusion. I took a slow step forward until I was standing in front of the cell but not quite touching it. ¡°But you will soon, do you want to know why?¡± ¡°I presume you will tell me either way.¡± ¡°This cell is specially designed to hold witches. It slowly bleeds out every trace of magic until all that is left is nothing. The bars are silver so you cannot touch them. Even if you are not a werewolf, you are in the body of one. By this time tomorrow, you will be almost human. I am sure you will have more answers for us then.¡± She was stoic and expressionless for a full minute and then, to my surprise, she burst outughing. It was a shrill and high pitched sound, one that grated on my nerves.If you are not reading this novel on Job(ni) b, some sentences are iplete. The sound was filled with sick amusement and something about it felt eerie and I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand on edge. Even Ryker who was beside me subtly pulled me closer to him, almost as if he could feel it the same way I could. It took her a while to calm down, and when she did, she had a dark look in her eye. ¡°I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. You might be surprised by what you find¡± It sounded more like a threat than anything but I wasn''t going to stay to find out what. As soon as we left the cells, Ryker turned to the guards. ¡°I need twenty-four-hour surveince on her. Do not ever take your eyes off her. I want two pairs of eyes. She is nning something¡± The guards seemed surprised by the request but they nodded and rushed to do as he had asked. Ryker pulled me out because it felt like I was unable to move of my own ord and the moment we returned to the main floor of the pce, I let out a breath I didn¡¯t even know I was holding. ¡°That was not creepy at all,¡± Ryker''s voice was dripping with sarcasm and I couldnt help but burst intoughter. He was smiling beside me and I let out a heavy exhale once I managed to calm down. ¡°All I want is one peaceful week. Is that too much to ask for?¡± ¡°I have been asking myself the same question every day for years,¡± I told him leaning my head against his shoulder. Once theughter had died down, I was forced to face the reality of the situation. ¡°It feels weird, you know? Seeing her there like that, it felt very ufortable, I didn¡¯t think I could handle it.¡± ¡°I knew you could,¡± he shot back and I snorted. ¡°You were asking me to stay back. You didn''t even want me there.¡± ¡°I did want you there, I just wanted you to do it on your own terms. You are stronger than you think, Cami and I wanted you to realize that on your own,¡± I lifted my eyes to him suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his words. He cracked a small smile before kissing my lips softly. ¡°Do you want to go and see Peggy? She might need some company.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What she needs right now is space. This would be too much on even the strongest person in the world.¡± While I wanted to go to her, I knew I wouldn''t be wanted at the moment. Instead of leaving the door open for any potential questions, I intertwined my fingers with Ryker and pulled him in the direction of our offices. What I needed right now was work to get my mind off things and he seemed to realize that too because he didn¡¯t protest. I spent majority of the day locked in my office with my face buried into mountains of paperwork. I didn¡¯t even realize how much time had gone by until there was a knock on my door and Ryker made his way in with a te of food that smelled so good that my stomach rumbled. ¡°I''m thinking Peggy wasn¡¯t the only one who needed space,¡± he mused and my cheeks heated. He ced the food in front of me and pulled me into hisp. I couldn''t even protest. ¡°How do you feel? I didn¡¯t know how much time was deemed appropriate but I figured you would need something to eat.¡± ¡°This is perfect,¡± I whispered trying to make sure my voice didn''t crack due to emotions. ¡°Thank you. Are the girls-" ¡°l already put them both in bed. I told Audrey that you weren''t feeling too good and you just wanted to take a break. She didn¡¯t understand and she asked that I give you one of her toys to make you feel better¡± The corner of my lips tipped up. I wouldn''t put it past Audrey to say something like that. She was such a kind heartec little girl. She was the one thing that let me know I was doing a good job because if we could raise someone as amazing as her, then I could handle being Queen. ¡°Did Peggye out for dinner?¡± I asked and he shook his head making me curse. ¡°I should go check on her. She is probably all alone.¡± I started to rise but he kept his hand firmly around my waist and pulled me back into a sitting position. ¡°I already did, she said she wanted to be alone. I left some dinner for her at the door and she said to tell you that she is fine and she doesn¡¯t need guards watching her¡± I raised a brow. ¡°You put guards to watch her?¡± ¡°I had to. I didn¡¯t know what she would do.¡± My throat welled with emotion and I threw my hands around his shoulders. I couldn''t function properly and he had gone out of his way to make sure that everything was properly handled. I didn¡¯t know how my mother managed to rule for years without a mate. If I didn¡¯t have Ryker, I was positive that I would have lost my mind by now. He was so helpful and he knew just where and how to meet up where I fell short. ¡°I love you," I whispered and his response was to press a lingering kiss to my temple. ¡°I should say it more.¡± ¡°Whether you say it or you don''t, I know it,¡± he responded against my skin. ¡°And I love you too, more than you know.¡± We spent the next few minutes in silence. He stole a few spoons from my food and it felt like utter bliss to just be alone with him like that but like every other good thing, it came to an end when the door to my office mmed oper I was stunned by the action and even more stunned when I realized that it was a guard. No matter how urgent and panicked they were, they never stormed into my office. ¡°You better have a damn good reason for that,¡± Ryker drawled and from the fear in the guard''s eyes, we could both see that he did. ¡°What happened? Is she gone?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± I realized I didn¡¯t like that answer so I rushed to my feet and followed after him. He led us down into the dungeons and the first thing that greeted me was the smell of rotten flesh. It was so strong that I did a double take and nearly doubled over. ¡°What the hell?¡± I asked as I was handed a rag to put over my mouth so as to try to stifle to smell. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± ¡°The prisoner''s cell,¡± the guard exined and as I stood in front of Marie''s cell, I understood because instead of Marie, there was a rotten corpse. ¡°We were watching like you ordered. She was quiet and then she just fell to the ground. Her body started to rot in seconds. I have never seen anything like it.¡± Before I could respond, I heard my name being screamed and I saw Christine running down the stairs. In her hands, she had a tightly wrapped rag. Once she saw us, she sighed in relief and tossed the rag on the ground. ¡°You have to see that.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 228 RYKER''S POV No one made a move to touch the cloth. There was just so much fear and concern filling the room, it was almost suffocating. I sighed and reached out with my toe to push open the rag but nothing would have prepared me for what was in there. Inside said rag was one of the dolls but it didn¡¯t look normal, it was ck, almost as if it had been burned and it had the most putrid smell I had ever been unfortunate enough to encounter.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I knew what it was immediately, we all did. Christine had a hand to her nose and I watched her rush over to a corner to throw up. She should have left, I wanted to force her to leave but she didn¡¯t, instead, she came right back and stood next to us. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± she asked. ¡°I was watching it and all of this happened within seconds. Something weird is going on.¡± Cami agreed but as I nced back over my shoulder at the rotten body in the cell, it all made sense. ¡°The cell keeps out every form of magic. The moment we put her in there, the magic keeping the body alive started to leech away, it had to go back to its original state. My only question now is what happened to the person in her body?¡± No words were spoken as we all wracked our brain for any possible responses, the honest truth was that we didn¡¯t know. This was magic and it waspletely out of our pay grade. We didn¡¯t have a resident witch who could answer all of our questions and tell us what was true and real or not. All we had at the moment was a dead body and a rotten doll. ¡°Peggy!¡± Cami eximed after a second. ¡°Shit, how are we going to exin all of this to her? She is going to be devastated. I have to tell her what happened.¡± She looked to me and I knew she wanted me to handle it. It was clear that she was emotionally invested in this and I couldn''t expect her to be at her best in this situation. I turned to the guards who were still watching us with close curiosity and anticipation. ¡°Get rid of the body, I would prefer that you burned it. Make sure to take this doll with you,¡± I gestured to it, not wanting to go any closer. ¡°Do not touch it with your bare hands. We don¡¯t know what it was used for or if there are traces of magic inside of it¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°Speaking of magic, do not take that body out until the fire is ready. I don¡¯t know if the magic will seep back in or not. This entire situation screams foul y and I don¡¯t want to make it worse,¡± I turned to the women. ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should let Peggy see her first?¡± Cami asked in an unsure tone. ¡°She might want to say good bye¡± ¡°It is best that she keeps whatever image she has of her daughter right now over the image of that rotten corpse,¡± I knew my worse were harsh but I needed to drive my point across. ¡°We will break the news about Marie. I will be righ there with you the entire step of the way.¡± She nodded and I reached out to intertwine my fingers with her. I turned to Christine who had been silent the entire time. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered and she waved me off. ¡°I think we can handle it from here. You should go and rest, I cannot imagine how exhausting that ordeal was.¡± It was a testament to how tired she was because she didn''t even protest, she just gave me a small smile and walked away leaving Cami and I. My mate definitely didn¡¯t want to see Peggy, she dragged her feet the entire time and I knew it was worry for how she would behave and take the news. When we arrived at Peggy''s door, I had to knock because I knew that in the moment, Cami couldn''t bring herself tc do anything. I knocked quietly and there was some mumbling before the door opened. Peggy took one look at us an she frowned deeply. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a hand to stop me. ¡°l already know what you are about to say and I would rather you didn¡¯t,¡± she cut me off. ¡°Can I at least see her?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± I hated doing that to her especially when her eyes widened and her frown deepened. ¡°You don¡¯t wan to see her in that state, I assure you. You want to keep whatever memory you have of her as pure as possible. Do not taint it with this.¡± ¡°That was not your call to make,¡± she spat and I knew that I had sessfully pissed her off. ¡°You can leave now, thank you for informing me.¡± She turned on her heels and walked into the room. I knew the smart thing would have been to just walk away but when I made to do so, I saw Cami take a step into the room. She had her hands wrapped around her mid-section, almost as if she were anxious. I couldn''t just leave my mate so I followed her as well. Peggy did her best to ignore us and pretend that we weren''t there. ¡°When my mother died, I didn''t see her body,¡± Cami began and I stilled. I had never heard her speak about this ou loud. ¡°I wanted to, so badly but I was advised against it. I was furious, I thought they were trying to take her from me I thought they didn¡¯t want me to say goodbye. I threw every tantrum in the book, I screamed and I cried but they didn''t let me and now I am grateful that I didn¡¯t because when I think about my mother, I think about her the way she was and not how she died.¡± ¡°These two situations are not the same,¡± Peggy spat. ¡°This is my child. I raised her alone. I cared for her, I loved her, I watched her take her first steps, I watched her shift, I was there when she had her first kiss. I love my daughter with everything in me and you cannot stop me from seeing her. This is the time that she needs me the most.¡± ¡°No,¡± Cami cut her off. ¡°This is the time that she needs you to be strong. You don¡¯t want to see her like that, she wouldn''t want you to.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Marie, you don¡¯t know my girl, you have no right to speak for her¡± Peggy had her finger pointed in Cami¡¯s face and it took everything in me to not pull her back, instead, I let out a warning growl. Both women turned to me and Peggy''s cheeks heated as she realized what she had done. She took a small step back to show me that she meant no harm and only then did the tension in my chest reduce considerably. I could see that Cami wasn''t happy with me for growling at Peggy but we could take care of thatter. What mattered to me was that she was not being threatened or cornered. ¡°Peggy,¡± Cami began again after a strained minute. ¡°I know how much this hurts and while I might not have known Marie, you can trust that I know this situation. I have been here before and I know that if you do this, you will regret it¡± ¡°Losing your mother in a fire is not the same as my daughter''s body rotting on the ground, Cami,¡± Peggy spat. ¡°Don¡¯t you darepare the two." Cami opened her mouth to speak but I held up a hand to stop her and she went silent. I slowly made my way over to them making sure I stood in a way that I blocked the door. Both women watched me carefully but my attention was on Peggy. ¡°We didn''t tell you how her mother died,¡± I said simply and she stilled. ¡°Yes you did,¡± her voice shook ever so slightly. ¡°How else would I know about it?¡± ¡°l am asking you the very same question.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Is this a new tactic of yours? Are you trying to intimidate me into forgetting what is happening right now?¡± ¡°I have no need to intimidate you but let us assume that I was wrong and she did tell you, how did you know that Marie''s body was rotten? That happened today, less than a few minutes before we came here, how did you know?¡± She stared at me for a second and then did the most absurd thing, she buried her face into her hands and began to cry. My brows furrowed in confusion as I watched her and I could feel Cami¡¯s confusion too. Peggy stood there wit her head bent as her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was tofort her or just watch her. I ended up doing the former and after two minutes of crying with no response from anyone she looked up at us and risked a peek. She frowned when she saw that we weren''t doing anything and to my surprise, she rolled her eyes anc wiped at her tears. ¡°I thought that would work,¡± she drawled with no humor in her tone. Her spine straightened and she looked up at us in slight annoyance. ¡°I should have waited until you told me.¡± ¡°You should have,¡± I said simply. ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± ¡°You have to be very stupid to not know who I am by now,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Did you really thin} that by throwing me off a cliff I would die? I hold the power over death, little prince, very little can kill me.¡± Reina. ¡°The knife,¡± Cami spluttered. ¡°I stabbed you, you should have died¡± ¡°Perhaps you are better off looking for instructions before ying with sharp toys,¡± she mused. ¡°Now, I need you to tell me where that knife is and I can be out of your hair¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 229 CAMILLA''S POV I should have known. The signs were right in front of me and I should have figured it out earlier but I couldn''t look past my own prejudice to see what the hell was going on. I had focused all my attention on the witch being Marie that I forgot to even consider the possibility that it could be Peggy. It made sense now, she was using the dolls to control the dead body, but the other two dolls... what were they for? ¡°I don''t have all the time in the world,¡± she drawled crossing her arms over her chest. Now that she wasn''t pretendin anymore, I could see the simrities, I could see the mannerisms. It was her but it wasn''t. ¡°Give me the dagger.¡± ¡°I don''t know where it is,¡± it was the truth. I didn¡¯t even know if it had been found or not. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want anythin; to do with you right now. I closed that chapter of my life a long time ago. You wanted me because of my magic and I don¡¯t have it anymore.¡± ¡°You stupid girl, I didn¡¯t want you because of your magic, I wanted you because you were blessed by the goddess,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest as she analyzed me. ¡°I know your magic is gone. I had more than enough time tc check it out. If it were still here, you would have healed me when I almost drowned in the water. You don¡¯t have thos powers anymore and I suppose it is a good thing because now you cannot defeat me. How do you n to fight deatt hm? My jaw clenched in anger but I didn¡¯t speak. Ryker gently wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me behind him. I saw Reina- Peggy- whatever she was- raise her brow in mild amusement. I could tell she enjoyed this but the honest truth was that I needed her out of the pce. No one in tis building was safe until we found a way to get her out. No one was safe until she was gone. ¡°We don''t have the knife, Reina,¡± Ryker said simply. ¡°If you want it then you will have to get it yourself. Get out of my pack¡± She stared at him for a full minute as the corner of her lips tipped up slowly into an amused smirk. ¡°I see you''ve grown some backbone instead of hiding behind your mate and her magic. Tell me, Ryker, does it make you feel inferior knowing that she has all the powers? Leanor wasn¡¯t a royal and yet she had powers, do you want to know how?¡± ¡°Get out,¡± he cut her off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this. Leave now, Reina.¡± Sheughed humorlessly. My eyes found Ryker¡¯s but there was something in them. I could clearly understand what he was telling me- stall her. I wasn¡¯t sure how he wanted me to do that but I nodded. ¡°Why did you pick them?¡± I asked and she turned to me in confusion. ¡°Of all the people in the town, you picked then why? You could have chosen anyone else.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± she admitted. ¡°When we both washed up ashore, Peggy found us. She was such a kind old woman. She was seated there, you know, and she looked broken. I know death, I can sense it. All I needed to do was push the right buttons and she told me about her little girl who was dead. Well, all I could do was help her out so I made sure she joined her child and I took over.¡± ¡°You brainwashed an entiremunity into thinking that Marie was still alive. She shrugged and that was when I realized we might have underestimated her powers. She opened her mouth to speak but at that moment, the door flew open and in came a handful of guards with their weapons pointed at her. There was fear in her eyes for a minute but she quickly wiped it away and reced it with annoyance. ¡°This is how you want to y,¡± she drawled. ¡°That''s fine, I''ll bite. Get me that weapon in one week or I will burn this entire pack to the ground and you can count on that¡± She turned to the window and there was a loud explosion. Ryker pulled me to the ground with his hands covering m: head and shielding me from the debris that was flying around. Dust filled the air and by the time it settled, the window had been blown out and Peggy was gone. Ryker cursed loudly as he realized she had escaped. All I could do was stand there stunned as I tried to process everything that just happened. Ryker was barking orders to the guards but my mind was a haze. I couldn''t hold a thought longer than a few seconds before it was reced with the reality that Reina was back. Reina whom I had almost lost everything to- my child, my life. She was one of the fiercest foes we had ever faced and she was back. She could have wiped all of us dead in tha room but she didn''t, she chose to flee. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was an act of mercy or if there was more to it. ¡°Cami,¡± my eyes snapped up once I heard Ryker¡¯s voice. His eyes raked over me with concern. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need me to-" ¡°No,¡± I cut him off. ¡°I think I''m going to check on the girls. I just want to make sure that they are alright, okay?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for him to respond before I started to drag myself over there. I couldn''t think, I couldn''t breathe, I just needed to see my children, I needed to touch them, feel them and know that they were alive and breathing. They were with Riley, at least, that was thest ce I knew they would be. When I pushed open Riley''s door and I didn¡¯t see them, I felt panic settle in my heart. I tried to calm my raging breaths. They had to be somewhere in the pce, they couldn''t have just disappeared. I forced my If heavy feet to move down the halls and tried to get my brain to bring up the few ces they could be bu it wasn¡¯t working. My breath wasing out in pants and my eyes were blurring over every few seconds. I thought I was going to pass out until I felt a hand on my shoulder. In a second, I had the person pinned to the wall with ice around their wrists. I wasn¡¯t even sure where the water came from, it just happened. ¡°I''m not going to hurt you,¡± Damien exined in a soft voice and I let out a sigh of relief and embarrassment. It took one flick of my wrist to get him out and he watched me with careful eyes after. ¡°Are you alright? You seemed very jumpy.¡± ¡°Where are the girls?¡± I should have answered his question but I needed to see my children. As long as I could put m eyes on them, I would be fine. ¡°I went to your room and they weren''t there. I don¡¯t know where Riley is.¡± ¡°She is in their room with them,¡± his eyes narrowed as he took me in. ¡°Are you sure that everything is okay? You look a little pale¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± I turned away from him quickly. ¡°I am going to check up on the girls.¡± I had hoped that he would leave me alone but instead, Damien walked in sync with me. Every few seconds, I would feel his eyes on me and I could clearly make out the worry in his gaze but I remained silent. The moment he pushed the door open and I saw my daughters, I felt every ounce of worry bleed out from my shoulders. They were seated cross legged on the floor with Riley but as soon as they saw me, they rushed over to me. I buried my face in their hair and inhaled their scent. They were whispering and talking to me but I could barely hear them over the noise in my head. All I could hear was one phrase over and over again- ¡°they are safe¡¯. I pulled back only when they started to squirm to get out of my hold and I smiled so as not to show them how worried I was. ¡°l was looking for you. I didn''t know you would be here.¡± ¡°Are you okay, mummy?¡± Audrey asked and I nodded. ¡°You look like you''re going to cry. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, I''m just very happy to see you,¡± I smiled wide. She cocked her head to the side in disbelief but she was a child and there was very little that she actually knew. After a few seconds of a staring contest, she seemed to believe my response because she immediately rushed over to show me what she had been doing. I knew I had a shit ton of work to do but nothing could have pulled me off that ground. I sat cross legged on the floo with my daughters talking about the most absurd things. Aurora sat in myp and just buried her face into my chest and it was the most amazing thing ever. They were alive, they were breathing, Reina hadn''t gotten to them. I couldnt help but wonder if part of the reason she didn¡¯t do anything today when she could have was to y with our minds. She liked games, I wouldn''t be surprised it if turned out that this was all a game to her. She wanted to drive us to the brink of insanity and it has only been a few hours but I couldn''t help but feel like she was seeding ¡°Hey, is Cami-" the door flew open as Ryker¡¯s words died on his throat. His eyes met mine and they softened considerably. Both girls rushed up to their father but he never moved his eyes from me as he spoke. ¡°Can everyone excuse us please?¡± Riley and Damien didn¡¯t wait to be asked twice before they walked away. Once the door was shut behind them, Ryke! came to take a seat next to me on the floor. I didn¡¯t say a word as Iy my head gently against his shoulder. I couldn¡± have spoken even if I wanted to, I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± he assured me and I wanted so badly to believe those words. ¡°We did it before, we can do it again. We know better now. She cannot hurt them again.¡± ¡°The mean woman is back,¡± Audrey announced making us turn to her. ¡°What did you say?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°The mean woman is back. You''re talking about her, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ryker lied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, okay? It is just adult talk.¡± Audrey just shrugged and went back to her toys. That was the innocence of children and I would be damned if I let Reina take it away from them again. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 230 RYKER''S POV I stayed silent next to Cami wondering if I should tell her about the fact that we had the dagger or not. It was seated in the drawer by our bedside. It was not the smartest ce to keep it but it was also the one ce I knew nobody would check. Our room was practically out of bounds to people. I debated it the entire time we were with the girls and through dinner. I didn¡¯t realize I was so lost in my thoughts until after weid the girls down for bed, Cami stopped me in the hallway. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°You''ve been lost in your head throughout today. I know we just found out about Reina and that could be it but-" ¡°That''s not it,¡± I cut her off and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Come with me, I need to show you something.¡± She said nothing as she followed quietly behind me but I could feel her bustling curiosity. She had a million questions, that much was clear but she managed to keep her mouth shut until we got to our room. I could feel her staring at me the entire time and I hoped I wasn¡¯t making the wrong choice when I pulled open the drawer and pulled out the dagger. Her eyes widened to the point of saucers and she stared up at me like she had just seen a ghost. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± her voice was carefully soft and guarded. ¡°Isn''t this-" ¡°Yes,¡± I cut her off. ¡°I''ve had it since when you went missing. It washed up shore and I kept it. I didn¡¯t know I would need itter¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give it to Reina so she would leave us alone?¡± she asked and I stilled. ¡°This is what she wants, isn''t it? If we give it to her then she doesn¡¯t have to attack. We can end this in seconds.¡± I snatched the dagger back and ced it in the drawer. ¡°We can¡¯t do that.¡± She had her hands crossed over her chest and her brows raised. She definitely didn¡¯t agree with me on my choice regarding the dagger and I thought of the best way to exin it to her. I had also thought about just giving it to Rein. but I couldn''t. ¡°What is the guarantee that she will leave us alone?¡± I asked her. ¡°We don''t know Reina and from what we do know o her, she cannot be trusted. I don¡¯t believe for one minute that she will leave us alone. Besides, why does she want the dagger of all things? There has to be something about it that she doesn¡¯t want us to find out.¡± ¡°It didn''t work thest time.¡± ¡°She said something about learning to use things. It does work, we just didn''t use it right. I am sure there is someon or something out there that can teach us how to use this and kill her. She doesn¡¯t want us to find out which is why she wants this.¡± Cami pursed her lips. ¡°You''re right, I know you are, but am I wrong for just wanting this to be over quickly? Maybe if we give it to her then she will not attack us. She might keep to her word.¡± I gave her a nk look. ¡°Are you trying to convince me or yourself?¡± She sighed and took a seat at the edge of the bed, her face buried into her hands. I sat next to her without making a sound and wrapped my arms around her shoulder. It proved to be the right move because she leaned into me and let out an exasperated sigh. This was tiring and it would be until we found a way to get rid of Reina- that much I knew. I said nothing as I just sat there and allowed her lean against me. I wasn''t sure how long we stayed there but I didn¡¯t move until she did first. Once she pulled away slightly, I pulled her to her feet with me and started undoing theces at the back of her dress. She didn¡¯t stop me but she turned over her shoulder to look at me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked but I stayed silent. ¡°Ryker, what is this?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°l am getting you into bed,¡± I said simply as I undid thestce and her dress pooled to her feet. I helped her out of the rest of her clothes until she was standing naked in front of me. It tried to keep my eyes fixed on her face but it was hard. She was soft in all the right ces and she was mine, standing in front of me and doing nothing to hide from me. I couldnt stop myself from cupping her head and kissing her lips. It was meant to be a soft peck and nothing more but our bodies had a mind of their own. Our lips moved in perfect sync and as my hands trailed down to her lower back to pull her flush against me, I heard her moan. I pulled back with a harsh breath. ¡°That was not what I meant when I said I wanted to get you in bed.¡± She smiled coyly and shrugged. ¡°As long as it works, I don''t really mind.¡± She kissed me again and this time, I didn¡¯t fight her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I figured there was nothing wrong with spending one night with my mate. If there was one person that was guaranteed to make me forget about everything- it was Cami. As usual, I woke up before her. The sky was still dark by the time I woke up and Cami was fast asleep and curled uj by my side. She looked peaceful and the stress of thest few days was absent from her face. I didn¡¯t want to wake her but I knew if I moved, she would, so I stayed there for what felt like another hour. I kissed the top of her head once the sun started to rise and slowly got out of bed. It was a miracle that I managed to get out without waking her. Once I was freshened up, I made my way out of the pce and towards the training grounds where I spent my mornings. Juan was already there doing some running and I didn¡¯t hesitate to join him. For the first few minutes, there wasplete silence between us. We just enjoyed each other''spany as we ran around the pce. It was a daily routine at this point. ¡°What is the next course of action?¡± Juan asked after a beat of silence. ¡°What are you going to do about Reina?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± I admitted. I hated that answer but it was the only one I had. ¡°We have about six days before she attacks and I n to use that time to find out whatever I can about her. She is going toe back and when she does, we better be ready.¡± ¡°How do you n to do that? The only witch I know is-" ¡°I don''t want to use any more witches,¡± I cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t fancy seeing people die just to help us out. I might have an idea though. Cami¡¯s father built a vacation house over thend where the witch coven used to be. There is someone there- Briggs- he knows everything about them. He might have some information for us. I will send out spies to give him a message. He will be brought here¡± Juan nodded slowly. ¡°Okay, what do you need me to do?¡± ¡°I need you to stay with your mate,¡± he opened his mouth to protest but is topped him. ¡°Christine is going to try to get involved. You know that and so do I. It is your job to keep her safe and out of it.¡± ¡°How many times has Cami gone into trouble while pregnant,¡± he shot back and I fell silent. ¡°Exactly, she won''t agree to being caged. I can try my best but she will only hate me for it. The best that I can do is to make sure that sh doesn¡¯t get hurt. If you think you can make her sit this one out then please, be my guest. I would love for her to be within the confines of the pce but this is Christine that we are talking about.¡± Unfortunately, I knew he was right. Christine and Cami were two peas in a pod. They were stubborn to a fault and there was absolutely nothing save for full body paralysis that would make them sit this battle out. They were going t: do everything humanly possible to make sure that they were involved and they helped to get rid of Reina. ¡°Fine, just keep an eye on her,¡± I said finally. ¡°There isn''t much we can do until we hear back from Briggs but I could use some help with the guards. Everyone needs to be prepared for the possibility of an attack from Reina. There isn" much they can do against magic but they can try.¡± He nodded. ¡°Of course, I have a question though,¡± he began. ¡°Does she still have the full extent of her powers?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, ording to Christine, Cami lost some of her powers. Would it be wrong to assume that she might have too They both were hurt, they both fell off the cliff and they both had to survive. Don¡¯t you think she could have lost something as well?¡± ¡°It would make the most logical sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t know, she could control a dead body and make it speak. She did it for weeks and she managed to make an entire town forget that someone they knew and loved had died.¡± ¡°How powerful was she before that?¡± he asked. ¡°She could take the life out of anything with a snap pf her fingers- that is what you told me. Compared to that, I don¡¯t think this is a lot.¡± ¡°Even if she did lose her powers. We would be fools to underestimate her. She is still powerful and we need to be careful.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 231 CAMILLA''S POV Ryker told me all about his n to speak to Briggs and while that seemed like the smartest choice, we still had to wait for Briggs to arrive and in the meantime, I thought about how I was going to make sure everyone in the pce was safe if Reina decided to attack. The easiest choice would have been to just ensure that everyone left the pce but that would have meant a lot of exnation which I was unprepared to do. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Christine who was seated opposite me. She had a book open in herp as she looked up at me. ¡°Think about what?¡± ¡°How do I get Riley and Damien out of here?¡± I exined and her mouth formed an o. ¡°Also, how do I get the girls out? I don¡¯t want anyone getting hurt again.¡± I don¡¯t know what she heard in my voice, but it had her sighing as she put her book down. ¡°if you want them to leave you could just ask but I dont think it is the smartest choice.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As at right now, we don¡¯t know where exactly she is. She could be waiting for you to send one of them out and she will take them,¡± I opened my mouth to protest but she held up a hand to stop me. ¡°I didnt say she would, I just said that she could. I think they are safer here than anywhere else. At least within these walls, we can keep a close eye or them. What harm could possiblye to them here?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I whispered. ¡°Thest time she got them both, they were within these walls. She had someone in here taken them to her¡± A dark look crossed her face as she realized what exactly I was talking about. She reached over the table and held m: hand in hers. I knew she wanted me to look at her but I couldn''t, if I did, I knew there would be tears in my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to think about that situation. If you are n0t reading this novel on JObnI b, some sentences are iplete. It had never left my mind but I had somehow managed to push it into the recesses where I wouldn''t have to worry about it. ¡°Cami,¡± she whispered softly but I shook my head. ¡°He willingly betrayed you, I know that, but no one here will betray you. Your children are safe. The girls are safe. If I have to watch them every day of my life then I will but nothing will happen to you.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that. You have more important things to do. I could watch them.¡± ¡°You have important things to do as well,¡± she reminded me. ¡°Look, if you want to keep them safe then I suggest tha you leave them with Riley and Damien. You get to keep everyone you are worried about together.¡± ¡°Riley and Damien don¡¯t know what we are facing.¡± ¡°Then tell them,¡± she shrugged as if it were the most important thing in the world. ¡°You don''t have to tell them everything but you should tell them. They will understand and they will be willing to help. It is one week, Cami, and you cannot do it all by yourself. You need to take help.¡± I knew she was right so I ran my hands down my face to try and calm myself. ¡°Do you want toe with me while I tell them?¡± She nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, you don''t even have to ask.¡± She walked in step with me and it was only the fact that she was right next to me that stopped me from running away. I lifted my hand to knock on the door but before my fist hit the wood, it was pulled open. Riley was shocked to see me there with my hand mere inches from her face and sheughed. ¡°l was justing to find you,¡± she eximed. ¡°Do you know where Ryker is?¡± ¡°Yes, but he can¡¯te right now, he is doing some important work.¡± She stilled. ¡°Are you alright? Is everything okay? You seem a little pale and you look worried.¡± ¡°I''m fine, but can I talk to you and Damien, please?¡± I saw worry sh across her eyes but she gave me a small smile and nodded. She pulled the door opening revealing Damien who was seated at the edge of the bed. He looked up and as soon as he saw Christine and I, he sat up straight. ¡°Your girls are asleep in their rooms,¡± Riley exined as we walked into the room. ¡°Audrey knocked herself out after a few hours of running around with Damien.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t reallye to talk to you about them,¡± I cut her off. ¡°It concerns them but that isn¡¯t exactly what everything is about.¡± I swallowed deeply and told her. I didn''t tell her everything but I told her what she needed to know to make an urate picture of what was going on. I exined how I got new powers and Reina attacked. I exined how I lost my memories and how we lost Aurora the first time. Then I exined what had happened now and how Reina was prime to attack in about six days. ¡°Do you want us to leave?¡± she asked after I was done but I shook my head. ¡°I don''t know if she is waiting for you to leave to attack. There is nothing she would love more than to hold one of you as an exchange for what she wants,¡± Christine exined. ¡°What we wanted to ask is if you could stay.¡± ¡°I don''t trust anyone with my children right now. I know I am asking a lot but I will go on my knees if I have to,¡± I sped my hands together. ¡°Please, watch over my kids for me while you stay. You are the only people that she can use against us and I just need to ensure that you are all safe¡± There was silence for a minute before they both nodded. I felt immense relief pour out of me when I realized they had agreed. I knew they would but knowing and seeing it were twopletely different things. ¡°We will watch your kids with our life,¡± Riley assured me as she pulled me into a fierce hug. ¡°You never even have to ask. They are my nieces and I want them to be safe.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I wiped the stray tears that had dropped from my cheeks. ¡°I need to go because I have some things to go over.¡± Christine and I had gotten to the hallway when Damien came rushing after us. His eyes were on Christine so I knew who he wanted to speak to but when I tried to give them space, she grabbed my wrist in a bruising grip and shot me a warning look that promised all forms of bodily harm if I let her go. ¡°Hi, I just wanted to know if we could talk,¡± he began but her face betrayed nothing. ¡°I just wanted to say congrattions and ask if we could-" ¡°Please don''t,¡± she whispered and he frowned. ¡°My mate hates you and out of respect for him, I can¡¯t do this.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°You don''t even know what I want to talk about.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t need to know. I don¡¯t want any blood between us but I will not put Juan in a position where he feels ufortable or defensive. You can write it in a note or something or you could tell it to him.¡± ¡°He will not listen to me.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He finally understood what she was saying. ¡°Okay, I understand. Congrattions on the baby.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± He walked off without another word leaving us in ufortable silence. I watched him leave and Christine let out a exasperated sigh. Without warning, she dropped into the nearest bench and buried her face into her hands. She didn''t say a word but I knewpany would go a long way so I sat next to her inplete and utter silence. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± I asked after a beat of silence but she shook her head. ¡°Ask me anything else that doesn¡¯t have the word mate in it, please,¡± she moaned, almost begging and I wracked my brain when I finally figured out what I wanted to ask about. ¡°Where are the other dolls?¡± I asked and that seemed to do the trick because she sat up straight. ¡°I kept them in my drawer. After what I saw with the first one, I couldn''t bear to look at the others but Juan does. He said that they look normal.¡± ¡°Do we have any idea who they belong to?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°Do you think we could find out?¡± ¡°How do you propose we do that? We aren''t witches. We don¡¯t know how to control them.¡± I bit my lip before asking the question that had been guing me for a while with careful precision. ¡°If we were to burn them or destroy them, do you think the people would die?¡± She raised a brow in amusement. ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± I nodded. ¡°We have to destroy them or at least try to. Do you think they would die?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, when Marie died, the doll got destroyed too. It might work the other way too.¡± ¡°Okay, what if we didn¡¯t kill them but rather hurt them?¡± I offered and her brows furrowed but I could tell she was listening. ¡°We could do something to the dolls and see if it reflects on the human.¡± ¡°You want to deliberately main or hurt someone because of a doll?¡± ¡°l want to figure out who those dolls are for and yes, I am willing to be dramatic in order to find that out.¡± Her eyes were wide but she didn''t look disgusted, if anything, she looked intrigued. Still, I expected her to refuse because Christine was a stickler for the rules. To my surprise, she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Fine, but you better not disfigure or main anyone just in case the doll belongs to Juan or I. I would very much like to have my kid in one piece.¡± Iughed. ¡°You have a deal.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 232 RYKER''S POV When Cami sent an urgent mind link telling me that she needed me in her room, I had thought of a million possible things, what I didn¡¯t think was that I would see her and Christine sitting with the two dolls in between them I immediately knew that whatever she was going to say would be absolutely absurd but it didn¡¯t prepare me for the words that actually came out of her mouth. ¡°Would you like to repeat that?¡± I asked slowly and her cheeks heated. At least she knew that it was an insane. ¡°I think it is a good idea to find out who the dolls belong to. I am not going to main anyone, I''ll just make a cut on th arm or something,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I don''t think it is a big deal. It isn''t like I will be killing anyone.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose muttering a few choice words under my breath before looking up at her again. I was more shocked that Christine had even agreed to this but she seemed to be in full support. I opened my mouth trying to think of where to start discouraging them from but no words woulde out. I didn¡¯t even know where to start. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to use this,¡± I said finally. ¡°You could really hurt someone.¡± ¡°How bad could it be?¡± Christine shrugged. ¡°Besides, it is a cut on the arm, not a knife in the heart or something. I assure you, it will not be as hard or as difficult as you want to think it is.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Cami echoed. ¡°The way I see it, we could have done it without telling you both but we wanted you to be here. We want to know who she was able to get easy ess to.¡± The annoying thing about everything was that she was right. She could very well have done it without talking to me first and there was absolutely nothing I could have done. I nced over at Juan who just shrugged, he clearly had no interest in getting into it with anyone. I dragged over a wooden chair and sat down. ¡°Fine, do your experiment.¡± Both of them seemed surprised that I had agreed. I had half a mind to change my mind but the truth was that I was curious as well. Cami took out a small dagger from the side table and I watched as she carefully sliced down the arm of one of the dolls. It wasn''t anything deep, it was small enough to leave a mark. We all waited but there was nothing. I watched her do the same to the other doll but once again, there was nothing. ¡°Did I do it wrong?¡± she asked and I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know how to answer that. ¡°Maybe I should try it again and-" ¡°No,¡± I cut her off with her hand inches away from making another incision. ¡°We don¡¯t know who the dolls are for anc that''s fine. Just put them away, please, we can think about themter if they evere in handy.¡± ¡°But¡± ¡°We have much bigger things to worry about, Cami,¡± I stood to my feet. ¡°You should be happy that those don¡¯t belong to any of us. Maybe the person they belong to isn¡¯t even here. There is no way for us to know and I would ver much rather keep it that way.¡± After much persuasion, Cami agreed to hide the dolls back up. Once I was sure that her hand wasn¡¯t going to slip with a knife, I made my way out of the room and towards the training room. There was still a shit ton that the guards needed to learn before Reina attacked. I couldn''t help but think about Juan''sment and if she was at the top of her powers but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the answer to that so we had to train as if she was. We were in the middle of the training when a maid walked in. ¡°Your majesty, I was sent to inform you that a Mr. Briggs had arrived.¡± I didn¡¯t need to hear any other thing before I called off the training for the day. Briggs was waiting in the hallway anc he looked a lot better than thest time we saw him when he was at death''s door. Cami must have been informed as well because she was already embracing him by the time I arrived. ¡°Thank you foring,¡± I told him extending my hand to him for a handshake and he waved me off. ¡°Please, it was not as if I could refuse you. After everything you did for me, it is because of you that I am alive right now. If you had asked me to climb a mountain I would gave,¡± he joked. ¡°What do you need my help for? Your letter said that it was urgent.¡± ¡°It is a matter of privacy, would youe with me?¡± I ordered the maids to take his things to one of the guest rooms while I led him to my office. He was clearly bothered and curious the entire time but neither of us said a word until after I had shut the door. ¡°For safety reasons, I need to know that you are Briggs. Tell us something that only you know.¡± He seemed shocked. ¡°What is this about?¡± ¡°We have to be careful,¡± Cami told him in an apologetic tone. ¡°Just tell us please.¡± ¡°I buried your father''s letters in a box at the base of a tree and hid the key in a hole. Will that suffice?¡± ¡°Yes, it will¡± I let out a sigh of relief knowing that he was real. ¡°The problem is Reina.¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°The witch? I would have sworn that she was gone. I heard rumors that-" ¡°l am sure you also heard rumors that Cami was dead,¡± I cut him off and he nodded slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened but they both managed to survive a fall off a cliff. We had used the dagger that we found in the attic- the one that specifically said it could kill her but it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°That''s weird, I have heard of that dagger. I have never seen it being used in my lifetime but I heard that when the priestesses of the goddess realize that their leader has backslidden, they would take the dagger and kill them with i It should have worked.¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t,¡± I said simply. ¡°Is there anything that might clue us in as to why? Is there anything you might have heard over the years? You are our only hope right now. Reina is set to attack in a few days and we need to have the advantage. We need to know exactly what we can do to win or else everyone here will be lost.¡± ¡°Why is she attacking? Is it still about your powers?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Cami shook her head. ¡°After the fall, I lost those powers. I can¡¯t ess them at all. I feel empty. I don''t think they exist anymore. If I am being honest, I am not too upset about that, the weight of those powers on my shoulder is enough to give anyone pause. I am d that they are gone.¡± He smiled softly. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know anything. There were lots of rumors surrounding them. Some said that the one killing her had to die as well, others said that only their blood was needed on the dagger to ensure the evil party died. Others would say that only one the goddess had blessed could wield it. I don¡¯t know which is true.¡± I tried not to groan in frustration. He had done enough for us, he had done what he knew to do and that was fine. ¡°Thank you, Briggs. You must have had a long journey. You should go and rest.¡± He nodded and I watched him disappear. It wasn¡¯t until he was gone that I finally let out a low curse and buried my face into my hands. We were no closer to finding out how to kill Reina. All we had was an apparently useless knife and a bunch of rumors. ¡°We will figure it out,¡± Cami said softly with a hand on my shoulder. ¡°We always do. Besides, there has to be some layer of truth to rumors right? We just have to find it.¡± I ced a lingering kiss to her temple. ¡°We will. We just don¡¯t have enough time.¡± ¡°Then we make time,¡± she said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. ¡°We will make the best of the days that we have left and we will find a solution, I know we will." I hated being the pessimist. ¡°What if we don''t?¡± ¡°Then we improvise,¡± she shrugged. ¡°We might not know how to use the dagger but I''m pretty sure that no one can survive their head being cut off, right?¡± I raised a brow in amusement. I never thought Cami of all people would say that. I kissed her again before pulling her to her feet. We made our way out of the office and I had no idea where I was going but all thoughts suddenly flew out of my hea when I noticed Riley walking down the halls. I wasn''t sure if Cami had seen what I saw too but I rushed over to my sister and grabbed her arm that was wrapped in a bandage. ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°How did you get the cut?¡± ¡°l don''t have a cut, I''m fine,¡± she pulled off the bandage to show me and I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Why do you have a bandage on your arm then?¡± ¡°it''s because of Audrey,¡± my brows furrowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you so you wouldn''t worry but when she was ying a few hours ago, I think she cut herself on something. She was bleeding terribly. I helped her bandage it up and wrapped my own too so she didn¡¯t feel weird.¡± ¡°Audrey cut herself, how?¡± ¡°I don''t know, really. One minute it wasn''t there and the next it was. It just appeared.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 233 CAMILLA''S POV When Ryker rushed out of the office, I had blindly followed him. I wasn¡¯t sure what he had seen to make him react like that but I knew it had to be important. When I heard those words leave Riley''s lips, it felt like my entire world had closed down on me. I couldn''t speak, couldn''t think, couldnt even breathe as the knowledge that one of those dolls belonged to my daughter. ¡°Are you sure she didn''t cut herself on anything?¡± Ryker asked after seeing my face and Riley nodded. ¡°She was lying next to me on the floor. There was nothing sharp next to her, I can swear it by the goddess. I don''t know what happened.¡± ¡°I think we do,¡± Riley looked confused but I knew Ryker wasn''t going to exin anything to her. ¡°Thank you, where is she now?¡± ¡°In her room.¡± I didn¡¯t wait to hear anything else before I started walking in that direction. I heard Ryker¡¯s footsteps behind me and I should have waited so we could walk together but I didn¡¯t. I knew if he caught up to me he was going to shove som bullshit about it not being my fault down my throat until I took it but I didn¡¯t want to hear it. It was my stupid idea and I had never imagined that my daughter could be a potential victim. It had only been the four of us in my mind and that was my problem. I was being too narrow minded about the entire thing. How she managed to gain ess to Audrey long enough to do that was beyond me but then again, we didn¡¯t really keep her away. We had our attention fixed on Marie, she could have done anything and we would have been non the wiser. ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker''s hand wrapped around mine like a vice just as my fingers hit the doorknob. ¡°You need to calm down. She isn''t hurt, she is fine.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I am very sure that a cut on her arm does constitute as hurt.¡± ¡°You know what I meant,¡± he rolled his eyes. ¡°We needed to know and now we do. There is no possible way we could have found out if we hadn''t done this. Would you rather not know that she was the one?¡± ¡°I would have rather not hurt her¡± ¡°I know, I would have rather we didn¡¯t either but you beating yourself up about it is not going to change what has happened. Right now, we need to make sure that it is her and figure out who the other person was.¡± I knew he was right. I ran my hands down my face in frustration as I tried not to scream. ¡°Could it be Aurora?¡± ¡°No, Riley was with both girls. If it was Aurora, she would have told us. All we need now is to focus on Audrey and then figure out how to get rid of those dolls.¡± I nodded and he kissed my temple before pushing the door open. For someone that had just been hurt, Audrey didn''t seem phased at all. She was in her pink princess dress and she was doing a pretend tea party with Damien an Aurora. The bandage wrapped around her arm was prominent and caught my eye but it didn¡¯t seem to bother her. When she saw us, she smiled wide. ¡°Join us for our tea party!¡± she eximed and without giving us a chance to refuse, she grabbed us by our arms and pulled us in. ¡°There''s space for you here next to uncle Damien.¡± I couldn''t have protested even if I wanted to. I sat cross legged on the ground and watched as she mimed pouring te: for us. ¡°How is your arm, Audrey?¡± She shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Uncle Damien said I was a strong girl because I didn¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°But you did cry,¡± he shot back and she giggled. ¡°Only a little,¡± she held up her index finger and thumb very close together. ¡°I stopped crying very fast, mummy. Are you proud of me?¡± ¡°Very,¡± I answered without hesitation. ¡°Damien was right, you are a strong girl. Now, why don¡¯t you serve me some more tea?¡± We sat there for the next half hour ying tea time with her and I only left when she was well and truly satisfied anc tired. I managed to drag her down for dinner before she all but passed out at the dinner table. All eyes were on her bandage the entire time but no one said a word, at least, not until after I had put her in bed. Christine met us in the hallway. ¡°She had one of the dolls?¡± I nodded. ¡°What about the other?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± I exined. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Aurora and it wasn''t either of us. Who do you think it is?¡± ¡°Honestly, I''m not sure either. What if it is one of the maids or servants?¡± ¡°There are millions of them. How are we going to find out which one? Besides, most of them are fully grown wolves, their cuts would have healed by now.¡± We all knew we were stuck in a hard ce, there was nothing we could do at that point. I wasn¡¯t going to risk using one of the dolls again and picking the wrong one- I could hurt Audrey. ¡°The best we can do is hide them,¡± I said simply. ¡°Keep them somewhere that Reina will never find them. She had those dolls for a reason and we need to make sure that she doesn¡¯t seed for whatever reason it is.¡± ¡°Who hides it then?¡± Ryker asked and we both turned to him. ¡°Reina had ess to our daughter. Who is to say that she somehow didn¡¯t get ess to us? She isn''t stupid, she knows those dolls are missing. What if she has others?¡± ¡°Wouldn''t we know if we were being controlled?¡± I asked but no one spoke. Neither of us knew the answer to that question. ¡°So what do we do? How do we know who we can trust to hide it?¡± ¡°You do it,¡± Christine announced and I turned to her. ¡°She wouldn''t control you because she wants you. She would d it to the people around you to make you feel helpless. You take the dolls and hide them wherever you see fit. ¡°So we just forget about them?¡± ¡°It is magic, right? When Reina died, they will most likely die with her. We just need to keep it hidden until we can somehow kill her. What do you say?¡± ¡°Do I really have a choice?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°Give me the dolls.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Christine went to retrieve them and I was left wondering where the hell I could possibly hide them. After a long few minutes of deliberation, I made my way over to the private library. Very few people knew about it and very few woulc actually look in it. I hid it in one of the furthest drawers and locked it tight. It was a weird ce to choose but I was confident that it wouldn''t be found. I left the library but when I walked past my father¡¯s bedroom, I stilled. I hadn''t gone in there in a while and although didn¡¯t hold anything against him anymore, I just couldn''t bring myself to love him like I did my mother. ¡°I miss him,¡± I nearly jumped when I heard Brigg¡¯s voice from behind me. ¡°I apologize for scaring you. I should be in bed but I couldn''t sleep. I can count on one hand the number of times I was actually in this pce.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Your father liked to keep certain aspects of his life away from each other,¡± he exined. ¡°It was why he kept Eva anc Frederick away and it was why he kept me away at that vacation home. I was the only link between every part of his life. I knew everything inside and out and he didn¡¯t like that, neither did your mother if I am being honest. It was better for their marriage if I stayed away and allowed them live in blissful ignorance.¡± ¡°Is there anyone excluding Frederick?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°He was very careful after you were born. He loved you and you were everything that he wanted. I think that drove Eva mad because she knew he didn¡¯t love Frederick the same way.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better," I said simply and he gave me a sad smile. ¡°You can go into the room if you want. I don''t think there is anything of importance there but if it makes you feel closer to your friend then-" ¡°Your father is dead, and no matter how much I miss him, it will not bring him back to life. I can go into his room anc mourn or I can help his daughter who is actually alive. How is it going with the witch?¡± I was stunned by the swift change in subject. ¡°I have been thinking all evening to know if there was something I forgot.¡± ¡°Is there?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°I told you everything that I know. Everyone can be killed, Cami, you just need to know how,¡± he cleared his throat and turned to walk away but stilled a few steps out. ¡°How did you survive?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I think my powers had something to do with it¡± ¡°How did she survive?¡± I didn¡¯t know the answer to that either and I didn¡¯t have any theories as to why. ¡°Could you have possibly helped her survive.¡± I shook my head. ¡°My powers were well and truly spent. It is a miracle I even managed to live.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps you should start there. If you can find out why she lived then maybe you can find out how to kill her. There is something my father said for many years, he said that water held memories.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I don''t know, my father was an insane old man,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But he was right about many things. Goodnight, Cami.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 234 CAMILLA''S POV We had twenty-four hours until her set time for attack, and panic was everywhere. Majority of the pce still had no idea what was going on, it was just us and we had nned to keep it that way for as long as possible but as I sat in my office staring at the ceiling, I realized that we were probably well and truly f****d because we were no closer to figuring out how to kill the bitch. ¡°Cami,¡± a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked forward to find Christine staring at me with a look of concern. ¡°I asked you the same question about five time now. Are you alright?¡± Are you?¡± I shot back and she pursed her lips. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you think we should at least inform the guards? They would need to prepare for her wouldn''t they? She hasn''t said or done anything yet. She has been radio silent and that worries me. Last time, she made sure everyone knew that she wasing.