Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 219:

Soon, when the car was a distant speck on the road, I turned to face Ryder.

“I wish you and my mom would get along. I understand her reasons for not warming up to you, but what’s yours?”

Ryder’s lips remained closed for a moment, a contemplative battle playing out on his features. He didn’t want to answer my question.

“I can’t place my finger on it yet. But it’s something along the lines of me not being comfortable around her,” he shrugged, his eyes avoiding mine when he spoke.

“I guess it’s mutual then,” I huffed. He didn’t realize it, but his statement hurt. The least he could do was put away whatever petty differences he had with her for my sake.

“Fair enough—and I’m glad she’s gone,” he added. His hands were now folded behind him, and his blue eyes seemed to wander, as if his thoughts were miles away. Maybe they were. I’d noticed he’d been distant for some time, and I assumed it was because of my mom’s presence, but now that she was gone, nothing had changed.

“Are you okay?” I linked my arms through his as we made our way to our room.

“No, I’m not. I thought you’d never ask,” he said, and I playfully punched his shoulder. He faked a wince.

“Now we’re even.”

“I thought you’d never say anything,” I deadpanned, earning a smirk from him.

“Don’t push your luck, baby vixen,” Ryder cleared his throat, his eyes darkening as he pulled me closer. Our faces were only a few inches apart, and the heat of his body felt good, like a thick blanket on a cold night. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers dangling as I placed my head on his sturdy chest.

His hands moved along my back in a slow, familiar fashion before he lifted me off my feet and carried me in his arms.

“I wasn’t expecting this.” A shrill squeal of excitement made me kick my legs in the air.

“There are a lot of things you won’t be expecting then,” he eyed me lustfully, his dark lashes sweeping along his skin. I felt my cheeks color to a bright shade of pink.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙩: ⲅ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸱𝖼𝗈𝗺

“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you,” he let out a sigh, his lips moving against mine with the expertise of an old lover—soft yet firm, playful yet possessive. My body quickly matched his rhythm, but I broke the kiss abruptly.

“You still haven’t told me what’s going on.”

Ryder rolled his eyes, his hands pulling me by the small of my waist to drag me closer.

“Well, well. It’s two things, actually. Both are concerning the pack. The first is about Enzo’s sister. That’s the only way I can get Alpha Raphael’s alliance…” He paused, his lips twitching slightly, as though he’d just seen something disgusting.

He let out a breath. “There’s a traitor in the pack.”

I gasped, feeling his breath grow heavier, a fast rhythm pushing the walls of his chest. His lips were drawn into a straight line.

“The rogue attacks haven’t been incidents. Someone in our midst is masterminding them. What we haven’t confirmed is how long the traitor has been working with them, whether the traitor purposely sent them to cause havoc or if the traitor aligned with them along the way. We’ve gone over every possible scenario, and this is the conclusion we’ve reached. When I lay my hands on that person…” His words trailed off, replaced by a slow nod.

“And you’re overwhelmed by all of this?” I asked, a bit scared myself. A flash of something sinister and dark moved across his features, disappearing almost immediately. What was it with me and saying the wrong thing?

I stretched my hands to his face, cupping his cheeks. “I know I can’t help you plan your battles or fight alongside you. You’re the stronger one here, the strongest in the pack, too…” The words I had mapped out in my brain were unnecessary now. My motivational speech wasn’t what he needed.

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