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 glance 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 glanced 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 plate 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 footsteps coming down the stairs.

I let out a sigh of relief as he placed a k*ss 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 k*sses.

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 claw 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 k*ssed me. It was breathless and it was merciless and it took a few seconds for me to come to terms with it but I felt it all the way to my toes. I k*ssed 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 small laugh left my l*ps. Ryker shook his head and laughed alongside my but he tucked an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I allowed myself relax completely against him and he placed a soft k*ss to my temple.

"I wanted to do that all morning," he murmured, "That is exactly why I enjoy living alone."

"So you can k*ss 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 k*ssed 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 planning the mating ceremony. There wasn't much planned 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 and complementary 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 glanced to the side at Riley who was sitting. there with an amused look on her face as she bit her l*p to stop herself from laughing.

She leaned in to whisper, "This is exactly why I am glad 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 glanced at Riley who wiggled her brows at me and I smacked her arm playfully. I stood up and followed the maid out of the room and up the stairs to where Ryker's office lays.

When we got to the stop of the stairs she froze. I looked at her carefully watching her b*dy language 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 b*dy 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 slap 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 k*ssing 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.