Chapter 209
RYKER’S PO.V
Camilla was hiding something and I knew my mate well enough to know when she was being secretive. Something had made her stop at the lake. 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 palace, 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 Camilla 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 available 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 become 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 play along. “I would, we could rectify that if you want.”
“I just- I see Camilla 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 play out.”
“Peggy,” Camilla 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 Camilla 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 Camilla with a smile on her face. She mouthed the words ‘he is fun, I like him‘ and I saw Camilla 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 Camilla end up here? How did you manage to meet the Queen? Was she Queen at the time?”
“Camilla and I’s story is very complicated. She was not Queen when we met.”
“Mummy was a princess and she was mad at daddy so he didn’t come 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 more complicated than what Audrey said but I think that sums it up perfectly.”
I slid my hand higher up on Camilla’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 the last 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, Camilla 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 nonchalance and I had successfully 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 Camilla 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.
“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 Camilla,” she winked on the last 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. “Camilla 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 had come 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 Camilla 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 glad that she was on Camilla’s side.
I made my way to our room and to my surprise, I found Camilla 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 the lake,” 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 accept that I didn’t want anything to do with you? It is quite sad that-”
Her words died on her throat when I backed her into the wall. She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly no words could come 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 placed them on my shoulders but didn’t shove.
“One,” I whispered it slowly then waited another painful two seconds before finally claiming her lips.
