* hopefully today is a good day *

Ryker frowned, the lines were invading his once smooth forehead and I wondered if it was something awful or something that was difficult for him to tell me. Surely the sorceress had said nothing but bullshit considering I was still alive and breathing.

"What is it?" I placed my hand on his arm, urging him to tell me.

He drew a deep breath. "Ten years ago, Alana told me about her feelings for me. I always like her and she's the person I grew up with but I always value our friendship more than anything else so I didn't act on it but when she told me about her feelings, I told her that there is a possibility that she's not my mate or I'm not hers. I told her that we should wait until our eighteenth birthday so we will know for sure, so we won't hurt anyone. Then she cried and told me that she already knew she was not my mate because my mate is already dead. She mentioned crossing the northeast border and met a sorceress who told her about it which was why she finally decided to confess her feelings for me." Ryker pinched the bridge of her nose, his face was filled with remorse. "I didn't believe her and went to meet the sorceress myself. She told me the same thing she has told Alana. I still refused to believe it, I was only fifteen at that time and I chose to wait until my eighteenth birthday came. When it did and I did not find my mate, I was devastated. I grieved for her," he swallowed a lump in his throat, "For you."

"So you gave the relationship a chance," I finished his story.

Ryker nodded. "After a year of searching around the continent and not finding you, I finally accepted and made peace with what the sorceress had once told me." His lips formed a sad smile and his silver eyes glistened. "I met Dmitry in Siberia. He came back here with me and became my Beta when I finally became Alpha."

"I still don't understand." My mind processed everything that he had told me but my heart felt like there was something missing. Like one missing piece of the puzzle. "I am not dead so I don't get why the sorceress would tell you that. Although my mom died ten years ago, could she perhaps be your mate?"

"I don't know," he shook his head, his frown deepened and there was this troubled look on his face when he said, "Though I hope not. That would be crazy." His eyes met mine and he shook his head. "I am not saying that there's anything wrong with your mom, it's just that she's your mom."

I gave him a small reassuring smile. "I know what you mean." I pulled out my phone and read a message from Patrick informing me that my bike was fixed and I could pick it up. "I have to go to Patrick's, by the way. Gotta get my bike so I can go to school on my own tomorrow."

Ryker let out a small sigh. "Why do you still need to go to school anyway? I thought you've graduated."

I could feel a tinge of warmth creeping up my cheeks. Back when we had been making out at that club, I'd told him as such. "I still have to prepare for the prom and graduation ceremony."

"You can always have your prom here, I can make that happen so that you don't need to travel to the city."

I had to be honest, his offer sounded really tempting especially since right now the distance between the North and my school was at least thirty miles longer than previously when I had stayed in my own home. Furthermore, after what had happened two days ago, I was not sure if I wanted to face Cindy and her gang. I've watched them do terrible things before to other students, I had zero doubt that they would do worse to me. There were more pros than cons here except for one thing: I still didn't trust Ryker Cromwell.

There was something about his story that didn't match up. I could tell that he was hiding something from me and I would figure it out. Plus, I hadn't entirely forgiven him for what he had done. With everything I knew, his offer sounded even more suspicious than generous. I needed to find out the reason why he wanted me to be here so much. There must be something. So even if I had to endure Cindy and the gang, I would bear with it for the time being.

"Nah, it's okay," I politely declined. "Though I need a lift to get to Patrick's."

"I'll give you a lift," said someone from a distance. We both looked at the source of the voice. A brunette girl was standing on the front porch.

Ryker gave out an exasperated sigh although he kept his expression flat. "That's Dmitry's cousin who's visiting here. Her name is Kristina although she will insist on you calling her Trish. She said it's less Russian that way."

"I am going to the city anyway, I can easily drop you off at, um, Patrick's," she said. Clearly, she had overheard our conversation.

"Cool, thanks."

Ryker pulled away and straightened up as I followed Trish to Ryker's car.

"Please be careful, Trish," warned Ryker as he tossed the key to her. "One more speeding ticket and I am not allowing you to get behind the wheels while you're here."

Trish rolled her eyes and unlocked the car. I watched her smoothly drive the car and get us out of the North territory. Aside from the classic song from the stereo, the journey was quiet.

"I heard about you," said Trish as we entered the edge of the city. "I am Trish, by the way."

She glanced at me and I gave her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Trish. I am Xyrra."

"Cool name," she commented.

"Thanks," I replied even though until now I was not sure it was truly my birth name or not but I supposed it was alright. "What did you hear about me, by the way?" I asked curiously, hoping that I would find a reason behind people's odd stares. "Other than what happened at the wedding."

"Not much. My cousin said you're just a nice girl who got caught up in this mess." Trish shrugged. The car slowly came to a stop at the traffic light and she turned to look at me. "So are you halfway in love with him already?"

I blinked. Not sure that I had heard her correctly. "Pardon?"

"I mean Ryker, obviously, not Dmitry." Trish rolled her eyes, smiling. "Are you in love with him?"

"No," I answered truthfully. We might have shared one or two kisses but that was it. Nothing more. I was not even sure if I would kiss him again.

Trish stared at me funnily for a few seconds before the frown between her brows slowly disappeared and her confusion turned to understanding. "Ah, I get it. So you are just going to help him get his inheritance and pride back, huh. I bet he offers you good money." She shook her head then hit the pedal gas and the car started to move once again. "Rich folks are crazy."

Inheritance? Pride?

None of us talked for a few minutes. I was trying to wrap my head around what I had just learned.

"Then I don't get why Alana gets worked up about it. She's going to get half of it when Ryker marries her anyway."

She laughed but I was not feeling it. My mind recalled what Eros had told me earlier today about how Ryker had lost his inheritance because he insisted on marrying Alana. I swallowed a lump in my throat and remained in silence.

