Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Rynn
“Absolutely not.” I stared at the single bed in our cramped bedroom at the outpost inn.
Unlike on our way down to the Narchis stronghold, Bastian had chosen the more common outposts on the way back.
It meant they were crowded and busy and the food wasn’t nearly as good, but it also meant we’d be home quicker, which I was okay with because things between the three of us were tense.
Not just between me and them, but also between Bastian and Ryker. They hadn’t fought in front of me, but they were barely speaking, and Bastian kept shooting Ryker frustrated looks, which the latter ignored. Maybe Bastian was pissed at Ryker for coming after me?
Not my problem. What was my problem was this fucking bedroom.
“I’m not sleeping with you two.” I stood fast in the doorway and refused to enter.
Last night, I’d slept curled up in a chair while Bastian and Ryker had claimed the bed in our guest room at Narchis.
It hadn’t been comfortable and I’d woken up with a crick in my neck, but I’d take that over being sandwiched between the two of them.
Would we even all fit in that bed? It looked way too small. In fact, this entire room was too small. The innkeeper had called it cozy.
Cozy my fucking ass.
“There are no other rooms available,” Bastian said for probably the third time.
“And even if there were, I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Ryker added, his features fixed in a stubborn expression.
I looked at Bastian, who gave me an impassive look in response.
He’d been extra confusing all day. Where Ryker had been grouchy and his normal possessive self, Bastian had been quiet, and not an angry, I’m-too-pissed-off-to-look-at-you kind of quiet.
If anything, he’d been polite. Distant but polite.
It made me want to strangle him.
We’d be back at the Alpha stronghold in two days, and then I’d have to deal with Cade.
I had no doubt my visiting privileges with Samara would be revoked for the immediate future, which wasn’t ideal because I would’ve loved to ask her if she remembered seeing the crest anywhere.
But Roth and the others would tell her about it, and I was sure that if she did know something useful, she’d find a way to tell me.
In the meantime, I had plenty of books and scrolls I could go through in the library. I knew I’d seen that silver crest somewhere, I just needed to jog my memory.
Selene would be arriving next week as well. I hoped that would distract the Alphas a bit and get them off my back while I researched the crest.
“Let’s get some dinner.” Bastian made it sound like a suggestion, but I knew it was really an order. “This place will run out of meat dishes quickly, and I’d prefer something other than roasted vegetables.”
Yet another thing I needed to figure out. The new prey migration patterns. Rationing would only get us so far. Maybe Cade had made some progress while I’d been gone.
Bastian and Ryker both slid past me back into the hallway. My gaze darted around the tiny room. There wasn’t an attached bathing chamber, but it did have a small washbasin in the corner. “I’m going to clean up a bit. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Before either could disagree, I stepped inside the room and slammed the door shut.
“I’ll go order us some food and save a table,” Bastian muttered.
Ryker didn’t respond, but I had no doubt he was waiting on the other side of the door for me.
I walked over to the basin and turned the water on full blast, then tiptoed over to the window.
Carefully, I unlatched and opened it, freezing when it creaked a bit.
My head snapped towards the door, but Ryker didn’t barge in, so I raised it a few more inches.
Keeping my attention on the door, I carefully climbed out the window, leaving the water running.
This was a larger inn and we were on the fourth floor, so it was a long drop down.
My fingers gripped the windowsill as my feet landed on the decorative lattice that ran up the front of the building.
Gradually, I let it hold a little more of my weight, and once I was sure it wasn’t going to snap off the wall, I made my climb down quickly, jumping once I got past the second floor, because Ryker’s patience was going to run out any second now.
I got a few curious glances. Unlike at the Narchis stronghold, not everyone here knew me, and those who were aware of who I was seemed more amused than anything else.
I chewed my bottom lip as I scurried down the path, wishing I still had my damn necklace.
After Ryker had taken it from me yesterday, I hadn’t seen it again and probably never would.
My eyes darted around, surveying my options. Ryker would track me down, but I could at least make it hard for him. Those two had been breathing down my neck since we’d left Lake Malov, and I just wanted some time to myself before being jammed into bed with two overbearing assholes.
