Chapter 60
When I woke up the next morning, I got a huge sense of déjà vu. Wasn’t it just two days ago he fell asleep in my room and I practically kicked him out? He was still asleep but I had no urge to kick him out now. If anything, I wanted to just freeze time and stay in this moment where I didn’t have to think about what was going on or what had been and not even what could be. I could just sit and enjoy the moment.
His hand was thrown around my waist and held me in place. My back was pressed flush against his chest and I could feel his hot breath fanning my skin with every rise and fall of his chest. Our legs were practically entangled and I knew there was no way I was getting out of his hold without him waking up first.
I shifted slightly to try and dislodge myself from his arms but I miscalculated my movements because I accidentally rubbed up against him. I held my breath hoping he wouldn’t wake or notice but it was a foolish wish because I felt him stiffen against me and in the blink of an eye, I was on my back and Ryker was hovering over me. I offered him a slight smile and an innocent shrug but he just stared down at me.
After a beat of silence, he leaned down and k*ssed me softly. It was a soft peck and then he rolled off me and started to gather his clothes. I watched without saying a word trying to remind myself that him leaving was the best option for both of us but I couldn’t ignore the soft pang in my chest. I couldn’t quite pin point what the feeling was but it was something akin to grief.
Once he was dressed, he walked over to the door. I sat at the edge of the bed watching him leave then at the last minute, he turned around, walked over to me and angled my head for a bruising k*ss. I was so shocked by it that it took me a minute to gather my wits and k*ss him back. His tongue sl*pped into my mouth and I let out a breathy moan which resulted in him pulling away harshly.
“I should leave,” he muttered more to himself than to me but he made no move to go. He was absent mindedly rubbing his finger against his bottom l*p as he stared at me. “Tell me to leave.”
I opened my mouth but the words wouldn’t escape. Try as I might, the words refused to leave my l*ps and I found myself with my mouth gaping open and closed like a fish. Ryker let out a groan and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“We need to talk about this,” he said and I nodded in agreement. “Promise me, you won’t switch up on me later.”
“I’m not going to switch up on you Ryker,” I assured him and then my eyes caught the clock and I cursed. “You have to leave Audrey will be here soon and I don’t want her to see you.” Hurt flashed across his features and I let out a deep sigh. “She’s a child, Ryker, she won’t understand. Hell, I’m an adult and I still don’t know what we’re doing.”
“You’re right,” he said after a beat and then with one last look at me, he pulled open the door.
I wasn’t expecting to see Christine standing there and she blinked at both Ryker and I. I muttered a small curse under my breath. Ryker just nodded to her and walked past her. She looked at him as he was leaving and then turned back to me with a raised brow.
“Am I going to have to ask?” she asked me as she stepped into the room. “Or are you going to tell me what I just narrowly avoided seeing?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I lied as I picked up my clothes from the floor and arranged them neatly into my laundry basket.
Christine hummed in obvious disbelief. “I’m sure there’s nothing. After all, it isn’t a big deal to see your mate walking out of your room with his shirt wrinkled. I’m sure your mother would love to hear about-,”
“Don’t you dare.” I cut her off and she smirked wide.
“I’ll run the bath while you tell me.”
I ended up telling Christine everything- well, a clean version of everything that happened. There was no way I was going to tell her about my S**ual life with Ryker. It was first and foremost not her business and it was private.
She listened attentively and when I was done, all she said was to be careful and make sure no one got hurt from what we were doing. I knew she had more to say but she stayed silent and refused to speak no matter how many times I asked. She
wanted me to make my decision without any external influence and I appreciated that.
Once we were done talking, I went to get Audrey ready for the day and she seemed to be a little more sluggish than usual. She absolutely refused to let me put her down, not even during breakfast. I didn’t know why she was acting that way and when I asked, she just shrugged and buried her head in my shoulder.
After breakfast, she was supposed to see Ryker but she didn’t seem to be in the mood to see anyone. She started running a fever and I was terribly worried. I called the royal physician and he checked her over but assured me there was nothing wrong with her. It is embarrassing to admit but I blew up at him. I told him there was no way she would be fine and be running a fever. He ended up giving her a drug that knocked her right out.
I reluctantly left her in her room so she could rest and I went to break the news to Ryker that Audrey wouldn’t be joining him today. He wasn’t in the private living room when I arrived and I asked the guards but they said he hadn’t arrived. I knew the only other place I would find him was in his room but I was anxious to go there. Against my better judgment, I found myself going down the roads I knew led to his room and I had gone a certain distance when I heard raised voices.
