129

129

Ryker's POV

I felt happy that she trusted me enough to tell me what she told me when she did. It was an indication of just how much she trusted me. And at this point, far more than she trusted the alpha of the pack, which was saying a lot because he had been overshadowing me for so long and had been taking my place in her heart so much that I was already starting to get rather frustrated by it.

I didn't know how to feel, however, about her idea of aborting the child. I was more concerned for her own safety than for anything else. Of course, after all, her safety was my number one priority, and something like an abortion, well, let's just say it was pretty much the riskiest thing she could try at any given point in time because of the way it could end in tragedy for her.

There was a reason why abortions like this were usually carried out in secret in the first place. And one of the biggest reasons was because they never played out successfully. And in the end, one way or another, the lady would be found out and punished severely. It was written in history. It was the way things were. What's more, I knew it also. Experienced it in books myself, and I knew just what the future could hold for her if she tried something so drastic.

It was because of this fear that I tried my best to convince her against it. In the end, however, it was all just her choice. And if she decided that she really wanted to do what she was doing, then there was really nothing I could say to stop her. It was her body after all. And unless I betrayed her and brought the punishment that was supposed to come on her, whether or not she failed, which would be betrayal of the highest order on my part. Unless I divulged her secrets and told people out in the open what she told me one-on-one in a car out of her trust for me, then there was no way I could stop her, even if I wanted to, other than to speak to her as calmly as I could.

Did I have any experience of aborting a child? Well, not physically, not my own child because I hadn't birthed anyone, and my mother and people like that that I knew from my growing up hadn't ever been in such a situation either. So there was really no way for me to give her more information about my own experiences.

However, I spoke of my own experiences nonetheless, knowing that this was the kind of thing I could say to get her to think twice about it. I glanced behind the windshield in panic once she wanted to hear more about it, my mind racing up to speed in order to find a reasonable excuse or a lie for myself. Or maybe I should just come out with the truth. But coming out with the truth would mean undoing whatever hesitation I had managed to put into her by my simple words, and I wasn't ready for that yet. If she could sleep on it, then maybe she could lose these thoughts from her mind altogether.

She was frowning at me deeply now, the question in her eyes as she waited for me to explain myself.

"I can't remember the conversation right now," I told her, hoping that she would simply forget it, knowing that from my own experience with her, she wouldn't.

"It's important," she insisted. "Talk," she whispered.

"I said go talk to the alpha," I said, and started heading briskly away.

She was out of the car too, but she wasn't moving. I could feel her eyes on my back, boring holes into me as she stared at me in disbelief.

I had a fleeting thought that if she's really very smart, then she would just guess what I meant. But I didn't turn around to see if there was anything like realization on her face or not. I simply continued on my way.

My sanctuary. My room. I crashed on my bed, panting heavily as I thought of the happenings of the day. It was honestly surprising how so much could happen, and I would be fed with so much information within just a short amount of time like this one.

"I aced it," I smiled to myself as I gave myself props for how I had overcome her questioning and how I had been a good friend no matter how I wanted to look at it. I had been a listening ear, willing to actually listen. A very supportive person in my own right. In other words, I had passed this test completely and found out more than the alpha of the pack had done when it came to issues surrounding her own heart.

He had betrayed her by trying his best to protect her. I was also up for protecting her. If I really wanted to think about it in reality, then I was more protective of her than he was. But I wasn't protective to the extent of doing drastic things just because of my intention to protect her. I wouldn't hurt her feelings because of that. No, instead I gave her the options and presented her with the choice, just like she was supposed to be—an adult, with her own responsibilities, and her own mind to make up by herself.

I would influence it as much as I could. Danger hid in the shadows, and she was gravitating towards falling into the very trap that she set for herself. But once again, I would let her do what she pleased, letting her direct her life and her actions, where she desired, without interfering more than I really wanted to. In my own opinion, that was what it took to be a friend, and how a friend should treat such matters.

Though I desperately wanted to be more than friends with her.

"It's my opportunity," I muttered to myself, feeling like an evil villain, especially when I considered the fact that I was the cause of this in the first place. The reason for the rift in their once perfect relationship. If only I had kept quiet then, instead of acting as if I had premeditated it when I hadn't. If only I had thought of it more carefully before making my choice.

I was pretty sure I wouldn't have fallen into the little trap that I fell into when I did. It would have been so much harder for me to fall then.

I rose up from my bed, funny to think that I had actually been here for such a long time now. And funny simply because of the fact that I never had enough time for rest and stuff like that. I was pretty much one of the most busy guys that I knew.

I hopped out of bed. My mission clear to me. I couldn't stay any longer. So, first, I started doing something that would actually improve my life one way or another, or at least tending to my job. I did better work, hoping that the Alpha wouldn't say anything about my betrayal the way he hasn't for a very long time now. If he could just continue being quiet around it, then I would really be grateful. After all, his reticence would only serve to tell me that he was unsure of himself. Or that he just wasn't ready for that kind of conversation with me yet.

Whatever the reason was, I was grateful as I started heading over to my office where I would be for the next 20 minutes or so, just for today and not another day, because I didn't routinely spend time at my office; I just wanted to do so today. I had been giving the secretary and other officials most of the work to complete for me, and I had been doing the minimum of it all by myself, doing what I was supposed to.

I stopped at a common room, a frown forming on my face as I heard some people talking and a couple of whispers about some ladies. I frowned. It was a servants' common room. Usually I would have no business going in there, and even less business listening to what they were saying, but somehow I felt like this one was important. I felt like it affected me one way or another. So I stayed to hear what they had to say, putting my ear on the closed door and listening.

"Imagine the scandal," I heard.

"I didn't even think it was possible," another person was saying.

"That Michael actually managed to get his child in her first before the alpha."

I was just like... they had something wrong, even though when they mentioned my name, I didn't believe it. These days, I wanted to take it like they were saying absolute nonsense and that it was not applicable to me at all. However something told me that this was not something I should take lightly.