007

Laura’s POV

The dining hall fell into an absolute, suffocating silence. The silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the porcelain plates. None of the guards standing along the perimeter dared to move. Even the soft rustle of the servants' aprons ceased entirely. Ryder's words hung in the air between us like heavy smoke, thick and poisonous.

People want you dead.

I stared across the polished dark wood table at Ryder, my heart hammering against my ribs so violently it felt like it would break. He didn't look back at me immediately. He calmly took a sip from his glass, his sharp jaw set, his gray eyes cold and unreadable, as if he hadn't just shattered whatever tiny sense of security I was beginning to feel.

"That doesn't make any sense," I said, my voice trembling as I forced myself not to look down at my hands.

Ryder lifted his eyes slowly, his cold gray gaze pinning me to my seat. He didn't say a word, waiting for me to continue with terrifying, calm patience.

"I am nobody," I pressed on, the frustration boiling up past the fear choking my throat. "I was a slave in Silvercrest. I worked in the scullery, scrubbed floors, and took beatings from Sasha. I don't have pack status. I don't have family power. Why would anyone in Moon River or anywhere else care enough about a disgraced, fat slave to want me dead? Is it Ryan?"

A faint, sharp tension tightened around Ryder's jaw. He set his glass down with a slow, controlled click that echoed off the stone walls, his massive frame casting a long shadow across the dark wood.

"You keep calling yourself a slave, Laura," he said, his voice dropping an octave, heavy with crushing Alpha authority. "And that is your first mistake."

Without offering another word of explanation, he stood up, his towering 6'5" frame blocking out the light, and strode out of the dining room, leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts.

"Why exactly did he do that?" I muttered in frustration, clutching the cutlery tightly.

Mira slowly placed her hands on my shoulders, having waited for Alpha Ryder to completely clear the room before stepping closer to me. I looked up at her, offering a faint, reassuring smile as she sighed softly.

"Oh, please, you need to start thinking of yourself as someone important. Stop thinking so negatively. If you keep insisting that you were just a slave who suffered, the guards will have no choice but to spread rumors, and whoever is hunting you might think you are weak when you're not," Mira advised, and she was actually right.

I realized that was what Ryder had been trying to point out. I needed to stop viewing myself that way.

I continued thinking over her words while Mira stepped back so I could finish my breakfast. The moment I was done, I found myself with nothing to do. It felt as though Ryder was avoiding me, or perhaps he was simply too consumed with pack matters to explain why I was brought here.

Mira sat with me in the room, knitting quietly while I stared out the window at the unfamiliar landscape of Alpha Ryder's territory.

Unable to keep my questions to myself any longer, I turned back to her. "I know I've asked a lot, but didn't he tell you anything about why I'm here? He must have a reason."

Mira dropped her work into her lap and gave me a quiet smile. "He has his reasons. Alpha Ryder always has his reasons, but he is not a man who wastes words. He acts. You should just wait for his actions. But if you're tired of sitting around this room, I could show you around the estate."

Her offer instantly sparked my interest, and I stood up. "Yes, please. I really need to get out of this room."

We began our tour in the courtyard garden, taking a slow, quiet walk while Mira explained the layout of the grounds.

"I haven't seen any royal family members around," I noted, remembering how crowded the Silvercrest Palace always was and how Ryan loved hosting lavish gatherings. "Is it just the leader, the guards, and the servants here?"

"They are all terrified of Alpha Ryder," Mira explained in a low tone. "They stay away most of the time out of fear, but they will return eventually. Many of them will be back soon. You should prepare yourself for when they do, but hopefully, none of them will dare cross you."

Her words left me wondering what kind of reception was waiting for me in Moon River.

"This is the estate gallery. It holds the historical artifacts and lineage of Alpha Ryder's family," Mira said as she guided me into a grand, high-ceilinged room.

