After I finished eating, Eve handed me a small vial of medicine she claimed would ease the pain. The liquid was thick, slightly bitter, with a faint herbal undertone that lingered on my tongue even after swallowing. It worked faster than I anticipated, pulling me under like a weighted blanket. Exhaustion already tugged at my limbs, so it didn’t take long for sleep to claim me.When I awoke later, the soft clinking of cutlery and Eve’s gentle prodding to eat lunch stirred me. My mind was hazy, caught in the half-dream state where reality felt distant. Ryker stood in the shadows near the corner of the room, his presence heavy yet silent. His eyes were sharp, watching over me with a vigilance that should’ve made me uneasy but didn’t. I barely remembered much beyond the taste of the warm stew she fed me before sleep dragged me back under.It was night when I finally woke again, the room dimly lit by a single lamp casting golden hues across the walls. A faint mustiness clung to my skin, a
It took a week before I could even begin to move my leg without the excruciating sensation of impending death. The pain still lingered, an uncomfortable throb that followed me like an unshakable shadow, but at least I could get around on my own now. The limp was heavy, persistent, but the agony had lessened just enough for me to function without help every minute of the day.Each morning for the past week, Ryker had been there, faithfully assisting me whenever I needed to bathe. The warm water against my skin had become a small comfort, but it was his presence that added an unexpected sense of security. I had grown used to his presence quickly, almost too quickly. By the second day, it no longer felt as awkward when he helped me out. Yet, there was always something about him that left me wondering. After every time, without fail, he would leave right after and return twenty or thirty minutes later. I never knew where he went or what he did during that time. A part of me was curious—no
The days passed in a haze of silence, tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. I did everything I could to avoid Ryker, retreating into the confines of my room where the walls, at least, seemed to shield me from everything else. The bed became my refuge, a place to escape from the reality that weighed heavy on my shoulders. Each morning, I would find myself stuck in the same cycle: wake up, take a bath, get dressed in something comfortable, and stay hidden in my room. I would only leave when absolutely necessary, and even then, the mere sight of Ryker would cause my stomach to tighten in knots. He knew what I was doing. Hell, it was painfully obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. The avoidance was so blatant that I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I could keep up the charade before he confronted me about it. I had been expecting this inevitable moment, but when it arrived, I wasn’t ready. That morning began like any other. I slipped into the warmth of a hot
Ryker’s expression hardened, but he didn’t immediately speak. Instead, he paced for a moment before returning his gaze to me. “What else did they do to you?” I wanted to shut down, to retreat back into the shell I had worked so hard to build. But the urgency in his tone pulled me back to reality. He wanted to hear it all. Taking a shaky breath, I told him what I could. The surface-level details of my life. The jobs I had taken on, the way I had struggled to survive. I didn’t mention names, but I told him about working in the club, the restaurant. I told him about the pack members taking out their frustrations on me, the way they treated me as less than nothing. When I reached the part about Tyson, my voice faltered. I didn’t want to talk about him, about what had happened between us. I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “He rejected me. I left the pack.” I couldn’t bring myself to say more. The silence that followed was suffocating. I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the e
Over the next few days, Ryker and I began to carve out a strange kind of truce, a delicate balance between us. My initial fear of him, so heavy and oppressive, didn’t just vanish overnight. That was something I had known from the beginning. It was always going to take time to unwind the tight knots of fear and uncertainty that had coiled themselves around me. But now, I noticed with some surprise, there were moments when I didn’t jump at his presence, or freeze up when he walked by. And though I couldn’t say I felt completely at ease yet, I felt a shift. It wasn’t that I stopped fearing him—it was that I had fewer reasons to. I had seen how he treated the omegas in his pack, with a kind of quiet respect, a responsibility that ran deeper than I had expected. Slowly, I was starting to believe there might be more to him than just the cold, intimidating alpha that I’d first met. It was a strange, cautious peace, but I took it as a victory.The healing of my leg was another small victory.
