Chapter 75 Old Wounds Don't Die
Ryker stood frozen, his fist still raised in the air.
The entire hall seemed to go mute as he stood there, panting.
His knuckles were white, muscles locked and eyes blazing with a fury that terrified even those who had known him their whole lives.
Samson lay beneath him, bloodied and slightly shaky but he was still defiant, still smirking through the pain like he had already won.
Lyra stepped closer and touched Ryker's shoulders.
“He wants this,” she said softly. “He wants you to do it. He wants you to become this in front of your people.”
Ryker’s jaw was so tight and he grunted in response.
“He wants to prove himself right,” Lyra continued, her hand slipping around his wrist. “Hw wants to show your people gang that you’re a monster.”
For a long, terrible moment, no one moved.
Then Ryker exhaled.
Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his fist..
Then Ryker turned away from Samson without another word. His shoulders were stiff and his back rigid as he finally stormed up the stairs before he lost what was left of his control.
The instant he moved, three guards rushed forward and hauled Samson up roughly.
“You’ll be spending the night in the prison for that foolish stunt!” one of them barked.
Samson laughed and the sound was filled with so much bitterness. “I speak the minds of all of you!” he shouted as they dragged him away. “You’re all too weak to say it yourselves!”
“No you're not! This is your personal vendetta. Don't drag us into it," Rex hissed and pointed right at him.
“You know nothing, little girl! You were still a baby when we built this pack from the ground up!” He snapped and spit flew from his lips in all directions.
Rex stepped back quietly as the men dragged him out of the hall.
The doors slammed shut behind them and
Rex ran a hand through her hair as she let out a long breath. “What’s gotten into him?” she muttered.
Lyra stared at the spot where Samson had been. Her chest felt tight as she murmured. “Perhaps,” she said quietly, “he’s saying the truth.”
Rex turned to her and snorted. “Lyra, don’t say that.”
Lyra looked at her, eyes clouded. “Look around, Rex. You heard them. Some of them agreed. Maybe not out loud, but… they did.”
Rex grabbed her shoulders gently. “You are part of us. Whether they like it or not. They live under Ryker’s rule, and that means they respect you.”
Lyra shook her head. “It doesn’t feel that way. Not now. Everyone probably hates me for causing all this trouble.”
Rex pulled her into a hug without hesitation. “No,” she said firmly. “This isn’t your fault. And right now, you shouldn’t be worrying about Samson.”
Lyra pulled back slightly. “Then what should I be worrying about?”
Rex glanced toward the stairs that led to the Alpha’s quarters. “Your husband. Did you see his face? You should go talk to him. He’s disturbed.”
Lyra hesitated. “I just don’t understand why Samson reacted that way. The first day I returned, he hated me. He confronted me even before anyone else did.”
Rex sighed. “There’s a reason for that. It’s been whispered for years.”
Lyra frowned. “What reason?”
“They say Samson lost his wife and his only daughter,” Rex said quietly. “It happened during a vampire attack on the desert road. He wasn’t with them when it happened.”
Lyra’s breath caught. “Oh…”
“That’s why he hates anything connected to vampires,” Rex continued. “He’s never forgiven them. Or himself.”
Lyra nodded slowly. “I’m sorry for his loss. Truly. But… it’s not my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” Rex agreed. “And a few days in the prison will knock some sense back into him.”
Lyra managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Rex. For always standing by me.”
Rex squeezed her hand. “Always.”
Lyra turned and made her way upstairs.
The closer she got to their room, the more tense she became.
When she pushed the door open, Ryker was pacing.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
His hands were clenched and his breathing uneven as he panted like a wild bear. A low growl rumbled in his chest, not directed at her but at the storm inside him.
“Ryker,” Lyra said gently.
He didn’t answer.
She took a few steps inside and closed the door behind her. “Talk to me.”
Still nothing.
“He lost a daughter to vampires,” Lyra said quietly. “I understand why he thinks he hates me.”
Ryker stopped so abruptly it startled her.
He turned, eyes blazing. “What about me?!” he snapped. “I lost my mother to vampires too, Lyra! And yet I don’t go around killing everyone in sight!”
Lyra froze.
“What?” she whispered. “What do you mean… you lost your mother to a vampire?”
Ryker looked away and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer.
“There's no way I'm letting this slide. What happened to your mother?"
Then he sighed and finally muttered.
“I never wanted to tell you this. I never planned to.”
He dragged a hand down his face. “My mother was attacked one night. Barely survived. That’s when everything started falling apart for me. I was terrified and angry and I began to look for a way out.”
Lyra stepped closer, listening.
“When I found out she was becoming a zombie, I started drifting away from you,” he continued. “I was hiding it from the pack. From you. I was hoping there would be some sort of help before the final mutation. Then I found a witch who promised she could help.”
Lyra gasped softly. “Sierra.”
“Yes,” Ryker admitted. “I couldn’t let my mother die. I tried everything. And when it didn’t work the way I wanted, I was ashamed.”
Her heart ached. “So you brought her in as your mistress…”
“To hide the truth,” he finished. “To justify why she was there. I knew I was betraying our marriage.”
Lyra swallowed. “She didn’t survive?”
“No,” Ryker said quietly. “She died a few weeks after the ritual. And by then you were already gone.”
Silence filled the room.
“I’m so sorry, Ryker,” Lyra whispered. “I didn’t know.”
He nodded once. “I lied to you. I lied to everyone. And that’s how everything tore apart.”
Lyra stepped forward and placed her hands on his chest. “I forgive you,” she said softly. “I do.”
Ryker’s eyes watered and before she could say anything else, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
Like he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.