¡± ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t need to this time, we already know,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Or maybe she just wants to keep us on our toes. don¡¯t know why she would choose to do this. I wish I did and thinking about this is only stressing me out some more I don¡¯t know how to kill her and that is my major concern.¡± ¡°Juan has a theory that she isn¡¯t at her full strength,¡± she exined and I stilled. ¡°HE says that since you lost something then probably she did too. It makes the most sense to me out of everything else I have tried tod up with.¡± She wasn''t even looking at me as she spoke. Her eyes were cast down at the piece of paper in front of her. That just showed how much she didn¡¯t believe the theory but she was right, it seemed the most logical. We were both close to death, we should have lost something. I still had zero idea why we were alive but Brigg''s words had been ringing in my ears over the past few days. ¡°I need to go back to that cliff¡± I announced standing to my feet and her eyes widened. She started to protest but I wasn''t going to let her. ¡°Before Briggs left yesterday, he told me something, he said water has memories. Something kept us both alive and I am going to find out.¡± ¡°How do you even n to do that? It isn''t like you will just go and sit down and ask the water. Are you even listening to yourself?¡± ¡°Asking is exactly what I n to do,¡± I made my way over to the door. ¡°You can eithere with me or you can stay, I don¡¯t really care but I am going either way.¡± She was a mix between exasperated and annoyed but I knew Christine and I already knew what her answer would be She was as desperate as I was to find a solution and if that meant going back to the cliff, she was going to say yes. It didn¡¯t even take her up to five minutes before she sighed and rose to her feet. ¡°This better yield some good results¡± she mumbled. ¡°Are you going to tell the men? Ryker isn¡¯t going to be happy about you going back there.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I know, but it is a good thing I am not asking,¡± I winked at her. ¡°I''ll inform him and if he has a problem with it then h can stay behind. Whatever happens, I will get answers today. I will not face her blindly- not again.¡± Christine went with me to talk to Ryker and Juan and just as we had predicted, neither of them was happy about it. Ryker tried to talk me out of it but when he realized my mind had been made up, he sighed and offered to go with me instead. Neither of us truly wanted to be there, I wasn''t even sure how I would react to be there. It was one of the most traumatic moments of my life, watching my daughter almost die in front of me and then almost dying myself. I remembered it like it was yesterday, remembered the goddess¡¯ face as she stared at me. We took a carriage because of Christine¡¯s pregnancy and thankfully, we didn¡¯t go to the top of the cliff, but rather the bottom where the river flowed. I stared at the raging river wondering how it was possible that I survived it but feelin: nothing short of grateful. ¡°What now?¡± Juan asked and I sighed. ¡°I don''t know,¡± I admitted moving a little closer to the river. ¡°I haven''t done this before in case you didn¡¯t realize. I am just seeing where it goes.¡± ¡°Shouldn''t you have thought about that before making us alle out here?¡± Ryker gave him a warning growl. ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe. You asked to be here and so far, Cami is the only one who has brought up any ideas.¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear them argue so I walked away from them until I was standing at the bank of the river. I closed my eyes and just breathed everything in. I still had my powers over the water and I could almost feel the waves moving around inside of me. I couldn''t calm it even if I tried, water was never made to be restrained. I just let it flow. I could feel something in the waves, something angry, something dangerous and it wasn¡¯t just the fact that the water could sweep me away at will. There was something else and I couldn''t stop myself from taking a step into the river. I heard screams behind me as someone tried to stop me but it was like I couldn''t control myself. I kept moving forward until I was standing right in the center of the river, the water up to my waist. How I wasn¡¯t swept away, I had no idea but something kept my foot grounded, something kept the waves from knocking me over. It was almost as if the water wanted me there, wanted me to find something. ¡°Tell me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to say but I''m listening.¡± The water grazed my fingers and I could feel the raging emotions but I didn¡¯t know how to ess the memories. I wa just going with the flow as I closed my eyes. I took in a deep breath and allowed the emotions overwhelm me. There was so much anger, so much pain and so much... death. It threatened to swallow me whole. It was overwhelming and I thought I would crash to my knees from the sheer intensity of it. My eyes flew open and I realized I was cocooned by the water. It was raging all around me and that was when started to see it. The images came fast, but I was able to decipher each of them. There were two men, brothers from what I knew. I sav one kill the other and dump the body, it was the first that the river imed. I saw many more, many betrayals, it. umted the anger. It became a dumping ground for the dead. It was no wonder the river was angry. After a few people, I saw Reina, or at least, a younger version of her. She was covered in soot and I knew she had just burned down her coven. In order to avoid an iplete reading experience, visit] 0b n ib.. She stripped off he burned clothes and dumped them straight into the river. I could almost hear the screams of the witches. She cleanec herself, washed herself clean of all the evil she had done and left. The scene then shifted to us atop the cliff. I watched as we fell in slow motion, not quite dead but not quite alive either. I saw Reina pull out the knife from her chest as she struggled to get to the surface, but the river didn¡¯t want to let go of her. It wanted to im her too, for all the lives she had taken. She grabbed onto me, determined to make sure we went down together and then I saw a light. I knew it was the goddess, even before I saw her soft young face. She was looking straight at me as she spoke, as if she knew I would be here, or maybe, I had be the river and she was speaking to us. ¡°You have suffered so much,¡± she whispered. ¡°You cannot take any more. Release this one.¡± I felt stubborn. I didn''t want to budge. They came together, they had to go together. ¡°If I im both, will you let them live?¡± she asked and although it felt like I was being cheated, I felt myself nod. ¡°I have to leave something for you, don''t I?¡± I nodded again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am in debt to you and one of them wille back to repay it. She will set you free.¡± This time, I knew she was talking directly about me. She put one finger in the water and it glowed. I watched as Rein: and I flowed downstream until we were spat out at the foot of the vige and just like that, the images stopped. The water raged around me, as if reminding me of the goddess¡¯ promise. I didn''t have the slightest idea what to do but I felt myself speak. ¡°Give it to me,¡± I whispered. ¡°Give me all the pain and the anger and the suffering, I can take it¡± The water flowed unsure around me. ¡°You have carried it for far too long. Give it to me.¡± No sooner than the moment thest words left my lips, I felt it all crash into me. I let out a scream that came out garbled due to the raging of the water around me. There was so much pain, too much, it flew into me all at once and thought I was going to explode from the sheer magnitude of it. It felt like hours until it stopped and even then, I felt the emotions slowly drifting out of me. They weren''t designed to be held. It was not my pain, not my anger and I wasn¡¯t going to hold onto it. It was time to move on. The water cocooning me slowly fell and what was once a raging river was now peacefully flowing. I turned around to see my family staring at me with varying looks of concern and worry. ¡°I got the answer,¡± was all I managed to say before my knees gave out. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 235 RYKER''S POV There was no way to exin what we had seen except for the fact that it was pure magic. It sounded absurd to me even when I thought about it. She walked into the middle of the raging stream but it didn¡¯t sway her, we tried to go after her but it was like there was an invisible barrier at the shore that prevented us from doing so. Then the water had epassed her and I nearly lost my mind because I thought she was going to drown and just as quickly as everything started, it stopped. It was a whirlwind of emotions but one thing I knew was that I never wanted to feel that way again- at least not in my lifetime. When she passed out, I cursed. I wasn¡¯t sure how it was possible to move as fast as I did but I managed to catch her before she hit the water. The water was surprisingly calm despite the fact that it had been a raging storm just a few minutes ago and it seemed like it almost parted ways for us to get out quickly because it wasn''t as stressful as it should have been. Christine and Juan were standing anxiously at the edge of the river and I had to mp down on my annoyance before I spoke. ¡°Can you get the f*****g carriage ready or something?¡± My words seemed to snap them into action because they rushed to do just as I had asked. By the time we managed to get into the carriage, Cami still hadnt woken up and I was starting to worry. She was breathing properly and she seemed fine through our mate bond. It felt like she was just sleeping but that didn¡¯t stop me from worrying. I pulled her across myp and stroked her hair softly to keep it out of her face. The ride was terse and the air was pregnant with questions but no one said a thing. The only person who could answer them was knocked out cold. She started to rouse a few minutes out from the pce. It was a soft groan at first and then her eyes slowly fluttered open. Relief poured through me and I quickly looked her over for any signs of injury. Once I was sure that she was fine, I ced a kiss to the center of her head. ¡°Are we on our way back?¡± she asked and I hummed in response. She could have pulled herself off my legs but for some reason, she only nestled closer to me. I wasn''t about to push her away so I simply wrapped my arms tighter around her. ¡°I have a pounding headache.¡± ¡°You walked into the middle of a raging river,¡± I couldn''t keep the bite out of my voice. ¡°That will not exactly leave you feeling like you just woke up on a bed of feathers now will it?¡± She rolled her eyes at me and despite the fact that I was only half joking, I was still slightly annoyed so I switched to our mind link. ¡°You don¡¯t do stupid things like that, Cami. How many times have we spoken about this? You have to let me know your ns. I tried to go after you but I couldn''t. There was a f*****g barrier around the river. I couldn¡¯ reach out to you." ¡°I''m sorry for scaring you, that was never my intention,¡± I could tell she was being genuine. ¡°The thing is, I didn¡¯t evel realize I was going to get into the river until I got into the river. It was almost like something was controlling me, something was telling me what to do.¡± It sounded insane but then again, everything that happened was insane, I could believe her being led by the river. I kissed her again just to remind myself that she was here, she was next to me and she was fine. If you are not reading this novel on JobnIb, some sentences are iplete. Visit Jobn!b to read theplete sentences for free. She hadn''t drowned, she hadn''t fallen, she was with me. I wanted to ask what she had learned but I couldn''t even bring myself to say the words. The only thing that mattered to me in that moment was her and until she offered, I wasn''t going to ask. Cami looked around at the others before speaking. ¡°What happened on the outside? Did anything weird happen?¡± It was Christine who exined everything that we saw and her face held contemtion the entire time. ¡°It checks out with what I saw.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Christine asked slowly and Cami sighed. ¡°The goddess helped us survive basically. Right before I fell, when I was healing Aurora, she had appeared to me. She had warned that if I brought her back, I was going to die because it was going to take too much from me. When we both fell, she must have feltpassion because she asked the river to let us go. We had to leave something behind though, I presume I had to leave my powers.¡± I knew there was more to the story but she didn¡¯t want to go into it here. I chose not to press and instead focused or what she had said. ¡°What did Reina leave?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± she admitted running her hands through her hair. ¡°I still don¡¯t even know how to kill her. I just know why we survived. We are no closer to finding out how to kill her¡± I could sense her getting frustrated. ¡°We have something, Cami, and we will figure out the rest. At least we know that she had to leave something behind, even if we don¡¯t know what.¡± That wasn¡¯t enough topletely calm her raging thoughts but it was enough to put a momentary end to it. She was quiet the rest of the way to the pce and once we arrived, she rushed out as if someone lit a fire behind her. She was still unsteady on her feet but she didn¡¯t want any help. Christine started to go after her but I stopped her. ¡°She needs space,¡± I exined. ¡°Give it to her. She wille to us when she is ready.¡± ¡°What do we do now? Reina is set to attack tomorrow and we have no idea what she has nned or what she is going to do,¡± Christine whisper yelled. ¡°Cami was right, we have nothing¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡± I growled. ¡°Reina is not stupid, she will not walk into the pce knowing she doesn¡¯t have her full powers. She has something big nned and we have no idea what it is. I am as worried about this as you and repeating it will not change it.¡± ¡°Why not control where she goes?¡± Juan asked. ¡°If she will note to the pce then maybe we can make her go where we want. She is bound to follow you if she truly has ns of attacking tomorrow.¡± ¡°That could work if she nned to attack us. Reina is resourceful and she isn¡¯t against killing a few innocent people just to make us go where she wants.¡± ¡°She is after the dagger isn''t she? I am convinced she is at least watching us. If you take the dagger with you, she will go after it. It does pose some risks because if she gets her hands on the dagger, then it is game over.¡± ¡°It is still the best n we have,¡± I mumbled. ¡°We will talk more about that. We have to find a ce close enough to the pce so as not to raise suspicion but far enough that no one will be hurt if she decides to use whatever powers she has left. Can you find somewhere?¡± He nodded and immediately rushed out of the car with Christine following close behind leaving just me. I could have retreated to my office but for some reason, I found myself taking a walk around the halls. There was still so much wrong with our ns and there was a lot that was missing. I didn¡¯t know how but I found myself walking over to Rile} and Damien''s rooms. I stood outside not quite wanting to go in but also not quite wanting to leave. Having them around was a gross inconvenience at a time like this. If I had my way, neither of them would be here. They hade right in the middle of a conflict and they posed a risk because now, we had more people to worry about. I raised my fist to knock on the door but as if on cue, it was pulled open. Damien stood there and he had a small smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are watching your girls. They are both sleeping. I could smell you outside the door. Do you want to see them?¡± I look through the open door at my daughters. Riley was seated with them and she had a smile on her face. I waved at my sister before turning back to Damien. ¡°Whose idea was it toe here?¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°It was mine. Is this your way of saying that we have overstayed our wee?¡± I shook my head and gestured for him toe with me. I could feel his confusion but he said nothing and walked in line with me. I waited until we were a considerable distance away from the room before I finally turned to him. ¡°When did you meet Peggy- or Reina, whatever her name is?¡± I asked and his brows furrowed. ¡°I don''t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°I can''t kill you, you''re my friend, but I need to know. I don¡¯t know how those stupid dolls work so I don¡¯t know if she is in your head one hundred percent of the time but if I am right, you own the second doll upstairs. You hid the cut on your arm, you are an adult so it would have healed within minutes.¡± ¡°Ryker-" he began but I cut him off with a warning growl. ¡°I may not want to kill you but when you jeopardize the lives of everyone in this pce, there is a lot I would be willing to do. I will ask one time and one time only, when did you meet Reina and why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± He stared at me for a full minute before sighing. ¡°I was out hunting¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 236 CAMILLA''S POV It was exactly forty-five minutes before someone came to find me. I would have expected it to be either Christine or Ryker but it was Juan who walked into the private living room. I had opted against going to the bedroom because I knew that would have been the first ce anyone checked. Juan took the seat next to me but didn¡¯t say a word, he just ced his legs up on the center table and leaned back. I watched him for five minutes before speaking. ¡°The silent treatment doesn¡¯t work on me. It isn¡¯t going to make me miraculously start speaking.¡± ¡°And yet, here you are, speaking to me,¡± he drawled and I rolled my eyes. ¡°I figured you could use somepany. Ryker asked to give you space but that word doesn¡¯t exist in my vocabry.¡± I snorted. I was still exhausted from what happened at the river but I was slowly getting my energy back. Just because I didn''t keep all of the negative emotions didn¡¯t mean I wasn''t feeling the effects of them. If you are not reading this novel on Jobn''ib, some sentences are iplete. Visit Jo¡¯bnib to read theplete sentences for free. It was too much for me to handle and with the knowledge that I didn¡¯t know what was happening with Reina I felt like I was going mad. ¡°We had an idea,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°We are going to take the dagger and lead Reina into where we want her. She wil follow it and once she is on our turf, we can defeat her once and for all.¡± ¡°Is that smart? Taking the dagger out in public, I mean. It doesn¡¯t seem like a very good idea. It is what she wants an we risk it falling into her hands.¡± ¡°It is the best we have,¡± he shrugged. He looked like he wanted to say more but the door to the office opened and Audrey walked in. I was shocked to see her walking around the pce without anyone behind her. I rushed over to her and bent down until I was at eye level with her. I ran my hands over her trying to make sure there were no obvious injuries. ¡°Are you okay? What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°Dad and Uncle Damien are talking,¡± she said simply. ¡°I closed my eyes and Aunt Riley thought I was sleeping. I wanted to make herugh but I saw them outside the door. She is worried about Uncle Damien and everyone is mad Is this because of the bad woman?¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, okay? You are fine, everything is fine. Dad and Uncle Damien are probably just having adult talk.¡± ¡°Daddy seemed mad,¡± she whispered as if it were a secret. ¡°He was waving his hands all around,¡± she waved hers for added effect. ¡°His face got all red and Uncle Damien looked sad. Are they fighting?¡± I nced over at Juan over my shoulder who just shrugged. He had no idea what was going on either and I couldn''t ask him to check for me- he hated Damien. To him, this was the best thing that could ever happen. After a moment o hesitation, I picked up Audrey and bnced her on my hip before carrying her all the way to Damien and Riley''s room. To my utter surprise, she was right. They were arguing in hushed whispers that died down the moment they saw me. ¡°l am d that you have situational awareness when I am present and not when a child walks in. She came here to find you all and met you arguing so badly that she had to find me.¡± They all had the decency to look guilty. I ced Audrey down and smoothed her hair with my hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go into the room and y with your dolls, hm? I will be in to see you very soon. I just need to have some adult talk right now.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Promise me no fighting.¡± I sighed. ¡°I promise.¡± She held out her tiny finger. ¡°You have to do the promise or it doesn¡¯t count mummy.¡± With a small smile on my face, I hooked my finger with her and kissed her forehead. ¡°I promise I will not fight with anyone unless it is absolutely necessary.¡± That definitely wasn''t what she wanted to hear but it was enough for her because the next minute, she skipped into the room. Once the door was shut behind her, I turned to the three adults. ¡°Someone better have a good exnation for what the hell just happened here because you,¡± I gestured to Riley, ¡°were supposed to be watching her. I get that it isn¡¯t your job but you offered to help and if at any point it got too much for you, you could have told me.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t get much. The issue here is that Ryker is using Damien of being a spy for the witch!¡± she eximed. Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose with obvious frustration. ¡°I didn''t say he was a spy, he told me that he met Reina once while hunting. She was still Reina and not Peggy. She must have done something during that time because she had a doll that was connected to him. He got the second cut.¡± My eyes widened in shock and I turned to Damien. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was important. It was a cut for fucks sake. I didn¡¯t know any of this was going on. You have kept us both in the dark,¡± he pointed an usatory finger at us. ¡°You chose not to include us in any discussions.¡± ¡°It is a good thing we did because she would have found out from you.¡± That seemed to piss Riley off because her face got red and splotchy and she marched up to me. ¡°He would have never sold you out. How dare you say that? What is this even about? Why are you all attacking him? Is this because o what happened with Christine?¡± I sighed. I knew it was going toe back to this. That was one of the reasons I hated the entire love triangle because it was now the basis for every interaction. It would always seem like we were choosing sides when in reality, there were no sides. ¡°Nobody is talking about Christine, Riley,¡± I muttered in the calmest voice that I could. ¡°Please leave her out of this and focus on what matters. Peggy was using Damien and now we are unsure if she has created another doll. She could be using you again.¡± Riley looked like she wanted to scream. I couldn''t me her, she was just trying to protect the man that she loved but she wasn¡¯t seeing the bigger picture. If I was right, we could all be in danger. He wouldn''t willingly hurt us, I knew that, but Reina could make him and then, I didn''t think he would be able to control it. ¡°Say something!¡± Riley screamed at Damien. ¡°Why are you just standing there and watching them attack your character? Tell them that you would never.¡± ¡°Riley,¡± his voice was deceptively soft. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°No one is attacking me. They know me better than I know myself. We have to be extra sure because I don''t want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt¡± ¡°But you would never do that,¡± her voice cracked on thest word. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair. I know that someone put them up to this. How do we know that Reina isn¡¯t controlling them?¡± ¡°Riley,¡± I began but she held up a hand to stop me. ¡°I''m done talking to the both of you. You made it clear what side you were on when you used him.¡± ¡°You are being unreasonable,¡± I couldn''t keep the annoyance out of my voice. ¡°No one threw usations except you. You are refusing to listen.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I''m done. I''m not going to be your puppet or your baby sitter anymore. The moment things are safe, I am leaving¡± She stormed off before I could say another word. Damien looked embarrassed. He ran his hands down his face in exhaustion. ¡°I''m sorry, guys. I''ll talk to her and get her to listen. I don¡¯t know why she is being so emotional about this¡± He rushed off after her leaving Ryker and I in the hallway wondering what the hell had just happened. Riley never acted like that-ever. She was young and immature sometimes but she was smart as hell. She knew how to separate emotions from logic most times and she should have understood that no one was trying to attack Damien. Even Damien understood it so why didn¡¯t she? Ryker whispered something in my ear before walking into the room to get Audrey. She was oblivious to everything that happened as we walked her back to her room. She just kept chattering on about all she wanted to do with Riley tomorrow and I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that she might not get the chance to spend time with Riley tomorrow. I settled her in her bed and sat cross legged on it facing her. She had a doll in her hands that upied he full attention. ¡°What do you think about spending tomorrow with us?¡± I asked slowly and she looked up at me. ¡°You can spend time with me and your dad. We could go out and do something fun.¡± ¡°You''ll be busy tomorrow,¡± she shrugged and my brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You have to catch the mean woman.¡± I turned to Ryker in a silent question but he quickly shook his head. If he hadn''t told her about Reina then how did she know. Did she overhear us? ¡°What mean woman, Audrey? Did you hear someone say something?¡± I asked and she shook her head. ¡°What mean woman are you talking about?¡± ¡°The one with the bad magic. We have good magic and she has bad magic. She ising tomorrow and you are going to be busy with her¡± ¡°We?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°Who is we?¡± ¡°I can''t tell you,¡± she whispered. ¡°She said I shouldn''t tell you.¡± I was even more confused now. ¡°Who is she?¡± She rolled her eyes as if I were slow. ¡°The goddess mummy, she said I shouldn''t tell you. It''s a secret and you''re to find out.¡± ¡°Audrey,¡± I kept my voice soft which was the stark opposite of how I was feeling. ¡°How do you know about this?¡± ¡°I saw her in my dreams.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 237 CAMILLA''S POV ¡°What does she mean by she saw her in her dream? We locked her powers, Ryker," I whispered harshly once we were out of the room. Audrey was seated cross legged on the bed oblivious to what was happening and I made sure to check on her every few seconds. ¡°L locked her powers. We didn¡¯t want this to happen. How long has it been happening?¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°I cannot calm down. You remember what happened thest time she had these kinds of dreams. Our daughter couldn''t sleep for days. She was a shell of herself. I cannot watch that happen to her again. I refuse to.¡± ¡°Cami-" ¡°She is our baby. She does not deserve this. She should have a few years left. We were promised a few years. This is not a few years.¡± He ced both hands on my shoulders. ¡°Breathe, baby, you will drive yourself insane.¡± I forced air into my lungs and forced them back out. I couldn''t think, couldn''t see clearly in front of me. I remembered just how bad it was thest time, it was a miracle she was still sitting in front of us, except she was hiding the worst of it but I didn¡¯t think Audrey could do that which meant it was still manageable. Some paragraphs are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib. I nced at my daughter once more and this time, she lifted her head. She smiled when she saw me and waved. I couldn''t stop myself from waving back before turning to Ryker. ¡°What should we do?¡± I asked but he said nothing. ¡°Ryker, I need you right now because I don¡¯t know what to do. I cannot think about Reina and think about Audrey at the same time.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I know,¡± he whispered softly. ¡°We need to know how bad it is. We need to know how much she has seen and we nee to find a witch to try and lock her powers.¡± ¡°Please don''t,¡± I heard Audrey say from inside and I turned to her. ¡°She said you would do that but you can''t. If you lock it again, it will be very bad.¡± ¡°How bad?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°what exactly did she say?¡± ¡°I don''t know. She told me to ask you not to lock it.¡± I turned back to Ryker unable to say anything and he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. It was clear she could hear us so I switched to the mind link. ¡°Now what?¡± I couldn''t keep the worry out of my voice. ¡°Do you think that maybe when L died, her spell broke?¡± ¡°It is a possibility. I don¡¯t know how witches work but that could be it¡± I sighed. ¡°This is a mess and this is clearly just the beginning because remember earlier, she said we. I dont know who we is¡± ¡°One step at a time,¡± he assured me before breaking of the link. I watched as he made his way over to Audrey. Instead of sitting next to her, he sat on the floor. She smiled at him anc on the surface, he looked at ease but I could see the tension in his shoulders and I could feel his raging emotions down our bond. It never ceased to amaze me how put together Ryker managed to look even during the worst of times. He always had his head screwed on straight and he was always level headed. He was the gentle flowing strean to my raging inferno. ¡°When did you start having dreams again?¡± he asked Audrey and she hesitated. ¡°It''s okay, princess, it''s just me, you can trust me, can''t you?¡± she nodded albeit slowly. ¡°Tell me when the dreams started. I promise I won''t lock them up again.¡± ¡°it started before mummy came back,¡± she finally responded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad like thest time. There was this nice lady, she had pretty hair and she said she was a friend of mummy''s.¡± ¡°Was she a little girl too?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°A little older than you though, maybe ten?¡± she nodded again and I turned to Ryker who looked confused. ¡°The goddess.¡± I turned back to Audrey. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She said that you locked my dreams because you were scared and she was going to help me so I didn''t get scared again. She showed me mummyin back and then you came,¡± she seemed excited as she spoke. Her powers were exciting in the right context, if she were an adult and if they hade when they should but knowing that they hade over a decade and a half early was enough to throw me into a panic. She was too young for the responsibility. If anyone were to find out what she could do, she would be in horrible danger and I wasn''t ready to put my child through that- not again. ¡°She showed me a few things after, but nothing too bad. She showed me the mean woman again. She''s very nice. She sits with me when she shows me.¡± ¡°You dream of the goddess every night?¡± I said slowly to confirm and she shook her head. ¡°Not every night silly,¡± she giggled. ¡°But she is with me in my dreams. She says it is to help me. She''s very sweet.¡± I exhaled heavily. ¡°Thank you for telling me, Audrey, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else.¡± Her face fell. ¡°Why not? I could help them?¡± ¡°No, princess,¡± Ryker cut in. ¡°You cannot tell a soul or they might put you in danger. You aren''t supposed to have these dreams until you''re an adult. If anyone finds out they could try to hurt you.¡± Her eyes widened in fear but she nodded. I didn¡¯t want to scare her but it was exactly what needed to be done. I ced a kiss on her temple. ¡°I have to go do something right now, is there anything you want before that?¡± ¡°Can you sit with me for a while?¡± she asked and I nodded. ¡°Of course,¡± there was no hesitation whatsoever. I was going to sit with her as long as she wanted. I sat there stroking her curls until her eyes had drifted close. When I was sure that she was sleeping, I carefully extracted myself and closed her room door. ¡°We need someone watching her at all times,¡± I said simply and Ryker nodded gesturing to the two guards who were already walking towards us. ¡°I called them here. They will keep an eye on her and there are guards already watching Aurora. They are both going to be safe, I promise you.¡± I wanted to believe that but I wasn''t worried about them being attacked here, I was worried about her gifts. I was worried about how they would y out in the long run and what the goddess was thinking when she gave her the powers so early. It had always been twenty-one, for centuries. She broke the rule with my mother when she gave her powers despite not being from the royal family and now she had broken it again. ¡°Do we tell Christine and Juan?¡± I asked and he immediately shook his head. ¡°I think it is better for everyone involved if we are the only two who know. But we do need to ready them for the inevitable arrival of Reina. If Audrey is right, then Reina is nning something tomorrow and we have to be ready.¡± I agreed with that so that was exactly what we did. We found Christine and Juan and told them to prepare. They were a bit surprised at our urgency but said nothing. The n was simple, take the dagger and lead Reina as far away from the pce as possible. Keep her away and make sure that we killed her because if she managed to get her hands on that dagger- it was game over. ¡°Cami,¡± Christine rushed up to me after the meeting. I had been the first to leave and I hadn''t expected anyone to follow. ¡°Is everything okay? I was worried about you. You looked a little green inside.¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± I assured her. ¡°I am just worried about how things will turn out tomorrow. We are taking a huge risk.¡± ¡°I think you would all do better with me out there,¡± she began but I held up a hand to stop her. ¡°You have been out fighting while pregnant too. Do you remember Lauren? You also fought with Frederick only a few weeks after giving birth. You could do it.¡± ¡°Not by choice,¡± I shot back. ¡°If I had my way, I would have never been there. Your number one priority is to your baby, Christine. You are doing more than enough for us from here. Just keep your attention on you and focus on making sure that both you and the baby are safe.¡± ¡°But I can help-" ¡°I know you can,¡± I whispered. ¡°And you will be helping but from here. I need someone to keep an eye on the girls fol me and I need you to do it. I know this isnt what you want but you are pregnant and I am not going to just easily forget that.¡± ¡°Why can''t Riley do it?" I exined what happened with Riley and Juan. When I was done, her eyes widened in shock ¡°Shit, is he still under her control?¡± ¡°We don''t know. He didn¡¯t even know he was under her control. Right now, all that we are trying to do is to make sur everything is safe for tomorrow. I don¡¯t know if Riley wille around and if she doesn''t, it means the girls are unprotected. This might not seem like much to you but those girls are my life, Christine.¡± ¡°You don''t have to exin it to me,¡± she reached out and grabbed both of my hands. ¡°I will watch them and we will all be waiting for you to return.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I wanted to tell her about Audrey, but I couldn''t. Christine had always been my confidante and there had never been anything I couldn''t talk to her about until now. It felt weird and strange. ¡°Make sure you kill that witch for me,¡± she mused and Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''ll bring back her head.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 238 CAMILLA''S POV ¡°Let''s go over this one more time, please,¡± I announced and if Ryker wasn''t as stressed as I was, he would have rollec his eyes. ¡°I need to be sure that we are all on the same page.¡± ¡°Cami,¡± Ryker somehow managed to sound exhausted and patient at the same time. ¡°You know the n, everyone knows the n. We are fine, I can assure you of that.¡± ¡°What if we mess up.¡± ¡°We won''t,¡± he assured me before looking up at Juan. It was only the three of us leaving. It was a stupid idea but it was also the safest way to ensure that no one else got hurt. The n was simple, we were going to pretend to hide the dagger somewhere in the hopes that she would follow us. Ryker had demanded to hold the dagger because he believed she would go after whomever was holding it first. I didn''t have the heart to tell him that I didn¡¯t believe she would. I had a gut feeling about the way things were going to go but I couldnt be sure and I didn¡¯t want to jinx it ¡°We will be fine,¡± Ryker assured me and although I didn¡¯t quite believe him, I nodded. ¡°The horses are poised and ready. Are you sure you want to do this?¡¯ ¡°I have to be there if we want to make this more believable,¡± I shrugged but that wasn''t the answer he wanted. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to turn to him. ¡°Do you want to do this?¡± he punctuated each word slowly and I sighed before nodding. It was better me than anyone else and somehow, I just knew that I had to be there. ¡°Good, let us go and kill a witch.¡± We walked out hand in hand and he helped me onto my horse. Things seemed to be going smoothly and we were prepared to leave when I saw Damien rushing out of the pce. He was heading straight for us and I nced over at Ryker uneasily. He stayed next to me because neither of us knew what Damien wanted. We also weren''t sure whethel Reina still had her ws in him or not. ¡°Thank the goddess I managed to catch you,¡± he managed out as he tried to even his breathing. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for what happened before. I-" ¡°Damien,¡± I cut him off. ¡°We are on a very time sensitive quest. If you want to apologize then you don¡¯t need to, you are forgiven. If that will be all then-" ¡°No, I wanted to tell you that I felt her in my head,¡± he dropped his voice to a whisper before adding. ¡°The witch. I don¡¯t know how to exin it, it was like someone else was digging into my mind and controlling my movements. I was almost watching myself move.¡± ¡°What did she make you do?¡± I asked slowly and he looked around to ensure that no one was listening before stepping closer to us. ¡°She was looking at the entrances and exits as well as how many people were guarding them. It seemed like she was taking notes. I can''t exin it. I wish I could. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t go near the children but she seemed very interested with the lower parts of the pce- where the vaults are¡± ¡°The vaults are heavily guarded,¡± Ryker said simply but Damien just shrugged. ¡°I just thought you should know.¡± Ryker turned to me in a silent question and I switched to our mind link. ¡°If he is telling the truth then she might attack today. This whole dagger thing could be a distraction.¡± ¡°Or, she could have sent him to distract us so we can leave all our protection in the pce and she will attack us when we are out.¡± Both seemed like very usible options. After a long minute of deliberation, I opened a link between myself and Juan. ¡°I need you to stay back.¡± He had his hand on a horse ready to mount and he stilled. ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡± ¡°We have reason to believe that she might attack the pce and I need you to be here just in case that happens. We need someone who can rally the guards and keep her at bay until we return.¡± ¡°What if she attacks you?¡± ¡°Ryker and I are more than capable of defending ourselves.¡± ¡°She is a powerful witch.¡± ¡°I have powers of my own,¡± I said simply. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you on this, Juan. You are the only one I trust to do it. We don¡¯t know what she will do and we need to be prepared for every circumstance.¡± ¡°I don''t like this,¡± he said finally. ¡°You will be out there and undefended. You could get hurt. You will get hurt. There i no debating that¡± ¡°As long as we keep the pce safe¡± ¡°I''ll stay but if you need help, call for it immediately.¡± ¡°Iwill¡± He broke off the mind link and I watched Juan undo the saddle of his horse and retreat into the pce leaving just Ryker and I. I was even more terrified than earlier because our initial n involved Juan. We were walking out blind and hoping that things would sort themselves out. It was insane and some would call it a suicide mission. Ryker and I rode side by side. Neither of us said a word as we rode through the empty forest. So far, there was no sign of Reina but I still had that gut feeling, like there was something I was missing. I looked around trying to see if someone was following us but the path was empty- it was just us. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± Ryker whispered and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to assure me or himself. ¡°Reina will take the bait¡± ¡°Somehow, that is what I am worried about,¡± I admitted. ¡°What happens if we have grossly underestimated her and we are unable to beat her? We are banking on the fact that she lost something as well in that river but what if she didn¡¯t lose much? What if she is more powerful than the both of us?¡± ¡°We defeated her once, we will defeat her again. We just have to-" His words died off when both of our horses skidded to a stop. I turned to him with confusion in my brows but even he looked as confused as I felt. I tried to get my horse to move but she stubbornly remained in ce. There was something ahead that scared her, something that they could sense. ¡°Should we turn back or go the rest of the way on foot?¡± I asked. Instead of responding, Ryker got off his horse, tied it to a tree and helped me off mine. Once both horses were safe, we headed forward. I kept my hand intertwined with his. Some paragraphs are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib. It was the only thing that kept me sane and kept my feet moving forward despite the growing ache in my belly. It seemed to be getting worse the further we went until it was almost unbearable and I cursed. ¡°Something is wrong,¡± I whispered. ¡°We have to go back now. I don¡¯t know what it is but we need to leave.¡± ¡°Camille-" he began but I cut him off. ¡°Ryker, I know this. You need to trust me.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He didn''t even hesitate before nodding. We rushed back towards where we had kept the horses but when we got there, I was shocked by who I saw standing. Reina was standing there, she still possessed Peggy''s body but she was dressed like herself. It felt weird to see the woman I had looked up to like a mother figure and know that she was probably my worst enemy. ¡°Well, seeing as you are here now, I suppose we can skip the introductions and unnecessary small talk,¡± she drawled ¡°For someone so powerful, Cami, it sure took you long enough to realize something was wrong. I thought for sure that you would notice it when your horses stopped.¡± ¡°You had been following us,¡± I deduced and she shrugged. ¡°How didn¡¯t we notice you?¡± ¡°Magic,¡± she said simply. ¡°You know, Cami, if we were not enemies, we would have been very good friends.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the meaning of that word. You burned your entire coven to the ground because they wouldn''t join you to practice dark magic.¡± Her eyes shed with anger. ¡°You know nothing about what I did. You don¡¯t know what it is like to live and be manipted by the goddess. I suppose you do considering your daughter is a seer.¡± I stilled. ¡°How do you know that?¡± I should have probably called her bluff and denied it but when it came to my child, I didn¡¯t y around. Reina had no need to lie to me, she had no need to try to draw things out. If she said that Audrey was a seer, it was because she knew. ¡°I have been among many seers in my lifetime, it was not hard to figure out,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Your daughter will be manipted by the goddess all her life. She will be cursed to see things and be unable to change them. Have you ever wondered why the goddess gave her the powers so early? Has she yet told you that the goddess asked her not to tell you things.¡± I remained silent. ¡°I know she has. She is trying to brain wash your child. I was lucky enough to break free of her control. I was lucky enough to see the truth. Dark magic gave me my freedom back. I can give Audrey hers too. Just give me the dagger and we can work together¡± I nced over at Ryker but he wasn¡¯t looking at her, he was looking at me. He was letting me make the choice. I thought about it for a second before turning to Reina. ¡°Go to hell,¡± I spat and her smile fell instantly. ¡°Very well then, as brave as that was, it was also very stupid. I don¡¯t want to fight you, I just want the dagger.¡± ¡°We have backup on the way,¡± I lied and she snorted. ¡°Believe me, I have kept your pce very busy,¡± she pulled out two dolls from her pockets. ¡°I will save you the trouble of having to guess who these are. One is Damien and the other is Juan. Now, you have two options: you can give me the dagger or I will make them burn that pce to the ground with everyone in it. The choice is yours and you have five seconds.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 239 CAMILLA''S POV ¡°Five,¡± she began and I turned to Ryker unsure of what to do. I switched to our mind link. ¡°What do we do?¡¯ ¡°I don''t know,¡± he admitted at the same time she counted four. ¡°If we let her then everyone''s deaths will be on our hands.¡± ¡°But we cannot give her the dagger, what assurance do we have that she will not kill them regardless and kill us?¡± ¡°Three,¡± she sing songed. ¡°We need a n,¡± Ryker mumbled and a crazy idea popped into my head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need you to trust me and just go with the flow.¡± ¡°Cami-" he began but I cut off the mind link and turned to Reina. She had a cruel smirk on her face as she watched us. She knew this was a difficult choice and somehow, I knew that was the entire point. I exhaled deeply before reaching out with my senses. I had pulled water from a cliff below, I could pull water from beneath the ground. I could feel it under my feet and I willed it upward. Reina was still counting and just as she hit one, everywhere exploded. Water shot up like a geyser and it was enough to knock her off guard for a minute. The dolls flew out of her hands and Ryker was quick to grab both of them. Reina was soaking wet and I was breathing hard. Please visit J o b nib. co m and search the book title to read the entire book for free. I didn''t realize how much it would take out of me to do that. I willed the water shut long enough for her to get back to her feet. She was spluttering and most of all, she looked pissed off. ¡°I thought we could do this the easy way,¡± she began as she made a circr motion with her hands. I saw ck smoke follow her movements. ¡°But since you want to y dirty, I will y dirty.¡± She threw whatever she had conjured in my direction and if not for Ryker pushing me out of the way, it probably would have hit me. It hit the tree behind me and I saw it smoke before dissolving into ashes. I turned to her with raised brows but she was already making another one. ¡°Come on, Reina,¡± I began softly. ¡°Do you really want to do this? Do you want to spend the rest of your life fighting? Even if you beat me, the goddess will send someone else after you. You will never be able to live in peace because you are killing the very people she wants to save you.¡± She shot another ming ball in my direction and this time, I was able to erect a wall of water. The wall smoked out when the ball hit but it was enough to protect Ryker and I. ¡°We should surround her,¡± Ryker whispered but I shook my head. ¡°It would be easier to have her attention split.¡± ¡°No,¡± I kept my voice firm. ¡°You could get badly hurt. Reina is ruthless and you cannot get killed by her¡± ¡°l won''t,¡± she shot another ball our way and this time when Ryker pushed me out of the way, he rolled in the opposite direction. I nearly screamed because he had done exactly what I asked him not to. Reina looked between the both of us with an amused smirk. ¡°Is this your grand n? Divide and conquer? It isn''t going to work.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Ryker shrugged as he took out the dagger from the holster. My eyes widened to the point of saucers. I tried to mind link him to ask what he was doing but his wall was firmly in ce. ¡°This is what you want, right? I''ll give it to you but on one condition.¡± ¡°You are in no position to make demands but I am willing to hear you out¡± ¡°You have to swear- make a blood oath- and say that you will never bother us again. If we are certain that you will leave us alone then you can have the dagger.¡± She hesitated before crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°You drive a hard bargain but fine, I will do it. Do you know how a blood oath works?¡± ¡°Yes, actually, I read up on them which is why I know that people of equal standing should do it. Cami will make the oath with you,¡± he gestured for me to step closer and although I was stunned, I found my feet moving in ordance to his beckoning. Once I was close enough, I dropped my voice to a whisper. ¡°What the hell are you doing, Ryker? You are going to get us both killed.¡± ¡°I need you to trust me on this,¡± he whispered as he grabbed my left hand. ¡°I have a theory and I need to make sure that I am right¡± ¡°What-" my words turned to a hiss when he shed my palm with said dagger. It was silver tipped so it burned and I didn¡¯t miss how the de glowed slightly when my blood touched it. He handed the dagger to me. ¡°It is her turn now.¡± ¡°How am I sure that you will not try to attack me once I am close?¡± I asked Reina and she sighed. ¡°I swear it on my life¡± It wasn''t enough but it was all that I was going to get. I walked over to her noting that the cut on my arm was yet to heal. Reina stretched out her hand to me and I made a careful incision along the center. I knew this was an absurd idea but I was choosing to trust Ryker. Once I was done, I turned to him. ¡°What now?¡± I asked and he opened his mouth to respond when Reina cursed. ¡°What did you do to me, you bitch?¡± she spat and I looked down at where I had cut, it was bleeding profusely and ck smoke was oozing out of it. She reached out to grab me but fell to her knees as if in pain. ¡°Kill her now!¡± Ryker yelled and without hesitation, I plunged the dagger deep into her chest. Her mouth formed an ¡°0¡¯ as more ck smoke seeped out of her and seemed to almost gather into a circle in the air. ¡°You bastard,¡± she managed out and I thought she was talking to me but her eyes were fixed on Ryker. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know as much about the dagger as you thought you did,¡± Ryker museding to stand next to me ¡°Good fucking riddance, witch.¡± He pulled out the knife and stabbed her once again. I had to shut my eyes but I couldn''t rid my ears of the sound of squelching flesh. I heard her body drop to the ground and I opened my eyes in time to see the light leave her eyes. Her eyes were alight with anger and she had a single finger pointed at Ryker. ¡°It''s over,¡± I began and I tried to rush towards Ryker when I noticed something that had me halting in my tracks. I had thought the ck smoke dissipated into thin air when she died but no, it was currently swirling over my mate''s head. I pointed slowly at it and he looked up. No sooner than his eyes connected with it did it move. It mmed intc him so quickly that neither of us could have prepared for it. I screamed and reached out for him but it was like I was frozen in ce. I watched as the smoke epassed him until I couldn''t see him at all. ¡°Ryker!¡± I screamed but I couldn''t reach him. There was an invisible wall stopping me from touching him. It remained that way for exactly two minutes and then, I watched the smoke disappear into his skin. He was on his knees and I reached out for him relieved that I could finally touch him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and sobbed. His chest was heaving and his voice was hoarse as he tried to assure me that everything was fine. I pulled back and cupped his cheeks looking over him for any signs that he was hurt. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I asked and he waved me off. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do that shit. You better start speaking now.¡± Heughed. I was panicking and he had the audacity tough. He kissed my lips softly before reaching into his pocket and wherey the dolls before nowy a string of yarn and some pieces of hair. ¡°We won,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°That is what happened.¡± ¡°How did we win?¡± I shot back. ¡°How did you know about the blood oath? How did you know to cut me first?¡± ¡°It was something Audrey whispered to me yesterday. She said we needed both sides for it to work. She said life beats death in her fairytales and I remember you had the powers of life. I didnt know if it would work. I took a huge risk and it paid off. We won, Cami, that is all that matters.¡± I threw my hands around his neck and squeezed tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever scare me again or I swear I will kill you myself and bury you six feet under.¡± Heughed once again. He wrapped his arms around me and rose with me still in his arms. I didn¡¯t want to let go, I couldn''t. I had never felt a panic like I did a few moments ago. I had thought he was going to die and he was standin here normal. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to cry or fall to my knees in appreciation of the goddess. ¡°What about the ck smoke?¡± I asked after a minute of silence and he stilled. ¡°What was that about?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I don''t know,¡± he admitted slowly pulling away from me. ¡°There wasplete darkness, I could feel the magic around me. It was cold, it was evil, it was there and the next minute, it was gone.¡± ¡°Do we need to find another witch? Perhaps we can find someone who will exin all of this to us?¡± I began but he cut me off. ¡°I think I have had enough of witches for a while,¡± heughed before going to retrieve some matches. ¡°Why do you have that?¡± ¡°I hoped we would need it,¡± he said simply before striking it. The smell infiltrated my nose and I had to take a step back. I watched as Ryker dropped the match on Reina¡¯s body. It didn''t take long before the smell of burning flesh filled the air. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 240 RYKER''S POV I couldn''t tell Cami the truth. She seemed so happy and peaceful knowing that Reina was dead. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that there was more to the story than that. Instead, I put a smile on my face and lied through my f*****g teeth. It was a wonder that she didn¡¯t even notice, she could usually tell when I was bull shitting her but maybe she just wanted to believe so badly that I was telling the truth. The ride back to the pce was tranquil but my mind was a raging inferno. There was so much that could go wrong and I wasn''t sure if I had the heart to tell her. Reina was dead-yes, there was no denying that but whatever she had dabbled in, whatever she had put her hands into- it wasn¡¯t gone, not by a long shot. I could still feel the icy feeling of the darkness around me. I had never felt as alone as I had in that moment. It took me back to the worst moments of my life- a child, unable to defend my own mother and my sister. It took me back tc the icy feeling of despair, fear and helplessness. It was no wonder Reina was the way she was if she had to deal with that every second of the day. It felt like nails scratching down my back, and I had heard a voice. That was the kind of voice I was never going to forget until the day I died. It was eerie and otherworldly. I had felt it reverberate in every fiber of my being. It was Reina¡¯s voice but it was not at the same time. It was something different, something stronger. All it had said was one sentence but that one sentence was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. ¡°You think this is over?¡± it had asked and then I heard a dark cackle. I couldnt describe what happened next even if tried but I had a sinking feeling. I didn¡¯t want to tell Cami yet because I didn¡¯t want her to worry. I had everything under control. ¡°Ryker,¡± she called out and I stilled atop my horse. I turned to her and she was watching me with concern in her eyes ¡°You zoned out there for a second, are you alright?¡± I nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, I am just ready to get home. I think we have had enough of witches for a very long time.¡± She smiled. ¡°Honestly, I agree, but we have something else waiting for us- Audrey.¡± ¡°Audrey''s powers aren''t bothering anyone right now and I think we can take a much deserved break and not think about anything until it bes an actual problem, hm?¡± ¡°Isn''t the entire purpose to prevent it before it bes a problem?¡± ¡°Cami, you worry too much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t worry enough,¡± she shot back. ¡°I am concerned. I know I shouldn''t take stock to whatever Reina said but she made some very big usations and what if a part of her is right.¡± I turned to her and gave her a nd look. Her cheeks heated crimson in response. ¡°Do you want to take the word of the woman who has tried to kill ypou multiple times over the word of the goddess who saved you every single time? She sighed. ¡°You''re right, I''m just worried. This is Audrey we are talking about. She is our daughter.¡± ¡°And she will be fine,¡± I finished. ¡°For now, let us focus on getting home.¡± Juan and Damien were waiting in front of the pce when we arrived. I had never seen Juan as panicked as he was ir that moment. He didn¡¯t even wait for us to get off the horses before he rushed over. ¡°She was in my head,¡± he said and I nodded but he either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care. ¡°I couldn''t get her out. How dic I not know that she was in my head? How did I not realize what was happening? I could have hurt-" ¡°But you didn¡¯t,¡¯ I cut him off. ¡°That is what matters. She is dead and everything is over.¡± He still didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Reina is dead. The dolls unraveled. She must have gotten to you when she was in the pce but she is gone now and she can no longer get into your head.¡± ¡°She wanted me to burn the pce down,¡± he whispered. ¡°I felt the idea drop in my head. She didn¡¯t push on it but I got the idea. She wanted me to start with mine and Christine''s room and I would not have been able to stop myself i she had asked. I would have killed my family and I would have been unable to stop myself¡± I could see just how truly worried he was. I reached out and ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You are fine. You didn''t hurt them. I know she is probably looking for you right now.¡± ¡°How do I face her?¡± ¡°The way you always have, with the knowledge that you would never willingly hurt her and you would rather die thar let anything happen to her. She needs you right now, you should go.¡± He nodded before rushing off into the pce. Damien was talking to Cami but his eyes were on me. As soon as he saw that I was done with Juan, he made his way over to me. ¡°Is this what your life is like all the time- witches and problems?¡± I thought about it before nodding. ¡°Most of the time, yeah.¡± He cursed. ¡°That sounds like a lot. I''m sure we didn¡¯t do you any favors bying here. But at least I got to make up with Juan, he isn¡¯t a bad guy.¡± Iughed despite not feeling the slightest bit amused. ¡°I''m d that worked out for you.¡± I made to brush past him but he reached out and stopped me. ¡°Look, I know a lot has happened so far but I still consider you my best friend and as your best friend of many years, I know when something is wrong. Did something happen out there?¡± ¡°Other than the fact that we battled a witch?¡± there was no reason for me to be sarcastic but I didn¡¯t want him deciphering what had happened. He rolled his eyes. ¡°You know what I mean. Are you alright? You look different- you look uneasy.¡± ¡°I just need to see my family and make sure that they are alright¡± He clearly didn¡¯t believe me, but he stepped aside for me. Cami was waiting at the front of the pce doors for me and I wasted no time in intertwining my fingers with hers and walking in. She seemed rxed but I could feel her watchful gaze. ¡°You can ask,¡± I said after a minute of silence and she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Damien was right- you look off. If something is bothering you then you can tell me.¡± I stopped her in her tracks then turned her to face me. I rested my forehead against hers and for a few seconds, it was just us. There were no witches, no people to save, it was just us. I closed my eyes and basked in that feeling for as long as possible before kissing her softly. For a few minutes, I could pretend like there were no problems- like I was fine. ¡°I''m good,¡± I lied once I had pulled away. ¡°Now, can we go check on our daughters?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. They were with a maid when we got there. I knew Juan would have pulled Christine away and I couldn''t even be upset. As soon as we walked in, Audrey just looked up at us and said. ¡°I knew you would win." It was a bit unsettling especially seeing as she had said it in this calm monotonous voice. I knew it would take a while to get used to her powers and to find a way to hide them so that people didn''t find out. She was still too young she wasn''t ready to deal with the entire scrutiny and the pressure that came with having magic. She needed to be a child and that was exactly what we were determined to do. We distracted them with toys and stories. In all honesty, it was more of a distraction for ourselves. I could feel Audrey''s eyes on me the entire time, almost assessing, as if she knew something was wrong but she didn¡¯t say anything and neither did I. I brushed it to the back of my mind and convinced myself that I was imagining things. That was until I started to feel something like a churning in my gut. I tried to ignore it but it only seemed to get worse. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I whispered before rushing to my feet and into the bathroom. I barely had time to lock the door. I didn¡¯t know what was happening but I knew that whatever it was, it wasn''t good. I heard Cami call out to me but assured her I was fine and just asked for a few minutes. I stood in front of the mirror staring down at my fingertips that were ckened. I wasn''t sure how it happened. Right before my eyes, they went back to normal and then to ckened again. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I whispered before looking into the mirror and I nearly stumbled back. My eyes were pitch ck an not the kind of ck that came when my wolf was in control. This was something else. ¡°Daddy,¡± I turned to find Audrey by the door and I cursed. ¡°You should go out and wait for me, princess, I''ll be there soon,¡± she didn¡¯t move. ¡°Audrey, please, I''ll be there soon, okay? I''m fine.