Unexpected Company

Chapter 7

Unexpected Company

The festival had officially started.

Which meant Jade had spent most of the evening carrying things.

Tables.

Lanterns.

Crates.

Food supplies.

At some point she was fairly certain someone had handed her a task simply because she happened to be walking past.

Not that she minded.

Keeping busy was easier than standing around while the rest of the pack celebrated.

Besides, the festival grounds looked beautiful.

Hundreds of lanterns glowed beneath the trees.

Music drifted through the forest.

For one night, Silverwood felt less divided.

Less judgmental.

Less cruel.

Almost like a real community.

"Jade! Catch!"

She barely had time to react before Liam tossed a wooden crate toward her.

She caught it with a grunt.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I had my hands full."

"You literally threw a box at me."

"You caught it."

"That isn't the point."

Liam looked unconvinced.

"I feel like it's exactly the point."

Jade sighed.

There was no winning these conversations.

The two of them were delivering supplies to one of the feast tables when Liam made a terrible decision.

Specifically, attempting to carry three crates at once.

"Don't."

"I'm fine."

"You're not."

"I've got this."

The top crate immediately shifted.

Jade folded her arms.

"Nope."

"It's under control."

Another wobble.

"Definitely nope."

Liam glared.

The crate slipped further.

Then a voice beside them said,

"That looks like a terrible idea."

A dark-haired stranger stepped forward from the crowd.

One of the Blackthorn wolves.

Before Liam could argue, the stranger effortlessly lifted the top crate from his stack.

Liam looked personally offended.

"I had it."

"You really didn't."

"I absolutely did."

The stranger exchanged a look with Jade.

She laughed.

Actually laughed.

Not the polite kind.

Not the forced kind.

A real laugh.

The stranger grinned.

"See? Even she knows you were losing that battle."

"I don't like either of you."

"Fair."

The stranger shifted the crate onto his shoulder.

"Need help?"

The question was directed at both of them.

Neither pitying nor condescending.

Just normal.

Jade couldn't remember the last time a stranger had treated her that way.

"Sure," she said.

Liam immediately pointed.

"See? She likes you more than me."

"I've known you since we were children."

"Exactly."

"That's the problem."

The stranger barked out a laugh.

The sound was warm.

Easy.

Natural.

Over the next several minutes, he helped them finish moving supplies.

His name was Ryker.

That was all she learned.

No title.

No rank.

No family introductions.

Nothing.

Just Ryker.

A wolf from Blackthorn who made terrible jokes and somehow managed to get Liam arguing within five minutes of meeting him.

When they finally finished, Jade found herself smiling.

Which felt strange.

Most new people didn't leave good impressions.

Especially not on her.

Yet Ryker seemed completely unaware there was any reason he shouldn't talk to her.

As if she'd never been anything except another wolf.

The thought stayed with her long after they parted ways.

---

The next morning, Jade slipped away from the festival grounds before sunrise.

The forest welcomed her with cool air and silence.

After the crowded festival, the solitude felt nice.

Necessary.

She followed a familiar trail toward her training clearing.

The previous evening kept replaying in her mind.

Mostly because it had been odd.

Not the festival.

Not the guests.

Ryker.

For years she'd grown accustomed to people sizing her up the moment they heard her name.

Some pitied her.

Others judged her.

A few looked suspicious.

Ryker had done none of those things.

Maybe because he wasn't from Silverwood.

Maybe because he didn't know her history.

Or maybe because he simply didn't care.

The last possibility was surprisingly appealing.

A snapped twig interrupted her thoughts.

Jade instantly turned.

"You're easier to sneak up on than your Alpha makes you sound."

Her eyes narrowed.

There he was.

Ryker.

Standing a few yards down the trail looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"Were you following me?"

"Technically, we were both walking in the same direction."

"That wasn't an answer."

His grin widened.

"Then yes."

Jade rolled her eyes.

Somehow she wasn't surprised.

"Should I be concerned?"

"I was told Silverwood's trails were worth exploring."

"And you happened to find me."

"A pleasant coincidence."

Something about the answer made warmth creep unexpectedly into her cheeks.

Which was ridiculous.

She barely knew him.

Still, she couldn't help noticing things now that she was looking.

He was tall.

Strong.

Confident without being arrogant.

And unlike so many young wolves she'd met, he never seemed desperate to prove himself.

There was something comfortable about that.

Something genuine.

They continued down the trail together.

Eventually they reached her training clearing.

Ryker stopped.

His gaze swept over the battered wooden training post.

The targets.

The worn paths.

Evidence of years spent practicing alone.

"You train here every day?"

"Most mornings."

His eyebrows climbed.

"Seriously?"

"Why does everyone seem surprised by that?"

"Because this looks less like training and more like preparation for a small war."

Despite herself, Jade laughed.

The sound earned a victorious smile from him.

For some reason, she found herself noticing his smile more than she probably should.

Not because she was attracted to him.

At least she didn't think she was.

More because he smiled easily.

Most wolves in Silverwood didn't.

Not around her.

Yet Ryker seemed perfectly comfortable.

As if friendship came naturally.

As if people generally liked him.

Which they probably did.

Annoyingly.

"You have an attitude."

Jade blinked.

"I do not."

"You absolutely do."

"You're making that up."

"I've known you approximately twelve hours."

"And?"

"And I stand by my assessment."

She shook her head.

Impossible.

The man was impossible.

Yet she found herself enjoying the conversation anyway.

That realization was dangerous.

Hope usually was.

Hope led to disappointment.

Experience had taught her that lesson years ago.

Still...

As Ryker watched her train, listened to her answers, and treated her like she mattered, Jade couldn't deny something was changing.

Not dramatically.

Just a little.

A tiny crack in the wall she'd spent years building.

"I think you're going to do fine."

She paused.

"What?"

Ryker shrugged.

"Whatever you're working toward."

Something in his expression made her believe he meant it.

No hidden agenda.

No pity.

No expectation.

Just belief.

Simple as that.

The feeling that followed caught her off guard.

Because she couldn't remember the last time someone outside her mother and Liam had looked at her that way.

As though her future might actually be worth believing in.

For the rest of the walk back to the festival grounds, Jade found herself cautiously optimistic.

Not because she trusted easily.

She didn't.

Not because she knew Ryker.

She barely did.

But maybe, just maybe, it would be nice to have a friend who knew nothing about her father's mistakes.

Someone who saw her as Jade first.

The rest second.

And for the first time in a very long while, that possibility felt worth exploring.