ROWAN
I stared at Ryker for what I should consider as eternity because he stared right back at me.
None of our gaze wavered.
I knew ever since our mother died there had been this deeply rooted hatred residing in Ryker's heart for our father but I never knew he was this far gone.
Don't get me wrong, I would never forgive our father for what he did, but a part of me knows he is suffering already for his sins.
"You don't mean that?" I asked, although knowing Ryker, he absolutely meant it.
"When have you ever seen or heard me bluff?"
That was one thing that gave me chills about Ryker, he was the 'All funs and games' kind of guy on the surface.
But buried deep within him was someone who took things a little too personal and would burn bridges just to prove a point.
I glanced around and tried to pull him closer but he pulled his hands from my near grip and stared at me.
"Come on Ryker," I tried to reason with him, "Is that really your end game? Make dad pay by having an affair with his mate,"
A smile curved on his lips, "I mean, hearing it come from you it doesn't sound bad at all,"
I rolled my eyes in a sigh and stepped closer to him, "Ryker it is not worth it, the pack is just recovering from all that Victor did. You know dad will not let you go free,"
He took a step closer, cocking his brows while the distance between us ceased to exist, "I don't want him to let me go free, in fact I want him to react."
"You can't defeat dad," I reminded.
"Our dear old dad is the shadow of the man he used to be, if he was still that man, Victor wouldn't have attacked and almost wiped away the pack, I saved this pack."
He paused for a second and took a step back, "He never for once thanked me," his voice was lower this time, I could almost hear the pain in it but he quickly masked it with a much sharper tone.
"I saved his fucking pack and what did he do, bring a breeder who would birth our replacement, what an ungrateful fool,"
"He is grieving,"
"Grief," he scoffed "Fuck his grief, he caused all of this," he made an air gesture, "This is all his fault,"
He turned to walk away, I didn't try to stop him. It was no use, there was never any reasoning with Ryker, he stopped mid step and turned to face me.
"Instead of you acting all high and mighty why don't you just get in on this game," he smirked, "It will be just like old college time when you had a bit of fun in you,"
He walked away before I got a word out, I bit my tongue a bit.
'Old college days'
Those were some memories when I was tired of being called the nerd and tried a whole year of 'Being Ryker'.
I wanted to have fun, I followed Ryker to parties, we would get high, do drugs, get girls home and have orgies. Those were some crazy messed up times.
When Ryker got expelled for being related to murder, a murder he was exonerated from but had brought the school a lot of negative press. A murder I had helped him get away with.
In Ryker's defense, it was a 'Kill or be killed kind of situation' and he basically had no choice but it was his actions that had led him to such an impasse.
There was no way I was ever going back to that. By the way, I am engaged now, to Lila Cross.
I shook my head and strode towards my father's study, there was a lot on my mind. My father and I didn't really see eye to eye either but at least we are still able to have a conversation unlike him and Ryker.
I knocked on the door gently and waited for a response before I let myself in. I walked into his study scanning the room instinctively for any change, maybe she would have started putting a bit of the 'Feminine' touch to this gloomy room.
But there was no change, the same old dark room just like his heart.
"What do you want Rowan?" He asked without even lifting his gaze up but he knew it was me. He could scent me, he knew Ryker and I smelled different.
"What a welcome," I remarked.
He lifted up his gaze and dropped the pen he was making use of to scribble down on a paper.
"Not you too, I thought the shity and backhanded comments was your brother thing,"
I sighed, "In this case he is not wrong, why do you need a breeder?" I crossed my arms against my chest and tried my best to remain expressionless.
"I do not owe you or your brother any explanation," his voice wasn't loud but it wasn't gentle either. He leaned back to his chair and held my gaze.
Years back I would have been intimidated but right now, I was indifferent about how I felt.
"You actually do, you spent years trying to mold us into the perfect sons and suddenly you decide we are not good enough to inherit your legacy," I retorted, my voice increasing an octave.
He stared at me, maybe because it was kind of the first time I spoke to him in such a manner.
He stood up, his frame and present suddenly consuming the room and all the resolve I had built started declining.
This is why he is feared. Not because of who he is or what he can do.
It is just his presence. The way it makes you feel small no matter how big you are.
He took four cautionary steps forward and stopped a few inches away from me.
"I don't trust you or your brother to run this pack," he said it so casually it caused my stomach to twirl.
"Ryker had always been the outlaw, the wild dog, but you Rowan, you used to be my protege. But now, I don't even know where you stand,"
This was the most he had spoken to me in months, I wanted to give a sharp response but I bit my lips holding back my words.
Because right now I also didn't know where I stood. I hated him for what he did, but I also don't hate him that much.
It doesn't make sense.
"You need to pick a side Rowan, you can't keep being indifferent," he turned back and strode back to his chair allowing his words to hit me.
I turned back to leave because I didn't trust myself right now to say the right words.
"Rowan," he called out from where he was seated, I turned around to face him, my eyes darting into his.
"You want me to know where you stand, seal the marriage deal with Lila so we can get those lands,"
I simply gave him a nod and walked out of the study as soon as I shut the door, I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in my lungs and gulped.
That was something I was also indifferent about.
With the knowledge of my fated mate.
I wasn't sure anymore about my marriage with Lila Cross.
Fuck! I cursed out for the first time in years.
I need to sort this out with Ryker before he ruin everything like he always does.
Before he ruins her.