Even ten minutes would be worth it.
When I spotted a two-story building with a small balcony, I grinned.
It wasn’t a tree, but the tactic still worked.
I took a running start and leapt straight up, landing on the narrow railing.
A couple sitting inside at a table stared at me through the window, and the woman just arched an eyebrow before she continued eating.
I gave them a quick wave before sprinting across the railing and jumping to the next building.
For ten minutes, I zigzagged my way across the outpost before spotting the stables in the back.
Velesians only used horses for pulling supply wagons, and nobody would be preparing for a trip at night, so it should be empty.
My stomach grumbled, but I ignored it. An hour or two away from Ryker and Bastian was worth missing dinner.
I dropped back to the ground in front of the stable and let myself in, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dark.
Some of the horses snorted at my sudden appearance, but they were used to smelling Velesians, so they settled quickly and went back to munching on their hay.
All six stalls were occupied. I glanced at a ladder that led to the second story of the barn and started towards it when I noticed a narrow door at the back.
Curious, I changed course and peeked outside.
A smile brushed across my lips. It was a small garden, but someone had put a lot of care into it.
I stepped out, and it was like entering my own little private respite.
Evergreen shrubs had been planted on either side, and they went straight to the exterior outpost wall.
A large tree was at the center, its branches extending wide and creating a canopy over most of the garden.
I wandered through it, noting the different plants arranged in pots.
Mostly herbs and other fauna that worked well in low-light conditions.
This place must be so nice to read in during the spring and summer. I could imagine sitting at the base of the tree, curled up with a good book.
“Would you like something like this back home?”
I stiffened but didn’t turn around. “Going to build me a pretty little cage, Ryker?”
Apparently, I’d been far too optimistic in thinking I’d get an hour to myself. How had he gotten downstairs fast enough to follow me?
“Do you want me to kill your brother?” he asked casually instead of answering my question.
“What?” I whirled around and spotted him leaning against the doorframe. “Why would I want you to kill Sorin?”
Ryker cocked his head, and I could tell by his expression that he was trying to figure out why I was upset. It also occurred to me that I was getting really good at reading him, and I didn’t know how I felt about that.
“Your father, uncle, and cousin are all going to die for what they did to you, but I’ll allow you to choose your brother’s fate.”
Moonlight filtered through the trees, and a luminescent sheen rolled over Ryker’s eyes.
“And if I didn’t want you to kill any of them?
” I asked, mostly because I was curious, not so much because I cared about them.
Even before my imprisonment in the dungeon, my father and uncle had made my life miserable.
I didn’t feel any loyalty to them, and I was well aware Ivan was hoping to take the Alpha spot one day, which meant he needed Sorin out of the way.
My brother would make a far better Alpha for the Narchis Order than any of them. Sorin and I might have our problems, but I’d never doubted his ability to be a good leader.
Ryker pushed off the wood frame and stalked towards me.
I did my best to remember I couldn’t trust him and that I was mad at him for never respecting my boundaries.
It was a little challenging when Bad Decision Rynn was admiring how pretty his silver hair looked in the moonlight and the way his muscles rippled as he moved.
She was also very thankful that Ryker seemed incapable of buttoning up his shirts, when he bothered to wear them at all.
He came to a stop in front of me and reached out to toy with the end of my braid. His brows were furrowed, like he was still pondering my question. Finally, he said, “I’m trying not to lie to you. The only scenario where I don’t kill your family is the one where Bastian does it first.”
I frowned. “Bastian doesn’t care about me. He does care about the relations between all the Orders though, and killing the Narchis Alpha would damage that.”
One side of Ryker’s mouth kicked up into a small, lopsided smile. “Whatever you need to tell yourself. Besides, assuming you don’t want us to kill your brother, he can take the Alpha spot.”
My heart thrummed inside my chest, beating faster like it always did in Ryker’s presence. “I’m mad at you.” The words more a reminder for myself than anything.
There is no future with Ryker. He’s loyal to the Alphas, not to me. He’s irrationally possessive and way too pushy.