Chapter 8 Need to Leave
ARYA
My phone buzzed. Then again. And again.
I pulled it out, expecting more pack business. Instead, I found a series of texts from a number I didn’t recognize.
You don’t know me, but I know what they’re planning.
The rogues weren’t random. They were sent.
Get out while you can.
They’re coming for you.
My blood ran cold as I turned to Ryker, my voice came out soft and a little shaky. “Ryker.”
He was beside me in an instant, reading over my shoulder. His expression darkened with each message.
“Who sent this?”
“I don’t know.” I scrolled through, looking for any identifying information. There was nothing.
Another message came through.
The amulet. They want the amulet. They’ve always wanted it. Your grandmother knew. That’s why she hid you.
My hand flew to my chest, fingers finding the familiar weight of my grandmother’s necklace. The amulet I’d worn every day for seventeen years.
“What does that mean?” I whispered.
Ryker’s face was grim. “I don’t know. But we need to find out. And we need to get you somewhere safe.”
“Safe? Ryker, I’m in the middle of pack territory.”
“Are you?” His eyes met mine. “After what we heard today, after what Jaime’s planning, are you really safe here?”
I didn’t have an answer. The truth was, I hadn’t felt safe in years. I haven’t felt like I was home.
Another message appeared.
Trust no one in the pack. They’ve been compromised. Even those you think are loyal.
I showed it to Ryker. “Even you?”
“Especially me,” he said, his voice thick. “But I’m choosing you anyway.”
Something in my chest loosened at those words. In a world where everyone else had chosen against me, Ryker was choosing me. I didn’t want to think of how my life would be without him.
“What do we do?” I asked.
“We get you out of here. Tonight.” He was already pulling out his phone. “I have a place, outside pack territory. It’s small but it’s secure.”
“I can’t just leave—”
“Yes, you can. You said you wanted out? Then get out. Don’t wait for them to give you permission.”
He was right. God, he was right.
But fear held me in place. Fear of the unknown. Fear of being alone. Fear of losing the only identity I’d had for five years, even if it had been slowly killing me.
My phone buzzed again. One final message.
Midnight. The borders will be clear. Run, Arya. Before it’s too late.
I looked up at Ryker, at this man who’d been my anchor in a storm I hadn’t even realized I was drowning in.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Okay. Let’s go.”
The drive back to the pack house was tense. The silence in the car was too loud, drowning out my own thoughts of what the hell is going on. Ryker kept checking his mirrors, scanning for threats I couldn’t see. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, so I tucked them under my thighs and stared out the window at the passing trees.
Everything looked normal. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves. Pack members walked the streets, going about their daily business. Children played in the common areas.
No one looked like they were planning anything sinister. But maybe that was the point.
Trust no one, the message had said. They’ve been compromised.
How many of these people smiling and waving as we drove past knew what was coming? How many were part of whatever this was?
“We’ll pack light,” Ryker was saying, his voice low and steady. “Just necessities. Clothes, documents, anything you can’t replace.”
“What about Mrs. Hargrove?”
His jaw tightened. He shook his head without taking his eyes off the road. “We can’t tell her yet. The fewer people who know, the safer everyone is.”
That hurt. Mrs. Hargrove had been the closest thing to family I’d had since my grandmother died. The thought of leaving without saying goodbye made my throat tight.
But Ryker was right. If something was coming, if there really was a threat, I couldn’t risk putting her in danger.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “Just us.”
We pulled up to the pack house twenty minutes later. Thomas was waiting by the garage, but again Ryker waved him off.
“Luna Arya isn’t feeling well,” he told the driver. “She’ll be resting for the remainder of the day. No disturbances.”
Thomas nodded, concern flickering across his face. “Of course. Should I inform the Alpha?”
“No.” My voice came out sharper than intended. I cleared my throat and softened it. “No, thank you, Thomas. I’m sure the Alpha has more important things to worry about.”
If Thomas picked up on the bitterness in my tone, he didn’t show it. He just bowed slightly and headed toward the staff quarters.
The house was quiet when we entered. Most of the staff had the afternoon off after last night’s party. Only a skeleton crew remained, and they were easy enough to avoid.
Ryker followed me upstairs to my bedroom. The room that had been mine alone for five years. Jaime had his own suite on the other side of the house. We’d stopped even pretending to share space after the first year.
I stood in the middle of the room, suddenly overwhelmed. What did you pack when you were running away from your life?
“Start with documents,” Ryker said, reading my paralysis. “Birth certificate, pack credentials, anything legal.” I nodded.
Right. Documents. I could do that.
I moved to the desk in the corner, pulling open drawers with trembling hands. My birth certificate was there, along with pack registration papers and the marriage license I’d once treasured.
I stared at that marriage license, at our signatures side by side. I’d been so hopeful when I signed it. So naive. Stupid, even, to think that Jaime would finally see reason and start loving me.
“Arya.” Ryker’s voice was gentle. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
I shoved the papers into a folder and moved to my closet. I needed clothes.
Standing in front of the rows of expensive dresses and designer suits Jaime had insisted I wear, I realized I didn’t want any of it. These weren’t my clothes. They were costumes for playing the role of Luna.
I grabbed jeans instead, the few pairs I’d hidden in the back. Comfortable sweaters. My old leather jacket from before I was married. The clothes that actually felt like me.
Ryker was gathering things from the bathroom. Toiletries, medications, the basics. He moved with practiced efficiency, like he’d done this before.
I was zipping up my second bag when I heard voices coming from downstairs.
Jaime’s voice specifically. It wasn’t hard to guess who he was with.
Ryker and I froze, eyes meeting across the room. He held a finger to his lips and moved silently to the door, cracking it open just enough to hear.
“—can’t keep avoiding this conversation.” That was Elira, her voice carrying up the stairs with that false sweetness that made my skin crawl.
“There’s nothing to avoid.” Jaime sounded tired. “We’ve already discussed this.”
“Discussing and deciding are two different things, JJ.”