Chapter 169
THIRD PERSON’S POV
As soon as Ryker entered the forest, he felt as though he had been swallowed whole into a different portal. The air around him was very thick and foggy; he could barely see a thing. His wolf’s ear perked up, and he had to use his wolf’s eyes to see through the eerily quiet forest.
The forest was lifeless, yet it felt as though there were eyes and ears at every turn. Ryker frowned slightly. Walking quietly into the deepest part of the fog before coming out at a clearing where he stood surrounded by trees so tall they went high up into the sky.
“This is no ordinary forest,” Rider spoke.
“I agree. It doesn’t look like there is a single life here. But what about the other five Alphas? They ought to be here, too?”
“They entered earlier. We are probably far behind.” Rider replied cautiously.
Ryker nodded and looked around him. “We need to find a game and as fast as possible so we can get our mate before anyone claims her,”
Mate…
Suddenly, he heard a ghost-like voice call out mate in a question-like manner.
"Then why are you here, Alpha King, if you already have a mate? No—why is your mate waiting to be claimed by either of you six Alphas?"
Ryker sneered. His eyes were darting around speedily using Rider’s vision. He couldn’t see a soul, yet it felt like the thing that spoke was close. His ears prickled, and he sneered irritably.
“Who are you?” His voice was cold as he closed his eyes so he could quietly feel the world around him.
“You don’t need to know who I am, Alpha King Ryker. One thing is certain: you do not deserve the mate bond with the Lycan princess.” The voice responded. Its voice was colder and sharper, and with every word, it sounded as though multiple voices were speaking all at once, with different sounds making the words almost sound distorted in a horror-filled way.
The next thing he knew, he was pulled into a world of blinding lights where he stood unmoving. He felt like he was chained, but there were no visible chains surrounding him. He was on a platform that he couldn’t see, but he could feel his feet on a solid surface. Down below him was an expanse of land surrounded by white snow.
“Where the hell is this place?” He growled as he tried to move again, but he was unable to move.
Suddenly, he saw a slender figure, all smiles, giggling in the snow and turning behind her shoulder as though running away from someone playfully. His breath caught when he saw her clearly. Her gold hair was flying around her like clouds. She looked so carefree and happy. Then a man appeared in his vision. He had caught her by the waist, and she had buried her head on his chest lovingly. Then, suddenly, the man she was with had been yanked away from her arms and ripped in halves spraying blood on the wet snow. Her shrill scream had pierced through the world around her, and before her stood male wolves approaching her with malicious intents and in the center, a man approached. It appeared that he was the leader of the werewolves who were approaching her.
Ryker’s breath caught. He knew that wolf. He knew that man.
It was him.
“What the hell is this?” He muttered. His heart was beating heavily. So loud that he could almost hear the movement of his blood flowing through his blood streams and the loud thumping of his heart right in its ribcage.
He watched helplessly as he approached Lyra, then grabbed her by the neck before flinging her across the snowy ground. Even from where he stood, he could see how helpless and scared she looked, and then he had turned, giving the werewolves permission to advance on her in their wolf form.
“No, no, no, no, no,” He muttered repeatedly. Then the version of him walking across the snow, whose back was turned to Lyra, met his eyes, and a wicked smile spread across his face.
“You do not deserve to be called her mate,” The man said. His voice sounded distorted, just like the voice in the clearing before he was thrown into this place.
Ryker growled with all his might, “No!!!!” Just as he was about to break free of the chains, he was whisked back to the clearing where he was initially.
“What the hell?” His heart was pounding heavily. His senses became extra alert, and his eyes darted around. He's breathing heavy. “Why are we back here?”
“Don’t you know yet, Alpha King Ryker?” The ghostly voice came alive again. Taunting. “You will only move forward when you prove yourself worthy.” The voice said and cackled into a cacophony of wicked sounds that sent a chill enough to freeze bones.
“What game is this? Me been here is proof enough that I want my mate!” Ryker snapped. Frustration was eating at his bones as he could not see a face.
“But are you worthy of a goddess. You, who have been fated to an Aethera twice…” The voice trailed away and came back with a force so strong it slammed into Ryker.
“AND YET TO TRAMPLED ON HER HEART! HER INNOCENCE! HER SOUL!”
Ryker gnarled his teeth the moment the voice slammed into him, and he saw an image of three heads supported by nothing with yellow eyes, and just as he saw them, they vanished from his sight.
“I MADE MISTAKES, BUT I AM ATONING FOR THEM!” He shouted back. His aura shifting.
“Have you?” Came the voice again, and the next thing Ryker knew, he was thrown into another vision.
This time, he was in his grand hall with his pack members and warriors. There was a celebration in the air. There was music and dance, food and drinks. The air smelled of excitement, sex, and danger. He was stunned.
“How did I get here?” He muttered, confused. One minute, he was in the forest of Xemir, and the next, he was here…
He tried to stand, and then he realized the same invisible chains that held him the first time were back in place. His eyes widened in shock. His heart began palpitating, just then. A seductive voice whispered in his ear, sending cold rage down his spine.
It was Vera.
She moved towards his line of vision and slid her hand into his pants. Then went down on him about the same time he saw Lyra, and the most heartbreaking expression was etched on her features. She clutched her heart like she was about to break. And when she removed her hand from her chest, there was a gaping hole in her flesh, and he could see her heart bleeding with blood flowing down her body, bathing her in red.