CHAPTER FIVE

The half moon lit dimly. The light rays change their course like a bob going back and forth. It seemed as if it was following Ryker and Eirlys. 

Ryker shouldn't be out on his own. Yes, he could have brought his guards and probably his beta to come with him on his rescue mission. But he had to. He went hunting, as he had always done most nights. He felt alone despite everything he had. He had hoped one day he would find answers to his questions but he never really asked any questions. He had never really known what he was looking for.

“We're almost there…” he said, smiling as he turned his head to notice her.

Eirlys had just experienced what she had seen a long time ago. She had just seen for a second time how Ryker had navigated through the secret passage and alleys to get to his pack. She had watched Ryker closely, how he held her hand, like he wasn't going to let her go again.

There was a moment when she thought to thank him but that was impossible, right? Not after everything she had been through and she blamed him for it. 

She nodded. “Just go on… I'm tired of this hide and seek.”

They both got inside the pack. The Nightfang pack. Eirlys halted, standing on a spot and wandered with her eyes. It seemed like ages. She remembered the first time she came here. It was like a dream come true, being the mate of someone who was meant to be the Alpha. About to be the Alpha. 

But life had a different plan and she could not change the course of destiny. It was two years ago when she was in the custody of The Tyrant. She had no hope of escaping. Not that she could not escape as she had imagined all kinds of escape plans. 

But the question was, where would she go? Who would she meet? Wouldn't it be escaping from one shit hole to another hellhole. There was no one else aside from herself. All she had got was herself. She could not even dare to ask for help. Everyone she had looked up to would have firstly turned her down, making a joke of her.

It wasn't their fault though. She blamed the circular big deep black mole that disrupted the color of her fair toned skin and it was situated around her cheek, near the corner of her lips. It was labeled as a curse, yet she was born with it and grew up with it and it never stopped getting bigger and expanding.

With time, she developed the habit of covering it with her hair. And in some situations, she never made eye contact and rather would focus her eyes on the ground or look away.

“Eirlys, you need to rest. You're injured.”

Eirlys was lost and did not hear Ryker talking to her, not until he tapped her, waving his hand right in front of her face.

“You have a lot of catching up to do… and your leg. It needs attention.”

“Like you care, huh?” She hissed and rolled her eyes.

Ryker smirked. “whatever. But we have to go.”

“I'm not leaving here unless you tell me how you found me.”

Why do you have to be stubborn? You were not like this before. How come you are now? He thought, letting out a deep breath.

“You don't have to be difficult, you know? You have all the time to ask me that.”

“No, I want to hear it now.”

Eirlys watched closely, expecting a response. She had felt something, something she couldn't quite explain. The first time she felt it was the night Ryker rescued her from The Tyrant. There were several hundred prisoners but he saw only her. She felt the pull toward him, how her body shivered when he touched her. How she swallowed when he whispered the words to her. “I've found you. You're safe with me.”

But those days were gone. However, she felt something close to that feeling and couldn't quite tell what it meant. What it was. Afterall, she had been rejected. So, it could not be what she was thinking.

“I was hunting. I'm always hunting during the night. And I found you. Are you okay now?”

“Hunting you say, you didn't hunt during the day and it's the night you went hunting? I don't believe that.”

“Believe whatever you want to believe… and you can stay here if you want or you can follow me now. But mind you, my guards must not see you.”

Without another word, Ryker turned with a flicker of hesitation away from her and towards the pack Royal residence. The royal residence stood like a fortress that looked like it had been carved from the wilderness itself. The gate itself was forged from iron and emblazoned with a crescent moon crest. 

Eirlys followed him, knowing she had to. They both walked in through the gate as two guards were standing and immediately, they bowed their heads as Ryker walked inside. He didn't even look their way, he just stopped and waited for Eirlys, so she would be ahead of him and he would walk behind her.

“What are you doing?” She questioned.

“Oh! Remember, ladies first.”

“No, don't act like you care. I know you don't and I don't need you to care about me… let's just say, I needed a place to stay for a while. Trust me, I'll find my way sooner than you expected.” she turned on her heels and strode hurriedly.

“Do you know where you're going? This place has changed.” he said in a loud tone, forming a cup with his hand around his mouth, like he was protecting his words from being carried by the wind.

“You don't have to worry about that. The best you can do is to follow me.” She entered the residence. 

She opened her mouth, not too wide but her eyes could tell it all that she was surprised. It was actually different from the last time she was here. Inside, the halls were vast, with high ceilings supported by rough-hewn beams that seemed alive, as though the trees they came from still breathed. Flickering torches cast long shadows across the stone floors, while massive windows let in shafts of moonlight, illuminating intricate carvings of wolves running through forests. 

She sighted a door, on it was engraved the head of a wolf. She already guessed what it could be. It was the heart of the residence and was known as the great hall. It was where the throne of Ryker was situated, where meetings were held and where judgement were made. She opened the door widely, its centerpiece a throne carved from dark wood, polished smooth by centuries of rulers.

A massive fireplace dominated one wall, its flames dancing like restless spirits. Around it, worn banners hung, each bearing the sigil of the pack's history. The place felt alive, as if the walls themselves listened to every footfall, every whispered secret. It was not just a home; it was a symbol of power, of ancient traditions that could not be ignored.

She turned to see another spot only for her to bump into Ryker, her head brushing his chest. And for a moment, she felt something. Something she had felt before but a long time ago.