Dissecting Threads

Ryker's POV 

My thoughts were racing as soon as I left Caden's room. I wouldn't want to admit that the conversation we just had had unsettled me. No one was more conflicted than Caden. And if Caden was still undecided the stakes were far higher than I had first believed. Emerald. She was Caden's love. 

Hell, it was real, it went beyond love. Additionally, she carried his child. It was clear from the way he talked about her that he was protective, worried, and almost desperate. I could see it clearly but I wasn't sure if Caden had even fully grasped the extent of his feelings yet. 

These days it was more than just mating and the pack. Something larger was involved. A raw thing. It was not something that could be dismissed easily. Ivy, however,, was another. as well as what she had told me. I couldn't get rid of the persistent thoughts that were nagging at the back of my mind as I moved down the hallway, my boots clicking against the stone floors.

Ivy had made it very apparent. Emerald, she had warned me, was trouble. That she would cause the pack to have issues. That she had to be dealt with, destroyed,, and removed before she could endanger everything they had put so much effort into creating. I wasn't comfortable with it. Not even close.

And it wasn't just what Ivy said it was also the way she spoke it, the poison that seeped into each word. There was a strange quality to it. Something was off. Despite Ivy's propensity for strategic maneuvers, this felt intimate. She was concerned about more than just the stability of the pack; she had other concerns.

It sounded almost like she was attempting to destroy a competitor rather than merely a possible issue when she talked about Emerald and the pregnancy. In the middle of the hallway, I paused and leaned against the stone wall, my mind racing. If I'd learned anything over the years it would be that Ivy never took action without a reason.

Rarely was that explanation as straightforward as it appeared. She had to stop talking about Emerald because it wasn't the tone of someone who was concerned about the pack's welfare. Someone was attempting to defend their position with that language. However, what was she pursuing? 

I was acquainted with Ivy. Since we were young children, I had known her, and I had never trusted her. Behind that attractive face, there was always a hint of cunning. Because of her ambition, she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. 

Her pursuit of someone like Emerald, who didn't even appear to be a threat, was something I never imagined she would do, though. Emerald didn't have to be an Alpha even though she wasn't one. She already played a significant role in Caden's life by bearing his child. 

Ivy might not have noticed that yet. However, I caught sight of it. I wasn't going to allow Ivy's deceptive tactics to destroy everything. If she had her way, Emerald would not be involved at all, and Caden would be mated to her. I could see it but I wasn't entirely sure if Caden would be able to see the truth—at least not yet. 

Gentle words, charming smiles, and charm were all visible to me. And I wasn't pleased with what I saw. I pushed away from the wall and resumed my slow walks while allowing my mind to wander. A certain aspect of Ivy's urgency disturbed me. When she spoke about Caden's future, she was also discussing her own. 

That raised my suspicions. She was playing a risky game and I doubted that she completely realized the repercussions. She might go too far, I thought if I didn't take action. Ivy was always adept at concealing her true motivations.

I had witnessed her portraying the ideal partner, the devoted pack member, and the devoted future Alpha mate before. But it was all a front. There was a vicious woman behind that mask who would do whatever it took to achieve her goals. 

She wanted Caden right now. It was the power of the pack, not just Caden. Ivy was willing to remove a woman who she didn't realize had more power if it meant strengthening her position. The issue was that. Caden was not blind. At least not entirely. However, he was twisted by the burden of being Alpha, the council's pressure,, and the obligations that came with the title.

His eyes were filled with conflict and I could see the indecision eating at him. Not to mention the legacy of his late father he didn't want to let anyone down. But he didn't want to harm Emerald either. What Ivy was relying on was to pull that tension. However, I refused to allow her to use that against him.

I wasn't going to allow her to control Caden the way she had so many others in the past. If I had to I would ensure that the truth was revealed. What was the truth was the question. I had a lot of things to learn. Ivy and I needed to be closer so I could see what she was truly up to.

But she was cunning. She didn't allow her plans to fall through. To stay ahead of the game, play it like she did, and obtain information without giving away anything, I would need to be astute. And I couldn't do it by myself. I also didn't want Caden to follow the course Ivy had set for him.

Not if it could be prevented. My steps slowed as I arrived at the end of the hallway and considered my next course of action. I needed to exercise caution. Ivy would move more quickly if she knew I was watching her and discovered I had doubts about her. 

However, there's a chance that I could make this work to my advantage. Ivy had to tell me what she was planning. She was too cool and collected for this to be a straightforward power struggle. She wasn't telling anyone about something deeper than the surface. 

And I was going to discover what it was. My hand was on the door handle as I paused in front of my chambers and glanced back down the corridor. The silence of the castle descended upon me as the flickering torchlight created shadows along the walls. 

Whatever Ivy's game was, it was going to end badly. I also didn't want her to ruin everything Caden had worked so hard to achieve for her own self-serving goals. No, I would play this cautiously. I would discover the reality.

Ivy would wish she had never put me to the test when I did.