Chapter 86
CHRISTINE’S PO.V
I knew I was overreacting, there was no reason for me to be p issed off at Ryker but I couldn’t stop myself. I was angry. I wasn’t really angry at him, I was angry at the situation and I was angry at myself for letting it affect me this much but it was much easier for me to push the blame on Ryker than to admit that I had feelings for a man who clearly was in love with someone else.
“Christine, wait up,” I heard someone call but I didn’t care enough to figure out who it was. I simply spurred my legs to move faster.
I didn’t know where I was going, all I knew was that I wanted to get as far away from Damien and Riley as possible. If Riley was a b itch, it would have made things easier for me but she was nice. I could tell she hated the situation as much as I did and it frustrated me. I needed an outlet for my anger- I needed
something.
“Christine,” a hand wrapped around my arm stilling me and I turned to see Ryker. I had expected Camilla to follow me. In the grand scheme of things, I knew he would pick his best friend and sister but it didn’t make things hurt any less. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know they were coming.”
I was taken aback by his apology. That was the last thing I was expecting and it shocked me to my core. I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly for what felt like hours before I cleared my throat and crossed my arms over my chest.
“It doesn’t matter anyway, we are all adults. I can cohabitate with them. It isn’t like there is any bad blood between us,” I didn’t know if I was trying harder to convince him or myself.
“You can cut it with the attitude,” Ryker snapped effectively shutting me up. “I don’t know what the hell is going on between you guys but if none of you is willing to talk about it then we cannot help. What the f**k happened?”
Too much. I didn’t want to think about it. It was all I had thought about since we I met him and realized what he was to me. It was too much and I couldn’t handle any more of it.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter anyway. Just forget about it.”
Ryker loked pi ssed off, like he was going to yell but at the last minute, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “This is more than the three of you and I hope you guys can realize that before someone ends up getting hurt.”
“We have it undeer control.”
“If you did then yu wouldn’t have run out looking like someone stepped on your tail,” he retorted and I fell silent. “I care about you, Christine and so does Camilla, please don’t make us choose. This is hard enough as it is and from where I am standing, it is only going to get worse.”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer before he turned on his heels and walked out. I let out a groan and threw the nearest thing which happened to be a book against the wall. It made an unsatisfying thudding sound as it sunk to the ground and I rested my forehead in my hands.
I tried to avoid everyone for the rest of the day. It was not easy but I was determined. If I got a whiff of anyone’s scent, I turned the other way. Camilla tried to talk to me a few times but I wasn’t prepared for her questions. Ryker was the only one who respected my need for space. It wasn’t until evening that I was roped into a conversation I desperately did not want to have.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not notice Damien walking towards me until it was too late. I tried to turn around and avoiud him but he wasn’t having it. He rushed up to me and pulled me towards the nearest empty room which so happened to be the private living room. It was dark and I could feel him more than I could see him.
I hated the way my skin pr ickled when he was near and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get away from him or closer to him. I didn’t want to feel that way about him but he was still my mate seeing as I didn’t have the strength to reject him. I tried to side step him but he blocked the entrance.
“We need to talk,” I hated how he spoke to me like I was a child throwing a
tantrum.
“I have nothing to say to you after last time.”
He flinched from my words. “Look, everyone is asking questions and unless you want to answer them, we need to speak and figure out what the hell is going on.” “Nothing is going on, we aren’t a good fit for each other. That is all that needs to be said. Can I go now?” I tried to leave once more but he stopped me, “What do you want Damien? I don’t think you realize how inappropriate it would be if we are caught in a dark room together. If you don’t care about my reputation then at least care about your girlfriend’s.”
“Leave Riley out of this.”
“In case you missed the memo, she is in this. She is right in the center,” I ran my hands down my face. “Just tell me what you want so that I can leave.”
This time he hesitated. I didn’t know Damien well but in the short time that I knew him, I realized one thing- he never hesitated. He didn’t hesitate when he told me that he was in love with someone else after finding out we were mates, he didn’t hesitate when he told Riley about us but he was hesitating now and that worried me.
“Spit it out,” I said trying to brace myself for his next words but nothing could have prepared me.
“I’m mating with Riley as soon as we leave here. I came to ask for Ryker’s permission and I didn’t want you to hear it from anyone else before hearing it from me.”
It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under my feet. I tried and failed to find my gearings so that I could offer him a reasonable response but nothing was working. I wanted those words to be a lie but I could feel the weight of them crushing me. Some part of me had hoped that he would realize that we were meant to be and come back to me but clearly, I was wrong.
“Congratulations, I guess,” I cleared my throat. “Riley seems like an amazing person. I’m happy for you and I am sure that Ryker will be too. If you will excuse me.”
“Christine,” he reached out for me but I pulled my hand away.
“What do you want me to say?” I spat harshly. “I am trying here so please don’t make this worse. I won’t be able to reject you so you have to do it yourself.”
“What?”
“Go on,” I squared my shoulders. “This is the last thing standing in your way. I can’t do it but I can take it.”
“Christine,” I ignored him as I waited for the words but they never came. I risked a glance at him and for once, I could see a struggle in his eyes. It hit me like a freight train and I took a step back. “Please just listen to me.”
“F**k you,” I spat before turning on my heels and rushing out. This time he let
me.
RYKER’S P.O.V
I saw Christine rushing out of the private sitting room furiously wiping away at her tears and I didn’t think much of it until I saw Damien walk out of the same room. He looked conflicted and annoyed and I couldn’t help the feeling of frustration that bubbled up inside of me.
“Wait!” I called out and he froze. I saw fear flash across his features for a split second before he quickly schooled it and turned to me with a smile.
“I was just coming to look for you, is it okay if we go somewhere private to talk?” “If you want to tell me what you were doing alone with Christine then sure, we can talk. There is no one here so it is the perfect place,” I expected him to try denying it but he juts sighed in resignation. “What the f**k are you doing, Damien?”
“I just wanted to talk to her.”
“About what?” I spat but he stayed silent. “You cannot keep this up. I don’t want to involve myself in this but you guys are making this hard. Riley is my sister and Christine is Camilla’s. You better make your next choices very wisely because if you hurt any of them-”
“I was telling her that I wanted to mate with Riley.”
I was caught off guard by his words. I knew it was bound to happen but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I thought they would give themselves more time to work through the love triangle they had currently thrust themselves inside but
Damien seemed determined and I knew it would take an intervention from the goddess herself to change his mind. Now it made sense why Christine looked distressed as she rushed out wiping away at tears.
I felt like I was being split in two because a part of me was happy for Riley and Damien but I also felt Christine’s pain. I couldn’t imagine having to watch Camilla mate with someone else. The thought alone was enough to make me feel like someone was ripping my heart out and yet Christine was going to watch it happen.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” I was shocked when those words came out of my l*ps.
“I thought you would be happy,” even Damien was confused. “I expected the usual congratulations and the big brother speech where you threatened to skin me alive if I hurt her.”
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to steer the conversation away from Christine and while I appreciated his efforts, I wasn’t going to play along.
“You already know it, there is no reason repeating it. I am asking this because I don’t want you to realize down the line that this isn’t what you wanted. You have been with Riley practically all your life and if you choose my sister, it better be because you want her and not out of some twisted sense of obligation.”
“I want her, I have always wanted her. I love her.”
“Good, then let this be the last time you go into dark rooms with another woman,” he at least had the decency to bow his head in shame. “I’m putting a lot of faith in you, Damien. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true because right now, you have the power to hurt a lot of people.”