The rest of the day passed in a strange and unsettling silence. After we finished breakfast together, Ryker disappeared. It wasn’t like him to just vanish, and it left a void in the house. The space felt unnaturally still, almost hollow. I was so used to his presence—his warmth, his deep voice filling the rooms, his subtle but constant awareness of me—that it was jarring not to have him around. It felt as though the house had lost its heartbeat, and my own rhythm faltered in response to the absence.Eve noticed my mood and, in an effort to keep me distracted, spent the day telling me stories about life in the pack. Her voice, soft but steady, brought some semblance of comfort. She wasn’t born into this life, she told me. She had been a rogue, wandering alone until, at the age of five, she accidentally wandered into the pack's territory. The former Luna had found her, taken pity on her, and made her an omega. The pack had become her family, and her story, tragic yet hopeful, held me ra
The sun had barely risen, its faint light filtering through the trees as I stood alongside Ryker in the early morning quiet. The crisp, cool air nipped at my skin, and the damp earth beneath our feet seemed to hum with the weight of untold stories. Our training was the same as yesterday—focused and relentless. But today, there was a sense of urgency, a tension I could feel in every movement Ryker made. Though he tried to hide it, I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes darted to the horizon as though expecting trouble. He was still worried about the rogue, I knew that much. But despite everything, he chose to be with me rather than delegate my training to someone else. I appreciated that, more than he probably realized.As the morning wore on, the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call were the only sounds that accompanied us. My body ached from the exertion, but I kept pushing, determined to keep up. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her—Laur
I locked myself in my room the entire day, the weight of guilt pressing heavily on my chest, suffocating me. Eve had come by to offer lunch, but I couldn’t even bring myself to take a bite. The thought of what I had done to Lauren twisted like a blade in my heart. I couldn’t even begin to fathom how she felt, having me still in this house, after everything. The air in my room felt suffocating, my mind swirling with regrets, and every corner seemed to echo with the silence of my shame.The hours dragged by, each minute stretching endlessly. As the evening approached, I began to rehearse the speech I had prepared for Ryker. I must’ve gone over it a thousand times in my mind, each time tweaking it, refining it, trying to make it sound as sincere as possible. The plan was simple—wait until dinner, thank him for everything he’d done for me, and tell him that it was time for me to leave. I would tell him I needed to give him and Lauren the space they deserved, even if it meant tearing mysel
Camilla could barely contain her anticipation. The moment they stepped into the house, she and Ryker rushed up the stairs, their only source of light a dimly flickering lamp. The wooden box sat on the bed between them, its lock gleaming under the glow. Her fingers trembled as she slid the key into place. A click echoed in the silent room, and the lid creaked open.Her breath caught in her throat.She had feared that time and the elements would have reduced the contents to dust, but to her astonishment, the bound stack of letters was pristine—almost as if someone had placed them there just days ago. Slowly, she untied the ribbon binding the pages together. Her heart lurched when she read the first words.*To my daughter.*Not her name, but the words still sent a shiver through her.She turned to Ryker, brows furrowed. “It’s addressed to me.”He leaned closer, peering at the paper before glancing up with a shrug. “Only one way to find out what he had to say.”As she lifted the lamp, its
**CAMILLA'S P.O.V**A sharp tremor wracked my body as I sucked in a shallow, uneven breath. My knees threatened to give out beneath me, but all I could think about was my daughter, cradled in my arms. I clung to her desperately, unwilling to let go even as the world around me blurred. I barely registered Ryker appearing beside me, his arms slipping around Aurora before I collapsed. The moment Briggs' grip loosened, the unbearable pressure in my chest eased, and I gasped, greedily sucking in air as if I'd been drowning.“Are you alright?” Briggs’ voice reached me, laced with concern. He moved toward me, his hands outstretched, but I flinched back, my reaction sharper than I intended. He hesitated, brows furrowing in confusion. “Did I do something wrong? Do you need me to get something for you?”I knew this wasn’t his fault. He looked as baffled as I felt. But I couldn’t afford to risk another wave of that unbearable sensation. If it happened again, I was certain I’d lose consciousness.
