It took a few good seconds for Riannon to realise who that person was. It took her a few more to gather herself, to not give in to panic.
She strained to think calmly. She knew too well it was best not to scream. No one could be here quick enough to save her. She didn’t stand a chance in a fight with this seasoned warrior.
Definitely not without her wolf back at full capacity.
To her disappointment, Onyx was absent despite the dire situation she was now faced with.
Ria had to get creative and strategize in a completely different direction.
Axel or Everett or whatever this guy’s name was had never shown up in her previous life. He had escaped without a trace. It would be easy for him to kill her quietly and easier still to kill her while she washed in the bathroom. From her quick analysis of the scene before her, it looked like he was waiting for her, which could only mean her life wasn’t what he came for.
At least not for now.
It was surprisingly convenient how his story helped Roxy out. Riannon knew better than to believe in coincidences like that.
“Impressive, Everett!” She praised him with a smirk as she stepped in closer, folding her hands on her chest to at least cover herself from his roving eyes. She used that name on purpose to let him know he didn’t mishear her the first time.
“Right back at you, Luna.” The hulk of a man made a step forward as well. He had a few cuts and bruises here and there and stood shirtless, wearing just a pair of jeans. Not his, though, because they fit a little too tight on him to be his.
“Did you lose your shirt on the way here?” she asked, c0cking her brow up at him.
“Do I really need one?” He flexed his muscles playfully while his lips curled into a sly smile. “I find clothes restricting when I kill people.”
Riannon’s chest tightened at his words. Those were her people. Moreover, she asked Ash to make sure only their best warriors guarded him. Their best warriors were the strongest among all werewolves. If he took them down, then..
She prohibited herself from thinking about what that could really mean. Now wasn’t the time.
“So, I guess I have to thank you for fetching some trousers then” Ria slowly walked to an armchair and gestured for him to sit on one directly opposite her.
“I have to admit” ‘Everett said, “You surprised me, which by the way, doesn’t happen often.”
“My pleasure.” She shrugged her shoulders.”
So, what brings you here? Excuse me, I still don’t know your real name, Everett. Or Axel? What is it again?”
“I will tell you one of these days. When the circumstances are different.” A sneer formed on his lips. He was incredibly good-looking. However, she did not like the vibes that he gave her. He was dangerous. She had always known it. In this life and in her previous one.
However, now the dangerous air surrounding him seemed different. Something about him in this present time had definitely changed, especially compared to just a few hours prior when she last saw him. Her lips parted as she continued to sense the aura he released to enable her to feel.
“You are an Alpha,” she whispered, unable to hide her surprise. She suspected him to be a Beta or a Gamma at least, but not an Alpha. Alphas were rare. They weren’t disposable like he alluded himself to be. No pack would send an Alpha on a dangerous mission because they were valuable assets, even if they weren’t the ruling alphas of their pack. Everett was risking a lot to be here. She could have ordered him to be killed earlier on, and their warriors would obey her after some persuasion. Yet, he still proceeded on this mission.
Even now, he was risking his life. This kind of confidence was frightening.
“And you are a Luna.” He smiled sinisterly, and his left eye gleamed red in the darkness that blanketed her room. Riannon involuntarily swallowed. She made sure to keep herself in control of her senses and reactions to this unwanted visitor. “A very unusual one at that,” he added, I’ve heard about you a lot, but I thought all the praises were baseless rumours. Just another woman who is not bad at what she is supposed to do anyway. That was what I thought about you, Riannon,”
“Again, it’s not polite to call me by my name without first giving me a proper introduction of yourself” She attempted to trap him, but he did not take her bait. His grin, however, grew wide.
“But, you surprised me,” he continued, ignoring her words. “l can’t say that a lot of things surprises me lately. I usually hate surprises.”
She gripped the armrest of her chair a tad too tightly, and this slight on her part did not escape his gaze.
“Don’t worry” ‘Everett’ added quickly, “This one was a pleasant one. I thought this mission would be boring and painful. I needed to see with my own eyes what I was dealing with. You’ve completely changed the game for me.”
“How so?” She lazily rested her head on her fist.
“This is also a tit-bit of information I will reveal to you at a different time and under different circumstances,” he replied, avoiding an answer to her question.
“Why bother coming here in the first place if you aren’t even planning to speak?” she sighed, pretending to be annoyed.
