Chapter Nine: She is Nothing to Fear

Rykor’s POV

Sweat ran down my brow as I trained harder than I ever had before in hopes that it would help me get her off my mind. After leaving the funeral, I went home and found myself sitting in my office reading a book about her. The stories were those that nightmares were made of, but I found them hard to believe because the girl I had seen yesterday was no monster. She was nothing more than a small girl, a beautiful one but nonetheless a small, unthreatening girl.

Running again to the other side of the training ground, I pushed myself harder, running faster as if I were trying to run away from thoughts of her. As I paused at the other end, trying to catch my breath, I spotted my beta, Thorne, walking towards me with purpose. Letting out a sigh, I readied myself for whatever he was about to say.

“Alpha, you’ve been called upon.” Thorne's voice was urgent. “By the Luna of Death.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. “Her name is Nikita, Thorne. We don’t need to use a name that’s nothing more than a scare tactic.” My laughter echoed briefly, but Thorne's grave expression did not change.

“Alpha, I don’t think it’s wise for you to go alone,” Thorne insisted, his tone edged with worry.

“She’s nothing more than a little girl, Thorne. She is nothing to fear,” I replied smoothly, my confidence unwavering. The stories were just that—stories meant to terrify. I had seen her, and she was no monster.

Thorne’s brow furrowed with concern, but he did not argue further. “I will hold down the pack in your absence, Rykor. Be safe.”

Nodding, I made my way to where Nikita’s guards awaited. They were solemn, their eyes reflecting the haunted tales of their leader. I followed them through dense forests. As we walked, my mind drifted to my father. He made this same walk one day, and it was the last walk he ever made before Nikita’s father sentenced him to death. I was only eight years old.

As we walked through the forest, my mind slipped into an old, painful memory. I remember sitting in the reading room with my mother when my father’s beta, Kendall, burst through the door in a panic.

***

“Dominic has been summoned, Alpha Vladimir! To death,” Kendall’s voice wavered, a rare sign of fear. My mother’s face paled, but she held her composure, typical of the strong Luna she was.

“Why?” My voice was small, trembling with confusion and fear. My father was a good man, kind and caring—why would anyone want to harm him? He had only gone to Dominic kingdom to ask him for help against the rogues that threatened to destroy our kingdom. Why would that lead to his death? 

The room was silent. I looked between my mother and Kendall, there faces both holding the same fear. 

“Kendall, take Rykor to his room. Now,” my mother commanded, her voice shaky but firm. As Kendall led me away, the last thing I saw was my mother rushing away.

My father's death had started a chain reaction that led to my current path smothered me. My mother and Kendall tried their best to hold our already failing pack together, but neither of them were leaders. When I turned sixteen, I stepped up as Alpha, even though I didn’t want to. I worked tirelessly to rebuild and strengthen our pack, transforming it into one of the most powerful packs around, devoting my whole life to my pack. 

***

The sight of Nikita’s mansion snapped me out of my thoughts. As I approached, my heart began to race in my chest, not with fear but excitement, and my wolf swirled inside of me, leaving me confused as to why my wolf was so excited to see her. The mansion was grand yet eerily silent, shrouded in shadows even under the midday sun.

The guards led me inside through opulent hallways adorned with rich tapestries and haunting portraits of long-dead ancestors. The grandeur of the place felt suffocating, as though history itself weighed down the air. I couldn't help but get the feeling that this place was once a beautiful, happy place before the curse took its toll on the people who lived there.

As we reached the throne door, the sound of yelling from the other side made me pause. It was a woman's voice, unmistakably hers, and it held a mixture of pain and fury. My heart raced as I strained to hear the words, but they were too muffled to make out.

Placing my hands on the large, heavy doors, I pushed them open, ready to face her.