Chapter 4

_Emma’s POV_

I did not want to go with him.

Every instinct inside me screamed that I should stay in my apartment, lock the door and pretend none of this had ever happened. But the broken window reminded me that staying was no longer an option. Someone had already found me once. They could find me again.

Ryker stood near the doorway. He was watching me quietly as if he was waiting for a decision I did not really have. His expression was calm, almost patient, but there was something behind his eyes that made it clear he was already sure I would come.

I hated that he was right.

I tightened my grip around the knife in my hand, even though I knew it would not help me if things went wrong. “I am not trusting you,” I said again because I needed him to hear it clearly.

“I know,” he replied simply.

That answer annoyed me more than anything else. He was not arguing, not forcing me, not trying to convince me. It made it worse because it felt like he expected my fear and accepted it.

I stepped forward slowly. “If this is a trap, I will....”

“You will stab me with a kitchen knife,” he finished for me.

I frowned. “Stop saying it like it is funny.”

A faint look passed over his face. It was something close to amusement. “I am not laughing at you.”

I did not believe him but I followed him anyway.

The moment I stepped outside, the night air felt heavier than before. It was too quiet like the world was holding its breath. Ryker moved ahead of me without touching me. But he was always close enough that I could feel him there. It was strange. I hated needing him but I hated the idea of being alone even more.

A black motorcycle waited near the road. Another two were further away. Their engines were off and there were men sitting still like shadows. They all turned their heads the moment Ryker appeared. No one spoke. No one moved. They were waiting for him.

I noticed it immediately. This was not normal respect. This was something deeper....something like fear.

I walked closer to Ryker’s bike, then stopped. “I am not getting on that.”

He looked back at me. “You are.”

“That is not an answer.”

“It is the only way.”

I stared at him for a long moment, then at the road disappearing into darkness. I did not know where I was going or what waited for me there. I only knew that staying behind was worse.

Finally, I climbed on.

The moment I held onto him, I hated how natural it felt. I hated that my body reacted like it had done this before. The engine started and within seconds we were moving fast enough that the wind stole my breath.

I pressed closer without meaning to and I felt him notice it. He did not say anything. But I saw the slight shift in his posture, like he was aware of every reaction I had.

The road changed as we left the city behind. Lights disappeared, buildings faded and the trees became thicker. The air felt colder the further we went and I started to feel like I was leaving the normal world behind completely. After what felt like a long time, we finally slowed down.

I looked up. A gate stood between the trees. It was hidden so well that I would have never noticed it if I was alone. It was large, made of dark metal and marked with symbols I did not understand. Two guards stood on either side. They were watching us carefully.

The moment Ryker stopped, they opened the gate without a word. We rode through and everything changed.

The place beyond the gate was not a village or a camp and not what I expected a motorcycle club to look like. It was a hidden world carved into the mountains. Garages full of bikes stood beside wooden buildings and stone paths.

I got off the bike slowly. My legs felt unsteady. I kept the knife hidden near my side, even though I knew it would not protect me here. People stopped what they were doing when they saw me. Conversations faded and eyes followed me.

Whispers started.

“That is her.”

“She is human.”

“No… she is the one who saw....”

I could not hear the rest but I felt it anyway. My skin prickled under their stares. I stepped closer to Ryker without meaning to. He noticed. He did not look at me but he moved slightly so I was behind him. That small movement said more than words. I was not alone. But I was not safe either.

A man stepped forward from the group. He was tall, broad-shouldered and looked like he had spent his life fighting. His eyes moved over me with clear distrust.

“This is her?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ryker said.

The man frowned. “She is the witness.”

“She is under my protection,” Ryker replied.

The silence that followed felt sharp.

The man did not look happy. “You are bringing trouble into the pack.”

“I am aware,” Ryker said calmly.

Something about the way he spoke made the air heavier. Even the man in front of him hesitated for a second before answering.

“She saw the shift,” the man said. “That alone makes her dangerous.”

I took a step forward before I could stop myself. “I am standing right here.”

Every head turned toward me.

The man looked surprised, then almost amused. “She talks back.”

“Yes,” I said. “Because I am not an object you can talk about.”

A few people behind him reacted. Some laughed quietly. Some looked impressed. Others looked more suspicious.

Ryker turned his head slightly toward me, just enough that only I could hear him.

“Do not make this harder than it already is,” he said.

“I am not the problem,” I whispered back.

He did not argue. That annoyed me even more.

The man in front stepped closer. “Ryker, if she stays here, she becomes a risk to all of us.”

Ryker finally looked at him fully and the atmosphere changed instantly. It was subtle but I felt it. The air shifted and the tension rose. Even the man who had been speaking straightened slightly.

“I decide what is a risk,” Ryker said.

The silence that followed was absolute. No one spoke or argued after that.

The man stepped back slowly. “Understood.”

That single word told me everything I needed to know. They were not just following Ryker. They were obeying him.

He turned to leave and I followed quickly. I hated how small I felt in this place. I hated how easily everything here felt like it belonged to him.

He led me into a building that was quieter than the rest. Inside, the air felt different. It was less crowded. I did not relax, not even a little.

He finally stopped in a room. “This is where you stay,” he said.

I looked around immediately. “This is not a hotel.”

“No,” he agreed.

I turned to him sharply. “What exactly is this place?”

He hesitated for a moment, like he was deciding how much to say. That alone made me more nervous.

“You are in the Devil’s Pack territory,” he said finally.

“I gathered that part already,” I replied.

His eyes met mine. “Then you understand you cannot leave alone.”

I felt my chest tighten. “So I am a prisoner now?”

“No,” he said immediately.

The speed of his answer surprised me. “You are not a prisoner,” he repeated more slowly. “But you are not safe anywhere else either.”

I did not like that answer. It meant I had no control. I walked past him and sat on the edge of the bed, still holding the knife. My hands felt tired now but I refused to put it down.

Ryker watched me. “You are still holding that,” he said.

“Yes.”

A small pause. “Do you plan to sleep with it?”

“I might.”

That made him exhale slightly, like he was trying not to laugh again. “You are exhausting.”

“I did not ask you to bring me here.”

“You did not have a choice.”

That made me look up sharply. “I always have a choice.”

His eyes softened slightly. “Not tonight.”

The words landed heavier than I expected. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then something distant echoed outside. It was not a voice but a deep and low sound.....not human.

My body went still. Ryker reacted instantly. His attention shifted toward the window.

My grip tightened around the knife. “What was that?” I asked quietly.

The sound came again. It was deeper now, like something heavy moving through the trees outside. It did not feel like a normal animal.

Ryker did not answer right away. Then he said, very softly,

“They are already here.”

My breath caught in my throat. “What do you mean… here?” I whispered.

My eyes moved toward the window, toward the darkness outside. I was trying to see something... anything....but there was nothing there except the trees swaying slightly in the wind.

“How can they be here already? We just arrived.”

Ryker’s jaw tightened. His gaze stayed fixed outside. “They followed us."

It felt impossible. I looked at him again, searching his face for some sign that he was joking. But he was serious.

“They know you are here,” he added.