I wanted to make sure you will remember me ” he chuckled, the sound echoing through her empty room.”Selfish, I know. Nonetheless, I wanted to be sure I wasn’t wrong about you, and it looks like I wasn’t.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” She looked at him with knitted brows, curiosity swelling within her.
“That means the most precious thing in your pack is not the power that comes with it.” He avoided the question she asked yet again.
Knowing he wouldn’t crack, she decided it was pointless to ask him directly.
“So, you confirmed what you came here to confirm. Seems like it’s about time for you to leave,” she stated, gesturing to the balcony at the door he entered through.
“What, you aren’t even going to try and scream?” he teased, looking properly amused, “
What if your warriors manage to catch me while saving their Luna.”
“Considering the kind of guards you have just escaped, I highly doubt it!” She snorted, and he stood up. He was beside her in less than a second, cupping her chin and tilting her head to look up at him.
“This was entertaining,” he admitted and then released her from his grip. He strolled in the direction of the balcony as if he wasn’t in a hurry at all.
“All right,” she spoke up, quickly standing,”
How about you ask me one question, and I ask you one in return. We must tell each other the truth.
He turned to look at her slowly with his lips curled at the corners of his mouth.
“Since you offered it yourself.” He leaned over the door frame. “Shoot.”
“Why did you really come here?” Riannon asked. It was the one question that bothered her the most.
“To make sure you remember me, to make you think about me until we next meet again.” He sneered, “l already told you that. You have just wasted your question. Now it’s my turn.”
She really thought there was something else, another reason for this late-night encounter. Maybe he was not honest with her. Or maybe he was crazy enough to go to these lengths to gain her attention.
“How did you know I was supposed to call myself Everett?” His face suddenly became very serious. He really did not expect anyone to know a thing about him.
Riannon contemplated for a second whether to lie to him or not. She then decided there was no point in lying. She could use the same trick she used earlier.
“You told me yourself,” she declared, tilting her, head, smiling viciously with her hands crossed at her front.
At this exact moment, someone banged at the door.
“Luna,” Ash screamed from the other side,
Please, open the door! I need to ensure your safety according to our protocol. If you don’t open, I will have to knock this door out in thirty seconds.
Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight ..”
Ria turned to look at her quest, but he was already gone.
Sighiņg, she went to open the door. It was clear Ash wasn’t joking around. She had enough of her furniture destroyed for one day.
“Are you okay?” he asked, scanning her with his eyes as he grasped her arms without seeking any kind of permission, “The scent in your room-“
“Shhh,” she hushed, pulling him inside and closing the door behind him. Although her husband was unlikely at the door with Ash. They would have had to alert him about the intruder before they checked on her. He would have, in turn, checked on his mate’s safety afterwards. How pathetic was that? Not that she cared anymore.
“He”Ash looked at her with a desire to kill in his eyes, “Did he do anything to you?”
“Nothing.” she replied calmly, “lf you consider yourself my friend or at least my Beta, you would stay quiet about it,.”
He looked at her with a perplexed expression on his face, clearly not knowing what to do.
“I have to tell him according to protocol,” he said finally. She decided not to hide her disappointment. She noticed that he hesitated, and when he went back to the door, she stopped him.
“Ash” Riannon called his name and prompted him to turn toward her, “I want to speak to you.
Stay.”
She hadn’t done this in her past life, and she had regretted it. The way he chose Brayden’s side over hers, time after time after time, was painful because she was sure they had a good relationship.
However, this time, in this lifetime, he seemed different. Just a bit. She wanted to check, to be sure.
If he chose Brayden again, it wouldn’t change anything for her, however, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. At least then, she would know she tried everything she could.
“Ash,” she began, stepping in closer to him. At that moment, the lights began working again so they were able to have a good look at each other.
His eyes lingered on her body, which was barely covered in the thin gown before quickly returning to her face. “l am not sure how long my marriage to Brayden will last,” she calmly offered. He didn’t flinch. Her information was received without emotion as if he was expecting it. “When it happens, you can only be with either him or with me. Not with the two of us. After we split, it will be too late to make that decision. I always thought that we were friends-“
“And we are,” he interrupted her speech, “We are more than friends”
“Then why didn’t you tell me about Roxy?” She looked him in the eye, and he licked his lips before responding.