¡± ¡°No, you''re not,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It got into you.¡± ¡°What got into me, Audrey?¡± she remained quiet so I gestured for her toe closer. It took her a second before she moved and once she did, I bent down until I was eye level with her. ¡°It''s still me, princess. Now, I need you to tell me what got into me.¡± ¡°The bad magic, daddy, it''s inside you.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 241 CAMILLA''S POV I waited for Ryker and Audrey to emerge from the bathroom. If I said I wasn''t worried, I would have been lying through my teeth. Something was bothering Ryker, I had seen it since the moment we had killed Reina but he didn''t want to talk about it. I didn¡¯t want to push too much but that didn¡¯t mean that I wasn''t concerned and curious as to what it was. Auroray on her back in front of me saying words that I didn¡¯t recognized but loved to listen to either way. I smiled at my daughter who was oblivious to everything. I couldn''t help but crave the feeling of ignorant bliss that came witt being a child. I ced soft kisses all over her cheeks and she giggled loudly. ¡°Do me next,¡± Audrey announced rushing over to me. She jumped into my arms before I even had the chance to process what was happening. She knocked the wind right out of me but I wasn''t even upset, she was my child and I wanted her next to me. I kissed her face all over until she finally managed to wiggle herself out of my arms. I watched her move over to her sister''s side and I watched both girls with vast attention. I felt Ryker behind me. He ced both hands on my shoulders and I leaned back into him. Neither of us said a word, we just watched our children ying. He was seated behind me, his arms wrapped around my upper body while I just basked in the feel of his skin on mine. He pressed a kiss to the side of my head and I sighed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked down the mind link and he hummed. It wasn¡¯t a yes but it also wasn¡¯t a no. ¡°You know that you can talk to me, right?¡± ¡°I know, baby,¡± he assured me but there was something in his voice, something that sounded almost defeated. ¡°It is nothing important, I''m just happy that we are safe and nobody got hurt. It was a close call¡± ¡°Is that really what this is about?¡± I didn¡¯t believe him one bit. He was lying through his teeth and he knew it. ¡°You could at least try to be more believable.¡± He snorted. ¡°Give me a few days, I''ll try again.¡± We bothughed at that and I sighed. ¡°Just tell me that you''ll be fine and I will drop it" ¡°Il will be fine.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. I knew I had to drop it but somehow, I wasn''t sure if he had been trying to convince me or himself. We wore both girls out after dinner with enough games that it became hard for them to keep their eyes open. Once they were both asleep, the reality of the days events settled on me like a weight. Please visit) o b nib _ and search the book title to read the entire book for free. _My dress was filthy and I had tiny stters of blood on it. It was a surprise that neither girl noticed. The dagger was in Ryker''s possession and the moment we were out of the room, he pulled it out. It was caked with blood on its edges and I should have felt bad knowing we had killed someone but I felt nothing but immense relief. ¡°What do we do with it?" I asked him and he shrugged. ¡°We should probably toss it. We won''t have any use for it now that she is dead. Don''t you think?¡± He hesitated and I saw something sh across his eyes. Something was bothering him whether he wanted to admit i or not. He stared at the dagger like it was a ghost and I couldn''t help but wonder if killing Reina had affected him in any way. I might have stabbed her but he dealt the final blow. ¡°Ryker,¡± I whispered and he blinked at me. It was almost as if his mind had gone somewhere else. ¡°We are trying to decide what to do with the dagger¡± ¡°I think we should keep it,¡± he said suddenly and I was taken aback. ¡°It mighte in handyter¡± ¡°It was specifically designed to kill the goddess¡¯ priestess. Reina was thest one as far as I know. The dagger is basically a normal knife now.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You can never have an abundance of knives. Besides, it can serve as a reminder of everything we faced.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± I still didn¡¯t agree with keeping it but there was no harm in doing so. ¡°Where will we keep it then?¡± ¡°I''ll clean it and have it dropped off at the private library. It will look nice on the shelves.¡± Without waiting for a response from me, Ryker turned on his heels and walked away. If I had any doubts that something was bothering him before, they were gone in that exact moment. I watched him walk away and for a moment, I debated going with him and demanding to know what was going on but if there was one thing I knew about Ryker, it was that he didn''t like to be pushed. He was going to talk when he wanted to talk. Despite every nerve in me wanting to follow him, I forced my feet to move in the opposite direction to our room. The pce was practically empty, it was already dark and for the first time in forever, I felt a semnce of peace. There was a nagging feeling at the back of my head that told me it wouldn''tst but I was determined to enjoy it for as lon as I could. On my way to the room, I passed by Christine. She was in one of her flowing nightgowns and I could see her small baby bump. She saw where my eyes were fixed and her cheeks flushed pink. ¡°Juan likes to see it," she mumbled. ¡°I''m not going to lie, I like to see it too. It feels very different, I don¡¯t know how tc exin it but I''m sure you understand seeing as you''ve been pregnant twice now. It feels weird but in a good way.¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°The knowledge that a literal child is growing in there, yes, I understand. It only gets weirde! as the weeks go by.¡± She ran her hands through her hair. ¡°Juan and I agreed to tell you and Ryker together tomorrow but I need to tell you now, that''s why I left the room anyway. We want to get mated this weekend.¡± My eyes widened in shock and I pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°That''s amazing, I am so happy for you both. It is what you both want.¡± She nodded and I saw her wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°We don¡¯t want anything big, just a small ceremony with just the four of us and the girls. I would invite Riley and Damien but I don¡¯t know if Juan would want them there!¡± ¡°You can have whoever you want, it is your day and I am happy for you, I swear. You deserve nothing but the best and you are finally getting it.¡± She wiped her tears clean from her eyes. ¡°I''m sorry, it''s the baby. I am not usually this emotional.¡± I couldnt stop myself fromughing. ¡°You''ll be good, you should go back before Juan gets worried. I promise not to tell Ryker anything so you can have the honor of telling him yourself¡± She thanked me once before rushing off with her dress billowing behind her. I made the rest of the journey to my room alone. I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of my dress but getting theces undone by myself was proving to be a nightmare. I managed to get a hold of it but it took twice as long as it would have if I had help. I heard the door open just as I managed to get it off and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me who it was. Ryker was standing directly behind me, I could feel his eyes on my bare back. Instead of turning around, I focused or getting rid of my clothes. It was my chemise left when I felt his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Let me,¡± he whispered. I stayed still as he slowly slipped it off my body until it was a pool at my feet. He helped me step out of it and I stood there naked as the day I was born while he was fully clothed. His eyes roamed all over my body, never settling on one spot but generously roaming and appreciating. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I wasn''t sure that words were required in that moment. ¡°Did you hide it?" I ended up asking and he nodded. ¡°Good, now she is out of our lives forever.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, she is.¡± He still didn¡¯t move, he just had his hands fisted by his sides as he stared at me. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly he was waiting for, he didn¡¯t give me any indication as to what. I could see the proof of his arousal, he wasn''t doing much to hide it and judging by the veins running up his arms, it was difficult for him to remain not touching me so I don¡¯t know why he did it. I decided to take the first step by closing the gap between us and running my hand gently up his bare arms. He hissed but didn¡¯t try to stop me. His eyes followed my movements until I got to the cor of his shirt. I fiddled with it slightly making sure to look him straight in the eye as I spoke. ¡°I want to take a bath. Will you join me?¡± ¡°Cami, I need to talk to you about something-" ¡°Is anyone dying?¡± I asked and he shook his head. ¡°Is someone critically ill?¡± the answer was no. ¡°If it isn''t a matter of life and death then we can talk about it tomorrow. For now, I just want to enjoy the peace we have been given because I don¡¯t know how long it willst, okay?¡± He thought about it for a second and then dipped his head until his lips were brushing mine. ¡°Okay, a bath sounds very nice!¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 242 CAMILLA''S POV He kissed me and for a second, everything disappeared. His hand was spread across the side of my face holding me just the way he wanted while his other tangled into my hair. The kiss was soft and slow but that didn¡¯t mean itckec any bit of passion. He tugged my hair ever so slightly as he kissed me and I let out a small moan. He pulled back from me but our lips were still brushing. I met his eyes and he gave me a soft smile before pulling back. I followed his lead as he walked into the bathroom. The tub was big enough for the both of us and when he started undoing the buttons on his shirt, I stopped him. ¡°Let me,¡± I whispered and desire shed in his eyes. His hands dropped and I slowly undressed him. I made sure to take my time with my movements, never moving too fast or too slow either. His hands were fisted by his side and it made me smile knowing I still had that effect on him. When I got to his trousers, I went down on my knees and he cursed. ¡°Baby,¡± he groaned running his hands down his face in want and frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t be a tease.¡± I looked up at him through myshes. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± I didn¡¯t take his pants offpletely, I had zero intention of doing that. I just reached in and pulled him out. He was hard and pulsing in my hands. Ryker muttered a string of expletives as his fingers stroked my cheeks. He bit the inside of his cheek and it was clear that he was trying to take it slow and move at my pace but that wasn''t what I wanted at all. I wanted him to fist my hair and fuck my mouth until I was gagging. With a small smile, I ced a soft open mouthed kiss on his head. His breath caught as I darted my tongue out to lick him. I repeated the same actions all over him, never lingering long enough to actually do anything but enough tc drive him insane. I took him into my mouth and sucked him deep before releasing him with a pop. Ryker grabbed my hair and tugged back until I was looking at him. ¡°No one likes a tease, baby.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I rolled my eyes with a coy smile on my lips. ¡°Well, what are you going to do about that, hm?¡± He tugged on my hair again, hard enough that I felt pinpricks on my scalp. My mouth fell open in a silent gasp and h took the opportunity to push in. He started slow, pushing into my mouth and I ran my tongue along his underside. H. was big, I couldn''t take all of him into my mouth, I wrapped my hands around what was left. He groaned, his hand fisting my hair tighter but the burn only spurred me on. I took him in as far as I could take him until he hit the back of my throat. My eyes burned and I tried to breathe through my nose. I looked up at Ryker and the sight of him nearly undid me. There was something powerful about knowing that you could drive a man to near insanity. I rxed my throat and bobbed my head up and down his length. ¡°If you keep that up, I''m going to cum,¡± he warned but I didn''t stop. I took him in deep again and this time, he cursed as he pulled me to my feet. Before I could even process what was going on, he kissed me harshly. ¡°When I do cum, it won''t be in your mouth.¡± I tried to hide the glint of victory in my smile after knowing I had gotten exactly what I wanted. His hands moved down my spine and over my ass as he lifted me into his hands. I broke away long enough to nce behind me at the tub. ¡°What about the bath?¡± I asked and he paused long enough tough. ¡°That was the entire point, wasn''t it?¡± ¡°You just had my cock in your mouth and you''re worried about a bath?¡± he asked and my cheeks tinged pink. ¡°Fucking hell, Cami, I''ll give you a bath after¡± He carried me into the room and dropped me unceremoniously on the bed. I lifted myself up on my elbows to watch as he pulled off his pants. He stood in front of me in all his glory and despite it not being the first time I was going tc see him like this, it didn¡¯t make it any less special. He was perfect and I thanked the goddess every f*****g day that he was mine. He climbed into bed pushing my legs apart as he did. His fingers trailed up my ankle to my inner thigh in feather light strokes that had me clenching around nothing. His eyes were fixed on me as he ced a kiss to my inner thigh. A breathy moan left me when he licked and nipped the area softly. He was so close to exactly where I wanted him bu he seemed to be having the time of his life repeating the pattern around my thighs. ¡°Ryker, please,¡± I moaned but all he did was hum. He nipped the skin right next to my core and I hissed when his stubble brushed against my c**t. ¡°I can''t take this.¡± ¡°Yes, you can,¡± he spoke against my thigh before finally moving to where I want him. I could feel his hot breath against me. I lifted my hips to him in an invitation but all he did was grab my hips and pin them to the bed. ¡°l am going to enjoy taking my time with you. Fuck, baby, you look so good.¡± He kissed me down there and I had to bite down on my bottom lip to keep from screaming. His lips glistened with m arousal and his tongue darted out to lick it clean. ¡°You taste like fucking paradise, but I already knew that,¡± it sounded like he was speaking more to himself than to me. His fingers parted my folds and my cheeks flushed pink with arousal. He was touching me but not enough and his other hand still kept me pinned down. ¡°Please, please do something.¡± ¡°l am doing something, I am staring at how fucking beautiful you are. I wish you could see exactly what I could. I wis you knew just how crazy you drive me every second of every day.¡± He finally put me out of my misery and licked me. I couldn''t stop the scream from leaving my lips. He held my thighs wide open with both hands as he devoured me. When he curled his tongue and pushed it inside of me, I thought I was going to go mad. My hands flew into his hair grabbing onto the strands for dear life as he fucked me with his tongue. ¡°You taste so good on my tongue,¡± he mumbled. ¡°You taste like mine. Do you want to taste yourself?¡± I couldn''t respond but I didn¡¯t need to. He pushed one finger into my pussy and it came out glistening. He lifted his hands to my lips and I wasted no time in licking it clean. I fixed my eyes on him loving how dark they turned as I licked his fingers like I did to his dick only a few minutes ago. He pulled his fingers out of my mouth and I made sure to drag my teeth across the pad as he did and he cursed. ¡°I''m trying to take this slow, baby, but you''re not making it easy for me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care about slow. I just want you¡± ¡°I do,¡± he ground out. ¡°You need to give me at least two orgasms before I even think about f*****g you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to-" my words died on my tongue as he settled back between my thighs. I thought he was joking about the orgasms but he clearly wasn¡¯t and he made good on his promise. He tongue fucke me until I came on his face and he didn¡¯t stop, he simply pushed two fingers into my aching p***y. With his lips still glistening with my arousal, he kissed a path up my torso before wrapping his lips around my nipple It was too much especially when he was moving his fingers inside of me in a torturously slow pace that had my eyes rolling into the back of my head. I had lost all verbal skills after my first orgasm and was only able to produce tiny gasps and moans loud enough that my ears rang. His teeth grazed my nipple as he curled his fingers inside of me and I exploded once more with his name on my lips. Ryker kissed me through the orgasm, swallowing every sound that I could possibly make. Our skins were slick with sweat and the veins in his arms were pulsing. He was rock hard and I knew it had to be painful at that point. ¡°Do you think you can give me one more?¡± he asked and I let out a groan. ¡°Please just fuck me,¡± I managed out. He started to pull back but I wrapped my legs around his waist. We both hissec as his d**k brushed my sensitive c**t. ¡°Please, Ryker, for fucks sake, I need you inside of me right now.¡± He rested his forehead against mine, one hand was on my hip and the other caressing my cheek as he slowly pushed inside of me. I was so wet that there were no restrictions whatsoever. I gasped into his mouth once he was fully sheathed inside of me and he stilled for a full minute. ¡°Ryker,¡± I mumbled trying desperately to move my hips but not being able to because he was holding me down. ¡°I need to breathe so this isn¡¯t over before it starts,¡± he whispered before kissing me softly. ¡°I love you.¡± My heart warmed. ¡°I love you too, now please f**k me because I am about to lose my mind.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 243 RYKER''S POV I knew I was dreaming. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew, I just did. It waspletely dark, I couldn''t even see my hands in front of me. I had never felt darkness like this in my life but what makes it worse was that it was alive. I could almost feel the darkness breathing, I could feel it moving around me. Fear gripped my chest and panic wed at my throat. The emotions were not mine but they also were at the same time. It was almost as if someone was force feeding it to me. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I called out but I got no response. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. Just tell me what the f**k you want.¡± There was a soft hissing sound so close to my ear that I turned sharply but there was nothing. I was alone but I wasn''t. It felt like I was losing my mind. The sound was suddenly on the other side of me and I was whipping around trying to find the source to no avail. My skin prickled with annoyance because the sound only intensified. ¡°What do you want?¡± I called out into the darkness and I could have sworn that I heard augh in response. ¡°I didn''t ask for this. I don¡¯t want her magic. I never asked for it¡± ¡°She offered it to you,¡± I heard an answering hiss and I stilled. I wasn''t expecting a response, I was just speaking out loud. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m you, I am inside of you, I am around you, I am yours,¡± the words were punctuated with a cackle that reverberated. It was at that moment that I realized the sounds weren''ting from beside me, it was happening inside my own head. I pped my hands over my ears hoping it would block out the sounds but it didn''t, it only got worse. ¡°Get out of my head!¡± I screamed but all I received was augh. ¡°I don¡¯t want her offering¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, Ryker,¡± the voice sounded amused. ¡°We are one, and so we will be, forever.¡± I felt something ice cold grab me by my arms and I was thrown forward. I woke with a gasp and it took me a second to gather my bearings. Somehow, Cami hadn''t woken up and I felt relieved because I wasn¡¯t prepared to answer her questions. I ran my hands through my hair and slowly dragged myself out of bed to ssh some water on my face. I couldn''t shake that eerie feeling no matter how much I tried. I stood in the cold bathroom for five minutes trying to shake it off. When I returned to the room, Cami was still sleeping. Shey on her stomach with her hair pooling around her like a halo. I couldn''t resist reaching out to tuck a strand away from her face and shoulders. She mumbled something under her breath as I kissed her shoulder softly. I just needed to remind myself that she was real and I wasn''t dreaming anymore. At the touch of her skin and the inhaling of her scent, I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. ¡°What time is it?¡± she mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I have no idea,¡± I admitted looking out of the window at the still dark sky. ¡°You should go back to sleep.¡± ¡°I will, what are you doing awake?¡± she asked and I shrugged. That seemed to be the wrong response because she frowned and sat up straight. The only thing keeping her covered were the sheets that she clutched close to her chest ¡°Ryker, are you alright?¡± ¡°I''m fine, baby,¡± I kissed her forehead to try and distract her from the fact that I lied. ¡°I''m always up early, you know that, I didn¡¯t mean to bother you.¡± She still didn¡¯t look convinced but thankfully, she didn¡¯t push much. Instead, she pushed my shoulders back until I was lying in bed and shey on top of me. I didn''t hesitate before wrapping my arms around her. She was soft where I was hard and fit perfectly against me. I ran my fingers up her spine and she shivered. ¡°Go to sleep,¡± she instructed and I hummed. I knew there was no more sleep for me but if I had to pretend for her then I was willing to do it. ¡°I mean it¡± I smiled softly. ¡°I know you do.¡± ¡°I''m going to stay awake until you-" her words were cut off by a yawn and I had to bite the inside of my mouth to sto myself fromughing. ¡°I just need to-" she yawned again as I moved my other hand into her hair to massage her scalp. ¡°You''re not ying fair¡± ¡°Sleep, baby, I''m right behind you.¡± It didn''t take long before she fell asleep. Once I was sure she was sleeping, I sighed deeply and stared out the window. The moon stood in the sky staring back at me. Something had happened with Reina and I was determined t find out exactly what it was because it was driving me mad. Once the sun started to rise, I managed to pull myself out of bed. I had one n for the day and I needed a way to execute it without seeming suspicious meaning Cami couldn''te with me. I knew exactly who to ask and waitec until Juan came down for our morning run. ¡°How long have you been waiting here?¡± he drawled as he made his way towards me. ¡°You look like you didn¡¯t sleep wink.¡± ¡°Maybe because I didn''t,¡± I shot back and his brows furrowed. ¡°Rx, I''m fine. I was kidding.¡± ¡°You do look like shit though,¡± he mumbled as he took off running and I rolled my eyes. I caught up to him easily and started speaking. ¡°I need a favor¡± His steps faltered slightly. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I need you toe with me to the spot where we killed Reina. I need to figure out something. It has been eating at me for a while¡± ¡°Are you going to tell me what it is?¡± ¡°I just want to know why she chose that spot,¡± he seemed confused so I borated. ¡°The horses wouldn''t move past that spot. It seemed like something was stopping them. She chose that spot and I want to know why.¡± This time he stopped running and turned to me. ¡°Are you sure that you are alright? If something is wrong then you can tell me.¡± I made a show of scoffing and pping his shoulders. ¡°Careful, Juan or I might think that you actually like me.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I''m serious.¡± I sighed. ¡°I know you are and so am I. I just need to know why.¡± It was clear he didn¡¯t believe me but he didn¡¯t push, he just nodded. ¡°Fine, what time do you want to leave?¡± We prepared to leave within the hour. The hard part was trying to exin to Cami. She was with the girls when I walked in. I thought it best to just rip the band aid off and although she didn¡¯t push much, it was clear that she was worried about me. She just stared at me for what I felt was a few seconds too long before nodding. As I was about to leave, she threw her arms around me and asked me to be careful. I knew then that she suspected something but she didn¡¯t say a word. Juan and I had mounted our horses when Riley came running out. ¡°Ryker, I need to talk to you." ¡°I can''t right now, Riley,¡± it wasn''t that I didn¡¯t want to talk to my sister- I did. But I didn¡¯t have the time to start mending bridges right now. There were more important things. ¡°I know you''re upset-" she began but I cut her off. ¡°When I''m back, Riley,¡± I didn¡¯t mean for my voice toe out as harshly as it did. ¡°I''ll be back in a few hours. You cane and talk to me then.¡± She pursed her lips in frustration and if it were any other day, I would have tried to stay and cate her but I couldn''t be bothered right now, not when there was much more at stake. I turned to Juan and nodded and with that, we were off. He followed behind me as I retraced the exact path we took. It felt like reliving the memories all over again but I kept my eyes fixed on the road in front of me. ¡°What exactly are you hoping to find?¡± Juan asked after a minute of riding in silence and I hesitated before responding. ¡°I need to know what to help you look for and why you took me instead of Cami.¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± I said in response to everything before focusing on his first question. ¡°I just know that when I see it, I will know. If you see anything suspicious, let me know.¡± He still seemed confused but he nodded. We got to the spot with ease and everything seemed normal. I had buried the body before we left so unless you were with Cami and I, you would have never known that something happened. The horses stopped just like they did the first time. It didn¡¯t matter how much we pushed or pulled, they wouldn''t move. ¡°That is weird,¡± Juan mumbled and I gave him a look as if to say that I knew. ¡°I''ll look around and call out for you if I see something. We started looking in opposite directions and for the first half hour, there was nothing. I was beginning to think that had imagined it all when I heard Juan call out to me. There was a level of panic in his voice that had me rushing over to him. He was standing a bit of a distance away from where we had killed Reina. ¡°What did you find?¡± I asked immediately and he gestured towards the bush that he stood in front of. He stepped aside for me and I saw a single doll lying there. I hadn''t noticed it before. I picked it up slowly and I felt rush go into me and an image shed before my eyes. It was of Reina seated in front of a me as she knitted the doll slowly. She slipped a few strands of hair into it as she did and once she was done, she tossed it into the fire. The image vanished after that and I was left gasping for breath. Juan was by my side asking a few questions but I couldn''t hear him. My ears were ringing a single thought filled my head. I couldn''t tell how I knew, I just knew that it was my hair in that vision and the doll was mine. Whatever happened wasn¡¯t idental, Reina nned it long before she died. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 244 CAMILLA''S POV As soon as Ryker and Juan were gone, I went in search of Christine. It wasn¡¯t hard to find her, she was in the dining room snacking on some fruits. As soon as she saw me, she must have realized that something was terribly wrong because she immediately rushed over to my side. ¡°Tell me,¡± she said and I exined how weird Ryker had been acting and how he had gone out with Juan and it seemed suspicious. When I was done, she sighed. ¡°Juan told me that they were going back to where Reina died but he wouldn''t say more than that¡± ¡°That was exactly what Ryker told me but I have a feeling there is more. Why would he just go back there unprovoked. Most people would try to stay as far away from the witch that tried to kill them, don¡¯t you think?¡± She couldn''t help but nod. I ran my hands through my hair and bit down on the inside of my cheeks. I didn''t know much but all I knew was that something serious was going on and Ryker wasn''t telling me about it. He was always telling me to be open and trust him but it seemed like he was having a hard time trusting me. I understood, honestly I knew how hard it was but it couldn''t be that serious that he couldn''t just talk to me about it. We had already been through so much together- what was one more? Christine and I shared a few ideas of what we thought could be happening but neither of them seemed usible. The most popr idea was that Reina didn''t die but I had seen her die, I saw her body burn and I saw it getting buried, she was dead, there was no denying that. Perhaps she did something before she died that I didn¡¯t know of and that was what Ryker was trying to hide. Whatever it was, I was determined to find out. I thanked Christine and the both of us exited the dining room only to see Riley making her way down the halls. She seemed annoyed and her eyes were red rimmed while her nose had a light sheen to it as if she had been sniffling. I cast a wary nce at Christine before going after her. Christine was close behind me but made sure to keep her distance. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked Riley when I caught up to her and she stilled. She didn¡¯t look happy to see me in the slightest. Instead, she wrapped her arms tighter around herself and put on the most indifferent mask I had ever seen. ¡°If something is wrong then you can talk to-" ¡°Nothing is wrong,¡± she cut me off in a slightly harsh tone. ¡°I was just walking, now if I might continue to do that without any further interruptions, I would be more than grateful¡± She tried to walk past me but I grabbed her upper arm and kept her in ce. ¡°What the hell is this about? You have never acted like this before so why are you doing it right now? We are adults, Riley, if something is wrong then you open your mouth andmunicate.¡± ¡°How self-righteous of you,¡± she spat. ¡°I could have told you the same when you were off tossing me to the side like some attraction or old trinket.¡± I was so confused as to what she was saying but she clearly wasn¡¯t done. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way, we will be leaving within the week. It is what you want, is it not?¡± ¡°What are you even talking about? You aren''t making any sense, Riley.¡± ¡°You have been excluding us from everything!¡± she eximed and I was taken aback by the sheer emotion in her tone. Her eyes burned and her face turned crimson with each passing second. Her brows were furrowed in anger anc her fists were clenched by her side. ¡°This entire time, you have been the one telling Ryker to exclude us.¡± I almostughed. It was soical to even imagine that my first reaction was tough but I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek because I knew it would only cause more trouble in the end because it would seem like I was trying to make fun of her. With each passing second that I tried to catch my breath, she seemed to grow even more frustrated. ¡°I never did that and I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± I said finally. ¡°Where did you even get that absurd idea.¡± ¡°When we first came, he wouldn''t even spend time with me. It was always something about you and I know you lost your memory but why does everything bad always happen to you? He left today and wouldn''t even nce at me and I know he was running an errand for you. I wanted to apologize for how I acted to him earlier but he didn¡¯t even care.¡± ¡°I don''t even know why Ryker left today,¡± I admitted and her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°All he said was that he had something to do so I highly doubt that has anything to do with me. Your opinions are founded on nothing.¡± ¡°No they''re not!¡± she was getting more annoyed by the second.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Then how do you exin whatever this is?¡± I gestured between us. ¡°Let''s assume you are right and he was spending an ungodly amount of time trying to fix things for me, he is my mate and I am truly not in the mood to argue that with anyone, much less his sister. He will put his family and this pce first before anyone else. What exactly is your problem and where are you getting these insane ideas from?¡± ¡°I just know!¡± she pped her hands over her mouth as if she shouldnt have said that but the words were already out. ¡°What do you mean by you just know?¡± ¡°I don''t know, I just do,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to look brave but my patience was at an all-time low and I wasn''t going to y any games. I grabbed her by the upper arm. ¡°Listen to me, I will not y this game with you. You can either open your mouth and speak or you can shut up and go back home. I really don''t care for all of this. If after all these years, you have not realized that I am not your enem then I don¡¯t know what else to say to you,¡± I released her hand. ¡°The choice is yours.¡± She was quiet for two minutes and to be honest, I thought she wasn¡¯t going to speak. I was prepared to turn on my heels and walk out when she finally spoke. ¡°l woke up one morning and I just knew,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin it but I knew and the more I watched you, the more I realized what was happening and Peggy-" ¡°You mean Reina,¡± I cut her off. ¡°The very same witch that tried to kill Ryker and I, the very same witch that killed Aurora. You were listening to a witch.¡± She frowned. ¡°She said-" ¡°l don''t give a damn what she said,¡± I had to pinch the bridge of my nose so as not to scream. ¡°You took advice from the very person who was trying to kill us. Are you insane?¡± At this point, she was stuttering and stammering over her words. ¡°I didn''t- she said- I just- I don¡¯t know okay." I ran my hands down my face. ¡°I can¡¯t do this today. If you want to listen to a witch then go right ahead but don''t you ever try to disrespect me in my home again. Am I clear?¡± She nodded slowly and I walked past her without another word. I was furious and disappointed to say the least. I expected more from Riley of all people but at the same time, I couldn''t me her. She didn¡¯t have the same experience that we had with Reina, she didn¡¯t know how dangerous she was. Riley was naive and Reina must have taken advantage of that. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Christine asked once we were a considerable distance away and I nodded. ¡°That seemed rough, if you need anything then I can-" ¡°I''m fine,¡± I cut her off with a small smile. ¡°Everything will be fine. I just need Ryker to return and speak to his sister because I have no idea what to do.¡± ¡°He''ll be back soon,¡± she assured me and all I could do was hum. ¡°If you want me to stay with you then-" ¡°No,¡± I cut her off. ¡°I have a lot of work to do and you do too. I don¡¯t want to keep you. Please, just go do whatever it is that you were doing before.¡± She didn''t leave immediately, she watched me for a full minute before finally nodding and walking away. Once she was gone, I headed for my office. It wasn¡¯t until I had gotten into the safety of my office that I finally let out an exasperated sigh. I tried to reach out to Ryker through the mind link but the wall was firmly in ce. It didn''t matter how much I tried, couldn''t break through. Usually he always left a small gap for me if I needed to talk to him but today, there was nothing and I couldnt help but wonder what the hell was happening. I tried to focus on my work but I was so strung up and worried that I could barely get anything done. I just couldn''t shake the feeling that something was wrong and I was proven right when a guard rushed into my office. He had a light sheen of sweat on his face and he was fiddling anxiously with his fingers. My thoughts immediately went to Ryker. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I asked but he didn''t respond immediately. ¡°Is it Ryker?¡± ¡°No, your majesty,¡± he replied and although that should have calmed me, it didn¡¯t because if it wasn''t Ryker, then it was someone else. ¡°The school sent a letter to the pce and they asked that you go down there as soon as possible¡± ¡°What did they say was the issue?¡± ¡°They didn''t, all they said was that it concerned the princess.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 245 CAMILLA''S POV I didn¡¯t hesitate before rushing into the nearest carriage. My heart was pounding in my chest and my hands were mmy as I tried to keep them stable in myp. It hit me that I hadn''t told anyone that I had left. I hadn''t even aske anyone to watch Aurora. I was just so concerned and so much in a panic that I forgot. I quickly mind linked Christine and thankfully, her wall was down. ¡°I need you to watch Aurora,¡± I didn¡¯t even give the chance to exchange pleasantries. ¡°I promise to exin when I am back but-" ¡°When you are back?¡± she asked and I hummed. ¡°Where did you- you know what? Never mind. Exin when you''re back but if Ryker returns before you and he loses his shit because you aren''t here then that''s on you.¡± Iughed. ¡°I can handle my own mate but thank you.¡± I broke off the mind link the exact moment that the carriage stopped. The principal was waiting outside the school gate for me and she had a somewhat panicked look on her face. I tried to keep my face stoic and not let her know that I was equally in a panic. I squared my shoulders and gave her a small smile as I approached. She bowed. ¡°Thank you foring here on such short notice, your majesty. I apologize for the urgent tone in the message but I really needed to make sure that we had this handled.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°What exactly is the problem?¡± I cut her off and she opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it at thest moment. ¡°I think you should juste and see for yourself¡± That statement never meant anything good but I still refused to panic and followed her into the school. The student: were in ss so the halls were empty. She led me to her office where Audrey was seated. As soon as my daughter sav me she rushed into my arms. I couldn''t keep my stoic face even if I tried. I wrapped my arms around her and ced soft kiss on her forehead. ¡°The principal said I did something bad,¡± she whispered to me. ¡°I didn''t do anything. I was just making a pretty picture¡± Picture? What the hell was going on. I gave my daughter a small smile and smoothed her hair back before turning to the principal. She had a seat for me and one for Audrey and once we were both seated, she slid a piece of paper ove to me. I wasn''t sure what it was meant to be. ¡°We asked her to draw her family,¡± the principal exined. ¡°We were expecting a simple picture of just you, her and her father.¡± I looked at the picture again, there were at least eight people in the picture but it wasn''t the people that caught my attention, it was the little details she added to each of them. I turned to Audrey. ¡°Can you point out everyone to me?¡± I asked and she nodded. She was quick to point out herself then me. I should have guessed it was me because she added little swirls to my fingertips presumably to mimic water. She pointed out Ryker next but for the life of me, I couldn''t figure out what that thing was behind him. ¡°Is that a shadow?¡± I asked and she shrugged. ¡°Audrey, what is that?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± she mumbled but I knew she was lying. ¡°That is Aurora.¡± I stopped her again. ¡°What is that in your sister''s hands? It looks like a stick.¡± ¡°It''s a bone.¡± I was taken aback by that response. ¡°Why is there a bone in your sister''s hands?¡± ¡°I don''t know, it just felt right,¡± this time, I knew she was telling the truth. ¡°The other people are aunt Christine, Uncle Juan and the twins.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°What twins? Audrey, what the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°They''re having twins.¡± The principal was looking at me expectantly and I could understand why she called me now. Yes, Christine was pregnant but no one knew anything about any twins. I turned to the principal and gave her an apologetic look. ¡°She has an overactive imagination, I''m sorry if this worried you. She was probably drawing her ideal family or some funny variation of it,¡± I was lying through my teeth but it seemed enough to set the principal''s heart at ease. ¡°Okay, I as just worried that there was something else at y,¡± she crossed her arms in front of her. ¡°Seeing as schoo will be over in a few minutes anyway, I think it would be alright if you were to take Audrey home right now. She will not be missing much.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I reached out to shake her hand and she seemed shocked by the gesture. ¡°If there are any other problems, don¡¯t hesitate to call for me. Also, would it be possible for me to take the drawing with me?¡± ¡°Of course not, please, it is all yours.¡± After exchanging our goodbyes, I walked with Audrey to the carriage. I waited until we were alone in the carriage before I turned to her. ¡°I''m not upset with you but I need to know what this means. Why did you draw twins and wha is that thing behind your father?¡± ¡°I saw the twins in my sleep,¡± she said almost immediately. ¡°They''re very fun to y with, there is a boy and a girl.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I ran my hands down my face. ¡°you saw a vision of Christine''s kids?¡± she nodded. ¡°How do you know that they are her kids?¡± ¡°I just know,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I don''t know mummy.¡± ¡°it''s okay, what about the thing you drew behind daddy?¡± she went silent at that. ¡°Audrey, you can tell me¡± She shook her head. ¡°If I tell you then bad things will happen. You can¡¯t know, mummy.¡± ¡°But¡± ¡°Please don''t make me tell you,¡± her eyes welled up with tears and I cursed. I pulled her close to me and wrapped m arms around her as tight as possible as her tiny shoulders shook with sobs. ¡°You don''t have to tell me,¡± I whispered and that seemed to be the only thing that calmed her tears. It took a few minutes to calm her down and wipe away her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare anyone else so you cannot say anything about the twins, alright? Don¡¯t say anything about the picture, I will handle everything¡± The rest of the ride was held in silence. I had the drawing folded up in my hands. I didn¡¯t know what to do with it but I needed to show Ryker first. He always knew how to handle things like this without panicking. She could be wrong, I was holding onto that reality but if for any reason Christine had twins then I had to worry about everything else in the picture including the bone in Aurora''s hands and the shadow behind Ryker. We were getting out of the carriage when I heard rushed footstepse over to me. I turned just in time to see Ryker grab my face in both hands. He ran his eyes over me for any obvious signs of injury before letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m fine, we are fine,¡± I tried to assure him but that did little to calm him as he did the same thing to Audrey. ¡°Where did you go? You didn¡¯t tell anyone where you went. I came back and was worried as hell. All I was told was that you rushed into a carriage and ran off. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I was told there was something that needed to be urgently discussed about Audrey. I didn¡¯t think, I just left,¡± his eyes instantly went to our daughter but I grabbed his arm. ¡°We will talk about it inside. Let her get changed and have lunch. It is not a conversation that we can have out here.¡± Christine offered to help us take care of Audrey while we spoke and I showed him the picture and exined everything that had happened. He stared at it for a full minute and I could tell from his eyes that there was something that worried him. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked but he said nothing. ¡°She won''t exin what anything is except the twins. She says she saw them and-" ¡°If she says she did then she did,¡± he cut me off and my brows furrowed. ¡°We need to figure out what the bone is in Aurora''s hand and why.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the least bit worried about the shadow behind you? She refuses to speak about it. Maybe you can try talking to her, she might-" ¡°No,¡± he said simply. ¡°We live our lives with shadows behind us on a daily basis, Cami.¡± ¡°This is different. I don¡¯t know how to exin it but I can feel it. There is something wrong and we need to-" He cut me off with a soft kiss on my lips. It was at that moment I knew for certain that he was hiding something from me. There was a reason he didn¡¯t want me digging into the drawing about him. There was a reason he wanted to brush it off- he knew it, Audrey knew it but I didn¡¯t. ¡°Ryker,¡± I began but he took the drawing from my hands and folded it neatly into his pocket. ¡°Are we really going to pretend like-" ¡°I have to run now, I need to meet with Riley. She was trying to get my attention before we left¡± ¡°Where did you go?¡± I asked and he stilled. ¡°You haven''t said a single thing about why you left. Did you find anything?¡± His eyes gave it away but once again, he lied. He shook his head. ¡°Nothing, it waspletely empty. I just wanted to make sure of it.¡± ¡°Ryker-" ¡°I''ll see you during dinner.¡± Without waiting for a response from me, he walked out of the room leaving me in perpetual silence. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 246 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?¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 247 CAMILLA''S POV There was silence for two minutes before Christine spoke. ¡°I don''t like this feeling.¡± ¡°What feeling?¡± I had an idea what she was talking about but I wasn''t going to put words in her mouth. She had always had an issue with expressing herself. It was easier for her to use logic, I think it was one of the reasons she got along with Ryker so well, they were two very logical individuals but this was something that even logic couldn''t fix and she couldn''t understand it. She was getting mated today and it was as emotion as it got. For someone like her who didn¡¯t put much stock on emotions, I could only imagine how different it was for her to wake up to the myriad of emotions in her chest. ¡°My chest,¡± she touched her hand to her skin as if it would exin it. ¡°It feels weird, I don¡¯t like how it feels. It''s tight I can''t breathe.¡± ¡°Christine, I''m sure you can put into words how you''re feeling or would you prefer if I broke down emotions to you the way I would with Audrey?¡± She rolled her eyes and flipped me off. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± ¡°I do, but you have to say it out loud or I will continue to pretend like I don¡¯t. You woke me up at an ungodly hour of the morning so you better believe that we are going to have this conversation whether you want to or not¡± She made a show of exhaling loudly before lying back in bed. I honestly thought she was going to ask me to forget about the entire conversation and try to leave but instead, she spoke with a voice softer than a feather. ¡°l can''t pinpoint exactly how I feel. I feel too much and I don''t like that. It''s easy to deal with one thing. maybe two but this is a lot more than that. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i¡¯''b.It feels like an entire box of emotions just exploded in my chest.¡± ¡°Do you want to go ahead with this?¡± I asked and she didn¡¯t hesitate before nodding. ¡°Of course, this is all I''ve ever wanted. Why would you even ask me that?¡¯ ¡°So that you would know the answer to whatever question brought you here,¡± I dragged myself out of bed. ¡°You want this, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. It is normal to feel emotional and you''re pregnant no less, I would be surprised if you don''t end this day in tears.¡± She looked horrified by the mere thought. ¡°That will not be happening.¡± ¡°We''ll see about that,¡± I mumbled before going back to the original conversation. ¡°You''ll be fine, you have an entire t yourself to take your mind off things. The ceremony isn¡¯t until the evening so rx and take things one step at a time.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°Okay, I like the sound of that. What''s the n for today then?¡± ¡°l am going to be making sure everything is perfect while you are going to go back to your bed and you are going to fall asleep,¡± she started to protest but I held out a hand to stop her. ¡°That was not a request, it was an order as your cousin and as your Queen.¡± She mumbled something under her breath about abuse of power but at the end of the day, she dragged her feet out of bed and left. By the time I was done with breakfast and the girls, I was pulled into a handful of meetings. Christine didn¡¯t want anything over the top and that was fine but we still needed to make a little decorations and that was proving to be just as difficult as if the ceremony wasrge. I didn¡¯t mind the stress, it was going to be worth it at the end of the day when I saw how happy she was, what I did mind was the fact that Riley walked up to me when I was talking to the decorators. ¡°Can you excuse me for a minute?¡± I announced once I had noticed her standing by the door. They looked at me with concern. ¡°I think we have gone over everything major. I wille to check on it outside once you start setting up but don¡¯t forget, Christine is not to see it until it is done. I don''t care if you have to call Juan to drag her out of there but make sure she doesn''t see.¡± They filed out after that and I waited until the door shut behind them to look up at Riley. She didn¡¯t speak, she just stood there fiddling with her fingers. I realized she wasn¡¯t going to speak first so I leaned back into my chair. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice but it was not very easy. Our last conversation had ended poorly and it wasn¡¯t something that one easily forget. ¡°There is a chair if you want to-" ¡°No,¡± she cut me off. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Ryker about our conversation? He came to mest night, he didn¡¯t know a thing. I thought for sure he was going to rip me a new one and ask me to leave. You could have gotten me out of here if you had just told him.¡± ¡°I don''t need your brother to kick you out. I can do that on my own if I wish. That sound be an indicator that I don''t want you out of here. I told you before and I will tell you again; the idea that everyone is against you is insane. No one is trying to keep you out of anything.¡± ¡°So you want me at the ceremony?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t my ceremony, it is Christine''s and yes, she asked to invite you as long as you don¡¯t make a ruckus. She just needs some peace and stability in her life right now and this is it¡± She sighed. ¡°I''m sorry that I was rude. I just- I think it would be better for us if we left after this. Anytime wee here, it always ends up badly. I think we should just go.¡± ¡°Riley, no one is-" ¡°I know,¡± she cut me off. ¡°This is my choice. Besides, I have a pack to run with Damien and we have left them unattended for too long. I need to go back. I just wanted you to know first.¡± ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± The room went silent and the air stretched thin between us. I could tell there was still so more that she wanted to say but she decided against it. ¡°Is there a dress code?¡± ¡°No, just wear something cute but casual. I know if Christine had her way, she would be in riding gear.¡± She snorted a that. ¡°Now that would be a sight to behold.¡± After Riley left, the rest of the day went by smoothly. The decorations were perfect, it was a simple arch situated righ at the center of the little path behind the pce. There were flowers thrown all around the pathway Christine was to walk and there were six little chairs for us. It was the definition of simple and I knew Christine was going to love it. Tiny unlit candles surrounded the little area and I could only imagine how beautiful it was going to be when the sun went down. I was grinning from ear to ear as I walked through the walls of the pce and I was so happy that I didn¡¯t notice Ryker walking up to me until he was standing directly behind me. He ced a hand on my shoulder and I nearly jumped. ¡°I''ll take it from that smile that everything is going ording to n,¡± he mused and I nodded. ¡°I think we all needec this, something happy and fun tobat everything that had happened.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°It just feels right. I can¡¯t wait to see them get mated. You should see the decorations, it looks perfect.¡± ¡°I can''t wait to see it but I think you are heading in the wrong direction,¡± his hands on my shoulders stopped me in my tracks and he turned me around so I was facing the other way. ¡°That is where you should be going.¡± ¡°I have to get the girls ready.¡± ¡°l am sure it is a feat I can pull off on my own. What you need to do is to be with Christine so that you both can get ready together. She needs you today.¡± ¡°But-" I began but he cut me off.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I can do this, Cami. I can handle our daughters, go and be with Christine right now.¡± I waited one minute to be sure that he was going to be fine and then I rushed over to her room. My knuckles had barely hit the wood when she pulled the door open and dragged me in. her dressy on the bed, it was an off white color and I knew it would look gorgeous on her. Right next to it was my pale pink dress, I wasn''t sure how it got there and she must have noticed me staring at it because she spoke. ¡°Ryker brought it a while ago,¡± she exined and I couldn''t help but shake my head with a small smile. ¡°I tried to keep my mind upied but Cami, I couldn''t. My heart feels like it is about to beat out of my chest but I am excitec at the same time.¡± I led her to the bed where she sat down. ¡°It happens, you are excited but you are also nervous. It is a nerve wracking experience to stand in front of people and mate with the person you love.¡± ¡°That''s why I wanted a small ceremony. I couldn''t imagine doing it in front of the whole world. I don¡¯t know how you managed to do it¡± I led her to the bathroom where her bath water sat untouched. ¡°Today isn¡¯t about me, it is about you. You are going to go out there and officially be mated to Juan, are you ready?¡± She didn''t hesitate. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 248 RYKER''S POV Juan was trying to act unaffected but every few seconds, he would nce at the entrance. He stuffed his hands in his pockets trying to hide how much he was twisting his fingers. I could almost smell the anxiety rolling off him in waves Aurora and Audrey were seated next to Damien. He was pointing out clouds to them and every other second, they would giggle loudly. Riley was seated on her own with her legs crossed and her hands folded in front of her. I could sense something was wrong with her but I couldn''t put my finger on it. There was just something off, something dark and twisted that I could feel inside of her. I tried to ignore it but my eyes were drawn back to her each time. Whatever it was, it was bad.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°You look more worried than I feel,¡± Juan murmured and I snapped my eyes back to him. ¡°You look pale and sick to your stomach.¡± I snorted. ¡°No one can look worse than you today, I assure you. Have you seen what you look like?¡± ¡°I''m just excited, it feels like I have been waiting for this for years,¡± he whispered. ¡°Il get to finally say that she¡¯s mine and she is carrying my child.¡± I resisted the urge to tell him that she was carrying his children, not his child, but I couldn''t say that without telling him how we came about it which would therefore mean that he would fixate on the shadows that Audrey drew behind me. I knew what it meant, it was whatever I got from Reina, I just wasn¡¯t ready to share it yet. Juan suddenly stilled. ¡°She''sing.¡± I turned in time to see Cami and Christine walking down. They both looked gorgeous and it might have been my bias but I was unable to pull my eyes from my mate. Her eyes were brimming with happiness and pure glee, you could have argued that she was more excited than the actual couple. She walked Christine down to the aisle where the priest was waiting and after a tearful hug, she came over to where I was so that we could take our seats. ¡°This is beautiful,¡± she whispered to me. ¡°It came out even better than I expected and Christine loves it so it is an added bonus.¡± ¡°You did an amazing job,¡± I assured her. I wasn''t sure how she managed to pull it off in less than two days but she did. ¡°You look gorgeous.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she turned back to Christine and Juan with a smile on her face. The priest was wrapping their hands with the scarlet thread now and giving them the goblet to drink from. ¡°I''m just so happy for them, I don¡¯t even have the words for it¡± She continued speaking but I couldn''t hear her anymore. It was like time slowed down for me. I could hear the pounding of my own heart in my ears and I felt a strange wind brush over me. I looked around trying to see if anyone else might have felt it but no one else did. Their eyes were fixed on the happy couple. It was at that moment I noticed something weird. I could feel their life- not their hearts, the very essence of their life inside of them. It was different, it looked like colors shaped over their bodies. With Cami, it was a soft blue color, it reminded me of the waves, gentle but they had the option to be brutal. Audrey''s was pink, soft and gentle, Aurora''s was grey, there was something off about it, i almost felt unnatural but I couldn''t put my finger on it. With Riley, it was red, but there were traces of ck in it. I knew instantly it was that darkness I felt inside of her. I managed to tear my eyes away from them to Christine and Juan but my eyes fell on Christine. Hers was a vibrant orange pulsing with life but right over her stomach was pure white, only- one was fading. As soon as I noticed it, everything went back to normal and I had to clutch my chest to catch my breath. Cami turned to me. ¡°Are you alright? They just finished the ceremony. Did you hear the vows they said to each other, it was-" I couldn''t wait to hear the rest of what she had to say. It was probably disrespectful and I knew I would have to eat my own handter to apologize but there were more important things at stake. I rushed over to Christine and grabbed her arm. She turned to me with concern. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked but I couldnt respond to her. ¡°You need to see the physician right now,¡± I told her and she looked taken aback. ¡°I cannot exin it but something is wrong with one of your children.¡± ¡°One of my-" she nced over at Juan. She was trying not to panic but I could see the worry in her eyes. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± ¡°I''ll exinter, do you trust me?¡± she nodded. ¡°Of course I do, you know that, but this is absurd.¡± ¡°Just trust me on this one too,¡± I whispered and it looked like she was going to refuse but at thest minute, she nodded. She pulled Juan with her as they rushed over to the physician. I could feel the stares of the others on me but I couldn''t focus on it, there was something else I needed to do. ¡°Damien can you please watch the girls, Cami you might want to be with Christine right now, I''ll catch up.¡± ¡°Ryker, what is going on?¡± even Cami looked spooked and uneasy. I realized I had acted like an insane person and needed to offer up an exnation and I nned to, I just needed to do this first. ¡°I''ll exinter, just go." They all rushed out leaving just Riley and I. She sat cross legged and unmoving in her spot. ¡°Am I not important enough for you to give orders to?¡± ¡°That''s not it," I moved over to sit next to her. Sometime during the panic, the priest had disappeared too leaving jus both of us. I held out my hand to her and she hesitated first before taking it. I could feel the darkness in her thrumming alongside the darkness in me. They wanted to connect, like kindred spirits and I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew, but I knew it would hurt. I wrapped my arms around my sister, making sure she waspletely leaning on me before dropping my voice to a whisper. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± I told her before willing the darkness to me. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew what to do, it just felt like second nature. She jerked against me trying to get free but I refused to let her go. No sounds left her lips, only small groans of pain until suddenly, she stopped. I felt the darkness slide out of her and into me and once again, I was able to see the shimmering color around her. It was a vibrant red once again, as I knew it should be. I made the mistake of looking down at my hands and instead of colors, there were shadows swirling all around me, just like in Audrey''s image. I closed my eyes willing the image gone and thankfully when I opened them again, they were but Riley was passed out in my arms. I lifted her gently wondering how I was going to exin to Damien what had happened. This entire day was taking a drastic turn, I didn¡¯t n to exin anything to anyone for the next few weeks but here I was throwing it all to the wind because I wanted to help everyone. I carried Riley back to her room and when Damien opened the door, he looked between the two of us in confusion before asking. ¡°Do I want to know?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± I said and he sighed. He gently took her out of my hands. ¡°I know you won''t hurt her and that is the only reason I''m not saying a word. Something is going on here and I cannot believe I am about to say this but I am d that we are leaving tomorrow s I don¡¯t have to watch it unfold. He mmed the door in my face and I exhaled deeply before making my way over to the physician''s quarters. Cami was pacing outside and when she saw me, she rushed over to me. ¡°I have been waiting for you,¡± she whispered harshly. ¡°What the hell was that outside?¡± ¡°How is Christine?¡± I brushed off her question because I truly didn¡¯t have the answer to it. ¡°Is she alright? How is Juan?¡± ¡°I don''t know, the physician says that something was wrong and he is trying to fix it but don¡¯t ignore me, Ryker. What the hell happened out there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°How did you know that something was wrong with her baby and why the hell did you tell her that it was two?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± I sounded like a broken record but I didn¡¯t know what else to say. ¡°I just saw it and I knew.¡± ¡°What do you mean you saw it?