Chapter 10 Journey To A Wicked Home
Maya Pov
I nodded and she entered, setting her bag on the counter. She pulled out a small bottle and shook two pills into her palm. "This is something mild to take the edge off your anxiety. It won't make you sleepy or foggy. Just... calmer. Like turning down the volume on the fear."
"Is it safe?" I looked at Ryker, unsure.
"Completely. I take it before big Council meetings." Zara filled a cup with water from the sink. "It's your choice, though. No pressure."
I thought about the long drive to Silvercrest. About seeing that territory border sign. About walking through those pack house doors. My hands started shaking again just thinking about it. "I'll take it."
Zara handed me the pills and the water. I swallowed them quickly, hoping they'd work fast. She packed up her bag and squeezed my shoulder. "You're braver than you think, Maya. I'll see you in a few hours."
After she left, Ryker guided me back to the bedroom. "Try to rest. Even if you can't sleep, just lying down helps."
"Will you stay in the chair again?"
"If that's what you need."
I climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. The medication hadn't kicked in yet, but knowing it was in my system helped somehow. Ryker settled into his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
"Ryker?" I whispered into the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For finding me. For helping me breathe."
"Always, Maya. That's what mates do."
The word "mate" still felt strange and impossible. How could someone like him want someone like me? But I was too tired to question it right now. My eyes grew heavy and I let them close, focusing on Ryker's steady breathing across the room.
When I woke, pale sunlight filtered through the curtains. The clock showed 5:30 AM. Thirty minutes until we left. My stomach churned but the sharp edge of panic from earlier was gone, dulled by whatever Zara had given me.
Ryker was already up, dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt. He looked every inch the powerful Alpha—strong, confident, dangerous. "How are you feeling?"
"Scared. But not panicking."
"Good. Get dressed. Something comfortable for the drive." He nodded toward the closet where clothes had appeared—real clothes in my size, not just oversized shirts.
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I chose soft pants and a long-sleeved shirt, both in dark colors that wouldn't show stains if I got sick. My hands shook only a little as I changed. In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face and brushed my teeth. When I looked up at the mirror, I froze.
The girl staring back at me looked different from the broken creature I'd seen in Marcus's pack house. My face had filled out slightly from regular meals. The bruises had faded to yellow shadows. My hair was clean and brushed, falling around my shoulders instead of hanging in greasy tangles. I looked... almost normal. Almost like a person instead of a ghost.
"Maya, we need to go," Ryker called from the bedroom.
I took one last look at my reflection, trying to memorize this version of myself. The one who'd survived five years in hell and come out the other side. The one who was brave enough to go back and face her nightmares. I might not feel strong, but maybe I looked it. Maybe that would be enough.
Downstairs, Kade and Owen waited by three black vehicles. Both men nodded to me as we approached. Other wolves I didn't know stood ready, all wearing serious expressions. This wasn't just a trip. This was a mission.
Ryker helped me into the middle vehicle, sliding in beside me. Kade took the driver's seat and Owen sat in front. The vehicles behind and ahead of us were full of wolves—my protection detail. The engine rumbled to life and we pulled away from the pack house.
I watched Ryker's territory pass by through the window. Rolling hills, modern buildings, wolves going about their morning routines. Everything looked peaceful, safe, normal. My stomach twisted as we drove farther from this sanctuary.
"How long until we get there?" My voice sounded small.
"About two hours," Kade answered from the front. "We'll stop if you need us to."
Two hours. One hundred and twenty minutes until I saw those familiar gates. Until I smelled the scents I'd tried so hard to forget. Until I faced the man who'd destroyed my life. My breakfast threatened to come back up.
Ryker's hand found mine, his fingers lacing through my fingers. "Breathe, Maya. Remember the grounding technique."
I nodded and started counting things I could see. The leather seats. Kade's hands on the steering wheel. Owen's broad shoulders. The road stretching ahead. Ryker's face beside me. My breathing steadied.
We drove in silence for a while. The medication Zara had given me kept the worst of the panic at bay, but dread settled heavy in my stomach. The landscape changed gradually, becoming more familiar. My chest tightened.
"We're getting close to the border," Owen said quietly.
I looked out the window and saw it in the distance—a large wooden sign marking Silvercrest territory. My uncle's territory. The place I'd sworn I'd never return to. The place that had taken everything from me.
The vehicle slowed as we approached the border. The sign grew larger, closer, more real. Silvercrest Pack - Alpha Marcus Chen. Those words, that name, they made bile rise in my throat. I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying to keep everything down.
"Pull over," Ryker ordered sharply.
Kade swerved to the side of the road. I fumbled with the door handle but Ryker was faster, throwing it open and helping me out. My knees hit the ground just as my stomach emptied, heaving up everything I'd managed to eat that morning.
Ryker held my hair back, his other hand steady on my shoulder. I vomited again and again until there was nothing left, my body rejecting the very idea of returning to this place. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the mess on the ground.
"I can't," I gasped between heaves. "I can't go in there."
"Yes, you can." Ryker's voice was firm but gentle. "You're already here. You've already faced the hardest part—coming this close. We're together, Maya. You and me. Nothing will separate us in there."
Owen appeared with a water bottle and tissues. I cleaned my face with shaking hands, rinsed my mouth, tried to pull myself together. But my whole body trembled as I stared at that border sign, at the territory that stretched beyond it.
Somewhere in there, Marcus was waiting. Somewhere in there, my parents had died. Somewhere in there, a little girl had been broken into pieces.
And now I had to go back and face it all.
Ryker helped me stand, supporting most of my weight. "Ready?"
I wasn't. I'd never be ready. But I nodded anyway because there was no other choice. We'd come this far. We had to finish it.
We got back in the vehicle. Kade started the engine. The border sign passed by my window as we crossed
into Silvercrest territory. I was home.
And I'd never been more terrified in my life.