Chapter 8. Eyes on Me

Ryn sat on the terrace, inhaling the scent of the roses she had picked from the yard. Her eyes were focused on the women preparing meals for the herd. The situation this morning was back to normal. They were already doing their respective tasks as usual.

Unfortunately, Ryn was not in a good mood. During her time in Freemega, the only friend she was close to was Lance. She felt lonely after he let her down last night. It reminded her of her old life. Alone and miserable.

"Daydreaming in the morning will only bring bad luck. Do you have something on your mind?" Walter asked as he sat down next to Ryn.

The girl was startled into a faint tiptoe. She turned her head and saw Walter smiling warmly. Then she replied, "I wasn't daydreaming. I'm watching them." Ryn pointed at the women who were cooking.

"Why are you just watching here? Why not try to do what they're doing? It's better than you spending your time daydreaming," Walter said.

"I'm not talented at cooking," Ryn retorted.

"You can learn," Walter said.

"I'm not interested," Ryn replied.

"I guess that's the right answer," Walter said with a chuckle.

The man took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, enjoying the fresh morning air and the smell of grilled meat.

"How did you sleep last night? Was it good?" Walter asked.

Ryn looked away while folding her lips. After that, she lowered her gaze to the red rose in her hand.

"Lance told me you had a bad dream," Walter said.

"Oh, that shitty guy," Ryn muttered, which was still heard by Walter.

The corners of Walter's lips turned up. "You guys fought, huh?" the man said.

Ryn plucked out the petals one by one and threw them away in annoyance, as upset as she had been when Walter had mentioned Lance.

"He's so suck," Ryn said.

"Wanna tell me about him?" Walter tilted his head with one eyebrow raised.

"I thought he was a good friend, but I was too stupid to think he was," Ryn said.

"What made you think so?" probed Walter.

"I told him all my secrets. I thought he believed me, but he just laughed at me. He thinks I'm ridiculous and making things up. Damn it!" The girl replied irritably.

"Is this about the nightmare?" asked Walter, which made Ryn instantly turn her head.

The girl sighed lazily and said, "I knew he would tell you about it."

"He only wants the best for you," said Walter.

"Great! Now you're defending him," Ryn complained.

"I'm not defending him. Everyone here wants the best for every one of us. Not just Lance. I want the best for you, too." Walter turned to the girl and asked, "Are you still mad at me?"

"Mad? For what?" Ryn returned the middle-aged man's gaze with a faintly furrowed brow.

Walter looked deeply into Ryn's eyes, reading the emotions emanating from her black irises.

"About what we talked about. Before Lance found you—"

"At the lake," Ryn continued. The girl just understood the direction of Walter's conversation. "Lance told me about it last night. Honestly, I don't remember what we were talking about. And I don't think it's worth explaining because no one will believe me if I don't remember. Everyone thinks I'm faking amnesia, which is ridiculous, and making it up."

"Ryn—"

"There's no need to apologize. I don't want to talk about it anymore," Ryn cut in.

"How about I tell you, I believe you?" said Walter.

Ryn turned to the man, staring uncomprehendingly.

"I love you like my daughter, and I trust you. So, will you share your story with me?" The man continued.

Ryn's eyes were glued to Walter's. The man's calm gaze could always make her heart warm. So, how could she refuse?

"I saw something so scary. Okay, I have a confession to make. I apologize if I didn't say this from the beginning. I think I know why Albert came here." Ryn licked her lips and gulped. "He came after me," she continued with eyes that swayed uneasily.

Walter's lips made a thin slit as his eyelids widened. The man's face looked tense as if danger was threatening.

"What did you say?" he said as if trying to convince himself that he hadn't heard wrong.

Ryn glanced guiltily at him and answered, "Yesterday I met them, Albert and his wolves. I attacked them and then ran away. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know he would chase me all the way here."

Some emotions were hard to describe in Walter's eyes. The man who had always looked calm suddenly turned tense. He took Ryn by the shoulders and said, "From today on, stay home. Don't leave the flock, no matter what. Let me take care of the rest. Do you understand?"

Walter's words left Ryn confused. She still needed an explanation, but Walter hurriedly got up and left her.

"Hey, Merry! Meet me in the basement! Take Mark and Bob with you!" Walter ordered the woman who had more knowledge about herbs.

"What happened? What have I done?" muttered Ryn. She had no idea what kind of situation she had caused. However, it seemed like a serious matter.

Ever since Ryn confessed, the atmosphere in Freemega has changed. The girl felt as if all eyes were on her. No matter where she was, Ryn felt as if someone was always following her. This situation felt increasingly uncomfortable, even though most of the pack members' activities were the same.

Ryn hadn't seen Lance in days. Although she still felt annoyed at the man, she really needed him right now. Ryn needed an explanation of what was going on. And Lance was the only person she thought could give her an answer without having to ask Walter.

Ryn skulked out of the house. She wanted to find Lance. She stepped carefully, hiding behind everything so no one would see her leave. The girl ran while keeping her eyes on the abandoned houses, not focusing on the path. The girl's foot tripped over a fallen tree trunk. She fell, and her body landed quite hard on the dry leaves.

"Ouch! Shit!" The girl winced in pain.

"What are you doing, Ryn?" asked a familiar voice.

Ryn saw a pair of walking feet approach and stop. The girl lifted her face and saw Lance standing right in front of her. The man leaned back, looking at Ryn with eyes demanding an answer.

"Lance?" said Ryn as she hurried to get up.

The man still didn't change his expression. His thick eyebrows furrowed deeper at the sight of Ryn, who seemed so happy to see him.

"Did you miss me?" the man asked with a smile and one raised eyebrow.

Ryn's face froze, with her eyelids blinking slowly a few times. She had almost forgotten how her last relationship with that man went. However, given the current situation, Ryn tried to forget her irritation with the man.

"You have to explain something to me!" demanded Ryn.

The girl looked around, worried that someone might be watching and overhearing their conversation.

"Explain what? I just got back from town. Did something happen?" wondered Lance.

"They're watching me! Everything I do, they're keeping their eyes on me," Ryn complained to Lance.

"Who are they?" Lance gave the girl a probing look.

"They—" Ryn was interrupted when she heard someone's voice from behind her.

"Oh, there you are. Thank God! I looked everywhere for you."

Ryn turned around and saw Walter walking toward them worriedly.