¡± she asked but I remained silent. She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards a secluded corner. If I didn¡¯t want to go with her, I would have fought but I was too tired to fight with her. I wanted to make sense of things as much as she did, I just didn¡¯t know how. Once she saw that we were alone, she turned to me with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Ryker, I need you to exin this to me.¡± ¡°I saw something wrong with her baby and I saw something wrong with Riley. I knew if I didn¡¯t speak, it would get worse so I did. I didn''t think about it, I just told her¡± ¡°But what did you see, Ryker? I need you to help me understand because right now, you are on a little ind on youl own and I don¡¯t know what is happening so if you could please help me understand so that I can-" ¡°I saw their life force. I saw their aura and one was dying, okay? That is what I saw.¡± The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 249 CAMILLA''S POV None of what Ryker said made sense to me and the more I tried to make sense of it, the more it felt like my brain was being fried. I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to make sense of what he had said but I got nothing. After a long two minutes of silence, I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What do you mean by you saw their life force?¡± I asked slowly, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer or not. ¡°How does one see that? What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± he sounded just as confused as I was and that made me even more worried. ¡°Something happened tc me, I don¡¯t know what it was but I feel different. I could see her child dying and I could see the darkness that was inside Riley.¡± ¡°What darkness?¡± I was having a migraine already and he hadn''t even started exining. I ran my hands through my hair trying to get semnce of sanity but it wasn¡¯t working. Ryker dragged me over to the nearest bench and all but pulled me into it. He ran his fingers through my hair until I had calmed down considerably and it didn¡¯t feel like I was about to go insane. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± I mumbled after a beat of silence. ¡°This entire thing is just very overwhelming. Now can you please exin and start from the beginning,¡± he seemed hesitant to do that. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked a him despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t looking at me. ¡°Ryker, what are you hiding?¡± ¡°When we killed Reina, she did something,¡± he began slowly and my spine straightened. ¡°I started having these dreams after of this darkness, it would speak to me. It felt evil, like death itself¡± ¡°That was why you asked Juan to go back there with you,¡± I deduced and he nodded. I tried to hide my annoyance that he hid this from me so I cleared my throat. ¡°What else has been happening? What did you find there?¡¯ ¡°I found one of her dolls but it was of me. Don¡¯t ask me how I knew, I just touched it and I did. I think she nned to die there and whatever she was working with, whatever magic she had, it came into me. I know it sounds insane but Audrey confirmed it too.¡± This had my eyes widening and I shot to my feet. ¡°Our daughter knew?¡± ¡°Please calm down,¡± his voice was soft and patronizing. ¡°I didn''t tell her, she told me. She said the dark magic was inside of me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think to tell me about that?¡± I asked and his face fell. ¡°Why wouldn''t you tell me about this? It could be dangerous for her to know. What were you thinking?¡± I didn¡¯t want to yell at him but the thought of Audrey knowing and having to hold this secret to herself was mind blowing. She was a child and she already had so much to worry about. Thest thing she needed was to panic about the newfound dark magic that her father had. At least Ryker looked guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell her, Cami, she just knew,¡± he whispered but that didn¡¯t make it any better. ¡°I''m sorry for not telling you. I wanted to but I couldn''t. You were happy and for the first time, there was peace. I wanted things to go back to normal.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You have Reina¡¯s magic. There is nothing normal about that. Do you remember what she did with it?¡± ¡°I remember, but I also know that Reina was a terrible person. I don¡¯t think the magic in itself is inherently bad. I haven''t felt the urge to do anything bad-" ¡°Yet,¡± I cut him off and he frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, you don¡¯t know what ising.¡± ¡°Can you try to trust me at least?¡± he sounded a little annoyed. ¡°I pulled out whatever darkness Reina had nted inside of Riley today and I might have just saved Christine''s child. This could prove to be a blessing. So far, it has been of help to us.¡± ¡°It''s dark magic, Ryker,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°I don''t think magic is inherently dark or good. I think it matters how the person uses it,¡± I snorted and this seemed to annoy him even more. ¡°Is it the magic you don''t trust or is it me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Do you believe that I can¡¯t handle this?¡± Yes. ¡°That''s not what I said.¡± ¡°Your wall is down,¡± I rushed to check and sure enough, in my panic, I had forgotten to put up my wall. I opened my mouth to apologize but he held up a hand to stop me. ¡°l would have loved to know that you at least supported me on this. When you got healing powers out of nowhere, I supported you.¡± ¡°I do support you. This is just-" I was at a loss for words. ¡°This is just different and hard to get used to.¡± He said nothing. I knew I had messed up and it was going to take more than that to get hs trust back. I took a step towards him but the door to the physician''s quarters opened and our argument was forgotten as Juan rushed out. He seemed in a daze, like he wasn¡¯t quite himself. He was even stumbling lightly. We rushed over to him and Ryker put ¡é hand on his shoulder. For a full minute, there was no movement and then without warning. Juan threw his arms around Ryker and embraced him. I watched the interaction with wide eyes and I could hear Juan repeating the same words over and over again ¡°thank you. Ryker''s eyes met mine and he had a look that clearly told me ¡°this is what I was talking about! Juan released Ryker after what felt like hours and cleared his throat. ¡°I apologize for springing on you like that but you have no idea how grateful I am.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± his voice was hollow. ¡°The physician said that she was weak and he couldn''t hear the baby as usual. He was able to stabilize her and-" he trailed off with a sigh. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know how you knew but thank you because if you didn¡¯t warn us then she could have lost the baby." ¡°I''m just relieved that I could help. How is she?¡± ¡°She''s good, she is resting. The babies are fine too.¡± ¡°Babies?¡± I asked and he nodded. ¡°Ryker was right, she¡¯s having twins. The physician said he could hear two heartbeats.¡± We stayed with Christine for a while and kept an eye on her for about half an hour. Ryker was the first to leave, he made an excuse about having something to do and walked off. I watched him go with a sigh because the entire time we sat with Christine, he barely even looked at me. ¡°Are you going to go after him?¡± Juan asked and I turned to him. ¡°It''s clear that something happened.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t understand and I didn¡¯t support him when I should have,¡± I said softly. ¡°l am assuming this has something to do with the witch,¡± I turned to him sharply and heughed softly. ¡°I am many things, Cami, but stupid is not one of them. Ryker has been acting weird ever since Reina died. He went back to her death spot, he found the doll, which I am assuming you know about now. It isnt difficult to put two things together and know that whatever happened out there has something to do with this.¡± ¡°l just don¡¯t see how Reina¡¯s powers could be used for good. I don''t get it. She was evil.¡± ¡°She was yes,¡± he paused before adding. ¡°But Ryker is not. He saw the baby dying and he helped us. Reina would have killed it. You just have to trust him.¡± ¡°I do trust him, with my life even.¡± ¡°Then tell that to him because right now, he probably feels like you don¡¯t¡± Without another word, he turned back to his mate. I knew he was right and that was why I rushed to my feet and went after him. I followed his scent all the way to our room. He was shirtless and had his back to me. He didn''t acknowledge my presence but that didn¡¯t deter me. ¡°I should not have been on the defensive when you told me,¡± I said loudly but he still didn¡¯t turn. ¡°You were right, you have supported me at every turn, even when I didn''t deserve it and I should have awarded you the same decency. I don''t understand what is happening and I seemed to forget that neither do you. You need someone to help you navigate this and I am willing to be that person.¡± I waited for him to speak but he didn¡¯t. ¡°l was a terrible mate and I am sorry but we can do this together if you would let me,¡± he still didn¡¯t acknowledge my presence and I was tired of waiting for him so I stormed over and stood in front of him. ¡°Why aren''t you-" My words died on my throat when I saw his eyes. They were pitch ck, there was not even a sign of light in them. I couldn''t even see my own reflection in them. It was him but not him, I felt shivers run down my spine. I knew this wa the embodiment of whatever power was inside of him. I could feel it despite him not doing anything and I couldn''t imagine how he felt with it inside of him. I suddenly felt a new wave of guilt for not supporting him earlier. ¡°Ryker,¡± I probed and he slowly turned his head to me. He fixed his eyes on me but it was like he was seeing through me and not looking at me. ¡°What''s going on? Why are your eyes like that?¡± He just smiled, a dark and wicked grin. ¡°Hello, Cami.¡± 0 CAMILLA''S POV I tried to hide the fear that crawled up my throat but it proved difficult. Shivers ran up my spine because that voice, I was cold and it sounded like death itself. Still, I squared my shoulders and gave a small smile. ¡°You''re the one inside my mate,¡± I said simply and Ryker- he- shrugged. ¡°I''m not inside of him, I am him. He is just refusing the bonding process but it won''t take long now,¡± I watched as Ryker took a seat at the edge of the bed. ¡°I am not all that evil, even though you would never believe that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what I believe.¡± ¡°I do, actually, Ryker has only scratched the surface of my powers. I can see auras but I can also tell when people are being truthful and when they are not. I can also sense emotions of sorts and I can see your distrust. You don''t like me very much.¡± ¡°I don''t like the idea of you, yes, but I trust my mate and I know that you cannot make him into what he is not¡± Rykerughed. It wasn''t his usualugh, there was something dark about it, something almost sinister, it had my ski crawling and it made the room feel almost colder. He had an amused grin on his face and his brows was cocked as if he was mocking me. ¡°I have no intentions to change him,¡± he said. ¡°I only bring out that which is buried beneath. You have this misconception that dark magic is evil, but it is not. I simply draw from what you are. I break down walls, I pull down the pretense and I show what truly hides beneath. You cannot fight yourself, Cami.¡± ¡°You made Reina bad.¡± ¡°Reina was a power hungry witch who wished she could be the goddess. She wanted the power over life and death, she wanted to rival the goddess and I gave her that. I gave her exactly what she wanted. I did not make her into anything¡± I frowned. He seems genuine but then again, I didn¡¯t know what I was talking to. It could have been lying to me, it could have been trying to deceive me and make me trust it. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could believe, especially considering that it came from Reina. Nothing that came from Reina could be trusted. ¡°Why did you choose him?¡± I asked finally. ¡°I didn¡¯t, she did. She gave me away. She knew she was going to die, everythinges with a price, especially magic, but you would know all about that, wouldn''t you?¡± I kept my expression stoic. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± ¡°Oh, Cami, dont y dumb. You healed those people at your own detriment. You gave up your powers to save your daughter and to save yourself, the spell over your other child''s powers were broken.¡± ¡°How do you know that? My life had nothing to do with Audrey''s powers.¡± He chuckled. ¡°There is a lot you are yet to learn, Cami. Have you ever asked yourself what the consequence for your daughtering back was? You were to lose your life but you didn¡¯t. What do you think was taken instead?¡± I couldn''t respond because the honest truth was that I didn¡¯t know what to say. My powers were taken, that was the price, he was trying to rile me up, that had to be it. Nothing else was amiss. Everything was fine and Aurora was alive He was just trying to send me into a panic. ¡°I don''t want to talk to you anymore, just leave my mate alone,¡± I spat and he sighed. ¡°I tried,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I already told you, I cannot just leave him. I was given to him and we have to merge. I am his until the day he draws hisst breath. If you want to get rid of me then you have to kill him.¡± ¡°You''re lying.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, but I have no reason to lie. Your mate now has powers, Cami, I would have expected you to be happy for him, or did you enjoy being the only special one?¡± I knew he was trying to rile me up and I should have ignored him but I couldn''t help myself. ¡°That isn¡¯t what this is about!¡± ¡°Isn''t it?¡± he mused. ¡°The merging has already started. I guess you will get to see what kind of man your mate truly is¡± Before I could say anything, Ryker''s eyes closed. I stood there staring for a full minute waiting to see if anything was going to happen but there was nothing. One minute, his eyes were closed and when he opened them, he was himsell again. He looked a bit confused and disoriented. ¡°When did you get here?¡± he asked but I couldn''t respond. It was clear he didn¡¯t know what had transpired in thes few minutes. ¡°I sat down to rest my head for a second and now you''re here. Did something happen?¡± CAMILLA''S PON ) ) ) oo Co ) None of what Ryker said made sense to me and the more I tried to make sense of it, the more it felt like my brain was being fried. I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to make sense of what he had said but I got nothing. After a long two minutes of silence, I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What do you mean by you saw their life force?¡± I asked slowly, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer or not. ¡°How does one see that? What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± he sounded just as confused as I was and that made me even more worried. ¡°Something happened tc me, I don¡¯t know what it was but I feel different. I could see her child dying and I could see the darkness that was inside Riley.¡± ¡°What darkness?¡± I was having a migraine already and he hadn''t even started exining. I ran my hands through my hair trying to get semnce of sanity but it wasn¡¯t working. Ryker dragged me over to the nearest bench and all but pulled me into it. He ran his fingers through my hair until I had calmed down considerably and it didn¡¯t feel like I was about to go insane. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± I mumbled after a beat of silence. ¡°This entire thing is just very overwhelming. Now can you please exin and start from the beginning,¡± he seemed hesitant to do that. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked a him despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t looking at me. ¡°Ryker, what are you hiding?¡± ¡°When we killed Reina, she did something,¡± he began slowly and my spine straightened. ¡°I started having these dreams after of this darkness, it would speak to me. It felt evil, like death itself¡± ¡°That was why you asked Juan to go back there with you,¡± I deduced and he nodded. I tried to hide my annoyance that he hid this from me so I cleared my throat. ¡°What else has been happening? What did you find there?¡¯ ¡°I found one of her dolls but it was of me. Don¡¯t ask me how I knew, I just touched it and I did. I think she nned to die there and whatever she was working with, whatever magic she had, it came into me. I know it sounds insane but Audrey confirmed it too.¡± This had my eyes widening and I shot to my feet. ¡°Our daughter knew?¡± ¡°Please calm down,¡± his voice was soft and patronizing. ¡°I didn''t tell her, she told me. She said the dark magic was inside of me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think to tell me about that?¡± I asked and his face fell. ¡°Why wouldn''t you tell me about this? It could be dangerous for her to know. What were you thinking?¡± I didn¡¯t want to yell at him but the thought of Audrey knowing and having to hold this secret to herself was mind blowing. She was a child and she already had so much to worry about. Thest thing she needed was to panic about the newfound dark magic that her father had. At least Ryker looked guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell her, Cami, she just knew,¡± he whispered but that didn¡¯t make it any better. ¡°I''m sorry for not telling you. I wanted to but I couldn''t. You were happy and for the first time, there was peace. I wanted things to go back to normal.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You have Reina¡¯s magic. There is nothing normal about that. Do you remember what she did with it?¡± ¡°I remember, but I also know that Reina was a terrible person. I don¡¯t think the magic in itself is inherently bad. I haven''t felt the urge to do anything bad-" ¡°Yet,¡± I cut him off and he frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, you don¡¯t know what ising.¡± ¡°Can you try to trust me at least?¡± he sounded a little annoyed. ¡°I pulled out whatever darkness Reina had nted inside of Riley today and I might have just saved Christine''s child. This could prove to be a blessing. So far, it has been of help to us.¡± ¡°It''s dark magic, Ryker,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°I don''t think magic is inherently dark or good. I think it matters how the person uses it,¡± I snorted and this seemed to annoy him even more. ¡°Is it the magic you don''t trust or is it me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Do you believe that I can¡¯t handle this?¡± Yes. ¡°That''s not what I said.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Your wall is down,¡± I rushed to check and sure enough, in my panic, I had forgotten to put up my wall. I opened my mouth to apologize but he held up a hand to stop me. ¡°l would have loved to know that you at least supported me The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 250 I tried to hide the fear that crawled up my throat but it proved difficult. Shivers ran up my spine because that voice, it was cold and it sounded like death itself. Still, I squared my shoulders and gave a small smile. "You''re the one inside my mate," I said simply and Ryker- he- shrugged. "I''m not inside of him, I am him. He is just refusing the bonding process but it won''t take long now," I watched as Ryker took a seat at the edge of the bed. "I am not all that evil, even though you would never believe that." "You don''t know what I believe." "I do, actually, Ryker has only scratched the surface of my powers. I can see auras but I can also tell when people are being truthful and when they are not. I can also sense emotions of sorts and I can see your distrust. You don''t like me very much." "I don''t like the idea of you, yes, but I trust my mate and I know that you cannot make him into what he is not." Rykerughed. It wasn''t his usualugh, there was something dark about it, something almost sinister, it had my skin crawling and it made the room feel almost colder. He had an amused grin on his face and his brows was cocked as if he was mocking me. "I have no intentions to change him," he said. "I only bring out that which is buried beneath. You have this misconception that dark magic is evil, but it is not. I simply draw from what you are. I break down walls, I pull down the pretense and I show what truly hides beneath. You cannot fight yourself, Cami." "You made Reina bad." "Reina was a power hungry witch who wished she could be the goddess. She wanted the power over life and death, she wanted to rival the goddess and I gave her that. I gave her exactly what she wanted. I did not make her into anything." I frowned. He seems genuine but then again, I didn''t know what I was talking to. It could have been lying to me, it could have been trying to deceive me and make me trust it. I wasn''t sure what I could believe, especially considering that it came from Reina. Nothing that came from Reina could be trusted. "Why did you choose him?" I asked finally. "I didn''t, she did. She gave me away. She knew she was going to die, everythinges with a price, especially magic, but you would know all about that, wouldn''t you?" I kept my expression stoic. "I have no idea what you are talking about." "Oh, Cami, don''t y dumb. You healed those people at your own detriment. You gave up your powers to save your daughter and to save yourself, the spell over your other child''s powers were broken." "How do you know that? My life had nothing to do with Audrey''s powers." He chuckled. "There is a lot you are yet to learn, Cami. Have you ever asked yourself what the consequence for your daughtering back was? You were to lose your life but you didn''t. What do you think was taken instead?" I couldn''t respond because the honest truth was that I didn''t know what to say. My powers were taken, that was the price, he was trying to rile me up, that had to be it. Nothing else was amiss. Everything was fine and Aurora was alive. He was just trying to send me into a panic.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I don''t want to talk to you anymore, just leave my mate alone," I spat and he sighed. "I tried," he shrugged. "I already told you, I cannot just leave him. I was given to him and we have to merge. I am his until the day he draws hisst breath. If you want to get rid of me then you have to kill him." "You''re lying." "Suit yourself, but I have no reason to lie. Your mate now has powers, Cami, I would have expected you to be happy for him, or did you enjoy being the only special one?" I knew he was trying to rile me up and I should have ignored him but I couldn''t help myself. ¡°That isn''t what this is about!" "Isn''t it?" he mused. "The merging has already started. I guess you will get to see what kind of man your mate truly is." Before I could say anything, Ryker''s eyes closed. I stood there staring for a full minute waiting to see if anything was going to happen but there was nothing. One minute, his eyes were closed and when he opened them, he was himself again. He looked a bit confused and disoriented. "When did you get here?" he asked but I couldn''t respond. It was clear he didn''t know what had transpired in thest few minutes. "I sat down to rest my head for a second and now you''re here. Did something happen?" I shook my head. I couldn''t tell him what had just happened. I didn''t know how. "Everything is fine. I just came in here to apologize for what I said earlier. I do trust you and I know that you can beat this." He gave me a small smile. ¡°Thank you, that means a loting from you." I couldn''t tell him that he truly didn''t have a choice. He had to beat it. If that thing was telling the truth, then it had already started. I trusted Ryker, he was the best person I knew, the kindest and the most amazing. If that thing was telling the truth then I had nothing to worry about. If it wasn''t, then we could potentially have another Reina case on our hands. I felt warm hands on my cheeks and looked up at Ryker. "Is everything okay?" he asked and I nodded. "We don''t lie to each other, Cami. Tell me what the problem is." I forced my lips to curve up into a smile. "Can we talk about it tomorrow? Today has been such a good day. I just want to remember it this way?" He frowned but nodded. "Of course, anything you want." I could barely sleep at night. I was up long before the sun was with images of Ryker''s dark eyes in my mind. He was still fast asleep when I got out of bed and I was relieved that at least one of us was able to rest. I pulled on a wool cloak and made my way out of the room. The guards looked surprised to see me out so early but I didn''t pay any attention to them and found myself in the garden. I sat in front of the fountain, it was one of the few ces I could think. I moved the water in front of me in patterns hoping it would distract me but it barely did. "I didn''t think I would see you out here so early," I nearly jumped when I heard Juan''s voice behind me. "Sorry to scare you, Ryker is the one who wakes early and even at that, you are about an hour too early. Are you okay?" I hummed. He didn''t say anything at first and then he sat on the floor next to me. "You don''t have to do this," I began but he shrugged. "I''m serious, all is well." "I don''t know if I should be insulted by the fact that you expect me to believe that," he mused and I couldn''t help but smile. "I presume it has something to do with Ryker and what happened yesterday. Do I want to know what it is?" "I will tell you, I just need to tell him first." His brows furrowed at my words. "He doesn''t know." "He doesn''t know the extent of it," I sighed. "I don''t know how to exin without giving it away but we could be potentially facing another Reina issue or things could be fine. I don''t know if I should worry him about the potential or if I should just watch things unfold." "You''re worried," he deduced and I nodded. "What are you going to do?" "I don''t know," I whispered. "I don''t make the hard decisions, he does." Juan chuckled. We sat there in silence for a minute before he spoke again. ¡°I don''t know what you are going through, but I know that if I were in this position, I would want honesty." "Why? It would only make you panic." "Maybe, but I would be able to prepare and put things in ce should I go off the rails," he slowly stood to his feet. "I think no matter what, you will do the right thing." "Thank you." He helped me to my feet and as we walked back to the pce, I saw Ryker making his way out. When he saw me, he let out a sigh of relief. "Where did you go?" he asked as he rushed over to me. "I was worried that something had happened and your wall was up." "I just took a walk and I met Juan on the way," he ced a kiss on my forehead. "Do you want me to walk you back? Are you alright?" "I''m fine," I told him and I wasn''t lying either. "You should do whatever it is that you do. We can talkter." That had him stilling. "We can talk now. The run can wait, you know that. If it is-" I rolled my eyes and cut him off with a kiss. It took him a second to rx against me and when I pulled back, he had a small smile on his face. "Go, Ryker, I''ll be waiting.¡± The conversation could wait, he deserved one normal morning. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 251 CAMILLA''S PO.V I left Ryker with Juan and decided to check up on Christine. I knew they would be fine together. I wasn''t sure how long they had been running but from the ease in their movements, it seemed like it had been a while. They were going to be fine together so I pushed them out of my mind and focused on my cousin. I wasn''t sure how I knew, I just knew Christine wouldn''t be in the physician''s quarters anymore and sure enough, she was in her room when I walked in. She was seated up in bed staring at the wall and she didn''t even blink when I took the spot next to her. I could only imagine the millions of questions running through her mind at the moment and the worst part was I wasn''t sure if I could exin them all to her. I wasn''t sure if she would want me to hold her or not, she had never truly been big on physical contact and although she was getting better with Juan, I still didn''t want to make her ufortable. She had gone through something traumatic yesterday on what was meant to be the happiest day of her life and she was never going to forget it. We sat in silence for a full minute before she spoke. "How did he know I was having twins?" she asked. I wasn''t sure what I expected to be her first question but that wasn''t it. "He didn''t," I began but she turned to me so fast I was scared she would get whish. "Don''t lie to me, not today and not about this," her voice was hard. "I heard him and he said babies. I''m not stupid, Cami, and I deserve to know the truth. I deserve that much after everything that happened." I let out a sigh. There were only two choices- I could either tell her about Audrey or tell her about Ryker. Neither was something I was particrly interested in doing but she was right- she deserved the truth. I had also promised myself that I would talk to Ryker firs before telling anyone about what was going on with him. It was like asking myself who I was going to protect- my daughter or my mate. "Audrey drew something," I said finally and surprise was etched on Christine''s face because that was clearly not what she was expecting to hear. "It was a family picture and she drew twin babies for you. We didn''t want to say anything until we were sure." "So, Ryker was sure?" she asked and I shrugged. I couldn''t tell her that. "I''ll get back to Audrey in a second but how did he know that something was wrong?" "You''d have to talk to him about that. I can''t say anything more than I already have." I could tell that wasn''t the answer she was looking for because she let out an exasperated sigh. "Goddess, Cami, why wasn''t I told that all of this has been going on? I still don''t know exactly what the hell is going on." "Trust me when I say that I don''t either. I am just going with the flow and hoping that I figure something out soon." She ran her hands down her face. "How did Audrey know? Are her powersing back?" I nodded and Christine cursed. "I didn''t realize. She looks a lot better than she did thest time." "She said the goddess helps her and sits with her through the visions. I still don''tpletely understand how that works but right now, I will take any win I can get. I don''t have any witches who can lock up her powers again and I don''t trust any other witch to bring them herer after everything that happened with Reina." She nodded in understanding. "I''m still pissed that you kept me out of the loop. Why would you do that? We are a team, aren''t we?" I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off. "If you say that you did it because I am pregnant, I will kill you, I swear it." This time, I couldn''t help butugh. It was part of the reason but it wasn''t the full reason. "I just wanted normalcy for a little while. It doesn''t seem to be a big issue right now and I am hoping we can keep it that way for now but things seem to be getting out of hand." "We will get to the bottom of things," it didn''t skip my attention that she said the word ''we'' instead of you. She thread her fingers with mine andy her head on my shoulder. "Everything will be fine, it always is in the end. Audrey seems to be doing well and that is more than good enough for me." I couldn''t help but agree. "I have to go, Riley and Damien are leaving today. With everything that has been going on, I don''t want to give her any more reason to believe that we hate them." "Do you want me toe?" she began but I shook my head quickly. "You need to rest, leave them to Ryker and I, okay?" She frowned but nodded and once I was sure she wouldn''t sneak out of the room, I was gone. Ryker and Juan were already done with their run by the time I got down the stairs and Riley and Damien were already loading their things into the carriage. "I thought you would leaveter in the day," I said making everyone turn to me. "The day has barely broken and half of the pce is still asleep." Riley shrugged. There was something different about her, I wasn''t sure what it was but I could almost see it. She didn''t seem to be carrying any form of anger towards me anymore and there was an ease in her step. Her cheeks were tinged slight pink and I noticed she was avoiding my gaze but I couldn''t figure out why. "I thought it would be best if we got a head start," she mumbled but I knew without a doubt that she was lying. There was more to the story and although I wanted to push, it wasn''t the best choice. "I am grateful to you all for having us here, even with everything that was going on and with me being rude to you." "It is forgotten," I didn''t hesitate. I knew that was why she wasn''t meeting my eye. Something had happened between yesterday and today and she felt embarrassed about everything that had transpired. At my words, she turned to me in shock. I could tell she didn''t quite believe me but I was telling the truth. I held nothing against her and I couldn''t even if I tried. We might not have been rted by blood but she was my sister and sisters fought, sisters disagreed, it didn''t mean that we ended up hating each other. I wasn''t sure I could hate her even if I wanted to. "Thank you,¡± she whispered and I pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and we stayed there for what felt like hours. I didn''t move until she pulled away first. I saw her wipe a stray tear from her face before turning to Ryker. While they were talking, Damien made his way over to me. "She needed that," he whispered. "She had been beating herself up all night thinking you were pissed." "You''re family," I said simply. "I wasn''t going to hold one disagreement against either of you. You are more than wee here anytime you want." "I think we will hold off on that invitation for a while," he joked before pulling me into a hug.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Once the goodbyes had been exchanged, I watched them get into their carriage and ride off. Sometime during the goodbyes, Juan had disappeared and now it was just Ryker and I. The air felt thick with indecision. I knew I had to tell him aboutst night but I didn''t know if now was the right time. He had his arms around me and his chin was resting on my head. He seemed rxed and in a good mood. Realistically speaking, there was no better time to talk to him. "We have some time before the girls wake up," he whispered. "We should go back to bed and milk in the rest of our morning." "We should," I mumbled but I couldn''t move. "Is everything okay?" he asked and I nodded but that couldn''t be further from the truth. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him. "Talk to me, you''ve been acting weird all morning. First of all, you are never up this early. What is going on?" "Something happenedst night," I began slowly and he sighed. "I thought we already handled the issue with Christine. I told you what happened and-" "It isn''t about that. This happened after, in our room," I exined slowly hoping that something had changed and maybe he had a sense of what happened but he didn''t. ¡°Do you remember when you opened your eyes and saw me in the room? You thought that you had zoned out or something." He nodded slowly. "What is going on, Cami?¡± "You didn''t zone out," I whispered and he stilled. "You were there and you were talking to me but it wasn''t you. There was something talking through you. I was talking to the literal embodiment of the magic inside of you." For a full minute, there was silence and I thought that Ryker was going tough or say that I was imagining things but he said nothing and somehow that was worse. I could handle unbelief, I could handle a scoff or augh but I couldn''t handle the silence because that meant that he did not think I was crazy; that meant that he believed me. It took a long two minutes before he finally spoke. "We should get back to our room." "Why?" "Because you are going to tell me everything and I don''t want anyone identally overhearing." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 252 RYKER''S P.O.V When Cami was done speaking, I was numb. I wasn''t sure how to process everything that she had just said. It felt like a fever dream that I couldn''t help but want to wake up from but a part of me knew she was telling the truth. There was nothing she would gain from lying to me- especially not about this- and from the look on her face, she was equally as worried and unnerved about this. "Say something," she whispered after a beat of silence. "I can''t handle you going quiet on me right now. What do we do?" "We do nothing," I said simply and her brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by nothing? Didn''t you hear a word I just said?" "I did," I stood to my feet and cleared my throat. "This is my problem and I will fix it. You don''t have to worry about a thing." My body was moving on autopilot as I kissed her forehead. I headed straight for the door but she was faster and blocked the exit. She had her hands crossed over her chest and she looked annoyed. I tried to side step her but she wasn''t letting me off the hook that easily. "Cami-" I began but she held up a hand to cut me off. "You are such a hypocrite sometimes, do you know that?" she asked and I was shocked by her choice of words. I wasn''t sure if it was the anger or something else but I forced myself to stay silent and let her finish. ¡°If the tables were turned, would you allow me make it my problem and let me walk away?" "That has nothing to do with this. This is my problem and you know that." "My powers were my problem but you made it yours. When I lost my memory, it was my problem as well but you made it yours. Why won''t you let me make this mine as well? I can help you. I want to help you and be there for you." "I don''t want you to get hurt," I admitted finally. That was the one thing that had been bothering me since she spoke. "What if we realize that deep down, I am just like Reina? What if the merging happens and I be a cruel person? What happens then? You could get hurt. Reina burned down her entire coven. I don''t want to do that to you." "You won''t," she sounded do sure. "I know you, Ryker Caine and I know who you are on the inside. You are a good man and you would rather die than hurt us." "I haven''t always been a good man," I said softly but she still didn''t budge. She was rooted in her stance and nothing I said or did was going to change that. A part of me was actually relieved about that because I needed someone who believed in me because I clearly didn''t. She closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around my mid-section. I pulled her in as tight as I could and inhaled her scent long enough to forget everything. All I needed was her. We stood like that for what felt like hours before she finally pulled back long enough to stare into my eyes. "You are good and we will get through this together." I couldn''t have refused her even if I tried so I nodded. "Together." She smiled and pulled away from me. She turned to leave but stopped at thest minute and levelled me with a harsh look. "If you ever pull something like this again and try to push me out of something, I will kill you slowly and I will make sure to enjoy every second of it." The corner of my lips curled up and I tried and failed to hide my smile. There was something undeniably sexy about her when she tried to be stern with me. It made my dick swell and in that moment there was nothing I wanted more than to bend her over, lift her skirts and- "No," she said suddenly and my brows rose. "I see that look in your eye and no, we have things to do." She didn''t sound nearly as convincing as she wanted to so I leaned forward. "Do we, now?" She nodded but didn''t try to move away. When I stepped closer to her, her eyes darkened considerably and her breath caught in her throat. I reached out and tangled my fingers into her hair and the sound that left her lips went straight to my d**k. "I''m sure we can spare a few minutes," I mused aloud and I didn''t give her a chance to respond before kissing her. It took us almost an hour to leave the room after that. Cami had a sheepish grin on her face and her cheeks were tinged pink. It was amusing that after so long, she still managed to get embarrassed about things. I offered to get the girls ready today. It wasn''t a school day so Audrey was going to be home all day and I wanted to give Cami some time to clear her head while I did the same. "Daddy!" Audrey eximed when she saw me by her door. She all but flew into my arms and I ran my fingers through her hair slowly. "You look sad, daddy." "I''m fine," I assured her with a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Why don''t we focus on getting you dressed for breakfast? You''re home all day today," she nodded excitedly. "Did you have any other dreams today?" She shook her head and I couldn''t describe the feeling of relief that rushed over my body. I wanted her to have a normal life or at least, the closest she could get to one. Despite everything, she was still a child and she deserved as much. I wanted the best for her and I couldn''t have that if she was having different dreams every other day. "What about the dark magic?" she asked and I stilled. She was looking up at me expectantly and I sighed. I gently set her down on the bed and squatted so she could look at me. "You shouldn''t be worrying about me or the dark magic," I told her simply. She started to refute but I stopped her. "You''re the kid, okay? You''re my little girl and I am meant to protect you, not the other way around. I can handle myself, don''t worry about me." She nodded but her eyes were welling with tears. I pulled her in for another hug and she sniffled. "I don''t want you to be like the bad witch." "I won''t be like her," I spoke like someone who was sure, not someone who didn''t even know his left from his right. I couldn''t let her know that I was probably just as worried as she was. If I needed to lie to her to keep her safe then I was going to do that. When she finally pulled away, she looked better. She wiped her tears from her cheeks and looked up at me. "I''m hungry, can we go for breakfast now?" Iughed and gestured for her toe with me. Once she was dressed, it was Aurora next. She was rtively easier to handle and within minutes, we were on our way to the dining room. Everyone else was already seated and it was amazing how easy it was for everyone to pretend like things were fine for the sake of the girls. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b. It was smiles all around and if not for the asional nce my way, I would have thought that yesterday happened in my head. Audrey was the star of the show as usual and held up most of the conversation. Long after we had finished eating, she was talking to the girls and I took the opportunity to quietly excuse myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Juan follow me and I could have asked him to stay back but the honest truth was, I needed someone who wasn''t Cami to talk to. I took the bench closest to the dining room. It was directly facing the door and I watched as he took the spot next to me. "I could turn into a raging monster," I said simply and heughed. It was refreshing to hear someone actuallyugh about the situation.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. "Are we talking monster in the darkness with sharp teeth and drool in your mouth?" he asked and I rolled my eyes. "I''m just trying to understand what kind of monster. Perhaps we could domesticate you and keep you as a house pet." Even I couldn''t help butugh this time. Juan was a much needed addition in all our lives and I had never fully been able to appreciate him until today. There was no one else in this castle who could have made meugh in a moment like this except him. It was like a super power for him. He did it with such ease. "What''s wrong, Ryker?" he asked and I exined everything to him. By the time I was done, he just sighed. "Cami is right, you are a good person. I think out of everyone in this pce, you are the least at risk to turn into a monster." I shook my head. "You don''t get it. I can see auras now. Everyone else''s is a normal color, there''s blue and orange and red and I- mine is ck." "ck is a normal color." ¡°No, not just ck, it isplete shadows. I don''t have an aura, I have shadows. I can''t exin it but that is not a good thing. I don''t know how I know, I just do. Who has shadows as an aura?" "You apparently," he shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I could panic with you or I could be your voice of reason. It is your choice." He was right but that wasn''t why I wanted him here. "I need you to do me a favor but you cannot tell Cami.¡± His spine straightened. "I don''t like the sound of that but what favor are we talking about?" "When this merging happens," I began slowly. "If for any reason I be like Reina, don''t wait for me to hurt anyone. I want you to kill me." "Ryker-" "I am asking you as a friend, Juan. I would never be able to live with myself if I hurt my family. End me before I hurt them. I need you to promise me." He swallowed deeply before nodding. "I promise." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 253 CAMILLA''S PO.V To say I was not concerned or curious when Ryker disappeared with Juan would have been a lie. It was made worse when they both returned and Ryker looked relieved but Juan looked concerned. He looked like he had a million things going on in his mind at the moment and it nearly sent me into a panic not knowing what it was because I knew it had something to do with Ryker. "Cami," Christine whisper yelled snapping me back to my thoughts. After Ryker had returned, he said something about having some work to attend to so he disappeared leaving Christine and I with the girls. We finished up with breakfast and made our way to the private living room where we were currently sitting down. I looked up at Christine who gestured to Aurora who had been trying to climb onto my legs and failing. "I''m sorry, sweetheart," I whispered when I noticed her bottom lip already quivering. I picked her up and bnced her on my hip. She sniffled and buried her head into my shoulder and I absentmindedly ran my fingers through her hair. I felt someone trying to mind link me and the moment I put down my wall, Christine''s voice flooded my mind. "What is going on with you?" "I''m worried about Ryker," there was no use lying and saying nothing. We had clearly gone way past that point. "Did you see how Juan looked when they returned together? Something happened and I am concerned about it." "Do you trust him?" she asked and my brows scrunched in confusion. "If you trust the both of them then trust that whatever this is, they can handle it. If it is too bad, they will reach out for help.¡± "Not Ryker," I mumbled. "He doesn''t even want me involved in this. I had to plead for him to be honest with me about this because he said he didn''t want to bother me. If he had his way, he would keep me far away from all of this." "What exactly is ''all of this?" she asked and it was at that moment I realized that she had no idea what was going on. I had given her a rough breakdown but she didn''t know everything. I assumed Juan did because Ryker told him almost everything but she was in the dark. It was unintentional, I had just been too focused on taking care of Ryker that I had somehow forgotten to catch her up and at the moment, I wasn''t sure if Ryker would want her knowing everything. I wasn''t sure how much he was willing to le tout or not so I just ended up shrugging. "I think Ryker should be the one to tell you," I said finally. "He is the one who has to go through it, not me." "Completely understandable," she didn''t miss a beat with her response. "I think you should just give him space. You are worried and I get that but if you don''t want him to shut you out, you should give him some space." She was right and I knew it. I cut off the mind link and gave her a curt nod. She just smiled in return and I decided to take a walk outside the room for some fresh air. I had barely taken two steps when I bumped into someone. "I am so sorry," the person began and I instantly recognized the voice. "Caius," he turned to me and bowed with a smile. "I haven''t seen you around in a while." "You haven''t summoned us, your majesty," he said simply. "I have to say, I was a bit disappointed that I wasn''t consulted or included in the n to kill the witch." "A lot was happening at once and forgive me, but, I fear the elders confuse me more than they help me most of the times." The corner of his lips quirked up. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot disagree with you there. It just ddens me to know that you are all safe. You definitely look better than thest time I saw you." "What do you mean?" He paused and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Thest time, you looked at me like you didn''t know who I was. I feared that perhaps you had lost your memory. I even spoke to his majesty about it but he assured me that my assumptions were untrue." My mind went back to thest time I saw him and sure enough, it was shortly after I had returned from the city. I truly didn''t know who he was at the time and I couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride towards Ryker for helping me hide my secret even from Caius who he knew was an ally. I bnced Aurora higher on my hip and gave Caius a small smile. "I fear I must have been exhausted that day. It had been a long ride back and I had notpletely healed yet. There is no way I could have forgotten you." The lie slipped easily out of my tongue and it was clear that he didn''tpletely believe me but he couldn''t push it without out rightly calling me a liar and even he was smarter than that. Instead, he just bowed and gave me a small smile. "If you are certain then who am I to say otherwise?" he mused before turning to Aurora. "The little princess grows more each time I see her. I believe she will grow up to be just as strong and beautiful as her mother." "Thank you, Caius," I gave him a small smile. "And do be sure to let the elders know that we have not forgotten that they exist, we just haven''t found use for them yet." "I am not sure if they will be pleased or angry to hear that, your majesty." I shrugged. "Perhaps if they found something to do instead of sitting on their asses each day and waiting to be called on by us, then I would remember them more. What do the elders do, Caius?" He grimaced and I knew what the answer was- nothing. It was absurd that we were paying six old men to sit on their asses all day long and do nothing but breed discord and confusion. I had no idea how they managed to remain ordained for so long. It seemed like the kind of thing my mother would hate. "Now that you mention it, Caius, I think we do need to see the elders. How does tomorrow morning sound?" "Tomorrow is Sunday, your majesty." "Is there a reason they cannote out on a Sunday?" I asked and he fell silent. Sunday was typically everyone''s day off but he wasn''t going to say that, not when he had all but confirmed that they do nothing all day long. "I will ry the message," he bowed and I watched him walk off before I had the chance to say anything else. As he walked away, I nced over at Aurora who had been quiet in my arms during the entire conversation. She looked up at me with her wide eyes and gave me a toothy smile. I could never pick a favorite child, my daughters hadpletely different personalities and I loved them for that but Aurora had always been the quiet and calm child. Where Audrey was loud and outspoken, my youngest was silent. I wasn''t sure if it would change with age but I truly hoped it didn''t. "Do you want to go back inside?" I asked but she shook her head. "Where do you want to go?" "Daddy," she mumbled and my cheeks hurt from smiling because of how cute she was. "I wanna see daddy." "Okay, sweetheart, we''ll go see daddy, but we need to ask your sister if she wants to see daddy too." I had barely turned to the door when it was pulled open and Christine rushed out. As soon as she saw me, she let out a sigh of relief and my spine instantly straightened. She looked a tad bit panicked but she was trying to hide it. Audrey walked out after her lookingpletely at ease and a bit bored if I was being honest. "What happened?" I asked and Christine couldn''t speak. She just pushed a piece of parchment paper into my hands. "What is this?" "Audrey drew it," she whispered. "It probably isn''t something I should panic over but I cannot help but-I asked her to make me a drawing just to pass the time and-" She trailed off and I unfolded it. it took me a second to realize what I was seeing. In the picture, there was someone who I assumed was Christine because she had a huge baby bump. Standing on either side of her were two men and there was what seemed to be blood all around her. I folded it and turned to Christine. "You''ve helped out enough for today. You should go up and rest." "But-" she began but I cut her off.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You''re panicking and fear kills faster than any drug so leave. I can handle my daughter and her drawing. If it is important, I will let you know," she didn''t want to agree at first, but she knew I was right and disappeared. I waited until she was gone before I turned to Audrey. "Do you want to help me exin the picture? I''m not mad, I promise, I just want to know." "It''s aunt Christine," she said simply. "She''s having her babies." "Why is there so much blood?" I asked but she turned away from me. "Audrey, please, you scared Christine there a little. You aren''t in any trouble, I just want to know why-" "Can I go to see daddy?" she asked and I stilled. It was clear she didn''t want to talk to me about it and as much as that hurt, it didn''t matter in the long run. What mattered was that she talked at all so I nodded. "Okay, do you hear that Aurora? We are going to see your daddy." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 254 CAMILLA''S PO.V Aurora and I waited in Ryker''s office while he spoke to Audrey in the bathroom. She hadn''t wanted anyone else there to interrupt. For Aurora, it was easier, she just sat on the floor ying with a doll and was content simply to be in her father''s office but I was scared and panicked for my child. They spent fifteen minutes in there before they both walked out and neither of their faces betrayed anything. Audrey just walked over to where her sister was ying and joined her to y with her dolls while Ryker walked over to me. He wrapped his hand around my waist and pressed a soft kiss to the side of my head. It should have calmed me down a little but I was worried and panicking already. "Rx," he whispered against my skin. "I can feel your emotions running all over the ce and I am sure that she can too." "She doesn''t have a wolf yet, she can''t," I quipped back and he rolled his eyes payfully. "Cami, this is more than that and you know it. If she already has control of her powers this much, she can definitely read emotions and right now, you are staring at her like you are scared that someone is going to grab her and run away, or worse, she is not your child." ''I know she''s my child," I mumbled but I knew he was right and forced myself to look away from her. After that, I switched to our mind link. "Tell me what happened." He hesitated before speaking and that had me worrying. My spine straightened and I dragged him over to the couches. He avoided my eyes the entire time and I knew immediately that whatever this was, he was serious, he was just trying to blow it off. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to speak but he never did. "Ryker," I probed and he sighed. "Don''t worry about it, I have it handled." I was shocked that he would even suggest that. "This is our child that you are talking about. What do you mean by I should just leave it to you? Why would you even suggest that? I have a right to know." "I know that, Cami, but she came to me and I don''t want to scare her froming back next time." We were having this entire conversation in our heads and I was getting more annoyed with each passing second. Yes, Audrey came to him, I wasn''t going to deny that but we were partners and I deserved to know especially when it was about something that concerned someone else''s life. "She is a scared child and she doesn''t know who to go to. Id eserve to know, and not just me, but Christine to." At that, I felt him shut down entirely. I felt a rush of cold emotion hit me right in the face as he said in a nd voice. "I am not telling Christine a thing." "Why not? This is about her and her babies. Why wouldn''t you-" "How do I tell her that Audrey saw a possibility where she dies in the process of having those children?" he asked and I paused. I literally could not move or say another word as I stared at Ryker. He still wasn''t looking at me and he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I will not do that to her and neither will you. Tell her that it was a fluke, Audrey saw her inbor and over exaggerated the blood because she is a child." "You want me to lie to her," I finished and he nodded. "She will not live with the knowledge that she could die." "But what about the first picture that Audrey drew? It had Christine in it with her kids. Does this one override that?" "Unfortunately, I haven''tpletely figured out how her powers work," he drawled and there was an edge of sarcasm in his tone. ¡°The future isn''t always set in stone. There are different paths to it. I don''t know which will cause which oue, all I know is there is a possible future where she dies while-" I was torn away from his words when I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I broke off the mind link and turned to find Audrey standing in front of me. She looked normal, but there was a tinge of sadness and exhaustion in her eyes. I couldn''t help but panic, thest time I saw her like this, she was having trouble sleeping and she was being gued by nightmares as a result of these powers. I didn''t hesitate before drawing her into myp and thankfully, she clung to me. She rested her head in my bosom and wrapped her arms around me without saying a single word. I looked up at Ryker who just shrugged, he had no idea what was going on either. I rocked my almost six year old in myp while softly stroking her hair until she feltfortable enough to speak. "I don''t want you and daddy to fight," she mumbled and I turned to her with an incredulous look. "We aren''t fighting, sweetheart, I promise you." She still didn''t look convince because her lips turned downward. "You are and you''ll keep fighting because daddy is changing." "What do you mean by that? How is he changing?" She dropped her voice into a whisper as if she were scared of being overheard. "The shadows mummy, they''re going into him. He''s turning into shadows. Can''t you see it?" I turned to Ryker but he had already looked away. He cleared his throat and stood to his feet without another word. I knew she was talking about the merging and despite knowing she was right, it hurt me that my child had to be so involved in things far beyond her age. She was a child, and she deserved to have a child for as long as possible. "Daddy is fine," I lied. "Why don''t we y a little, okay?" She nodded and rushed off myp. I couldn''t help but nce at the bathroom that Ryker had disappeared into. I tried to reach out to him but was met with a firm wall. He clearly didn''t want to speak and although I could have stormed in and demanded an audience, I didn''t. He deserved some form of privacy and I was willing to give him that for as long as necessary. The girls fell asleep less than two hourster and Ryker had opted to put them in bed. I knew it was partly because he wanted to avoid a conversation with me but I allowed him because there was something else that I needed to do. I easily made my way to the ground floor of the pce where the shrine to the goddess was erected. It was massive and I had only evere to it a few times but I found myself in front of it after what felt like years. It was a bit hidden away from the general public in a room of its own but people knew where it was and it was easy to ess. I went on my knees and closed my eyes. "I don''t ask you for much," I began slowly. "I am not asking for you to give me powers back and I am not asking for anything for myself but my daughter- she is a child. She isn''t even six years old yet. You are showing her far too much than she should see." I was met with silence and a feeling of coldness as if I were alone but I didn''t stop. "And Ryker, he has already been through so much. He doesn''t deserve this, they don''t deserve this." I thought that would have gone unanswered too but I heard a soft voice in my heart. "Who does? If they don''t then who?" "I don''t know," I whispered back. "But they don''t and I am in front of you begging for you to give my child and mate a break. It is far too much for them and you know that they deserve better." As thest word left my lips, it felt like the pressure in the room had dropped below freezing level. My teeth were chattering and my fingers felt like someone had covered them in ice. I felt power so raw and so heavy that I had to bow my head down in fear that it was going toe against me.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "How dare you?" I heard this voice as clear as day, like someone was speaking to me. "Do you know how much I have protected you from already? I sit with your daughter every day so the dreams are not too much for her. You caused this when you locked away her powers instead of training her." "Training involves locking her up until she ispletely overwhelmed by said powers and I couldn''t do that. She was a child. Most people don''t get their powers untilter. I am just trying to look out for her." "By telling me how to rule?" she asked and I fell silent. "I have been ruling werewolves long before your grandparents were alive. You are nothing but a speck of dust in my life so you will do well to know your ce." "I''m sorry," I said immediately but her anger had not abated so I tried another alternative. "We are your children and I know you worry about us so you understand when I worry about mine." It seemed to be working because the room heated up a little more. ¡°I spoke out of turn but that was just the ramblings of a worried mother. I know you have done your best and I am grateful for all you have done. I just worry for my child." The ice in the room abated and I felt like I could finally breathe properly again. "Don''t ever question me again, Cami," she warned. "I already protect your child, as for your mate, this is a test that he has to pass on his own." "A test?" I asked and she hummed. "You better keep an eye on him because if he fails, he will be lost forever." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 255 CAMILLA''S PO.V I was in such a daze when walking back that I didn''t even realize someone was calling out to me until I felt their hand on my shoulder. I nearly jumped until I heard Christine''s voice behind me. "Rx, it''s me," she whispered, her tone had an edge of concern to it. "Are you alright? You are way too jumpy. Did something happen?" Only that I just had a terrifying experience with the moon goddess and for a while, I feared that I was going to die because her presence was so terrifying and she felt so angry with me that for a while, I thought it was the end of it all. It was an experience I had neve and did not ever want to experience again. The coldness was out of this world, it felt different. It came from my inside, like someone had dropped an icicle into my stomach and I knew for a fact that I would never find anywhere on earth to rival that level of coldnes even if I wanted to exin. "Nothing I can exin," I kept my answer short and cryptic. "What are you doing out here? Do you need something or were you looking for someone?" "I was going to find Ryker, he mind linked me. When I saw you, I hoped you would have an idea about it but the curiosity on your face tells me that you don''t," she finished and I let out an awkwardugh before wiping the curious expression off my face. "You cane with us if you-" "I think you should go alone. It is you he wants to speak to," her brows furrowed and I knew she was skeptical about something. "I know one of you will tell me what you talked about if it is important so I am not bothered. Besides, I need to prepare for the meeting with the elders tomorrow." Thankfully, that was enough to get her attention off Ryker because her eyes widened. "I heard about that. I overheard Caius telling one of the other elders to be worried because it seemed like you wanted to get rid of them or something." I shrugged. "Or something. I just realized how utterly useless they are. All they do is wear cloaks and sit on their asses while trying toe up with stupid ideas that don''t even help us. I can''t believe that we actually pay them for that." Christineughed. It was one of pure amusement and by the time she was done, she wiped away a stray tear from her eye. "I have been thinking the exact same thing for years." "You could have suggested it." She shook her head. "One thing I learned early was not to question things. I am not Queen, it isn''t my job to ask questions or raise suggestions." I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "But you are my family and my best friend, it is your job to raise suggestions to me- not to your queen- to your family." I could tell she didn''t quite agree but I didn''t push it. It wasn''t easy to get rid of years of teaching in just one sentence.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I should be going," she said finally. "I''ll be sure to tell you what happenedter." I watched her walk away and when she was gone, I let the mask fall and let out a heavy exhale. I looked down at my fingers that were shivering as I tried to keep them clutched to my dress so that Christine wouldn''t notice. I let out a gasp at what I saw, I blinked twice hoping I had seen it properly but it didn''t disappear. Right at my fingertips was ice. It was almost crusted to it and I tried to wipe it off but it just wouldn''t seem to go on its own. There were too many people around and I didn''t want to risk anyone seeing it and whispering about it, so I shoved my fingers back into my dress and rushed out of there. I didn''t leave my room for the rest of the day because although the ice had somehow disappeared from my fingertips, my entire body still felt cold. I was shivering at odd times and I didn''t know when it would stop. A part of me knew that it was just after effects of being in the goddess'' presence but that didn''t stop me from worrying that maybe it could be worse. I heard the door to my room start to creep open so I pulled the covers over my head and pretended to be asleep. I immediately knew once the presence filled the room that it was Ryker. I tried to track his movements using just my hearing but he was quiet and almost impossible to decipher. One minute I heard him by the door and the next, I felt him by the bedside. He ran his fingers through my hair and ced a soft kiss on my temple. "You''re f*****g freezing." He was talking more to himself than to me because the next thing I knew, he had pulled out another nket from the drawers and pulled it over me. "What could you have possibly done in the peak of summer to get this cold?" he mused aloud. "Do I wake you for dinner or not?" "Not," I mumbled deciding to give up the pretense. "I don''t think I''m fit to go out yet." Another uncontroble shiver hit me and Ryker''s eyes narrowed. "I think we should take you to the physician. That did not look right." "I''m fine," I tried to wave him off but his fingers wrapped around my wrist. "Ryker, I''m serious, don''t worry about it." "That was not normal. You were visibly shaking. Something is definitely wrong and-" "I spoke to the goddess today," I blurted out and he stilled. "I went to pray to her for Audrey- and you. I didn''t actually expect her to audibly respond but she did and I felt coldness on my inside. This is probably the aftershock, I will be fine so please can you stop pushing and just get into bed with me?" He frowned but nodded and without hesitation on his part, he crawled into bed behind me and pulled me close to him. It did wonders for me to feel his body heat surrounding me. "You really went to talk to the goddess about me?" he asked and I nodded. "I was worried about you," I shrugged. It truly was that simple. He was my mate and I was worried so I spoke to her. It was what every normal person in my shoes would have done. "She told me something about you by the way." He stilled behind me for a split second before quickly snapping back to normal and running his fingers through my hair. "What did she say?" "She said all of this is a test and if you didn''t pass it, you would be gone forever." "Almost everything in our lives is a test," he said it so ndly that I couldn''t make out any emotion behind his words. "Don''t worry about ne, Cami, I never fail." That should have beenforting but something told me that this test was different. "Just promise me something." He didn''t miss a beat. "Anything." "You''re going to try your hardest to pass it because I can''t lose you." I felt something shift in the air as Ryker cursed and pulled me impossibly closer to him. He pressed a lingering kiss to my temple and we just stayed that way for a full minute enjoying each other''spany and it wasn''t until muchter that I realized, he never actually promised me anything. I woke up muchter than I usually did the next morning and for the first five minutes, I wanted to spend my entire day in bed but got a rude awakening that I needed to be with the elders. I forced myself out of bed and got dressed ready for the inevitably long and exhausting day. After breakfast, Ryker was immediately by my side. "What''s the course of action for today? I want to make sure that no matter what, I am on your side." "Honestly, I don''t know," I admitted. "Yesterday I must have been feeling something because otherwise why would I bring them here? But I think I want to get rid of them. They aren''t helping, not at all." He just nodded because we had gotten to the council room and when the door was opened, I saw all the elders seated around the table. I expected a sarcastic remark about how we had called for them and left them waiting but there was none. The air was thick with fear and anxiety. It felt good knowing that I could make them shiver. As we walked in, there was a chorus of ''your majesties: Ryker and I ignored them as we took out spots at the head of the table. I watched them with my hands folded neatly in myp and I made sure to run my eyes over each and every single one of them watching them quiver but not saying a word. After about three minutes, one of the elders cleared his throat. "You didn''t tell us when you wanted to meet, your majesty, only that you did and we still don''t know why." "It''s simple really," I said leaning back into my seat. "What do you do?" "I don''t quite understand, your majesty." "What is your purpose? Of what use are you to me? Why should I keep you around because frankly the way I see it is that we pay you so much to do nothing, so my question is, why should we keep you?" No one could speak, they all stared at me like I had somehow grown a fifth head. I could tell they were having a quiet conversation in their heads and I nced over at Ryker and he immediately spoke in my mind. "I have an idea," he said simply and my brows rose. "Do you trust me?" "Always, the floor is yours." He broke off the mind link and cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him and he smiled. "Following the Queen''s recent convictions, we have decided to give you a chance." He paused for dramatic effects and I could almost see the elders shaking with anticipation. "We have no use for six elders, we only have space for two or three. We will evaluate your behavior over the next few weeks and decide our top choices." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 256 CAMILLA''S PO.V I wasn''t sure if Ryker''s idea was amazing or going to end up being a total disaster. It had the possibility to be both depending on how the elders chose to go along with things. The elders stayed staring at us after his words, their faces held various expression from shock to disbelief and finally annoyance but no one said a single word. "Your majesty," one of the elders began clearing his throat. "There have always been six elders. It is the way it has been for ages. Your ancestors-" "Probably had use for six elders," Ryker said simply and they all went silent. "As of right now, I have no use for six elders who waste time and resources. Prove to me that you are useful and you will be kept. It shouldn''t be so hard, should it?¡± He pursed his lips but didn''t say anything. I nced over at Ryker who said nothing. He was leaning back into his chair with a look on his face that could only be described as superior. No one spoke for a full minute and I realized that they were waiting for me to say something. I didn''t know what to do. On one hand, I understood what Ryker was trying to do but on the other, I recognized the need for tradition. Still, there was no possibility that I was going to stand against my mate so I cleared my throat. "I believe the prince has spoke. Does anyone have any questions?" "None, your majesty," they bowed in unison. "Good, you can all leave now." There were grumbles and chairs being dragged unnecessarily against the floor as they stood to their feet. I watched them file out in order and I watched them leave. Visit Job n ib to read theplete chapters for free. Just as the door was about to close, I noticed one of the elders lingering. I knew without looking that it was Caius, he was the only one who ever lingered. He was the only one who would dare to. "Do you need something, Caius?" I asked looking up at him with a bored expression and he pursed his lips. "I just wanted to ask if you knew what you were doing, your majesty. This kind ofpetition could prove to be unhealthy amongst the elders. Not a lot of them are willing to ever go back to being normal citizens. Things could end up in a way that you don''t expect. "I believe we can handle ourselves, Caius," I drawled. "You would do well to focus on your own problems right now. Everyone is at risk of losing their jobs, including you." I could see the surprise on his face. For some reason, he might have thought that it didn''t affect him but it did, it affected everyone. Sure, he was kinder to us than the others and he was arguably more useful than the others but he was going to have to test it like everyone else. There was no way in hell I was giving anyone any kind of preferential treatment. "Of course, your majesty," he bowed and I watched him walk away. Once he was gone and I was sure the door was securely shut behind us, I turned to Ryker. I finally let my wall down and let all my worry flood his senses. It took him off guard because I saw something sh in his eyes as he turned to me. "I always support you and you know that," I began with a soft whisper. "But you know that this has the possibility to go south very quickly." "I know, but this is one good way to get them off our backs as well as sort out most of the pack problems without actually leaving the pce," when he said it like that, it sounded smarter. "We already have a shit ton of things going on right now and we need to focus on it but we can''t if we don''t have the things in the pack handled." "So you aren''t going to remove any of them?" I asked to be sure and he nodded. "You are devious, Ryker Caine." "Always," he winked before getting to his feet. "I have some work to attend to right now but I''ll be back before dinner." My brows scrunched because he hadn''t told me about having any work and I didn''t think there was anything that required that much time and attention. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried not to let my suspicion and anxiety show. A few weeks ago, I wouldn''t have cared but now that he had whatever that thing was inside of him, I was "Where are you going?" I tried to keep my voice even and light hearted. "I didn''t know you were going to be going out." "Don''t worry, I''m just going to do some research with Juan. I need to understand these powers that I am working with if I have any ns to pass the test." "Do you want any help?" I had barely finished my statement before he refused. I would have been lying if I said I didn''t feel bad that he wasn''t epting my help but I pursed my lips and said nothing. He was at liberty to do such and I could understand not wanting to put yourself out there especially considering everything that had happened so far. I would have done the same in his shoes. All I could do was smile. "Just be safe, okay?" "I will," he assured me and with a kiss on my forehead, he was gone. I didn''t have much to do if I was being honest. I tried to focus on my work so I could finish up early but my every thought revolved around Ryker and if he was safe. His wall was up so I couldn''t sense him but that didn''t stop me from worrying every few seconds. He hadn''t told me where he was going and neither had Juan. It was almost like they had disappeared and thankfully, I wasn''t the only one concerned. Christine had spent half an hour talking about it and she was arguably more pissed than I was but there wasn''t much we could do about it. I was holding Aurora and feeding her lunch in her room when I heard a knock on the door. I nced over at Christine who was lying on the bed in front of me and her brows rose. Neither Ryker nor Juan would have knocked so that left a stranger. "Come in," I called out and the door opened to reveal a guard holding Audrey by hand. My eyes widened because Audrey was meant to be in school by now. I had taken her less than two hours ago. "What happened? Did she get sick?" "No, your majesty," the guard responded but he didn''t say anything else. It was almost like he was contemting whether or not he should talk to me and that infuriated me. This was my child that we were talking about. "Well then what happened and why is she back early?" I asked opening my arms for Audrey to rush into and she didn''t hesitate. "The principal asked that we send her home because ording to her, the princess was scaring some of her ssmates and talking about seas of blood," he sounded as confused as he looked. I nced down at my daughter who was pointedly looking at her hands. She seemed slightly embarrassed and I knew she didn''t want to talk about this with him in the room so I cleared my throat and looked at him. "Tell the principal that she must be mistaken and I will personally bring Audrey in tomorrow so that we can talk as well," I told him and he bowed. "You may leave now." He shut the door behind us and I immediately handed over the te of mashed food to Christine who was more than happy to take over for me with feeding Aurora. Audrey still hadn''t looked up from her hands and when she saw that myplete attention was on her, she tried to run off but I grabbed her and gently pulled her to a stop.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "I''m sorry," she whispered and my brows furrowed. "Where''s daddy?" "Daddy isn''t here right now," I told her trying to keep my voice down and her face fell even more. "Tell me what happened, Audrey, what did you see and why did you talk about seas of blood?" She shrugged but still wouldn''t look at me. I sighed and went on my knees so that we were at eye level and I gently cupped her tiny face into my hands. It was at that moment I realized that there were tears streaming down her face and I quickly wiped them away. Was what she saw so terrible that she was crying or were her tears as a result of something else? For the life of me I couldn''t tell and I asked a million and one times over but she wouldn''t speak to me. "Audrey, you can trust me," I coaxed. "What''s going on?" "You have good magic and I don''t," she muttered after a few seconds and I stilled. "What do you mean?" "You have good and me and daddy, our magic is bad. I don''t want you to be mad." It suddenly made sense why she had been avoiding me and I couldn''t help but wonder if I had done something to feed into that narrative. She was crying already and I pulled her into myp. She buried her face into my chest and I wrapped my arms around her. "Your powers are not bad," I whispered to her. "You are good and that means your powers are good, Audrey. I love you and I love your powers. They are not evil and I cannot be mad at you." She sniffled. "Do you mean that?" I nodded immediately. "Of course, darling. Now, tell me about what you saw." Her face fell. She didn''t want to speak but I decided to give her some space and wait for her to share it at her own pace. It took a few minutes before she finally spoke. "I saw the front of the pce, it was covered with blood." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 257 RYKER''S P.O.V "Remind me again what we are doing here?" Juan drawled from behind me. If I didn''t need someone''spany so badly, I wouldn''t have asked him toe with but out of everyone I knew, he was the only one who didn''t ask too many questions and was willing to go at anything blindly. I turned to him and he was sitting with his feet propped up on the table. It should have annoyed me that he was touching his feet onto books that were probably thousands of years old but I couldn''t bring myself to care much. He was helping me out and it wasn''t my ce to implement too strict rules. "Have you seen anything?" I asked and he just shrugged. I didn''t need any form o rification, I let out an exhausted sigh and took the seat next to him. "I honestly thought I would find something here. This is arguably thergest and oldest library in the world." Juan just shrugged and ced the book in his hands on the table. At least he dropped it gently and not tossed it like I had expected. We stared at each other for a full minute before I sighed and grabbed another book from the premade pile. We had nned this thingst night. I knew I needed some time alone to investigate so I had called Juan and he went into the private library to check out some titles. He arranged them in a neat pile and after we had told the women that we were going out, we snuck in through the back and spent our time here. I was very much aware that I could have told Cami exactly what I was doing but I didn''t want to worry her more than she already was. There was already so much going on with Audrey and with this new development and what was worse was that I could feel it. I could feel the changeing day by day. I wasn''t sure how to exin it but I felt more in tune with the life force of everyone around me. could sense their auras and I could tell when something was wrong. If this was half of how Cami felt when she had her powers then I couldn''t understand why she didn''t run mad because it felt like I was going to, "Remind me again what exactly we are looking for," Juan''s question snapped me out of my thoughts. "I think magic is too broad of a topic." "It isn''t just magic," I felt almost annoyed by the analogy. "It is death magic, Juan, dark magic. This isn''t just your run of the mill party trick. The goddess said I could be lost forever if I didn''t pass the test. I want to know what the test is." "So you want to cheat the test?" he mused and I shrugged. "Well then, we can keep looking. But I think you''re stressing too much about this. It said it would test your character and you are a good person." I couldn''t trust that. We were dealing with forces far bigger than us, I could never be sure of their definition of good and I couldn''t trust that I was going to meet up to it. I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with so that I could avoid it. it was the least that my family deserved. It was almostughable how Cami had powers for over five years now and she only had good powers. The moment I got powers for the first time, I got stuck with dark magic. Reina had chosen me for a reason. Perhaps she knew that I was the only one who could handle the powers. She didn''t do things by ident, she had known that Cami was too good for it and that was why she had chosen me. It was the only logical reason. "I don''t like that look," Juan frowned making me turn to him. "What are you thinking about?" "I am thinking that we are in the wrong ce," I said simply as I stood to my feet. "We need to get our answers from Reina herself. She chose this, she knew this was going to happen and she doesn''t do anything by mistake." "What exactly are you suggesting then?" "I need to go back to where she died." Juan just stared at me unblinking for a second and then two before finally letting out an exhausted sigh and pulling himself to his feet. ¡°It isn''t as if I can let you go on your own. When do we leave?" "Now." We snuck out of the pce the very same way that we snuck in. it wasn''t hard to leave without anyone seeing us and although I wanted to check on Cami, I stopped myself from doing so. The ride to Reina''s death spot was short and I barely paid attention on the way because I knew the road like the back of my hand. This time, the horses didn''t seem concerned to stop. It must have been the presence of the doll that made them stop all those times and now that I had taken it away, there was nothing for them to fear. I dismounted leaving Juan to follow behind me only because I didn''t want him to ask what I had nned. I was winging the entire fucking thing and hoping that something good woulde from it. "I need you to tell me a n, Ryker," Juan''s voice was calm but there was an edge to it. "I need to know what we are searching for." "I don''t know," I admitted. "There has to be something else here." "But we didn''t see anything else thest time we came. What exactly do you think we might be looking for?" I couldn''t respond because the truth was, I didn''t know. I just knew as well as I knew my own name that there was something here that I was meant to figure out.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I just need you to trust me on this, please," I whispered and although he sighed, he nodded. He didn''t ask any more questions after that, he just went in the opposite direction and started looking. We walked around aimlessly for half an hour before I started to get frustrated. Reina had deliberately made this harder than it needed to be and it pissed me the fuck off. She wanted me to suffer, even in her death and I knew that if she could see me now, she would have been having a field day. Everything in me wanted to just give up and call it over but I couldn''t go back home empty handed even if it meant spending the entire night here. "Anything?" Juan asked and I nearly jumped because I hadn''t noticed him walking up to me. I shook my head and he leaned against a tree. "I want to help, Ryker, but I need to know what the hell is going on in your mind to help. I''m not a mind reader." Even though it had nothing to do with the situation, I couldn''t help but smile. There was just something remotely amusing about the possibility of being a mind reader. At least I would not have needed to work this hard to figure out what Reina wanted. Before she died, I would have found it out. "We should go back home," I said simply and even though I could see the skepticism on Juan''s face, he didn''t protest. He stood to his feet and just as we were about to leave, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It looked almost like a wisp of a shadow. It could have been anything but I found myself drawn to it. I looked over wondering if I had imagined it when I saw it again in the air. It was going down a path and before I knew what I was doing, I was going that way too. I heard Juan call out to me but I couldn''t be bothered to respond to him. It felt like if I even took my eyes off the wisp for one second, it was going to disappear. It was that fast. I could barely keep up with it. It led me to the mouth of a cave before disappearing. I stood there just staring and wondering whether or not to go in when Juan caught up to me. "Are you insane?" he whispered harshly. "What the hell were you thinking taking off like that? You didn''t respond when I called and-" "There is something here," I cut him off and he stilled. He looked over at me with questions in his eyes but I didn''t know how to answer those questions because I didn''t have the answers. ¡°I saw something and it led me here. This could be what we are looking for." "What are you waiting for? Go in." "I don''t go into random caves anymore. Thest time I did that, I was greeted with a vampire holding my mate hostage." He seemed to understand because the next thing I knew, Juan was walking in. I tried to reach out to stop him but he was faster and disappeared into the mouth. Visit Job n i b .co m to read theplete chapters for free. I stood there wondering if I should follow him or stay put. It was the longest one minute of my life before I finally heard his voice. "It is safe, I guess, but you really want to see this." I didn''t waste any more time after that before rushing in after him and sure enough, I was stunned by what I saw. Even though the scent in here was old and stale, I knew without a doubt that it was Reina who had stayed here. I could almost feel her energy and the remnants of whatever power now resided inside of me. Juan was saying something but I couldn''t pay much attention to him because I was transfixed by what I saw. There was a small mat where I was sure she slept and the rest of the room was littered with books and parchment. "This is exactly what you need," Juan said in awe and I couldn''t help but agree. No one knew Reina''s powers better than Reina and I could have bet my life that the books were about her magic. "I can only imagine the-" He trailed off and I turned to him. It didn''t take long to see what he was looking at. It was old and faded and looked like it had been written in blood. It was three simple words but they sent a chill down my spine. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 258 RYKER''S P.O.V I choose Ryker. Those were three words and on paper they looked simple enough but the truth was far terrifying. Who was choosing and why did they choose me? There were so many questions running through my mind but I didn''t have an answer for any and it was maddening. I walked closer to the writing on the wall, most of it had faded off due to nature but it was still readable. "Did Reina write that?" Juan asked and although I knew he was talking aloud, I couldn''t help but respond with a shrug. "What do you think she meant?" "I don''t know," I mumbled as I stepped in front of it. I lifted my hand to it and felt a tug in the center of my gut and was pulled to it. I lifted a hand to it and no sooner than the moment my finger touched it, it felt like I was sucked into a void. At first, all I saw was darkness and then I heard a sound. I turned to it and found Reina there. She was mumbling to herself, her hands were pressed hard against her head as if she was trying to shut out some noise. She looked insane, there was blood dripping from her nose and she was stumbling around like she was drunk or hurt. "No!" she screamed. "Stop talking. I can''t, I''m not ready." "Reina?" I asked but she couldn''t hear me. It was almost as if she couldn''t see me. I tried to move closer to her but I couldn''t move. It was almost as if I had been glued to the ground. ¡°What the hell is going on?" "It is time. Reina," I heard an audible voice in my head. I was sure it was whatever was inside of her that she had passed down to me- the magic. It sounded different though, almost darker and more sinister than what I was used to. "This is what we agreed on. You must pass it on." "Please," she looked like a child begging on her knees like that. Her hands were still pressed over her ears and drool fell from her lips mixing with the pool of blood in front of her. I almost felt bad for her because in this moment, she looked nothing short of human She looked like a fragile girl who was scared. "Enough!" Even I shook from the force of the order. It took everything in me to not fall to my knees and cower. There was sheer and undiluted power in that voice. It was the kind of power that you knew could hurt you, the kind that you knew would unleash years of misery and torment. I couldn''t imagine that Reina lived with this for years and I couldn''t imagine that this was what was inside of me. It was far greater than what I had bargained for. Reina''s body shook with raw fear. I didn''t know how, but I just knew that in that moment, she regretted her choice to even dabble in this magic. It was fun at first, almost light hearted, the power made her drunk and heady, but now, she was paying for her actions. Magic always came with a price and now, it was time to pay. "I beg of you," she whispered. "I don''t want to die." "You died the moment you killed your entire coven," the voiceughed. "I told you Reina, dark magices at its own cost and you said you would pay with your soul, did you not?" "I did," she sniffled. "I didn''t know what I signed up for. I can give you anything else." "I don''t want anything else. I need to choose my next vessel, Reina, tell me the options." Reina looked distraught but even she knew there was nothing much she could do. I watched her stand on wobbly legs and reach into some ss vials on the ground. There were six in total and they each had strands of hair inside. I knew without a doubt that it belonged to my family. "Cami, Ryker, Audrey, Aurora, Christine and Juan," she said as she ced each vial on the table. "You asked for a royal member, these are the ones I could get close to." There was punctuated silence as it thought. Reina stood there with her head cast to the ground and she waited. Even I felt a sense of anticipation despite already knowing what it chose. After two long minutes, Reina''s eyes darkened and she started to move. She moved in a daze, like she wasn''t in control of her own body. I watched as she walked past where I stood and withdrew a knife from her pocket. I knew what was going to happen next but I couldn''t stop her. She drew the knife across her skin and with her forefinger, she wrote on the wall in blood. I stared at the writing, fresh and dripping in contrast to the faded mess Juan and I saw and then the most absurd thing happened. Reina turned and with her dark eyes, she looked pointedly at me as if she could see me. "I choose you," she said- or rather- something said through her. The voice was guttural and otherworldly. As soon as she said that, it felt like I had been thrown out of my body and Inded on my a*s at Juan''s feet. My head was spinning with the revtion and also because of what happened. I could hear Juan asking me some questions but I could barely focus on his voice. I had just gone back into the past and I had seen and felt the potential power that could be brewing inside of me. Was that how I was going to be when the time came? Was that how I was going to beg and plead for my life because of powers that I had not asked for? I managed to get myself to my feet but I ignored Juan and walked over to where I had seen the vials of hair. They sat in their ce just staring at me and before I could think, I had shattered each bottle on the ground. It did nothing to calm the raging storm of emotions inside of me but it was the only outlet that I could think of. I felt a hand on my shoulder as Juan stepped in front of me. "What the hell is going on? You stood there for like two minutes, I couldn''t get to you, I couldn''t touch you and now you''re smashing bottles so can you tell me what the fuck is going on?" "It chose me," I said simply and Juan''s brows furrowed. "Reina didn''t choose me. She offered us all up like prized pigs to the magic and it chose me." I wasn''t sure if Juan understood the fullness of what I was saying but he understood enough because he cursed. "Do you know why?" I shook my head. "It just looked at me and- fuck. I need to go home." "Ryker-" "There is nothing here. Just grab her books and her journals. I need to figure out what I can about this but it chose me, Juan. I don''t know why but maybe it thought I could be the next Reina. I don''t know why the fuck it did but I would rather die than hurt my family. Juan ran his hands through his hair in frustration. I could tell there was a lot that he wanted to say but at thest minute, he decided against it and reached down to grab the journal closest to him. "You''ll beat this," he told me and I scoffed because the honest truth was that I wasn''t so sure anymore. I tried to brush past him but Juan stopped me. "You will beat this and I will be right by your side helping because f**k me, you are a great man and a great ruler. Your family deserves to have you and I don''t care what we have to do to make sure you pass this test but we will do it." There was something encouraging about hearing someone else believe in you. I couldn''t speak because the emotion threatened to overwhelm me. I nodded and he gave me a firm nod before leaning down to pick more books. As soon as we had gathered all of them we were on our way out. The ride home was quiet. My thoughts kept going back to what I had seen. It had said something to Reina about dark magic having a price. I wasn''t sure if I was reaching but could that mean that its magic wasn''t inherently dark but she had chosen to make it dark when she killed her coven members? I needed to know more about what had transpired to know the truth but that was the only semnce of hope I had left and I was clinging to it with both hands. My family deserved better and I was going to do anything possible to be better for them. I had no idea what I was dealing with and I knew I was in way over my head with this but I couldn''t stop. The magic was inside of me, swirling inside my blood and in my bonds, it was well within reach and there was an itch, an urge to just touch it, to just feel it and let it take over but I wouldn''t- I couldn''t, not until I knew exactly what I was dealing with. By the time we returned, the sun was setting and Cami was walking outside the pce with Christine. As soon as they noticed us, they rushed over. I stared at my mate with her curly hair billowing behind her. She gave me a small smile before gesturing to the books we had brought back. "What are those?" she asked but I ignored her question in favor of kissing her deeply. By the time I pulled back, her cheeks were ming red. "What was that for?" "Nothing, I love you," I said simply and her brows furrowed in concern. I brushed a strand of her hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead. "I''ve had a long day, why don''t you tell me about yours while we walk in." "Will you tell me what those books are for?" "Tomorrow," I promised. For today, I just wanted to be with her.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 259 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I sat up in bed watching my mate sleep. My fingers gently stroked his hair out of his face and I was both amazed and relieved that he didn''t wake up. Last night, he exined everything to me and my first instinct was to panic but I knew that he needed me for this and thest thing either of us needed was for me to lose my shit. It was one thing to know that Reina wanted to give him the powers, it was apletely different thing to know that the powers chose him. He showed me the books and I promised to wait for him so we could start looking through them together. At first, he didn''t want me to help but I was quick to remind him about all the hours he spentbing my father''s journals with me. I was not going to leave him in his time of need, especially not when he had done the very opposite for me. "How long have you been awake?" Ryker''s husky, sleepden voice asked and I couldn''t stop myself from smiling. "How early is it?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Well, for starters, I think you''ve missed your morning run because the sun is up," I said simply and he groaned but didn''t make any efforts to stand up. He rolled over onto his back and took my hand with him so he could ce a kiss on the back of my palm. "How do you feel?" "Like shit," he didn''t even hesitate before responding. "Please tell me that we don''t have a busy day." I thought about it before shaking my head. "I don''t know if I should be concerned or not but we don''t. I haven''t heard a singlein from inside the town. I wonder if the elders are fixing it all on their own." "I wouldn''t be surprised if they were," he shrugged as he sat up straight. He looked considerably better than he didst night. He looked well rested and although I could still sense the edge in his movements, it wasn''t as bad as it wasst night. He caught me staring and I tried to look away quickly but it was toote. He ced his hands on either side of my face and ced a soft kiss on my forehead. He smelled like him, it was perfect. "I''m okay, Cami, you don''t have to worry about me," he whispered against my skin. "We have a good day ahead of us and I want to get a head start on the books. Most of them are spell books. I am hoping it would tell me something I need to know." "I know," I wasn''t sure if I was lying to him or to myself. "We can go through it together and we will find something, I just know it." He didn''t say anything after and once we were dressed and everyone was ounted for, we made our way to his office where we sat with the books. I didn''t have to sit with him while reading, but it was easier to keep a secret when it was just the two of us. Juan knew but Ryker was adamant that he didn''t want too many people involved in this. Juan had to worry about Christine and their children. There was still some panic there due to Audrey''s vision. He still hadn''t told Juan about it and I still hadn''t told him about the blood in front of the pce. There was just so much going on that I could barely wrap my head around it. It felt like I was going to lose my mind if I tried to handle it all so I decided to focus on the most important which was Ryker. I couldn''t lose him to magic. I wasn''t going to. I didn''t care what I had to do but I was going to do everything possible to make sure that he came out of it alive. That was the determination in my heart. It was the only thing that kept me reading page after page of magic spells with Reina''s writing scribbled into the sides. She made adjustments to the spells. Adjustments meant to make the effects longer and deadlier. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on It was while reading that I realized that Reina truly was a dangerous enemy and we simply hadn''t realized it because for some reason, she wasn''t using her full strength on us. There were spells here that could have burned down the entire pce in seconds and I couldn''t help but wonder why she held herself back. "I think I found something," I announced suddenly rushing over to Ryker''s desk. We had been at it for two hours and I wasn''t sure how I didn''t think of it before. The book in my hands was a simple spell book but Reina had scribbled something behind it. "Read this? "Magices with a price, especially dark magic," Ryker repeated before turning to me. "What does this have to do with anything?" "When I was training with Lois, he kept trying to teach me about the different types of magic. There was light magic and there was dark magic. Think of my powers as a branch, the tree trunk of my powers is elemental magic. It is a type of magic typically associated with light magic but there is dark elemental magic. Are you following?" "Not really," he mumbled and I sighed thinking of how best to exin it to him. "There are types of dark magic and I think instead of trying to figure out what it is, we should figure out what it is not," I exined. "Lois told me that there are two main types of dark magic, we have blood magic and ck magic. I think it is very clear that this isn''t blood magic or she would have needed to use your blood to give it to you." "So this is ck magic," he deduced and I nodded. "Not just any kind of ck magic, you specifically mentioned being able to see shadows around my hands, right? Then I think that at its core, this is shadow magic. There are books on it in the private library but at its core, it is meant to manipte the darkness and the unseen." I could see that he was starting to understand exactly what I was exining because he sat up straighter. "How do we exin me seeing auras then?" "It might be a characteristic of shadow magic. I am notpletely sure, this is just a theory but I think instead of trying to figure out what exactly we are dealing with, we can figure out what we aren''t and take it from there." "This makes sense, but what about Reina? She could raise the dead, that is necromancy, she had the power over death.¡± "Remember what you told me? It said magic had a price, when she burned down her coven, that might have been her test. She failed it and it turned the magic inherently dark. If she could do all those things on her own, she wouldn''t have needed all these spell books. Necromancy was something she had to learn." His eyes widened in understanding and he scoffed as he ran his hand down his face. I wasn''t sure how right I was but somewhere in the depths of my heart, I knew that I as saying the right thing. It was the only thing that made sense at this moment. We were dealing with shadow magic. For a full minute, Ryker said nothing and then he pulled me into his arms and kissed me deeply. I was taken aback by the kiss and it took me a few seconds to realize what was going on. By the time he pulled back, my cheeks were flushed and I was breathing heavily. "You are brilliant,¡± he whispered against my lips. "Do you know where I can find the books on shadow magic?" "They''re in the secret library. I can show you if you''d like," I offered and he nodded. I started to leave when he grabbed my arm. "There is one more thing," I stopped and turned to him. "Do you really think that burning her coven down was her test?" "You said that was what you saw in the vision, right? Well then, it only makes sense. She was probably presented with a choice and she chose to kill them all." "Surely there had to be another choice where she could have escaped without killing them, right?" I thought about it for a second before shrugging. "I don''t think magic gives us easy choices. Take me for example, on that cliff, I had a choice, I could have let Aurora die or I could have lost my powers to heal her. It is always a choice between two extremes." "What if I am given a choice like that?" he asked and I stilled. I hadn''t thought about that. I was too focused on my happiness at having found out what we were dealing with. I opened my mouth to try and assure him but no words coulde out because I knew they would be lies. "What if I am faced with the choice of saving myself or losing myself to the magic to save one of you." "Then you save yourself," I said simply and he started to protest but I cut him off. "I would never be able to live with myself if I knew that you gave yourself up for us like that." "Cami-" "No," I cut him off. "I won''t let you lose yourself for me. I can''t do this without you, do you get that?" "I can''t do it without you either," he whispered and I knew- I knew without a doubt that he would never save himself. All I could hope for in that moment was that it would nevere down to it because on one hand, Ryker wasn''t going to save himself, but on the other hand, I wasn''t going to let him lose himself and in that kind of position, things could get ugly very quickly. The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 260 CAMILLA''S P.O.V Ryker and I wrapped up in his office and spent the remainder of the day in the private library. It wasn''t hard to find the books on shadow magic and he spent the entire day reading as much as he could while I went through Reina''s books. She wrote a lot but barely about anything of substantial value. She mainly talked about spells she wanted to try and about how much of a heady feeling the magic gave her. When I had used my powers, it was draining for me, I had never felt the heady and euphoric feeling that she spoke about. I couldn''t help but wonder what exactly that felt like or what exactly she meant by that. I nced at Ryker a few times wondering if he felt the same way or if he was going to feel the same way after the test. I couldn''t help but nce over at my mate. He was the epitome of ease as he leaned back in the chair opposite me and flipped through the book in his hands. His brows were scrunched in concentration and I couldn''t stop the small smile from pulling at the corner of my lips. It was terrifying to think that there was a possibility where I could lose him. It was scary to even imagine that there could be a future where he would end up like Reina. "You''re staring," I heard his voice in my head and my cheeks flushed pink. "Did you need something?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "No," I was quick with my response and I felt him tense in worry. "I just zoned out for a second. Did you find anything?" "Nothing of substance, only what you said earlier, shadow magic isn''t inherently bad or good. It depends on the context in which it is used. I also keep seeing the phrase ''all magices with a price'' which does not worry me at all.¡± I could hear the heavyden sarcasm in his words. I wasn''t sure if I was tough or take him seriously so I sighed. "There is nothing on how she could have gotten the magic in the first ce?" "Not really, I read something about a sacrifice done in the dead of the night but I don''t really care much about it at the moment. I already have the powers, I just want to get rid of them or learn to control them. It feels like there is a looming clock over my head and don''t know when it will run out." It was at that moment I realized exactly what we were doing wrong. I stood to my feet and cleared the distance between us then with his eyes on me, I carefully crawled into Ryker''sp. He didn''t hesitate before pushing the book to the side and wrapping his arms firmly around me. For a while, there were no sounds, no one spoke, no one even dared to breathe loudly. It was just us in each other''s embrace against a harsh future that threatened to ruin us. "What happens now?" he asked after a beat of silence and I shrugged. "I''ll keep looking for anything about the fire in her coven. If I find something I will let you know." "I will keep looking into the magic as well," he continued. "I need to learn how to control it because if I do beat this test-" "When," I cut him off. "When you beat the test." His eyes softened considerably and he ced a lingering kiss on my temple. "When I beat the test, I need to know how to handle what I have been given." "Lois can train you too," I offered and the corner of his lips quirked up in a small smile. "It would be fun to have training together." "I suppose it is," he mused. I made to rise from his body but he held me impossibly tighter. "Give it a few minutes please, I just want to stay like this." I didn''t protest, I just leaned further into him. I wasn''t sure how long we stayed there, but by the time we finally emerged, it was time for dinner. It was difficult sitting at the table and pretending everything was fine when all I wanted was to return to the sce of my room and keep searching the books. My ever waking thought was gued by this predicament. Ryker might not have known how important he was to us but I did. He was the glue that held our entire family together. He was the silent pir that kept this kingdom afloat. The kingdom could do without me, our family could go on without me but without Ryker, it was going to crash to the ground like dominos. He was the silent partner who gave everyone support. He was the friend who was by your side when you needed it most and he didn''t realize it sometimes but I knew enough to know that we needed everyone''s help if we were going to get through this. Audrey and Aurora fell asleep in their tes. Ryker offered to take them and put them to bed. I didn''t protest because I needed the time to do something else. Once he was gone, I quickly cornered Juan and Christine on the way to their rooms. "I didn''t want to ask this of you because honestly, what you need right now is peace but I need your help," I said and they both stilled. They shared a wary look before turning back to me and nodding. "You all know Ryker is going to face a test, right? I have reason to believe that Reina''s test was whether or not to burn down her coven." Christine crossed her arms over her chest. "So you think Ryker''s test might be of the same magnitude?" I nodded. "I still haven''t gotten any proof to back up my im yet but I will. Until then, I need you both to help me find out what you can on shadow magic and on the coven''s burning." "It happened so many years ago," Juan said and I nodded. "There is barely anyone alive who saw it happen and even the ones who did don''t know what happened, the only person who does is Reina." "I know that but please, I am desperate," my voice cracked on the end. "This thing cane any time and I don''t want to lose my mate. I will take any piece of information you have to offer, I just don''t want to lose him." Juan nodded. He didn''t need any more persuasion. "I''ll see what I can find." "Thank you," I whispered. "I have to go before he finds out what I did. Please don''t tell him that you know, he wanted to keep it between us." "Our lips are sealed," they said in unison. Once I was sure that everything was settled, I grabbed my skirts and rushed back to our room. I wanted to get there before Ryker so I didn''t have to exin to him where I want. I managed to get in just a few seconds before him and the relief in my heart was palpable. If he knew that I hadn''t been in the room, he didn''t let on. He just told me that the girls were safely in bed and started to undress. I debated telling him that I had asked for help, but decided against it at thest minute. I didn''t want to give him reason to fret or worry so I stripped alongside him and pulled on my favorite white nightdress. Iy in his arms, both of us engrossed by our respective books. I got to a point where it was more rambling and as much as I hated to admit it, it was fun reading from Reina''s mind. She seemed like a very smart person, she had just made some wrong choices. I got to a point where she spoke about her old coven. She described the incident as a spur of the moment decision and something she didn''t expect. I was intrigued and wanted to see where it was going when I heard a knock on our door. Ryker heard it too because he stilled. He gestured for me to wait while he went to open the door and I was surprised to see a guard at our door. I knew from experience that whatever the guard wanted to say wasn''t good so before he spoke, I already rose to my feet and grabbed a cloak to throw over my night dress. "Just show us," I sighed and he nodded. He led Ryker and I down the steps and towards the front of the pce where three peopley. They looked like townsfolk and at first, they looked rtively unhurt until I saw that they were all covering another. There was a fourth person and when I saw them, I had to look away and breathe through my nose to stop myself from throwing up. "What''s going on?" I heard Christine ask as she came closer but I quickly shot my hands out to stop her. I shook my head at her and thankfully, she heeded my advice and took a step back. "Is everything okay?" "No," I whispered before turning back to the people. The person they were covering was badly bruised and battered and I could tell he was dead. "What happened to you?" "A wolf attacked us tonight while we were walking home. We managed to cut it with a silver knife but it killed him first." "Was it a rogue?" Ryker asked and the woman shot him a death re. Normally, that would be grounds for punishment but she deserved a break today considering her friend just died. "No, it wasn''t, it was a pce wolf." My brows rose. "That is a serious usation." "Maybe, but I saw it run towards the pce. It may not be a pce wolf but it is within the pce walls right now." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 261 RYKER''S P.O.V The veryst thing I wanted to deal with right now was a potentially psychotic wolf but here we were. I nced over at Cami and despite how tired I knew she was, she looked just about ready tob every inch of this pce until she found this person. She was always prepared to do the right thing, no matter how much it inconvenienced her and that was one of the things I loved the most about her. "Close all the exits to the pce," she said to the guard who was there with us. "Inform as little people as possible, I don''t want to risk telling the attacker and having him run off. In the meantime, please escort these people to the physician''s quarters and let him have a look at their friend." The guard stared at her for a second, probably wondering why she wouldn''t just ask for him to be taken to the morgue. His confusion was etched on his face but he didn''t ask any questions. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on He just nodded and escorted them. They wouldn''t let him touch their friend, together, the three of them picked up the bruised body and carried it down the halls. It was at that moment Christine saw it and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hide her face in Juan''s chest. "You don''t need to be here right now," I told them both but Christine waved me off over her shoulder. "You should be getting some rest. Cami and I can handle it.¡± "You need as many hands as you can get right now," she mumbled as she pulled back from her mate. She took in a few deep breaths before crossing her arms over her chest. "I probably won''t be able to sleep right now anyway, so it doesn''t matter. What is the course of action?" I nced over at Cami to see if she had anything but she seemed lost in thought. I gently grazed her back with my hand and that snapped her attention back to me but I could see that she hadn''t thought up anything yet. I couldn''t me her, it was jarring to know that someone within your walls was capable of such violence unprovoked. "Wake the fucking elders," I said finally. "This is the bullshit that they need to be dealing with, not us. We have enough on our te as it is." Christine nodded and within a second, she was off. After that, I turned to Juan, "I need you to find out from the guards everyone who walked into the pce within thest thirty minutes. I want names and where they wereing from." "Consider it done," he gave me a curt nod and was off in an instant leaving just Cami and I. My mate was still lost in her thoughts and she was anxiously biting at her fingertips. I doubted she even realized what she was doing because the moment I touched her arm, she pulled her hand away like it had burned her. "Did you say something to me?" she asked but I shook my head. "Why would someone do something like this? Do you think it has anything to do with... your magic?¡± I shook my head. "Not everything has ties to magic, Cami. Two things can be happening at the same time and have nothing to do with each other. This is happening because whoever did it is barbaric and has a desire to cause chaos. We will find them, I swear it to you." She nodded although I could see that she hadn''t eased one bit. I gestured for her to walk with me and she didn''t hesitate before threading her fingers in me. She looked exhausted to the bone and if I had my way, I would have dragged her straight to bed but she had to be here for this. It was off to the council for us and thankfully, once we got there, the elders were already there. Most of them still had that sleepy look in their eyes. They looked a mix of tired and annoyed probably that we had woken them from their beauty rest but I would be damned if Cami and I spent our time and exerted ourselves to do something that they could easily do. It was all about delegation and I wasn''t going to let us run ourselves to the ground. "Your majesties," they bowed in unison before one of them decided to keep going. "I would not dare try to question your motives but is there a reason you woke us up at the odd hour of the night?" "You wouldn''t dare question but that is exactly what you did," Cami snapped and he turned away in shame. ¡°Were you all aware that while you slept, someone, presumably from this pce stepped out and attacked innocents, killing one of them?" There was silence and then murmuring. I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration as they all conveniently decided to stay silent. It was like being in a room with children. I couldn''t understand for the life of me why they were not saying a single word. It wasn''t magic, neither were we asking them to do the impossible. "Our deepest apologies are with the deceased," Caius said finally and that was when I snapped. "Your apologies are not going to bring the dead back to life," I levelled each of them with a hard look. "What you will do is get off your asses and do something about it. If you want to continue being useful to this court, you will find out who is responsible for the killings." "But, your majesty, we have been doing exactly as you asked, we have been useful-" I didn''t even wait to see who was speaking before cutting him off. "Clearly not useful enough if someone can do this right under your noses. This entire castle is on a lockdown for the next forty-eight hours, you will use that time to find out who killed this boy and why. I don''t care if you do not eat or you do not sleep, but no one rests until the killer is found, am I clear?" "Yes, your majesty." I turned to Cami to see if she had anything more to say but she was silent. Once I was sure there was nothing more to be said, I thread my fingers with her and pulled her to her feet. She needed rest and she needed it now. Something was bothering her terribly and it was causing her mind to drift. We were a few steps out of the council room when I heard someone clear their throats behind me. I turned to find Caius, he had his head bowed to the ground but it was clear that he wanted to see us. Cami nced over at me, a silent question in her eyes and while I could have ignored him and gone on my way, there was a part of me that was always going to respect him for the help he had been to us. "You go," I told Cami finally. "I''ll meet up with you." "But-" "Our room, Cami," I whispered and although she frowned, she turned on her heels and left. I waited until she was gone before making my way back over to Caius. "There better be a good reason for this." "Do you truly believe this person to be one of the pce staff?" he asked and I simply stared at him nkly. "What I mean to say is that couldn''t it be a possibility that the innocents in question killed their friend and came into the pce as a distraction." I frowned. I hadn''t thought about that, but it was usible. "Perhaps you should pursue that lead if you believe it to be true. I don''t care what angle you pursue, as long as you catch whoever did this." He nodded but I could tell there was still more that he wanted to say so I waited until he spoke. "Will this truly determine if you cut some of the elders?" "Does it really matter if I do or I do not?" I asked. "End this before it even starts. There is a potential killer in our walls and you should all be more concerned about the possibility of him killing again rather than the possibility of you losing your jobs. This is about lives that are at stake, thest thing anyone should be focused on is their work." He frowned and pursed his lips. "You are right, I will get on questioning the friends. I will report back to you as soon as I can, your majesty."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I didn''t hang behind, in case he had more questions. I immediately headed straight for Cami''s office because a part of me knew there was no way she would have gone back to the room with all of this happening. Sure enough, I found her pacing the length of the room and when she finally noticed me, she stopped like a deer caught in headlights. "I couldn''t just go to bed," she mumbled and I raised a brow. "There could be more deaths. There is a killer." "I know," I said simply as I walked into the office. "But, the fact remains that the elders have this under control. You need to get better at delegation." "What if they don''t do it right?" "They will." "How could you be so sure?" her voice was barely over a whisper. "They barely do anything right. They are like children who need their hands held." "They barely do anything right because most times, it doesn''t directly concern them. Their lives and livelihood is on the line here, Cami, I am sure we will have answers within the next twenty-four hours." "You seem sure." "I know men, and I know men in power. They will do almost anything to remain in power. They are used to a certain life of luxury and it would be a shame if all that was stripped away from them. They will have answers and they will have them soon." She seemed to understand what I was saying. Her shoulders rxed slowly and she wasn''t standing on edge, so much anymore. She also stopped pacing and turned to face me. "So all we have to do now is wait?" she asked and I nodded. "All we do it wait." