Chapter 63
Chapter 63
CHAPTER SIXTY THREE: THE AMBUSH
LYRA
My body felt stiff as I woke up that morning. I glanced over my shoulder. The sheets on the other side of the bed were crisp and undisturbed. The familiar gray of the sheets brought a pang to my chest instead of the warmth of being home again.
I scanned the room. Same log walls, with family photos—pictures of my siblings and me as children flanked the wall. The familiar high-definition TV mounted before my bed, the same floating bookshelves smattering the space. I inhaled a steadying breath, then wrinkled my nose. Even the air was stagnant, filled with my scent. No rich notes of cedar, fire, and spice that belonged to Ryker Steelheart.
A lump wound its way into my throat. I swallowed, yet the lump didn’t budge.
My thoughts rushed back to Ryker’s wicked smile, the way he looked at me with such tenderness every time I’d winced in pain. The mornings when my eyes would crack open to dawn’s light and I’d find him gazing down at me. “Good morning,” he’d purr. Two words that lifted my spirit far better than any sunlight could.
The memory of his awkward peace offering—sugar cookies, despite his uncertainty—brought tears to my eyes.
My inner wolf sank to her belly and lowered her head on her paws. She let out a mournful whine that reached deep into my heart, making the muscle ache and writhe. I drew in a ragged breath, fisting my shirt above my sternum.
No, it can’t be…
I had fallen in love with Ryker Steelheart, the Werebear Alpha of the Stoneclaw Clan. My hands shook, and I clenched them into fists to staunch the trembling.
But where would that leave me? Would he still reject me? Werebears and werewolves had been enemies for centuries. A temporary truce between us to solve a crime wouldn’t erase hundreds of years of bloodshed. Ryker’s sudden warmth—and my treacherous feelings—wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference.
When something wet plopped onto my hand, I glanced down… a clear smattering of liquid.
I raised trembling fingers to my cheek, then drew them back. Tears covered them. And as if the realization had opened a dam, torrents cascaded down my face. I bit my trembling lower lip.
Stop it, I chastised myself. There’s no use wallowing in bed.
I swiped at the tears and swung my legs over the side of the mattress. Time to get dressed for the day. Once finished, I stepped out of my room—and my Beta, Liam Thornfield, approached me. He bombarded me with updates on the pack’s condition since my absence.
As I walked down the corridor toward my office in the neighboring cabin, Liam strode alongside me.
“And the investigations?” I asked him. “Where are we with that?”
His lips thinned. “We have a list of possible suspects in the murders of the humans. Mainly witches, who we believe were aiding the Dark Fae.”
Brows raised, I asked, “No Dark Fae suspects?”
“Not a one,” Liam growled. “Those bastards are as elusive as ghosts. Hell, ghosts would be easier to track. Our knowledge of the Dark Fae dates back only as far as our late ancestors and the Great War. We have no way of tracing individual royal fae, or even the common fae. They’ve cut their realm off from us for a millennium.”
I groaned. “There has to be some way. We need a break in this case.” I pressed my fingers to my temples and rubbed, though the mounting headache didn’t abate.
We stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, which bathed the grounds in amber. The faint scent of rain lingered on the breeze from last night’s storm. Liam and I trotted down the stairs and crossed the common yard.
A pair of children rolled around in a mud puddle. I paused and scooped one up: Melody, a young girl of about four. Lifting her dirty summer dress, I blew raspberries into her soft, plump belly. She threw her head back and laughter erupted from her lips.
I leaned back and narrowed an eye at her. “What are you two doing in the dirt?”
The other child, a young boy named Aaron, clung to my leg. “We’re playing wrestling,” he chirped.
I glanced down at him. “Yes, I could see that.”
Returning my gaze to Melody, I asked, “Wouldn’t your parents disapprove?”
Both children’s faces paled, eyes widening.