Chapter 59: Chapter 59

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE

RYKER

I woke to the sound of Roxanne’s moans of discomfort. She was sweating profusely, and I checked to see if the windows were open—they were. Her words were a jumble in her sleep, but I caught fragments: "I'm sorry" and "Luna.”

Tears slipped down her closed eyes. I felt a surge of fear and worry. Why wasn’t she waking up from this nightmare?

Suddenly, Roxanne screamed out, "Mom!" and sat upright. Her eyes were wide with terror, and the tears gushed out even faster. I wrapped my arms around her trembling body and held her close, saying nothing. She clung to me, burying her face in my chest. I held her tightly, my own heart racing with concern.

After a while, her trembling ceased, and she pulled away slightly. I brushed the tears from her cheeks and whispered, "It's okay. You had a nightmare.”

She sniffled and nodded. "How did you know?”

“You were talking in your sleep.”

Her eyes widened. “I saw my mom and the fire incident that happened when I was young. I don’t know why I dreamt about it. And I dreamt about when I was fifteen and in school, being bullied by my brother and his friends.”

I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Maybe it’s a result of stress."

Roxanne sighed and then turned to look at me. She smiled weakly. "I saw your mom.”

I froze, my hands dropping away from her. My eyes went cold. "My mom is dead."

Roxanne nodded, looking thoughtful. "She was different. She was younger, and she was the one who rescued me from the bullies in my dream. She said she’s the Luna of Red Moon, although I don’t know if it happened in reality. You know how dreams can be.”

I shook my head, trying to push away the discomfort. "That wasn’t my mother. She never went to White Moon, let alone a school there. It was probably just a dream."

Roxanne nodded, though a hint of doubt lingered in her eyes. "I’m going to have my bath. I’m drenched in sweat.”

***

ROXANNE

I was thrilled to be going on a hike with Ryker. He said he needed to train his wolf and wanted me to come along since he didn’t want me to be by myself. I had never seen people train their wolf and an invite like this from the Alpha, felt special.

I dressed quickly, pulling on my boots and tying my hair back to keep it out of my face. I wanted to be ready for anything the hike might throw at us.

Before joining Ryker, I decided to check on Kara in the dungeon. Ryker had been hesitant, but after a lot of persuasion, he agreed, though he insisted that guards accompany me for protection. Being a target in his pack, he couldn't let me be alone.

The dungeon where Kara was held was dreadful. The air was damp and cold, and there was a steady drip from a leaky ceiling. Kara stared at me with red-rimmed eyes, a mix of anger, sadness, and pain flashing in her gaze.

"Kara," I called her name softly.

"What do you want?" she replied, her voice sharp

“I’m sorry for the discomfort. Have they given you any treatment to ease the pain?"

She shook her head. Her cheeks were tear-stained, and the food tray in the corner was untouched.

"I won’t let any harm come to you. I’ll try to get you out of here, but please, you have to tell me who wants to hurt me," I pleaded.

Kara spat on the ground and glared at me. "If I tell you, it won’t matter. You’re powerless, weak, easy prey. You can't defeat them. One little attack almost killed you. What difference will it make if you know who they are?”

Her words stung, and I lashed out in anger. “You can rot here all you want. You’ll make it easier if you're dead. You're nothing but a shameless traitor and I hope whenever I see you again, you’re lying in your own blood.”

She grinned at me and whispered,“Well well, the walls have ears.”

As I turned to leave, Kara's voice stopped me. "The Alpha can’t protect you. The people who want you can’t be stopped until they get what they want.”

She smiled, a chilling expression. "Maybe in another life, or maybe in this one, you’ll understand why I had to suffer for everything that happened to you.”

My heart pounded as I slowly backed away. I was furious with Kara, but I didn’t want her to die. Yet, she looked exhausted, like she longed for eternal peace.

"You can’t save me," she said as if reading my thoughts. "You can’t even save yourself. The Alpha wants me dead for my sins. You know how ruthless he can be, don’t you?”

I swallowed hard. "Goodbye," I said, but before I could take a step, Kara's voice stopped me again.

"Do you know why I was stopped from making your tea?"I turned around, curiosity and fear gnawing at me.

"Why?”

Kara grinned, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

***

BETA MILES

I was sitting in the front room when I heard the door creak open. My ears twitched, and I looked up to see Roxanne stepping inside.

"Lady Roxanne," I greeted her with a smile.

To my surprise, she didn’t smile back. Instead, she gave me a cold, hard look. Something was off. Maybe it was her dress. When she left with the Alpha earlier, she was wearing tights, a sweater, and boots. Now, she was dressed in a gloomy green gown that looked like it was made from moss.

