011 ~ The dangerous one ~

The ceremony released its hold on the room.

The applause was gone, so was the performance. What remained was the true gathering. Nobles moved away from the crowd in twos and threes, with lowered voices.

Glasses clinked softly as servants drifted through them like ghosts. And yet,all Selene wanted was to leave.

She slipped through the crowd, keeping her head lowered just enough to discourage conversation. Years as Victor's Luna had taught her one lesson,Invisible people were left alone.

Until...

"You've become rather difficult to catch." The voice was smooth in the laziest of ways.

Selene stopped walking, a larger part of her wishing she didn't. She didn't have to turn around to know who it belonged to. Only one person spoke that way... Ryker.

Slowly, she faced him.

He leaned casually against one of the marble pillars, one hand tucked inside his pocket, the other lazily holding his wine glass. There wasn't a trace of formality in the way he carried himself as everything about him radiated confidence, a very dangerous one.

His silver eyes swept over her without shame, studying every tiny reaction she tried so desperately to hide. "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

"I was."

His grin widened. "Good."

Selene frowned.

"Most people try to hide that."

"I'm not most people."

"No."

She looked him over once before replying.

"I noticed," a soft chuckle escaped him. "There she is."

"There who is?"

"The woman everyone insists doesn't exist."

She denied him a word, not even a breath escaped her

"The Selene who bites." He tilted his head. "I was beginning to think Victor had beaten that part out of you."

The words hit her harder than they should have and her eyes sharpened instantly. "You should be careful."

"Is that a warning?"

"It's advice."

Ryker's shoulders eased with a soft laugh, the sound left him before he could stop it. "I like advice."

"I wasn't giving it for your benefit."

"I know."

Another silence settled between them. But unlike Damien's silence... Ryker's felt deliberate and calculated as though every pause was another move in a game only he understood.

"What do you want?" Selene finally asked.

"You."

She stared at him. "...To answer a question."

His lips twitched, as though he were enjoying a joke she didn't understood. "I enjoy making people nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"No?" He stepped away from the pillar towards her, not close enough to invade her space. Just close enough for the space between them to demand quieter words. "You've been looking over your shoulder since you stopped walking."

Selene's jaw tightened. "You imagine too much."

"I observe too much."

If there was something she hated the most about Ryker, it was how quickly and accurately he read people. His eyes wandered briefly toward the reception room before returning to her. "Damien apologized," not as a question."

"No."

Ryker smiled knowingly. "It wasn't enough."

"No."

"I didn't think it would be."

Selene folded her arms. "If you're here to apologize too, don't waste your breath."

His smile washed off his face. "I wasn't planning to."

Her eyebrows drew together.

"I don't regret something I didn't do."

This got her attention. "What does that mean?"

Ryker slowly rolled the wine glass between his fingers.

"It means..." His gaze settled on hers. "...I never believed the story they sold us."

Everything inside Selene went still. "What?"

"I said I never believed it."

"You didn't believe I caused the massacre?" Her voice came out quieter than intended.

"No."

"Then why..." The words were caught up painfully in her throat. "...why did you say nothing?"

Ryker didn't take his eyes off her's. For the first time since approaching her... The amusement faded from his face. "I didn't have proof."

A very empty laughter escaped her throat. "So you chose silence."

"I chose survival." He held her gaze as he answered, not looking away once.

"You think that makes it better?"

"No."

"It makes you a coward."

"It makes me alive."

Selene took one slow step toward him. "And what did staying alive accomplish?"

His expression remained unreadable. Not his eyes or mouth betraying the look on his face. "I learned things."

"What things?"

"I learned that powerful men don't bury the truth." He paused. "They bury witnesses."

A chill crawled through her bones. "What are you talking about?"

"You ask dangerous questions."

"So answer one."

His eyes searched hers for several long seconds. "As much as I'd enjoy that..." He smiled again. "...not tonight."

Her face turned red. "You corner me just to speak in riddles?"

"I cornered you because I wanted to see whether your eyes still looked the same."

She stared at him, as though she'd misheard. "What?"

"They do." His smile softened into something almost thoughtful. "They're just sadder now."

"You don't get to pity me," Her voice was razor sharp

But Ryker didn't seem to care. "I wasn't."

"Then don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you understand."

Ryker chuckled quietly. "You'd be surprised what I understand."

"No." She took another step back. "I wouldn't."

For the first time, his confidence slipped, only for a heartbeat but she saw it. "You hate all of us."

She didn't answer.

"You should."

Still nothing.

"I would've hated me too."

She looked at him with cold, unwavering eyes. "I don't waste that much energy anymore."

Ryker exhaled slowly. "So that's what five years does to a person."

"No." She shook her head. "Five years teaches you the difference between hope and reality."

"And which is this?"

"Reality."

He studied her carefully. "You've convinced yourself no one is coming."

"No one did." A muscle twitched in his jaw.

He looked away first, and Selene found it interesting.

"You know," Ryker murmured, almost to himself, "you're very different from the girl I met years ago."

"The girl you met is dead."

His gaze snapped back to hers. "I can see that."

The silence lingered between them stayed long enough to become its own conversation, till he ended it. "There's something you should know."

Selene waited.

"I wasn't the only one who doubted the massacre."

Her heart skipped a beat. "...What?"

"Fuck!" Ryker immediately cursed under his breath. He'd said too much.

"What do you mean?" she demanded. "Who else?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it."

"I implied nothing."

Her composure finally cracked and she grabbed the front of his jacket before she could stop herself. "Tell me, who else knew?" Her voice trembled.

Ryker looked down at her hand then back into her eyes. And for the first time all evening... The playful smile was gone. "You really don't know." The words came out barely above a whisper.

"Know what?"

He gently removed her hand from his jacket, as though if he did any harder he would bruise her more than all of her was. "If I tell you now..." He looked toward the ballroom. "...everything changes."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"You owe me the truth."

A bitter smile crossed his face. "Maybe I do."

He stepped around her and she spun to face him.

"Ryker."

Without turning around, he spoke quietly. "The truth is expensive, Selene." His voice carrying none of its earlier amusement. "And sooner or later..." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "...someone always pays for it." Then he walked away.

Selene remained rooted to the spot as her mind replayed every word. Her chest felt empty as she thought about how many people had watched her life crumble... While hiding the truth.

Far down the corridor, Ryker finally stopped walking.

A shadow detached itself from the wall as Roman, his Beta came into view.

"How did it go?"

Ryker didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked back toward the hallway where Selene still stood without his usual grin. "I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" Roman frowned.

Ryker's eyes darkened. "I underestimated how much she remembers."

"And now?"

He let out a slow breath. "Now..." His gaze lingered on the empty corridor. "...she's going to start asking the questions we've spent five years hoping she'd never ask."

Somewhere behind them, a door quietly opened and neither of them noticed the figure standing there, listening to every word they said.