CHAPTER FORTY NINE - MARICELA
CHAPTER FORTY NINE - MARICELA
We eat dinner, me, Ryker and Khloe, in the main hall. I can feel all those eyes on me. I can feel my body twitching as if I’m expecting an attack, but nothing happens.
No one does anything.
No one says anything.
“Tomorrow, I want us to start training.” Ryker says.
“What?” I gasp.
“Nothing too taxing. I just want to build your strength up.”
I bite my lip. I know he’s trying to help but I don’t like the sound of this at all.
“And you have to attend the family meal this Saturday.” Khloe says.
I swear I almost get whiplash as I turn my head so fast to look at her. “What family meal?”
“Every week we all get together as just us, the whole family.” Khloe states.
“So why am I attending?”
She smirks. “Isn’t it obvious? Lia is currently lauding it up like a queen.”
I shake my head. “I’m not doing that. I’m not going to sit there…”
“Like you belong?” Ryker says cutting in.
I let out a deep sigh. “If he wants me there then he has to ask himself.” I state.
They both pull a face. “That won’t happen.” Ryker replies in a way I know isn’t meant to hurt but it still does.
“Not while she has that power over him.” Khloe adds.
“I don’t want to sit there and watch them, it’s bad enough feeling them together, let alone seeing it.” I snap.
“What are you talking about?” Ryker says.
I drop my gaze, feeling the shame that my mate should be feeling, only I know he’s not capable of it. “I can feel it,” I admit. “Every time they kiss, every time they touch. It’s like a knife in my chest.”
“Oh god, Maricela.” Khloe says.
“It doesn’t matter.” I say brushing it off, though in reality, it does fucking matter. It matters a lot.
“The only way this works is if you’re in proximity with him.” Ryker says. “If you hide away, if you avoid him, then you’re just helping Lia win.”
I let out a groan. “I hate this.”
“I know.” Khloe says gently. “But trust me, this will work. You just need to give it time.”
“How about we go for a run? Stretch our legs. Let our Lycan’s out.” Ryker says.
Khloe nods. “Yeah, I’ve not run since I got back.”
“Mari?”
They both look at me. And all I can think is, don’t panic, play it cool.
“I think I might pass.” I say. “But you guys go.”
Khloe frowns. “You don’t want some fresh air?”
“No. I’m feeling tired, and besides I want to be building my weight up, I doubt burning calories right now will help.”
Neither of them look all that convinced but they don’t press the point.
“Fine.” Ryker says. “But tomorrow morning, first thing, we’ll hit the training ground. I’ll knock for you at seven.”
“Seven?” I gasp.
Khloe sniggers. “He likes to be up with the dawn.”
“That and I have to train the rest of the Pack after.” Ryker says.
“You don’t have to train me, if it’s too much…”
“Nah ah.” Ryker says with a smirk. “You’re not getting out of it that easily.”
We get up to go and I feel it, that murmur through the hall. My eyes dart around and she’s there, Lia is stood right the other side. Staring at me.
Ryker throws his arm over my shoulder, acting like he doesn’t give a shit and as we walk away, Khloe says loud enough for everyone to hear. “Fuck her.”
But I can sense something more. I can sense he’s here too. And he’s staring at my back. I don’t turn. I don’t look, I just let them lead me away as if he means nothing. As if I don’t even care.
When we get back to my room, they both try to persuade me out again before realising it’s useless.
But once they’re gone, I sit in the darkness and I stare out the window watching, seeing as their Lycans run so fast. Seeing as the other Wolves run with them. While the normal Wolves run on all four legs, Khloe and Ryker race on two, like some massive hybrid mix of Wolf and human. And all the Wolves around them look like small dogs because of how big they are.
They look so free. So liberated.
My own Wolf stirs inside me, yearning for everything they have right now, everything their experiencing. Only we both know she’ll never have it.
We will never have it.