There was nothing fun or funny about any of this especially when I didn't even know that I was being used. At least now it all made sense, why he has been so hellbent on getting me to stay in the South. I could not go soft right now, I needed a plan. I had to get my revenge on him. It seemed that he didn't understand that I was not fragile like a flower, I was fragile like a bomb, and his recent action had just triggered my timer.

* * *

"Yeah, rich people are crazy." I decided to coax more information from Trish without being too suspicious. "By the way, how long has Ryker been an Alpha anyway?" In my head, I drew a timeline of what Ryker and Eros had told me and what I would learn from Trish. "He looks quite young for an Alpha," I added even though I had no clue what was the minimum required age for someone to be an Alpha or if such a thing did exist. I merely took a guess since my dad had been Leonidas's Beta and he was in his early forty, so I took a wild guess that Leonidas must be in his forties too.

"About five years, give or take." Trish shrugged one shoulder. "I remember my uncle being so mad when he found out that Dmitry accepted the Beta position in The Ethereal."

"Why?" I asked curiously. "I thought Beta is quite high in the hierarchy."

"It is," Trish agreed before heaving a sigh. "But not when you're meant to be an Alpha."

Wait, what? Dmitry Vashkov was supposed to be an Alpha? I didn't know this but again, not until a few days ago, I would've never thought that a human could turn into a werewolf. "Why did he agree on being a Beta then if he can be an Alpha?"

She shook her head, showing a bit of reluctance in telling me and I could guess that it was probably a family conflict that was best to be kept within the family. "It's complicated."

I nodded and didn't press further. "I have one question though. I want to ask Ryker but I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable," I lied, hoping it would sweeten it somehow and make it more convincing. "How did Ryker manage to become Alpha when his father didn't even allow him to handle the family business?"

"Oh, girl, you have so much to catch up with," commented Trish. She seemed relaxed now that we were no longer talking about Dmitry or her family. "The family business and the whole wolf business were a separate thing. The family business, Cromwell's old money, those things Ryker's father still had the power over. But for the pack, it was a different matter. The Alpha would have absolute power over it."

"Wait, I am confused." I took a deep breath and tried to make sense of what Trish had just told me. "If Ryker's father didn't approve of what Ryker did, then he could simply make other people Alpha, right?"

"No, he can't. Ryker was chosen by the previous Alpha to lead the pack."

In all honesty, her words only caused me to be more confused. "But wasn't Ryker's father the previous Alpha?"

"No," said Trish as she cut off the engine, then turned to face me. "Ryker's brother was the Alpha."

Brother? My brain recalled Ryker's expression when I had asked him if his brother lived in the packhouse. Perhaps he had been looking uncomfortable not because of the fact that I would sleep on the same floor as him but because of my questions about his brother. Something must have happened. The million dollars question was what had happened?

I wanted to ask Trish but she cut me off saying, "We're here. I guess I will see you back in the packhouse then."

"Are you going to stay here for a while?" I asked, wondering when I would have time to ask her more about Ryker's brother and the Ethereal.

"Yeah, I will be back to Siberia after Halloween." Trish smiled. "Why?"

I shrugged. "It's nice talking to you. Plus I don't know anyone back in the North. It's nice to have at least one friend."

Trish's smile morphed into a full-on grin. "Is that what we are?"

"I hope so." I returned her smile. I opened the door and got out.

"Let's go shopping for costumes next week." Trish pressed the ignition button, and the car roared back to life once again. "If I can stand your fashion, then you can bet your arse I am your friend. Right now, it's hard to guess since you're wearing a T-shirt and jeans."

It took me no less than fifteen minutes to settle the bill with Patrick and once I got my keys and motorcycle back, I drove back to the North. The ride back calmed me down somehow and being alone, I could forget for a moment that my life was a mess and that instead of heading home, I was heading to a strange place that I was forced by circumstances to live in.

The road was not busy and in less than two hours, I had arrived and parked my motorcycle in front of the packhouse. Dmitry was sitting in the yard with a laptop on the wooden table. "Welcome back," he greeted me although his eyes were still glued on the screen.

"Hi, what are you doing?" I approached him and looked over his shoulder.

"I am informing my family back home that I am alright," he replied curtly.

I glanced at the email he was typing and frowned. I could not understand Russian but his reply was so short, only ten words or less, while the email he was replying to was an essay long. I bit back any comment I had.

"Oh, okay. Hope everything's alright with your family back home."

Dmitry nodded. "I thank you."

"Thank you," I corrected and this time, he turned to face me. His steely eyes met mine. "You don't have to add 'I' in the front." He continued to stare and I bit my tongue. Why did I do that? I was a newcomer and I was already being a smartass to the Beta, furthermore, someone who according to Trish was supposed to be an Alpha.

There was a few seconds of silence but thankfully before it got awkward, he reiterated, "Thank you."

I smiled. "Pozhaluysa!" I replied to him, recalling the word that I had Googled while waiting for Patrick to prepare the invoice.

"It is 'pozhaluysta', you missed one letter." For the first time, his lips stretched into a smile.

"Thanks." I returned his smile and then glanced towards the house. "I better get inside and unpack my things."

Dmitry bobbed his head. "Your room is ready for you. Tatiana already cleaned it and changed the bedsheet."

I wrote a mental note to thank Tatiana, whoever she might be, later. "Okay. Which room is mine?"

"The one in front of Ryker's." A small frown appeared on Dmitry's forehead. "The only room Alana has not been, as you have requested."

* * * * *

Dearest readers, how are you? What do you honestly think of Dmitry? This author has read some comments about him, and yes, Dmitry is the 'robot-alike' type of human with no emotions. He speaks English like a translator and much more rigid than Trish, his cousin. Can you guess why he chose to be Ryker's Beta?