Chapter 57
Riley’s words rang in my ear for the last two days and when I woke up, it was one of the first things I thought about. I know that Riley can be very protective of her brother but I would never have expected that kind of response from her at any time. If someone had told me before yesterday that she would speak to me like that then I would have laughed in their faces.
Christine seemed to pick up on my absent minded mood because she asked me at least twice if I was doing okay and I lied to her those two times because I didn’t even know how to explain what was going on in my head. If it were anyone else, I would have called them out there and then and they would have never tried it again in their lives but it was Riley, she had a right to be pi ssed even though I had a bigger right though.
“Camilla,” Christine whispered harshly in my ear snapping me back to reality and I realized where I was.
I was in the council room talking with mother and the other elders on how the ceremony would go and I must have zoned out because all the elders were staring at me in anticipation as if they were waiting for my input or something. I turned to Christine and shot her a slightly panicked look and she rolled her eyes.
“They asked what your plans are for Audrey,” she whispered and I muttered a quick thanks.
“I want her in and out as quickly as possible,” I told them. “She should never be unprotected at any moment and I want no less than two or three guards on her. She is my topmost priority at any given moment. I can handle myself.””
“You’re going to be the crowned princess,” one of the elders told me. I can’t remember his name and if I’m being honest, I don’t care to know his name, he always pi sses me off. “You’re more likely to be a target than she is. She is just a child, no one truly cares about her.”
“It is a good thing I was not asking your opinion then,” I shot back and I saw his face contort into a frown before he quickly schooled it. “Audrey is the most important person in a room at any given time. Before anyone is taken to safety- even me- my daughter must be safe, is that clear?”
“What about the queen?”
“I believe the queen is right in front of you and able to make her own decisions. You can ask her for details about her protection but I have told you about mine and my daughter’s. If anything happens to her during those ceremonies I will make sure that each and every one of you suffers terribly for it.”
“The palace is the most protected place in the world,” one of them said, “There is no way that anyone will be able to harm your daughter.”
“In case it sk ipped your attention gentlemen, I was taken from this very palace and I lived eighteen years of my life not knowing who I was. How is that for the most protected place in the world?”
They fell silent mainly because they knew I was right but I could see that the first elder was not happy with my decisions. I couldn’t bring myself to care because at the end of the day it is my ceremony and it is my choice on what I want to happen. If they think I will prioritize mine or anyone else’s life over my daughter then they must be thoroughly mistaken.
The meeting ended within ten minutes after that and I was the first person up and out of my seat. I could feel my mother’s curious gaze on me but I couldn’t bring myself to meet it as I walked out of the room. I heard footsteps rushing behind me but I didn’t stop to see who it might be. I already knew it was probably Christine and when she came to a stop beside me, I knew I was right.
“What’s going on with you today?” she asked. “It is not that I didn’t love how you put Evan in his place today but you seem weird. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lied but from the way her l*ps tilted down it was obvious that she didn’t believe me.
“That’s a lie and you know it,” she scoffed. “Is it about Audrey? She’s safe with Ryker and Steven is watching over her just like you asked. Nob*dy is going to try anything funny especially now that we are so close to the ceremony. Surely you know that.”
“I’m not worried about Audrey,” she stopped mid step and I sighed, “Of course I am a little worried about her but right now
I’m worried about Riley.”
“Who is Riley?”
“Ryker’s sister.”
This time a fresh wave of confusion took over her features and I calmly explained everything that had happened two days ago. She listened intently to every word and when I was done, her eyebrows had almost disappeared into her hair line. She stayed quiet for a few seconds as if she was wondering how to place the words she wanted to say.
“That’s something,” she said carefully after a beat. “First of all that was disrespectful as hell and you’re lucky I wasn’t there because there is no way she would have gotten away with it. Second, we need to do something about that Tyson, he cannot keep sneaking into the palace and if he can sneak in then goddess knows who else can.”
“I already told Steven about Tyson so he and the guards can try to figure out where Tyson always manages to sneak in from and as for Riley, she has a reason to be upset. We were friendly and I just got up and left.”
“You didn’t just get up and leave, her brother was a cheating as shole. You saw him with his di ck in someone else and then found out that someone else was pregnant. If that isn’t a reason to leave then I don’t know what is.”
