Chapter Seventeen: A Way?
1022 Words
The room was thick with the scent of herbs and healing crystals, their soft glow casting flickering shadows over Ellie’s pale form. Mireya stood by the bedside, carefully mixing a potion in a worn mortar and pestle. She glanced up sharply as the door burst open.
Ryker stormed in, dragging me by the hand behind him. Mireya’s eyes widened in surprise. “Raine?” she whispered, a flicker of concern crossing her face.
Ellie’s eyes fluttered open. She tried to summon sweetness, voice soft and fragile. “Ryker, love, why bring her here now? Surely you don’t want to make things worse.”
She blinked slowly, lips trembling. “I’m doing everything I can to heal—for the pack’s sake, and for you.”
Ryker’s gaze was hard, icy. “Cut the act, Ellie.”
His voice grew fierce, rising in anger. “How dare you keep my mate from me?”
Ellie’s face twisted, the sickly mask melting away. She pushed herself upright, fury sharpening her words.
“You think I wanted this? That I planned to be bedridden, weak? No. This is all her doing. Raine took what was meant for me.”
She narrowed her eyes on me. “She cursed me. Stole my mate, my future.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Ryker’s piercing glare stopped me.
“Tell me the truth,” he commanded, voice low and deadly.
Ellie sneered, venom dripping from every word. “Fine. It was her. She’s the reason I’m trapped here with these crystals and potions. She’s poison.”
The door slammed open again and our mother burst in, defensive and fierce.
“Ellie was always the better choice!” she snapped. “Raine is reckless and unstable. We did what was best for the pack — and to save you both from disaster.”
Ryker growled, the air thickening with his power. “If it weren’t for my mate’s wolf trapped inside you, you’d both be exiled already.”
He turned to Mireya, his grip on my hand tightening protectively. “I want a private word. My office. Now.”
Ellie’s eyes blazed. “You choose her over me? She’s poison and will destroy everything we’ve built!”
Ryker’s voice cut through the fury like steel. “Enough.”
Heavy footsteps echoed as guards entered. “Neither of you leave this room.”
Ellie slumped back, defeated but burning with rage.
Ryker’s eyes softened as he looked at me. “We will fix this."
The heavy door to Ryker’s office shut behind us with a solid thud. The room was steeped in tradition — dark oak shelves lined with leather-bound tomes, a heavy desk strewn with papers, and tall windows letting in the golden afternoon sun. The scent of cedar and old parchment filled the air.
Ryker stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back. His sharp gaze flicked briefly to me, lingering just long enough to make a slow heat curl beneath my skin. I swallowed the flutter, tightening my grip on his hand.
Mireya sat stiffly on the leather settee, clearly uncomfortable under Ryker’s scrutiny. After a tense silence, she cleared her throat.
“There’s… a ceremony,” she began, voice low and hesitant. “Ancient, old as the pack itself. I found mention of it buried in the records—something that might help.”
Ryker’s brows knit. “Go on.”
Mireya swallowed. “It’s a mating ritual. Performed only under a full moon. The idea is that if a bond has been broken, or tampered with, the energy of the full moon can restore it—snap the bond back together.”
I felt Ryker’s eyes shift sharply to me, interest and something more flickering behind that guarded expression.
“It’s rare,” Mireya continued. “And not without its risks. The ceremony… involves a physical union—mating—under the full moon’s light. It’s meant to channel the moon’s power, strengthening the connection between mates.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of the words sinking in. “You mean we’d have to… have s*x?”
“Yes.” Mireya’s voice was soft, but her eyes were serious. “It’s not just symbolic. The ceremony requires the union to be natural and willing. Forced or false participation could shatter the bond even further.”
My throat tightened. “I’m… a virgin. I’m not ready for that.”
Ryker stepped closer, his voice low and warm as he said, “Raine, this isn’t just about the ritual. It’s about you and me, rebuilding what was stolen.”
I looked away, heat rising in my cheeks. The idea of intimacy with him, especially under such pressure, made my chest ache with conflicted emotions. Part fear, part something deeper.
Mireya spoke again, voice trembling. “The next full moon is tonight.”
Ryker’s jaw clenched, determination flashing in his eyes. “Then tonight is our chance.”
I shook my head, voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t. Not tonight. I’m not ready. The bond has to be real, not forced. I don’t want to fake something so important.”
Ryker’s gaze softened, and he reached out, brushing my hair back from my face. “We’ll wait. Until you’re ready. I promise.”
His touch sent a shiver down my spine, but it was his next words that grounded me.
“Mireya, why? Why did you do this to Raine? To us?”
Mireya’s eyes brimmed with tears. “My granddaughter… Sarah. She was left alone in a hospital after her parents died. She’s sick—without medication, she won’t live. I needed the money to save her.”
Ryker’s expression hardened. “You put your needs above the pack. Above my mate.”
“I had no choice,” Mireya whispered, voice breaking. “But I will do whatever it takes now to make this right.”
Ryker’s hand tightened around mine. “Then help me restore Raine’s wolf. And I will help Sarah.”
The room seemed to hold its breath, the weight of what lay ahead pressing on us all.
- Writer