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 262 CAMILLA''S P.O.V It wasn''t in my nature to go to sleep while the entire pce was on a countdown timer, but somehow Ryker managed to drag me into bed and lull me to sleep. When I woke up, I was equal parts relieved that I had rested and embarrassed that I was able to do so easily. It took me a second to remember what happenedst night and as soon as I did, I was on my feet in an instant. I got ready in record time and found Ryker in his office. He looked like he hadn''t slept a wink all night and I felt guilty that I slept so freely and he hadn''t rested at all. "Anything?" I asked but he shook his head. "What about the elders? Have they found anything yet?" "No, the pce is still on lock down and I have people watching the girls to make sure that they are safe and unaffected by all of this." I hummed. "We have less than two days to figure this out because we cannot keep the pce on lock down forever. We have to do something but I don''t know what. I cannot just leave this to the elders. They are going to do a shit job." Ryker sighed. "Do you want to go talk to the friends? We might be able to get something out of them." "You don''t have toe with me. I can do it myself." He snorted. "As if I would leave you to do this alone. My powers can wait, Cami, they aren''t running away. They will still be here once we are done." I didn''t think it was possible to love Ryker any more than I already did. He was being incredibly selfless. If he had chosen to sit back and handle his own issues, no one would have held him to a fault, but he put his aside for the betterment of the entire pce. It wa one of the reasons I knew for a fact that he was going to get the better of this entire ordeal. There was no way Ryker would ever be like Reina, it was impossible. They were twopletely different people. Where she was self serving, he was not. He was good, at his core, that was who he was. Even when he did not so good things, he did them for the right reasons. The friends were all huddled together in the same guest room. They hadn''t changed from theirst night''s clothes and I could tell that none of them had slept. They sat close together on the bed and the moment they saw me, they rushed to their feet and bowed. "Did you find anything yet, your majesty?" one of the girls asked and I opened my mouth to speak but no words woulde out. I saw the hope in her eyes dete as she sank back onto the bed. "I presume they are long gone by now." "The pce is on aplete lock down, I promise you, no one can go in or out right now without my permission," I assured her. "We are doing everything we can to find out who did this to you but I wanted to ask you a few questions if you are willing to answer them." "If they will help us find out who did this, then sure," she nodded with her spine straight. It was clear that she was the unofficial leader in the group. Everyone turned to her for support and she was the only one speaking directly to us. "I already told the other guy what happened but I would be happy to recap." "Other guy?" my brows pulled in confusion. "Can you describe this other guy? Or did he tell you his name?" She shook her head. "He said he was one of your elders or something and you had asked them to look into it. I don''t like him much, he was an a*****e but I was much too tired to carest night?" "It might have been Caius," Ryker spoke directly into my mind. "He thought that it was possible they were lying to get ess into the pack and asked for permission to question them. I can talk to him after this to be sure." "Thank you," I told him before turning back to the girl. "I''m sorry that one of the elders was rude to you. After all that happened, that is thest thing you deserve. I already have most of the story from what you told mest night but I need to know more about the wolf that attacked you." "It was a dark brown color, it wasn''t ck but it was very dark and I could be mistaken. It was on the big side and I think it was male. It came out of nowhere. We were so scared that we just ran. It managed to get a hold of," her words caught in her throat and she wiped at some stray tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes. "We rushed at it with everything that we had. We threw sticks and stones but it wouldn''t let go. It was almost like it knew what it was doing." "I am so sorry," I whispered at the same time Ryker handed her a handkerchief to dab at the corner of her eyes with. "Once it was done with him, it took off in the direction of the pce. I tried to chase after it but it was faster. I figured the pce guards would have seen arge wolf run by but no one did. I presume it shifted and walked in." It did seem like the only likely possibility. I let out a sigh and gave her a small andforting smile. "I will make sure that whoever was responsible for this is punished, you have my word." "What if you don''t catch him?" she asked and I stilled. "You just gave your word. What happens if he isn''t caught?" "He will be," I said simply before standing to my feet. "If you need anything at all, there will be a maid positioned right outside of your door. She will get you breakfast and anything else." "Thank you, your majesty," the girl bowed. "Not many people would have taken time out toe to us. I am truly grateful." I didn''t know how to respond to that so I just nodded. Ryker and I walked out hand in hand and it wasn''t until we had gotten a few feet away from the room, that I let out an exhausted breath. There were thousands of people in this pce on any given day. How the hell was I meant to find out the person who had gone in and out at that time. "Cami, Ryker," I turned to find Juan rushing over to us. "I finally got the list that you needed. It was a hassle to get from every entrance or exit but there were about three hundred names. I crossed out all the people who were ounted for at every second within the vicinity of the pce- mostly maids- but now, we are down to about fifty." "So we have fifty usible suspects," I deduced and he nodded. "Can you cut out any females," Ryker suggested and Juan crossed a few names off the list. "We still have around forty." "What about cutting off any of the lower ranking males. I''m thinking the very low servants who would have smaller wolves," I offered and it took a little longer this time but Juan crossed off more names. "Twenty."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I didn''t know what else we could cut out so I nodded. "Thank you, Juan, I think we can take it from here." "Are you sure?" he asked and I nodded. "Go and be with your mate, you deserve it." He nodded and disappeared leaving Ryker and I with the list. There were twenty suspects and I didn''t know where to start. How were we going to find out who attacked them? Would we call them all out and make them shift in front of the friends to see if they recognized the wolf? It seemed like the only usible solution but the fact remained that if one of them was guilty, and they caught wind that we were onto them, it could prove disastrous for the rest of us. "What do we do?" I asked Ryker who just shrugged. He seemed as confused as I was. ¡°We can gather all of them and question them." "We can, but we cannot let them know why we are questioning them." Finding everyone on the list proved easier than I had imagined. Perhaps it was because the pce was on lockdown. We were halfway through the list when I noticed Caius walking towards us. I immediately remembered what the girl had told us earlier about his being rude and walked up to him. It took Ryker a second to realize what I was doing but as soon as he did, he was by my side. "Your majesty," Caius bowed the minute he saw me. "Is there something I can help you with?" "There is actually, I would hope that you would treat our guests with a little more curtesy than you did before," I said simply and his brows furrowed. "I am afraid I am not following." "You went to question them, did you not? I am afraid that your manner of approach was- "1 "I apologize for the interruption but I didn''t question them. I wanted to, I asked for permission but by the time I got there, I was told they had already been questioned by another elder." At this point I was confused. "What are you talking about?" "That is exactly what they told me. I assumed someone else had the same idea I did so I let it slide. It was very annoying if I am being honest especially since the only reason I didn''t ask them earlier was because I heard somemotion in my room and found it a bit messy. Now that I think about it, I-" He was interrupted by a guard rushing over to me. "Your majesty, we have a problem." As if the day couldn''t get any worse. "What happened?" "It is the guests, one of them was poisoned." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 263 RYKER''S P.O.V I had always hated the domino effect. When one bad thing happened, it always felt like others were just at the cusp. It was one thing after another and it just kept falling and falling until nothing was left. It felt like I was inside a domino effect. First was the magic and then this, I couldn''t help but wonder if it was finally over or if there was more toe. "Where are they now?" Cami asked. "In the physician''s quarters, your majesty." The guard had barely finished his statement before she took off in that direction and I had no choice but to follow after her. I could sense her panic down the bond, I could almost taste it- or maybe it was mine. I hadn''t been able to shake the feeling all day that something was going to happen. I didn''t know what, but it was there, buzzing under my skin and reminding me, keeping me focused. Something bad was at the cusp and I could feel it. We got to the physician''s quarters and sure enough, they were all there. What I didn''t expect was to see that the girl who had been talking to us was the one who had been poisoned. Shey in the bed, her eyes closed and if not for the steady rising and falling of her chest, I would have thought she was dead. "What happened?" I asked making all of them turn to us. Neither of the other two spoke, they just sat by her bedside sniffling. Cami rushed up to their side offering silent support but that wasn''t what we needed right now, we needed answers. "What the f**k happened?" "The maid brought us some food and she wanted to taste it first to see if it was safe, next thing we knew, she passed out," it was the guy who spoke and he was stumbling over his words. It was a miracle I even managed to understand him at all. "The physician says she will be okay but she isn''t moving. She is never this quiet." "She will be fine," I ground out. "Who was the maid who served you?" "She didn''t tell us her name, but she looked young and she had brown hair." I turned and Caius was at the door. He wasted no time before bowing. "I will find the maid and bring her to you now." He left immediately after and I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. Someone was trying to make this extremely difficult for us and it pissed me the f**k off. We were close to finding out who it was, that much was certain because no oneshed out and acted like this unless they had something to lose. I wished I could offer support to them but I couldn''t bring myself to move. My eyes were fixed on the girl lying in the bed. I could see her aura, it had almost be like second nature now, the way my eyes adjusted to seeing people''s aura''s. It was strong, she was alive and she was a fighter, I knew for sure that she was going to survive this but my question remained ''why her?'' Was there something special about her or had she been a victim of circumstance? I wasn''t sure which was better and it wasn''t as if I could go out of my way to ask when she was confined to a bed and unconscious. Her friends were no help at all, they had spent thei time crying and blubbering. I wasn''t sure if it was cruel of me to think, but a part of me had wished that someone else had taken the poisoned food first, that way, she would have been awake to ask the questions. I stood awkwardly to one corner while I waited for Caius to return. While I waited, the physician made his way over to me. "Is it alright if we speak, your majesty?" "Of course not," I waved him closer. "Please, go ahead." "I just ran some tests and what she was given was an intricately produced blend of wolf''s bane," he exined. "I have seen it before but I cannot for the life of me remember where because it was such a long time ago. It is mixed with a special nt that grows just outside the pce gardens." "A poisonous nt grows in the gardens and no one thought to tell us?¡± He shook his head. "The nt on its own is not poisonous but when mixed with wolf''s bane, it is. That is what struck me as odd because it hasn''t been used in a very long time. For someone to know this, they would have to either be very good with history or they would need to know this first hand." Before I had the chance to respond, the door opened and Caius returned with a maid in tow. She matched the description perfectly but what had me convinced was when the friends looked up at her and their eyes burned with anger. "She is the one who tried to kill us!" they eximed at the same time and that was all I needed to drag the maid by her elbow out of the room. I could hear screams of indignation behind me but I ignored them and turned to the maid who was cowering in my hold. I knew instantly that although she might have been the one to give them the food, she was definitely not the mastermind behind it. Someone else had used her as a pawn. "Who did it?" I asked but she said nothing. "I don''t have time for games and I am sure that you do not want to be the one to take the me for all of this because the real culprit has killed and attempted to kill another." "I can''t," she whispered in a broken tone. "He has my sister. I can''t tell you or he will kill her." I let out an exasperated sigh and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "Is your sister in the pce right now?" she nodded. "Where?" "I don''t know, but she is with him." "I will get your sister back, I swear it," I promised her. The moment the words left my lips, I knew I should not have said them but it was toote to take it back. I was just going to have to deal with the consequencester. ¡°Who is it?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "It is one of the elders," she answered after a while. "He came to me in the kitchen and handed me a vial of a liquid. He asked me to put it into the food. I said no at first then he told me that he had my sister and he was going to have her killed if I didn''t. I just did as I was asked. I didn''t want her to die, I promise." "Which of the elders?" "I don''t know his name. I don''t know any of their names, but it wasn''t the one who came to get me. I know his face." "Will you point him out for me?" "Will you save my sister?" It was toote to back out now. "I will." I called for a meeting with the elders and exined everything to Cami and Caius. As it was, Caius was the only elder I could trust seeing as the maid had vouched for and said he wasn''t responsible. She stood by my side as all the elders filed in. when thest of them was making his way in, he locked eyes with the maid and I knew instantly that he was guilty even before she spoke. "It''s him," she whispered just as he took off and ran. "Catch him!" I ordered the guards. I had no interest in chasing after anyone. I trusted the guards to do their job. While they ran after him, I turned to Caius. "What is his name?" "Ansel," Caius answered simply. ¡°I have known him since we were infants. I cannot believe that he would do something like this.¡± We waited patiently for the guards to bring him back. He fought hard against their hold but he was an old man and they were trained guards, there was nowhere for him to go and he knew it. He was brought to our feet and pushed to his knees. I watched him, carefully assessing his aura, there was nothing to say that he was inherently evil, he was just ambitious, that much I could tell. "Why?" I asked simply and he shrugged. "You didn''t do it to be cruel, so why?" "You were choosing elders. If I created a problem and I solved it then I would stay on the council. It was a fool proof n, but then you locked down the pce." "And you were cornered and scared that they would figure you out. You were on the list of people who was seen leaving the pce." "I was," he admitted. "Now what? You''re caught, this is over." He smirked. "Not quite. I always knew there was a possibility I would be caught today, so I put ns in ce.¡± "Where is her sister?" Cami cut in. "Let her go and we will consider banishing you instead of having you executed for what you have done." "I have no interest in dying, your majesty, but you would want to hear what I have to say before making your demands," he mused. Cami started to speak but I held up a hand to stop her. I wanted to hear what he had to say. "Speak, you have five minutes." "Have you checked on your childrentely?" he asked and fury rose up in me like a storm. "The tunnels are vast and wide so I''ll make this easy. Both your children and her sister are in the woods. I have a map to each of them." "The pce is on lockdown," I said and he smirked. "You would be surprised with what an elder can get away with," he mused. "The thing is, the people holding them will only answer to the both of you. If they see anyone else, they will kill them. You can save one and the other dies. I know I''m going to die regardless, so this will be fun." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 264 RYKER''S P.O.V He wasn''t bluffing, that was the first thing I knew. The second was that it couldn''t possibly be this easy. It sounded like an absurd thing to say considering the fact that we were to save both people but it still seemed too easy. There was something else he wasn''t saying and until we knew exactly what it was, we couldn''t make an informed decision. I pulled Cam by her upper arm away from everyone else so that we could talk. "There''s something he isn''t saying." "I know," she mumbled under her breath in agreement. "It doesn''t make sense why anyone would just allow the girls walk out of here withplete strangers," she paused before adding. "Unless they didn''t walk out withplete strangers." "The only people who could get away with leaving with our kids are Christine and Juan and you know as well as I do that they would never put the girls in danger, not even at their own detriment. Something else is going on here." I turned to face Ansel who was still kneeling innocently and without a care in the world. There was something else at y and I felt like I had an idea but I couldn''t be sure. I made my way over to him and sat in front of him with my hands crossed over my chest. He had a sly smirk on his face that only seemed to infuriate me but I kept a tight lid on my emotions. "Who is with the girls?" I asked and he shrugged. "I know it isn''t Christine, it cannot be her or her mate. Why don''t you tell me what is really going on here?" He just shrugged. "I have said what I am willing to say. It is your job now to figure out the rest. You can spend time torturing me or you can go and find out yourself." I stared at him for a second but he was right, every second I spent here, they were out there. I held out my hand and he knew exactly what I wanted. He reached into his pockets and pulled out two scrolls of paper. As soon as I had taken them, I grabbed him by the cor of his shirt. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J o b nib.c(o)m." If either of them gets hurt, I will make sure your death is cruel and painful. You will plead for the sweet mercy that would be dying and you will not get it, am I clear?" For the first time, I saw something akin to fear sh across his face and as much as I hated to admit it, it felt good to see. I pulled open both maps and analyzed them. They led to different paths of the forest, there was no way that we could get to both of them in time. I couldn''t condemn either of them to death. "Go after her sister," I said to Cami whose brows scrunched in confusion. "Just do it and trust me," I stepped closer and dropped my voice to a whisper. "If anything goes badly, use your powers, kill them all. Do you understand me?" She nodded. "Where will you go?" "I''ll go after our children. I don''t know about you, but I don''t believe he would put them in actual danger. He knows what the consequences of that would be and he doesn''t strike me as a man who wants to die a painful death." I could see that Cami still wasn''t convinced. "I don''t think we should split up." "Take two guards at the most. We don''t want to alert them to your presence," I could have tried easing her worries but that was going to take too long and there were lives on the line. "We will meet back here, I promise you." I kissed her temple before grabbing one of the maps and walking out. I didn''t want anyone by my side as I did what I needed to do. Something told me that things could potentially get ugly but I was sure I could handle it on my own. I knew I could. The path was rather straight forward. There weren''t a lot of twists and turns. It was dead quiet for the majority of it, until I came to a small shed in the middle of the woods. It was so tiny and so old that I doubted anyone could live in there but it was the final stop on the map. I took a step forward when I heard a snarl close to my right. I froze and listened, trying to ascertain where the sound wasing from when I heard another from my left. In that moment, I was relieved that I had told Cami to go with guards because if she was going to encounter rogues on her way then at least she was going to have protection. "What do you want?" I heard someone ask. The sound came from my right and when I turned, I saw a rogue hidden between the bushes. His hair was a matted mess and his eyes were a bright red color. "You shouldn''t be here." "Neither should you," I said simply. "This is pce property and you don''t belong here." "I''ll take a wild guess and say that the girls inside are yours," he mused and I gave off a warning growl which only seemed to make himugh. "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt them yet. I have strict orders and I want to get paid." "Your employer is dead," I kept my tone monotonous and cold. "You aren''t getting paid. If you leave now, you can still go on with your life. If you don''t, you will die." "There is one of you and so many of us. How do you n to do that?" As he spoke, I saw more roguese out of the woods. There were at least five of them. I could handle one, two was fine, I could maybe even deal with three, but more than five was a far stretch. I would do some damage but ultimately I was going to lose and they knew it. as they drew closer, I felt something stir inside of me- something dark and old and powerful. It almost seemed to purr at the thought of danger. I didn''t need to think long to know what it was, "Let me," I heard audibly in my head. "I will finish this before it even starts." "You cannot kill them," I wasn''t going to risk tasting death with shadow magic, it already seemed like a recipe for disaster. "Hurt them, knock them out, I don''t give a shit, but do not kill them."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You are no fun," was thest thing I heard before I felt power gather under my skin. It was an electrifying feeling and I couldpletely understand in that moment why Reina had been lost to it. It was the kind of feeling where you knew you had power and you relished in that knowledge. I saw shadows gather at my fingertips and the rogues had the sense to halt in their steps. They watched me with careful apprehension. "What the f**k kind of party trick is that?" the leader asked and all I did was smirk. "Why don''t you find out?" I waited until he attacked me first. It felt like I wasn''t in control of my body as the shadows shot forward and grabbed him by the throat. I could feel the very essence of his life pulsing from his skin and I wanted nothing more than to have a taste. It was inviting, almost pulling me in, but I wasn''t too far gone yet that I didn''t know that it was absolutely insane. I threw him hard against a tree, snapping it in half before turning to the others. If they were wise, they would have run away but they didn''t. They also tried to attack and it was a blur of bodies and movement. The rush of power had my head swimming and by the time they were all lying on the floor, the buzzing still hadn''t left my skin. I wasn''t sure how to pull back and in that moment, I didn''t care. There was one thought at the back of my mind and that was to get my children. I took a few steps towards the house when I heard a weapon draw from behind me. I wasn''t sure if it was the power, or my daze to get to my children but I couldn''t recognize the person. All I could see was a being and a sword trying to keep me from my family. I let out a warning growl, it was the only warning that I was going to give before I struck. "You asked me to kill you if you ever let the power overwhelm you," I heard and I immediately knew it was Juan. He was the only one I had told that too. "I don''t think you''re too far gone yet so you have the chance to turn back now but I will not let you go in there like that." I cocked a brow. "Will not? Do you think you can stop me?" "I will do everything in my power to do so." I could almost hear a nagging voice at the back of my head asking me to kill him and just move on. On one hand, I knew I shouldn''t, he hadn''t done anything to warrant it, it was the magic speaking but the pull was strong. There was almost nothing I couldn''t do with these powers, no foe I couldn''t vanquish and there was more- "Daddy?" I heard a soft voice behind me and I stilled. Even through my lustful haze, I recognized my daughter''s voice. I couldn''t turn to her, couldn''t let her see me like this. "Daddy are you okay?" "Think about it Ryker," Juan spoke again. "Do you want her to see you like this? See you like the witch who threatened your family for months?" He threw the weapon to the ground. "I won''t kill you, so if you are going to kill me then do it, but know that your daughter I watching you. What do you want her to see?" The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 265 CAMILLA''S P.O.V The moment I found the girl bound and alone in the woods, I knew it had been a trap to separate Ryker and I. She was terrified but rtively unharmed. As soon as she was free, she rushed over to me and in that moment, I wasn''t the Queen, I was just the person who had saved her. She was younger than I had expected, she couldn''t have been any more than sixteen and I couldn''t imagine all that she had to go through. "Are you alright?" I asked once she pulled back and she nodded.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I apologize for rushing towards you like that, I-" "You don''t have to apologize," I waved her off. "Do you want to tell me how you got here or would you like to see your sister first? She is in the pce." "I can exin," she cleared her throat and stood up straighter. "One of the elders came to me, he said that you wanted the pce off lockdown. He asked me toe with him and the next thing I knew, I was here." "Thank you for exining, that was-" my words died in my throat when I felt something tense in my chest. It almost felt like someone had wrapped their hand around my heart and was squeezing tightly. I could see the girl and the guards watching me with wary expressions so I forced a neutral look on my face. "Take her back in, make sure she is given clean clothes and take her sister to her. There is something I must do." "Your majesty," one of the guards began hesitantly. "We were under strict orders to not leave you alone." "And I am releasing you of those orders," I snapped. He knew better than to directly disobey so he bowed and walked off. As soon as he was gone, I allowed myself to stop pretending. I ced my hands on my knees, trying and failing to catch my breath. The pressure on my chest was getting worse and I wasn''t sure how, but I just knew where to go. I allowed instinct guide me until I was much deeper into the forest. I saw a house in the distance and what I saw there had me freezing. There was Ryker, with shadowsing out of his hands, it was a terrifying but beautiful sight. His eyes were ck, almost like they were thest time I spoke directly to the magic inside of him. Weirdly enough, it wasn''t Ryker who shocked me, it was the people around him. I couldn''t recognize either of them, they seemed to be rogues. The first one- a man- stood in front of him and there were two more - a woman and a child- behind him. As I got closer, I started to hear exactly what they were saying. "You don''t want your own daughter to see you like this, do you?" the man asked, a cruel smirk ying on his lips. I wasn''t sure what game he was ying at, but the girl behind Ryker was not our daughter. "Don''t listen to him!" I yelled out and all eyes turned to me, including Ryker''s. "Ryker, they are lying to you. Our daughter isn''t here." The rogue narrowed his eyes at me before turning back to Ryker. "You can see the witch, can''t you? This is a test, she wants you to fail. Don''t be swayed by her words." My brows furrowed in confusion when Ryker cocked his head to the side, almost as if he were actually listening to the rogue. Did he not hear that his voice was different? Couldn''t he see who or what he was? "I am not a witch, you know who I am. Look around, they are rogues." I tried to take a step forward but it was almost like there was something blocking me from doing so. It was like an invisible field of air. I pushed against it but all to no avail. When I nced back at the woman standing behind Ryker, she had an amused expression or her face. I immediately knew that she had something to do with it. They weren''t rogues like I had earlier thought, they were probably witches but it didn''t make sense that they were trying to drag this out because witches would have just killed him. I tried to mind link Ryker but there was a thick mental wall between us. It was much stronger than his usual wall and it felt and smelled suspiciously of darkness and death. I wasn''t sure how I knew, but this felt like Ryker''s test, the one that would determine if he was going to be lost forever or not. "Ryker, please, listen to me. It''s me, you know that it is. I would never lie to you. These people aren''t who you think they are." "Ryker," the woman spoke and even I fell silent. There was something melodious and charming about her voice, something that seemed to almost sing out to me. ¡°She''s a witch, she''s trying to make you think that she is your mate, but I am. Look, I have our daughter here with me, look at us and you''ll see." I was so confused, I was even more confused when Ryker turned to her and he seemed to smile softly almost as if he was seeing what she said which made no sense at all. I banged my fists against the barrier between Ryker and I. If I could just reach out to him, if I could just touch him, then perhaps I could have saved him. If he could have just touched me then he would have known that I was his mate- not them. "The witch wants to separate us," the woman said once more. "Kill her, please. Protect us." "No!" I screamed. "Kill them, they are trying to use you. They are lying to you. Our daughters are at home, they are in their rooms probably sleeping. You said it yourself that there was no way that he would have been able to get them out of the pce and you were right because he didn''t. They aren''t here. It is just me and you." "She''s lying daddy," the little girl chimed in. "I''m scared." If Ryker was seeing and hearing what I thought he was then I knew that was going to be his undoing. There was little to nothing he wouldn''t have done for our daughter so I wasn''tpletely surprised when he stretched out his hand towards me and the shadows started to slither closer. I tried to defend myself, I threw balls of water at it, I tried to make an ice shield but as I came to learn, you couldn''t really defend yourself against shadows because all his magic did was crawl over it until it was wrapped around my feet. The moment I came in contact with the magic, I felt cold and empty. I smelled death and decay in his powers as it crawled up my body. I couldn''t move, couldn''t twist my fingers, couldn''t even use my powers if I wanted to. "Kill her," the witches said in unison. Their smiles grew wider and bloodier with each passing second and that was when I noticed the abnormal teeth that they had. It wasn''t normal like werewolves or witches and it didn''t have the fangs I hade to associate with vampires. They had rows upon rows of jagged teeth like it had been filed to look that way. My blood ran cold, it was utterly terrifying. "Ryker," my voice came out softer than I intended. His magic was coiling itself around me so tightly, like a snake. I couldn''t breathe, couldn''t think. I knew that all I had was a few seconds before he killed me and I was determined not to waste it. if he was going to remember myst words, then I needed him to remember me well. "Witch," Ryker snarled, his voice wasn''t his. It was much deeper and guttural. It was the first word he had spoken since I got here. "I know you think I''m a witch," I managed out. "I know this isn''t your fault and when whatever magic they used on you wears off too, I want you to know that I forgive you. I want you to know that I don''t me you. You didn''t know, you didn''t have a choice." His hand faltered a little, his magic slowed, but he didn''t stop so I continued. "I want you to know that the years I spent with you were the best of my life. I would have never thought that I could have a family and yet, somehow, you found me and you loved me more than I could have ever imagined. I will never regret the day you found me in those cells Ryker Caine. It was the best day of my entire life." As soon as the words had left my lips, his hand dropped and the magic uncoiled around me. I took in a deep breath, trying to get air into my lungs as I crashed to my knees. The reality of what almost happened hit me like a freight train and my shoulders shook with fear and relief. "No!" the female screamed. "You were meant to kill her." Ryker''s eyes narrowed in her direction and she seemed to realize at that moment that it was her life on the line. Ryker erupted with a roar and I watched transfixed as the darkness seemed to flow out of him. One second, it was bright and the next, we were in pitch darkness. I heard screaming, high pitch and pained and I knew that he was killing them. I dragged myself to my feet and took a step forward. The barrier was gone. I moved blindly, trusting my heart to lead me to the right person and the moment my fingers came in contact with bare skin, I knew it was him. "Don''t kill them," I whispered not knowing if he could hear me. "You are better than this- than them. We need them alive, we need to question them." I was met with silence. "Ryker, please, I need you to stop, now!" The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 266 CAMILLA''S P.O.V As if on cue, everything stopped and the darkness dissipated. It seemed to retreat back into Ryker''s skin and I watched the entire thing unfold. The moment the air was clear, I slowly looked up and relief filled me when I saw that his eyes were back to normal. I threw my arms around his neck and he wasted no time in pulling me impossibly closer and burying his nose into my hair. "I am so sorry," he whispered but I could barely focus on his words. I was just d to have him. I was d that he was alive. "I almost killed you." "It doesn''t matter. I''m here now, and so are you." I pulled back from him and finally took in the scene in front of me. There were so many bodies and I could tell just by looking that although the woman and the child were unconscious, the male was dead. Blood was pouring out of his nose and ears and his chest was still. I gauged Ryker''s face for any kind of reaction but it was carefully still. "I''ll mind link the guards to meet us here," he said finally before turning to me. "Are you-" he swallowed. "Did I hurt you?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "No," I told him earnestly. I wasn''t lying, he hadn''t gotten the chance to hurt me yet. I reached out for him and gently stroked my hand down his face. He let me for a second, his eyes closed as he leaned into my touch. "We are fine, you did it, you beat them and that is the most important thing." "I would have killed them," he announced as he opened his eyes. He nced over at the woman and child that were still unconscious. "I was going to do it. I wasn''t out of control of the magic. It was me, I knew exactly what I was going to do." "But you didn''t do it."Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Jo b nib.c(o)m."That doesn''t mean that I still don''t want to," he ran his hands through his hair. "I saw Juan and Christine. I saw Audrey. How did I not see the witches? It doesn''t make sense." "I don''t know," I wished I had an answer for him, it would have made everything easier but I didn''t. "I saw them as they were." "Were they in my mind? Did they find a way to warp my perception of reality? What kind of witches are they anyway? They didn''t try to kill me, they just wanted me to kill-" he paused mid-sentence. "Something isn''t adding up." "That, I agree with, but look at the bright side, that could have been your test. I heard one of them say something about a test. What if it was your test and you passed?" "So what? I am nowpletely joined with the magic?" "I don''t know, I''m just saying that there has to be something positive that came out of this. We will find it." He just hummed but didn''t say anything else until the guards returned. The unconscious woman and child were bound and gagged and carried to the pce dungeons. I still didn''t believe they were just witches but to be safe, we had them ced in the specially designed cells to nullify magic. Until I was sure what we were dealing with, I wasn''t going to take any chances with anyone''s safety. We went to Ansel first. To say that he was shocked to see us both would have been an understatement. He opened and closed his mouth a few times but no words woulde out. He was chained to the wall and judging by the smell of burning flesh emanating from his wrists, they were silver chains. "You went through a lot just to get us out of the pce," Ryker drawled as he stood in front of Ansel''s cell. Ansel at least had the decency to look a little terrified. "How did you know we wouldn''t check before leaving?" "You love your children," he answered simply. "Any parent would act first and thinkter if they thought that their child was in danger." "How did you know that Ryker would go to the kids and I wouldn''t? You had those people already waiting for him," I added and Ansel shrugged. He turned away from both of us and I knew he was done speaking. "Whether you speak or not, you will die the most painful and brutal death imaginable." "All the more reason I should remain silent. If I speak or not, I will die, I might as well die with a little dignity." Ryker moved before I even had the chance to process what was happening. He reached through the bars and dragged Ansel by the shirt pulling him until he was flush against the silver. His scream could only be described as ear splitting. His hands were strained against the chains holding him pulling at the already burned flesh and his face against the bars was charring with each passing second. "You act like you have a choice in the matter," Ryker growled before pushing him back. Ansel was crying- the once great elder of the pce was in a cell with tears streaming down his face and I felt no ounce of guilt or remorse. "You will tell me who the f**k those people are and you will do so now or I swear, I will make the rest of your life as miserable as possible. You will cling to the promise of death because that will be the only ce you will find refuge and even that will not be granted to you." Ansel sniffled and took a step back. I nced over at my mate, he was furious, which I expected so this was nothing out of the ordinary. I wanted tofort him but I didn''t want to risk him appearing weak in front of Ansel so I remained fixed in my spot only going as far as to send gentle assurance down our bond. His eyes shed to me for a split second, letting me know he felt me and he appreciated it. "It was never meant to go this far," Ansel said finally. "I just wanted them to scare the pack so that I would save them, but they are persuasive. They sing things to you and you want to do it. They can warp your reality with just a few words. I didn''t know what I was walking into." It sounded suspiciously simr to what they tried to do with Ryker. "Who are they?" "An ancient supernatural breed. They are dangerous and the only thing they love more than themselves, is their family. If you were to kill one-" "I killed one," Ryker said and Ansel''s eyes widened. "Then goddess help us all." I would have been a liar if I said I wasn''t terrified but I kept my hands crossed over my chest as I spoke. "What are they?" I heard a loud screame from the top of the steps and I turned to Ansel who smirked. "They are sirens." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 267 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I wasn''t sure if I wanted to stay back with him and figure out what he meant or identify the source of the sound. After hearing another scream, I rushed towards the other side of the cells with Ryker in tow. The cell door was open and the guards were on the floor bleeding profusely from gashes in their sides. "What the hell happened here?" I asked as I rushed to my knees trying to put some pressure on the blood but it was too much. Nothing I did seemed to be able to stop it. "Where are the prisoners?" "I''m sorry," one of the guards whispered. His voice was shaky and blood was dripping from his lips. "I don''t know how it happened, I swear. I didn''t mean for this." "Tell me what happened," I tried to keep my voice firm but soft at the same time. His friend was dead and I knew he would be too, thest thing I needed to do was stress him out. He was bleeding out by the second despite the pressure I was applying. "I came down here and I saw you," he exined me. "You were in the cells and you told me that they had put you in. I wanted to get you out, I just wanted to do the right thing. After I opened the door, it was like someone had cast a spell on me because you weren''t there anymore and they were. They attacked me and they asked me to tell you that they wereing for you. I am sorry, your majesty." "It isn''t your fault," I whispered softly. "Did they say anything else?" He shook his head barely. "They said we would all live to regret it because his majesty killed her husband. I tried to stop them, I swear I did." Behind me, I felt Ryker stiffen. Ansel had warned us barely seconds ago that they would rain hell on us for what we did. I would have been lying if I said fear didn''t grip my heart but I knew that for the sake of the brave man in front of me, I couldn''t panic. I turned to him with a small smile. "You are a brave soldier, thank you for everything you have done. You were doing your job. We weren''t prepared for them. You did the right thing." His eyes watered. "Did I, truly?" I nodded. His eyes were already gazing over and I knew it was just a few seconds away. I kept pressure on his side with one hand and reached out for one of his hands with the other. His hold was shaky and loose but he managed to hold my hand but I couldn''t let him die alone, not when this death could have been prevented. I wasn''t sure how long I stayed there holding his hand but the physician and some other guards rushed in. I still didn''t release him, I didn''t know how to. I could feel their eyes on me but I didn''t care, I only cared about the man on the floor in front of me. He couldn''t have been up to thirty. He had the entire of his life ahead of him and it had been taken away from him just like that. "Cami," I felt Ryker''s hand on my shoulder in aforting manner. "He is gone. You need to let go of him so that the guards can take him away." I still didn''t move, so Ryker gently pulled me to my feet. My hands and the hem of my dress were covered in blood but I didn''t care. I couldn''t peel my eyes away as they carried the bodies. They were both so young, they didn''t have to die. They shouldn''t have died. It was us that the sirens wanted. "What about the sirens?" I asked Ryker. "Did anyone see them leaving?" He shook his head. "They are long gone but I sent a mind link to all the guards. Everyone needs to wear ear plugs until further notice. I know it puts us at a disadvantage but I believe it is necessary. I don''t know much about sirens but I do know that if you cannot hear them, they cannot deceive you." "They are dangerous," I was still in a daze but he nodded. "Can we go back to Ansel now?" I could tell he was worried about me, and on another day, I would have tried to ease his worries but there was much to be done. I didn''t even wait for him before I started making my way back to Ansel''s cell. He was still seated where we left him and he had an amused look on his face as he took me in. "Did something happen?" he mused aloud. "You don''t look so good." In that moment, something bubbled inside of me, something dark and dangerous. He had the audacity to smirk after he was the one that brought them to our doorsteps. He wasn''t even remorseful in the slightest. He had done this over something as fickle and stupid as an elder seats and now lives had been lost and probably more toe. I reached out for him, I didn''t need to touch him, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The body was a fascinating thing, it was made up of seventy percent water. All I needed to do was reach out and touch it. I knew the exact moment I had his life in my hands and I squeezed. I watched as blood gathered in his mouth. There were a million things I could have done, I could have frozen his blood inside of him, I could have made him bleed out slowly, or I could have watched him choke on his blood. All of them sounded very appealing but none brutal enough for what he had done. "Cami," I felt Ryker''s presence behind me. "Let him go or you will kill him." "He deserves to die." "That is true, but not right now. Death will be too easy for him, he needs to tell us all he knows first." I didn''t respond at first and then I felt darkness envelop me. I knew instantly that Ryker had done it. I should have panicked, but there was something almost calming about the darkness, it didn''t fill me with fear or panic, but rather ease andfort. I didn''t even realize when my shoulders began to sag and I dropped my hand. I vaguely heard Ansel cough and splutter as the darkness dissipated. I was still pissed, but the haze of murder was gone from my eyes. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn''t kill you right now," I told Ansel who stayed silent/ At least he had learned not to smirk so much. "Where did you find these sirens and tell me everything you know about them." "I don''t know much. I thought they were a myth. I was doing research of what I could do to create some conflict in the pack that I could easily solve and I read about sirens. They were known as masters of maniption. You could get a siren to do your bidding if you paid the right price. I went with all the money I had, I thought it was enough, but I didn''t ount for how rich I saw them to be. I didn''t know it would end like this." "Did you miss the part where they called them maniptors?" I spat. "If they are still doing your bidding then call them off." Heughed, but there was nothing amusing about it, it was bleak and humorless. "They were never at my bidding. They only wanted me to think that. This was always about them. Sirens thrive on conflict and violence, they wanted to spill blood on their terms and now you have given them the chance. What were you thinking when you killed one?" "What were you thinking when you enlisted the help of one?" I shot back and he went silent. I squatted so that we were at eye level before dropping my voice to a cold whisper. ¡°I will only say this once so listen to me carefully. If any harmes to any member of my family because of you or what you have just done, I will paint the walls of this pce with your blood and I will make sure to rain fire down on your family in return, am I clear?" His eyes shed with anger. "Leave my family out of this." "You better pray to the goddess above that my familyes out of this alive, Ansel, or I swear, you will live to regret it." I didn''t wait for him to respond, I just turned on my heels and walked away. He was screaming after me but I couldn''t be bothered to turn back. As I got out of the dungeons, his voice became nothing but a distant memory at the back of my mind, there was more that needed to be attended to. I could feel the shocked eyes and hear the gasps from the guards and maids as they took in my blood stained arms and dress and while I knew I should have gone to change, there were a lot more important things that I needed to attend to. "Cami, I think you should change," Ryker whispered as he walked up to me. "You need to get cleaned." "No," I didn''t even hesitate. I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm keeping me in ce. "You can take five seconds to get cleaned." "And that is five seconds more that those sirens are on the loose. We need help, Ryker, we need help, we need to know what we are dealing with." "Cami, baby-"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Our children are in danger," I whisper yelled. "Did you hear what he said? They areing for us, they areing for our kids. Remember what Audrey said about the pce bathed in blood?" His brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" It hit me then that I never told him. "Cami, what are you hiding from me?" "A few weeks ago, Audrey came to me to tell me that she had a vision of the front of the pce bathed in blood. I think this is what she was warning us against." The Rejected Werewolf Princess Chapter 268 RYKER''S P.O.V I stared at Cami for a few seconds wondering if I had heard her properly. I could tell that she was embarrassed and felt guilty about the entire situation but what I couldn''t tell is if she would have done things differently if she had the chance. She opened her mouth to speak but I held up a hand to stop her because I wasn''t ready to listen to any excuse that she had to make up. "Why didn''t you tell me?" I asked but she said nothing. "Cami, I need you to say something or anything right now." She let out a sigh and looked down. "I don''t know, I just didn''t want to bother you. I just wanted you to focus on the actual problem which was your powers. I thought I could handle it." "Clearly you couldn''t," I mumbled and when her face fell, I realized I had said something wrong. I reached out to her and ran my hand through her hair softly. "I''m sorry, baby, I shouldn''t have said that, today has been a very weird day." I was still reeling from what had happened outside with the sirens. I couldn''t understand what was going on, I could feel the magic buzzing under my skin every second. I couldn''t help but wonder if this was how Cami felt when she had her magic and if this situation wasn''t happening right now, I would have asked her about it or spoken to her but right now, I needed to focus on Audrey''s vision. "Tell me exactly what she said," I told Cami and this time, she didn''t hesitate. "I can''t remember it for sure, she just said something about the front of the pce being bathed in blood. I was more focused on trying to make sure she wasn''t panicking anymore. It was one of those days you went out with Juan and I didn''t want to bother you when you came back." "You should have, she is as much my daughter as she is yours. It is mean to be our problem to solve." She sighed. "I know, I just- when she came to me, she didn''t even want to talk to me. She wanted you and it was so hard to just get her to open up to me because it is always the both of you. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J o b nib.c(o)m.I know it sounds stupid but to me, it isn''t. It always feels like you both put me on the sidelines and for once, I just wanted her to know that I could help her and that she coulde to me." I never realized that was what we had been doing but as I thought about it, I could understand where Cami wasing from. Whenever Audrey had a problem, I always led her away and it wasn''t because I was trying to hide her from Cami, I just wanted her to feel morefortable. I never stopped to think about how it could have been affecting Cami especially seeing as I never told her about it after. "She knows that," I whispered cupping her cheeks. I ced a soft kiss on the top of her head. "She loves you and she trusts you and I''m sorry if we didn''t show it to you properly." "I just wanted to help." "You are helping, we can do this together, okay? As long as we are open with each other, we can handle this," I pressed a lingering kiss to her head. "We need to talk to Audrey and figure out if there are any more details that she left out. She tends to do that sometimes." "What next?" "Next, we find out everything we can on these sirens. Ansel has served up his usefulness, he doesn''t know more than what he said before." Her brows furrowed. "How do you know that?" I thought about her question and the honest truth was, I didn''t know. I just knew on my inside that he didn''t know any more. "Call it a gut feeling," I said finally and she just nodded. She didn''t ask for any more exnation, she just nodded and thread her fingers with mine. The girls were with Christine when we got there. Christine was lying on the bed while Audrey and Aurora poked her growing belly. Their giggles filled the air and I couldn''t stop myself from smiling at the scene. I remembered how Audrey had been when Cami was pregnant, the idea fascinated her, probably because she couldn''t quite understand it at the time. She loved poking Cami''s stomach so that Aurora would kick and she would giggle about it. Christine noticed us first and once she did, the girls did too. There were squeals as our daughter scrambled over to get to us. I wasn''t surprised by their reaction, we hadn''te by to see them in about twenty four hours which was more than unusual for them. We were always there, whether it was at night time or in the morning, but we always made sure to see them. There was a lot of squealing and kisses involved but we finally got the girls to calm down. Aurora was happily nestled in Cami''s arms, her head lying on her shoulder. She had always loved her mother more, although Cami would have disagreed with you in an instant. Her eyes were drifting shut as Cami swayed and stroked her hair away from her face and I turned to Audrey. "Princess, your mum and I wanted to talk to you about something," I began slowly and her smile fell but she didn''t look surprised. "You knew we wereing, didn''t you?" She nodded slowly. "I wanted to warn you, but I couldn''t. The goddess said it was your test and you had to do it yourself. I''m sorry." "You have nothing to worry about," I assured her and I could visibly see my words take a weight off her shoulders. It had been clear she had been carrying this around for so long and I was pissed, pissed because she was my child and she wasn''t meant to worry about me, I was pissed because she was too young to be handling all of this. I was pissed because she deserved bette and I couldn''t do anything about it. If I could take the powers away in a second, I would have. "You told your mum about blood in front of the pce," I began slowly and her shoulders sagged. She nced over at Cami who had been quiet the entire time. ¡°We need to know everything about that."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I told her everything," Audrey began but I knew she wasn''t telling the truth. Cami sighed before taking a step towards our daughter, she was still holding Aurora. "Audrey, I know how scary it can be, but we need to know. People might be in danger and what you tell us could make a very big difference. I just want to know and I don''t want t put so much pressure on you, but I would really appreciate it if you spoke to us. At the end of the day, the choice is yours." Audrey was quiet for a full minute. I could tell she was mulling over her mother''s words and after a while, she took a seat at the edge of the bed. "I saw a woman, she was crying and she was singing and the blood starteding and it was everywhere. That''s all I saw. "Are you sure?" Cami asked and she nodded. "I pinky promise," she didn''t even hesitate before speaking. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you, mummy. I was scared." "I know," Cami leaned forward to kiss her hair. "It''s okay to be scared, we all get scared sometimes but that''s why youe to us because we will make everything better." Audrey''s eyes lit up. "Do you promise?" Cami held out her pinky finger and I saw Audrey beam like she had just won something. She hooked her finger with Cami''s and grinned from ear to ear. I couldn''t stop myself from smiling at the both of them. Despite everything that had happened today and how today started, it was turning out to be a good day. I lingered for a while, interacting with both Audrey and Cami. Aurora was fast asleep and had been for a while when I offered to take her to her room. Cami thought nothing of it and didn''t hesitate to hand my daughter over to me. Her room was directly opposite Audrey''s so I didn''t have to walk far. I wasying her in bed when something shifted. My vision became hazy for a second and then I felt it, there was something in the air, something that almost screamed danger. The air seemed to pulse with it, seemed to vibrate with it and I heard it, like a shrill scream. Thank the goddess I had alreadyid Aurora in bed because I couldn''t stop myself from mping my hands over my ears. The scream was ear splitting and I felt it within the corners of my soul. It was over within a second and I was stunned that Aurora had slept through it. I had expected her to wake up bawling but she didn''t, she justy in her tiny bedpletely unaffected by what had just happened. My entire body was still shaking and reeling from what had happened that it took me a few seconds to gather my bearings again. I managed to get to my feet and stumbled over to Audrey''s room where Cami and Audrey sat. Neither of them looked affected. "Did you hear that?" I asked but they both looked at me with confused expressions. "The scream, it was like my ears were being blown out. Did either of you hear it?" "I didn''t hear a scream," Cami said carefully. "Are you alright? Did something happen to you?" "No," I shook my head. "Sorry, I must have been lost in thought." "Ryker-" "Don''t worry about it," I forced my lips into a smile. "What were we talking about?" Chapter 269 CAMILLA''S P.O.V After the talk about a scream, Ryker started to act weird. He was almost fidgeting in his seat and looking over his shoulder every few seconds as if he expected someone to attack him or something. I understood that he was concerned about the sirens, so was I, but could tell that there was more. He stayed for about half an hour after that before finally excusing himself and disappearing to goddess knows where. Audrey didn''t ask for her dad once, I wasn''t sure if she was too distracted that she didn''t notice or if like me, she had noticed that he had been itching to leave. I managed to put her down for a nap and went out in search of my mate. He had his wall firmly up so that I couldn''t detect even a hint of his emotions. It was definitely infuriating but I couldn''t exactly me him. It had been an exhausting day. I was searching for him when I bumped into Christine. She had a bowl of fruits in her hand and she looked up at me like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I raised a brow at her and she shrugged. "I''m pregnant with twins apparently," she mumbled through a mouthful. "I''m allowed to eat like a pig." "I wouldn''t dream of judging," I teased and she rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Ryker yet?" She shook her head. "Is everything okay? No one will tell us what happened, I don''t even think anyone knows what happened. All I know is that one of the elders is in the cells and the guards are now tasked with wearing ear plugs." "Not just the guards- everyone," I corrected and her brows furrowed in confusion. "You would want to sit down for this, it is a very long story." I led her towards one of the closest benches and told her everything. Her eyes widened with each word but when I got to the part about what happened to Ryker, I glossed over it because it was his story to tell and not mine. I wanted him to befortable enough to let it out and if he never was then it was going to be our secret. By the time I was done, Christine just sat there staring at me for so long that I thought I had spoken a differentnguage. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before letting out a deep sigh. "I was wondering why you were covered in blood," she mumbled after a while and I couldn''t stop myself fromughing. With everything going on, I couldn''t believe I had forgotten to get myself cleaned. "Come, I think you have scared enough of the soldiers with the way you look. No offense, but I don''t know how your kids didn''t scream their heads off." "Aurora probably thought it was paint," I said more to myself than to her as I stood to my feet and followed her up the stairs. "Audrey might have known what it was but then again, there isn''t a lot that Audrey doesn''t know right now. She knows more than we do." Christine hummed in agreement. "So we have sirens on the loose. Do we ever get a break around here? First we had to deal with vampires and then witches and now sirens? Do you think your mum had it this hard?" "Honestly, yes," I responded after thinking about it for a while. "My father had to deal with the vampires too and that is the only one that we know of. Although, I definitely think we have it worse." We got to the room and she helped me out of my dress and into the bath so I could scrub the blood off my skin. Most of it had dried off and I watched the water slowly turn pink while trying my hardest not to think about the innocent guard that had lost his life because of us. He was someone''s child, someone''s friend, someone''s lover and he had died, just like that. He seemed so pure and innocent, even the way he spoke to me, all he wanted to do was help. "Cami," Christine snapped and I turned to her. "Your skin is turning red, you need to stop scrubbing." I didn''t realize I had been scrubbing at my skin that hard. I mumbled an apology although I wasn''tpletely sure what I was apologizing for. I got changed into something more casual than I would have usually never worn around the pce but I couldn''t bring myself to care. There was so much that we had to do and find out. "I need to find Ryker," I told Christine once I was dressed and she nodded. "I know you do." "I don''t know the first thing about beating sirens." "We''ll learn," she reached out for my hand and squeezed. "This won''t be the first time we go into a battle blind and we haven''t lost so far, have some faith in yourself, we aren''t going to lose now." "There''s a lot at stake," I whispered. "You didn''t hear about Audrey''s vision, the pce front of the pce bathed in blood, you don''t-" I stopped because I remembered that Audrey had a vision about her too, one I couldn''t bring myself to say out loud. "We have kid now." "I know, and I would be lying if I said it wasn''t terrifying. I still don''t know what exactly happened out there but if it scares you this bad then it scares me. I cannot imagine facing an enemy that speaks and I see somethingpletely different. This is uncharted territory and I could spend my time losing my mind or I could do everything possible to make sure that my kidse into a world without sirens trying to kill their aunt." I couldn''t stop myself fromughing. "We''ll figure it out." "I know you will, now, let''s go find Ryker for you." It took us nearly another hour before we found him. We searched the private library, his office and even the gardens. I was just about ready to give up when we walked past my mother''s old bedroom and I heard a sound. I hadn''t even thought to check it but Christine had opened the door and Ryker sat on the bed turning over one of her carvings in his hands. "Can you take it from here?" she asked and I nodded. She squeezed my shoulder slightly with a smile. "Good luck." I waited until she had gone back down the hall before walking in and closing the door behind me. It was just us inplete silence and it wasn''t until I stopped in front of him that he finally looked up at me. "You changed your dress," it was a statement of fact so I felt no need to respond. "At least you got the blood off you." "I would have liked your help." He said nothing in response to that, simply gestured to a book I hadn''t noticed on her dressing table. "I got it from the library. It has a few things on sirens. Did you know that they are considered one of the most brutal and blood thirsty species? They lure predominantly men to their deaths with singing and the charm in their voices." "Is that why I wasn''t affected?" He shook his head. "They can infect women, they just choose not to most times. I''m not willing to take the risk though. They also have a knack for revenge, they will go to the ends of the earth to exact vengeance on one they feel wronged them." "They''re not going to stop until you''re dead." He shook his head. "No, she doesn''t want to kill me, she wants to kill you."Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. I cocked my head to the side. "You killed her husband, why would she want to kill me?" "Because, death would be too much of a gift. She would want me to suffer, she would want me to feel the same pain that she feels and her daughter feels. She would make me watch you die and that would be her vengeance." I swallowed deeply as I asked my next questions. "How do you know that?" "Because it is what I would do," he cleared his throat and stood to his feet. He tried to walk past me but I grabbed his upper arm. "You didn''t pass the test, did you?" I asked and he stilled. He knew what I was talking about, there was no need for me to borate. "Notpletely, no. I didn''t kill you, so I passed, but I killed him and killing someone with magic does something to you. I don''t know how to exin it. I can feel it, you know? I can feel the pulse beneath my fingers, I can feel the very essence of your life in this room and I know that I can take it away in a second. Does that scare you?" "No." I wasn''t lying either. There was nothing about Ryker that could scare me. I knew him arguably better than I knew myself and I knew that no matter what, he would not hurt me. I didn''t care if he had the powers to turn the entire world to ash, he would never hurt his family and that much was certain. "It scares me," he admitted. His voice was barely over a whisper, I wouldn''t have heard him if I wasn''t standing very close to him. "It terrifies me to know that one wrong move and I could kill someone. I didn''t even touch him and the worst part is that I don''t feel bad for it." "I wouldn''t either," I shrugged eliminating the final bit of space between us. I thread my fingers with his and lifted it to show him. "You''re touching me and I''m not dead. I don''t care if you didn''t passpletely or if you passed by a hair''s breadth, what matters is that you passed and you beat this thing so I need you right now so we can beat the sirens too." "I don''t want you near them." "Tough shit, Ryker, this is about me and you now. We''re in this together whether you like it or not so you can either sit here and throw your pity party or we can find out how to kill that bitch. It is your choice." Chapter 270 CAMILLA''S P.O.V The only thing I truly hated about having the sirens on the loose was not knowing when or how they would attack. With every enemy we had faced so far, we had a deadline- something to look forward to. With Frederick, we had a week, with Allister, we had a timeline and with Reina- we knew, but right now, we were walking blindly. These were unlike any enemy we had faced before and I wasn''t sure how we could possibly prepare for something that we didn''t even know wasing. Ansel had been of zero help, he had said everything he knew and we were left grasping at straws to find out whatever we could about sirens- the sirens we were facing to be more specific. "Please tell me that someone found something," I mumbled as way of greeting as Ryker and I walked into the council room. It felt a lot emptier than usual, Ansel''s empty chair had been moved away but the empty space mocked us, almost sneering at me in a jesting way. "It has been twenty-four hours, we need answers." There was silence amongst the elders for a full minute before Caius got the courage to speak. "Nothing yet, your majesty, perhaps if we could know how her partner died-" "That is none of your concern," I spat. I had shut down every question about what happened out there. Thest thing I wanted to do was put Ryker''s newfound powers on st especially not when we were notpletely sure what we were dealing with. "They had tried to attack Ryker and he killed the husband. It was a battle, lives are lost in a battle, move on." "Yes, your majesty," he bowed but it was clear that he didn''t believe me. "We don''t know what they look like. We have sent descriptions out to the towns and have asked everyone to be on edge but so far, they haven''t turned up. The moment they do, we will know, they cannot hide when everyone is on the lookout." "The aim is to find them before they attack," Ryker drawled having not said a single word since the beginning of the meeting. "Seeing as we cannot find them, has anyone found any ways we can kill them? Surely something must havee out of thest twenty-fou hours." It was another of the elders that spoke. "I am sure you understand how difficult things have beentely, your majesty, one of our own-" "Betrayed us," Ryker cut him off. "He threatened the crown and tried to have us killed. The only reason the entire pce doesn''t know is because I am trying to prevent a protest.Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Job nib.c(o)m. I would rather focus on the enemy outside than the enemy within but make no mistake about it, I have not forgotten what happened and while threatening to take you away from your positions might have caused this, I will dly pull each and every single one of you from that position and banish you without the shadow of a doubt." There was a hint of darkness creeping into his voice and as I looked down at his hands clenched in hisps, I saw shadows slowly slithering out of his fingertips. He didn''t even notice because he was still staring down the elders. Discreetly, I slipped my hand into hi and intertwined our fingers. He stilled ever so briefly that if you hadn''t been carefully analyzing him, you wouldn''t have noticed. The shadows slowly retreated and he nced at me briefly, he didn''t speak, but I could clearly see the gratitude in his eyes. He exhaled deeply, calming himself in the process before finally looking up at the elders whose faces held varying degrees of fear and wariness. I knew if they were to continuemunicating with each other, nothing was going to stop Ryker from exploding and tha was thest thing I wanted, so I cleared my throat making all eyes turn to me. "We need whatever we can on these people, the lives of everyone in this pce are at stake. You all saw what they did to the guards and how easy it was for them to slip out of here. They are masters of disguise. All they need is to catch you off guard one time and i is over. Keep your guard up and for the love of the goddess, find something." "We have, your majesty," it was Caius who spoke again, his tone much softer than before. "We did everything we knew to be possible but we are still searching and reaching out to our contacts in other packs. We just need time."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "We don''t have time," Ryker ground out. "Time is the one thing that we don''t have enough of to spare. No one sleeps or leaves this f*****g pce until we have something tangible to work with." He stormed out without another word and I just sat there staring at the exit he passed through as the door mmed shut. The elders stared at me, varying looks of concern and apprehension on their faces but I couldn''t bring myself to say a word. It was still the same Ryker we all knew, he was just on edge with the number of things weighing him down. "Just find something," I said in a much calmer tone than the one Ryker had used. "This isn''t just about us. If you think she ising for us then think again. She will kill everyone and everything in her path, including you and your families. I don''t want that as much as you don''t." I stood to my feet and walked out of the room after that. No one dared to stop me, no one spoke. It wasplete silence and I didn''t me them, there wasn''t much to say. I followed Ryker''s scent out of the pce and into the garden. He was standing with his back to me but I knew that he could sense my presence. I walked over to his side, not touching him but staying close enough that I could feel his body heat. For the longest time, neither of us said a word. We just stood there watching the clouds go by. I wanted him to break the ice first because I knew if I said the wrong thing, I could risk pushing him away even more. "You can say whatever it is that you want," he whispered after a few minutes. "I am not a ticking time bomb." "I don''t want to say anything," it wasn''t aplete lie. There was a lot I wanted to say, just not right now. "I think the sky is very beautiful today. It reminds me of the oceans waves." "Cami, please,¡± he ran his hands down his face. "I need you to say something. I hate the silence. I already feel like a stranger in my own body. I don''t want to feel like a stranger to you too. I need to know that you still recognize me." "I do," I told him without any hesitation. "I see you even if you don''t see yourself. I already told you, you weren''t lost after that test. What matters to me now is that we get rid of these sirens. What do we already know?" "They like water, not just any kind of water, salt water." "Good, there are three saltwater bodies around here. I can have guards patrol-" "No," he cut me off. "I don''t want to put anyone''s lives at risk. We need to know for certain and take the battle to them. If we let them go on the offense, then we are finished. They are stronger than we realize and-" He trailed off into silence and I knew that there was something he wasn''t telling me. I wanted to push and it took all of my self-control to not push and demand that he tells me. Instead, I folded my legs and sat on the ground. Ryker looked at me, confusion etched in his brows as I gestured for him to take the seat next to me. It took him a second but he finally did as I asked and I rested my head against his shoulder. He stiffened for the barest second before wrapping his arms over my shoulders. "Are you going to tell me what it is you stopped yourself from saying earlier?" I asked and he tensed up. "I won''t stop asking until you do." "I can hear them," he didn''t even hesitate before he started speaking. ¡°I don''t know if it is because they have been in my head before but I heard a scream two days ago. I was trying to tell you about it. I heard it against night. It felt like raw pain, like someone was trying to w out my heart." "Why didn''t I hear it? I''ve heard her too." "No, not the way I did. She was inside of my head, Cami, I saw them as Christine and Juan, I saw her child as Audrey. She made me see things. You heard and saw her for what she was but I felt her magic, I felt it inside of me in a way that I never want to experience again. She is grieving for her partner and she is hurt. She wille for revenge." "We will be ready," I squeezed his hand. "You need to trust that. We just have to find out where she is." "We will but I don''t want you there when we do," I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. "Allow me do this alone, Cami, the way it should have been from the very beginning. Let me make things right. I want to make peace." "You know she doesn''t want peace." "I know, but it doesn''t hurt to try and I can''t do that with you there. It will only fuel her rage. I need you to trust Juan and I," he was asking a lot of me, more than I was willing to give. "Please, Cami, let me do this." I nodded. "Okay, I will." Chapter 271 RYKER''S PO.V There was a buzzing underneath my skin, like a presence that didn''t want to leave, it was a constant reminder of the magic flowing through my veins. It was unusual at first and a tad bit ufortable but now, it was just annoying. With everything going on, it was very easy to lose my cool but the moment I lost control of my emotions, I lost control of the magic too. If Cami hadn''t been with me in the council chambers, I would''ve lost control and I couldn''t have that. Not right now, not when we were fighting an enemy outside. Thest thing I wanted to do was to make the people divert their attention from the real enemy and onto me. People tended to fear what they couldn''t understand and I couldn''t expect anyone to understand the fact that I currently possessed the same magic that Reina did. Even I found it hard to believe sometimes especially after killing that male siren but I did it for the right cause and that was more than enough for me. I wasn''t going to hide it forever, that was never the n, I just needed to keep it hidden and controlled long enough until we had nothing to worry about. It was going to take some getting used to and slow limatization to get the people used to it but I knew it was something I could do. The people were reasonable and they loved us, but fear was a powerful weapon and right now, there was too much fear for them to think straight. At that moment, they were in survival mode and threatened animals only knew how to do one thing- strike. "I''m here," Juan announced as he walked into my office. I had asked for his help to try and figure out which sea the sirens could be in. There were three of them and I didn''t want to risk sending innocent guards to their deaths. "I got all the notes you asked me to get on the seas and the areas around them. I hope you know what you are doing, Ryker." I hesitated for a moment before responding. "I hope so too." No one wanted the sirens gone more than Juan and I. He had a pregnant mate and I knew it had been worrying him badly that there was so much going on that could potentially put her in danger. I had told him that it was fine if he decided it was best for him and Christine to leave and settle somewhere else but all he did was snort in my face and ask what I needed for him to do. I had never thought I would have another friend in my life but Juan was someone I didn''t know I needed until he came into my life. "I have been going through the books about sirens," I said gesturing to the stack of books I had taken from the private library. "They are a very secretive species so not much is known about them. It is said that once you go down to a sirens home, you will never return. All the information we have is from sirens who have been captured before but it is taken with a grain of salt because sirens are known maniptors."This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "So it could either bepletely true orpletely false," he deduced and I nodded. "Alright then, I want to hear it." "Excluding their supernatural strength, speed and regenerative habits, it is said that sirens love the clean and open water. They prefer to move in the deep waters which makes it difficult for their prey to escape. They can usually be found in the open sea and they prefer isted bodies of water. They have tight familial bonds but they also are not good parents. Sirens will torture their own kids so that they can remain with their respective spouses. They also mate for life." "Does it say how to kill them?" Juan asked and I nodded. "They can die like any other mortal creature. They can be decapitated and they can die from blood loss although thest is very tricky because of how fast they regenerate. In their human form, they are at their weakest. If you get a siren in their true form, they are almost impossible to beat. You can also turn a sirens powers back on themselves by singing their own song back to them. It heightens their animalistic tendencies and it causes them to lose control. They could even kill themselves." "How do we sing the song to them if it is something that we cannot even hear ourselves? IF we listen to it, we are lost. How do we know what to sing back?" "I don''t know," I mumbled as I ran my hands through my hair. "But using this information, we are looking for the cleanest possible sea and thergest." Juan walked over to the map that was open in front of us and dropped a pin in a spot. "That is the cleanest andrgest sea that is close to this pack," he paused for a second and took another pin and ced it on the opposite side of the map. "But if that was all lies then that is the murkiest, the smallest and the most visited by people." "If we choose wrong then," I trailed off, I didn''t even need to finish my sentence, he knew. "What do you think?" "I think you have to make this decision by yourself. It isn''t something that I can make for you, I''m sorry." I thought about it for a second. I didn''t know anything else about sirens except what was in the books and I was normally a stickler for the rules, it was in my nature to just go with what the books said but another part of me, a softer and quiet side told me to go with the opposite. It was like an impossible question because this wasn''t just about me anymore, it was about everyone in this entire pce. I couldn''t make the wrong choice, I could be damning everyone to a death sentence. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply as I pointed to one of the pins. "This one." We prepared to move by evening. Sirens had extraordinary eyesight from being able to swim underwater and while I should have been looking for something to our advantage, I was deliberately going with the opposite. I wanted them to feel safe, I wanted them to feel like they had the advantage over us. I wanted to avoid a war and I was going to do everything possible to make sure that it didn''t get bloody although a part of me told me I was wasting my time. Dinner was a tense affair, the women knew we were doing something but they didn''t know what and that was exactly how I wanted it. They wouldn''t even look us in the eye, Cami just sat next to me with her expression set in a permanent frown. The tension was so thick and tangible that even the kids didn''t speak, they just sat there in ufortable silence. I wanted to speak, to try and ease the tension but even I didn''t know what to say. By the time dinner was over, Cami and I put the girls in bed but she didn''t speak to me once. The moment we were out of Audrey''s room, she tried to brush past me but I grabbed her arm. "Please stop." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Stop what exactly? I haven''t done anything so if you would please let me go." "I need to do this," I whispered softly but that seemed to have no effect on her whatsoever. "I need to see if peace is an option." "It isn''t," she spat. It was at that moment I realized exactly what the issue was. She wasn''t pissed off at me, she was worried. I cupped her cheeks and stroked my thumb across her skin softly and I felt her shiver against me. ¡°You shouldn''t be going out there, especially not with guards." "I don''t want her to think that we are attacking them oring there for an ambush. I want this to be on their own terms." "This is insane, I will be the first to tell you that this is a suicide battle. She will kill you." "Then the battle will be over," I couldn''t stop the words from leaving my mouth and the moment they did, Cami pulled back from me. "Baby-" She held up a hand to stop me. "You are going out there with the intention to die, aren''t you?" "I don''t want to die." "Don''t lie to me," she hissed. "It might not be your first choice but if ites then you will ept it with open arms. You bastard. Would you have just left me here to wait for you to return home?" "I''m sorry," I began but she was past the point of listening to me. She pped my chest hard repeatedly until I realized there were tears streaming down her face. I cursed and pulled her closer into my embrace. She mumbled something under her breath that was indiscernible but I didn''t care in that moment, I was worried about her. "I''lle back," I promised her. A few minutes ago, I wouldn''t have cared but right now, I had to return. "I will do everything in my power to return." "No, you will go above and beyond to return because I swear to the goddess, if you don''te back, I will go down to the afterlife and drag you back myself, do you hear me?" The corner of my lips tilted up as I nodded. "I hear you loud and clear." "This isn''t funny," she mumbled but I could see that she was trying and failing to hide her smile. "I''ll be waiting up for you." "Don''t," I began but she rolled her eyes. "I will be waiting," she repeated the words to let me know that she didn''t give a shit about my refusal. "Christine probably will be too so you would do well to bring Juan back in one piece as well." "I will." Cami sighed before taking a step back from me. "You should go now, before it gets toote." Chapter 272 RYKER''S P.O.V There was a chill breeze in the air that felt unnatural. It was almost like a warning, telling me about everything that could go wrong. Juan was beside me, silent but equally tense. The horses moved slowly, almost as if they also could sense the danger. It was in the air, swirling around us, threatening to choke whatever good was left. "What if you chose wrong?" Juan asked and I stilled. I had thought about it, debated it actually, the truth was, I wasn''t sure. "Do you think they would know that you came looking or can we just head out to the other spot?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "I don''t know," I admitted. "I don''t know them like I would love to. I don''t make assumptions that I cannot back up by fact." "This is a dangerous game you are ying, Ryker. We are facing an enemy that has nothing to lose and those are the most dangerous foes.¡± "She has her child." He snorted. "I don''t know why, but I believe the idea of them not being great parents. A lot of us wolves would do the same thing," I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. "That isn''t to say that we aren''t good parents, we would just choose our mates over our children. She picked her husband over her child." I thought about it for a second but I didn''t even need to think about it for long, if it came down to it, I was going to pick Cami. I wasn''t sure if that made me a bad father or not, but it was what I would have done. I wasn''t sure I could live without Cami, I couldn''t even imagine life without her. "The mate bond is a powerful thing," was my answering response and he hummed in agreement. "How is Christine? How do you feel about the babies?" "Honestly, I was preparing for one kid, two is a little more than I bargained for but it is exciting nheless. I want a family with her and it seems like it will be a good challenge, I just don''t know if it is one I''m ready for. Were you ready for your girls?" I snorted. "I found out about Audrey when she was three and I was not ready for Aurora in the least. I don''t think anyone is ever ready for children, it is just something that happens. You will be a good father." "I know I will," it wasn''t over confidence or pride, he was just stating a fact. "I just hope there is a world for my children toe into." "I guess we will find out," I gestured firward towards the sea. It was only a distance away, I could already see the marsh. "I think we should dismount here. I don''t want to startle them." "Somehow, I think that they already know we are here." Neither of us said anything as we got off the horses. The air almost seemed colder the closer we got to the edge of the water. I convinced myself that the water had something to do with it, but I couldn''t help but know that it was something else. There was old magi running through the veins of the waters and it almost seemed to sing out to me. We were only a few feet away from the stream when I heard a piercing scream. I mmed both hands over my ears trying to rid myself of the sound but it wasing from somewhere deep within my mind. It was inside of me and I couldn''t get it out. I felt Juan''s hands on my shoulders as he tried to figure out what was happening but I couldn''t hear him, the sound was too much. I looked up at him, relieved that he had his ear plugs in. I knew that whatever I could hear wasing straight from the sirens. "They''re here," I managed out and he must have read my lips because his eyes grew guarded. "I need ear plugs." He handed me some and despite putting them in, I could still the reverberating scream in my brain. It wasn''t as bad as before, but it was there. Juan was watching me with concern and apprehension as I slowly made my way towards the edge of the water. It wasn''t the cleanest I had seen but it also wasn''t the nastiest. "Please," I whispered as I put a hand in the water. I wasn''t sure how I knew what to do. "I know you''re grieving and I know I am arguably thest person you want to see right now but I want to talk to you." The scream stopped almost immediately and I felt relief for the first time in minutes, that was until I felt the air shift. It went dark, and I felt a tension in the air that hadn''t been there before. The hair on my hands stood on edge and I felt something bitter and tart bubble the siren. It was her anger and it was directed at me. up in my chest. I knew instantly that it wasn''t mine, it wasing from someone else, something else. I looked down at my hand still submerged in the water and pulled it back. Almost immediately, the feeling stopped. I knew instantly that it belonged to I instantly opened the mind link between Juan and I. "Step back, now. She ising." "What are you talking about?" "Step back!" No sooner than I had said that, the water erupted in a huge wave. It sshed everywhere, getting all over my skin and clothes. I was drenched from head to toe but I didn''t sway, didn''t move back at all. I couldn''t cower, not now and not in the face of her anger. For the first time, I took in the female siren. She had hair that looked like it had been spun straight from the depths of the ocean. Her eyes were bottomless pits the color of the waves of the sea and I noticed her bottom half was no longer that of a man, it was a tail, the same color as her hair. "Why shouldn''t I kill you right now?" she snarled as she stared so hard, it felt like she was seeing directly into my soul. "You took something from me." I realized as she spoke that her lips didn''t move once, she spoke directly into my mind. I wasn''t sure if it was an after effect of hearing her voice or if it was just a power that she possessed. "You would have killed me if I didn''t kill you," I said simply and I expected anger from her, but all I got in return was cold amusement. "I defended myself." She shrugged. "That doesn''t change the fact that you killed my husband and I will have my revenge." "You have no moral high ground for revenge." The corner of her lips tugged up into a smirk. "Who said anything about morality? I have take everything you hold dear and I will make you watch as I drain the life from your-" "Do not threaten my family," I snarled and for the first time, I saw something akin to worry sh across her eyes. "You came to my family when you didn''t need to. You attacked us unprovoked, you tried to have me killed and you used your magic on me." "You are one to talk about magic. Why are you here?" "I don''t want to fight you, I have no interest in adding one more defeated foe to my history. Our species do not need to be at war, we have peacefully coexisted without having to interact with one another. I see no reason why there should be a fight." Her lips curved. "It is only a fight if both parties have equal chances of winning. I have no interest in fighting your pack or your species. Neither does my species have any interest in a war. We sirens are people of peace, we only attack strays who wander into our territory." "I am no stray and you know that." "You are right about that," she hummed flicking her tail in the water. "You were brave foring here. Most men wouldn''t dream ofing to their ce of death yet you walked in willingly." "Because I have no interest in dying, and I know you have no interest in killing me." "You are smart," sheughed humorlessly and sat up straighter. "My daughter is asleep right now. She would love to receive a gift from the people who murdered her father. You came here for peace, right? Let me give you my conditions for peace. I want you to hurt the way I do. I want you to feel my loss. I want your mate." "That will never happen." She looked behind me and nodded towards Juan. "I want his then. I know you won''t give up yours so easily, but he wouldn''t have to know. I cane in and pretend like it is a battle, I will kill her and leave." Her voice was almost calming, like she was singing to me. There was a lull in my brain until I felt something like a charge and I knew exactly what she had been trying to do to me. I knew what she wanted. I moved before she could speak. One hand shot out and shadows slithered out wrapping around her throat. Her words were cut off mid-sentence and in that moment, I would have killed her with no hesitation. She knew that too because the next thing I knew, she was diving under the waves again. I couldn''t see her and I couldn''t kill what I couldn''t see. "What happened?" I heard Juan''s voice in my head. "What did you talk about? What did she say?" "Nothing," I lied. I couldn''t tell him what she had asked of me. "We need to get out of here. There is no hope for peace." We walked off towards our horses and I was one step away from mine when I heard her voice again. "You should have taken my offer when you could, Ryker Caine. I will destroy you and I will take both women and you will do nothing about it." Chapter 273 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I sat anxiously in Christine''s bed with her head in myp. I hadn''t even been able to protest when she did it because the Christine I knew wasn''t big on being touched but for her to go out of her way and request physical contact, then it was clear that she was worried. Her baby bump was bigger now, she couldn''t hide it even if she tried. I figured it had something to do with the fact that she was having twins because she was bigger than I was at her stage. She was absent mindedly running her hand over her stomach and murmuring words under her breath. I couldn''t figure out what she was saying, I just knew that she was speaking to herself and with each passing second, the worry grew so thick that it felt like I could reach out and cut it up with a butter knife. "Have you discussed baby names?" I asked and her movements ceased. It was clear she didn''t hea rmy question so I repeated it again. "Have you thought about the gender or where you want to put the nursery?" "We''ve spoken a few times, but we never came to an agreement. SO much has been happening that I haven''t even had time to sit and-" "You don''t have to worry about everything going on. We can handle ourselves. This si your first child, you should be basking in the feeling of pregnancy." She snorted. "I love the idea of having children, I swear I do, but I do not like being pregnant and if I am being very honest, I would rather think of anything else right now. My boobs hurt like hell, my feet are always swollen, I am as unstable as the weather in spring and I cannot fit into most of my clothes." "It does have its bad sides," I murmured in agreement. "But I guess it helps to have something to look forward to. You''re going to have your own babies- two of them. Do you have any preferences on the gender?" "Audrey said I was having a boy and a girl and I have learned that Audrey is almost always right so, boy and girl it is. I haven''t thought about names yet. Neither Juan nor I have any familial rtions we would like to name our kids after. You had Ryker''s mum and yours, but I have- well I have no one." I had never stopped to realize just how truly sad Christine''s life was. She hade to live at the pce from a very young age, she had no family excluding us. It was incredibly lonely and I couldn''t help but feel bad for her. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Jo b nib.c(o)m. She looked up at me and she must have seen something in my expression because she cursed and sat up. Within seconds, she was wiping tears from the corner of her eyes. "This is why I hate being pregnant," she mumbled as she grabbed a handkerchief from the side drawer. "You start looking at me with pity and I start bawling like a f*****g baby." "I wasn''t looking at you with pity," I lied and she shot me a withering look. "It wasn''t my intention at least." "it never is, it is just who you are. You feel bad for people, you want to help them, even when they don''t feel bad or want to help themselves. I''ll think about baby names, I just- I''m scared." Now, her wall was cracking a little, I could practically see it crumbling before my very eyes. "What are you scared of?" "That I won''t get to enjoy this," she whispered. "There is something you and Ryker didn''t tell me, I''m not asking you to tell me now, I don''t even want to know to be honest. Fear is a greater killer than death itself sometimes but I know there is something. I''m just scared that I won''t be able to enjoy it and I am scared that if I start trying to, I won''t get to." I frowned and reached out to her. She didn''t hesitate, she allowed me hold her and run my fingers through her hair. "Audrey saw you having two amazing kids. There is nothing for you to worry about. Our kids are going to grow up together and be best friends." It was clear she didn''t believe me and I knew I was lying to her, but I didn''t care. I was going to say whatever was necessary to make her feel better about everything. It was unfair for anyone to go through this level of worry and unease during their pregnancy. It was meant to be a time for enjoyment and a time to reflect on the beauty of life giving, it wasn''t for her to worry or fret about what could possibly go wrong. I shot up from the bed and gestured for her toe with me. "I have an idea." "I don''t want to go anywhere, Cami," she mumbled but I wasn''t about to take no for an answer. I pulled on her hand until she was standing and pulled her along with me. We all lived on the same floor, just in different wings of the pce. She stayed in the west with Juan while Ryker and I stayed in the East. There was an assortment of rooms next to hers so I picked the one closest to hers. It wasrge and empty, it hadn''t been used for a while and there was nothing in there save for a small table. She had her hands crossed over her chest as she followed me in and a look of unease on her face. "We can make this into a nursery for you," I said gesturing to the massive space. "There can be two cribs right next to each other and two rocking chairs for you and Juan. Your kids will have a massive f*****g closet and more toys than they can possibly use." With each word, she smiled softly and moved a little closer into the room. "I could see the vision. It would have to be painted and cleaned because there is no way in hell this room can be used like this." "You can discuss the vision with Juan and have it cleaned so you can start decorating. It might make the whole process a lot easier or more pleasurable for you." She sighed and leaned against the wall. "I just want all of this to be over. I want to have the kids and just enjoy it." "I think you''ll be crying for the pregnancy stage again once you have to deal with not one but two screaming newborns at midnight," her eyes widened as she thought about it and I couldn''t help butugh at herical expression. "You''ll be fine, you have Juan and you have Ryker and I. You helped so much with our girls and there is no doubt in my mind that we will help whenever you need us. All you have to do is call for us." "Thank you," her eyes welled up with tears but she was determined to blink them away. "This has just been a very emotionally exhausting time and I wasn''t sure if I was allowed to like it because of everything going on. It''s just-it feels too much." ¡°It will be fine,¡± I assured her, taking her hands in mine. "You deserve to be happy and this is your chance so you need to take it with both hands." We stood there for a while, just talking about probable designs for the nursery when I heard movement outside. I gestured to Christine to wait while I went to investigate. There were very few people who wandered into this part of the pce which was why I wasn''tpletely surprised to see Ryker and Juaning out of the bedroom. Juan sighted me first and he let out a sigh of relief as he brushed past me and into the room to find his mate. I met Ryker halfway and I didn''t need to read his mind to know that there was something bothering him. I reached up to stroke my fingers down his cheek when he pulled me into him and kissed me deeply. There was something desperate in that kiss, something urgent that tasted a lot like panic and relief. I kissed him back, silently trying to remind him that I was here and I wasn''t running anywhere. That I was here with him and he didn''t have to worry. He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. He didn''t speak but the silence said volumes. I ran my hands gently down his face and hair until the tension had slowly bled out of his shoulders. "You smell like ocean water," I noted and he couldn''t help but chuckle. "Did you take a dip or something?" "No, I had an angry siren throw a wave onto me," he took a step back leaving me cold. "We should give them some privacy," I looked over my shoulder to find Christine animatedly telling Juan some of the ns for the nursery. He was watching her with a small smile on his face and I could have bet that he was just staring at her and not even listening. "You''re right," I agreed, letting Ryker lead me with his hand on the small of my back. We walked infortable silence and the moment we were behind closed doors, his lips found mine. He wasn''t as panicked as earlier, but there was something frantic about his actions, something that spelled out worry for me. Still, I couldn''t stop myself from kissing him back, he was my mate, I loved the feel of his lips on mine. He only pulled back so we could catch our breaths and I took that opportunity to speak.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "What happened out there?" I asked and his eyes darkened considerably as he looked away. "You cannot avoid this question forever, you need to tell me." "I will," I knew he wasn''t lying. "I just don''t want to do it tonight." I rolled my eyes yfully. "You never want to do it tonight. Why though? You always tell me the next day." "Because I would rather spend time with my mate and not have her worrying the entire time she is in my arms. I will tell you tomorrow, just trust me, please.¡± Chapter 274 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I woke up to fingers running through my curls. I made a sound underneath my breath and nestled closer to the source of heat that I knew ultimately belonged to Ryker. He chuckled under his breath before pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. I was fully awake by this time, but I had no intentions of opening my eyes anytime soon. "It''s morning," Ryker''s voice was soft and teasing by my ears. "We need to talk, Cami." "I know," I mumbled as I moved closer to him. "I just want a few more seconds, can you give me that?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "I could, but it is veryte in the morning and if you don''t get up now, you might be pissed with meter," he whispered and I groaned but ultimately knew he was right and pulled my eyes open. He had a small smile on his face. "Good morning, baby." He leaned down and kissed me softly. There was always something heart warming and calming about waking up next to him. It was my own calm before the storm, my own brief moment of peace before the drama of the day began. It was that little piece of bliss that I could count on every day of my life and I lived and breathed for it. I smiled up at him and he stared at me like I had hung up the stars. "We need to talk," his voice was soft but there was an edge in his eyes, something that had me knowing that whatever he was about to say had the potential to wreck my day. I sat up slowly, pulling the nkets up to my chin with it. "I need to tell you so that we can get our stories straight before we talk to Juan and Christine." "Is it that bad?" "It is and fuck, Cami, I don''t even want to talk to you about it but I made a promisest night and I have to," the way he was speaking terrified me and with each passing second, I could almost feel and impending sense of doom. It was kind of ironic that we were having the conversation with him fully clothed and me stark naked but I was used to us having the weirdest conversations in the weirdest of ces. I sat up straighter and cleared my throat. "I''m listening," I said trying to keep the fear and worry out of my words. "I''ll try to keep a clear mind but forgive me if I am unable to." "She wants Christine dead." I paused, blinked at him twice and then rubbed my ears wondering if I had heard him wrong. I blinked again wondering if he was going to disappear orugh and say that he was joking but he didn''t. It didn''t matter how long I stared at him, he didn''t move, he didn''t flinch and I knew deep in my heart that I heard right. "Why would she want that?" I couldn''t understand the reasoning behind it. "What does Christine have to do with anything?" "She wanted me to offer up Christine in exchange for you. She said she would attack the pce, kill Christine and leave. That was her condition to leave you alone." My eyes widened to the point of saucers. "What did you say?" "Of course I said no, what do you think I said?" he sounded a tad bit annoyed that I even had to ask. "I think this is more than just getting revenge at this point. She wants to hurt us, she wants to make us feel the hurt." "Christine is in danger then," I finished and he nodded. "What do we do? Do we talk to Juan about it? He has a right to know, right?" "Juan is going to panic and that is thest thing he needs right now. All I told him is that she is going to attack, but I didn''t tell him about her ultimatum with Christine. I don''t want him to look at me differently." "He wouldn''t." Ryker snorted. "Even you took a second to ask what I had chosen when I told you. It is normal for a mate to pick his own over the others. Most men would have picked the ultimatum and I wouldn''t me him if he did." "So you want me to lie." "I want you to be aware because no one else will be. I can also hear her in my head. I was right about that. She was talking to me inside of my head. She never said a single word." "How does that even work?" "I think it happened when I heard her voice for the first time. I don''t think it is something I can get out." "So what do we do?" "There is nothing we can do," he sighed. "We sit and prepare for them to attack." He pressed a kiss to my head and got out of bed. I watched as he started to get dressed for the day but I didn''t move from the bed. It wasn''t until he had gotten to the door that I realized that there was something I wanted to ask. "Why did you tell me all of this?" I asked and he stilled with his hands on the door. "I understand you telling me about Christine, but the other, why? You didn''t have to." "I don''t know," he admitted after a minute of silence. "I did it because I wanted someone to know. I am tired of trying to figure it out myself." "What happened to wanting to protecting me?" "It is easier to protect you if you know what is happening. If you are trying to figure it out on your own, then you will get hurt." After our heavy conversation that morning, we spent the rest of the morning tending to our kids and meeting with the elders. They had nothing more to offer other than what they already gave to us. I ended up leaving the conversation more frustrated than before I started. There had been no signs of the sirens, not even at the same sea shore where Ryker had found them the night before. We were in the middle of the meeting with the elders when there was a knock on the door. Neither of us were expecting the interruption, it took us all by surprise. When I saw the guard behind the door, I knew instantly that it was bad news. The look on his face hel fear and apprehension. Even before he opened his mouth, I knew what I was going to hear. "There is something you need to see," he said and we were immediately on our feet. We followed him as quickly as we could and watched as he led us straight to the front of the pce where there was a man standing. He was fighting against the hold of the guards who were keeping him in ce. He was repeating a phrase over again and it wasn''t until I got closer that I realized what he was saying. "I need to see him!" he screamed trying to get out of their hold. He sighted Ryker and I and strained against their hold even worse. "I need to see him." "See who?" Ryker asked when he got closer. "See me?" "No, see him. The one who knows the mistress, I need to see him." I turned to Ryker with confusion etched in my brows. I didn''t know what he was talking about and apparently neither did Ryker because his expression perfectly matched mine. He stepped forward towards the strange man and he didn''t seem to calm, his behavior only got more erratic. "Do you know where he is?" Ryker asked and he nodded. Ryker stared at me, a silent question in his eyes and although I didn''t quite know what he wanted to do, I trusted him and nodded. "Release him." "Your majesty," the guards began but Ryker held up a hand to stop him. "If he knows where he is going, then let him lead us there." The guards shot each other wary looks before releasing him. For a second, there was peace before he took off down one of the hallways. It was absolutely absurd that we were letting aplete stranger roam round the pce but I trusted Ryker and if Ryker trusted that this was the best idea, then I was willing to go with it. It took a while for me to realize that he was going towards the dungeons. He led us down towards Ansel''s cell. Ansel looked like a shell of himself, he was bruised all over and there were open wounds and sores all over him. I nearly flinched when I saw him but the stranger didn''t as much as blink. "Why do you want to see Ansel?" I asked once he stopped. "Also, how did you know where he was?" He looked at me and it was at that moment I realized that his eyes were a bit glossy. He was looking in my direction but it seemed more like he was looking through me. He opened his mouth to speak and what came out was an ear splitting scream. It was also at that moment that I realized that he was not wearing any ear buds. "Someone grab him, he might be under her control!" Ryker yelled out but before the guards could get to him, he turned towards Ansel and reached through the bars to grab him. His skin was burned in the process but it was almost like he didn''t realize what was happening. He managed to grab Ansel by the shirt and pulled him towards the bars. Ansel didn''t even fight, he had lost whatever energy he had left during the days of torture he had undergone. The stranger stared at him and it happened in slow motion. One minute, he held Ansel and the next, he was twisting his neck and a loud crack reverberated through the air. I stared with my mouth wide open as Ansel''s body slumped to the ground. His chest didn''t rise once. The guards managed to get to the stranger but it was toote. He had done what he came to do. He turned towards me and blinked once. "What am I doing here?" Chapter 275 CAMILLA''S P.O.V "What do you mean what are you doing here? You just killed a prisoner," Ryker took a step towards him but I held out my hand to stop him. The strange man looked confused and a little frightened and the closer I looked at him, the more I noticed little differences. Now, he stood a lot straighter and taller, he also didn''t have that zed over look in his eyes. He seemed so demure and quiet, like the kind of man who wouldn''t hurt a fly if given the chance. I slowly made my way over to him. Ryker tried to reach out to me to stop me but I slid out of his reach, I knew the stranger wasn''t going to hurt me. "Let him go," I said to the guards who shared a confused and worried expression. I couldn''tpletely me them, if I were in their shoes, I would have thought of myself as insane too, but there wasn''t much they could do except do as I had asked. They released the stranger and thankfully, he didn''t move or try to run. "Would you like to take a seat?" "I don''t know where I am or how I got here," he whispered. "You''re the Queen, why are you here?" "Take a seat and we can talk," I gestured to the far corner of the room where there were some benches. They weren''t typically used to sit down but I still led him over and sat next to him. I could feel everyone''s eyes on me but the most intense were Ryker''s. "What do you remember?" "I- I was taking a walk by the stream. I am a fisherman,¡± he exined. "I had my ear plugs in like we were instructed but then I saw a little girl, she looked like she had been hurt. There was blood on her hands and she was crying." "Do you remember what the girl looked like?" "She looked very average, she had dark hair and dark eyes. I can''t remember much, I was more focused on trying to get her help. She looked sick." I knew it was a far stretch and I could have been reaching considering there were thousands of people who matched that description but considering what happened after, it was only logical to assume that was the siren''s daughter. I nodded slowly. "What happened after that?" "I picked her up, I wanted to take her to the town physician. She was so cold to touch, I swear she felt like she had been dipped into ice. While I was trying to take her, she wouldn''t let me, she kept screaming something but I couldn''t hear her so I took out the ear plugs." He trailed off after that and I stared at him expectantly waiting for something else but nothing came. He just had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he had been transported to a different time. "I cannot remember anything else," he whispered before turning to me with wide eyes. "Why can''t I remember anything? Do you know how I got here?" I tore my eyes away from him and nced over at Ryker who had shut his eyes and ran his hands through his hair in what I assumed was frustration. He murmured something under his breath before cursing loudly. I could tell his reaction scared the stranger because he jumped and wrapped his hands even tighter around himself but almost immediately, he hissed. I nced down and realized he had unintentionally grabbed the part of his skin that was burned with silver. "How did I get this?" it was clear he was talking more to himself than to me and I knew in that moment that I needed to find a believable story to tell him or else everything was going to potentially fall apart. Ryker was no help, he was dealing with his own panic and I knew it was only a matter of time before two and two was put together and the stranger realized that he had killed Ansel. "You took the girl to the physician," I lied. "You were waiting for her and you must have fallen asleep because when you got to the pce, you were sleep walking." His brows furrowed. "I have never sleep walked before." "It must be something new, have you been stressedtely? Has anything new happened in your life?" "Well, I haven''t been getting as much fish as I should havetely." He mumbled a few words under his breath and I felt bad for him because I was lying to him and ultimately making him believe something that wasn''t true but it was to protect my family and I was going to lie my fucking ass off if I needed to. "You sleep walked in here and none of us wanted to wake you, I hear it can be bad. You burned yourself and that was how you woke up. You are fine, you didn''t hurt yourself or anyone but I will send you off to the physician to get you something for your burns. He will also give you a poultice for the sleep walking." He rushed to his feet and bowed. "Thank you, your majesty. I am beyond grateful, you didn''t have to-" "Please, it is the least I could do," I turned to the guards. "Take him to the physician and have his burns treated." The guard bowed although I could see the confusion on his face. He started to walk away when Ryker grabbed his upper arm. I couldn''t hear what was discussed but his face slowly contorted to reveal fear. His eyes widened to the point of saucers and he swallowed deeply before nodding and rushing off. Once he was gone, it was just Ryker and I with Ansel''s unmoving body. "What happens now?" I asked and for a full minute, he was speechless. "He was the only tie we had to the sirens." "He was useless anyway," Ryker shrugged. "I''ll have someone get rid of the body. The guards won''t say a thing either. We need to enforce the earplugs rule and we need to find a way for people tomunicate without having to take them off." "How do we exin to the people that they ened to wear earplugs every second of the day, even while sleeping." "We have to tell them," he whispered and I stilled. I was scared, not for them, but for him. If they found out what happened, they could turn on him. People didn''t think when scared, people always acted out. "It is the right thing to do." "No, they don''t need to know." "They do, they have to know what they have to deal with. They cannot keep going in blind. We don''t have to tell them everything, but they need to know about the sirens." I thought about it for a second trying to figure out any other way out but I couldn''t, there was quite literally nothing I could say tobat his words. He was right, I knew he was and I hated to admit it. I let out a resigned sigh and buried my face into my hands. "Can we at least do it tomorrow?" I asked after a brief moment of silence. "I just don''t want to talk to them right now." "Do you want to know the beauty of being a royal?" he museding to sit next to me. "You don''t actually have to talk to them, you can send one of the elders to do it for you." "Won''t it be disrespectful considering it was our fault?" "It was Ansel''s fault and he is dead. The dead don''t tell tales, he cannot defend himself." My brows rose in amusement and something akin to pride. I wasn''t sure why I hadn''t thought about it. "Do you think it will work?" "There is only one way to find out." "No," Caius said the moment I told him and I raised a brow in his direction. "You cannot ask this of us. It is cruel and I will not do it.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You seem to be under the impression that you have a choice," I drawled as I leaned back into my chair. "I was not asking you, Caius, I was telling you. One of you five will make the announcement to the people. I am not ming all of you, only Ansel, the people deserve to know." "No, they don''t," another elder spoke and I turned to him with furrowed brows. "They are subject to you and not the other way around. All they have to do is obey the instructions given and anyone who doesn''t will bear the consequences. You will not be med because you did your job. The rest is on them.¡± I stared at them in shock and disgust. I could not believe that they would act like that and risk the lives of others simply because they didn''t want to take ountability over something that people might or might not me them for. "Can you hear yourselves?" I asked sounding almost exasperated. "Let me make one thing clear, like you said, you are subject to me, just like everyone else here. You will get off your fucking asses and go out there to speak to the people. You will tell them what Ansel did and that there are sirens on our doorstep. I don''t care how you spin the story to keep it out of your names but the people deserve to know and they need to know before the end of tonight." There was silence before a collective. "Yes, your majesty." "Have letters sent out. I don''t want to risk people taking out their earplugs to listen to a speech," I stood to my feet and walked over to the door leading out of the council room. I had one hand on the door knob when I turned to face them again. "If any one of you ever says or suggests something like that again, I will banish you without another thought. I do not have space for selfish leaders on my council. If you want to rule, then you rule with the interest of the people in mind. If you cannot do that then you do not deserve to be there." I paused to make sure they heard me before adding. "You all disgust me. I expected more from you," I turned to Caius so he would know I was specifically referring to him. "All of you." Chapter 276 RYKER''S P.O.VUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g There was a shift in the air- I knew it. I wasn''t sure who else could feel it, but it was there the moment I woke up. It was grossly overwhelming, it threatened to swallow my senses whole. It was a sense of impending doom, a knowledge that something was undoubtedly going to go wrong, I just didn''t know when and I didn''t know how. "Are you okay?" I felt Cami''s hand on mine during breakfast and I managed to give her a small smile. "You haven''t touched your food." "I''m fine, just thinking," it wasn''t aplete lie but it was clear that I was hiding something and she knew it too. Her eyes narrowed in my direction so I squeezed her hand softly, her lips curved ever so slightly but that didn''t take the worry out of her eyes. "I think it is best if we stay indoors today and keep the girls close," I immediately changed the subject, not wanting to give her time to remember why she was worried about me. "The news just got out, the people might be a little agitated. I want to make sure everyone is safe, that includes you and Christine." She rolled her eyes and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Christine turn to me at the mention of her name. She was very visibly pregnant and only a few weeks out from her actual delivery date. It was nerve wracking to say the least and I could only imagine how she and Juan felt about the entire thing. I heard something about them building their nursery but with everything going on, I hadn''t been able to fully focus on it and give them the help they probably needed. "Why are we the only ones you worry about?" Christine crossed her arms over her chest. "If anything, we should be worried about you. You are the one more likely to throw yourself into trouble headfirst." I raised a brow. "I take offense with that." She started speaking about something but I zoned out. It felt like I was thrust into the back of my own mind and watching everything with a different pair of eyes. It took me a second to get used to what I was seeing and in this state, the impending state of danger seemed to linger a lot heavier on my heart.Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo-bn-ib.c(o)m. I could see their auras again and the first person I turned to was Christine, wondering if there was something wrong with her babies again, but this time, everything was normal. I looked between all of them and my eyes finally settled on Aurora. She looked normal, as normal as she did thest time but there was something clinging to her aura, something I didn''t notice before. Something dark and grey, I knew it wasn''t something I could remove like the way I did with Riley. Whatever this was, it was a part of her. She was still too young for me to figure out what it was but it was there. As bad as it was, I knew that wasn''t why I was in this state. I managed to drag myself to my feet, at that exact moment, the door opened and a maid walked in. I knew immediately that she was the problem. Her aura was dull but I felt magic emanating from her, the kind of magic that felt like a song. She had her ear plugs in, but I already knew what had happened to her. I walked over to her ignoring everyone''s eyes on me and grabbed both of her hands. Her eyes met mine and she screamed. The shadows slithered out of me and onto her, encircling every inch of her. I had no ns to kill her, I just needed her fucking quiet because her scream was like nails on the wall. As the shadows covered her, her sounds became more like muffled whispers. She waspletely covered and I knew that if I so wished, I could have snuffed out the very essence of her life there and then. I could have med it on her being under the sirens influence and no one would bat an eysh. The thought was appealing but somewhere on my inside, I knew I couldn''t. I forced myself to take a step back, pulling my shadows with me as I did. As soon as I released her, she crumpled to the ground and I was snapped back into reality. Her chest was rising and falling but she was unconscious. When I turned to face the others, they were all watching me with wide and wary looks. "She was under the sirens control," I exined. "She is still alive. I don''t know if she is still under the control or not. You should have guards keep her under constant surveince," I started to leave when Cami stood to her feet but I stopped her. "I need some tim alone please." "But-" "Please," I stressed on that word. "Just an hour at least." When she didn''t move, I took that to mean that she has agreed, turned on my heels and walked out. I found myself in my office, I hade to hate the four walls of the office but it was a safer bet than going outside. I knew someone was going toe after me, and soon, I didn''t want to put anyone in danger by going outside. It only took ten minutes before my door opened and to my surprise, it was Audrey who stumbled inside. She had her hair up in a bow. She had begged Cami to do it for her this morning because it looked cute and despite having nowhere to go, she wore her best pink dress. She closed the door behind her and rushed over towards me. I watched her as she climbed into myp and pulled her ear plugs out. I wanted to tell her to keep them in but she didn''t have her wolf yet, I couldn''tmunicate with her through the mind link. I sighed and pulled mine out too. "Your mother can''t know that you have these out," I told her carefully. "She will have both our heads." Audrey giggled. "The bad woman isn''t here yet, but she''sing." "How do you know that?" She looked around and dropped her voice to a whisper. "I can feel her. You can too, can''t you?" "I can," I agreed slowly not knowing where the conversation was going. "Audrey, is there anything you know that you aren''t telling me?" She fell silent and I saw something akin to guilt on her face. She turned away from me and buried her face into herp, suddenly getting interested in my fingers. I used my free hand to gently push her hair out of her face willing her to look at me, but she wouldn''t. "Audrey," I probed gently. "What aren''t you telling me?" "I can''t tell you," she whispered, there was something like fear in her voice. "If I tell you then and things are going to happen. She told me so, she said that if I tell you then it has to happen and I don''t want it to happen." I vaguely remembered L saying something about that but that was an adult and this was my terrified child. I didn''t give a shit what was going to happen as long as it didn''t happen to her. She deserved a lot better than this and I was going to make sure I did everything possible to keep her safe. "Are you going to get hurt if you tell me?" I asked and she shook her head. "Then tell me." She looked terrified and I couldn''t imagine what she had heard or seen that could have made her this scared to talk to me. "I saw the pce again," her voice was soft and almost wary, as if she knew she shouldn''t be saying it but as much as I wanted her to speak, she also needed to. She was a child and this burden was too much for her. "There was so much blood and you were there. There was blood on your hands and mummy too, her dress was red.