“What?”
That singular word stopped us both in our tracks and we turned around to see Ryker standing there with the most confused expression on his face. We were so consumed by our conversation that we didn’t realize that he was standing right there and he had been listening to us.
“Camilla, I’m so sorry,” Christine whispered to me, but I gave her a small smile..
“It is fine,” I assured her, “You should go, I think I might need to have a conversation.”
She gave me a look wracked with guilt but she did as I had asked and walked away. Ryker was still standing there with his brows furrowed and I knew we were standing in a public place so I turned on my heels and started walking out of the palace. As expected; he followed behind me not saying a word but waiting for me to speak and I didn’t stop walking until we got to the private garden.
Other than the fact that Tyson has snuck in twice, it is the most quiet place in the entire palace. If you ever want to have a conversation without the fear of anyone listening in then this is your best bet. It is probably going to be you, the trees and the occasional critter that wanders in..
It seemed that Ryker was very eager to have the conversation because as soon as we got to the garden, he grabbed my arm
and turned me to face him.
“What the hell was she talking about?” he asked. “Who did you see f**king someone else and who was the other person?”
“Please don’t play dumb,” I could feel my irritation rising. “I know what I saw and honestly I would have preferred to never see a sight like that. You know what’s funny about all of it, that you called me to your office and then I get there only to see you with your dick in someone else.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he all but yelled. “The day you left I wasn’t even in the pack house. After we got there I was called out to check on a proposed rogue problem. I had asked the maids to feed you and when I got back, Eve told me that you left.”
I wanted to let out a scream of frustration. This is why I never wanted to have this conversation because I knew he would never admit to his wrong doing. I knew he would never admit that he was the one at fault but we all know it. I know what I saw and unless he is telling me that there is a problem with my eyes then he is lying.
“I know what I saw!” I screamed at him. “I saw you with Lauren bent over your f**king desk and the next day, I saw Lucy telling her that she was pregnant for you and that you didn’t want me to know.”
“Camilla, you’re not making any sense. The last time I f**ked Lauren was over a year before I even met you. After the incident with us almost having a child I stopped everything I had with her.”
“That’s not what I saw. Are you telling me that what I saw was wrong or it was some kind of apparition?”
He let out a sigh and spoke softly in comparison to how he was speaking before. “I’m not discrediting whatever you saw but I am telling you that it wasn’t me. Did you get a good look at the person, did you smell the person? It was not me and you have to believe me when I say this.”
He was staring straight into my eyes almost pleading and almost begging me to believe him and I could see the sincerity swirling in his eyes but I couldn’t find it in myself to believe him. I know what I saw and unless there is irrefutable proof that he didn’t f**k her then I don’t believe it.
“I can’t believe you, I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “Did you feel any pain?” I was taken aback and I blinked at him twice. He must have seen my explanation. “When you saw me having S** with Lauren did you feel any pain?”
“Other than the pain of my heart shattering you mean?” I asked and I let the sarcasm bleed into my tone.
“We are mates,” he explained, “If I had cheated on you then you would have felt it like a searing hot iron in your chest. It is just how the mate bond works and if you didn’t feel that then you know that I didn’t cheat on you. You would have felt like our bond was going to snap and the pain is almost unbearable.”
A shadow of doubt began to cast in my mind but I hesitated. What if he is just lying in order to make me believe him?
“How do I know that you’re telling the truth?”
“You can ask anyone,” he whispered and I saw him take a step closer to me. “Ask anyone and they will tell you that I’m saying the truth. I have no other way of proving this to you because it is my word against yours and hers. I sent for Lauren but no one knows where she is. She disappeared from the pack a few days ago but I sent for Lucy.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I want to hear from her if she actually had that conversation with Lauren because I didn’t know about it.”
Ryker was now standing directly in front of me and I could feel the heat from his b*dy. I wanted to reach out and touch him. but I fisted my hands by my side.
“I’m going to prove to you that I did nothing wrong,” he assured me. “Just ask your mother or your cousin. If I had cheated on you then you would have felt it.”
Without another word, he pressed a soft k*ss to my forehead and he disappeared from the garden. As I watched him leave I couldn’t help but think about how much I wanted to believe him.