CAMILLA’S P.O.VA violent shudder wracked my body as I struggled to steady my breath. My grip on my daughter tightened, fear coursing through me like a relentless tide. I couldn’t drop her. No matter what was happening to me, I had to keep holding on.I barely registered Ryker appearing at my side, his presence swift and sure. He took Aurora from my arms, his touch gentle, and the moment she left my grasp, my knees buckled. I collapsed, gasping as the crushing weight that had been suffocating me lifted. My limbs felt hollow, drained of all strength as if I had been fighting against something invisible yet suffocating.Briggs’ hands had been on me just moments ago. How long? Seconds? Minutes? It had felt like an eternity.“Camilla?” His voice was uncertain, edged with concern. “Are you alright?” He reached for me again, but I flinched away, my reaction more forceful than I intended.Briggs hesitated, his brows furrowing. “Did I do something? Do you need—?”“No,” I rasped, cutting him o
CAMILLA’S P.O.VRyker had convinced me it would be better to wait until the kids were asleep before digging, so I spent the entire evening restless. My skin itched with anticipation, my mind spinning with possibilities. What could my father have hidden? He was frustrating in many ways, but his treasure hunts had always been clever, almost addicting. If this had happened at a different time—when an enemy wasn’t lurking in the shadows—I might have actually enjoyed the challenge.I just prayed that whatever lay beneath that tree wasn’t another one of his messes waiting to explode in my face.Once both kids were tucked in their beds, their peaceful breathing filling the quiet house, I kissed their foreheads and hurried outside. Ryker was already waiting, holding a lamp in one hand and a shovel in the other, his expression unreadable. While excitement coursed through me, he was only here for my sake."You don't have to do this," I whispered, hesitant. "It's late, and for all we know, this
Camilla’s POVThe estate was grander than I’d imagined. The moment I stepped inside, reality set in—my father never did anything halfway. This might have been his retreat, but he spared no expense making it as luxurious as possible. The crystal chandeliers sparkled above, casting a golden glow over the polished marble floors. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, and velvet drapes framed the tall windows, letting in the soft glow of the evening sun. It was a stark reminder of the wealth he wielded, the power he once held.We washed away the exhaustion of the palace, exchanging travel-worn clothes for fresh, soft fabrics that smelled of lavender and something faintly familiar—like home, but not quite. I exhaled, and for the first time in what felt like years, my lungs expanded fully. There was a lightness in the air here, something almost intoxicating. Was it freedom? Or just an illusion of it?Dinner was a quiet affair, the kind that settles into your bones and warms you from the inside.
CAMILLA’S P.O.VI sat in stunned silence, barely processing what had just happened. Ryker had planned everything. Every single detail had already been arranged. The only thing left was for us to leave.A vacation. We desperately needed one, but I hadn't expected him to take matters into his own hands. It wasn’t like we ever had the luxury of peace, not with everything we had endured.The carriage rocked gently as it rolled away from the palace, and despite myself, I felt a tinge of excitement. My feet bounced slightly against the wooden floorboards, a telltale sign of my anticipation. Across from us, Audrey sat with her small hands gripping the edge of her seat, her eyes darting toward the window. In Ryker’s arms, Aurora lay nestled against his chest, her tiny breaths even and peaceful.“Where are we going, Mommy?” Audrey’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. Her brows furrowed as she peered outside, recognition flickering in her eyes. “This road looks familiar… like the one we too
RYKER'S POVThere was always a voice in the back of my head—relentless, nagging, a constant reminder that I should be doing something more productive. It never left me, not even for a second. Maybe because, unlike most children, I never had the luxury of lazy days or the freedom to do nothing. My life had been an endless cycle of lessons, training, and expectations. There was always something I didn’t do well enough, something I needed to perfect, something my father drilled into me with an iron will.And even though he had been gone for years—longer than I cared to count—the weight of his influence still clung to me, refusing to loosen its grip.I exhaled, pushing the thoughts aside as I sat up in bed, my gaze settling on Camilla. She moved around the room effortlessly, wrapped in nothing but our tangled sheets. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, messy from sleep but still perfect in a way that made my chest tighten. She wasn’t trying to tease me, I knew that. But go
CAMILLA’S POVAs per tradition, we couldn’t leave until the place was completely cleared. It was a long-standing rule—one we had followed for years. Only when the last person had returned to their home and the executioner had carried the body away did we dare to step forward.I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, refusing to look. I knew if I did, nausea would overwhelm me. My stomach was already twisted into painful knots, my throat dry as if it had been scorched. I wanted to convince myself that I didn’t care, that this was just another consequence of a cruel world. But deep down, I knew the truth—I still had a softness in me, one that Ryker didn’t share.Unlike him, I believed that if fate had been kinder, if circumstances had been different, she might have been, too.Ryker’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.“Everything’s been cleared out.”I swallowed hard and forced myself to glance up. The guillotine stood tall against the darkening sky, its blade gleaming with fresh blood. The g
CAMILLA’S POVThe sun was beginning to dip beyond the palace walls, casting golden streaks across the sky as Ryker and I strolled through the grounds. The afternoon had been peaceful, just the two of us walking aimlessly, enjoying the rare quiet moments in our otherwise chaotic lives. But eventually, duty called, and we decided to pick Audrey up from school ourselves.The second she spotted us, her shriek nearly shattered my eardrums.“Mama! Papa!” She came running at full speed, her tiny feet barely touching the ground as she launched herself into my arms. I caught her with a laugh, staggering slightly under her enthusiasm.“I missed you!” she declared, squeezing my neck as though she never wanted to let go.“We were only gone for a few hours,” I reminded her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.“That’s forever!” she argued, her voice muffled against my shoulder.Ryker chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Did you have a good day at school?”That was all the encouragement she needed. Fro