Shifting fates

Chapter Ten: Alpha Ryker

Raine hadn’t seen Lucian all morning. She’d timed her movements with surgical precision—waiting until the shower had stopped running before leaving her room, skipping breakfast entirely, pretending to rummage for something near the front door just to avoid the kitchen. She even ducked behind the hedge at the side of the training field to avoid his usual route. Cowardly? Maybe. But necessary. She needed time to scrub the feeling of his touch from her skin and bury the memory of how she’d reacted.

I hadn’t even made it halfway across the training yard when a familiar voice snaked through the air like poison.

“Well, well… if it isn’t the pack disappointment.”

I didn’t need to look. That voice was stitched into every bad memory I had.

Ellie stood with her arms folded, draped in an off-the-shoulder wrap that screamed Luna. Her long, wavy hair gleamed in the sunlight, and her smile was already twisted into something venomous.

“I was just telling the girls how good last night was,” she purred. “Ryker’s stamina is… insane.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t flinch. I just kept walking.

“I mean, I knew mating with an Alpha would be intense, but I didn’t know how intense,” she continued, stepping into my path. “Turns out, he likes it rough. He growls when he’s about to—”

“Please,” I muttered, voice flat. “Spare me the details.”

She stepped closer, lowering her voice but not her volume. “Aw, don’t be like that. I thought you’d want to know what it’s like being touched by your mate.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. Breathe in. Breathe out.

“And just so you know,” she added, leaning in, her breath warm at my ear, “he marked me three times.”

I spun on my heel, ready to storm off—anything to get away from her—but suddenly her face twisted, eyes filling with tears like a faucet had been turned on.

“Ryker!” she gasped.

I turned just in time to see him striding toward us across the courtyard. Oh, perfect.

“She said—she said I stole him! That I tricked you! She said I’m not worthy to be Luna!”

My mouth fell open. “What?! That’s not—!”

Ryker didn’t even look at me. He grabbed my arm in one swift motion and yanked me along behind him.

“Ryker, let go! She’s lying!”

He didn’t speak until we reached the Pack House. Not until we were inside, door slamming shut behind us. Then he shoved me down into a chair in his office so hard the wood creaked under me.

“What the hell is your problem?” he barked.

I jerked my arm free. “Maybe you should ask your precious Luna. She’s the one following me around like a jealous ex.”

“She’s your sister.”

“She’s a manipulative sociopath in lip gloss.”

Ryker stepped closer, looming. “You don’t talk about her like that.”

“Why? Because she’s your new toy?”

His eyes darkened, and for a second, I thought he might actually hit me again. But instead, he slammed his hand down on the desk, rattling the glass of water beside it.

“The bond was chosen by the stars!” he growled.

“Maybe, they chose wrong.” I snapped.

He stared at me, chest heaving. His voice dropped into something colder. Sharper.

“Keep pushing me, Omega, and you’ll find out just how much I’m holding back.”

I stood. “Try me.”

He moved faster than I expected, closing the space between us in a blink. One hand gripped my jaw, tilting my head just enough to look up at him. His scent flooded my senses—earth, rain, power—and my stomach twisted violently.

“You forget your place,” he murmured.

“I never forget,” I spat back.

His lips curled into a mocking smile, but his eyes were all ice. “You’re going to stay out of her way, Raine. You’ll smile. You’ll bow your head. And if I catch you undermining her again, you’ll regret it.”

I yanked away from his grip, shoving his chest with both hands. He didn’t budge.

“Get out,” he ordered, like I was some disobedient pet.

“Gladly,” I snapped, storming toward the door. My skin burned with shame. My eyes itched. I wouldn't give him or Ellie the satisfaction of crying.