_Emma's POV_
I thought I understood Ryker. At least, I thought I was beginning to.
I knew the Alpha everyone else saw. The man who could silence an entire room with a single look. The man whose presence carried so much power that even the strongest wolves respected him. But I was slowly realizing that Ryker Blackthorn was more than just an Alpha. There were parts of him that I still did not know. I had only seen a small piece of who he truly was.
The next morning, I found him leaving the pack house. He was not heading toward the Alpha hall or surrounded by warriors waiting for orders. Instead, he was walking toward a large building hidden behind the main house. Curiosity pulled me after him.
“Where are you going?”
He looked back at me, and for a moment, surprise crossed his face. The