"Didn't you go on a hike with the Alpha?" I asked, trying to mask my confusion.

She shrugged. "I came to pick up something I forgot."

"Nice dress. You must be in a really good mood today," I said, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

She frowned and glanced around the house with a confused expression. Then she started walking towards a door.

“Lady Roxanne, where are you going?" I called out.

"I'm heading to my bedroom," she replied without looking back.

"That’s the door to the maids' quarters. Your room is on the other side," I corrected her, feeling a knot of unease tighten in my stomach.

She forced a nervous smile and walked towards another door.

"That’s the kitchen. Your room is upstairs," I pointed out, my unease growing.

She sighed deeply. "Could you please lead me to my room? I’m a bit stressed and scared.”

This was strange. Roxanne never needed help finding her way around. Nonetheless, I nodded and led her upstairs. As we walked, I mentioned the new books I’d gotten for her from the library.

"Who cares about stupid ink on pages?" she snapped, laughing bitterly.

I was taken aback. Roxanne loved books. Her eyes would light up whenever she heard about new arrivals at the library. Something was definitely wrong.

At her door, she hesitated. "I want to see Kara. Take me to her."

This was getting more weird by the minute. Why did she need to see Kara twice in one day? But I complied, leading her to the dungeon. The air was damp and cold, the walls dripping with moisture.

Kara looked like she’d seen a ghost. "I don’t want to see Roxanne!" she screamed, retreating in fright.

Roxanne turned to me with a warm smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "It’s alright. She’s just scared. I need some alone time with her."

Kara pleaded with me not to leave, but I had to respect Roxanne’s wishes. I stood outside, listening to the muffled argument. Roxanne sounded furious. After an hour, she finally emerged, looking tense.

"Take me to Kara’s room. I need something," she commanded.

I led her there, my discomfort growing. Inside, Fabiola was tidying up. Roxanne gave her a cold look. "Bring out Kara’s boxes," she demanded harshly.

Both Fabiola and I were taken aback. Roxanne never spoke like this. She was always soft and gentle.

Fabiola hesitated, then pulled two big boxes from under Kara’s bed. Roxanne shook one, opened it, and smiled in satisfaction. "I’ll need to take these. Alpha’s orders.”

"He could’ve just asked me to bring them," I said, frowning.

"It’s fine," she replied dismissively. "I’ll manage."

I offered to help, but she declined, piling the boxes in her arms. "Thank you," she said curtly and walked out of the pack house.

As she disappeared into the woods, unease gnawed at me. Something wasn’t right.

ROXANNE

When we got back, I was exhausted but happy. Ryker and I walked through the open doors, both of us all smiles and merry from our hike. I spotted Beta Miles and waved. "Hi, Miles!"

He eyed me strangely, a confused look crossing his face. I glanced down at myself, wondering if something was off. "Did I shit myself?" I asked, half-jokingly.

He shook his head, his expression clearing up as he forced a smile. "That's a nice outfit. Did you get a change of wardrobe?"

I beamed. "The Alpha said these clothes were comfortable for hiking, although they do make me look skinny."

Miles proceeded to tell me he had fetched some books from the library for me. "Just let me know when you want them sent up," he said.

I jumped in excitement and hugged him. "Thank you!" I squealed. "Please send them up right away.”

Miles looked puzzled but nodded. As Ryker and I headed upstairs, I thanked him again for the hike. "You have to work those muscles sometimes," he said with a smile.

I grinned back. "Goodnight."

"It's still evening," he pointed out.

"Well, I might not come out again," I replied, feeling a sudden need for solitude.

Ryker leaned in to kiss me on the lips, but I retreated into my room, shutting the door hastily behind me. I kicked off my boots and threw myself onto the bed. My muscles ached pleasantly from the day's exertions, and all I wanted was to sleep.

I closed my eyes, replaying the day's events in my mind. Suddenly, a faint splatting noise broke through my thoughts. I turned over, trying to ignore it, but it persisted.

Groaning, I forced myself out of bed. I walked to where the sound was coming from and looked up at the ceiling, expecting to see a leak. There was nothing.

A wet sensation on my foot made me step back in alarm. I looked down and saw a dark liquid seeping from my wardrobe. My brows furrowed in confusion. Grabbing my lamp, I flicked it on and aimed it at the source.

My heart froze. The liquid was red. Blood. My hands began to tremble as the lamp's light illuminated the dark, viscous stream.

With trembling hands, I reached for the wardrobe door and hesitated. The splatting sound grew louder, more insistent. Gathering my courage, I flung the door open.