Chapter 77

RYKER’S P.O.V

The worst part about having Camilla lying in her bed without moving wasn’t the fact that she was in her room and not ours. it wasn’t the fact that I’feared that she would never wakeup, it wasn’t even the fact that I was doing most of the work in the palace- I didn’t mind that. It was the kids. Audrey didn’t understand why her mother had been lying in bed for three days unmoving and why she wouldn’t just get up. She asked me if Camilla was going to the same place that Leanor did. She didn’t understand the concept of death completely, she just knew that people left and never returned.

Aurora was a completely different ballgame. For a child who enjoyed being in my arms every second of every day, she wanted nothing to do with me. She wanted her mother but I couldn’t risk that so she screamed her head off day in and day out. It was exhausting having to combine all of that with trying to find Frederick and trying to keep the people from losing their minds out of fear. I felt like I was going crazy.

Christine helped as best as she could but there were things that she could not do. The only thing I got that made me feel remotely better was when I got a letter from Damien asking if I wanted him to come over I didn’t want to bother him and I also didn’t want to put Christine in that position. I never asked about their situation because I knew whose side I would pick if it came down to it and I also knew that Camilla wouldn’t agree with my choice. Their situation was a recipe for disaster.

“Ryker,” Christine’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her. My fingers were still tracing circles on Camilla’s palm. “I know this isn’t the time but the elders have the list you asked for. What do you need the list of current pack members for?”

I reluctantly let go of Camilla’s hand. “Frederick has help in the pack. I had him in my grip and he had men who came out of the woods and distracted me. He has allies here and I need to know how he got to them. If he wasn’t raised here then they must have met elsewhere.”

“I can help with the list,” she offered. “The goddess knows it is way too long for you to look through yourself.”

I was about to refuse when I heard an ear–splitting scream. Camilla and I’s room was just opposite this one and that was where Aurora was sleeping- or at least, supposed to be. I ran my hands down my face in frustration and made my way past Christine and towards her. Her little face was red and scrunched up as she wailed. I gently picked her up and checked her napkin first but it was clean. She had also eaten less than thirty minutes ago so she wasn’t hungry.

“Hey, princess, what’s wrong?” she continued to wail and I rocked her gently over my shoulder. Her cries reduce but they were still loud. Christine walked into the room and I turned to her. “Get the files from the elders and take what you want from it. I just need to calm her down before I start on it.”

She looked like she wanted to say more but she changed her mind last minute and turned on her heels. I watched her disappear and turned my attention back to my daughter who had stopped crying and was now sniffling. Her lower lip was wobbling and her eyes were teary.copy right hot novel pub