It was clear even she didn't know the full history of everything displayed there. I walked past the displays, casually observing the artifacts, until my eyes caught a breathtaking painting of a woman. The moment I looked at it, an inexplicable pulling sensation surged through my chest….a feeling I had never experienced before.

I turned, trying to trace where the sensation was coming from, noticing Mira's concerned expression.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, following my gaze.

"I don't know. I felt something pulling me," I murmured.

"We should leave then. I don't want anything happening to you while I'm supposed to be keeping you safe."

She reached out to pull me away, but I gently freed my arm from her grip and walked toward a nearby stone sculpture. A strange sense of familiarity washed over me, as if the symbol carved into the stone was calling out to me.

"Why does this symbol feel familiar? I've seen this somewhere before," I told Mira, who stood by in silent confusion.

"Let's just leave, please," she pleaded softly.

"No... I feel like I was meant to see this," I insisted.

Before we could say anything more, a guard rushed into the gallery, beckoning to Mira. He whispered a quick message into her ear before turning on his heel and leaving. Mira rushed back to my side, her expression urgent, while I tried to steady my breathing….unaware of why my wolf was suddenly stirring restlessly inside me after being silent for so long.

"Alpha Ryder wants you in the throne room."

"Now?" I asked, a fresh wave of apprehension washing over me.

"Yes, right now. We have to go," she insisted, ushering me out of the gallery.

When we reached the massive doors of the throne room, I swallowed my fear, pushed them open, and stepped inside. Ryder was sitting behind a massive desk, reviewing stack after stack of pack documents.

He didn't even look up as I entered. Shoving a heavy stack of leather-bound folders to the edge of the desk, he gave me a sharp, cold directive.

"Organize these," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "You start today."

I hesitantly walked over and took my place at the side of his desk, sorting through the urgent pack records as he worked. As the hours passed, I couldn't help observing him. Beneath his terrifying reputation and controlling demeanor, he was a man weighed down by heavy burdens and covered in scars. He rarely spoke, but there was something guarded behind his cold exterior.

What is wrong with you? I scolded myself inwardly, keeping my focus locked on the papers. You can't let yourself fall into another trap.

I still had no idea whether he held any genuine interest in me or what his true intentions were for keeping me at Moon River.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed sharply against the desk, breaking the silence. Before I could even reach out, Ryder snatched it up. His gray eyes darkened as he read the caller ID. Without a single word, he stood up, grabbed his coat, and stormed out of the throne room, the heavy double doors slamming shut behind him.

It took a while, but I finally finished arranging every scattered file across his desk. Wanting to inform him that the task was complete, I made my way down the quiet corridor toward his private chambers.

I reached out to knock, but my hand froze an inch from the heavy oak panel. The door wasn't fully latched. Through the narrow crack, I saw Ryder standing by his wide mahogany desk, his massive frame silhouetted against the firelight.

On the desk speaker, a harsh, painfully familiar voice was barking….a voice that made every scar on my back ache.

Lionel Princeton. Ryan's father.

"You paid a million for damaged goods, Ryder," Lionel’s voice sneered through the call. "She’s a fat, broken slave with a ruined wolf. She’s worthless to Silvercrest, and she’s worthless to you."

"She’s only worthless to a fool who doesn't know how to use her, Lionel," Ryder said calmly, pouring himself a drink. "You threw her away on an auction stage. Now her claim belongs to Moon River. Every piece of land, every right your son tried to strip from her….it’s mine now."

"You think you can use a disgraced girl to threaten my pack?" Lionel growled.

"I don't think, Lionel. I know," Ryder replied, his voice chillingly smooth. "She is going to tear your pack apart from the inside, and she won't even realize she’s doing it for me."

I slapped a hand over my mouth to choke back a sob, backing away from the door step by step into the dark hallway. The luxury, the fine clothes, the gentle maids….it was all a lie. I hadn't been rescued. I had run from one monster straight into the jaws of a far more dangerous predator.