I followed the voices and when I got closer, I recognized one of the voices as Riley. She was the one who was yelling while Ryker was speaking to her in a much calmer approach.
“You have to be crazy,” Riley said. “What the hell were you thinking? After everything that happened, after everything she did. Do you remember what you were like when she left? Now you’re running back to her with open arms.”
They were having an argument about me. Why would they be having an argument about me? How was he when I left? There were so many questions running through my head and I didn’t know how to address them because the only people who could give me answers were currently arguing.
“I know what happened,” Ryker told her. “But I think it is all a large misunderstanding. We are trying to work it out. It is none of your business and I do not owe you an explanation for any of my actions. It may have sl*pped your notice but you are nineteen and you do not have the vast pool of knowledge you think you have.”
“Neither do you because if you did, you wouldn’t be smelling like her. I don’t even want to know what you guys did.”
“Riley this conversation is over,” Ryker cut her off and before I could brace myself the door flew open.
I put on my best confused expression as both pairs of eyes fell on me. Riley was looking at me with suspicious eyes as if she suspected me of listening in.
“Is this a bad time?” I asked innocently. “I wanted to tell that Audrey isn’t going to be able to join you today.”
“You’re keeping his kid from him, what’s new?” Riley spat with venom and Ryker shot her a warning glare.
“Actually, she’s sick,” I told them both. “The physician gave her something that put her right to sleep. She should be up in a few hours but if you want to see her, you can. You just have to be really careful so she doesn’t wake up. She tends to be a light sleeper sometimes.”
“We can see her when she wakes up,” he said and then he grabbed my arm and led me away
from the room.
I didn’t know where he was leading me and honestly, I don’t think he did either. I just followed him until we arrived at the palace garden. I made sure there was no one within earshot when I spoke.
“Is everything okay with Riley?” I asked and he nodded. “I’m really sorry about everything. I never wanted to cause any problems with your sister.”
“I can handle Riley, don’t worry.”
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my hair and k*ssed me. I eased into the k*ss when I heard a sound of disgust from in front of us. I pulled back from Ryker only to see Tyson standing in front of us with a look of pure anger and his hands crossed over his chest.
“You’ve got to be f**king kidding me,” he spat. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. “I came here for you’re locking l*ps with someone else.”
you
and
“What do you want Tyson?” I asked. “You’re not supposed to be here. The last thing you’re going to do is stand there and point fingers.”
“You’re such a f**king wh ore,” his good guy façade was slowly cracking and I could see the poison I knew lurked beneath the surface. “I was willing to forgive you for mating with someone else and then you go ahead and do this.”
I felt Ryker’s anger rising and he moved towards Tyson but I stepped in front of him. This was my fight, not his and the last thing he is going to do is start a fight in my mother’s garden. She will not care who caused it, she will have both of them thrown out. Even though she never comes here, she loves this garden for some messed up reason.
“You are not going to start a fight,” I told Ryker then I turned to Tyson. “You have two minutes to get the hell out of here before I call the guards to forcibly remove you.”
He stared at me with barely concealed anger and spat at my feet before throwing the flowers on the floor. I held my breath as he turned to leave and I let out a sigh of relief thinking he had decided to go peacefully. I wasn’t expecting him to turn around at the last minute and charge us. Ryker anticipated the move; he pushed me out of the way and tacked Tyson to the ground.
There was a loud cra ck as Ryker stood over Tyson’s arm that was bent in an awkward angle.
“Get the f**k out,” he spat.
Tyson had murder in his eyes but he knew he was beat here. He muttered a few curses under his breath and left. I watched as he walked away and I let out a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse and I am grateful it didn’t come to blows.
“We should go back in.” I told Ryker and he nodded in agreement.
We walked inside together and I decided it was as good a time as any to see Audrey. We went up the stairs to her room and the guards set in front of her room bowed to me as they stepped aside for both of us. I pushed the door open and I was not expecting what I saw.
The bed was perfectly made and the room hadn’t been touched since I was here last but Audrey wasn’t on the bed where I
left her.
“Where’s my daughter?” Lasked the guards and their brows furrowed in confusion. “Did someone take her out?”
“No your highness,” they said. “No one has come in or out since you left.”
That was when I noticed the opened window and I heard a blood curing scream.
