His Fake Girlfriend, His True Mate

Chapter 10

_Lyra's POV_

I thought that things would be different after that night.

Ryder had stood in front of me without hesitation and protected me again. He had held me in his arms and quietly told me that I was safe. For the first time, I thought maybe the wall between us was finally starting to break.

But I was wrong.

Because the next morning, Ryder Kane was back to the same person I had always known.

I walked into the Frostfang office with my coffee and laptop, secretly expecting something different. Maybe a small smile. Maybe a simple greeting or some sign that he remembered what happened between us.

Instead, Ryder walked past me without even looking in my direction. He did not say a word.....not even a good morning. I stopped and watched him disappear down the hallway.

Seriously?

Was I the only one who remembered last night?

Because I remembered everything. The worry in his eyes when he thought I was hurt. The way he stayed close to make sure I was safe. He had held me like losing me was not something he could accept.

But now, he acted like none of it had happened.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop, forcing myself to focus on work. The team’s social media plans were waiting and I had plenty to do. Except I kept looking toward the hallway where Ryder had disappeared.

I sighed and shook my head. “Stop thinking about him, Lyra.”

This was getting ridiculous. Ryder Kane was my fake boyfriend. That was all.

A few days ago, he was the most frustrating person I had ever met. Now I was sitting at my desk wondering why he was avoiding me.

And that was a dangerous thought.

“Morning.”

II looked up and saw Jenna standing beside my desk.

“You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Bad sleep?”

I looked away. “Something like that.”

Jenna studied me for a moment but thankfully did not ask more questions. Before she could say anything else, the sound of voices came from outside.

I looked toward the entrance and my body immediately became tense. Asher Vale walked into the arena. He looked exactly like he always did. He was confident and relaxed.

His eyes moved across the room before landing on me and a small smile appeared on his face. I immediately disliked it. Because it looked like he was studying me, like he was trying to figure out something I didn’t even know about myself.

A few minutes later, I saw him standing near the rink with Ryder. The difference between them was impossible to miss.

Ryder stood with his usual serious expression. Asher, on the other hand, looked completely comfortable, like he enjoyed pushing people’s buttons just to see their reactions.

Then his eyes moved back to me. Something shifted in his expression...like he had just noticed something interesting. I knew that look. It was the same look people had when they discovered something they were not supposed to know.

I walked closer, unable to ignore my curiosity.

“What?”

Asher looked at me innocently. “What?”

“You were staring.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “I was just wondering something.”

I crossed my arms. “Which is?”

His eyes moved briefly toward Ryder before returning to me. “You really have no idea, do you?”

My eyebrows pulled together. “No idea about what?”

For a moment, Asher said nothing. Then his smile faded slightly.

“About who you are standing next to.”

I immediately became annoyed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Ryder’s eyes moved toward Asher. The warning in his expression was clear. But Asher did not look away.

“I am just saying that Ryder Kane is not exactly the person everyone thinks he is.”

I looked between Ryder and Asher. “That is a very dramatic thing to say.”

Asher did not smile this time. “It is also true.”

A small laugh escaped me. “You barely know me and now you are warning me about my boyfriend?”

Something changed in Asher’s expression.

“Boyfriend?”

The way he repeated those words made me pause. Did he know that Ryder was not my true boyfriend? I had to be careful with my words around him or else, he might realize the truth about Ryder and me.

“So what exactly is your point?”

Asher’s expression became more serious as he looked at me. “My point is that you should be careful.”

I stared at him. “Careful of Ryder?”

“Yes.”

I almost laughed.

“Ryder is difficult, arrogant and impossible to deal with sometimes. But I do not think he is dangerous.”

Asher watched me quietly. “Are you sure about that?”

The question made me uncomfortable. Because suddenly, memories I had been trying to ignore came rushing back. I remembered the way Ryder had moved before the puck even reached me. He had appeared in front of me after the lights went out. The strange flash of gold in his eyes.