¡± "Was your mum hurt?" Audrey shook her head. "She wasn''t but aunt Christine was. Everyone was screaming and crying and-" she trailed off and swallowed deeply. "I don''t want to talk about it anymore." I pulled her into my chest and wrapped my arms around her. I couldn''t imagine what seeing that had done to her, as an adult, I knew how it would wreck me. She wasn''t crying, she just rxed into my embrace and melted against me. All the tension in her tiny shoulder bled out and I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Everything will be fine," I assured her. "I will make sure of it, I swear it." She sniffled and nodded against me. "I need to wear those back." I stared at the earplugs on the table then back at her. "You don''t have to worry about that right now, okay?" "But mummy said-" "I know, and you will put them onter, your mum was right, you need to have them on, but you can forget about them for now. I''m right here and I have you." She looked up at me with a small smile. "Thank you, daddy." "No, thank you for telling me. You can always tell me whenever something scares you." "Anytime?" she asked with wide eyes and I nodded. "What if you''re sleeping or you''re tired?" "I am never too tired for you," I brushed her hair out of her face. "You are my little princess, I don''t care if it is the middle of the night, youe to me and you talk to me or your mum about it, okay?" "I don''t want you to get hurt," she whispered in a broken voice. I hadn''t realized just how deep this worry went. "We won''t. It isn''t your job to worry about us, okay? We can handle ourselves. Now, promise me you will tell us." She nodded. "I promise." Chapter 277 CAMILLA''S P.O.V "How did he know that she was affected?" Christine asked as soon as Ryker had walked out of the room. "I also think now would be a good time to put the ear plugs back in, I don''t want to take any chances." I murmured in agreement before putting mine in and doing the same for the girls. I hated doing it, it felt like stripping myself of one of my senses but it was a necessary evil. I still had the rest and they were working perfectly fine. Once our ears were blocked, I opened up a mind link between myself, Christine and Juan because I knew there was a lot they had to say and no sooner than the link was opened, I heard her voice in my head. "How did he know, Cami? Do his powers inform him?" "I don''t know," it was as close to the truth as I could get. "There is a lot we don''t know about Ryker''s powers- Ryker inclusive- and I don''t want to make guesses unless he tells me himself. We are all just figuring it out as it goes." "What now? Did he manage to break the effects of the sirens? What he did was terrifying, Cami, one second he was seated and the next-" I didn''t need to hear it from her, I saw it myself and I had been glued to my seat in shock and slight fear. I didn''t fear Ryker, that was never going to happen but there was a part of me that feared the powers that he possessed. Magic was a cruel thing and it always came with a price, I wasn''t sure what the price of this was yet, but I knew it couldn''t be good. He had the girl engulfed in shadows from head to toe, I was barely able to shield my children from seeing that, I didn''t need them seeing their father like that, I didn''t need to terrify them and to make matters worse, he didn''t want me to follow him. I think he did that because we both knew that he almost killed that girl. His wall was firmly in ce but there were times when certain emotions slipped past. He must have been feeling them intently for them to be able to slip through the cracks. There was frustration and there was the deep dark abyss that was murder. He wanted to kill her, he debated it too, but he didn''t and I tried to focus on that because it was the only thing that mattered. "Cami!" Juan''s voice snapped me back to reality and I blinked back my thoughts. "Are you going to him?" "I will, he just needs some space right now and I am willing to respect that.." "For how long?" Christine asked knowing me instantly. "At least half an hour, I need him clear headed when I do go to talk to him. This is a lot to process, anyone could be under the sirens influence and we wouldn''t know." "What do we do? How do we figure out who we can trust and who we cannot?" That, unfortunately, was where the problemy because I didn''t know. There was no way to tell- except using Ryker of course, and thest thing I wanted to do was use the magic that he hadn''t learned to control yet. We were ying with fire and someone was most definitely going to get burned badly. I broke the mind link so I could collect my own thoughts and that was when I noticed the empty seat. I looked around hoping she was just wandering around the dining room but the door was open and Audrey was gone. Aurora sat in her high chair with a small giddy smile on her face as she watched my expression shift from fear to horror and back in an instant. I leaped to my feet and instantly rushed out to ask the guards at the door but they were either useless orpletely blind because none of them had seen her slip out and no one had walked in but I couldn''t quite take their word on it. Panic gripped every inch of me, my throat threatened to close up with worry and I couldn''t breathe. Ryker''s wall was firmly up as well. I didn''t want to panic until I spoke to him because it was possible she was with him but I didn''t know where he was. I tried not to worry as I made my way down the halls and checked the usible ces he could be. I checked the library and our room before finally walking into his office. He was seated in his chair with Audrey curled up in hisp, her eyes were closed and from the steady rise and fall of her chest, I knew she was asleep. Relief poured through me and tears gathered in my eyes. I hadn''t realized just how badly I was panicking until I found that she was safe. I saw Ryker''s mouth start to move so I pulled my earplugs out of my ears and rushed over to them. I ran my hands over her hair wanting to make sure that she was alive and real. "She came to me," Ryker exined. "I thought you dropped her off or brought her here at least. I didn''t know she snuck out, how did she sneak out?" "I don''t know, I was talking to Christine and Juan and I looked and she was gone. It was one second, Ryker, and it scares me because if I couldn''t notice her leave then I might not be able to notice someone else walking in. the earplugs are helping us but they are also putting us in a shit ton of danger." "I know," he sounded tired and worn out. "But we don''t really have a choice, do we? You saw what happened with Ansel, you saw what happened earlier." I was d that he had brought up what happened earlier because it meant I could finally ask what happened. I opened my mouth to speak but had barely gotten any words out when he sighed. "I know what you want to ask," he cut me off. "I don''t know how I knew, I just did. I''m still navigating these powers- you know that. And yes, I almost killed her, I wanted to, but I didn''t, and that is what matters." I took a seat at the edge of his desk. "I am worried about you, Ryker. You''ve been very different since all of this started. I just want to make sure that you are okay. I want you to talk to me, you keep your wall up and-" "I know, I just-" he let out a deep breath. "The thoughts I have sometimes, I don''t- I don''t want you to think differently of me." "That''s not possible," I snorted. "I know you." "You are telling me that there wasn''t a split second where you felt fear?" he asked and I went silent. "Are you saying that for a minute there, you didn''t feel unsafe?" "Not because of you," I tried to exin but he wasn''t having it. "I knew you wouldn''t hurt me but-"Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. "But the magic," he finished for me. "I don''t want to give you more reasons to fear me, Cami. I can take it from anyone else, but not you, I cannot bear to have you look me in the eye with fear. I won''t survive it." I let out a sigh and leaned forward so our foreheads touched. Neither of us said a word, we just stayed there, basking in each other''s presence and offering silent solidarity. I understood his argument and while it wasn''t what I wanted, it was what he wasfortable with and I was willing to give that to him, just for a while, just enough until he feltfortable enough to share with me. I wasn''t sure how long we stayed there until I heard the sound of a bell ringing in the distance. I knew all about that bell and Ryker did too because we both shot to our feet in an instant. We had barely rushed out of the office when I saw Christine and Juan running up to us. "What is going on?" Christine asked but I couldn''t answer, I didn''t know. "I can-" "You will do nothing," I cut her off a tad bit too harshly. "You will take Audrey and go to the safe room." "I can help." "You are pregnant. You should focus on getting to safety." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don''t have to be on the battle field, I can be useful, I swear it. I just need to-" Juan grabbed both of her shoulders and kissed her. She fell silent and I had to look away because it felt like I was interrupting something. When he pulled back, he dropped his voice to her ears and whispered something in her ears. I saw her frown but she nodded and whatever he said was enough to change her mind because she nodded. Audrey was already awake, the jostling had stirred her. Ryker put her on her feet and after a swift kiss on her head, she was gone with Christine. Once we were sure that they were headed on their way to safety, we rushed out to the front of the pce to see what was going on. The guards were already poised for battle but it was Caius who shocked me because he never went near the battle front. "What is going on?" Ryker asked once we were close enough to him and the look on his face alone told me that I wasn''t going to like his answer. "The towns folk- they just stood up like a massive army and they are marching onto the pce. No one can reason with them, they have struck down five guards." "We can''t fight our own people," I argued. "It would make us no less than monsters." "I believe the sirens have a hold on them. We can''t even afford to hold them off. They will be upon us within minutes and we need a strategy, something to hold them off." As he spoke, I took a few steps back. I could feel everyone''s eyes on me but I ignored them as I walked over to the front of the pce. "Where are they arriving from?" "From the South but-" I ignored him and made my way over to the South side of the pce. I had never tried magic this strong before and I knew it would drain me of all my energy but I knelt to the ground, ced my hands on the damp soil and pulled. Chapter 278 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I felt the thrum of the water beneath the ground as if it were under my fingertips. It was one thing to rip water out of the ground, it was another to do what I was trying to do. I vaguely heard Ryker''s voice in my head asking me to be careful but I couldn''t back out now, not when so many lives were in danger. I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart before tugging. It took a few seconds of silence before the ground exploded beneath me. I heard screams of fear and worry as arge wall of water erupted in front of us. My hands shook from the sheer force it took to restrain and control it but I couldn''t falter- not now- not when it meant risking so many lives. I breathed through my nose, focusin on erecting the water like a wall around me. This was like nothing I had ever done before and a small part of me had expected to fail but to my surprise, the water found its way around the pce, in a form of protective dome before freezing all over creating a perfect wall of ice. As soon as it was in ce, I pulled my hands off the ground. A wave of dizziness so strong hit me. I nearly toppled over my own feet but Ryker was at my side instantly. His hands came around me, pulling my earplugs out as he picked me up and carried me inside. If it were another day, I would have protested and demanded that he let me walk but I couldn''t be bothered, not when it felt like someone was dancing barefooted in my head. "I don''t know how long it willst," I mumbled softly. "First of all, it is very sunny outside and sirens have some form of control over the water. If the sirens are out there then-" "Then it''ll fall," Ryker finished for me as he ced me on a nearby bench. I wanted to nod but I couldn''t even bring myself to move. "It doesn''t matter, what you did out there was breathtaking. It was beautiful but scary and now you have to go in too." I turned to him with an incredulous look hoping that he was joking or at least being a tad bit unserious or worried due to my weakness but he wasn''t, he just stared at me and I knew that this was something he had been thinking about for a while. "You have to be insane if you think I will sit this one out. You need me." "She wants you dead," Ryker hissed out, his voice cracking on thest word. "I will not give her a chance to get to you. I will not allow you die because of this pce."Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo-bn-ib.c(o)m. He reached out for me but I snatched my hand back. ¡°I am the Queen, it is my duty to die for this kingdom." "Then don''t be the Queen," I was shocked by his request. "Just fir today, just for the next few hours, be my mate, be Cami, I don''t need you to be the queen." He was genuinely worried, that much was obvious from the crease in his brows and the frown on his face. His thumb made slow circles over the back of my palm and I thought about how nice it would be to just go into hiding, to not have to worry about anyone else to not have lives dependent on me, but the longer I thought about it, the more unattainable I knew it would be. I sat up straighter and turned away from him. "I''m going to be out there, no matter what," I said simply. "You need my powers, this isn''t your typical battle. We have to fight out own without hurting them. That is practically impossible and you need all the help you can get." He muttered a curse under his breath before running his hands through his hair. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out because at that moment, a maid walked over with a te of fruits in her hands. I knew Ryker must have called for it knowing I would need the energy after using up that much of my powers. I thanked her and the moment the te was out of her hands, she rushed off. "Think about it," Ryker''s voice had taken on a pleading tone. All that was left was for him to go on his knees and he would have been begging. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, he stepped closer. "I would beg you if it made you listen. I would do anything." "Ryker," I kept my voice soft and calming. "I cannot turn my back on my people not now. I refuse to let them win." "If they get you-" "They will not," I assured him. "I need my earplugs now. We have a battle waiting for us outside." Despite the frown on his face, he dug into his pockets and handed me what I needed. "Just be safe, please. None of this will be worth it if I lose you." By the time we walked out five minutester, Juan was barking orders at the guards. As soon as he saw us, he let out a sigh of relief and opened up his mind link. "I have most of the guards protecting the exposed sides. They have orders not to hurt the people. We are trying traps and inconveniences to keep them away." "How long do you think that willst?" I asked and he shrugged. "Half an hour tops," he admitted reluctantly. "The wall here is our best option but even this will melt." "I could try to-"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "NO," both men cut me off at the same time with such ferocity that the hair on my skin stood on end. It was Juan who cleared his throat before adding, "it took so much out of you, I wouldn''t dare ask you to give any more." "If it is for the well being of everyone involved then I will-" "We will find something else, I promise you, Cami,¡± he gave me a small smile before turning to Ryker. "What we need is to find the sirens. If they sent the people then they are here somewhere and we need to find them. If we kill them, then we can break the effect of their voice." They continued speaking but my attention was torn from them and focused right in front of me. Through the ice, I could see some of the people walking towards the pce. Neither Ryker nor Juan had noticed and I made no move to alert them because I truly wanted to see how this was going to go. They didn''t turn around, they didn''t try to find another entrance. I watched as the first townsman walked over to the ice, reared his fist back and punched it. I tugged on Ryker''s arm finally dragging his attention towards the townsfolk as they all repeated the same action of punching the ice wall. It wasn''t going to shatter that easily, that much was sure but if all of them collectively took turns trying to break it then it was going to shatter. "That is weird," Ryker noted and I couldn''t help but agree. "We need to find the siren, now." "Where could she be? In the forest?" I asked but he shook his head. "Knowing her, she is probably already in the pce,e with me, Cami." He took off without giving me another chance to speak. I nced over at Juan who just shrugged. I knew he could handle himself so I took off after my mate. If there was anyone I trusted wholeheartedly with my life, it was Ryker. He knew what he was doing and whether I did or not, all I had to do was trust him. "Where are we going?" I asked after we had been walking around the pce aimlessly for five minutes but Ryker didn''t respond despite the fact that I spoke directly into his mind. "Ryker, can you even hear me?¡± When he didn''t respond again, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt to keep him in ce and he finally stopped. He turned to me, holding up a hand to signal that I should wait. He paused and listened as if he was trying to hear something. I paused as well but with the earplugs, there was little I could actually hear. He, however, must have heard something because his lips pulled up into a smirk and he gestured for me toe with him. I figured it was that thing where he could hear the siren, so I just went with it. I still wasn''t sure how that worked and I truly didn''t have ns of asking, seeing as I was never going to understand. He led us down the halls and I started to recognize the turns that we were taking. We were going towards Juan and Christine''s rooms. I couldn''t understand what the hell could have been happening there until I saw the door to Christine''s nursery ajar. Ryker slowly pushed the door open and I saw Christine seated in the rocking chair. She looked fine, but her eyes were screaming something at me. A tear slipped down her cheeks and she mouthed ''I''m sorry''. "This is a trap!" I tried to scream into Ryker''s mind but it was toote, I felt a presence behind us and I turned to find the siren already standing there. She had a crazed smirk on her face. I would have tried attacking her until I saw the person behind her- Audrey, being led in by her daughter. ''Take out the ear plugs,'' she mouthed and when I hesitated, her eyes shed with anger. ''Do it or I will kill everyone in this room, either way, I get my revenge? "Don''t do it," Ryker spoke into my mind but I couldn''t risk it- I couldn''t risk my children. I pulled out the earplugs. "Where is Aurora?" "I don''t kill babies, your youngest is asleep in her bedroom with a maid watching over her," she said as if that should have been any form of constion. "Now, we have a lot to discuss, don''t you agree, Ryker?" "He can''t hear you." Sheughed. "I can speak into his head as clearly as I am speaking to you now, or did he not tell you that part of the story? I guess it doesn''t matter, what matters is that my voice will be thest you ever hear. Now, are you ready to y a game?" Chapter 279 CAMILLA''S P.O.V I nced over at Ryker but he said nothing, his lips were pursed as he looked directly at the siren. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head and I tried to speak to him through the mind link but his wall was firmly in ce. I nced over at Christine who had tears in her eyes and worry etched on her every feature. "I''ll get us out of here," I whispered in her head. "I promise you, I will.¡± "Come, Cami," the siren said gesturing for me to walk with her over to the window. She wasn''t singing to me yet so I was still in control of my limbs but I found myself following her. The window had a direct view of the front of the pce, I didn''t realize that until now and I couldn''t help but muse about the impressive ice wall I had built. It was already melting and cracking but somehow remained strong and sturdy despite the people repeatedly mming into it. With each m, I winced because what was one an ice wall was now getting stained with blood on all sides. "Stop this," I told her but she ignored me. "They will hurt themselves." "Then pull it down," she shrugged and I frowned. "If you don''t want them to keep hurting themselves then bring the wall down." "If I do that, they will kill everyone in their path." She sighed. "Difficult choice, isn''t it." She turned back to face the others in the room and I couldn''t help but wonder how nice it would feel to push her off the balcony but there were three problems: the first being that she wasn''t close to the balcony, the second being that she was a shit ton faster than I was and the third being that Audrey was still in her daughter''s hold and I wasn''t going to do anything to risk my child''s life. "Now that we are all here, let us y the game, shall we?" she pped her hands in glee before grabbing my arm and pulling me down to the ground in front of her. Her ws dug into my upper arm and Ryker made a sound of protest but she ignored him and lifted one very sharp w to my throat. "You have to make a choice, Ryker." "What kind of choice?" he snarled. "What do you hope to achieve by this?" "rity, I guess, or maybe, I just want to have fun," her w dug deeper into my neck and the metallic smell of blood hit me in the nose. "You can save one of three people- your mate, your child and your friend''s mate." "That''s absurd," I began but she used her free hand to tug my hair back hard. "You would do well to stay f*****g quiet, Cami. I might just get upset and kill you either way," she whispered harshly into my ears before turning back to Ryker. "I promise to release the one you choose, but know this, the others will die." Ryker frowned, he didn''t say a word but his mind was spinning, that much I could tell. The siren stared intently at him and raised a brow, I wasn''t sure how I knew, but I knew they weremunicating in each other''s minds, shutting the rest of us out. It didn''t matte though that her mind was elsewhere, her grip on me was tight and if I moved wrong, she was going to rip my neck apart with that w. I muttered a small curse under my breath before looking up and my eyes locked with her daughter. The little girl looked tired, almost drained, as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. There was a light sheen of sweat across her forehead and her chest was rising and falling a little fast for my liking. "Are you okay?" I asked softly and her eyes met mine but she said nothing. "If you need some water then you can get some in the bathroom. You look like you''re about to pass out." Yes, she was holding my daughter hostage but she was a child and I wasn''t about to have a child pass out under my watch. She looked over her shoulder at the bathroom and back at her mother and I knew what the reason was. I muttered a small prayer before tugging on the siren''s dress and her attention was on me like a torch. "Your daughter needs water," I managed out. "Let her get some." "And risk you taking advantage of that? Please, Cami, I am not stupid. Besides, all of this will be over soon. Ryker and I managed to meet an agreement. He can save two of you, and the third will be condemned to die. Isn''t that fun?" "What do you get out of this?" I asked her. "It won''t bring your husband back." Her eyes darkened. "No, but it will soothe the pain in my heart. Now, make your choice, Ryker, or I will make it for you." I could tell that Ryker was torn but a n was brewing in his mind. He looked between the three of us and let out a sigh. "I''m sorry, Cami." My brows furrowed. "What are you sorry for?" "I have to make a choice and I know you will not agree with it." "What are you going on about?" "I choose my family," he whispered and my spine straightened. Christine''s eyes widened when she realized what that meant and the tears that she had struggled to keep at bay poured freely. "I''m sorry." The siren smirked, a cruel and evil smirk. "Good choice, Ryker." With her hand still holding my hair, she flung me back against the wall so hard that I heard something crack. My back and sides burned as I watched her speak to Christine. I had seen this in person before but watching it again was mesmerizing and terrifying as Christine made her way over to the cupboard by the window and retrieved a pair of scissors. Neither Ryker nor I was armed or tied and she seemed to notice that too because she waved her hand and I heard a loud crack. I knew what it was before she even mentioned it and so did Ryker because he rushed over to the window, the fear in his eyes told me everything I needed to know- the wall wasing down.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "You said you would let us go," I hissed out ignoring the pain in my side as I did. "You lied to me." "No, I said I would let the other two go. I never said anything about the pack. You better go help your pack, Cami, because if you stay here, you will all die." I knew what she was trying to do, take us out of the room so we wouldn''t try to save Christine. It was a difficult position she had put us in, where we either had to save our family or help the pack. Either way, we were all going to die- unless. I locked eyes with Christine and looked away. "Help me up, Ryker, we have to go." "What?" he asked but I ignored him. "Audrey, run to your room, now," with each passing second, the wall cracked even more and I knew it was only a few seconds before it shattered. "Go, stay with Aurora and get into the passage that''s attached to your room. Do note out until you hear my voice, okay?" Her eyes watered but she did as I asked and dashed out of the room. Ryker was by my side in an instant and he helped me to my feet. "Are you really going to leave her?" he asked but I shook my head. As he helped me to my feet, I locked eyes with the sirens daughter. "You can get that water now," I whispered to her. I wasn''t sure if she knew what I had nned, but she nodded, turned on her heels and walked into the bathroom. The siren had her back turned to us and I knew that was my only chance so I spoke into Ryker''s mind "Attack her, Ryker, but keep her close to the window." "What do you have nned?" "Something insane." He helped me lean against the wall before rushing over to her. She saw him before he hit and I saw firsthand, just how fast she was as she easily dodged his hit. I rushed over to Christine who still had the scissors in her hands but she wouldn''t let go, no matter how hard I tried to pull it away from her. My hands were bleeding from how tightly I was holding onto it to prevent her from cutting herself. "You little bitch!" I heard the siren yell, probably calling for her child. "Help me,e out here and do something useful for once." "Christine," I whispered hoping she would hear me and it would break the spell. "You can''t die, not right now. Please, nap out of it." "It''s toote, Cami, she is mine now," she sing songed as she dodged Ryker''s hits. What she didn''t realize was that Ryker was backing her up to the window. I knew I had one chance to make this right and I muttered a small prayer to the goddess as I left Christine''s side. At that exact moment, she managed to cut Ryker with her ws, blood spilled down his cheeks and in the midst of her victory, she didn''t see meing until it was toote. I pushed her out the window and all I heard next was the sound of ss shattering, her screams and the final crack as what was left of the wall gave way. There was so muchmotion as the water slowly sank back into the ground from where it came and her body mmed into the hard pavement. There was silence as all the people stopped. The spell on the people was broken along with her mangled body on the ground. Blood pooled out of it mixing with what little water was left. For a second, I basked in the victory that we had. We still had her child in the pce but that could be easily dealt with- or so I thought until I heard the sound of squelching flesh. I turned back to find Christine with a knife to the center of her stomach. The knife was held by none other than the little sire. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at us. ¡°I had to.¡± I couldn''t even pay attention to her, choosing to rush over to Christine''s side before she crumpled to the ground. Chapter 280 RYKER''S P.O.V There was a deafening silence. The kind that made you want to check if your ears were truly working. Everything almost seemed to move in slow motion- the younger siren stabbed Christine, Cami rushed over to her and I could have sworn I heard a deafening screaming from downstairs and I knew it could only have been Juan. Cami was mouthing some words but I couldn''t hear her, not clearly at least seeing as I still had the earplugs in. I almost didn''t want to take them out, didn''t want to face the carnage that was unfolding in front of me. The little siren girl didn''t move, she just stood there staring at the blood on her hands and then she turned to me. There was something in her eyes, something small, something broken, something fearful that had me snapping into action. I pulled the earplugs out and grabbed her by the arm before turning to Cami. "Apply pressure on that- do not let it go, no matter what anyone tells you. I''m going to get the physician." I dragged the little siren with me and heard Cami''s voice. "Where are you taking her? She did this!" "I know she did, but if I don''t get her out of here, Juan is going to rip her to pieces and we both do not want that." I saw a war in Cami''s eyes, part of her wanted it. A tiny part of her wanted justice and I would have been lying if I said a part of me didn''t want it too but I wasn''t going to kill a child- at least not without very good reason. Even then, I wasn''t sure if I would be able to bring myself to do it. I mind linked the physician telling him where to go and what was going on before taking the girl to one of the guest rooms. "Why aren''t you locking me up?" she asked and I thought about it for a moment. It was what she deserved. "You can get out of there as easily as you can get out of here." "Why let me leave at all? Why not kill me?" "How old are you?" She pursed her lips for a second before replying. "Ten." "Well, I don''t kill ten year olds, and there are many people in this pce who don''t hold the same sentiments especially if they find out what you did to the woman upstairs." Her face fell. "I had to do it. I had to make my mum proud." "You had a choice," I cut her off in a cold voice. "Your mother made her choice and she died for it. You made your own." I turned to leave when I heard her voice. "What happens to me if she dies? Will you let them kill me too? I need to know." "My advice is for you to stay put," I said simply before adding. "And if you have anything that you pray to, now is the time to start." I shut the door behind me, making sure to lock it and slipped the key into my pocket before rushing back up the stairs. I could feel themotion in the air even before I got there. Something had shifted in the atmosphere, the desperation and fear was so thick, it felt like a weighted nket pressing down on my very being. It was almost too hard to move. Christine had been moved to her and Juan''s room and she was lying on the bed. Her forehead was slicked with sweat and there was so much blood. I couldn''t help but think back to what Audrey had said all those days ago. I could sense a foreboding feeling in the air, as if it were warning me of the horrors yet toe. Juan spotted me and without leaving Christine''s side, his eyes turned to daggers. "Where is she? Where is the siren that did this?" "The child, you mean," I corrected. "She is being safely held for now." "She should die," he spat and although I didn''t agree with his words, I didn''t disagree either, I just stood there staring. Anger had consumed him like a fiery beast. It was all over him, I could almost reach out and taste it, reach out and warp it to my own desires. I could feel the pulsing inside of me, almost beckoning me to use it. I pushed aside the urge and made my way over to Christine''s side. "What is going on?¡± "I''ll have to take the babies out," the physician mumbled more to himself than to any of us and we all stilled. "But she isn''t due to deliver yet," Cami eximed. "She could die, the babies could die." "This is the only way I can save her. I also don''t know if any of the babies have been hit, I need to find out and that means taking them out," he looked up at Juan. ¡°It is your choice ultimately. I can risk saving her or risk saving the babies." He didn''t even hesitate. "Save my mate, whatever you do, make sure she doesn''t f*****g d-" He couldn''t even finish the sentence, his words caught in his throat and he ced a soft kiss on Christine''s sweaty forehead. I looked up at Christine, shocked to find that she was actually awake- barely, but there. Her eyes were fluttering closed with each passing second and I could see her fighting it. I could see her aura, strong but it was flickering, she was clinging to the veryst dregs of life. The physician was right, there was no way he could save both the children and her. I looked over to her stomach, watching with refined eyes as he made an incision over her to take the children out. Their life forces were still strong, neither had been hit but I knew it wouldn''tst for long.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As he took them out, the white started to fade to a muted grey. I heard a sob that I knew came from Christine. The babies were handed to Cami and I because all Juan wanted in that moment was his mate, and it wasn''t as if I could me him. She wasn''t out of the woods yet, there was still a lot they had to do. While they worked on Christine, Cami and I stepped back, babies in arms. They were small, only a few more weeks and they would have been ready toe out. They weren''t going to survive, I knew that and I could feel the very essence of their lives calling out to me, I could almost touch it, almost pull it away- it would be mercy- No! I caught myself just in time. I didn''t know what the hell wasing over me. I trailed a finger over the little child in my hands. It was her son, he was fighting, trying his hardest to live and I knew I had to do something. I dug deep within me, surely if I could take lives then I could give it too. Reina had taken so many lives, so many souls, surely there was more stored deep somewhere, there had to be. I didn''t know what I was doing, all I knew was that I wanted them to live, so instead of pulling their life force to me, I pushed out. At first, nothing happened, then I felt something hot in the center of my gut as energy seemed to pour out of me. It took everything in me to remain standing as it poured out in waves. I could see it flowing straight out of me and into the babies as well as Christine. No one else could see what was happening and for a second, I wondered if it hadn''t worked until in front of my very eyes, I saw the baby take a deep breath and start to cry. "What is happening?" Cami asked in utter disbelief as she turned to me. "What did you do?" "How do you know it was me?" I could hear Juan asking some questions but I couldn''t pay attention to him, not when I looked down at what used to be an obviously premature baby but was now a full term child in my hands. I didn''t know how it happened, I didn''t know it COULD happen, I was staring at what was obviously a miracle. Both babies were screaming, evidence of the life thrumming in their bones. "Your children are fine," I said after a moment of silence and I saw Juan''s brows crease in confusion. "Focus on your mate, your babies are here." It took almost an hour for the physician to be done with Christine and by then, she was knocked out. He gave her something for the pain so she was sleeping soundly and Juan hadn''t left her side once but we brought his children over to him and he had stared at them in disbelief for a full minute as tears rushed down his face. "They''re alive," he whispered and I nodded. "How are they alive? I had condemned my own children to die- how could I?" "You saved your mate," I cut him off. "You were in a difficult position that no one should ever have to be in. You did what you thought was best and no one can fault you for that." "they''re perfect," he sounded almost in awe as he reached out to stroke his son''s cheek. I held him out to him and Juan picked him up with such care that I knew without a doubt, he would be an amazing father. "Thank you." "You don''t have to thank me-" "I do," his voice was firm. "You did this. I don''t know how and I don''t know why but I know you did. You are the only one with the power to do so. I owe you my life, Ryker.¡± "You owe me nothing. You would have done the same for me. You and Christine are family. It is what we do for each other." His eyes welled up with more tears as he stroked his son''s cheek. Cami was still holding his daughter but she gentlyid her into a bass by his feet and the tears Juan had been holding back slipped free as he spoke in whispers to his children. I turned to my mate who''s hands and clothes were stained with blood even more so than mine because she had held onto Christine for so long. I reached out for her, intertwining our fingers as we stepped out to give Juan some space. Once the door was shut behind me, she turned to me. "You have to tell me what you did." "I can''t exin it. I just felt like if Reina could take life forces then surely I could give one back so I tried and it worked." She stared at me for a second before throwing her arms around my neck. "Thank you, you saved a lot of people in there. If you ever needed any confirmation that you are good, Ryker, this is it." Chapter 281 RYKER''S P.O.V To say I was still reeling from the shock would have been a gross understatement. My heart was pounding in my chest and every passing second felt like a dream. We had killed the siren, we stopped the people, killing her had snapped them out of her spell, but there was still so much that was left unfinished- namely, her daughter. "We should check on the girls," I said finally and Cami turned to me with an unreadable expression. "They must be absolutely terrified." "Don''t you want to check on the younger siren," she deliberately kept her voice void of all emotion so I couldn''t tell exactly how she felt about the entire thing. "Make sure she isn''t running away." "She won''t," I wasn''t sure how I knew, or how I was so convinced but a part of me was just certain. I could tell Cami didn''tpletely believe me but the desire and the need to see the girls was greater and after a few seconds of silence, she murmured something under her breath and headed in the direction of the room. The girls were hidden just like Cami had asked them. They were hidden in the dark passage with a maid- I was assuming she was the one the siren originallypelled to watch over Aurora. She was full of apologies when she saw us but I couldn''t be bothered with listening to her. The most important thing for me was that my children were safe and unhurt. Audrey was terrified, that much was clear, but she was safe and for the moment, that was enough. She clung to me with her arms wrapped around my neck and would not let go so I just left her there. Cami sat with Aurora in her arms, even at her little age, she knew something was wrong and cried whenever Cami tried to set her down. I nced at the clock every few seconds knowing I needed to see the little siren. A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to find Caius making his way in. "I assume you know about the si-" "Yes," I cut him off. "We were responsible. Has someone cleaned it up?" "I just instructed someone to do it. I couldn''t help but notice that the daughter wasn''t," he trailed off when I shot him a hard look. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright, your majesties."Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo-bn- ib.c(o)m."Everything is fine here," I said simply. "You don''t need to check on us, or on Juan and Christine. They need their space right now." He looked confused but when he saw I wasn''t offering any other answers, he bowed. "Of course, your majesty, forgive the interruption." He started to leave when I stopped him. "Thank you for checking in and thank you for cleaning the front gate." He just nodded. "I am an elder, it is my job to assist the crown. If you would excuse me,¡± He bowed and walked out without another word. It was at that moment I realized Cami had been silent next to me the entire time. Aurora had fallen asleep in her arms and it was both a poetic and slightly terrifying sight to see her like that, bloodied and with our daughter in her arms. She said nothing, just stared nkly at the wall. Audrey''s hold on me had gone ck and I knew thest thing our girls needed right now was to wake up alone so I gently tugged on Cami''s arm. She followed me blindly but I doubted that she actually knew what she was doing or where she was going. I had to lead her because I couldn''t trust her not to bump into a wall on her own. She was clearly in shock and I couldn''t me her. Once we were safely within the confines of our room, Iy Audrey in bed and took Aurora from Cami. Thankfully neither of them woke so I could pay attention to my mate. I walked her into the bathroom and as I began to undo theces at the back of her dress, I mind linked Caius. Juan would have been my first choice but I couldn''t bother him, not right now. "I need you to go to one of the guest rooms for me," I said down the link. "Take some food there and give it to the girl." "The siren girl?" he asked and I hummed. "Am I doing this as your elder?" "I am asking you as a friend, Caius." There was a pause. "Then I''ll do it immediately, but, I have to tell you, I don''t think she can be trusted. She was by her mother''s side and she is a siren." "I never said I trusted her, I just asked that she be fed." "Will you take her to the dungeons?" "I don''t know," I admitted. "I have a few things I would like to know first before I condemn that child to her death. If she walks into those dungeons then she will not be walking out. Whether it is by my hand or by one of the guards- she will die." "I will be very discreet while getting the food to her, you have my word." I cut off the mind link immediately satisfied that I had handled that for the time being and focused on my mate. She still hadn''t said a word, she just stood there unblinking as I helped her into the tub. I expected some reaction as I poured water over her hair but still, there was nothing. "What you did today was extremely brave," I whispered to her. "You held onto Christine and you saved her life by putting pressure on that wound. If it weren''t for your quick thinking, we wouldn''t have been able to kill the siren either." She was still silent. "They have two kids now, the pce is going to be overrun with little feet soon enough and there''s finally a boy in the house to teach-" "She could have died," Cami cut me off, her voice soft and almost indiscernible. "There was so much blood and I could feel it pouring out." "I know, baby, I know." She turned to me with using eyes. "You left me. You took the little girl and you left. The siren girl, where is she?" "Safe within the pce. I will not do anything with her without talking to you, Juan and Christine first, you can believe that." Some of the anger left her eyes, but underneath all of that was something raw, as if the experience had split a part of her open. "It reminded me of Aurora," she continued. "Holding the baby and not knowing if she was going to live. I kept thinking how do I tell Christine that both her babies were dead? How do I say to her that she lost the babies that I made her n a nursery for?" "You didn''t have to." "But I almost did," she swallowed and brushed her hair out of her face. "It didn''t hit me until after that we would''ve- we almost-" She trailed off once more and buried her face between her thighs. The full force of everything hit her at once and her shoulders shook as the emotions barreled into her. I wrapped my arms around my mate, not caring that she was clean and I was still stained with blood. I held her until she no longer shook and I no longer feared that she was going to break apart in my arms. "I''m sorry," she began as she pulled away but I was quick to put an end to that. "You have no reason to apologize to me. What happened there was terrible and I can''t even begin to think about what that felt like for you. You are an amazing woman, Cami." She gave me a watery smile. "I should be thanking you. You saved the day, literally. You brought those babies from the brink of death. I still can''t wrap my head around it." "I can''t either. I''m just d that everything turned out okay for everyone."This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "In theory, yes, but that doesn''t change how terrifying this was. I thought everything was over and then the girl, she-" "She said she had to, right after she did it. She said she was sorry and that she had to." Cami''s expression hardened. ¡°She didn''t have to do anything, her mother was dead, the spell was broken. She did it because she wanted to." I had thought about that, but something told me there was more to the story and I had zero intentions of harming a child. At the end of the day, she was still a child and I was hesitant about killing children. If someone had died, I would have done it without a second thought. It was a skewed moralpass but it was mypass and I wanted to make sure that she wasn''t manipted into doing what she did. Cami got out of the tub, not caring about the water that sloshed everywhere. "Where are the girls?" "Asleep in our bed. I couldn''t leave them alone, not after everything that happened." Her eyes softened but almost immediately, they hardened into slits. "Good, I don''t want to talk about this anymore but I have one more thing to say." I nodded carefully knowing that whatever she was going to say was going to put me on edge. "You can wait to talk to Christine and Juan, but the siren girl dies." "Cami-" "You wanted my opinion, right? Well, I just gave it to you. The siren girl dies. She almost killed the only sister I have ever known and two innocent babies. She has to go, Ryker, that is my decision and I won''t change it. Unless Juan and Christine magically vote otherwise, she has to die." "She is a child," I tried to reason but Cami snorted. "If you don''t want to do it then I will do it myself, or Juan will, I know he will be more than d to do it but she has to die. Remember what we read about sirens and revenge? I won''t leave her toe back and wreck this havoc on our daughters and if that makes me a monster then so be it." Chapter 282 RYKER''S P.O.V Neither Cami nor I spoke again after that. I got cleaned only to find her already curled up in bed next to our daughters. She wasn''t asleep, just lying on her side and watching them. I had no intentions of falling asleep either but I climbed into bed behind her and gently stroked her hair with my hand. She didn''t say it, but I felt her nestle closer to me as her eyes started to drift closed. Even once I was sure that she was asleep, I didn''t stop, not for a long time after. She needed the rest and I was going to make sure that she go it. I finally pulled away after a few minutes and ced a soft kiss on her head. I would have given anything in that moment to just be there and exist with her but I needed to deal with some other things. I dragged myself out of the room and headed straight for the guest rooms. I passed by a record number of guards and maids who were discussing everything that happened. No one was using their earplugs anymore, the threat was gone, at least, that was what they thought. From the little discussions I was able to pick up, the front of the pce had been scrubbed clean and the body was taken, that much was enough for me, at least until I knew how to deal with the little siren. I pushed open the door to the room and after making sure no one was watching, I slipped inside. At first, I didn''t see anyone and I thought she had found a way to escape. I wouldn''t have med her though. Just as I turned to leave, I caught a sh of movement out of the corner of my eye and I watched as she stepped out of the shadows. She looked a tad bit fearful, almost as if she thought I was someone else but when she saw it was me, her shoulders deted in relief. "I saw the food you sent," she began slowly as she walked over to the bed. "Thank you." I gave her a curt nod and took the chair closest to me. It gave me enough distance from the bed where she felt safe but close enough that I would be able to catch her if she made any sudden movements. "Why did you stab her?" I asked not wanting to waste any time with pointless conversation. If I was going to stop them from killing her, I needed to have a good reason. "She was of no threat to you." "I had to," she whispered softly. "I just- I knew I had to. I know you''re upset but-" "Upset doesn''t begin to cut it. You stabbed a defenseless pregnant woman. She could have died, her babies could have died." Her eyes lit up. "She''s alive, oh thank Neptune. I tried not to stab her too deep so she would at least have a chance to-" "Can you hear yourself?" I cut her off. "You wouldn''t understand," her voice was soft. "What wouldn''t I understand? You are ten and you stabbed someone." "Because mum said so, and I don''t say no to mum, ever." "Your mother was already dead. If she hadpelled you to do it then thepulsion would have been broken by then. You didn''t have to." Her face fell and she turned away from me to look at the window. "You wouldn''t understand. I had to do it." "Then make me understand," she stayed silent and didn''t even bother to turn to me. "I cannot help if you don''t help me." She just shrugged. "The worst that will happen is that I will die. I don''t care, I am ready to die." I rolled my eyes. "Don''t be stupid, you are ten, what do you know about death?" "Enough to know that you killed my father and my mother," she spat and I froze. "Don''t worry, I''m not pissed at you. I told them we shouldn''t have taken the deal from that old wolf but they wanted the money and they wanted the power. I had to go with them, but don''t ask me what I know about death when death is all that I''ve seen." She turned away from me again and I knew the conversation was over. I opened and closed my mouth but no words woulde out. At the end of the day, I just stood to my feet and walked out of the room. I debated locking the door but I knew that if she wanted to run, there was nothing I was going to do or say that could stop it. I could only hope that she knew how to keep herself hidden for the time being. I could have gone to the room and cuddled up with Cami, forgetting about everything that had happened but even my conscience wouldn''t have let me do that. I found myself going back up to Juan''s room, he was still seated on the chair next to Christine, the babies were in their respective basss sound asleep but he looked like he hadn''t even blinked since we walked out. He barely acknowledged my presence although I knew for sure that he had heard mee in. I took the seat opposite him and he slowly looked up at me.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "She''s breathing," his voice sounded hollow. "They''re all breathing, they''re alive." "They are," I agreed. "It is only a matter of time before she actually wakes up. She is fine." "You saved my kids." "I didn''t-" "Don''t lie to me, Ryker," he cut me off. "I saw them when they were cut out. I knew what they looked like and I had resigned myself to the fact that they were going to die. I saw you heal them. I saw somethinge out of you and flow into Christine, you can''t lie to me about that." "What did you see?" I was more curious about that. I hadn''t been able to see or notice anything. "I don''t know how to exin it. I just felt a breeze and I saw something like a wisp of the wind flow into her and it wasing from you," he finally looked away from her and turned to me. "You healed my family, thank you, I am forever in your debt." "You don''t have to thank me for that. As long as they are fine." "Who stabbed her?" he asked and I fell silent. "You can''t do that to me right now, Ryker. I have never felt pain and panic like I felt today knowing in my heart that she was hurt. I could feel our bond ripping from the seams. That was torture and I deserve to know who was responsible. I know it wasn''t the siren, I saw her hit the ground before I-" "Juan, please," I began but his eyes shed with anger. "You do not get to do that, not about her. If it was Cami in this bed," his words hit their mark in my chest. Cami had been in that position more than once and I knew how he felt. I held the same convictions. It was hypocritical of me to not allow him the decency to be angry. "Her daughter," I admitted after a few moments of silence. "She says she had to, I am still trying to figure out what that meant but-" "I don''t care," he cut me off. "I want her dead." "She is ten." He scoffed. "If she is old enough to use a knife, she is old enough to die the same way. I want her dead, Ryker, and so help me, if you don''t do it yourself, I will do it. I don''t care if I have to go behind your back to make that happen but I will make sure that she dies." "You don''t even know where she is." He shrugged. "That is true, but I know you, and there are only a handful of ces you can keep her within the pce walls." "If I let her go? If I let her run away?" "Then I will spend every waking moment of the rest of my life hunting her down and you will spend every waking moment of the rest of yours knowing that you aren''t the fair leader you think you are, you are a hypocrite and a fraud. Knowing you, that is enough punishment." I remained silent. He was right, and he knew he was because he didn''t bother to look at me anymore, he simply turned to face his mate. I could tell that he wasn''t even angry with me, he was tired and there was deep exhaustion in his features. At that very moment, one of the children started to scream. It was his son. He nced over at him but made no move to touch him. With my eyes still on Juan, I reached over and carried the screaming child before he could wake his sister. "Have you picked out names yet?" I asked and all he did was shrug nomittally. "If you want name options then-" "I want her to name them," he cut me off. "I know what she wants but I won''t do it. She should be able to name her children after everything she went through just to have them." "They are your children too, Juan, and your son is crying out for you." He shook his head. "I can''t, I have to focus on her." "She would want you to look after your son," I said firmly and his lips turned down into a frown. He was silent for a full minute before reluctantly letting go of Christine so he could take the baby from me. "I just wanted her to hold them first," he mumbled. While he fussed over his child, I looked up at Christine and saw her eyes flutter slightly. It was such a small movement that if I hadn''t been staring at her intently, I would have missed it. Juan was so focused on their son that he didn''t notice. She made the movement again and the corner of my lips tipped up into a small smile. "I guess that might be happening sooner rather thanter." Chapter 283 CAMILLA''S P.O.VThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I had experienced many terrifying things in my life, but none quite as terrifying as waking up to my daughter lying on top of me with her face dangerously close to mine. For a second, my heart skipped a beat and I thought something terrible had happened but it turned out, it was just a very overactive and over excited child who smiled up at me the moment she noticed that I was awake. "Is this your way of trying to send me to an early grave?" I teased and she giggled. Her eyes were alight with pure mischief as she buried her face into my shoulders. With everything that had been going on, this was the first time in a while I had seen my child so happy like this and I wanted it tost. I was going to do everything humanly possible to make sure that she remained this happy for as long as I lived. It was my duty as her mother and it was what she deserved. She had grown up so fast, the least I could do was to ensure that she got the best of what was left of her childhood. "Where''s daddy?" she asked and I looked around noting that Ryker wasn''t in the room. He had been there before I fell asleep but he must have left shortly after. I dragged myself out of bed, taking Audrey with me because she just wouldn''t let me go. Aurora was still asleep and I was torn against leaving her there and actually taking her with me. On one hand, she could sleep as long as she wanted but on the other, I didn''t want her to wake up and I wasn''t here. "She''ll be fine, mummy," Audrey whispered in my ears. She sounded a bit impatient. "I want to see daddy and I want to see aunt Christine." I winced at the mention of Christine. "I don''t know if your aunt is awake right now and ready to see visitors." Audrey snorted. "Yes, she is. Daddy is with her right now. She''s very happy." "How do you-" I caught myself in the middle of my question. How did Audrey know anything? She definitely saw it and I had gotten to that point where I didn''t even bother asking anymore. If she says she saw it, then she did. She has never been wrong before and I doubted she was going to start now. I just lifted her a little higher so she could wrap her legs around my waist and I could carry her to Christine''s room. She made no move to get down from my hold and instead wrapped her arms around my neck tighter on the way. I felt a bit weird about leaving Aurora alone so I asked one of the maids to keep an eye on her for me. When I got to the door of Christine''s room, I heard the hushed whispers. I lingered at the door, my heart nearly bursting in my chest as I looked at Christine who was sat up in bed and holding her children. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke animatedly and I knew without the shadow of a doubt that she loved those babies with everything in her. Even Audrey who was formerly nestled in my shoulder had turned so she could take in the entire scene. Juan was the first to notice us. He smiled softly and gestured for us toe closer. That was all Audrey needed before she all but leaped out of my hold and rushed over to the bedside. She stayed close to her father but I could tell her eyes were on the baby. "They''re very tiny, smaller than Rory was," shemented and I couldn''t help but smile. "Why are they so small?" "Because they came out a little earlier than they should have," Juan exined gently. "When they grow older, they will get bigger, but for now, they''re infants." I wasn''t sure if she understood theplexity of the situation but she nodded and inched closer to Juan. "Can I touch them please?" They didn''t respond, Juan just picked her up and ced her on the side of the bed. She looked a little scared as she lifted her hand and stroked their full tufts of hair. Her eyes were wide and she had a small smile on her face.Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo-bn-ib.c(o)m. It was endearing to watch and I couldn''t help but lean closer to Ryker who didn''t waste any time in wrapping his arms around my shoulder. "What''s their name?" Audrey asked her nose crinkling as she added. "I don''t know their names. I tried to find out in my dream but I couldn''t hear it." Neither of them seemed shocked by the mention of her dream, they just nced at each other. There was silence for a full minute as they seemed tomunicate with themselves silently. At the end, it was Christine who spoke. "Her name is Lyanna and his name is Landon Ryker, after your daddy." I felt Ryker stiffen beside me. "Christine, that isn''t-" "Necessary?" she asked with a snort. "You saved their life, Ryker. I don''t know what you did but you''re the reason that they are here. It is the least that you deserve." I saw tears gather in Ryker''s eyes. He tried to wipe them away but it was clear that what they had done affected him so much. He tried to speak but the words wouldn''te out and all I could do was gently squeeze his hand that was intertwined with mine. "Thank you," he said finally. "It is an honor that I greatly appreciate and I do not take for granted." We left shortly after that to give them some space and to enjoy their new family. Audrey didn''t want to leave, she waspletely enraptured by the little children and it took a lot of convincing on our end to even pull her out of the room. It helped that it was time for dinner and she was terribly hungry. By this time, Aurora had woken up as well so it was just the four of us in the dining room. It felt different, and not in the good kind of way. I was so used to Christine and Juan''s presence that it just felt empty without them. I couldn''t help but smile when I thought about a few years down the line when their children would be old enough to sit at the table It made every awkward second pass by a little better. After dinner, we put the girls to sleep then the real business started. The battle was over and everything had been cleaned up but that didn''t mean everything was finished. We called for the elders and they were assembled within minutes in the council room. "This cannot happen again," I said the minute I walked in and there were murmurs of agreement. "Lives were at risk today, not just ours, the people as well. What happened today can never repeat itself again." "Yes, your majesty," was the chorus answer that I got. There was silence before one of the elders spoke. "But, if I may, this would never have happened if the threat to our jobs had not been put out there." "Is your job really that important that you would jeopardize the future of everyone in this pce?" I asked and he fell silent. "If it is, tell me now so I can disband the elders as a whole because it seems that you have forgotten what your job should be about." "I didn''t-" "Let me finish," I punctuated each word with a firm growl. "You are to serve the people, not to serve yourselves. You are a servant to all as an elder, it isn''t for you to raise your shoulders and act high and mighty. Your job is to protect the people; your job is to serve the crown. This isn''t some fancy title, it is lives that are at stake. You don''t just sit on your f*****g a*s and act like you have everything." By the time I was done, the room was in perfect silence. No one dared to speak or even look directly at me. I nced over at Ryker who gave me a firm nod telling me I was doing the right thing. I knew there was a lot he wanted to say but he was letting me do this, I was the Queen and they needed to respect me. "There will be changes," I said finally and everyone looked up at me. "I will not have the same elders for ages upon ages. There will be an election of sorts." "That is absurd," one of them yelled but after a hard look from Ryker, he retreated into himself. "If you want to be an elder, you will curry favor from the people. If they do favor you and decide to have you then you will serve them with transparency. If for any reason they believe that you are doing a terrible job, they reserve the right to get you fired.¡± "That is unfair," one yelled but I noticed Caius had been quiet the entire time. "Do you have any input, Caius?" I asked and he shrugged. "You have been noticeably quiet. Do you also think it is unfair and absurd?" "I just want to go home to my family when this is over. With everything that has happened, I realize just how little time I do spend with them. If I am to be elected then so be it," he seemed more or less resigned to the idea. "I think it is a brilliant job, your majesty. It keeps everyone on their toes." "Then it is settled," I sped my hands together. "Your tenure will expire in a year and a half. Every tenure willst five years to the date. If you wish to be elected again, then I suggest you start making friends with the people, after all, your job is in their hands now. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!