I quickly pushed those thoughts away.

“He is just an athlete.”

Asher studied my face for a moment. It was as if he knew that I was trying to convince myself more than him.

“Have you ever wondered why he is faster than everyone else?”

My heart skipped. I hated that question. Because I had wondered. I had thought about it every time Ryder reacted before anyone else. Every time he seemed to know something was wrong before it happened.

Asher continued. “Have you ever wondered why he always knows when someone is in danger?”

I stayed silent. Because he was saying the exact things I had been thinking but refused to admit.

My eyes narrowed slightly. “How do you know that?”

Asher looked past me toward Ryder. “Because I know Ryder.”

“That does not explain anything.”

“No.”

His voice lowered. “But it explains enough.”

I wanted to ask more. I wanted to know what he meant. Why he was acting like Ryder was hiding something. But before I could say anything, a familiar voice called my name.

“Lyra.”

I turned. Ryder was standing a few feet away. His gray eyes moved between me and Asher. And judging by the look on his face, he was not happy.

“I need to talk to you about the schedule.”

I glanced back at Asher but he was already walking away. As he passed me, he slowed down for a moment and looked over his shoulder.

“If you want answers, come to the training building after midnight.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

A small and knowing smile appeared on his face.

“You want to know who Ryder Kane really is?”

My heart beat a little faster. Before I could respond, Asher looked away and said quietly,

“Then see for yourself.”

With those words, he walked away and left me standing there. I watched him disappear. My mind was filled with questions.

I did not know if Asher was trying to warn me or if he was only trying to create trouble between Ryder and me.

But there was one thing I knew.

I wanted answers.

_________

That night, I told myself I was not going. I told myself that Asher was only trying to get inside my head. Ryder was just a complicated person.

That was all.

But no matter how many times I tried to convince myself, my curiosity refused to disappear. And before I realized it, I was standing near the training building after midnight.

I hated that I was there. I hated that Asher’s words had stayed in my mind all day. But I needed to know.

The area around the building was completely quiet. The lights were dim and the trees behind the training center moved gently with the cold wind.

I stayed hidden behind the corner, waiting. Minutes passed but nothing happened. Maybe Asher had lied. Maybe I was standing outside in the middle of the night for no reason.

Then the back door opened. My breath caught. Ryder stepped outside. I immediately became still.

Why was he here?

He looked different from the Ryder everyone knew. He looked tense, almost like he was fighting a battle inside himself. He walked away from the building and stopped near the trees. His shoulders were stiff and his eyes were focused on the darkness ahead.

I watched him carefully. I was trying to understand what I was seeing. Then something changed. The air around me felt different. I did not know how to explain it but I felt it. Ryder suddenly looked up and then I saw it.

A flash of gold in his eyes.

My hand covered my mouth. No...not again.

I had seen that impossible color before...in the arena....with the wolf. I took a small step back. My heart was pounding against my chest.

This was impossible. There had to be another explanation. But then Ryder dropped to his knees. I wanted to look away but I could not move. I could only watch as the impossible happened in front of me.

The shadows around him seemed to grow darker as his body changed. The person I knew as Ryder Kane began to disappear, replaced by something far more powerful. Something not human. My breathing became shallow as a massive black wolf stepped out from the darkness.

I froze.

Because I knew that wolf. The black fur. The powerful body. Those golden eyes..the same eyes that had looked at me in the parking garage. My entire world seemed to stop.

No. It could not be.

My mind refused to accept the truth standing in front of me. The wolf that had saved my life. The creature I thought was only a strange animal. It was him. It was Ryder.

The wolf slowly lifted its head. Then those golden eyes turned toward me. My heart stopped because he knew I was there.

The wolf took one slow step closer. I could not move. I could not breathe. I could only stare at the creature in front of me. I finally understood the secret Ryder Kane had been hiding.

The wolf that saved my life was not a stranger.

It was Ryder Kane.